Shop Hop 2011

Well, this year's Shop Hop is over...haven't done it every year, but it was fun this year... with the exception of one store. We'll just skip it next year... she puts forth no effort to welcome her guests, almost acts as if she doesn't care that we are there or not... so, why bother. The others create cute little things to give us, some have games for us to play or else bowls of tickets to draw from to see if we will win a prize! It's fun... it's supposed to be FUN... buy a clue here, we don't HAVE to come to your store.

So yes I added a little bit to my stash... very little... but always enjoy chatting with other quilters and the other shop keepers that I don't get to see often... some even have a mascot who greets us at the door (Maya) with an adorable face... check out The Clothesline Quilt shop in Avon...and great fabrics too!

So now we hunker down in our sewing rooms and see what we can accomplish from our new goodies...

3 years later...

Ok, yes, it took me a while to remember what name I had this blog under... what can I say. SORRY.

But I'm back, and I can hopefully post here again! YAY!!!

This week I have been working on placemats for Easter (even tho I plan on going OUT for Easter dinner.. that is besides the point!) Here is a picture of them in progress. I have one more to quilt, and 2/3 done on one when my bobbin ran out. But they are really close!!

A bit more progress - One Year Later!

Ok, I know I haven't posted here since last year... (YIKES!) but I have gotten a bit more done on that wall hanging... so here is what it looks like now... STILL not done, but further along! LOL

Oh, and I had to rewrite the words and discovered a Silver Sharpie worked best on black. ;-)

Day 5-6

Here is what it looks like now... a little more discernible. Had a time figuring what to write with and finally chose "tailor chalk pencil".

Piece-a-Day Project

I thought maybe I'd progress better on this project if I post a picture of what I've done each day on it...so here is Day 2, it'll be a mystery until more in revealed...

Mother's Day in progress

I'm afraid I might forget to take a picture when done, so this is my mom's pillow in progress.... I'll try to remember the finished pic.

Well how about that! I Finished it today!! Here it is, front & back.

This week

So that was last week, and this is this week. I needed a new table runner in my dining room, and I wanted it to lead the eye to see the red in my kitchen over the breakfast bar. So here it is and I rather like it. I had intended on making placemats to match... and maybe napkins. But then I realize I had no more of that black! and it's from 2005 So if ANYONE knows of some of this... a yard even?? I'd love to talk to you! Thanks for visiting!

PS - I don't know why this picture displays vertically, I uploaded a horizontal picture... owell!

TP Refills

I saw this posted in a quilting forum I follow.. the gal said she saw it in the bathroom of a store or restaurant, I can't remember. Anyhoo, she was looking for a pattern to make it from. Well, you know the old saying... if you want it done right, do it yourself... so I made a pattern and then used fabrics to match my bathroom colors. Yes, I know, if I ever change the colors or paint, I'll have to make a new one - DARN! LOL.. I had fun making it, and people get a laugh out of it... but does anyone get the MESSAGE?? I wonder...

Arrgggghh

It's been a couple frustrating weeks... Just as I was about to finish quilting my step daughter's quilt, the illustrious Mega Quilter developed an "issue". It again began breaking thread. It ravels the thread up the needle until it breaks. I have tried everything I can think of, have talked with my long arm mentor online who had wonderful tips and ideas but so far, no luck in fixing the problem. I NEED to get this worked out and be able to quilt PAIN FREE! Oh, and it also began skipping stitches when Im going from right to left... not so much if I slow down, but still skipped a couple times. Hhere are some pics!



I have NO idea what to try next...

Block Exchanges are FUN!

2 of my friends and I had a block exchange like the one I had farther below resulting in the 9patch quilt. THIS time, we managed to complete the 12 blocks for all in less than 2 months! Amazing. (Actually what's amazing is that 2 out of the 3 are unemployed, and the employed person got her blocks done first! LOL) Anyway, here are a couple of the blocks. The idea was... all color blocks were to be Batik's. We assigned colors to each of us, 4 colors each, so there were no dupes. And we agreed on the light color to be the same common thread thru each block, it was a mottled cream.

Now we each have to find our own way of finishing them. I did the black block between LAST time, so I'm looking for something different this time. Maybe a sashing... maybe turning them on point, or both... ?

The Cats Meeee--ow

I was rearranging furniture a couple weeks ago, and I had to move my cat's food. So in an apologetic offer, I bought her new feeding dishes, and gave her one of the place-mats I had quilted for the dogs... I know... I know... it's for the DOGS. So a couple days ago I got some cute cat fabric, and cut it out. This morning, at 5am.. I quilted it and bound it and POOF! she has her own place-mat now!

Another one down...

Finished this throw for my step daughter. Funny story behind it... While Christmas shopping for her, I found this set of -what I THOUGHT was flannel sheets... When she opened them, it turns out I didn't read very well, it was a set of receiving blankets... yes, for babies. She had NO need of those for sure! So I said... here, give them back to me and I'll cut them up and sew them back together and make a throw for you... (not even sure how big these are, and how big the final result will be!).. But here it is, and fortunately I had a large piece of pink flannel to use as the backing. I think it came out cute! Pinks and browns, very nice.

Sharon's Quilt

Sharon asked me to quilt this quilt for her. It's a gift for her daughter's wedding anniversary. It's so gorgeous I had trouble parting with it! Altho it was quite a challenge, quilting it in the ditch, given the pattern involved... but I got it done, and she loved it. I also wore out my walking foot in the middle of it, never did that before, but I have a new one now... Happy Trails...

9 Patch - QUILTED!!!

Ok, I started this quilt, hmmm 2-1/2 years ago? with a couple ladies I worked with. We formed our own 9 Patch Block Exchange. We chose a color palette of BOLD COLORS - that was it.. primary, secondary, even tertiary colors.. the only other rule was that we had to use a White-on-white for the alternate squares in each 9 patch. That way, they would all have something in common... so I finished the Quilt Top over a year ago... picked out the backing.. even bought the batting. The hold up, was the quilting of it. I had bought a Mega Quilter and thought of using it but every time I tried, I ran into some problem. Well finally, I ironed out all the problems, and last week... I QUILTED THE 9 PATCH!! YAY!!! It felt so good to see it come off the quilter! Here is a picture or two of it... on to the binding and it'll be complete!!

Erik's Quilt

Wow! A lot has happened since that last post. I can see that I need to try harder to post regularly so that is what I'll aim for! Last year I was working with Star thread on the Mega Quilter and have since moved on to Coats Cotton or Signature. I have found these to not break in the machine. I also have found every machine is very picky about the bobbin you use! WOW... really picky. I've leveled the floor, made marks on the floor so I can tell when it's been moved and can easily put it back in the spot where I know it's level! I have also quilted a few quilts since then! Stay tuned and I'll put some pics up this year as I go along.

Here's my last one, finished last weekend for my step-son Erik. His favorite color is green.. can you tell? I laid it out on my bed for the picture, as it's a Queen size quilt and we have a King size bed, so I knew most of it would show in the photo. The border and binding don't show very well, though. The border is a marble black with a cute grey binding. Maybe I'll get a close up one day. The quilting is a pattern I call Loop-dee-Loo - not rocket science but I like it. I also snuck in a couple "where's Waldo" things on him; I quilted his name in there twice and one heart. The name I showed in the blue photo, that's the backing but by flipping the picture horizontally I was able to post it with his name showing in the correct orientation so you can read it. I used an archival ink pen to document the date and my name, instead of what I think would be an unsightly label. (JMHO)

Apples... apples..

This was a really fun thing... painting with fruit. I actually used an apple to paint these!

Now I will take this finished fabric and make it into an art quilt of some kind...

Ideas...?

Mega Quilter - Unleashed!

I finally got my mega quilter working... however I now think I need to change thread again... it keeps developing these 'pushed up ' areas on the route to the needle.. and then it breaks... and I'm using Star thread!... but I do see small nubbies on the thread... so I'm thinking I'll try a new brand. But at least I got my quilt done and OFF the machine! Now I can bind it and USE it! (since it's mine!)... YAY I'm not showing it here yet til it's bound.

HELP!!! I'm Blocked!

I really need to do something that feels artsy... I can't come up with an idea, it's like "artsy block". Well I can't call it "Quilter's Block" for obvious reasons... LOL Anyway, I thought about designating one day a week as Artistic Day. On this day I will do at least ONE THING that will let my artistic spirit out. TODAY is that day!
- any ideas out there?

waitin' for thread

I made this the other day, and it's just waitin' for thread... i needed to finish my st. pat's day table topper before I could attack this with thread... monday I'll begin..

Ruth's Flower Gaden

This is my flower garden... doesn't need watering.. doesn't need sun. Never dies, or even wilts... I actually was inspired to do this after a day of weeding in my garden! LOL

On another note, I'd like to find some quilters to start a project similar to the 'twelveby12' group. I think it'd be fun to have a project block to do once every 2 months... with a common theme, then we can post the blocks in a united picture as if it were a finished quilts.... 2 mos gives us time to get it done... and think of the next one.. If anyone out there is interested... pop me an email and let me know, ok?