Will You Vote for Me?

I have entered my pineapple quilt in the Christmas Quilt Contest at Quilting Gallery.  I'd love you to stop by and vote for my quilt!  It's called Aged Christmas Pineapple as it took me more than 15 years to get the quilt finished.  Any way, I sure would appreciate a vote from any of your computers/cell phones.  Anything with a new IP address.  Here's the tiny URL to get there: 

http://tinyurl.com/89swj9v

After you scroll through the quilts you can vote.  Thanks to each and every one of you!  Reminder to self -- vote from the iPhone.... 

I've been doing pretty well on my goals this week.  I mailed off the little quilties but, bummer, I forgot to take a picture of the finished products.  I got the Christmas presents that needed to be shipped, out in the mail.  I've got a good start on the Christmas cards.  I ended up making mine although I probably should just buy ready made cards.  Today I'm planning on vacuuming up the glitter from the cards and work on one of the secret projects.  

Tomorrow is Lessons and Carols at church followed by a choir party... not much will be getting done then. So today is a studio day whether I'm working on the cards or quilting.   Happy quilting all! 

Design Wall Monday 1-3-11

This is the result from the Fabricholics Anonymous' New Year's Eve Mystery.  Actually, this was as of Saturday morning.  Yesterday I added a 4 patch border.  I'll be taking pics of it soon.  I am really happy with how it turned out.  In fact, I'm so happy I'm keeping this one.  I'll take a picture of the finished top shortly. Don't forget to visit Judy's blog to do some Monday morning blog hopping to see every one's design walls. 

Christmas Pineapple -- a finished UFO started during 1997 appx.  And, boy do I like it now.  There really is something about finishing a UFO that is so satisfying -- especially if it turns out you LOVE it! 

 Bowties II.  I have used another group of bowtie blocks to make this donation quilt.  For the longest time I made bow tie blocks if I didn't have a specific leader/ender project.  Now, I'm trying to put some of the blocks into quilts.  I may have one more quilt worth of blocks.   Unfortunately they aren't bright like these are.  These two quilts were the last ones I did in December. 

Today's Plans 

• Pick the 5 quilts I'd like to make from my books and patterns and list them somewhere.

• Make 2 kits for Baby Quilt Sew In on Saturday.  

• Put the last strip on the Trip Around the World.  Determine if it needs to be bigger.  

• Pick next UFO.

• Prep triangles for current scrap quilt. 

• Sign up for UFO challenges. 

Way more to do than I really need but I want to get each of those things done -- sooner than later.  

As we get back into our normal routines remember to have fun sewing! 

Happy Quilting! 

Moving Right Along -- Corners Done!

Spent part of Tuesday working on the corners for Christmas Pineapple wall hanging.  I know it looks like black is the dark color in the photos but it's really a dark green.  Here's what two of the corners will look like:

And the other two will look like this: 

I've got all the paper off the back of the blocks.  I should have put the borders on today but I spent my studio time doing a little clean up.  I went through a couple of plastic storage boxes trying to empty them so I could put my current projects in.  I have a box/basket for each project I am currently working on or have been working on.  When I want to switch over to a different project all I do is put all the pieces back into the box, cover and put on the shelf.  I've been trying to make a note of what I need to do next when I put it away.  When the quilt is done, all the left over fabrics get put back in the stash.  The box is ready for a new project.  


And, from the fabric I found in the two boxes I cut strips and squares.  Some I am gifting to another scrap quilter.  Just how many scraps do I need?  And, how small?  I figure anything smaller than 2" square I really don't want.  My strips are cut 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.5 inches.  I have a million squares cut at 3" but haven't decided what to do with them yet. Decisions, decisions.  


Still haven't finished the table runner but it is almost done.  Maybe I'll work on it tonight.  I want to show it at Saturday's guild meeting. 


Happy quilting all! 

Design Wall Monday -- 12-13-10

I was very productive at the Sit and Stitch on Friday.  All of the border pieces were done but the corners are a real bugaboo. Here's what the pineapple looks like this morning. 

I planned out this corner while at the S&S.  But when I put it together Saturday -- um, don't like that all that much. Original plan is in the above picture.  While taking pictures this morning I tried a few alternatives:

Turned it. Maybe I should have turned this once more the red and white corner is against the green and white part. Will try later when I am upstairs. 

Then I thought I could make some sort of half a log cabin block and attempted to do it with some small pieces of the red fabrics.  One of the problems is the border pieces are an even number so they will end the same way every time. Start with a green, end with a white.  At least I think that is the problem.  I rather like the log cabin idea all though I am going to see what I can do improve it.  First is I will remove the green and white four patch.  I may also see about changing the last or first of the border pieces.  Perhaps I can have the greens end and begin in two corners and the whites end and begin in the other two corners.  There is going to be some unsewing happening in my life today. Go check out what's on other's design walls by visiting Judy's blog. 

What a shock it was to wake up and look out the window today.  

Who said it was going to snow?  I know I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to the news/weather report last night but you would think I would have heard the "snow" word. 

And then there's Raggs.  Shoot -- we must have gotten 3" of snow or so as measured on his leg!  And, I think it is still snowing.  

Lots to do today.  Happy Quilting All! 

Making Progress --

How do you center a two sided quilt?  Or, in may case, table runner.  That was my dilemma yesterday.  My solution was to put the quilt on the second side and leave pins outlining where the top side would go. I spray basted the batting to the backing, did the pin thing and then spray basted the top on it.  I was pretty close to the top being centered on the back.  Front of the table runner is fall themed with the back being Halloween blocks.  I hadn't given much thought to how to center it until I got to that stage.  Luckily it went pretty well.  It's been quilted and today I'll put binding on it.  But, wait, why make this easy.  I found this tip on how to do double-sided binding so I'm going to give it a try.   http://www.byannie.com/double-sided-binding/

Monday I made a few more units for the pineapple quilt.  It is on hold as I finish the table runner that is a late wedding present.  Pictures once I get it finished. 

Monday I was doing a load of laundry in our HE washer.  The darn thing nearly spins itself off its platform when it goes into the final spin.  Silly me.  I had shrunk several squares of fabric and had spread them on a towel on the washer to dry.  You got it.  Several are now residing behind the washer not to be gotten until we get a new one or we move.  Both are unlikely to happen any time soon.  Here's how I was drying other fabric that I got from the guild auction a while ago.  Of course, Raggs liked to get these.


Friday I go to an all day sew in geared to finishing Christmas presents.  Heck, I'm not making all that many Christmas presents.  So, I'm going to pick a new old project to work on.  Or a new, new project to work on.  


I'm on to the studio.  Happy quilting all.  

Design Wall Monday -- 12-6-10

This pineapple top was started in a class with Jane Hall in, um, 1994 or so.  I was working at a quilt store and we were allowed to take one class a quarter for free.  So I signed up for this foundation pieced pineapple class. I hadn't taken a lot of classes at this time and I wasn't sure I would like the pineapple so I used old christmas fabrics I had in my stash.  Heck, you know the types -- basic calicos.  Of course I didn't finish the 9 blocks in the class.  So, every once and a while I would work on it.  


Fast forward about 3 years and I had finished all the blocks and had a plan for the borders.  But, of course I couldn't find any fabric that went with the 80's calicos.  After several years of searching I found a green.  I finished all the little angels I was going to use around the border, laid it out and yuck. You can check it out for yourself.  Didn't like it at all.  Don't worry, I just fused and cut out the angels no sewing. So came up with this border and auditioned it in a big size or a size that matched the logs on the pineapple. More to read here.   Yep, little ones looked better.  Sigh.  After deciding that I put it away again.  When I finished the bow tie quilt I decided it made some sense to pull out a project that I want to finish and use it as an ender.  Except I've been sewing more on this than the blocks for the back of the table runner.  Most of the pieces that are done are pinned and waiting to have another piece sewn on. And, I haven't really done any sewing since Friday. We'll see if I get bored with it again or if I get this UFO finished. Stop the presses or the computer or the sewing machine...  when I viewed the two previous posts about this border I realized I had liked the bigger one, not the little ones.  So why the heck am I making these itty bitty little pieces? Hum, why not go back to the big size that would take me way less time to make considering they are at least 2xs bigger than what I am working on now.  I'll let you know what I decide once I get back into the studio this morning. 


Today's plan is to finish all the blocks for the backing of the table runner. PUt them together and add whatever amount of extra fabric I need.   And, maybe get it basted.  (Depends on how long I hang out with the computer.)  The little pieces for the pineapple border will continue to get sewn.  I was thinking of doing them in groups of 8, which is exactly what the left corner is showing.  Who knows what I'll decide about that border!  


Don't forget to visit Judy's Design Wall Monday. 


Happy Quilting All!  

Finished Quilt

I was suppose to show these pictures last week but the next thing I know it's Sunday afternoon. Yikes, time flies when you are having fun. The is Heidi's quilt that I finished last week. I'm disappointed in this picture because you can't see the quilting but it certainly shows off this wonderful quilt.

Here's the back of it. And, you can't see the quilting on this photo either.
So how about this close up? You can see some of the freehand quilting and some of the "l"s and "e"s.
I've finished the blocks for the Small Quilt Talk yahoo group signature swap. Then I made 4 of 5 blocks for a challenge for the same group. I think this little quilt will be my donation quilt for the upcoming Faithful Circle Quilters' show. We always have a silent auction to raise funds for education. (Read that as guest speakers and teachers.)

Now I'm getting ready to go to MQX -- Machine Quilters Expo. Gail and I are meeting up there and are going together. We've got several classes planned, some hot shopping to do and lots of quilts to view. I'll try to send some reports from up in Providence also. I plan to leave early on Tuesday morning. (Early being sometime after 9 am...)

Time to get some hand applique organized to go with me. (And, watching an old Doris Day - Cary Grant movie -- A Touch of Mink.

Back to work now. Happy Sewing All! I know I'm going to miss actually sewing this week but I'm sure I'll be having a great time so it won't be too bad!

Plaza del Sol

Here's the finished version of Plaza del Sol. This is an original design that was inspired by a plaza in Mexico. The blocks were made by the members of the 2009 Faithful Circle E Quilters. Of course, it took me a while to get back to the blocks and finish them. As always, I learned some more about long arm quilting. You can't see it here but I ripped out a whole bunch on the little turquoise border. This attempt at a ribbon looks much better than the original.

And, my loopy "l"s -- ugh... the pieces were too wide to make decent loops. Although every once in a while I see a great one rather than a lumpy one! Something to continue practicing on!

Today's Plans --

Hair cut... yeah!

Finish quilting Heidi's pineapple quilt -- or at least as far as I can get on it.

Maybe work on a string quilt

Antiques Roadshow -- so glad the final two isn't on during Roadshow.

Have a quilty day everyone!

Coming Soon

This arrived in the mail late last week. It's my registration packet for the MQX show in April. It is suppose to be fabulous for long arm quilters. And, for those of you who aren't there are still lots of non-long arm classes available. Many teachers have classes geared to those who quilt with domestic sewing machines (dsm). I am looking forward to going. And, I'm making a list of things I want to buy. Top on the list is more thread. (Heck, I've got a whole rack full of thread but I never seem to have the color I want.) My plan is to replace colors I've used up like red and than add some colors I don't have. And, then there is the cotton versus poly thread question. I think I've finally gotten the tension balanced and apparently I am having as good of luck with cotton as with the poly. Hum, what to do, what to do!

I've been keeping at Heidi's quilt. Here are some little floral motifs I've done where the blocks come together. (Anything that screams orange is most likely red.)

Here are the arcs I am making over the red (yea, it's really red) sections. I am going to be turning the quilt 90 degrees and then go the other way on the reds and get the borders also. I was hoping to take it off Ruthie today so that I can repin it tonight. But, I'm finding myself pretty tired. We'll see how well my feet recover.

I am almost done with the binding and the sleeve for Plaza del Sol. I need to take a picture after it is finished. I am entering it and some other quilts in Faithful Circle's quilt show. The show is held in Columbia, Maryland on April 29, 30 and May 1. We usually hang 350 to 400 quilts if I remember correctly. Several vendors come and we have a great Peddler's Table. (another thing I am trying to do -- organize what I am putting up for sale.) We also have a great Silent Auction where members donate items to be sold for our education program. If you need more info leave me a comment or send me an email and I'll let you know the details.

Time to get back to Ruthie. Lots to do before the day is done... or to do tomorrow... Happy Quilting All!

Pinwheel Party

If you visit this blog directly rather than through Google Reader or some other reader you might notice that really nice button with pinwheels. I've jumped into another little project. If you visit Twiddletails you will be able to join the Pinwheel Party also. So here's the deal - every week Anina will be posting a pinwheel block for you us to make. The block instructions are free the first two weeks after being posted. If you miss one you can actually buy it, if you need to. After 12 weeks all the blocks will be done. She will be posting the borders and sashing the 13th week.. So, Blogetts, do you want to join me? I figure I can squeeze one block in a week. I'm sure you can too. Of course, I am already a week late. And, I don't have my fabric picked out. And, it uses 3 YARDS of backing. I may have to buy that much yardage. But, come on we can do it. Sign up. Join me.

I don't think I've shown you a picture of the finished New Years Eve 2009 Mystery. Taa dah!

That yellow and purple sure isn't very subtle is it? Hum. I like this little quilt. And, the pattern is great for setting off special fabric.

Here's a close up of one block that you can actually see the quilting on it. I tend to like light quilting rather than lots of quilting. So, of course, I quilted lightly. I may have to go back and add a little quilting in the purple/yellow sections next to the focus fabrics. I was thinking of appliqueing mittens there or perhaps just using 2 strands of

embroidery floss to stitch a mittens there.

I have gotten pretty good at those little oval shapes around a block. I use a ruler to do those. I haven't been brave enough to do it freehand yet. Well, actually on one of these I did and wasn't pleased with the out come. So, back to ruler.

The Plaza del Sol is coming along again. I hope to have it finished tomorrow. I've been rather lazy the last few days. I've been trying to finish a knitting project -- it is a hood to wear when the weather is bitter cold. I figure I'll finish it and winter will have already ended. But, it will be ready for next winter. And, I used some of my yarn stash. (Yes, I have yarn stash...) It would have been great the nights we walked Raggs and it was 15 degrees out! I think next up on the needles will be another pair of socks. I'm going to try knitting two socks at once. I'm pretty sure I bought the correct needles last year. I know I have two more skeins of sock yarn. I should be good to go.

Next up on Ruthie -- Heidi's pineapple quilt. Pictures to come when it's being worked on. You can see one of the blocks here. Oh fudge, I can't find it and I am pretty sure I posted one of the blocks. So, hold your horses and I'll put pics up when I get it loaded. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll actually be starting on it.

I'm off to finish listening to a book on my mp3. It will drown out the dripping of melting snow. Tomorrow's plans include finishing Plaza del Sol. Let's hope I actually DO it.

Happy Quilting All!

Hey, did you see I learned how to do a strike through?

To Title or Not to Title

As I began typing a title I realized I'd already used that title. (It came up as an automatic choice when I began to type.) Maybe I need to be more creative in picking titles. Heck, maybe I need to be more creative in what I blog about. Deep thoughts which I will review at my leisure.

Here's today's scoop. Raggs went to the vet today (actually so did Pat and I as the transportation team, not as patients!) He came through with a clean bill of health! YEAH! But he had to have a couple of shots. He didn't pay much attention to the jabbing... good boy. But one shot is given as a nose mist. YUCK! And he needs to have his teeth cleaned so we'll be setting that up in the next few weeks. Lucky Raggs.

Here's a charity quilt I finished Monday. I was having a heck of a time with it Saturday. I skipped any quilting on Sunday and started up Monday with a fresh attitude. I cleaned, oiled, spoke sweetly to Ruthie and she worked her charm on the rest of the quilt. I was doing a pantograph I had borrowed from my friend. For some reason I like the designs on the roll but the actual finished results, not so much. I think part of it is I am hard on myself (aren't we are own worse critics) And, part is I've seen how accurately the computerized quilting can do. I still get bumpy circles and overlaps where I really shouldn't. Ah, more experience needed.

This is just a simple grouping of squares that Faithful Circle Quilters puts together. I will bind it and then bring it back to Maryland next time I go. It is a twin size quilt and man, I thought I would never finish it. I'll take it off Ruthie completely when I have something else I want to put on. (Heidi -- I do have yours to put on but I want to try a couple of techniques on the quilt I'm almost finished with to make sure I can do them on your quilt without problems!:)

Most of the quilts I load on Ruthie are lap quilts and I don't like really dense quilting so I am not using up too much thread. Until this one. I finished this spool of thread. I finished a poly in the same color that I used on the bobbin. I knew I was not going to have enough to fill the last bobbin I needed so I used some hand quilting thread from my dsm to finish. And, it worked fine. Although I imagine if someone really spends time looking at the back they will be able to see the various colors on the back although they were very close.

Now it is off to work on Plaza del Sol. I've got a small inner border ready to put on. Then I'll decide about putting on a piano key border. Then, it gets thrown on Ruthie as practice for Heidi's Pineapple quilt. Making progress here!

Happy Quilting All!

More Pineapple Thoughts

It struck me yesterday as I walked by the room with the pineapple quilt displayed on the bed -- 

what would it look like if I turned the border around?  Hum, the 9 patch would hang on the out side of the quilt rather than closer to the inside.  What do you think? 

 

Do you ever do mending any more?  Honestly, I really do very little.  Maybe a seam here or there but, not much.  And, I don't have a mending "pile" or basket of mending.  So, what has changed?  Well, Raggs has changed that.  His Santa Dog was ripped.  He was losing stuffing from a wound to his back, his nose had an unsightly piercing,  his hat was coming off.  What's a new mother suppose to do?  Yea, you got it on one,  I mended his Santa Dog.  Here's S. Dog after a lengthy surgery.  He might be a little high on pain meds still but he's ready to get back in the game.  

 

Lots of things out of the house today so not as much quilting got done.  I probably won't get a  whole lot done over the next few days either.  Pat and I are going down to Maryland this weekend for a little ceremony and a big party!  More later on the weekend event. 

Happy Quilting All!  

Pineapple Quilt

I promised pictures of the Pineapple Quilt -- 

First what I thought I was going to do. I'll probably machine applique these angels on some other piece -- they are cute. 

Here's the whole piece with the 2 sample pieced borders.  I made a mistake on the first one as I really like the 9 patch look of the second one.  But, this was enough to get an idea.  I will have to put a spacer border in to make either of these borders fit.  I'll figure that out later. 

Here's a close-up of the tiny border. Those strips are 1/2" finished. (Am I out of my mind -- this would take forever! 

And finally, the border strip bigger and with the 9 patch look.  I had to really think about how Judy Martin did this in the book.  This one is my favorite.  

 I only have a bit of the white left.  I'll probably have to add another white from the stash to get all the white squares done. And, I'm wondering if I will have enough of these older red christmas prints.  I would love to use them all up!  This might become a stashbusting quilt after all!

It is now time to actually DO some sewing.  I am planning to go to my local quilt store to buy some backing fabric.  She's got a buy 2 yards get 3rd yard free sale going on.  I've got a couple of quilts waiting for backing.  I tend to buy much smaller pieces so don't usually have backing hanging around.  Sometimes I piece it but not all the time.  Hopefully in June I'll start getting more things finished! (long arm is arriving at the end of this month! YEA!) 

Happy Quilting All! 

A New Winner

Since I didn't hear from Lorraine I have named the next person on the list as the winner of the book Strata Various. So, Nancy at Patchwork Penguin congratulations!  Send me your snail mail and I will send your book out.  (I am thinking of this as de-cluttering... the book has been sitting on a table in the great room for a couple of weeks now!)  

Raggs had his first visit to our vet today.  He was calm and cool.  He got a little tense when the vet was actually in the room but overall, he was great.  Only one shot and lots of medicine -- heartworm, ring worm, ear cleaner... etc. We'll get him at 100% soon.  

He still weighs less than 27 pounds.  And, we're not all that sure that he really is an English Springer Spaniel -- he might be one of the cocker breeds -- American or English.  But, we do know he is a super dog.  Very cuddly and is learning his commands well.  

Yesterday I pulled out a pineapple quilt that I made the main blocks years ago.  (Hum, probably around 15 years ago.)  I pull this piece out every couple of years and get a little more done on it.  Last time I prepared angels to applique on the outside border.  Yesterday I laid out the pineapple part, the white borders and the green angels I had cut.  Looking at it I realized the angels are way out of proportion for the size of the logs (1/2" finished!) While at my regular Wednesday group I reviewed the book Pieced Borders The Complete Resource by Judy Martin and Marsha McCloskey. I came up with an alternate border from the book. Today I made up two different sized borders.   Tomorrow I will post the two sample pieces I did with the center to see what you all think.  (too dark tonight to take a decent picture.)  I did the pineapple piecing using Christmas fabrics that were already many years old when I pieced it.  Then it took me a couple of years to find a green fabric that would match what I already had going. I really have no excuse.  The top should at least be finished this year. And, heavens knows,  I'll be happy to finish the top. (And, eventually quilted.) 

Happy Quilting All