Finished Quilt Top

Last week I finished a Disappearing 9-Patch quilt top. Myra a neighbor had pieced 9-patch and Dresden plate blocks for my friend Barbara. A little history. In May just before moving into this house, I met Barbara she was running a "thrift store" across the street from where I get my hair done. We exchanged phone numbers and during the hassle and total disorganization of the move, unpacking etc, I'd misplaced her number (and seems she had mine as well). After several months we made contact again and she stopped by for a visit. When she did she realized a lady that was making some blocks for a quilt for her was my neighbor. To shorten the story when Myra finished them she brought them over to me to give Barbara the next time I saw her.

The workmanship and stitching was beautiful. The "girl" does great work. He choice of fabrics and combination was outstanding. I laid the blocks on the large area on my living room floor alternating the 9-patch and Dresden plate blocks. They were beautiful, but personnally felt that the dresden plate blocks got lost in the busyness of the entire look. So when Barbara came by I suggested she divide and make two quilts. After rearranging the blocks showing one top with all the same block - she agreed. By then I'd seen some disappearing 9 patch quilt arrangements and convinced Barbara that would be a great way to use the 9-patches.

We got a little more coordinating material made a few more 9-patch blocks (same size) and then cut all in 1/4, and assembled into a disappearing 9-patch. Myra gave me the name of the collection by Moda she'd used fabric from and I was able to get a piece that matched some she'd used in the quilt and the one we thought best for the outer border. This collection had been discontinued so finding enough for the border was a fabulous find. AND I'm so glad I did because I think it is the perfect frame for the quilt.

Now the Dresden plate will be a more traditional assembly with sashing and borders. Still not decided if I'll add cornerstone squares but may.

I have 3 quilt tops to sash. A pinwheel with patriotic fabric, using red, white and blue sashing strips, a 9-patch. Each block is 9 squares of like color, and there are 6 colors (pink, red, purple, blue, green, yellow). Each horizontal row will have one block of each color with beginning block offset by one to create diagonal rows of each color. This quilt will be sashed in white no corner stones. The 3rd top is a very scrappy quilt top of a huge variety of 4" squares of every color and every fabric pattern I could find. It is a little over 1/2 done, now have enough 4" squares to finish it.

I then have a lap sized quilt top to finish, still have the small and 3.5" white squares to cut out then I can assemble and finish this one. Maybe if I get a strong spurt of energy I can get all finished by end of day tomorrow.

Mother's Day

Nothing is better for Mother's Day than to have conversation with your children, if you can't visit in person.

I live near my youngest daughter and went to her house for supper, but had phone calls from the other 3 during the day.

I have a dear friend in Illinois whose father is dying of cancer, if you read this please remember Pat and Sandy in your prayers.

Lots to do and WHERE do I start. I'd misplaced my favorite ruler that I use to rotary cut my pieces for my quilts. After 2 weeks of searching I gave up looking and decided I'd find it when I least expected to, OR I'd buy another when I got desperate. As luck would have it, this past week I was moving fabric I'd put in a drawer in a plastic 3-drawer container and there was my ruler standing on it's side at the front of the drawer. I'd looked there twice before, but didn't move anything.

So lesson learned when looking for something move things in the drawers. LOL

Have a little more "cleaning" to do this morning then I can spend the rest of the week sewing mostly. Tomorrow I have new living room furniture being delivered (sofa and love seat), then a trip to the grocery store on Thursday. But all in between I will be either cutting or sewing. I hope to finish the tops I have started to the point they are ready to sandwich and quilt or send to the quilter.

I've been surfing and found some really neat new quilt patterns and of course saved to my files for future reference. I'm thinking sooner rather than later I need to try a couple, as if I need more projects.

Gee I've been Absent from here

Didn't realize it had been that long since I posted to this site, need to try to come back more often. Seems I have my plate full and running over with projects, and life in general. Which is good it does keep me busy for very full days and most before I know it, it is past bedtime.

I have been working on organization, arrangement and then redoing trying to get a pleasing grouping of furniture and an organization of my craft/sewing items that is workable. In a house that is fantastic, except for it's lack of storage area the later hasn't been easy. I hope in the near future to add a room for sewing, move my washer/dryer and hot water heater into a large room that will also include a second bathroom/mud room and pantry. AND if funds will allow I'd like to push a wall over and enlarge the kitchen by about 4', add double ovens and change free standing stove to a cook top with more burners, and add a warming unit. But then dreams, dreams, dreams all are limited to $$$$$$ available.

So far in 2010 I've done a bit of sewing - not as much as I'd like but have accomplished a bit. I've been involved in a block RR where there were 3 groups of 5 ladies. Each made a block and sent to the lady just below herself in the group she was in. Then we each added a border and sent to the lady just below us. As the block continued when the 4th border was added the small quilt top comes home to the person making the beginning block. I'm participating in 2 of the groups and have made 2 blocks and sent on their way and added borders to 4, I have the last two here and need to finish those and get them mailed. I have one of my 2 home. I chose a theme as I have a small table in my living room to which I plan to add 4 chairs in the near future and will use it for additional seating when I have a large family group. It will also be used to work jigsaw puzzles or can be used to play games on, when grandchildren are here for a visit. I hope to make a number of small quilt table toppers to change by the seasons or holidays. For my blocks I chose the Valentine and 4th of July for themes. I have my Valentine one home and it is beautiful red and white. I started with a pieced background of two fabrics alternating red/white design and appliqued red and white hearts to that. I have borders added with red/white fabric, pieced border and one of red/white heart fabric. I need to sandwich and quilt so that it will be ready to use next Feb 14th - or probably the month of Feb. My 4th of July isn't home yet, but should be soon. It is done with a attic window pattern using red and blue window frame and a flag print fabric. I have a lot of ideas on file for other small quilt table toppers for this small table.

I've made (or I should say almost made) 3 quilt tops. I have one pin-wheel that has smaller blocks and larger blocks of the same fabrics. It is made of a white fabric and flag print. I've joined the larger into a block of 6 blocks and will set together using 3 strips of red/white stars, blue/white stars and white fabric, using the smaller pin-wheel block as a corner stone. I'm anxious to see this one together.

The second is a scrappy quilt made of a huge variety of 4" squares. I've joined in rows of 22 squares and need to add a few more rows and it will be finished. I ran out of squares and had to order a few more to finish it. So far it is really looking great.

The third is a 9 patch I choose all the 4" squares that were predominately yellow, purple, red, pink, blue, and green. I then set them together using light and darker values either 5 darker and 4 lighter or vice-versa. I will then set them together all the colors in the first row then offset the color by one in the next row so I have diagonal rows of each color.

I finished a small lap quilt and gave it to my friend for a donation to the school where her twin sons are seniors. The school has one major funding event each year. Each class gathers items or money for a larger item to donate, and they get other donations to auction from individuals and local businesses. The quilt was included in a very large, very nice basket of picnic and gourmet meal items and brought $800 at auction. My friend treated me to the bar-b-que dinner and auction. I was impressed that in this economy that all the items in both the live and silent auction went for more then their retail value.

On my agenda for this year is to finish at least 4 pieced quilts (1 each for my 4 children) I also have 4 art quilts to make for them. Since I don't have all the kits for the art quilts yet those will probably get finished next year. I have the older two children's pieced quilts cut out, just have to sew them. Have the material for my youngest son's but need to cut it out and then sew. The youngest daughter is waiting for her to tell me the colors she wants. The older two are done to go with the color's of thier bedrooms but the youngest daughter is planning to change her colors. So if she doesn't decide soon, I'll pick something in a color family I know she likes and get it done. I want to give them the quilts when all 4 are finished, to prevent any comments of favoritism. I could start with oldest and go down, but think it better to give all four at same time. Then I will work on the 11 for grandchildren (some of these I've already started and have a number of blocks made). Again I'm still gathering kits (block of the month) for one. These are mostly either art quilts or applique, all are more involved than a pieced quilt would be. Some of the applique are done by hand and others will be done on the machine. I hope to be able to concentrate on these 19 quilts more towards the end of this year and all of next year and to get them all finished. 4 at least by Christmas 2010 and hopefully the balance by Christmas 2011. Then I will begin the great grandchildren's quilts I've thought pieced because they are all still very young and haven't yet shown an interest that I can select a theme for. But by then some will be older and the number may no longer be 7 so the quilt I make for each may change.

Sewing Room

I've decided since I don't have bedroom furniture for my spare bedroom at the moment to make it my sewing room. I have a blow-up mattress (the double kind that is up off the floor like a reg bed) to put up when company needs to stay over night.


Where oh where did all this fabric come from??? Yeah, I bought it, but when you do a little here, a little there it doesn't seem like much, till you get it all together in one spot. So now comes the chore (a pleasant one) to seperate into sizes, (yardage, fat quarters, charms, jelly roll strips), then into seperate piles for colors. At the moment for lack of a better storage solution it will all go in large plastic containers - labeled. Later I will measure and mark yardage of the larger pieces - but that is project for a later day. Right now I need it somewhat organized and put away. Then there are the patterns, books, tools, and other things you collect along the way you just have to have. Oh yes, the large plastic container for crazy quilt fabrics and a smaller one for the trims, appliques, laces, ribbons etc.


I just found 6 or 7 more boxes that need to come out of the garage and find a home in the kitchen. It used to look good sized (not large) but an OK size, think it is shrinking as I put things away, I'm running out of room. LOL There is at least 3 or 4 more of clothes - but there is some major culling in line there. Of course everything in these need to be either run through the dishwasher or the washing machine.


I'm working on some stitching at night and pushing to get the other finished during the day light hours. Tomorrow again it is grass mowing day, huh!! seems I just did that, how times files. And with the great rains we have been having how the grass doth grow.


I have two round robin blocks I'm adding borders too, I have to sandwich a quilt top, batting and backing together and baste - then start quilting it, and have a 2 tablecloths to make (1 lg and 1 sm), and a Christmas table runner. Need to redo a drawing for an original Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery piece, and draw to fabric. Know there is bound to be more, must have left some out.


Any who, I stay busy and the only grass growing is not under my feet but in the yard.

This Year is Slipping by Fast

Here it is October and Fall, the temps are lower and we have had a lot of rain. Keeps me busy keeping the grass mowed.

With the gathering of family here for Thanksgiving this year, I'm trying to finish getting things unpacked, cleaned and put away. There is still much to do and the days are passing quickly. I remember as a child it took forever for Christmas to come or any other special day I looked forward to. Hmmm, is it that I'm busier now than then and I'm not just sitting waiting and wondering. Could be.

The rains were so nice and so badly needed by so many. But I read and see on TV of many that got to much rain and lost lives and homes due to the flooding. For this reason, when I look for a house to move to I always scope out the lay of the land and make sure I'm high enough to be away from any flooding.

Family My Number 1 Passion

Just got a couple of new photos of my first great grandson, it seems only yesterday he was a toddler and now he is in school and his sister. After some issues and him living with his father for a time, he is now permanently home with his mother and sister. And seems very happy to be there.

I haven't seem him in a long time and I'm looking forward to him being with us all this year at Thanksgiving. Hopefull if not all my family can be here, most can. It is aways such great fun when we can all be together.

I plan to do most of the cooking. All the favorites I've cooked for special days in the past. Fried Chicken, Turkey, Ham (with sliced pineapple and cherries atop and brown sugar glaze), cornbread dressing, giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, pink stuff (a jello pineapple coolwhip salad), and the green variety, candied yams, chunky mashed potatoes (not thoroughly mashed but leave some potatoes bite sized with lots of butter), broccoli rice casserole, green bean casserole, corn casserole and a couple more salads, rolls, biscuits, and tea. Dessert will be pumpkin, pecan, apple, and chocolate creme pies, and probably a fruit cake (my mom's recipe).

My oldest grandson loves fried chicken and biscuits made for him but plenty for everyone else.

Counting everyone that could come we should have about 22 here, so should be a house full.

Another passion of course in my needlework. I have a quilt top to finish for James for Christmas. Gave him the top last Christmas and hope to have it quilted by this one. Then I start the 4 pieced quilts for my children and work on their art quilts. Hoping to have them all together by mid year 2010, and quilted for giving at Christmas 2010. Then the next batch will take awhile. There are 11 to make and don't want to give any until all are finished. That may take me a couple of years since most are art quilts. I have some started so that helps. And of course lots of little project crop up in between. 365 days in a year if I can make a couple of blocks a day average I should make the deadlines with no problem.

Well glad I washed my plastic storage item as it is pouring rain outside there goes mowing the yard today again.

09-11-09

I was attending college to learn how to build and repair computers. The instructor came back in the room after a short break and told us that a airplane just hit the tower in NY. Class members were in awe and I dashed home to put on the TV. I was late getting back to class and was in shock for several days that something like that could happen.

I remember American Flags began to pop up everywhere, but over the past 8 years they for the most part have disappeared. Seems some of us forget or get complacent.