Signature Boats

Stefani - if you are reading this - STOP NOW!

This is going to be a surprise for you!



Here's the Signature Baby Shower Boats, all quilted, bound and ready for Stef and David's baby boy, set to arrive in two weeks.

The pattern is one that I designed myself. I've made quite a few signature baby quilts and love to come up with new ideas. The sails were made by cutting a sheet of Printed Treasures in half and then cutting on the diagonal, making 4 sail pieces with each sheet (because it was a couple hours before the shower and I didn't want to take the time to press freezer paper onto fabric and cut it out).

The boat bottom is a rectangle with water fabric sewn on each end. They are all different sizes to mix it up a bit. As you can see, I used red cornerstones and I'm happy with that decision.



The quilting is pretty minimal, some clouds, some water, some squiggly lines in the sashing and echos in the boats. I may or may not add some quilting on the sails with monopoly thread. Right now, I think not, but you know I have two weeks to change my mind, or maybe not if the little guy decides to make an appearance early.




I used all permacore thread and Hobbs 80/20 batting and here's the backing:

My Design Wall

JudyL is featuring "What's on Your Design Wall" on her blog.

I took these photos yesterday to try and decide which cornerstones I wanted to use....the navy that matches the sashing, or the red that matches the boats, or the blue that I used for the water. It is actually off of my design wall now and being quilted, but you can se it anyway.

I took the triangles to a baby shower and the guests signed them and some wrote messages. I hope to have it finished before she has the baby and then the empty sails can be signed by guests at the hospital.

Stashbusting Week #26

June 22-28, 2009

Fabric Added This Week - 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date - 100.75 yards

Fabric Used This Week - 4 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date - 158.125 yards

YEAR TO DATE NET TOTAL: 57.5 yards

I did a lot of quilting on Mabel last week, but did manage to work on a shower signature quilt. I actually went in search of a red and white stripe to use for sashing, but didn't find one and decided that the navy and white one that I had in my stash would work just fine.

Circle Lord Fan-Clam Template

This quilt is one of Carole's and I thought any fancy quilting would be lost in all the beautiful oriental fabrics. So, the clam pattern was a perfect match. I used PermaCore Olive thread and Warm & Natural batting.


I have four more to quilt for Carole including a Lone Star with navy background fabric that I have marked and am just waiting on a thread order to arrive from Superior before starting.


And the back:

Double Rose Vine

I thought the Double Rose Vine panto by Norma sharp was the perfect one for this quilt made my Carole's friend Karen.


I used Signature thread - a real change for me - and Warm and Natural Batting. I think it turned out just wonderful and I hope she likes it. I have 3 more large quilts to do for her along with several of Carole's, so I'll be plenty busy.





And the back:

Twas The Night Before Christmas - Yummy pattern!

Helen is having a giveaway for this wonderful seven part block of the month pattern of hers and I would LOVE to win it! I've not done much redwork, but would love to try. Don't worry, if you don't win the free pattern, she has them for sale.

Custom Baskets

Well, this one was certainly out-of-the-box for me.

I am so comfortable with doing pantos, that I hardly ever quilt from the front of the machine. I decided to try some of the skills I learned at MQS on Mary's basket quilt, and although I need lots of practice, it looks pretty good.



Continuous curves in the blocks and the larger ones have a loop. I’m not sure what the swirls in the sashing are called. The outer borders have a loopy meander and the black background of the basket blocks have a smaller loopy meander.



I used PermaCore Old Gold and Superior Monopoly smoke threads, and Warm and Natural batting.

Stashbusting Week #25

June 15-21, 2009

Fabric Added This Week - 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date - 100.75 yards

Fabric Used This Week - 0 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date - 154.125 yards

YEAR TO DATE NET TOTAL: 53.5 yards

Nothing in and nothing out!

NQA Quilt Show and a New Panto

Janet and I spent the weekend in Columbus, OH at the home of my daughter-in-law's parents. We were lucky enough to get to spend some time with Dané, as she had been staying at her parents and working there last week. I've said it before and I'll say it again....I really like the young woman my son picked to spend the rest of his life with. In only wish they didn't live so far away.

The quilt show was great and I came home ready to load a quilt and try out one of the new pantographs I purchased.

This is Patty's sampler quilt and I used Echo Holly and Poinsettia, Lava Fern grotto and Warm & Natural batting.

Sweet Treats is a Winner!

Remember the Sweet Treats quilt?

Well, there were only 2 entries and so we are both winners. I received my prizes yesterday and WOW, what a nice surprise! A coupon for FREE Blue Bunny Ice cream which I kind of expected, along with a Fat Quarter shop Gift Certificate and a McKenna Ryan pattern. Thank you so much Melinda for hosting such a fun challenge.

Whirlygig

I finished this quilt on my lunch hour yesterday and let me tell you....that is a LOT of Whirlygigs!
It's 104" x 104"



I used Lava Deep Sea on the top and Chambray PermaCore in the bobbin. Hobbs 80/20 batting and the panto is: Whirlygig by Willow Leaf Studios.

Stashbusting Week #24

June 8-18, 2009

Fabric Added This Week - 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date - 100.75 yards

Fabric Used This Week - 3 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date - 154.125 yards

YEAR TO DATE NET TOTAL: 53.5 yards

I didn't do much sewing for myself this past week, just some Blue Star Banners.

Another Fay Feathers

Since I already had the pantograph on the table, I thought it would be a good choice for this next quilt.

The batiks in this one are beautiful, but I have to say that I'm not sure if it belongs to Carol or Lois. Last month at guild Carol handed me a bag with 2 quilt tops and backings and said one was hers and one was from Lois. She probably told me which one was which, but I don't remember. I'm planning to have both of them finished to take back to guild tomorrow night, so I'll find out then.

Fay Feathers

This is one of carole's quilts and the colors are so nice. I finished it a little after midnight last night and used a new-to-me pantograph, Fay Feathers by Lorien Quilting, Hobbs 80/20 batting and Honey PermaCore thread on top and a prewound in the bobbin.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the look of this one and I hope Carole does also.






Next up are quilts for Lois and Carol that I would like to have finished by guild on Tuesday. I thought Imight get to sew a little with Dottie today, but that's going to have to wait until another day.

Snapdragons

Oh, I think I really like this new pantograph called Snapdragons by Patricia E Ritter. This was one of my monthly pantos from Urban Elementz and is the first time I've used it. The quilt belongs to Mary and is really cute. I used Hobbs 80/20 batting and white PermaCore thread.





I just finished loading the next quilt, which is 110 x 100, and I will get started on it tomorrow evening.

I'm pooped, night-night!

Coupons Galore!

I have used coupons in spurts since the 1980's, and it seems that I have caught the bug again.

This weeks shopping included K-Mart Double coupons up to $2 and I went on Sunday and took my order from $75 to $32. I didn't think to take a picture of my purchases. Of that $32, I bought 2 outfits for Elizabeth for $3.60 each, and some clearance Bratz items for granddaughters.

Yesterday on my lunch hour I stopped by Target and spent a whopping $1.36 for these items.


I ran to Target this evening and got these items for $5.04.


I try not to pick up things that I know we or our children or grandchildren absolutely will not use. But I must admit that sometimes it's hard if it's FREE or almost FREE.

I have attended a coupon class at a local community center the last two Mondays. I haven't really learned anything new, but its been kind of fun.

How Many Is Too Many?

Machines, that is.
I know that most quilters have many machines. I only have:
1.) Janome Decor Excell II 5024 for stitching
2.) Bernina Deco 330 for Embroidery
3.) Janome Gem Gold for taking to classes
4.) Mabel, the Gammill Premier Plus
And now I have added:
5.) White Speedylock Serger

I have been looking for a serger for some time now, but didn’t really want to pay more than $100 for one. I know that I won’t use it a lot, but it sure would be handy when making pillowcases for Quilts of Valor and also for cat pillows for the shelter. I plan to make some clothes for Elizabeth and would like to use it for that also.

On the trip back to the Kansas City airport after MQS, my friend Jane said that she had one listed on Craigslist. I offered to buy it if she didn’t get any offers online. I picked it up last week and Sunday was the first time I had to play with it. I wanted to do a rolled hem and took off one of the needles, changed the thread and in the process, I broke one of the threads, so I had to re-thread it. YIKES! It took a couple of tries, but I finally got it and was able to finish a couple of receiving blankets. They turned out pretty cute, I think.



Since this was only a draft, written last week, I must confess that I have purchased yet another sewing machine since I wrote it.

6.) Pfaff Tipmatic 1027
I saw this one on Craigslist on Monday for $15. It is pretty old, but purrs like a kitten. The bobbin case flap thingy is a little bent, so I ordered a new one on ebay tonight for $5.95. I'm thinking that this one will be a great machine for my granddaughter, who has been wanting to learn to sew.

What's On My Design Wall?

The beginnings of some Blue Star Banners. Last night I worked on the applique and tonight I will add the borders and do some quilting.


Also last night, Janet and I went to The Olive Garden for my birthday dinner and what a wonderful meal we had. I ordered Lasagna Rolatinni with chicken and could not finish it. I brought home a to-go box, intending to eat it for lunch today, but Dan looked at it last night, so I told him to go ahead and eat it along with the two breadsticks.

Stashbusting Week #23

June 1-7, 2009

Fabric Added This Week - 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date - 100.75 yards

Fabric Used This Week - 1.375 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date - 151.125 yards

YEAR TO DATE NET TOTAL: 50.5 yards

WOW, only 50 yards and we are almost halfway through the year. Looks like I need to kick it up a notch.

Sweet Treats and Nashville

Melinda is hosting an ice cream challange and the photos are due to her tomorrow. My flavor was rocky road and we were able to add 2 colors to our ice cream palette. I only added the pink and I finished mine just in the nick of time. I completed the quilting before I left for Nashville on Saturday and stitched part of the binding sitting on the deck sipping a cold one, enjoying the lively conversation with Julie, Marla, Angie and her sister-in-law.

Here's the quilt:


And some closeups. This was my first time trying cross-hatching and boy-oh-boy, did it ever take a long time.


EDIT: I just realized that I forgot to attach the cherries. Oh well:(

Nashville, IN
What a wonderful time I had in Nashville. We visited a winery and some local shops, enjoyed a great dinner and played cards.

Not very many purchases, but here they are:

I came home this morning so that I could finish the ice cream quilt. I think I will give it to Elizabeth for her room and should probably put a hanging sleeve on it.

Birthday Week

What a wonderful way to start my birthday week. This lovely jewelry box was waiting for me when I got home from the baby shower last Saturday. It is from Jeff and Dané and what a lovely gift. The poem is so touching....”the nights you stayed awake” would be when he was awake with an ear infection, and let me tell you, there were many of those night between the 2 boys. They both had many ear infections, but Julie never did, that I can remember. Wind Beneath My Wings is the tune that it plays and it brings tears to my eyes when I hear it.

This morning I opened these wonderful new toys. Dan called yesterday from a quilt shop in Noblesville, Always in Stitches, and asked if there was anything he could pick up for me. Well, I bent my old walking foot a while back and although it still works, it will be nice to have a new straight one, and the light is something that my friends had at the Ross Camp retreat and I have been wanting one.


EDIT: Oh, Look, I got flowers this afternoon.
BUT, I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE FROM!I also got to talk to Jeff in Afghanistan today.

What's On My Design Wall?

JudyL is having some design wall fun where you post what’s on your wall each Monday. This is my photo for this week, a day late, I’m afraid.



My design wall isn’t really very big, so I usually don’t have more than one project on there at a time. They have been know to stay there for an extended period of time, however. It is 2 foam core boards with sticky backing covered with flannel, so small items can stick by themselves or larger ones can be pinned on. This one will be on and off before the end of the week as it’s a challenge project. One more block to make and then I can stitch it all together and get it quilted and bound. I wasn’t planning to post a photo of it until it was finished, but oh well, now you have an idea what I’m doing with all the ice cream blocks.

Here's the 2 blocks I made last night:

A Bundle of Cuteness

Oh My Goodness!
I picked up the photos today that we had taken Memorial Weekend of Elizabeth. They were taken at Walmart and I would say that I will probably visit them again, as they turned out so well



Elizabeth Ann - 4 1/2 months old

Another Ice cream

I stitched this one yesterday and although it turned out pretty cute, I didn't realize until I was doing the final pressing that I appliqued it on the wrong side of the fabric. YIKES!


Here are the wrong and right sides next to each other. I think it's going to "stay as it lays," as there isn't that much difference and once it's quilted you it shouldn't be too noticeable.



The straw is a piece of ribbon folded in half with Steam-a-Seam inside. It's 3-D so I will tack it down at the end after quilting.