A Christmas/Winter Throw

About a month ago, we went to Madison and I bought this fabric. I didn't know exactly what I would do with it but I wanted a Christmas/winter throw for our family room. 

Here it is all done!

Not the best photo - I didn't get it straightened out!

I draped the quilt over a chair for the next photos.

The fabric that was made up of 2" squares adds a nice round.

The snowman round is cheery!

The words are in the center and again around the outside.

The back is cozy flannel.

And today is the perfect day to wrap up in it!

Our "Very" Best To You

I got the pattern, Our "Very" Best To You,

at Country Threads Quilt Camp in September. I began making the paper-pieced 3 1/2" blocks at the retreat in October. 

The pattern has 63 blocks.  I finished 19 at the retreat. Later, when I got back to this project, I decided to stay with just the red, white/tan, and blue color theme and to only make 20 blocks. This is the finished project - quite a bit smaller than the original pattern! 

Thanksgiving hanging

After I took down all of the Halloween decorations, I found that I only had one small (about 12" X 12") fall hanging. 

Ray asked about that since we have two hangers that size. I think he enjoys the small hangings. Anyway, I said I'd work on it. 

Yesterday I decided a turkey would be good. I saw a turkey trivet on Moosestash Quilting and decided to start there. When I finished the turkey, I remembered that I had yet another hanger that had three parts so... Last night I made the two side panels. Here's the result.

And now I still have one empty hanger!

Orange Quilt with machine stippling

In September, as we walked into The Quilted Forest, I saw this selection of fabric and knew I had to have it. I love orange! 

So I made this quilt and didn't have quite enough fabric for the back so I used some of the scraps.

And did you notice the stitching?  It is machine stippling! Yup, I did it! I'm learning. Although I love hand quilting, I just want to know how to machine quilt.  It takes LOTS of practice and I'll never be great but I think I might become good enough - this quilt has been washed and it is still together!

Christmas Tree Skirt - done!

I bought a pattern for a Christmas tree skirt at the Wisconsin Quilt Expo a year ago. I purchased the fabric while we were traveling further north, began cutting pieces when we got home, and then life got in the way. One day about three months ago, I wondered out loud what project I should be working on and Ray suggested the tree skirt. 

  

All of the pieces are machine-appliqued onto a black background.

  

Then each wedge is machine quilted - yes, I had to learn something about free-motion quilting to finish this! I'm not very good at it yet! I'll always love hand-quilting - no surprise!
  

  
The pattern instructions aren't the best. If I were to make this again (which I'm not going to do!), it would be so much better! Oh, the wedges are about 24" long so the skirt is about 4' 6" in diameter. And Ray loves it!

A Christmas wallhanging

A while back, I showed you a project. It is now finished. A tiny twister tree. The quilt is about 21 inches wide and 27 inches high.

A friend, Katie, made this and shared it at Quilt Camp. My little squares are 1-1/2 inches whereas Katie's were about 3 inches. So this is about 1/4 the size of her quilt and I like both of them! Mine is done totally from fabric scraps. Oh, I love using just my stash sometimes!

The Witch Is In

I saw the pattern for this wallhanging and just had to make it.

The spider is rather cute. I followed the pattern but I do think he is missing a couple of legs!

A pincushion and a project

I don't think I have ever made a pin cushion until now. I wanted a large, thick one so the pins would not push through and scratch the surface under the cushion. I bought a small kit last week at Quilt Camp and made the cushion today. 

The pincushion is about 6 inches in diameter. It was super east to make - no lining since I used iron-on tricot on both the top and the bottom pieces. That was a nice and useful tip!


I've spent part of the day on another project also - this is what my cutting table looks like right now:

I sewed some 2 1/2 inch squares together. Now I'm cutting them up. One of these days I'll show the finished project. Oh, yes, I am using that glove as I cut - the pieces are small and I need all of my fingers!

2011 Quilt Camp Projects

These are the projects I began at Quilt Camp. I have completed them since returning home!

The 10-Minute Table Runner

This really was fast to make and I completed it at camp. It took me a little longer than 10 minutes because I squared off both ends rather than making points.

Small Table Mat

I bought the fabric and pattern a while ago - Ray really liked the colors and design. I pieced the mat when I was at the motel. After returning home, I free-motion quilted it and did a horrendous job but it is my first real attempt at free-motion quilting and I guess you have to start someplace!

Cobblestones

This is the small quilt that I worked on most of the time at camp. The whole thing is about 20" by 20". It has lots of small pieces and I really enjoyed making it. I machine quilted it in a cross-hatch pattern.

Halloween Table Runner

I saw this made at the quilt shop in Forest City, Iowa. I bought some fabric and pieced it at the motel. When we got home, I machine quilted it with unmarked straight lines - a first for me. It actually turned out pretty good!

and I like the striped back!

All the projects I began at camp are finished! 

Wow!

A few things came home that aren't started.

 Oh, I would hate to have nothing to do!

Black and white bag

The black and white quilt is coming along but I needed a break. So... I thought I would use some of the selvages to make another selvage bag. I really like the way this one turned out. It reminds me of the quilt or at least how I plan on the quilt looking!


One side:

the other side:

and a close up of the selvages right at the top of a pocket.

The bag has a pocket on both sides and also pockets all around the inside.

A PIGS finish!

About four years ago, I made a couple of I Spy quilts. The first one is the Blue I Spy:

The second one is the Orange I Spy:

I began a third one and then just stored it - a Project In a Grocery Sack (PIGS). A couple of weeks ago I came across it and decided it was time to finish it. I quilted it on the machine. The Purple I Spy:

A little update and a couple of quilts

Today I had a very rude awakening as to how much rehabilitation is left. I know the doctor said a year. I know it has been only 13 weeks. I know I've made a lot of progress. Well today, during physical therapy, I found out there is still a very long way to go. Somehow, knowing how good I am doing, I thought I was much closer to the end. So tonight a big attitude adjustment is under way! I see the surgeon in two weeks and hope to get some of my restrictions lifted or at least loosened.


On another note, I have finished two baby quilts. They are very soft - the back is Minkee. The front is different textures including plain cotton, flannel, and Minkee. These are for two little boys - one is expected in September and the other in November. Their parents don't read this blog (at least I don't think so!) so I decided to post pictures.

The quilts are similar but not identical.

Think I will go sew. Touching fabric is always good therapy!

A real Friday Finish!

I think this is the first finish of something started AFTER surgery. It's finally getting a little easier to sew!

I decided that I needed a small break from working on baby quilts so I decided to make a bag. The material is left from one of Ivy's quilts seen here. When I made her quilt, I cut the selvage edges off of each piece of fabric and kept them. I have seen things made with the selvages but have never tried it.

Here are some of the selvages:

the inside pocket of the bag (not made from selvage edges):

and the bag:

all in 1930's fabric. 

Now the problem, well not a big problem... I'm not crazy about 30's fabrics so what should I do with this bag????

Friday Finishes!

Actually these both have been done for a while but I might have finished them on a Friday!


The first is a little Santa. It's only about 7 1/2 inches square. The fabric squares were ironed to a fusible grid then the vertical and horizontal seams were sewn. I have a much larger project to make like this and wanted to try out the method. I think he's kind of cute!

I purchased everything for this second project last fall at Country Threads Quilt Camp. It is from their book, Country Threads Goes to Charm School. I thought this would be a good project to work on while traveling. I started it on our trip to North Carolina last fall and then it just sat. I picked it up about a month ago and it went together rather quickly. The piecing was all done by hand as was the quilting. 

A new granddaughter!

Ivy Annalice was born May 27, 2011.

We won't be able to see her for a while but she will feel our love in her new quilts. She should have received them today.

The summer quilt is soft and simple.

There is no piecing and no quilting. This is more like a sheet.

The warmest quilt has Minkee on the back. Ray picked out this pattern.

I like the colors. The background is a light turquoise.

Here's the back. I've never used the Minkee dot before.

We came across a pattern using 1930's reproduction fabrics. The reproductions are not really my taste so I've always ignored them. Ray loved the fabrics. I liked the pattern and thought our son and daughter-in-law would like the older look of the fabrics. And I really like it!

The pattern was for a queen size quilt with six plain borders. So, of course, I changed it! I had to make the 'pinwheels' smaller and I added the colorful border.

And in one corner, within the heart, there is a piece of Boston Ivy with Ivy's name it it. 

In case you are not aware, the ivy at Wrigley Field, home of the favored Chicago Cubs, is Boston ivy.

And here is the back. 

I can't wait to hold our newest grandchild!