Something to Post Finally!

My last post was in August and now here it is October 21.  Yikes!  I have been working on various things but my latest endeavor has been a quilt for my niece's new baby.  The little girl was born on Wednesday, October 15 so I am a bit behind.  The piecing went quickly but the applique took me forever.  Here it is so far...

The pattern is "Remember Whooo Loves You" by Acorn Quilt & Gift Company.  This week I will add the borders and quilt it so maybe next Monday you will see the finished project.

Lots to be inspired by this week (and always) at Judy L's DWM.  Linking up.

Happy Stitching,
Judy

August Projects

A few more projects completed this month...

This anvil block and the one below were made for Victoria of Bumble Beans.  You "make" your own fabric and then cut it up to form units and blocks.  She will use the donated blocks to make cancer comfort quilts.  If you'd like to help, go HERE for instructions and a tutorial.

I must warn you, "making" your own fabric from bits and pieces of your scraps is very ADDICTIVE but tons of FUN!!

These cute little purses are for my oldest DGD who asked for navy and mustard and a summery interchangeable fabric.  You may remember that I made one for my youngest DGD in July.

I won a prize from Minick & Simpson a few weeks ago.  They picked my comment and sent me a big box of left-over strips from their new collection "Grant Park".  I was overwhelmed at their generosity and have great plans for these!  Gorgeous fabric!  Love, Love, Love it!!

Prep work for a Twister class I'll be teaching in October.  Have you "twisted" yet??  Interesting, easy, and fun!

More bowl buddies and potato bags.

My niece's little boy turned 2 last week.  This quick pillow will help him learn his numbers (at least one of them!)

As you can see, I've been busy.  Lots of little projects but no progress on anything big.  I have a baby quilt to make for a little girl coming in October.   I need to prep for a few classes to teach at Delphine's.  She will be part of a Shop Hop September 21-28 and her anniversary sale is the first weekend in October
(in case you are in the area...)

Happy Stitching to you all.






 

What Have I Been Doing?

It's been quite awhile (yikes, over 2 months!) since I've posted so I thought I would give you a look at what I've been working on this summer.  We visited family in North Carolina earlier this month and soon we'll be in Colorado to visit the other half of the fam.  The Bernina has been humming.

Buddy Bowls - made to give as gifts to my family.  I've made 6 or 7 for the 2 daughters and the 4 granddaughters and others.

Potato Bags -

Throw Pillow for DD1:

DD2 Quilt - a house warming gift.  It's a flannel Brick quilt - soft, snuggly, and warm

DGD3 - her 16th Birthday Quilt with matching pillow cases.  It's a Strip Tube Block technique made with just 4 fabrics rather than with a jelly roll.  The back is much plainer in case she finds the top too busy for her taste.  Cathy Hughes quilted it for me with a soft floral swirl.  (In case you have been following me, I FINALLY finished it!!  see here, here and here.)

 

Close-up of the quilting and the back

 

DGD4 - a cute little purse for a 13 year old.

And finally, here's a photo of a Quilt of Valor that our LQS group has been working on.  We've made 3 like this and will be working on a new pattern next month.  This pattern came from Love of Quilting magazine (May/June 2013 I think).  (not such a good picture but once it's quilted, I'll post another one).

 

 

Hopefully I will have more to share in the next few weeks.  Still lots of UFOs on my sewing room floor and so many ideas floating around in my head.  Enjoy the week everyone!

 

Happy Stitching,

Judy

Design Wall Monday

The weather up here in Gaylord had been absolutely beautiful - sunny and warm and everyone was happy again after such a long hard winter.  People took down their 'For Sale' signs and started working outdoors again!!  Then, this happened...

 
Happy Mother's Day!!  Surprise!!!  This photo was taken out the back window at 8:30am on Sunday.  It warmed (?) up to 40 later but most of the snow was still there.  This morning, there were just a few places where the sun doesn't hit.  So, it was a good day to stay indoors and work on my DGD's quilt.  I need 35 blocks and I have 28 completed.  Not long now and I will start sewing them together.  The picture below shows my planned border treatment.  I am looking forward to more progress this week.

 

 

Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day and did the things you love best.  Hop on back to Judy's blog to see more inspirations from quilters all over this great country and world!!

 

Happy Stitching!



Design Wall Monday

I am happy to report that I have made some progress on my projects - a birthday gift finished and sent to one of my BQFF (Best Quilt Friend Forever)...

 

(the picture was taken on the carpet)



The pattern is a Buttermilk Basin BOM pattern done in wool.  It is about 12" square with the center square measuring 8".  Happy Birthday Barb!!

I also finished the top that was on my design wall last Monday (sorry, it didn't get posted) but now you will get the full effect.  It's a scrappy baby quilt (42" square) made from a McCall's Quilting pattern called Baubles and Beads by Susan Guzman...fun to make and a no-brainer!  Love it!!  I will bind it with more scraps from my overflowing bins.

DGD's quilt has not made much progress but I finally have the fabric decided upon so I will start cutting strips and getting some blocks made.  It's a Strip Tube quilt in pinks, green, and violet.  Anyone know where I can get more of this green fabric?

The actual fabrics are similar so come back next week to see how far I've gotten (fingers crossed).  Thanks for checking in on me...now go back to Judy's blog to see more great projects on Design Wall Monday.

Happy Stitching!

APRIL GOALS

My good intentions for March were just that - good intentions.  Here it is April 7 and I have made no progress on my March goals which are now my April goals.  But here is one of the projects that I have been working on - mostly samples for the classes I will be teaching at our LQS, Delphine's Quilt Shop in Gaylord, MI:

 

It is a Disappearing 9-Patch (2 blocks worth) made with Brannock & Patek's "Audra's Iris Garden."  The class is a "technique" class and the students will learn both the Disappearing 9-Patch and the Disappearing 4-Patch.  The patterns have been around awhile and are readily available on the internet but it's more fun to work on this with the wonderful gals in a class.

Another project which is for a class AND for DGD's 16th birthday, needed some help.  The picture below shows 4 blocks but they are so blah - no pop, no zip, too calm, etc.  I found some other fabrics which I will incorporate into the mix to see if I can spice them up.  The pattern is a Strip Tube Quilt called "Just Too Easy" (which it is when you have the correct fabrics!).  My GOAL FOR APRIL...get these blocks made and sewn together.  It has been sitting in this "started but not finished" state for too long - DGD will be 18 if I don't get a move on!

Finally, I did finish something!!!  Hooray!!  I made this table topper for Easter/Spring.  We had a very nice Easter but still no spring in northern Michigan.  As a matter of fact, it's snowing right now AGAIN.

Good luck everyone with getting their goals accomplished.  Be sure to check out all the other brave quilters on "A Lovely Year of Finishes" and inspiring projects on Judy's Design Wall Monday.

My March Goals

"A Lovely Year of Finishes" has proven to be a wonderful incentive for me to "shrink" my UFO pile.  Just so you know (this is my excuse), I teach at our LQS so I am constantly starting small projects, some more than once, to use as examples in my classes.  They are in various stages of completion so that I can show my students how something will look before it is all sandwiched, quilted, and completed.  Consequently, I have two UFO piles.  One that is for class work and will probably stay in their incomplete stages until I retire and one UFO pile that is my "personal" quilt pile.  Which is the bigger pile?  I'd have to say my personal quilt pile would win in a heartbeat!!  LOL.  No contest there!!

This month I have 3 goals:

     1)  Complete the blocks of a Strip Tubing quilt which will be used as an example for a class and then stitched together and quilted for my GD's birthday in June.  This is a wonderful technique by Daniela Stout and Georgette Dell'Orco.  Here is the first flimsie that I made for a class...



"Just Too Easy" designed by Susan Van Alyne



New top - same technique using just 4 fabrics

     2)  Begin quilting the appliqued top that I finished last month.  I now have the backing, the batting, and the binding.  Can't wait to start that.  It will be machine quilted on my Bernina.

     3)  Complete 2 mug rugs for an exchange.  Can't show you that yet.

Hmmm, that should keep me busy this month!  How (or what) are you doing?  Be sure to check with Judy L's Patchwork Times to see what's on our friends' design walls this week and Melissa's and Shanna's "A Lovely Year of Finishes" for all the March goals.


Happy Stitching!