Quilting Catch Up - 5 months really?

I seriously cannot believe I have not made a blog post in 5 months.  I wasn't reading blogs either, but I am trying to catch up.  I got in a funk and it was hard to focus.  Instagram is more instant and easier to share so most pics are posted there.  Winter is not my favorite time of the year and with holidays and being busy, I just forgot my blog.  We did get to go to Kentucky the week of Thanksgiving to see our daughter, husband and twin grandkids.  Our other daughter and 3 kids came up right after Christmas in between blizzards! 

I really have been quilting, but it doesn't seem like it!  Going back through my pictures I realized there is more than I thought!  Be prepared for photos!

Brown Bag mystery from last year called Double the Fun.  I still haven't added a border!

I don't remember the name of this pattern, but it was fun.  I made this for a friend.

One Block Wonder.  I do not have a picture with borders on!  I do not have this quilt either!

This was a fun quilt, but lots of pieces.  It is called Scarlet Stitches and the block centers are panels.

Table topper I made and designed for a gift exchange at Christmas.

One Block Wonder I gifted to my boss at work.  She owns a lot of my quilts!  The center is a fun panel.

I finished this UFO!  It is the result of two block exchanges.  I wasn't thrilled with all the blocks I got back when I requested purple and blue, but I added lots of Kaffe black and whites and it turned out to be interesting! We had just a bit of snow when I took the picture.

One of my favorite finishes in a long time!  I saw this quilt pattern on Instagram and loved the low volume look of it.  It was a lot of fun and I am ready for next Christmas since it is Christmas prints!  It is the Chamomile Quilt by Woodberry Way.

My husband's cousin is cleaning things out at their great grandparents home.  She brought over these crocheted pieces along with a crochet hook and thread.  She also brought some old quilt blocks.  I don't enjoy crocheting and then had the urge to make a modern style piece.  I made a checkerboard of bright Snippets fabric, quilted it, and attached the doilies adding a button center.  I then stretched the piece over a 24 X 24 canvas. 

A non quilting friend likes to buy fabric (she said it's addictive!).  This is the third Quilt of Valor style quilt I have made for her.  I had the panel in my stash.  She cut out a bunch of 5 pointed stars, but they did not have a fusible.  505 spray baste to the rescue and I zigzagged around them.  

I have a pink loving friend and she has been going through a lot of medical issues.  She is having surgery in a couple of weeks so I made this quilt from Lori Holt fabrics.  She received it last week and loves it.  I did not have a pattern, just made 6" churn dash blocks and put them in a 12" block and added a piano key border from leftovers.

I saw this beach bundle and thought of a friend that lives in Portland and loves going to the beach.  Her birthday is actually today and the quilted arrived at her house last week.  It is just a lap/throw size.  The bundle came with the panel and I decided on flying geese to use the other beach prints.  I had the two blue framing borders in my stash. 

Okay, that is it for now!  Stay tuned, I am currently working on six baby quilts for Quilts for Kids.

Linking up with Design Wall Monday

Autumn is Here

 I cannot believe it is fall already.  This has been such a strange summer.  We are still getting produce from the garden and I end up canning.  Not my most favorite thing to do with my weekends.  School is in session and so far our school is open and let's hope it stays that way.  We have even gone on two field trips.  Being a small school in the country with 19 students helps!

We had our county fair a week ago.  It was much smaller than usual, but we filled out the quilt section nicely.  We got lots of compliments on it.  I managed to enter 7 quilts I had made in the last two years.  I did get blue ribbons, but I enter mostly to inspire people. 

Cute gnome quilt.  The hearts are appliqued on.  Shop sample.

Kaffe leader ender project.  It always sticks to my design wall and looks wrinkled.

One Block Wonder with Kaffe feather fabrfic and cubes.

One Block Wonder Class Prep

This is my second post of the day with some actual finished quilts!

I will be teaching the One Block Wonder technique next week at Your Best Friend's Quilt Shop.  Our area has opened back up with social distancing.  Because of the response, and everyone needing space, I will be teaching the same class two days in a row.  I don't know what to expect, but I hope it goes well.  It's a hard quilt to make in class, but if everyone gets the idea of what to do and gets blocks cut and sewn together, they can  then assemble them at home.  I have been working on samples for it.  One is for the shop, but the other three are mine.  I have previous ones for examples at the class as well.

I fell in love with this Kaffe Fassett Collective fabric being a purple and flower fanatic!

Here is the quilt, completely finished.  I used a yellow from my stash for accent and binding.

Finished One Block Wonder

 This next is made from 7 panels from the quilt shop.  This is a display sample for the shop.  It was fun to make.

closeup

 I purchased the fabric for this one a couple years ago at a retreat sponsored by the quilt shop I am teaching at, along with a coordinating border print.  This one only had a 12" repeat so the quilt was very small and even with the border is about 45 X 60.  The fabric had windmills and red pickups and canning jars, very fun!  The plaid inner border is part of the border print.  It is quilted and bound.

 I purchased 7 patriotic panels a few years ago and now was time to make them into a one block wonder!  This one was hard to blend, but I think it turned out well.  It is quilted and bound.

Along with these projects I completed the blocks for this disappearing 4 patch quilt.  I had been using them as a leader/ender project.  I love the cute Me and My Sister Designs fabric.

This week I had a break and decided to work on something but I had no idea what.  None of my MANY, MANY projects looked interesting so I started something new.  The pattern is Buzz Cut out of the book 12 Pack Quilts featuring fat quarters.  I used Kaffe fabrics in my favorite colors.  I still need to assemble the blocks, but it was very fun to make. The blocks finish at 7.5". I added two additional rows to the pattern.

I have also done a lot of yard work and gardening and spent several days cleaning my sewing room.  So yes, even though I have been missing from blog land I have been busy!

Linking up with Design Wall Monday.

One Block Wonder and New Quilt

I finished another quilt shop sample, but didn't get a picture.  The last shop sample I had here to make was a One Block Wonder out of six horse panels.  I tackled that this past week and got it done!  It turned out well, although I miscalculated and it's wider and shorter than I had hoped.  I wasn't allowing for as much seam allowance in length than it took!  I really do know how to add and multiply!  The shop owner is going to add a border to it.  It turned out to be 51 X 54.

This is the panel I started with, stacking up six of them.

One Block Wonder

 I cut out a new quilt yesterday.  I purchased this kit from Starr Fabrics years and years ago (click for a view of the pattern). There are 30 hand dyed fabrics.  It wasn't quite as vibrant as I had hoped and I set it aside.  There are also appliques with fusible web that I will not  be using at this time.  I need a gift for a friend and I think this will be perfect.  I am ready to sew the strata together.

Hand dyed fabrics from Starr Fabrics.

Linking up with Design Wall Monday.

Three Quilts Basted

This has not been a productive summer quilt wise.  I have had too many other things going on.  I had previously held two "basting parties", although it's not really a party if you are there by yourself!  I basted several quilts each time and have them all quilted.  I started that process again.  One basting party was in this post.

For my design wall my One Block Wonder is still there.  Check it out here.

I am trying to get back in the quilting mode, but of course school started and I had to go back to work last week!  Hence, the basting so I don't have to think when I get home from work and there will be a project ready.  I need to do more, but I need to get the bottom one quilted first as it is part of a quilt along.

These are the three quilts I have basted so far.  Two of them are OLD, OLD UFO's!

My younger daughter came to visit for the weekend and brought her 21 month old twins Finn and Remy.  Her husband stayed home to do some house painting.  Much easier to do without toddlers underfoot!  The kids were not totally impressed with the farm equipment.  They each got a truck ride to the field and saw the combines in action.  We have home storage and the truck was dumping food barley in the bin.  It is used to make items like Fiber One granola bars.

I did post a quilt a day on Instagram for August, so if you are not a follower follow me there @julie.huffman .  A very original handle!

Linking up with Design Wall Monday.

One Block Wonder started

Last year I met a long time online friend for the first time.  She was in my area and I drove to meet her.  We had lunch and I took her to a quilt shop.  We bought the same piece of fabric for a one block wonder.  I cut all the pieces and sewed the half hexagons and today I actually got them up on the wall.  My friend hasn't cut into her fabric yet!  After taking this picture and seeing it on my phone screen I can see I have a LOT of rearranging to do.  That's the thing about one block wonders.  There really is no right or wrong, it's whatever strikes your fancy.   Next time you see it, it will be very different! 

Linking up with Alycia on Finished or Not Friday

Finished One Block Wonder

I finished my "Memories of Hawaii" One Block Wonder quilt!  It's quilted and bound.  I meant to put a hanging sleeve on as I did the binding but totally forgot.  I usually sew one the top edge at the same time as I am binding and then just hand stitch the bottom edge.   I added a flange to the binding for a spark of color.

This project was a lot of fun and I am happy with how it turned out!

Linking up with Design Wall Monday.

One Block Wonder

I have been working on my ocean one block wonder.  I love how it is turning out!  I am in the process of pressing my strips (seams are being pressed open) and then will be assembling the top.  I am thinking of appliqueing the points down so I really have to work to figure out the exact size I need the length to match the side strips.  This is a lot of fun sewing with the panels to make this style of quilt.

I have one more panel I had originally purchased, but it is cut slightly differently.  I ordered the rest and knew I had better not chance them being the same and ordered enough for the 7 panels.  The extra one will be on the back.

 This is a closeup of some of the blocks.

I hope to get this assembled this week and will actually quilt it right away so it won't go into my never ending pile of unquilted tops!  It will be a great memory quilt of our snorkeling cruise in Hawaii.

I am linking up with Monday Making and Design Wall Monday.

Panel Wallhanging Gone Wrong, but Fixed!

Several years ago I bought a panel that had two different large flowers.  The designer was Stephanie Brandenburg.  I loved the sunflower and made up the wallhanging using thread painting.  I ended up buying more of the panels and making them up for gifts but somehow I don't have pictures.  I did not have any problems quilting any of them.  I had one panel left and decided to quilt it up.  OH MY.  Distortion, distortion.  I think it is because I did not stabilize the flower first and then fill in with stitching.   Here is the sunflower I did without any issues.

I don't have pictures of my problem wallhanging in progress.   I had done a LOT of threadwork in the center and it was so wavy I thought there was no way I could get it to lie flat filling in the background.  I finally decided if I trimmed out the flower portion I could applique it to a new background.  I had to fuss with it a bit to get it to lay flat, but I managed to satin stitch it.  The background is made up of some leftovers from another project with some blue added for accent.  I am thrilled with the way it turned out and it finishes at 24 X 24.  I used two kinds of yarn with an overlay of tulle in the center.  If only I could take straight pictures!

embellished poppy panel

stitching closeup

I hand couched red embroidery floss next to the binding for an accent.

 I started a new one block wonder quilt.  I started with 7 of these panels, six of them are cut up and sewn into half hexagon ready to place around this panel.  I am anxious to see how it turns out.  It is a great memory of our snorkeling trip in Hawaii.

Our county fair is this week and I am entering six quilts, two of them wallhangings. 

I am linking up with Design Wall Monday.

Christmas Decorating and Quilts

Be prepared, this is a long post!  I took a bunch of photos of some of the Christmas things I have on display currently.  There are a lot of things on walls and on shelves that I didn't photograph, like my collection of Christmas mugs and salt and pepper shakers!

Here is my tree.  Very traditional, lots of memento ornaments.  I made the tree skirt in 2006.

Old fashioned phone that actually worked until recently between my in-laws house, our shop and our house.

 Santa made by a friend.

 Tablerunner that I hung on the wall!

 My pewter tree with mini ornaments from my mom and other relatives and friends.

 An old nativity set that I love.

Stockings, even though we aren't having anyone here this year.  One of these days we are going to replace the 20 year old fireplace doors with something prettier.

Christmas village on top of my grandmother's Howard piano, circa 1895.  She was born in 1899 and the story is that she traded a cow for this piano in 1910.  It's been in various places since and needs refinishing but the piano tuner said it's in good shape considering all it's been through!

 Small Christmas village, mostly pieces my mother in law gave me as gifts.  Part 1.

 Part 2.  I have a harder time hiding cords on this one.  It's on my built in china hutch.

 Dining room light.  I LOVE purple.  This year I decided I was going to do some purple!  I swirled craft paint in glass bulbs to make the ornaments and found the others on clearance last year.

 A mini white tree with purple ornaments on my dining table under the light, with purple lights in the window.  I found this all on clearance last year too!

 Another wall in the dining room.  It doesn't coordinate with the purple but I love my toile quilt and snowmen collection.

 Stairwell with a nativity quilt and my lame' fabric angel wallhanging.

 Family room wall.  A friend gave me the shelf hangers.  Santas are on this one with my one block wonder quilt.

 My Jim Shore mini nativity.  I LOVE the quilt designs painted on the figures and I have some of his ornaments.

 A scrappy shoo fly quilt from many years ago along with a wall-hanging made by a friend.  This one I put on my daughter Lisa's bed.

Sorry about the light streak on it, the sun was shining through the closed blinds!  This is a sampler I made in 1995.  My guild members made blocks and I came up with this setting and made a swag border and it is hand quilted!  This is in my daughter Amy's room.

 Snowman collector quilt.  I made this quite a few years ago.  It's on the bed in my son's old room, which my grandkids have taken over.

 My Snippets quilt I finished earlier this year!  I love these bright cheery fabrics from Bonnie and Camille.  This was in my daughter Amy's room, even though it's the bed quilt in my room for the season.  I just didn't want to clean off my nightstand!

A wallhanging made by a friend many years ago.  I made her one as well.  We sent each other fabrics and the center was a pine tree, then we got to do what we wanted.

 Snowman wallhanging at the top of my stairs.  The blocks were from a swap.

 This is in my guest room.  Years ago my mother in law saw this quilt in a Fons and Porter magazine.  She really liked it and I got the magazine and made it for her.  She displayed it once or twice, but Alzheimers set in.  After she passed away I got the quilt back.

A little stocking wallhanging.  The beading detail is not showing the pictures, but there is a LOT of beading on it!

 Wallhanging from a block of the month several years ago.  I love it.  I had to stand in my laundry room to take the pic and the washer wouldn't move out of the way to get a straight photo!

I have several more Christmas quilts, I will have to work on another post!