Sew Many Strips and Scrappy Finishes

I had this quilt waiting to be quilted from my last basting party.  It was the last one left and sat for a few months.  I finally quilted it last weekend and got it finished during the week.  The center star blocks were from a swap many years ago.  The hostess designed the block and sent us background fabric.  I have never been into random scrappy quilts, although I like lots of fabrics in a quilt, just controlled scrappy!  This quilt is shown on my daughter's queen bed with my grandmother's treadle in the background.

One block showing the twisting I did to use up more fabric and make the quilt bigger.

Last year American Patchwork and Magazine had a sew along for this quilt called Sew Many Strips.  I love the bright cheery colors I picked.  There are a LOT of pieces in this quilt, since each unit finishes at 1" X 2".  I got the quilt top done last year and set it aside like I usually do!  This weekend I opened my quilt top cupboard and it jumped out.  I had backing for it and got it pin basted, quilted and bound in two days.  I even hand stitched the binding.  I just did swirly texture quilting on my home machine.

center closeup

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Earlier I made more shop samples for my friend's shop called Your Best Friend's Quilt Shop

This uses a large panel with small panels and a border print.

This one was already in half hexis when she sent it to me.  She used two colorways for a one block wonder and is sending me border fabric so I haven't mailed it back yet.

If all this wasn't enough I machine quilted a HUGE quilt for a friend of a friend.  It was a simple quilt panels and large borders, but I custom quilted it.  I thought I was quilting a lap quilt when I agreed!

Linking up with Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

First Finish of 2020!

I was working on this quilt top during December and couldn't post photos as it was a gift.  I was overwhelmed with lots of other things and got it to the top stage and gifted it that way.  I took it back and quilted it and gave it to my boss today on our first day back at school.

This was a kit I bought six years ago I think (maybe longer who knows!) from Starr Fabrics.  It had appliques with it and got put aside because it was not something that could be worked on at a retreat and keep track of pieces and it never got high on my list at home to work on!  Then I fell out of love with it.  I also had a smaller quilt kit I had made up from the same company.  When I got that quilt finished my boss said how much she loved it and had made a joke about wanting a king size quilt.  Well.....  I was able to order some blue fabric for the border and I started on the quilt.  I had issues and almost quit but I persevered and figured out what I was doing wrong in cutting the strata. 

I machine quilted it this past weekend on my Pfaff Grand quilter and yes, it is tough quilting a king size quilt that way!  I just did an all over stipple/loop quilting and had fun.  I watched TV and stitched down the binding and finished Sunday night!  I admit I like it much better now!

I took a picture on my daughter's bed in my house and then at school today.

She loved the quilt!

Linking up with Design Wall Monday and Monday Making.

Ending 2019 with Quilting and Family

Time flew from Thanksgiving on!  After traveling for Thanksgiving I quilted 3 small quilts for a friend.  I am trying not to overload this post with too many photos, but there are quite a few!

Two of them were You are My Sunshine quilts that I did thread painting on.  It was a lot of fun.

detail of quilting

 The backing for the Santa quilt was a minkie/velour type fabric.  The dimension of the quilting on the backing was amazing!

I participated in a Secret Santa Swap and made this tree wallhanging for my assigned person.  I used an Improv tree tutorial.  It was fun to make and I would love to make another one with bigger blocks for myself.  Unfortunately I have yet to receive a gift so that is sad.  The person keeps saying she will mail it but she had "forgotten" who I was!

 Every year at my school we make these paint filled glass ornaments.  They are so interesting to see the color combos and how they turn out.  Next year I think I am going to leave black out of the options of paint bottles. 

 I also organized these lighted snowman ornaments. 

My oldest daughter and husband and 3 kids came to visit for Christmas.  We hosted some of my husband's family for Christmas Eve.  It was fun to have kids here!

This is Kathryn - age 5 months.  The quilt is an old one on the back of the couch.

 My grandson Jared is 8 and loves machines of all types.  Since it was not farming season he saw my Brother Innovis BQ 350 machine and it has a touch screen.  He loves to figure out how things work and he taught me things about my machine!  He wanted to sew so I got out my pile of pre-cut 6" scrap squares.  Some of the fabrics are less than pretty and are an accumulation from several sources.  He was very diligent and we ended up with three machines set up and Nicole was in charge of putting squares together for others to sew.  The first top was quite interesting and my daughter Amy sewed it in offset rows as the corners would not have matched well!  It needs squared up and borders added and then finished and donated!

 After Christmas my husband and I were scheduled to fly to Kentucky to visit our younger daughter and her family.  Unfortunately my husband woke up very ill and couldn't make the trip.  I was a bit paranoid during my all day trip (3 planes) that I was going to get sick, but did not.  Several people from our Christmas Day dinner with relatives (not at my house!) got the stomach bug. 

On the first full day there we walked across the river to Indiana!  I have added two states to my collection of those traveled in.  We did get to visit with a niece who lives about an hour and a half from my daughter.

Finn loves slides!

Remy is a lefty and loves coloring

Look for another post soon with my first finish of 2020!

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.

Happy Veteran's Day

Thanks to all those who have served and protected our great country.  This picture is of  my BIL and my two nephews.  My BIL was college ROTC and retired after serving for over 20 years.  He never saw conflict however.  He spent one tour as Director of Curriculum at West Point.  Both nephews are West Point graduates and one served in Afghanistan and currently based at Fort Knox and the other is currently in Europe "somewhere" and is based at Fort Hood.

I have had a lot going on.  I went to a quilt show in Spokane., WA and had a weekend getaway there with a friend from western Washington.  We set up our machines in the hotel and had a mini retreat.  I saw an amazing number of quilts at the show. 

My oldest daughter and 3 kids came to visit for a weekend and another weekend we went to Boise to say goodbye to our younger daughter, husband and the twins.  They arrived safely in Louisville, Ky and moved into their new house over the weekend.  The twins traveled beautifully, spending 4 days in the car with my daughter while her husband drove the U-Haul.

This past weekend I was at a quilt retreat sponsored by Your Best Friend's Quilt Shop, the shop I made samples for.  I finished several more samples and have one left.  I didn't get pictures of two of them, I kept staring at my phone willing the pictures to be there. 

John Wayne quilt kit - twin size - shop sample

block closeup

calculator wallhanging shop sample

pillow tops shop sample to go with the calculator

snowman bed runner - forgot to rotate the photo!

Nest Stop North Pole flannel quilt top - shop sample

Next Stop North Pole shop sample in flannel

 Linking up with Design Wall Monday.

Sample and Quilts for Kids

First off a little housekeeping.  Some of you have been posting comments and I got very behind on replying and some of the comments are not showing up in my email and I forget to check.  I love all the comments and so appreciate the time it takes for you to write them!  Thank you! 

I made another sample quilt for my friend's shop and yes I have made this one before, just as I had in my last post!  I also made three Quilts for Kids.  I ordered two kits and used some leftover dinosaur fabrics from a quilt I made my grand nephew over six years ago for a third quilt.  They are quick and easy and it is just a great organization to support.  One more pile of fabric is now out of my stash as I just have small scraps left of the dinosaur fabrics.  I really thought I had taken straight pictures this time.  I really am not a crooked quilter!

I did a sinple large meander.  Super quick and easy quilting.

I quilted wavy lines through this one.  Also super quick and easy.

 This one is from fabrics I had on hand.  I had some strip sets and added to them and it's a fun, easy quilt to make!

Simple loop quilting finished this one off quickly.

Linking up with Design Wall Monday.

A Few Tops and a Small Finish

Since our fair in mid September it doesn't seem like I have accomplished a lot.  I made a mini quilt, but other than that it has been tops.  I have done some canning, projects for school, had a family funeral and company and I hope I can focus on projects again soon!  I know to most people I accomplish a lot, but I am used to being an over achiever possibly?  😄

Here are some of the projects I have worked on recently:

This is an 18" mini I designed and made for the Teal Mini Swap in the support of Ovarian Cancer research.  The fabric we were sent is the teal one that is just to the left of center on top and to the right of center on the bottom.  My swap partner likes modern and bright colors  and I called this Sound Waves. 

 This is the mini I received from my partner in Pennsylvania! 

 I have been making some tops for my friend's quilt shop, Your Best Friend's Quilt Shop  I made two dog quilts, that were pretty cute with fussy cutting.  They are throw size. 

I also repeated making this flannel quilt from a kit for the shop.  She sold the other one!

I also repeated making this fox quilt, because the other sample was also sold!  The owner is lucky to be able to sell completed quilts, but I am looking forward to some of the other fun projects she sent me!

I love the colors of fall, although I am not a fan of cold weather.  Snow is predicted for tonight!  YIKES!  I am so not ready for that.  I need to get out and take more fall pics.  We have huge maple trees in our yard.  I snapped this one on my way to town last week.  I drop down 2,000 feet to get to the closest town and the valley was socked in with fog.  It was a cloudy day when I got down there!