When I started this baby quilt yesterday I did not think I would have the machine work done already today, but miracles happen when the first day of spring is cold and rainy! Yes I was in the house just about all day. We have not gotten any snow as of yet and it really looks on the weather map that the snow will be north, west and south of us forming a kind of C shape around us with us in that open area. In the area of Arkansas that a lot of my family lives in the north area they are expecting 8 to 12 inches!!! Wow glad that is missing us here in the central part of the state.
Here is what I came up with for the patchwork – this is just something that I made up – no pattern available. I used the width of the charms and chopped it up adding the sections from my stash of the yellowish color for the applique areas. I think I had 4 or 5 charms leftover and 4 of those I had not intended to use as they didn’t quite go with the rest of stuff for some reason:
It measures something like 46 x 49 and I will add a small outer border around it - maybe in the yellowish shape that the applique pieces will be in. I think I have enough of it left - maybe a thin border of scallop edges or wavy edges? Something to think about while I do the applique. I wasn't going to sew it all together but do the applique work first but change my mind. I can roll or fold certain ways to get the work done.
Each of the pieces of creamy yellow fabric - 20 places I believe (it might look like more but some of them are actually light beige prints) will have an applique flower on it or some type of thing - like a heart maybe - something like that - these are some of the fabrics that I will use for flowers and greenery - there is more from the stash to look at but for now this is what I am starting with.
The give away winner will be announced Monday and the comments will be closed first thing on that morning when I get up. I can’t believe how many comments have come in. I have been trying to look at all the blogs and marking some to go back to look at again.
Still several more days to sign up for the give away http://karensquilting.com/blog/2010/03/give-away-2/ sign up on that post so you are counted – we have 100 comments so far!
I thought for several days about what to make with the charm squares that Teri sent me the other day. I found a book that had something like what I want in it and I am in the process of changing it a bit. I have discovered that I like my dining area so much better for a design area than the sewing room table (more room) that I have moved by big cutting mat to the table in there and go back and forth between the dining area and the sewing room. I get some added exercise to and don’t get stiff. Here is what I have come up with so far:
the charms - I do not work with pastel colors a lot but there was something about these Moda Aviary squares that I loved when I saw them. The fabric is so soft also - love it.
pulling the design together - laying things out, deciding on size - I have some books out for reference to the design that I like, paper to draw ect. I end up like always though and just start cutting and placing and measuring until I get what I want when I am not going by a particular pattern exactly.
there is a piece of creamy butter fabric in each strip. On that strip will be an applique flower or design, there might be a little embroidery on it also.
I will make four "blocks" this size to make one large block. I am going to do the applique first though before I join 4 blocks together. This one measures 23x25. So when the four are joined they will be about 46 x 50 and then there will be a border of some type around it. I am pretty sure I have enough charm squares to do this. If not and I am a couple short I will be searching through the stash to find a couple pieces which I should be able to do with no trouble.
So I will leave all of this stuff out on the dining room table and work on it for the next 3 days – I hope to do one of these units a day and then start on the applique – but if we do any running around this weekend it might end up on the table for a week 
This took 2 1/2 hours to do – in other words I spent the whole morning on it – which I normally do not do. Normally I am only sewing for an hour here or there in the day and evening.
I did take a break and went outside for some photos:
spring - don't you just love it - but darn all those little bugs are coming back already!
pretty yellow
hydrangea - I planted these last year from rootings off of my big plant - I rooted 7 plants and they all came back.
clematis
the cool weather plants are planted - peas, carrots, beets, two kinds of lettuce, spinach and radishes - we will be gone half the summer so I am not doing other veggies right now. I am going to spread plastic over the fencing to keep it warm as we are to get some cool nights coming up still. When I cut the grass the first time I will have Mike put the mulcher on and I will put mulch over the weed mat to hold it down and take the rocks up then.
As a thank you from Teri for hosting the give away she sent me a thank you present – look what wonderful goodies arrived in the mail today for me!
2 Packages of charms - she wanted to make sure I had plenty to make a quilt with! Thank you Teri! In the give away one of the packages of charms is this same kind I had mentioned how much I liked it. I'm sure whoever wins the give away will enjoy it too.
Quite a few of you have asked who is Teri? Teri and I have never met and didn’t even start to correspond until recently so I really do not know her well. That is the way it is with a lot of us “internet friends” . We exchange e mail and chat about quilting but a lot of times we do not actually know each other as I’m sure is the case with a lot of us. Sometimes for me it is hard to even keep everyone straight in my mind as I have begun to correspond with so many quilters – I am almost ready to print out a list of names and where you are all from to keep it straight in my head!! LOL
I asked her some questions so I could write up a little of her. Teri is from Alabama a little north of Montgomery. She is a self-taught quilter and taught herself how to quilt about 18 years ago. She quilts mostly by hand. Right now she is making a Redwork embroidery quilt. BOM’s and kits are some of the kinds of quilting that she likes. She says she doesn’t have the eye for picking out all the fabric involved and that is why she likes the kits. Teri’s first love is cooking — I think a lot of us quilters love to cook too as I have seen many good recipes on quilting blogs! She also loves reading and traveling and she use to spend time making clothes for her kids and has made a wonderful French hand sewn Christening gown for her grandchildren and made her oldest daughter’s wedding gown. Now that is a talent I do not have — I really do not like clothes sewing. Teri and her family moved to the country on an acre of land about 3 years after her mother died – Teri was her mother’s caregiver in the last three years of her life and she didn’t have time for quilting or anything as that took a lot of time. Teri is really not interesting in beginning a blog right now as she doesn’t know her way around computers really well.
(Edited at 7:20 PM – I forgot to mentioned that Teri is reading all the comments left by everyone and is having a good time checking out all of the blogs from you all that have blogs = I have been too — keep them coming)
I have already been pulling books off of the shelves to get ideas on how to use these two charm packs and I have a couple that I am going to be giving a second look at. And now I know some people are going to say “OMG she is going to start another quilt” LOL probably you are right – somehow the two large applique quilts (Little Brown Bird and the traditional Red/Green Applique ) that I have talked about for the past year keep getting put aside – I wonder if that means I really do not want to make them or if it means just not right now? I have made one block for each of those quilts so at least that is a start!
There are still 4 more days until the give away – if you want to participate leave a comment at this link. Right now we are at 91 comments!!! a few more than the last give away I gave for sure.
Wow slightly over 50 comments already on the give away I am hosting for Teri – keep them coming!! Leave a comment on the post from yesterday. Some people have asked me how this give away came about and who is Teri? Teri is from Alabama and was one of the winners of my last give away. Teri says she is not computer literate enough to have a blog I think a lot of us feel that way. It took me sometime to get it figured out and I have my computer master in the same room with me most of the time and I am still bugging him with questions of how do I do such and such! It comes hard for some of us. I have asked Teri some questions and will try to post a little bio on her this week. I really do not know her real well and we can find out together. We have not met in person – just through e mails as so many of us do.
Sometimes when I have a giveaway I try to thank everyone with a e mail of thanks when I get the message – in this case so many having been coming in at the same time I have not had the chance to do so. Let me say thank you to all of you now for stopping by my blog and visiting. Such nice comments everyone leaves. Good luck to all of you. I am looking at blogs every chance I get to see all the new ones that I have not seen before.
I have a new photo of my Christmas Quilt which is coming along slowly as I am working on so many other projects all the time.
Christmas Baltimore Album in the works
You see this block in the center with the white flowers? When I get to the middle of it I will be half way done with this quilt. Like I say it is moving slowly - I'm not rushing it and in fact have been neglecting it - I have been working on so many other quilts but this is a Christmas quilt I figure I have until the middle of November before I need it - hopefully I will be finished with it before then!
Yes I need to straighten out under the frame once again – somehow things constantly get tossed under the frame – out of the way you know
Before I forget Jackie is having a give away on her blog Canton Village Quilt Works - go on over and see what she has.
As I mentioned the other day I am hosting a giveaway for another quilter who does not have a blog. Teri Dingler from Alabama has these gifts for one lucky winner!
The Gifts
THE RULES!!
1. Leave a comment – one chance
2. Blog about it – two chances
3. Tell someone and they mention your name and you will get an extra chance for each person that mentions your name.
The winner will be announced in 1 week – on Monday the 22nd of March
AND I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH – MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN E MAIL ADDRESS WHERE I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU!!!! — LAST TIME I HAD A GIVE AWAY I HAD NO VALID E MAIL TO CONTACT A WINNER AND HAD TO GIVE IT TO THE NEXT PERSON ON THE LIST.
Yesterday I got busy and made my blocks for the March assignment of the Star Crazy BOM. The only part I find really tedious is pressing the half square triangles open.
These are from this months assignment.
What I have accumulated so far - lot's of different color combination's as it is a scrap quilt for me. There is of course always the possibility at the end when I put it together that I won't like a few pieces here and there and will make a couple extra blocks to replace. It always depend on the end results. This the last time I take a picture of all the blocks! Too much work getting out all those hst's!
I think thought once it is all put together it will just be as scrappy quilts are supposed to be – a mixture of scraps! Even though I have used quite a bit of scraps I have not noticed any difference in the amount of scraps left in the boxes!
While reading some news story’s on the internet this evening I ran across the following story in the “Arkansas Online” newspaper. I found it interesting and think some of you will too.
An 80 year old friendship quilt comes full circle:
A garage sale find has spurred precious memories for an 80 year-old Saltillo, Arkansas resident. (ArkansasOnline article)
Last summer, Kim Shock and her mother Debbie Kelley were poking around at a garage sale in Vilonia when Shock noticed an old red and white quilt laying in a carport with the name Lessie Martin written on one of its squares. She recognized it as the name of her great-great aunt.
“I knew I had heard that name,” Shock said. “I also knew she had died when I was 10 or 11.”
She summoned her mother who confirmed what Shock had suspected. They had stumbled on a friendship quilt that possibly had been quilted by more than one relative. The two walked away tickled to purchase the quilt for a bargain price of $7.50.
“We could hardly wait to get out of there with it,” Shock said. “I can’t tell you how excited we were.”
Read the full ArkansasOnline story: Arkansas family rediscovers old friendship quilt.
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Isn’t that neat to find a quilt at a garage sale that more than one relative had a hand in making!
I will be having a give away soon so keep an eye out. One of the winners of the last give away I had – Teri in Alabama does not have a blog but she wants to have a give away as a thank you for some neat give away’s that she has won over the last year. I will host the give away for Teri on my blog and she is donating the gifts. Keep an eye out I think I will announce it on Monday.
I found out from Becky (no blog) that Elly Sienkiewicz’s book “Papercuts and Plenty” a Baltimore Album type of book is where most of the patterns for the quilt I showed you all yesterday are from. It is an out of print book but that hasn’t stopped me. I searched and found the best price for the condition of the book and have one ordered. There are lots and lots of patterns in the book so it will be worth while. When I make it – eventually – next year maybe? — I will have plenty of blocks to choose from. I was going to look at the library but we have a small library and if I am going to spend time making this wonderful quilt – or one similar I will want to be wandered back to the book for a look see constantly so better that I order it.
I got starting quilting the “Sew Charming” quilt that I finished the top of back at the end of September. It is full of polka dots so I will be going dizzy at times quilting it I think. I am using black thread. I had thought to go back and forth with white in some areas and black in others and tried that out – did not like the white thread and picked it out and redid that area in black. It shows up really well on the back too and I like that.
the begining of quilting
the look on the back. Oops I just noticed I forgot a straight line - it must be on one of the black strips I will have to go back to it and make sure I get it done before I move to another section.
The part I am done with.
I’m keeping it nice and simple. I want to get done with this one so I can get to the Baltimore Bliss next. I have decided to add one more border around the Baltimore Bliss and have a scalloped edge on it. I like the scallop edge so much on the Dear Jane that I decided it will look nice on that one too. I have found that I do not like having so many quilts waiting in line to quilt and therefore I am spending the next several months doing a lot of quilting and little sewing other than the monthly BOM on Star Crazy – most of the pieces for March are cut I just need to sew them – - I will also work on the small Dear Jane blocks. I think the Red and Green Applique and the Little Brown Bird are both on hold for a couple months until I get this quilting caught up a little.
As if I really need another quilt pattern!! LOL I saw a beautiful quilt on someones blog the other day and I tracked it down to “The Ozark Piecemakers Quilt Guild” in Springfield Missouri. (I have sent them a note but haven’t heard back). They have the most beautiful quilt for an opportunity quilt for their 2010 quilt show in September. If you want to buy tickets for a chance at it go to this link. Go to the sidebar on that page and go to OPQG Quilt Show and it will lead you to how to buy tickets. Here is a photo of the quilt — and does anyone know the name of the quilt pattern? – is there a book or pattern for it. Please let me know if you know where the patterns can be purchased. I of course want to put this on my “one day” list. I will send for tickets – but doubt I will win and will need to make one for myself so help if you know the pattern let me know. It looks like Hawaiian quilting doesn’t it – what do y’all think? Isn’t it just gorgeous!
2010 Donation quilt for the Piecemakers Quilt Guild in Springfield Missouri. This has got to be one of the most beautiful I have seen in awhile. If anyone knows where I can buy the pattern please let me know.
Today when I met Julie for sewing I got done with one Dear Jane block and got started on a second one which I finished after I got home. We had a good visit got caught up and had pizza delivered for lunch! Good cookies afterward that she had made. Today’s Dear Jane “Insanity Revisited” blocks:
Block #3 of Row 11 (rowK) yes it looks a little crooked - it will look straight once it is joined in the row and quilted
Block #4 Row 11 (K)
When I got home today my box of two quilters dream batting were waiting for me!! yeah I can finally get that quilt pin basted and started tomorrow.
I am still waiting for my batting to arrive and trying to be patient so I am busily working on my little blocks for the “Insanity Revisited” last night and this morning I got this checkerboard block finished.
This is my preparation work. Kind of like a paint by number.
here are rows of little blocks sewed together. Then the strips are sewed together and the border in place.
The finish! 40 pieces in this 5 inch block (4 1/2 when finished in quilt). I do not know how fast this block can be made by machine. This one including the preparation work took me about 2 1/2 hours to make. Normally the blocks depending on how many pieces and level of difficulty take anywhere from about 40 minutes to 3 hours. I just noticed a couple threads sticking to the block - sorry I would have taken a better photo if I had noticed it.
Some of the scraps that are going into my March Star Crazy BOM blocks. I still need to go through my scraps to find more bits and pieces. I have some cut out and I'm sure tomorrow or the next day I will get to work.
This was yesterdays weather! The little boy has gotten out of his winter gear and into a tee-shirt - 72 degrees for a high yesterday. Today was cooler it only got up to 68 here and that was a very short while. Still all in all a very nice day although thunderstorms are going through part of the state, might miss us though.
Tomorrow I am going to be sewing at my friend Julie’s for part of the day. She is on the last blocks of row 10 for her Dear Jane. She is catching up to me rapidly!! She started to hand piece her Dear Jane like I do but then decided that she was never going to finish it if she did that so by row 5 or 6 I think it was she started to machine piece instead. We used to meet once a week but we have gotten out of the habit over the past year and now only meet about once a month. I need to look over my things and see what to bring to show her – we tend to have a little show and tell of quilting things even though it is not a big group meeting LOL -We quilters always tend to show off our things don’t we whether it is quilts, fabric or books and pattern. I will be working on another Dear Jane block or two so maybe more blocks to post tomorrow.
