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Showing posts from 2010

Judy L’s UFO challenge, the rest of the picks

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6. Fall Chinese coins When I finished the Pineapple Blossom quilt pictured, I cut up the remaining scraps into Chinese Coins, and sewed, and sewed, until they were all in the coin strips. There are different sizes of columns. Both of these projects were made from scraps from 2 other quilts – all cut from quarter-yard cuts of autumn fabric. The only fabric I had to add was the various yellows. The pineapple and Chinese coins came from stash/scraps – no fabric was purchased. I plan to make the Chinese Coins into a wall hanging that fits above the king-size bed pictured above. I found a cool setting using black and white Greek something in between the columns. This project was put away because I was busy making a lot of Heartstrings quilts out of Chinese coins, and I wanted them finished for Alycia’s goal of 400 QOV that year. 7.Blue Braid (King) Another class project with Bonnie Hunter . I wanted to make a monochromatic quilt for a long time, so did this. I knew when I started it

UFO’s for Judy’s Challenge

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Lone Star (large wall hanging) I’ve started this one in Oct with a class at Des Moines AQS – Jan Krentz. I have one large diamond made, which I can’t find today, but it is pinned to a portable ironing surface, so I’m sure I will find it when the number comes up. This is wall hanging (large) size. It was a wonderful class. I’m looking forward to working on this one because the technique she taught us was so cool. I bought the DVD so I could refresh my mind (it will need it) when I start working on it again. 2. First ever blocks (queen) In the 70’s I decided I wanted to make a quilt like my grandmother did. I made several Sun Bonnet Sues, but then decided I could applique some regular blocks. The only book I had was one by Ickles (?) so I drew out the blocks, then made them, figuring things out as I went. The fabric of the times was poly cotton, so these are appliqued on poly/cotton squares, with poly prints. Never again! A few years ago I decided to finish this quilt, and finally

Design wall Monday 12/27/2010

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We had an exciting Christmas Eve! It was the first time my stepson and his family joined us! They had come for baking day, and accepted my invitation to return. A good time was had by all. I had thought long on a theme / gifts for the adults. With the economy so bad, there isn’t much money for just of fun stuff. I wanted to give them useful things, but something they wouldn’t use their own money to buy. We decided on Omaha Steak Gift Packages for each family. To go along with the theme, I made table runners and placemats to go with the Steaks. This is the set I made for my daughter. She has a round table. DH asked what I was doing with all the neckties. The oreo fabric reminds me of a fabric I made my daughter and myself blouses out of when she was small. I just had to make DGD#2 and DD with the same fabric. All the placemats and runners have neutral backings except DGD#2’s, pictured here. She is always playing with my scrap strings, so I just had to put them on the back of her pla

2nd finish on 50 quilt challenge

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This is the baby quilt I finished yesterday. It was started about 6-7 years ago by my friend that embroidered the blocks. She had made two sets of them, and we both started making  quilt tops at the same time one Sunday afternoon. We were having fun- good memories of a group of us meeting at my house on Sunday afternoons –and were making matching quilts. JA trimmed her corner squares too small,  gave up and threw the quilt in the corner. I put it away until last year, then added the strip around the outer corners to finish the quilt. It has been waiting for quilting for a long time. I wanted to be able to do something that would show off the embroidery. A few months ago we bought the Circle Lord radiating lines template for Black Bart (the long-arm). It took me quite a while to quilt as I was learning how to place it. It is an 18” template on a 24” table. I ended up having to move the quilt  to match template placement instead of vice versa, like I usually do. I liked how it turned o

A New Computer and a finish

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DH and I decided to give ourselves new computers for Christmas. Mine has Windows 7 as the operating system, so I’m trying to learn all the ways it works. I was reading Bonnie’s blog http://quiltville.com today, and she was trying Windows live, so I decided to try it, too. She likes being able to see how the blog is actually looking rather than what blogger decides to do with it. I hate that part of blogger as well, so I’m trying this.   I did manage to have a finish that is quilty. This is the top from the guild blocks. I originally planned to put on another crayon border, but I really like it this way. I know it isn’t quilted, but that isn’t my job on this. I pass it on to a quilter (or the committee head) Tuesday at Guild meeting. It sure turned out bright and fun. DH and DGD#2 decided they needed to be in the picture as well. I was happy to oblige! Quilt items finished Running total Crayon top 1     I had to try adding a table, but I’m not sure yet how it works. Anyw

Design wall Monday 12/6/2010

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I'm working diligently on the crayon quilt from the guild blocks. I finished putting the triple sashing on two sections of two rows. I have most of the next section finished, just need to sash the last row and sew on both sashings. I thought I would be saving myself time by making triple sashing, then using snowball cornerstones with those fast triangle corners (sew a square across on the diagonal). I really don't like doing triangles that way, and I don't like them any better now. It's fussy to match the corner to the sashing, and I hate points not lining up. I like the effect, though, and the first border of red is part of the sashing. I think I'm adding one more border of crayons, then it will be a finished flimsy. These four blocks are still on the edge, and are the next project to work on. I was using it for leader/enders until I changed to dark thread for the crayon quilt. They are for DGD#1 - the pink and purple princess room - but it is doubtful I will fini

Design wall Monday 11/22/2010

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I decided today to take pictures of all the projects on the design walls - DH said design table was not "proper" so I put them all up on the board. The above picture is of the bright blocks from the guild. I've finished "twisting" them - first in black to even up the sizes, then the brights I picked last week. The black and white strip between (actually over) the space between the first and second columns is auditioning as a thin edging for the blocks, which I will probably make as triple sashing and cornerstones. The crayon fabric will be the center of the triple sashing. I enjoy making blocks, but assembly is not my favorite. I'm really working at just finishing up this top so I can say it is done (I don't have to quilt it). This second picture is of some blocks I made while taking Bonnie Hunter's Cathedral Star workshop earlier this year. This is all the blocks that are assembled, but I have lots of progress on the component parts. I was doing

A Christmas wall hanging

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This is the first fusible project I made. It was about 1994, and I didn't know to be concerned about how it turned out. The fused clouds are really heavy, and of course quilting didn't do anything for them as they are so stiff. I hand quilted the upper sky, trying to give definition. It was "birthed" rather that bound, so the edges remain puffy. Even with all that, I love this angel. My DIL's friend fell in love with it, and wanted one so badly, that for the next Christmas I made her one in teals. She loved it. Please enjoy the other Christmas quilts by clinking the link to SewCalGal or entering the following in your browser http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-quilt-show-2010.html Blogger doesn't want to make a clickable link right how. I hope you enjoy the show. Happy Quilting, Becky

Design Wall Monday 11/15/10

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This is what is on my design table today. They are blocks made by various guild members from the patterns that were distributed at last year's quilt show. That was the last one KC guild will have at Crown Center. We had patterns for blocks that people could collect from the participating shops. In the past then these patterns were made into blocks, and then assembled in a quilt that served as a door prize as visitors filled out slips to be drawn at the end of the show. I was asked to assemble the quilt for this year's show. As expected, the blocks that are supposed to be 8-1/2" unfinished range from 7-3/4" to 9-1/2". I pulled out my well used copy of Sharon Craig's Setting Solutions , and decided that the quickest way to fix these was to do a double or triple twist. I liked the look of some of the other ideas, but I don't get to keep this quilt, so quick, but still good looking, won out. Remember, I have a personal challenge to make 50 quilts from stash

Trying for Mr Linky

This is a test of Mr Linky.

50 quilts from stash before buying any fabric

Oh, my, I've done it now. Over on the Stashbuster Yahoo Group I posted a personal challenge to finish 50 quilts from my stash without buying any fabric except WOW for backgrounds. I'm even NOT buying backings, but using up all I have, then piecing the rest! Now others want to join in!! It all started with a discussion with DH about how I thought I could make 500 quilts from the fabric in the house. I thought that was too high a number for a goal, so brought it down to 50. I have a database in Excel that I use to track UFO's, and I listed 34 that needed finishing, so I think I can do both - finish UFO's and work on WHIMMs (works hidden in my mind). The finished quilts can be any size, from doll (or miniature) size, on up to HUGE. When I have more time, I'll figure out how to set up a Mr Linky so others can report finishes as well, or some other way for others to report their numbers. There's no time limit, I just can't buy anymore fabric until 50 quilts ar

Design wall Monday 10/25/10

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Don't faint that I am finally posting a blog update. I haven't been sewing very much - babysitting, sick, yard, etc. You know the drill. I did have a finish. Above is the Drunkard's Path quilt that a now deceased quilter left as a UFO. I don't know the lady; 4 UFOs came my way via my SIL. The quilter must have had time to put things in "dying order" as all the parts are together with little index cards with her plans on them. These drunkard's path blocks were with muslin squares that would have made an every other square setting. The problem I found was that the muslin was cut to what the block was supposed to measure, not what it did measure. She had sewn one set together, and the pieced block was gathered to fit the muslin. I decided to just set the pieced blocks together, and actually pieced it together by hand! I haven't done that in a while. The top sat languishing until a call from DSIL asking if I had one UFO finished for the the Charity auction

I'm still here, camera isn't

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T his is a picture taken at Bonnie Hunter's Cathedral Stars class for the Greater Kansas City quilt Guild. I'm on the left side of Bonnie in the black shirt. We had lots of fun razzing Linda (bottom left) about having a handful of brownie in the picture! This is the last known appearance of my camera. I have gone through all of the items I took with me, and they've posted a missing alert to the people that were at the workshop. Maybe it will show up, probably someplace where I put it so I wouldn't forget it. I have been busy, but mostly outside. I'm trying to prepare the deck railing for new paint, and at my speed (1-2 hours a day), it has taken a while. I was finally ready to start painting today, and it was supposed to start raining, and rain for the next 3 days. I hope the rain doesn't wreck my sanding job. I'll then have to let it dry out again, and hopefully get it painted before it rains again! It's a good thing it's only the railing. The build

The last of the HeartStrings Chinese Coins - done, done.

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This is the finished product of the red, white, and blue Chinese Coins project. This is the last one I pieced, and the last quilted. I used Circle Lord Baptist Fan templates to quilt it, and put Hobbs 80/20 Batting in it. The pillowcase has a matching cuff on it made from the last few of this group of coins. The backing shown below is some decorator 100% cotton that should look nice if someone doesn't like the front. This is the last funky caterpillar, along with its pillowcase made from the same fabric as the backing. Both quilts will go to Alycia for her Quilt of Valor project whenever I can remember where her address is located. I was so glad to finally have some finishes. I am so easily distracted that I start half a dozen projects, and then berate myself for not finishing them. I've started on two sets of blocks from a fellow HeartStringer that I want to set and finish for the Quilt Relief of Nashville. Their devastating flood did not receive much media coverage because

How Leadergrips look

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Bonnie asked me to post some pictures of my Leadergrips. Here they are. The above picture is of the leadergrip dowel inserted into the casing I've sewn on the new leaders. You may note that I have straight stitching until about the last 5 inches, and then it is wobbly. That's because the Nolting machine doesn't reach to the end of the leaders, so you have to loosen them and "fudge" to finish the casing. This works fine. This second picture shows the leadergrips in place (I took these pictures when removing a quilt). It doesn't always work out exact like it did in the picture. For a 12' table, I have 3 lengths of the plastic things, 2"starters, 6 mid-size and 6 long ones. I left extra space at the top when loading this backing so I could just turn the backing of outing flannel over for the binding of this polyester double-knit "quilt". This project is for me to practice line dancing on something that doesn't matter. I bought the quilt of

QOV, Baptist fans quilting, snow crystal top

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Today I finished up quilting the last of my tops made from HeartStrings Red, White and Blue Chinese Coins. With all the straight lines and squares in the top, I decided to borrow Baptist Fan templates for the Circle Lord, and use those. I like how it softens the quilt. I used a decorator 100% cotton sateen on the back. I even took time to match up the pattern when I seamed the backing. This way it is more reversible. This one will be traveling to Alycia's QOV project whenever I finish the binding on it and on the Funky Caterpillar one. This was supposed to be the end of Chinese Coins for me; I had given the rest of them to another piecer at the HeartStrings Nebraska Sew-in who was making them into QsOV from that area. However, when I was cleaning the quilt room, I found a box that had some more that Susan had brought over with a lot of other fabric and blocks. I'm not sure if I will sew these up, but there are people in my guild that will be happy to work on them to donate lo