Becky's quilt obsession

Design machine Monday 1-23-12

2012-01-22T12:59:00.001-06:00

Last year I offered to quilt some tops that were donated after the tsunami. Then shoulder stuff happened, then other things. To make a long story short, I’ve now started on them. I had expected tops ready for quilting, but since I don’t quilt for others, I guess I don’t have an appreciation for how some toppers prepare their quilts. I’ve done quite a bit of work on the few tops I’ve worked with, some of work at my own choosing.

I quilted some Heartstrings tops last, and sent them to Las Vegas for the VA hospital. Since I think they are still short, I was looking at this box of tops to see if I could add borders to some to make them large enough for VA needs. (I figure the Japanese quilters have taken care of the tsunami victims by now.) I had navy fabric that worked with the first top, and there weren’t but a few tiny flowers in the strippy parts, so I added borders to it. The second top was obviously of kid fabrics, so I left it as is. It was the only one in the box that was nicely trimmed, all the seams were backstitched on the sides, and actually ready for quilting.

I do wish I had remembered that offering to quilt these also meant that I would have to bind them. So far these two are finished. The navy one has some white in it, and I used white binding as I’d used up all the navy, so I may try to tea dye it a bit when I wash it prior to sending it to the VA.

My DGD that is 5 was here playing when I had the quilts like this, and she had to say all the numbers, check out the numbers on the race cars, etc. It is definitely a kid quilt, but I think it could be male of female. We cleaned out a toy box, and all of the cars had to be retained for the DGDs.

I was fortunate to have a whole bolt of wide yellow muslin donated by the sisters I quilt donation items for. It was donated to them, and they couldn’t use it. I washed pieces of it, and it is making a nice soft backing for these quilts. I decided that I needed to do some practicing of other long-arm skills with these, so for these first two (I loaded them both at the same time on one piece of backing) I tried a pantograph. I haven’t tried one for years since I struggle so, but I needed to give it a try again. I’ve always liked how other quilts looked with the Popcorn panto, so I tried it. It looks okay, but I had a lot of trouble with thread breakage, not the thread’s fault, but me spending too much time in the points and shredding the bobbin thread. I used So Fine on top, and Bottom Line pre-wound’s in the bobbin. I tried some Fil-Tec bobbins at first, but I was really having a hard time with shredding it, so changed to the Bottom Line. Those bobbins hold more anyway, so I don’t have to change them so often.

I’m now working on this top. I help a person with CP make quilt tops, and usually have to spend some time ripping and resewing some of her joins and seams to make the tops flat enough to quilt. This one was similar. A LOT of the seam allowances were turned the wrong way, and the block seams were pressed towards the white muslin sashing and were fraying badly, so the threads showed through the sashing. I’ve fixed all that, then decided that there might be a patient at the VA that liked horses, so since I needed to stabilize the edges before loading it on Black Bart, I added the border. This fabric was leftover from the backing I made for the last VA quilts, and was just perfect for the colors in this top. I’ve picked another top to work on with similar colors that can take added borders and then I will quilt the two at the same time on one piece of backing. I think I’m going to try free motion quilting this time, so I can add more quilting along the edges of the shirts and pants to keep them from fraying. I don’t want loose threads left on it.

Thanks for taking time to visit! Happy Quilting,

Becky

Linda said . . .

2012-01-17T16:32:00.001-06:00

Linda said I needed to update my blog. Okay, but there’s not a lot to say.

This is the recipient with the two quilts I made for my friend. I made the little quilt for her DGD who is one day younger than my youngest. Her quilt is reversible.

These are the two tops from a Heartstrings member that I finally quilted with swirls. They are now complete, and may have arrived in Las Vegas where they are part of the 300 needed for the opening of a VA hospital there. We can’t forget the vets. They have given so much for us.

I have some other donated tops on Black Bart now for quilting.

My big project right now is the finish work on the cabinets DH made to go above the computer desk we made last year. These are upper cabinets for me to store more of my office-type stuff in. I don’t actually have a desk except for the computer one, so I need more shelves to put stuff on. I’m still working on the Judy Niemeyer star as well.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Design wall Monday 12-19-11

2011-12-19T12:10:00.001-06:00

Just a really quick post today as I need to move to the quilting machine.

I thank everyone for the encouraging comments about the star quilt. I failed to mention that this is a component class, and all but one set of components are finished, all are cut out. I did take the suggestions to add more of the blue, and I’m incorporating them into the flying geese border that is still in progress. I pulled out the pattern piece for the center star, and may replace that, but paper piecing is hard to rip out without the paper still on without stretching, and I’d hate to stretch the center star. I added the one side of the feathers in the top picture, and liked the quilt better as the darker background toned down the “warmness” of the center border. I will finish this quilt, but after Christmas and some wood finishing.

Second photo is of the pieced backing for the bottom left quilt. The next photo is closer to the true color – this quilt has lots of pink. The bottom pictures are the two tops awaiting quilting (starts today). I love them both, and I will hate to see them go, but they are for a really neat project. As previously explained, they are for a friend (a very, very dear friend) to give her DIL. I asked for a story for the quilt label, and this is what she sent.

“I always wanted a daughter and now I have one. From the first dinner I hoped to let her know that I would love her no matter what. At the beginning, because Steve did and now because I do, love her no matter what. I never expected to always agree, but hoped we would always be able to talk things out. Of course the one thing I missed was her growing up years. The quilt gave me an opportunity to see what she liked and did in those years. Now she is a wonderful mother and wife (don’t let anyone say different), so I hope this quilt shows how much she means to all of us.”

Off to the quilting machine.

Happy Quilting, and a Merry Christmas to all!

Becky

Design wall Monday Dec 12,2011

2011-12-12T08:17:00.001-06:00

It has taken a huge amount of time to get to this point on this Judy Niemeyer Lone Star, and when I put the diamonds up on the design wall last night I was really disappointed. I wanted to do a more neutral quilt, but this one is really blah. It’s not so bad up close where some of the smaller textures show, but it definitely is missing a zinger. I have my final class on it tomorrow. I bought enough patterns and fabric to make it up to a queen size quilt, but now that I see it, I’m not sure I want to put that much more work into it. Bummer. I hope your design wall Monday is better.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Some quilting finishes instead of pieces on the design wall for Monday 11-14-11

2011-11-13T15:07:00.001-06:00

This one ( the one that was being bound last time) is gone and sold. I took it over to DN(ephew)’s house to meet with the other SILs that were putting on the gala. I was told that they would make really great Christmas gifts. This one was auctioned Saturday night last with a ceramic duck centerpiece. I don’t know the going price.

The large queen quilt went for $325 – a steal – but it went to SIL’s sister, one of the people responsible for putting the sale on, so it was okay with me.

The two above are the latest that I quilted Sunday. They are both Quilts for Kids. The one on the right was the kit, the left one was some odd pieces I was trying to use up – the animals were fussy cut from left over linear pieces that were used for a border on something else. I actually loaded them both at the same time by sewing the two backings together since they were almost the same size. I used the Circle Lord wave templates because everything else was angular. Sew fine blue on top with Bottom Line in the bobbin. I certainly have my best results this that combination, or using a Fil-Tec bobbin. Heirloom batting.

Yesterday I had Grandma duty – above and beyond – I took DGD2 to a birthday party at a place that had trampolines, inflatables, etc. Did I mention the screaming kids? DD was overseeing picture taking at a high School football game – playoffs.

After the game, DD called and said she was working with another instructor on the costumes for the musical – Beauty and Beast- that they need for dress rehearsal on Monday. The shipment had been lost in transit, and only part of it arrived. They promise the rest on Monday. I not sure just how, but I ended up at the school, with sewing machine, etc, fitting costumes and taking pieces off other costumes to fix the ones that were rented. Belle’s ballroom gown had been altered so much it was unreal. We ended up tucking the top of it into the skirt (did I mention it was huge and our Belle is about a size 3, and tall?), and using part of another dress for the bodice. DD with help fashioned the “fru-fru” for the neckline from the bustle of another costume. I took another costume and added black lace to the sleeves and hem, and it will be used instead of the Mexican festival dress that was sent for the the library scene. I still need to finish up making a pinafore that Belle wears in the first scene where she is shopping. The one that came with the rental was another Mexican festival costume. It was interesting to see the work and interaction of teachers, their family members, cast members and their parents. Everyone was working for a cause. I’m off now to finish the pinafore and add 6 inches to a huge skirt ruffle for another character. The show must go on!!

Mitering seams on binding

2011-10-30T21:54:00.001-05:00

When I read the tutorial on binding for the Wannabes over at M Samm’s, I asked if she was going to include one on mitering the seams at the joins instead of blunt seams. It’s not hard to do, and really reduces the bulk in your bindings. The following is how I do it:

To sew the seams of the binding, place the end of the first piece, right side up, on the bed of your machine. Open up the second piece of binding and place the end, right side down, at a right angle to the first piece. The selvage of the bottom piece points to the right, and the selvage of the top is – well, to the top.

You might note that I have a line drawn on the bed of my sewing table directly straight to the needle of my machine. Some people use an angler, or other devices, I just use a Sharpie fine line marker. If you make a mistake, it cleans off with alcohol, and you can mark it again. It wears off with time, I just keep remarking it.

I use a leader, put my needle down, and then place the exact angle where the two pieces of fabric meet up against the needle. This works well with any 45 degree join.

	I match the bottom angle of the two binding pieces to the line on my machine bed. I sew the seam, keeping the angle on the line to the very end of the seam.

I chain piece all the binding strips together the same way. I lay the end, RIGHT side up, of the piece just sewn up on the bed, then lay the end of the new strip at right angles again. There isn’t anything magical about chaining them, I didn’t do it for a long time as I just couldn’t “see” it. I finally go brave and tried it – after a few unsewn seams, I conquered it.

Here’s the three seams of the 4 pieces of binding needed for the small quilted table topper.

Trim the seams to about 1/4”, then press them OPEN! Fold binding in half and press.

Apply binding like you normally do. I’m using half inch binding here, and have cut a margin 1/4” of batting to fill up the binding. I quilted too close to the edge of the border, so this is a fudge for me.

Start sewing about 8” down from the start of the binding so you will have adequate room loose to do the final seam.

This next part I read and read about for years, and couldn’t figure it out. I saw it on a Fons and Porter show, but still was mixed up. It wasn’t until Darlene Zimmerman came to guild and taught from her book of finishes, that I finally understood it. For about 20 quilts, I kept her book open to that page while I did this final join. I’m so glad I persevered, as it looks so much better than anything I tried before.

Stop sewing about 8-10 inches from where you started the binding. Fold back the tails of binding, folding them about 1/4” apart.The fold should be about the middle of the loose ends.

Cut off the end of one side at the fold. Yes, AT the fold. Be brave, do it!!

Open up the binding you just cut off, lay the width of it across the remaining end of binding, and cut JUST the loose binding, not the one underneath.

Open out the ends of binding just like in the picture or in Darlene’s book, or Fons and Porter’s book, or any good binding book.

Pin the ends together in a right angle, pinning exactly on your sewing line. Some people draw a line, I just follow the pins.

Before I sew it, I gently pull it apart and make sure I have the join marked in the right direction. It saves a lot of frustration!

I line the bottom pin up with the line I marked on the table, and keep it even all the way up the seam.

Trim the seam to 1/4”, and finger press the seam OPEN.

Fold the binding back as usual, and finish sewing the binding on.

Viola! The end join looks like all the rest of them.

Give yourself a big pat on the back!. Turn your binding to the back, and sew it down with your favorite method. This one will be hand sewn, but you could sew it in the ditch or even top stitch it.

I hope this helps. I do heartily recommend Darlene Zimmerman’s book The Finished Edge. It certainly improved my bindings.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Another donation nearly finished

2011-10-30T15:26:00.001-05:00

I finished up this UFO – another “dead quilter’s UFO”. It was also donated to Friends United, with one block finished, some strip sets, and the muslin. The quilter had started the muslin pieces, but they were cut wrong, probably why this was set aside. Years ago I had plenty of this country blue with white pin dots.

I used the circle lord feathered wreath to do the center, then free-handed the wavy lines, following an idea in a book. I was petrified about doing the border. I wanted to do feathers, but I didn’t think for my second time I would want to do them where each stitch would show. I didn’t have any thread to match the border fabric. I used Cream So Fine in the center, and a dark taupe on the borders. The “plan” is to group with some other items for a table cover as it is only about 40” square. I’m off now to do the binding.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Back from the V & T

2011-10-16T12:57:00.001-05:00

The V & T wall hanging was finished for our trip to Carson City, NV, last week. We had a good time, and I , of course, found time to play at a quilt shop in Gardiner, NV.The wall hanging was part of the silent auction, and it brought $125.

When making it, I tried using a wool batting as well as a thin cotton batting on the bottom. It certainly made everything puffy. I really hate it when pictures sag. I quilted this on my DSM as the big needles on Black Bart would have torn holes in the pictures. I know a lot of people don’t quilt in pictures, but I like the look of outlining the major lines in the photos.

I took beautiful pictures of Gold Hill and Virginia City, but now can’t find them on my computer. I hate it when I do that. I made a new folder for them, but where did it end up?

Happy quilting,

Becky

Design wall Monday, 9-26-11

2011-09-26T16:04:00.001-05:00

Where did September go? I’m sure there must be more of it left somewhere!

Yes, I finished the monster other person’s UFO. I did the binding by sewing the back from the front. I even glued it down, but I’m still not happy with how it turned out. I still had to do a lot of resewing. I haven’t found a foot for the Bernina that let’s me open the ditch as wide as I would like on the binding. I’ve tried the new ditch attachment for the walking foot, and it didn’t help. If it hadn’t been so large, I would have turned it by hand.

This is as far as I am on the donation quilt for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad Symposium next week. It only needs a small border – I’m debating between the red and the yellow. The yellow is a subtle tone-on-tone, but the red has trains on it. Every other piece of fabric in it is train fabric, so I’m leaning towards the red. It doesn’t show very much, but each of the railroad crossing blocks have red lights under the white crosses. I’m hoping it is a half yard instead of a fat quarter, but it will have to do.

The sepia images are all in the public domain in black and white. DH Photoshopped them for me. We worked to find a red brown rather than a yellow brown. The color image I took several years ago at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City at the end of another V & T symposium. I hope someday to make a series of train quilts.

No other quilty stuff this week – this is enough!

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Design wall Monday 9-19-2011

2011-09-19T12:11:00.001-05:00

I’m having an attack of ADD. I have too many projects in process. I kinda like it that way!

This is the first project. It needs to be finished ASAP as it is supposed to be auctioned Friday. This was a top donated to my SIL’s foundation, Friends’ United. They provide teaching instruction for teachers and supplies for students in Honduras.

This project was a challenge! It started with the backing made out of 3 pieces of the blue fabric. It was sewn together by hand, the shrunken selvages still attached. I sewed them again on my DSM, then trimmed the selvages. I loaded it, and it was nice and square on Black Bart. Then I started to load the top. It was a very friendly top. The blue border was “gathered” in, and one side was 4” longer than the other side. It had cornerstones that had a cut out corner for the white border. I ended up removing all 4 blue borders and the cornerstones, measuring them by the center of the quilt, then reapplied them. There was enough length that I used just straight cornerstones – no cut-outs needed. I quilted it with Circle Lord Spirals as the quilting is only about 1” apart, and this quilt was made by hand, with small seam allowances. I wanted a LOT of quilting. I still have to bind it, but I think I can now finish it in time.

I finished up this block, except for the center. It will be part of a “garden” quilt made with real 30’s dresden plate blocks, and other circles. I bought the templates for this from Material Obsession in AU, and just had to try them. This top isn’t too high on the finish list.

I still have the blocks on the right on the wall. I really need to put them together and finish that quilt up. It needs to be done by Christmas.

These are the cut-out colored parts of a Hole in the Barn Door top. I did buy some white on white to finish them as I had none. This project was cut when I was cutting the blocks for my friend’s quilt. I’m remaking a pink quilt my grandma made me – same pattern. She used “used” white in it, and it wore out very quickly. I need to find some more pinks as I’m only making one block out of each fabric, and all read pink – even the ones with the black backgrounds have a lot of pink.

I had a shoebox of these 1-1/2” strips that I cleaned out of a friend’s scraps. I’ve loved Mary’s (of Maryquilts.com) spiderweb and had to try it. This is the trial block, and I decided the yellow didn’t read light, so for the rest of the blocks I used the yellow as a dark, alternating with the lights. I made 20 blocks, and double pinwheel cornerstones. It’s ready to sash and put it

together.

I’m using these blocks as leader-enders. They were cut with the pink blocks still on the wall.

The last thing is these pictures on fabric of trains on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, the V&T. They need items for auction at the seminar in two weeks (ugh!), so I plan to make a wall hanging out of them. I’ll probably be binding it on the plane.

So, this is what is on my design wall, Black Bart, the tables, etc. By the way, I can’t seem to change what Blogger is doing with the photos.

Happy quilting,

Becky

First designed quilt for DGD#2

2011-08-05T12:49:00.001-05:00

Here/s DGD #2 with the first quilt she designed. She loves to play with my scraps, especially cutting them into smaller sizes. I’ve seen several quilts by “modern quilters” where they just lay the pieces of fabric on the background, then sew around them.

I had DGD use a glue stick and putting the glue in the middle of the fabric, she glued the pieces she wanted in place. These scraps are mainly from the quilt I’m making my friend’s DIL. She cut most of them – I helped on some of the hearts and the Coca Cola emblem. With her permission, I added a few pieces that would bridge from one area to another for sewing down all the patches.

I went ahead and pin basted the quilt top with just the glued on pieces, with a thin poly batting and backing (same fabric as the binding). I loaded some light pink Bottom Line thread and started sewing around the patches, I was bored with straight stitches after the first two patches, so I played with a variety of the fancy stitches on my machine. DGD found the piece of lace when I was almost finished, so we placed it along the selvedge piece. She loves all the dots on selvedges.

I just sewed the binding on the back, adding the label as I sewed. I then turned it to the front and used the S stitch to sew it down. I asked DGD if I should sew down the “pocket” of the label, and she reply, “No, thank you.”

The last picture is of the label. I thought a picture of her playing with my quilt pieces would be good.

Happy quilting,

Becky

Design wall Monday 8-11-11

2011-08-01T11:08:00.001-05:00

The blocks are finished!!!! This is the quilt for my BFF’s DIL’s quilt of activities she participated in while growing up and the present. I haven’t used nearly all of the fabrics she purchased for this. I’m sure it is going to be a scrappy backing as well.

These are some of the latest fun blocks I created. I purchased the embroideries off eBay, and they were done on a thin poly/cotton. I fused them to the interfacing used for t-shirt quilts, and they handled very well. I’m really fond of the double circle around the little dress with the hologram dragonflies.

This is the side effect of working with circles. I think I will have to make a bull’s eye quilt with some of the leftovers. There is quite a stack here.

The latest design wall addition is this circle. Last night I just wanted to play a bit, and made this partial block. I ordered the Sue Ross templates from Material Obsessions in Australia awhile back, and hadn’t taken the time to play with it. I’m glad. After all those circles, this was comparatively easy to construct on the machine. I don’t think I will be piecing in the center circle, though. There is a circle of dog teeth surrounding this I haven’t cut out yet. I‘ve been buying Dresden plate blocks that are 30’s fabric off eBay, and want to set them funky – like flowers growing on the background. I think this block will blend in even though it’s made from reproductions instead of the real thing. For more design walls, go back to Judy L’s blog.

Happy quilting,

Becky

Finishing another’s UFOs–the Owls

2011-07-18T23:39:00.001-05:00

There was a request on HeartStrings yahoo group quite a while back for someone to finish up some blocks left after a member’s mother had died. The member felt unable to work on them, as they were the last blocks her mother had made prior to going blind, and then dying. The request was unusual, as they were described as already having batting quilted on them. I thought they were “quilt-as-you-go” blocks, and volunteered to tackle this project.

This is the way the box arrived. I laid the blocks out, and each owl was quilted to just batting – no backing. There was a new sheet enclosed to use as backing. My first thought was to just cut off the batting, but then I took time to examine the blocks. Each of the twelve owls were different, and each was quilted in a different pattern. I just couldn’t willy-nilly go at them and destroy that work. They went back in the box for a long time as I thought about what to do with them.

The above is how I finally decided to treat each block. They were on this poly batting, quilted, and satin-stitched through the batting. I found the common denominator of the largest block I could make and squared up all the blocks, preserving the quilting.

There were strips enclosed with the blocks. The diamond strips were actually attached as sashing to one block, but with all the bias, I didn’t feel comfortable with my ability to use it for sashing. I trimmed up the plain strips (that had been sewn together) and used them for sashing and cornerstones. I used the bias diamonds for the binding.

I loaded the top, with an additional thin Mountain Mist polyester batting, on a backing made from fabric in my stash. I don’t have any experience with using sheets for backing, and this top was quite delicate (most of the fabric was cotton/poly blend). Some of the satin stitching on the blocks did not quite cover all the edges, so I treated a lot of edges with Fray something – the kind that doesn’t get hard and prickly.

This is the finished result. I quilted each owl, and some inside each owl, trying to re-enforce the weak areas where I had applied the fray product. I echoed some of the hand quilting, and then wave-quilted the sashings. You can see the scrappy binding from the diamonds.

The HeartStrings member who sent the quilt asked that it be donated in her mother’s honor. I had taken the quilt to my small Tuesday group to work on the binding. Sitting next to me was a member we hadn’t seen for a long time – she had gone through having to move with her husband to assisted living, and then him into a nursing home, coping with his dementia until he passed on. She loved the quilt, and its story, and I thought she would be a perfect recipient for this quilt. She brought it back the next meeting at my house, where I took this picture.

I hope the maker and her daughter are happy to know it is finished, and loved. It was a labor of love for me.

Becky in Kansas City, Missouri, USA (Becky in KCMO)

Design wall Monday July 18, 2011

2011-07-18T10:29:00.001-05:00

I’m creating monsters at my house. Every time I go to the quilt room, someone comes along and wants to make her own quilt. The 6-year-old DGD asked me if she was old enough to learn how to sew – Yep, it’s time. The one in the picture is 4 – almost 5 – and she found a baggie of HSTs, and decided that they needed to go in this quilt!

This is the quilt I planned on making “modern style” – just surrounded squares with a small bit of sashing. BORING! Bonnie S left a comment that the star really helped this quilt, then I got carried away. I found a circle cutter that I didn’t remember, then watched a video on how to use it, and just had to try it. I love the one with the coke bottle in a 4 patch, and stars in circles. Then the zebra, elephant, cats - okay, then let’s fracture a few blocks. I have the book Thinking outside the block on the table beside me, and just have to try a little bit. The clarinet didn’t stand out in a regular square, so that’s the first one I tried fracturing. Then I decided just using squares, triangles, circles and diamonds was boring, so I fussy-cut some Dresden plate clarinets, etc. The most important thing is I’m having FUN in the quilting room, and I was afraid that was never going to happen again.

I hope you are having a fun day for yourself. I’m off to see Harry Potter…… See more design walls at Judy Ls.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Design wall Monday 7/4/2011

2011-07-04T10:20:00.001-05:00

Happy Independence day for those of us in the USA. I had a delightful time yesterday out at my son’s with the huge amount of family and friends, as well as a side trip to have supper with DH’s train friends. A wonderful day!

This is my design wall today. These are happy blocks for my BFF’s DIL’s quilt. Ginny came over to cut out the “pictures” from the fabrics she collected that she wants in the quilt – for example, the clarinet from the instrument fabric. Then I build it into a block. At first I was just going to border them all with the straight border, but that was boring, so I had to fuss with them a bit. It isn’t possible for me to make a quilt without at least one star in it. There is a LeMoyne stack and whack star waiting for a small border to put in here as well as the Sawtooth stars. I’ll probably manage a few 54-40 or Fight type stars as well.

Enjoy more design walls over at Judy’s blog.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Finally quilting again!

2011-06-03T10:20:00.001-05:00

The landscaping is finished; my shoulder is now missing a big hook-shaped bone spur, and I’m back to the quilting machine thanks to the Physical Therapists! I’m starting with some HeartStrings quilts that are needed for Robin’s project.

This first one was made from blocks sent by Kathy (I think). I finished it in my favorite way, adding sashing just wide enough to cover the seams, similar to a quilt as you go, but just on one side to make the top. This way I don’t have to try to press all the seams open! I had just a yard of this stars on blue print, just enough for sashing and binding! I love it when it uses the fabric all up! Kathy sent backing, so that was great.

This second one is a top sent by Melva, one of Bonnie Hunter’s mysteries. I had it over the couch to finish drying and my daughter walked it, saw it, and said did you make it? No. Well, can you make one like it? These are the colors in my living room and it matched perfectly. I love Ohio stars set on point! There is a top border, but my quilt holder wasn’t cooperative about holding it any longer. I thought it was in focus, but, no so much. They are both on their way to Robin for her Returning Warriors project. She was 50 quilts short a few months ago, I hope this helps her meet her goal.

I have another quilt top on Black Bart to finish up for another HeartStringer. More about it another time.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Not much quilting, all gardening

2011-04-08T10:25:00.001-05:00

Don’t worry if you see few blogs from me. It is time to separate perennial flowers, especially iris and hostas. I’m spending most of my energy outside when the weather cooperates. Some of the plants were put in when we first moved here in 2005 – they are complaining about the tight quarters. I’ll check back in after the plants are happy in their new homes. I have some help, so I need to take advantage of it when it is available.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

No design wall

2011-04-04T13:25:00.001-05:00

The last two weekends it has been spring. No so in between. Yesterday I spotted these daffodils trying to bloom. I have been working in the yard (flower beds) during the good days. No sewing. Saturday my daughter came to help. It was a good thing. I was working in the sun, even though it was only in the 50s, and I managed to have one of those heat exhaustion things. I was taking rest breaks; I was drinking water. Evidently not enough. I will have to look up side effects of the new meds they gave me. Yesterday (Sunday) it was 82 degrees. I drank 4 times as much as the day before, only stayed out 2-3 hours, and did okay.

Today is the above right picture. The rain has finally stopped, and a bit of blue is trying to come into view, but it is windy and 42. My muscles say it is a rest day. DGD#2 is here, with a cold, and wanting to go outside. No, nobody goes out today. Wednesday, the next she is here, it is supposed to be warm and sunny, so maybe I will be able to clean out these flowerbeds. They need more dirt and compost this year.

I did try working on this quilt. It is quite old. When I was pressing it to get it ready for the quilting machine, it bled onto my ironing board cover. I also managed to distort the edges quite a bit. Against my better judgment I washed it in Synthrapol. It removed the bleeding, but now I need to press the seams, again. I use a hand wash cycle so it didn’t fray but a little. I had cut away all the threads the last time, so I will do it again. The stitches and the workmanship on this top are very good, so it is worth the effort. Some of the fabrics appear to be from the turn of the last century. No one will enjoy it without finishing it, so that’s what I plan to do. I love all the indigos in it.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Design “shower” Monday

2011-03-28T09:09:00.001-05:00

My time this past week has been spent helping my friend JoAnne finish up this quilt for her new Granddaughter’s baby shower. The parents had lost so many pregnancies that they wanted to wait until the baby was safely here. The front is appliqued with fuzzy fabric, and the back is Minkee type fabric that little ones can’t help but touch. When we were taking the quilt off the machine Friday, there was a a scrap of backing left – 30” x 60”. I cut it in half, added a bit of light Dream poly, and quilted it with the same design that is on the big quilt. I finished the binding up right before the shower. I also gave her the rabbit quilt I finished last week.

I think my friend is in love. Little one is also her namesake. How precious.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Design wall Monday 3/21/11

2011-03-21T10:22:00.001-05:00

These aren’t on my wall, because it was a quilting week, not a piecing week. You’ve seen these quilts before in various stages. Two are finished, one just needs binding.

The “crayon” quilt that I thought I was finished with came back home with me and I’ve quilted it with the swirls templates. The guild president “forgot” about asking someone else to quilt it. It is ready for binding. It needs to be finished for the quilt show the first part of May. I guess I will bind it as well. I did make a label, so I will put it in with the binding, one of the triangle in a corner ones.

I bound the trip around the world quilt, and soaked it in Biz and Oxyclean until all the age spots came out. It lightened up, and the white border now matches the white binding. I love this quilt. Red is a favorite of mine, and I love that these are original 30’s fabrics. Many of them have been reproduced, especially the conversation prints.

I also finished binding this quilt for my friend. Her new granddaughter has arrived, safe and sound, and is being loved and enjoyed by all. Her baby shower is this coming weekend, so she will have this soft quilt to wrap up in. Her grandmother is coming over today to finish up an embroidered and appliqued (fuzzy) animals quilt.

I’ve had the creeping crud from too much time out in the yard (allergies) and a cold as well, so no piecing for me this week or last week. I plan to work on more borders and quilting this week in between working in the yard. Spring is here, and a lot of plants need dividing this year. I mainly have perennials, so they need dividing about every 3 years. I did the iris year before last, now I need to do hostas and daylilies. I was given sod and mulch from a project of my neighbor’s, so I’ve been concentrating on spreading that. My kids (well-grown) came over and helped lay the sod. It was pieces that the landscapers took up to build a berm, so we had to piece it much like a crazy quilt. It has rained on it, and it looks like it will take. I did put black dirt under it to give it a head start. Quilting always has to take a backseat during the spring.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

How to make quoins to stabilize giant templates on a Nolting table

2011-03-10T18:44:00.001-06:00

I have had several requests for more information on the quoins DH made for my Nolting 24 Pro composite table (one of the new black ones, hence his name Black Bart). Today he made another set, and I took a few pictures. If you know someone with a table saw, these are easy to make.

First we found a piece of scrap 1/4” plywood. He set the fence at 2” and cut 3 strips about 18-20” long. These are for the piece in the lower part of first picture that holds the template stable 2” out on the table. I put one of these in the center of each section of the templates. I did sand these well so threads don’t catch on them.

Then DH cut 3 rectangles 3-1/2” x 12”. Using a straight edge he drew out the diagonal line on all three of them.

He cut the diagonal freehand and handed the quoins to me. I’m the “finisher”, so I used this small sander (any sander will work, including just your hand and sandpaper) to remove all the rough edges that occur when using a table saw. I did take time to sand down the tip of that diagonal to about a 3/8” blunt tip to make it easier to push on.

That’s it. The quoins are finished and ready to put on the table. If your reading, LK, this is your set ;o)).

DH was emphatic that he would not go into production. There are too many variables with different tables. I know these will fit LK’s, as our tables are both the same, purchased at the same time, and I owe her for always lending me her Baptist fan templates. If you don’t have a friend or DH with a table saw, you might try the local hardware store. Ours cuts pieces of acrylic into template sizes for me. These seem quite similar, and DH thinks they could be made out of acrylic or Masonite, as well as plywood.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Design wall Monday 3-7-11

2011-03-07T10:38:00.001-06:00

This has been a week of quilting, not piecing. This is an eBay top that I purchased because of the red, and the original 30’s fabric. I quilted it with Baptist fans on Black Bart. The muslin binding is made, just needs to be applied, hopefully today. I will machine sew it all, as my grandmother did with all her quilts. She quilted by hand, but turned her backs to the front and machine stitched them down. This one was a challenge to keep somewhat square as the center was not as large as the borders. I’m trying to learn how to make adjustments, so it was a good practice quilt.

We received the new Circle Lord templates this weekend, so I just had to use them. My friend’s baby is almost due, so I quilted this panel for her with the new template. I love how the back looks. It really doesn’t show much on the front of the quilt, which is just a panel with bunnies on it – the mom loves rabbits.

Please go to Judy’s site to see other design walls.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Holding giant templates in place–quions

2011-03-06T18:55:00.001-06:00

I love my Nolting table – Black Bart. I really like using Circle Lord giant templates, but I really hate taking a lot of time placing them on my table. I tried rubbermaid shelf liner – and it worked fairly well, but I had to space the templates away from the Back channel, tape the ends, etc. I asked my engineer DH for some help. He tried to tell me about quions. I asked him to make some. We went down to the shop and cut some leftover nice plywood and made them. He did the cutting; I did the sanding.

The two triangles are the quions, the other piece is a spacer that keeps the templates a set distance from the edge of the back channel so I don’t have to measure each time. These are all quite thin, so they don’t catch on the machine carriage as it passes over.

The two left pictures show the template in place held by the quions – pronounced coins. I just use my fingers to push them together to hold tight. We squared-off some of the ends to give a “softer” place to push. This saves using a lot of painter’s tape that usually manages to work loose before the quilt is finished. I haven’t tried them yet on the zig-zag, but they worked with the Baptist Fans, The Cosmos, and the Spirals. Thanks for the help, Don.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

My header quilt

2011-03-04T18:41:00.001-06:00

I’ve had multiple inquiries about the quilt in my header, but most of them have been left by visitors that are no reply. I decided I would just post about it, so everyone would know. This quilt hangs above our King-size bed, so I pulled the bottom of the quilt forward over the pillows to take a picture of the whole thing. This, of course, made it keystone, but that’s the best I can do.

I was fortunate early on in my quilting ~~hobby~~ passion, to take a two day class at a LQS from Alex Anderson called Simply Stars. That class changed how I made blocks. She demonstrated how to make blocks “even” on the outside so you didn’t cut off points. She taught us a Split LeMoyne star, which is my favorite block. I also learned how to make flying geese by just cutting them out and sewing them together – 3 triangles –and they turn out fine!

I had begun teaching a beginning class in hand piecing, but it rapidly changed to machine piecing. Then I started teaching what I learned in her class – stars. Every time I taught it I added to my collection of blocks, and I finally started assembling the center of my quilt. I didn’t like yellow at that stage in my quilting life, but I soon saw that this quilt needed some. I took the 3” blocks and used them as the centers of 6” sawtooth stars to add a touch of sun to the quilt, and it definitely improved. I assembled the center, then put it away for a while. I had figured out that it needed a border of 6” LeMoyne stars, but I just couldn’t face cutting out all those diamonds!

The LQS asked me to try out some Marti Michell templates to see if I liked them, then to teach classes with them. It was a “canned” class – a BOM, but we did it in 6 weeks. I then discovered set E. M Michell template set E is for 8 pointed stars – LeMoyne stars!! I started cutting out stars with that and never looked back, except when I needed a size other than 6 or 12”. I remember writing an email to M Michell about being able to cut out all the diamonds for this quilt border in one day!

I also like a lot of things Judy Martin does, and the border treatment is one of her suggestions (I don’t remember which book). I didn’t want to match points on 60 LeMoyne stars! By alternating adding a piece of border fabric or background to the border blocks, everything lays flat (I press seams open on LeMoyne stars).

I sent this out for custom quilting. I wanted circles, but instead got freehand spirals. I have since learned that you need a Circle Lord to make the circles I wanted, so I am happy with the quilting, but one of these days I’m going to replicate this quilt and quilt it myself. I have a small star quilt that I quilted with circles and I love it. Yes, circles are a lot of work, but so is making all those stars. This quilt is my masterpiece so far, although the Timberline log cabin that we made as an opportunity quilt comes close to the stars. I want to remake both of them, once I finish some UFOs!!

Happy quilting,

Becky

Design wall Monday 2-28-11

2011-02-28T09:17:00.001-06:00

This was a weekend of UFO finishes. The fall Chinese coins are finished. I worked on the binding at quilt retreat mid Feb, and found that 2 others were working on the same quilt, but were following the pattern closer than I ever could. I didn’t take another picture of this one. I’ve seen it enough. That is my #6 UFO finished for Judy’s challenge – only a month late.

The next finish was this lap quilt pieced by my friend with CP. I added the border, quilted and bound it. I let her pick from my fat quarter stash, and she picked some of the fabrics I didn’t really want to let go of at the time, but didn’t say anything. It is so much better to seem them finished in a quilt instead of languishing in a bin, hidden away.

The red and white above it is a top I loaded on the LA – someone else’s UFO purchased off eBay. It’s a trip around the world with a lot of turkey red and what we call 30’s fabrics. I’ve seen repros of the fabrics, but these are the real thing. It’s todays quilting project.

This week I joined a small quilt yahoo group – just a lurker as yet. They were having a UFO challenge as well, so I managed to to finish up two little quilts. I had loaded a backing that was longer than needed for the above quilt, so just added the little quilts to the end and quilted away. I was practicing ruler work (need more practice), and figured out how to use the Circle Lord micro feathers template. I also did some freehand, which also needs some practice. I suck at echoing feathers! The sewing lady top was purchased from eBay as well. I liked it, and it was less expensive than finding and buying the fabrics and making it myself.Both will join the little quilts at the top of my design walls.

I did take a picture of my design wall for today. I am making a quilt for my friend’s daughter in law. It will be out of fabrics that represent things she liked to do growing up. I’m just using 8” happy blocks, with a few others thrown in. I’ve made 2 others made with similar ideas, but they were both King size. This will be a large cuddle quilt, suitable for couch use.

The car fabric is funny. I wonder if car shows really had scantly dressed girls showing the “cars”? She wanted a picture of a convertible, and this was all we could find. It should be a fun project.

How was your week? Ready about others over at Judy Ls.

Happy quilting,

Becky

Design wall Monday 2-14-11

2011-02-13T20:54:00.001-06:00

Design wall Monday, is actually “gather things for quit guild retreat” Monday. Retreat starts on Thursday, and, of course, I need to take about 5 million more things than I will need.

The Chinese coins quilt is quilted, binding machined on, ready for turning by hand. I figure this will be good for when I’m tired of the sewing machine. The middle picture includes 2 UFOs that are my #10 for Judy L’s challenge. I cut all the pieces out, and expect to bring them home ready to be quilted. The third picture is of a quilt of AM’s – the backing is in the dryer, then I hope to put it on the frame and quilt it tonight or tomorrow. Then I can add the binding, and take it along, too, for handwork.

I feel like Ann Champion’s vintage top day with this next picture. This is another UFO from my Grandmother’s things. She died in 1968; Mother gave them on to me in 1998. This was about 7 rows long, and twice the width that you now see it. Awhile back, I decided that I would never finish it in that state, so I took it apart half way across the width, then have been repairing and sewing the two halves together. As you might be able to tell from the picture, the pieces weren’t all cut out the same size. It now resembles a dress with a waistline and a full skirt! I think I know why this was never finished! DH cut a template for me that I can use to try to fix the worst parts. I really didn’t want to take it all apart. Hopefully I can remove some blocks that are over 1/4” too large, or whatever it takes. Another long term project. I don’t count these as UFOs – there were too many of them – but it has some bearing on why I want to finish up my own UFOs.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

UFO #6 to flimsy

2011-02-01T17:48:00.001-06:00

This is the second time I’m trying to post, so we’ll see if it works.

First, the weather report. Blizzard conditions, with blowing and drifting. It is blowing sideways, so the deck on the back stays clean, but the porch in the front drifts. Hopefully it will end so we can be plowed out tomorrow. I told my DH not to have a heart attack, as we wouldn’t be able to get any help here. He agreed not to.

UFO #6 is to a flimsy state. I hope I can quilt it and finish it this month (Feb). My UFO #10 is further along than this was was, so I may be able to do so.

Happy Quilting, Becky

Design wall Monday 1/24/11

2011-01-24T15:13:00.000-06:00

Thank you, thank you all that commented for your help in deciding how to set these coins. I had not planned to put the yellow next to the coin strips, but several people suggested it, so I tried it and I really like how this is turning out.

I don’t usually make strip-pieced quilts. I usually make a lot of blocks, then procrastinate about putting them together. This time I have all the strips made and it seems like there is no progress, until today when all of a sudden it is looking half done.

The coins on the left of the strip are the second border.

I did take a close-up of the waiting strips to show that it isn’t really all black fabric in the scrolls. It’s a grey blue green design with a black background.

This is my #6 UFO. I probably won’t finish it this month, but if I get it to a flimsy , I’ll be happy.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Is this bright enough?

2011-01-14T16:39:00.001-06:00

This is my #6 UFO – fall Chinese coins. Since they are so dark, I thought I would brighten it up with a gold yellow. It will hang above the pineapple blossom, which contains a lot of yellow. The scroll will be a bit narrower after sewing – right now the center strip is sewed, but not the two dark side pieces.

I also saw a picture of a saddle blanket setting, made with sawtooth stars. I could do that instead but I’ve wanted to try this scroll since I first saw it.

What do you think????

Becky

Another UFO finish

2011-01-14T13:00:00.001-06:00

I gave away all the placemats and table runners that I finished in time for Christmas, but I also wanted to make us some for the breakfast nook. I finished binding them today, so took some pictures. I used the colors in the stained glass in them.

Our placemats reflect some of our eating habits. I love to eat fruits and vegetables, DH can eat a whole package of Oreos in a day unless I hide them from him. I really wanted to make his out of the M&M fabric, but used it to quickly make placemats for my stepson’s family, and since I’m not buying ANY fabric, this had to do.

I love my stained glass. There are two more windows that angle back (it’s a very large bay), and I plan to have more of these panels made for them this year. They will be the same as the red one in the middle. There is more purple in these windows, but they look more blue when it is cloudy like today. If they weren’t snow-covered, you could also see stained glass post covers out on the deck. I don’t recommend those to anyone. Three broke in our terrible hailstorm this fall, and then the roofers broke another one. They are very pretty, though.

I also finished binding the flannel quilt, so I have more finishes for the challenge. This brings me up to 19 or twenty. I need to figure out how to list them in the border on this blog so I can keep track better. I’ve only seen a difference in the number of UFO’s, not any diminished stash. I think I will have to go for a larger number.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

design wall Monday 1/10/2011

2011-01-10T11:12:00.001-06:00

It’s snowing in Kansas City. This is the view out the deck door from the kitchen. No DGD today, no guild tomorrow. When the schools have a snow day, guild is cancelled.

This is my table runner from the scraps of the Christmas gifts. My placemat is out of a mixed fruit fabric that is only included in the right star. DH’s is out of the Oreo fabric, so I put a small border of it. The purple in the setting triangles was included because the stained glass windows in the breakfast area contain this color, as well as red and amber. This will be on Black Bart today.

UFO #6 is on the wall. I think I am avoiding it, cleaning up the room some. I tried a dark green strip next to the 4th column to use instead of black, but it does disappear against some of the fabrics, so black will be needed. I’m using yellow for the scrolls. Hopefully I will have some progress on this UFO during the snowstorm.

Time to finish here and start doing something!

Happy quilting,

Becky

design wall Monday 1/3/2011

2011-01-03T08:43:00.003-06:00

In an effort to not create any more UFOs, I decided to work on the last of veg/fruit fabric and finish up DH’s and my placemats and table runner. I didn’t have much of the fabrics left, and trimmed them up into mainly 2-1/2” strips. I had purchased Marti Michell’s strip templates, so decided to use them to make up LeMoyne stars for the runner. I cut 3, one is finished. I will put the placemats and runner on Black Bart(LA) together when I finish the runner.

Also in this picture is a pot holder made last night with DGD#2, aka “Little Girl” helping pick the colors. We made one for her Mommy for Christmas, and DD was very happy. I used Stashbusters ListMom’s directions, so these are nice and big. I cut enough Insulbright and batting to make a few more – kind of like having kits, and just having to pick the fabric out of the scraps bin. These are leftovers from the Crayon quilt top.

For Judy L’s UFO challenge, #6 was these fall-colored Chinese Coins. It was probably good that I put this on my list, because they don’t excite me, and I could have left them forever. I opened the container, figured out the dimensions of the strips, then played in EQ7 until I made a layout I wanted. I like a similar quilt in a book, so I’m using the Greek scroll blocks from there between the coins. Since I’m working from stash only, I have to use some black solid with the yellow for the scrolls. I would usually use a tone on tone, but there aren’t 3 yards of anything black in the stash except the solid, so solid it is.

Check at Judy l’s for more Design wall Monday posts.

Happy Quilting, Becky

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

2010-12-31T15:36:00.001-06:00

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 would end up as a UFO. It seems like all my class projects do. I want this one for our bed. Again, because of the size it may take longer than a month.

8. Cathedral Stars for DGD#1

This quilt is all cut out and many of the components are made. I started it in a class with Bonnie Hunter. It’s not my usual colors, but this is what this DGD likes. I’ve used the same colors in other quilts for her. Last year they bought her a queen size bed, so now she needs another quilt. This one should be fun to do as the stars are one of my favorites.

9.Marti Michell’s purple and green medallion quilt – King, of course

This quilt has very little finished. I diagrammed it up to a size to fit our bed. It started as a kit for a queen, and the seller sent me more fabric to enlarge it. When I moved into this house (4 months before DH), I thought I should be able to finish this quilt for our new bed. Silly me, I was working full time, which included some overtime, and I was unpacking a mountain of stuff and trying to find room for all of it. I cut part of this out, made a few 9-patches, then packed it away. I’ve since accumulated more of the fabric that goes with this wreath, so I will probably change my design. I don’t “love” this fabric, but it will be a fast way to finally have a king quilt on our bed, and one I won’t mind using. I’m planning on trying a wool batting with it.

10. Christmas feathered star and wall quilt. No picture for these. They are two almost done projects made out of the same fabric. The wall hanging I started in a class, and the Disappearing 9 patch just needs borders. The usual excuses for not finishing these.

11. Aunt Cora’s test quilt, large size

The lower part of this picture is the Aunt Cora’s test quilt. Someone on Stashbusters wanted people to try her pattern. There is one more striped border and then 4 pieced corners made for this. It stalled because of the math of making that inner border fit the outer corners, and mitering the stripes. I sewed the pictured ones by hand. Now I will just ask DH to figure it out for me (engineer type). The top of the page was some Chinese Coins I was making into a Heartstrings quilt (charity). If you don’t know about Heartstrings, you can find it here.

12. Judy Martin’s Celebration – long twin

I started this quilt last December (09). You can read about it here. Many of the components are finished. I need to add a bit of yellow or something to brighten it up. All the blues, greens, purples mush together too much. This one I could probably finish in a month or less.

13. Old and New Dresden plate

I’ve bought many old Dresden plate blocks at antique / flea markets, eBay and the like. I decided I wanted a modern setting, so have decided to make a back of these soft colors, then applique the plates in the form of flowers. I’ve seen this done on several blogs, and I really like the idea. It’s not really a UFO, but just something I want to make this year now that I’ve gathered all the parts. I plan to work on it in the months I finish the project early.

I’ve also accumulated about 20+ other UFOs of my own, then have ones from eBay, and from my grandmother. There’s plenty to do this year, and I will be joining Stashbusters UFO Challenge this year as well. These will really add to my 50 quilts from Stash (before buying any fabric). Please forgive my math on the previous post. I thought I put 6 on that post, ,but only did five. You know quilters . . . .

Happy Quilting, Becky

UFO’s for Judy’s Challenge

2010-12-31T14:15:00.001-06:00

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 decided on the single Irish Chain blocks as setting squares. After I made the blocks (they kept shrinking from the hot iron on the poly) and put them on the design wall, I figured out sashing (it’s made), and border blocks. I didn’t quilt finish the border blocks, then it had to come down from the design wall because Christmas was coming and I needed to finish up another quilt for a gift (common excuse for UFOs).

3. Timberline log cabin (king)

In 2009 I was responsible for the opportunity quilt of our guild. After it was made, I bought lots of raffle tickets, but still didn’t win it. I need to make one for myself. It is a Judy Martin pattern, and the logs finish to 7/8th inch. I have some left over scraps, and bought enough fabric in the same colors to make one for myself. I thought I would up the log size to 1-1/4th inch, but then I couldn’t use up the scraps. When this number is drawn, I doubt that I can finish it in one month, so it may take over the next number.

4.Blue Winding Ways (king)

When I was cutting the braid quilt for a class with Bonnie Hunter, I was using fat quarters, so I also cut out a blue winding ways. That’s as far as this project is on it’s way to completion. Because of its size, it may also take longer than a month.

5. Karen Stone’s Beachy

Before I was married (about 5 years ago) 3 of us decided we were making Beachy. We shared our wild batiks, learned a lot about different satin type stitches our machines would use, used a LOT of Steam a Seam II, and made all the blocks for this quilt. They are supposed to be joined with a combination of the wave pieces and 4 patches. With all the fusible and stitching, my blocks were no longer the size they needed to be, so I needed to trim all the sashing and border pieces – NOT! I put it away. . . .

That’s enough for this posting. I’ll do another with the other 6 (I know, I just couldn’t pick just twelve).

Happy Quilting, Becky

Design wall Monday 12/27/2010

2010-12-27T10:32:00.001-06:00

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 placemat. She and I also made a hot pad using strings for her mother. She picked the strings and sat with me with her hands on the fabric pushing it through the machine. She really liked sewing. The binding fairy missed these two placemats, but should do them today.

The second picture is the set made for a nephew and family. Their table runner is a shorter one, as is their table. It contains one set of pieces from each of the 10 fabric I was working with, except the Oreo fabric. It was just too big of print to look good as braids. I managed to make all of these with the ten fabrics – 8 fat quarters, and two half yards, with a few brights for one runner. The binding fairy managed to finish this set.

The M&M set is for my stepson. I didn’t have large pieces for the placemats left of any other fabric, so made all theirs the same. This is the one that I used brights for the braid as there wasn’t enough of any fabric left for another set of braids.

This last set for for DS’s family. They have a 6’ table, so they have braids of every fabric on both sides of the center block. These were the placemats that the binding fairy entirely missed, but DDIL managed to miss that fact and packed them in the van in the bottom of a sack, and didn’t want to find them to leave here. She said she would bring them back – I hope soon.

That’s the extent of my design wall right now. I will be working on the pink and purple quilt shown several weeks ago, but first I have to clear away some of the debris in the quilt room. What a mess. The cutting table is also used as a wrapping table at Christmas time. Need I say more?

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Christmas, and will have the same for New Year’s Eve and Day. Please go to Judy L’s blog to see more design wall pictures.

2nd finish on 50 quilt challenge

2010-12-15T10:26:00.001-06:00

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 out, even If I can’t backtrack as well as I like yet.

When JA saw it after quilting, she asked who it was for – no one in particular – so she said I could give it back to her. I said I’d think about it.

JA’s oldest son has been trying for a baby for at least 10 years. Her DIL carried one pregnancy for 7 months, then had a stillbirth. She has had several more miscarriages over the years, using assisted fertility or what ever it is called. She is once again pregnant, and is having testing done every week to try to bring this pregnancy to a good outcome. If it does, I will indeed give this quilt back to JA so she can label it for the granddaughter (they know the sex). I so hope and pray for a good outcome. The whole family needs it!

This quilt counts as one of my 50 quilts from stash challenge. I’m now at 2! I need to make and sew binding on one more quilted item, so I’ll have at least one more finish before the end of the year.

I do have one more project to hopefully finish before Christmas Eve, but it’s not too big. I finally cut the pieces that need a bit of embroidery and gave them to JA 2 days ago. I can’t do anything else until that is finished. If I don’t finish it for Christmas this year, there is always next year!

Happy quilting, Becky

A New Computer and a finish

2010-12-12T09:28:00.001-06:00

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. Anyway, I have one finish on my personal challenge of finishing 50 quilts from stash.

When Ginny came to pick me up yesterday, she saw this flimsy and asked what she had to do to own it. She has to come to our guild quilt show which is sometime this spring, and register for the drawing. One visitor’s name will be drawn, and they win the quilt. Ginny said to make sure she knows when the quilt show starts!

Let’s see if I can figure out how to post this blog, then I’m off to put up the Christmas tree, write Christmas cards, and wrap some gifts so I can actually find clothes in my closet.

Happy quilting, Becky

Design wall Monday 12/6/2010

2010-12-06T09:48:00.003-06:00

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 finish it for Christmas.

Part of my time has been spent helping my friend JoAnne learn to quilt on my long-arm. She is making flannel quilts with soft, soft minkee-type backings. She's really doing well on turning out nicely done, square, soft quilts. She wants me to try the backing, but I have 50 quilts to finish yet before I can buy again.
Happy Quilting, Becky

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Design wall Monday 11/22/2010

2010-11-21T16:29:00.013-06:00

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 them as leader / enders until I changed to dark thread to make the bright blocks above.

These blocks are on the design wall across from me, behind Black Bart. They were leftovers of another flimsy that I cut stack and whack style. I made the last 5 blocks as rewards to myself for completing quilting the last two projects. They aren't sewn together yet, and I was auditioning the navy for a wide border. I want to finish these up so I can practice making large circles with the Circle Lord. Just for fun, these were cut as matching blocks. I've put them up on the wall with the mustard block next to the matching navy blocks. No one will probably care but me, but I like to put a touch of unexpected in my quilts.
At the bottom of the main design wall are the Halloween blocks my friend JoAnne embroidered for me. I'm thinking about how to set them. They might look good twisted with orange, black, and gold Halloween fabric. She is such an artist. While the embroidery is excellent in its own right, she has also shaded in the various items in the blocks - the pumpkins, hat, house, etc. This quilt will stay with me - no DGC will appreciate all this artistry.

At the very bottom of the design wall are the "blocks" my DGD#2 makes while we are in the sewing room - and she sometimes slips in when I'm not there. She has permission to use scraps from one bin, and is learning to cut with scissors, and then paste them on construction paper. She found some stickers that she especially likes that she included as well. Last week she spread purple glue over part of the design wall, which mostly washed off. That's better than green and yellow watercolor paint that DGS painted on my design wall in my other house.

Sorry about the long post, but I also use this as a journal of my projects.
Happy Quilting, Becky

A Christmas wall hanging

2010-11-15T12:28:00.004-06:00

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

2010-11-14T15:19:00.010-06:00

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 before I buy fabric, so these fabrics all came from my stash. I wondered if the crayon fabric was too "juvenile", but it was the right colors and in my stash, so it won.
I also finished quilting a "use up all the flannel" large lap quilt. I tried quilting each strip with a different freehand pattern. I was even brave enough to try Dawn's fungly feathers and dwirling, as well as leaves, vines, zigzags, etc. I still have a long way to go.
I pieced the back for it - more use it up- and it loaded better than I thought it would. No tucks, so I guess it worked. I used Bonnie's (Quiltville) 10" blocks, but off-set them so I didn't have 4 corners meeting with the bulk of the flannel. There was one time after I loaded it that I thought a back seam was showing through, but after I quilted it I couldn't find it. I used Hobbs 80/20 batting, so this quilt is a bit heavy. I did buy a small bolt of all poly batt at the Lee's Summit Guild Quilt Show, but this quilt will probably be washed to death, and I think the blend will hold up better.

I still have no finishes on my personal challenge, but 2 quilts waiting for binding, and the binding is made.

Happy Quilting, Becky

Trying for Mr Linky

2010-11-09T15:17:00.002-06:00

This is a test of Mr Linky.

50 quilts from stash before buying any fabric

2010-10-28T09:42:00.004-05:00

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 are finished. I plan to include charity quilts in that number, as they take up fabric. I'm starting today, although my first finish won't occur for a few days.

Good luck if you are joining in - please leave a comment so we know you're with us!

Happy Quilting, Becky

Design wall Monday 10/25/10

2010-10-25T09:10:00.006-05:00

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, so I busily sewed on a triple border and quilted it on Black Bart with the CL spirals.
This second quilt has been a top for a long time. We just purchased a Circle Lord sunburst template for Black Bart. It was the first time I had used the frame since I purchased Black Bart (new Nolting table). It worked so well. What an improvement in the table. This quilt looks good from this distance but I have some backtracking issues, so no close-ups. CL is working on a frame that can be used from the front of the machine, and that would certainly make doing this type of quilting easier. I do love the effect. This one is awaiting binding.
This last one is the design wall special. This came from donated Chinese Coins (HeartStrings). My DFF called it an ugly quilt until I sashed it, now she is suggesting I donate to a church here in Blue Springs for their fund-raising event. I still need to add borders, then this will be a very large queen, or a king if they don't have too thick of mattress.

As you can tell, I found my camera - buried on the cutting table. I really need to work more systematically so I don't pull WHIMMs and stack them on the cutting table.
Happy Quilting, Becky

I'm still here, camera isn't

2010-08-31T17:24:00.006-05:00

This 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 builder put in a trex deck but cedar railings. It was supposed to be painted after 6 months (4 years ago), but the kid that did it missed a bunch! I'll paint it this time, but next time it needs it I'm calling the TREX people and having new rails put on!

I'll write more later when I find, or replace, my camera. DH has a wonderful camera, but I'm not very adept with it. I did, however, take a picture with it that ran in a (current) magazine about model railroads. The article says "Photos by the author", but all his RR friends are giving DH grief because my name isn't on the picture of him. Just for fun, I'll show you the picture.
I guess I should say that he set up the camera first, and all I did was point and shoot.
Happy Quilting, Becky

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

2010-07-31T19:05:00.007-05:00

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 of the oil spill, but their need is great. You can read more about it here. My mother was in the Missouri flood of 1993, and I remember her bringing out a package she had received in the aid boxes that were being distributed - it contained a new pillow, sheets, and a light blanket. She was so amazed that someone would send her that, and they were pink, her favorite color! I'm hoping I can finish enough for one family.
Happy Quilting,

Becky

How Leadergrips look

2010-07-05T18:34:00.010-05:00

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 off ebay for a pittance, and it will make great dog beds for DD's 2 black labs. They will be washed to death - I cut the quilt in two and will make 2 of them.
The leader grips just pull off. I pull on the backing to start it, then just go down to the other end.
This shows the imprint over the dowel - this takes up about 1/2" of fabric.
I just store the leadergrips in their mailing tube that sits in the corner of the room next to the long-arm.

The dowels for the leadergrips come in 3 sections and are put together with this shrink wrap tubing. Others have noted that they had difficulty heating the tubing high enough for the shrink to actually grab. You can see from the picture how close my long-arm is to the desk my DH uses for building model trains and such.
In the drawer of that desk is this hot air gun. It shrinks the tubing easily, but keep your hand out of the way! If you are wondering, yes, I share worn out cutting mats with DH. I introduced him to rotary cutters, rulers, and mats (he already had a 6" square one), on our first "date". I visited him in LA after not seeing him for 35 years, and he took me to 2 quilt shops. When my quilting friends were debating his pros and cons, one said "But he took her to quilt shops!" They decided he might be a keeper (he is).

Happy Quilting,

Becky

QOV, Baptist fans quilting, snow crystal top

2010-07-03T14:55:00.007-05:00

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 locally.

I have another challenge which I would like some advice on, please. These are pictures of some of the snow crystal blocks in a quilt top I was given to finish up. It was made by a now deceased quilter from New York. The picture on the left has a spool of thread that I put through the hole in the center of the block. The right one shows the "B cup" that is present on a lot of them. The whole top is made of polyester blends. Does anyone had any ideas about quilting this without having to remake every center? Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

Happy Quilting,
Becky

Vacation - Colorado 2010

2010-07-03T14:14:00.010-05:00

Balancing Rock, Garden of the Gods, near (or in) Colorado Springs (above and below).

Soda fountain in Fair Play - buildings c1890s.
Red Rock canyon, looking up to amphitheater.

What do these pictures have in common? They are all in Colorado. We had a good time seeing different areas of the state. I had only been on I-70 or US40 or 50 on previous trips. It was a drive-thru state on the way to California. This time we were off the interstates. We followed several old train routes through the state, finding road beds, roundhouses, mines, and quilt shops! We rode the loop narrow gauge railroad, but were unable to ride the one through the Gorge because of forest fires.

I found out that breathing and moving (at the same time) at 9,000 feet and above is difficult. I loved the moment we drove over the crest of mountains and saw South Park. I had no idea there was that much area in Colorado that wasn't mountains. We were in a cauldera when we visited Cripple Creek and Victor, old gold mining towns. They were having Donkey races the day we visited!

The only part I really didn't relish was driving across Kansas, both coming and going. We stopped at one KS quilt shop on the way to CO, and had planned to stop in one on the way back, but it was closed by the time we reached Salina, KS. I was very, very glad to cross the river into MO, and to sleep that night in my own bed! Hotels, and Bed and Breakfasts are fine for a while, but "there's no place like home". It was, however, beautiful scenery!

Happy Quilting,

Becky

Design wall Monday 6/14/10

2010-06-14T15:51:00.007-05:00

Today Bart is modeling the last of the R-W-B Chinese Coins that HeartStrings made a long while ago. This one is in the Funky Caterpillar pattern (link on sidebar). I just love the texture that the Spiral templates give it. I remembered to take a half-way break, but I think my feet want me to take 2 days to do this much. This one will go to Alycia for her QOV project when it is finished.

I'm still loving the LeaderGrips for loading and unloading. I watched their video again, and noted that they clamp the end of the dowels so they don't roll away. I did it, and it works! I still really like not having any pins involved. I was always catching myself on them, and bleeding on the quilt!

The battery in my camera just went dead, or I would show you a fun little UFO I made to the flimsy stage yesterday. When hunting in the 2" square scrap bin, I found some little 4-patch "Posies" blocks - cut long before there was anything called a 4-patch Posy. They were left over from a stack and whack type 6" stars quilt that I made a long time ago, but only gave away last year for a special person's baby. I used to save left-over parts and pieces together until I made a reminder quilt. I now have one for that. It is about 15" x 18" and just needs a bit of quilting now. Hopefully I will remember a new battery for the camera before I finish it!

Happy Quilting, Becky

UFO Start and finish, almost

2010-06-12T20:43:00.004-05:00

Black Bart is holding up 4 doll quilts I'm finishing up today. The outer two are just double-sided quilted fabric with a binding started on them. There is a pillow to match. The two center ones are made from the cut-offs left of flannel fat quarters when I cut out a Rag Quilt for my friend with CP. I had been moving them around, and around; there wasn't any one spot for them, and I didn't want to put them away (where?) and forget about the stack. They ended up next to a yard of ladybug flannel DD bought and wanted me to make into dolly blankies. Yesterday I just sat down and sewed the strips together, loaded the ladybug fabric on Black Bart, and quickly quilted them. I used some of that really thin batting, and even figured out how to make it work with only one seam in it. When I completed the quilts, I cut them away from the flannel, trimmed the flannel into two dolly blankies, then thought about binding. I found a fat quarter of a solid lavender, cut it into bias binding, and sewed the strips together.

Today when I went into the room, I started applying binding by machine, then saw the pieces of quilted fabric, so decided to bind them, too. They are all now by my chair to be hand sewn while watching TV. (I also hemmed the edges of the left-over ladybug fabric.) I made the little pillow out of the last scrap of quilted fabric as well. Now DGD#1 won't have to remind me again about finishing them. She had hung them up in the dining room so I wouldn't "forget" about them. It was really nice just to be able to load them on Bart and quilt them without planning a time to go down the street, etc. I'm thinking it might be worth it to be so crowded in the "hobby room" to have such easy access to Bart. Oh, yes, I did use the LeaderGrips, and it took about 3 minutes to load the backing, less than a minute to take the quilts off!
Happy Quilting, Becky

I finally quilted a quilt!

2010-06-08T13:12:00.006-05:00

I finally quilted a quilt on Black Bart!

This is a HeartStrings Happy Blocks top, with "matching" backing made with donations by the Queen of Backs! I haven't quilted since before Christmas.

LeaderGrips - I found a wonderful (so far) way to load Backing on the long arm. I bought LeaderGrips, sewed a casing in the new leaders, then filled the casing with the wooden dowels. You then put little plastic clips in the center and both ends, then replace those with the long plastic piece. They have a video of it on you tube. Since I hadn't installed zippers on the new table, it was easy to sew the casing. I used the new side clamps that Nolting sells to steady the leader down its length and used the channel locks to sew an almost straight line. I did pin the casing first. It took me about 7 minutes to load both sides of the backing. No pinning, no basting to zippers, just those plastic pieces. I used something similar a long time ago to hold tablecloths to banquet tables when I catered weddings. I'm hoping they loosen up ever so slightly so I don't have to use as much hand strength to clip them closed.

I hope to recover from the virus my DGD shared with me, and quilt a few more of the waiting tops.
Happy Quilting, Becky

Introducing Black Bart - my quilting place

2010-06-05T11:54:00.011-05:00

Black Bart has arrived and is ready to quilt! A friend has already put Bart through his paces, and quilted a baby quilt. Making room for Bart has been quite an experience, and time consuming, but the quilting place is finally ready for sewing again.

Black Bart needed additional lighting. DH installed new track lighting (instead of the non-functional one previously there), as there really isn't room for the Nolting light bar frame. Does anyone out there need a 14' free-standing light bar? If you don't have a long-arm machine, it would be good for growing hanging plants!

My design wall behind Bart is becoming just a display station, as it is really not accessible and I would just knock any blocks down with my backside.

My piecing space changed as well. There is now shared space in front of my sewing table. The table scoots back when using Bart, and is pushed back out for sewing. I haven't figured out the power part. There is a floor plug in front of the table, but the cord is VERY easy to trip over. Right now I just unplug it whenever I stop piecing. The book cases also needed rearranging. The far left one now holds current books, and the rest of them retired to the bedroom.

The small white book shelves are now in the Batting closet, which has been vacated by coats and tablecloths that are now in the front coat closet. I love that I now have space to store batting without it falling all over the quilting room. I've measured and "bagged" the smaller pieces for use on smaller projects. When I accumulate enough of one type, I do join them to make a bigger batt.

There are a few casualties in the move to accommodate Black Bart. The table for the DGC to "work" on is right now sitting in the dining room, with the ottoman full of dress-up clothes taking up space in the living room. The dining room is full of doll beds, but I have a plan for a sliding platform to live under Black Bart for the dollies, beds, clothes, etc. I just need to finish the computer desk we are building downstairs first. Sometimes my hobbies collide - woodworking and quilting both take quite a bit of time, but the woodworking is something I enjoy doing with DH. DH also lost space in the quilting room. His desk was pushed back to make room to walk around Bart.

Enough for now. I'm off to actually work on the braid quilt I started in Bonnie Hunter's class a few weeks ago. Once you start each braid correctly, it doesn't take much concentration, which is a good thing since I keep mulling over how I can make more room in my quilting place.
Happy Quilting, Becky

State of the stash, May 2010

2010-05-13T12:14:00.009-05:00

The photos on the left are of my stash, which I had just straightened, in January, 2008. The right pictures are of the current stash, not straightened. The shelves appear to be relatively unchanged, but that isn't true. I have nearly used up at the flannels-a goal for 2009. The blue stacks were decimated for quilts of valor through HeartStrings, and the purples are down to one stack. The unruly stack on the top right, is my backings, which used to be stored on the top of the fat quarter shelves, below.

The fat quarter shelves have also changed. (The missing bin in the left picture was out on the cutting table.) The top of the shelves now contain 3 large boxes that were previously stored in the garage. The red, white, blue patriotic bin has gone the way of Quilts of Valor, including the huge stack of fabric that Rose gave me. What I didn't sew myself, was donated at a Heartstrings Sew-In.

The fluff on the cutting table is bridal netting, in the process of being sewn to headbands and small tiaras (Hobby Lobby had a 50% off all bridal items) for use as princess dress-up items for the two DGD's. I haven't figured out where I am putting the dress-up clothes now that the Nolting long-arm is up here in this room. I started to post a picture of it, but DH said I had to take one with him leaning on it, since he did so much work on it (he's not home right now). The machine now glides so easily. I'm ready to load something to try it out. The new Nolting tables are powder-coated, so the rails/wheels glide very smoothly. The new flat top will make using the Circle Lord so much easier. Now if I can just keep the tension and stitch right!

I hope you've enjoyed a look at my stash. I'll post some pictures of the other parts of the room in a few days. If you want to see the room as it looked in 2008, here is a link
to my webshots album.
Happy Quilting,
Becky

Ready and waiting

2010-05-10T18:13:00.003-05:00

Someone attending MQS (machine quilters' showcase) today, and tomorrow, is using my new 12' Nolting table. We took apart our 14' table today, and tomorrow after class will drive over to Overland Park, KS and exchange them, for a fee. I hope I am going to like having the machine up here where I can have breaks when working on it, but it does make a tight fit for the room. Where am I supposed to put all this?

Underneath all this is my cutting table. I hope to see the top of it soon after we assemble the long-arm. I hated giving up my closets when we built/moved to this house. If I would finish some UFO's it would help. I hope I have room under the table to fill it with "rolly" carts. The DGC have 2, and the pink bin of dress-up clothes. There are also dolly beds, etc. Then I have 2 big rolls of batting, plus some packages. Ugh, I don't think I'll like the next few days.

I do plan to stop the rearranging on Wednesday to go to the Vendor sale at MQS. I need to stock up on Superior Thread for the coming year. It is so neat to see all the threads out on tables instead of just looking at a sample card. Then there are all the quilts to see . . . . It looks to be an interesting week!
Happy quilting,
Becky
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No posts, but still here

2010-04-16T21:17:00.004-05:00

Hi, out there, I'm still here, just not doing much quilting. Little girls need dolly dresses, and I'm moving things about, trying to make room for the quilting machine at my house. My partner wants me to buy her out or sell the machine, so I finally decided to crowd it in here. Nolting is bringing 12' table parts to trade out for my 14' when they come to MQS in May. It will be used in the hands-on classes the first two days, and DH and I will drive over in the truck and trade out the pieces when they take the tables out, and move the whole thing up here. It's a lot of work for DH, but he loves me very much and wants me to be happy. Yes, he is a keeper!

I had a bit more work on my left knee today. It was holding up the rehab on my new right knee. Maybe this will make them come out even (and good!). The hardest part is being off arthritis meds for the week before surgery. I'm back on them tonight, so the worst is over!!

I'm really looking forward to having the Nolting here, on the main floor, so I can stand-up quilt a bit, then sit down piece a bit. It should make both of them easier.
Happy Quilting,
Becky

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Design wall Monday 3/15/10

2010-03-15T15:46:00.004-05:00

I missed design wall Monday last week. I was working on a Double Irish chain, in purples. DH named it - "It's Purple". It's to the flimsy stage now. Yesterday I took time to put the Happy blocks up on the design wall to sew together today. The rest of the day was spent making Easter outfits for My Friend Mandy. DGD#1 picked the fabric. I even managed shoes. The ones sitting on the binding for the purple quilt are made out of heavy felt, and glued to a sole and insole. I need to find something other than contact cement to glue with, as it shows through.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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Week 9 - Stash Report

2010-02-28T10:01:00.003-06:00

I finally started sewing a bit this week. I have the strip sets made for a double Irish chain twin size. I debated waiting until the item was finished before counting it, but I know I won't remember by then.

Fabric in this week: 0
Fabric out: 6 yards - double Irish chain
Total for the week: -6
Total for the year: -19.625

Becky
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Update on basket blocks UFO

2010-02-21T11:30:00.003-06:00

I asked for suggestions for settings of 49 of these basket blocks. I worked up 3 in EQ. I still didn't like the blocks, no matter what I did with them. I just no longer "love" blues and mauves". I did what any self-respecting quilter would do - I sent them to someone who wanted them so she could finish it and donate the quilt to a worthy cause. It's one way to finish 15 year old UFO's.

Happy Quilting,

Becky

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stash report 2/21/10

2010-02-21T11:05:00.004-06:00

This week I busted stash by mail! I've stuffed 3 packages to send tomorrow to HeartStringers, and loaded bags with backing fabric for HeartStrings . That's approximately 35 yards out.

I started a new spread sheet on everything quilty I've bought so far this year. Over $464 in two months; time for a reality check. Dang those Superbowl Sunday sales, and Connecting Threads closeouts. Interestingly, books and notions account for over $200 of it. I had to have, Judy L's, Bonnie's, and Judy Martin's new books, and a few more. What's a quilting bibliophile to do? Yes, I do check a lot out from the library as well!
Stash Report
Fabric in: 0
Fabric out:35 yards
Year to date: - 13.625 yeah!

Happy Quilting,

Becky

please help with settings

2010-02-17T11:16:00.007-06:00

If you look at my previous post, you will see the basket blocks (UFO) that I want to set. I have 49 baskets. I've played with it in EQ, and came up with these 3 settings. The first is with plain blocks, changing color to "border". The second is baskets set on point with sashing. I had a suggestion for triple sashing with nine-patch cornerstones which sounds good, I just don't know how to draw it in EQ. The 3rd choice is a strippy quilt. I couldn't draw the baskets on point, so you just see square in a square blocks. The borders on all three are not accurate at all. I couldn't find a lavender and blue fabric to use.

Please leave a comment on which set you recommend! Thanks for your input.
Happy Quilting,

Becky

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design wall monday 2/15/10

2010-02-15T10:33:00.007-06:00

Very old UFO
This is one of my oldest UFO's. I made a shop sample of a basket quilt that had appliqued handles. The quilt shop owner said I could keep the leftover fabric, so I made another set of baskets. There are 49 blocks. I didn't want to applique all the handles, so changed it to a pieced handle. That changed the finish block size to 6.5". I later bought more of the blue flowers that is in the center of the big picture, and I found border fabric and have about 2 yards of that.

I really need help with a setting for these. I took them out of the box where they have lived for about 15 years, and found some yellow fabric, and some squares of lavender fairy fabric cut for setting squares. When I put them up on the wall as a straight on point setting, it didn't work at all. So now I moved them to a medallion setting, and they still don't speak to me. Perhaps it is the blue and mauve I liked so much at one time, but not so much now. Please feel free to comment with any ideas for a setting.

Happy Quilting,
Becky
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Stash report- Week 7

2010-02-14T14:45:00.009-06:00

What's a girl supposed to do? It's been about 3 months since I visited a quilting store. I finally was told to start walking longer distances than just in the house, with support. The support could be a shopping cart! It was also Super Bowl weekend sales. I couldn't drive yet, so I just had to go wherever my friend took me. At the first shop (Eudora, KS) I picked up the fabrics in the left picture. Two of the greens are for stash (I sure use a lot of those lately), but the rest are for projects (UFOs) that I hope to work on soon. The second shop (Lee's Summit, MO), I definitely needed to add a few batiks for the Timberline Log Cabin bin to fill in fabrics with a little more blue that green. I don't want it exactly like the Opportunity Quilt I worked on. The right picture is 12 yards of wonderful fabric I bought through Stashbuster Fling-it. I couldn't resist these fabrics for $3-4 a yard.

DH helped me set up a spreadsheet similar to Judy L's
The results weren't very good for Stashbusting:

Stash report
Added this week (or so) 31.5 Yards
Used this week- 0.125 of fairy fabric to put hearts on DGD#1's shirt for Valentine's Day.

Knee update

On a personal note, my ortho doc injected my hip, which relieved the bursitis and sciatica, which included the bulk of the foot pain; the new orthotics for my shoes arrived last Friday, so I have been able to stop using a cane, start driving short distances, and certainly have an improved outlook on life. I still need to work on strengthening the new knee, but at least things are improving. I did cancel attending the Guild Quilt Retreat next weekend, as I still haven't been able to sew at the machine yet, though I plan to practice on that this week. Maybe next year. I should be in good shape to attend the HeartStrings NE sew-in in March. I'm really looking forward to it.

Happy Quilting,
Becky

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Stash report-Month of January

2010-01-31T12:44:00.006-06:00

I think I would like to try keeping track of fabric this year. I told DH that I thought I should try again to be "NoBuy" this year. DH gave me a fat quarter bundle from connecting threads for Christmas, and after Christmas I ordered some large pieces of it as they had it on close-out. It is still sitting in the sewing room, waiting for someone to tackle putting it away.

With having the total knee, I didn't think I had any in or out to report, but I did finish the binding on two quilts this month. One is the flannel quilt for DH, the other is one of the charity quilts for "Quilts for Kids". This one was made using their kit for the top, but I supplied the backing and batting.
January Stash Report

Fabric in: 0

Fabric out: 10 yards.

Happy Quilting,
Becky
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Christmas gift quilts

2010-01-19T14:40:00.011-06:00

I finished all 6 quilts for Christmas - only two of them needed the binding turned after Christmas. The first one is for my nephew and niece, they have been joining us for Christmas for a long time. They kept wishing that one of the large gift bags was for them, and this year it came true. This is my Stashbuster Sunshine "Ugly" fabric challenge quilt. It ended up 120" by 120", so it will cover their King bed nicely. They asked how I knew the colors. I laughed and told them I was going to tell them to buy a can of paint if it didn't match their decor.
The next one is for D Niece #2 - the one that came the day after thanksgiving for pillowcase day. That was the day I learned that she no longer liked pink, so I made this one in the next few weeks. It is made from Judy L's Freeze frame pattern. Thanks for the free pattern. It was one of her "hour a day" projects, and I think she had it timed about right for me. I did enlarge the borders, both the inside ones and the outside ones to make it fit a twin bed better. One comment was that they really liked the geometrics of it. I used all of the fabrics she chose for her two pillowcases, and added to them. The color isn't true - it is brighter.

The next quilt is DGD#2's. It is a quick stashbuster pattern from Fat Quarters. I added to its length for tall DSIL. It is backed with minkee - they love it.

This one I have been referring to as the secret project. It is made out of fabrics DD and DSIL brought back from their trip to Hawaii. I quilted it freehand, and it has so much quilting that it is somewhat stiff. The white and black island toile is part poly, and that didn't help. I still have other fabric they brought back to play with for at least one more quilt. The corners of this one have rolling star blocks.

The next one was made from a jelly roll and a fat quarter bundle that DH gave me for Christmas a year or 2 ago. I originally made it for the great niece on the right in the picture, until I learned that she no longer had pink in her room. Her older sister was delighted to receive it.

The cabin in the woods quilt I made for my son. I hadn't made him a cuddle quilt of his own since making his comforters when he was about 11 - they still use them. I made this out of what was supposed to be the last of my flannel, and backed it with outing flannel.

The last one I made was for DH. He is always borrowing my flannel rag quilt, so I decided to make him one of his own from a bunch of flannel Rose gave me. Since I ruined the washing machine with some other rag quilts, I just finished this like a regular quilt. It was much easier to bind it that to trim all that flannel for the ragged edge. I started it about noon on the 23rd, and had it done for Christmas Eve-except the binding being turned. I finished that up a few days ago, and it was put into use immediately.

Personally, I'm 3 weeks post total knee surgery. This time the knee is doing much better since they gave me other people's platelets before, during, and after surgery. I had minimal bruising instead of a leg full of blood like last time. This time they gave me a pain med that I specifically said I had problems with, so I had three days of hallucinations until DH and a nurse friend intervened on my behalf. I ended up being in the hospital a full week because of it. Supposedly there are multiple checks of allergies, where I had the drug listed, but they still gave it to me. I do plan to ask questions of their administration how this could have happened. It is really scary to think about patients who don't have an advocate looking out for them. I'm doing my physical therapy, and hopefully will be out of the walker, etc, very soon.

I've only been in the quilting room one day, and manage to do in the iron. I knew it was close to dying, and cleaning it killed it. It also killed the ironing board cover. I really hate that. I had found a decent model without an automatic turn-off, with lots of steam holes. I hope they still make that model. It lasted a couple of years, which for me is good with all the use it gets.
Happy Quilting,
Becky

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Design wall Monday, 12/13/ 2009

2009-12-13T15:46:00.005-06:00

The design walls are mainly empty this week. Everything is past the design wall stage except the flash frame. One quilt is completely finished, another has binding on one side, but will have to be hand-sewn on the other. The Cabin in the Woods is being prepared to use Judy L's method of sewing the back from the front, and borders are going on the "Ugly Fabric Sampler". The secret project is down the street, ready to go on the quilting frame. I'm trying to finish everything by the 15th, except bindings, and I will be cutting it close. I don't mind working on them later, I just have a lot of Dr appointments and go off arthritis meds that day. I'm really liking how the quilts are turning out. I will post better pictures when DH has time to help hang them and photograph them.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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using up flannel - NOT

2009-12-13T15:16:00.005-06:00

A while ago, I decided to use up all my flannel. I made the Big star quilt out of flannel, and used up all of the left-overs in the Cabin in the Woods. I do have a panel of houses that is flannel, and a bit of flannel to finish that with, but other than that, it was all gone. I even had cut out a flannel rag blanket out of baby fabric, and given it to MM to make.
Yesterday I was quilting down at my friend's and she had decided to take care of her little "piles" of stuff. She decided she should look at the pile of flannels. She found one with a note (directions) on a piece, it was dated 2001. She decided it was time to get rid of that stack, then decided to get rid of the whole thing! She put it all in two bags and gave it to me - even carried it to my car. I think I need to have another kid sew-in and everyone needs to make rag quilts! I certainly have plenty of batting scraps they can use up. Hmmm, I wonder if I'll feel up to it for Martin Luther King Day. I haven't put away the sewing machines from the pillowcase day. I keep thinking good thoughts about how much better it is going to be for this Total knee than the last one.

Happy quilting, Merry Christmas,
Happy Holidays whatever they might be,
Becky

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Design wall Monday 12/7/09

2009-12-07T14:15:00.009-06:00

What was I thinking last week? Where was my mind? I thought I could finish a Judy Martin pattern quicker than I could make Judy L's Freeze Frame??? The photo on the left is of the now UFO pieces for Celebration. I finished all the strip sets, and 200 of the 300 4 patches, but finally said Whoa! Too much!! I started Freeze frame on Saturday, worked a little bit on Sunday, I just need to make about 30 more border blocks, and then put all the borders on. I'm making a few extra blocks so I can put in wider center borders and outer borders to make the quilt a little bigger.

I did make it down the street to the quilting machine yesterday. I quilted this quick Stashbuster quilt made for DGD#2. Her mother (DD) said she needed a soft, easy to wash "blanket" for her big bed. This one is from fabric left over from DD's wedding quilt, and all the "ladybug" fabric used in DGDs room. I backed it with very soft Minkee, and used a very thin batting inside. I used the new giant templates - waves- again, and I'm so pleased with how quick they are to use, and the quilting looks good!
I also quilted a charity quilt with the same templates to turn into guild tomorrow. I need to find the binding I made and put it on so someone else can finish it up. The fabric for the border of the red quilt is in the dryer after a wash in Retayne. Time to get busy.
Happy Quilting,
Becky

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Design wall Monday 11/30/09

2009-11-30T11:36:00.008-06:00

The holiday has taken a toll on the design wall. The king-size of last week is down for "security reasons", and we are off in another direction. I finished the red, black, and white quilt top that I posted about last week. It, along with others, is waiting for a turn at the long-arm machine. Last Friday, I did indeed have a sew-in for the grands and cousins. The first picture is of them with their pillowcases. The length of the picture does not show that 3 of them made the second pillowcase for body pillows. This was a full day/evening adventure, and they were very proud of their accomplishments. Note the color of the pillowcases on the far left (she's not asleep, I just can't take good pictures). This is the Gniece this quilt top was being made for. The pillowcases were made to match the colors in her room! I asked a lot of questions, and ended up finding out that she doesn't like pink, her sister likes pink. I just wish I could keep the two of them straight! Now I need to make a non-pink quilt! That's the reason for this week's design wall - a pattern called Celebration from Judy Martin's Scraps book. The colors are poor in the top right picture; they should be closer to the ones in the pillowcases. I've debated back and forth between this pattern and JudyL's Freeze Frame, but decided this one would be quicker. I really want to make the Freeze Frame, but I am running out of time.
Time Sponges My time has been taken up by this little imp, DGD#2. My DD's school football team had an undefeated season, so went Saturday to St. Louis for the State Finals. DSIL isn't that great at babysitting his own child, so she came here on Saturday overnight until Sunday afternoon. Then today I took her and her mother up to the hospital so little one could have ear-tubes inserted. She's spending the day here as DD is very sick, but still needs to show up for at least part of the day at school to finish up the newspaper (she teaches it). They were waiting on the results of state - they lost. She had no business going to St. Louis as sick as she was, but that's what journalism teachers do to help students with the photography. She rented a huge camera / lens to photograph with in the Dome - nothing they had at school would work there. She also chaperoned the cheer leaders. Back to DDG#2 - she will be here again Thursday and Friday as she has eye surgery scheduled on Thursday, again early in the am. DD's not working those days, but needs my support. Santa's workshop is really running late with all this happening. I have visions of quilts without binding being given for Christmas presents!
Happy Quilting,
Becky

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design wall monday

2009-11-23T13:07:00.010-06:00

Ugly fabric quilt progress
The Sunshine Ugly Fabric Stashbuster Challenge quilt has now grown too big for the design wall. The first plain 6" border is on, and two sides of the 6" block borders are on. Someone asked what my Ugly fabric was - It is the "fireworks" found in the center of many of the blocks. I picked it for the challenge as I don't work well with grayed (toned) fabrics, and I wanted to gain some skills with that. The Challenge also involved using a bit of orange and/or yellow in each block, also colors I don't use much. I have learned that most quilts need a touch of yellow to put the "sun" in them, but I don't pick it as a main color, which I have done in this quilt. I'm sure hoping the couple I'm giving it to for Christmas like these colors. They've wanted a large quilt from me for a long time (they have a large lap quilt, denim quilt, and lap Christmas quilts), but not one for their bed.

The other two borders are still on the design wall ready to sew together. It is so delightful, the first pieced border actually fit without a lot of easing. I also have the 12" blocks to do as well, but there isn't room for them on the wall right now.

Mile a Minute Blocks
When I was cleaning up all the scraps that accumulate when doing a sampler quilt, I decided to try MAM (Mile a Minute) blocks. I used some templates (Marti Michell) to cut out as many shapes as I could, then put them together with the various leftover small strips. After making these blocks, I only have a 8 x 8" piece of the grayed blue, and about a quarter yard of the second orange fabric left. I had hoped to make this quilt all from stash, but when I cut those 120" final borders, I knew I didn't have enough of the green to make all three plain borders the same, as well as I still needed the spacers for the block borders. I went with some other quilting friends Friday over to the Kansas Farm quilt shop, and found a compatible green (after checking that I had nothing in my stash to work).

Pink-eye, it's not just for kids
I came back with something more than I purchased - a case of pink-eye. Farm doorknobs carry a lot of bacteria, is what I guess was the problem. It started within hours of returning home, where the 2 DGDs were having a slumber party with Grandma. I had them sleep in the living room, instead of with me in the bed, and I practiced really good handwashing, and neither of them has come down with it yet. They were going to spend Saturday with GMa, but after I reported to their mothers what the eye doctor said, the moms quickly made other arrangements.

New Quilt started
While their mothers were here, we discussed Christmas presents. DD requested a "blanket" that could take a lot of washing. DGD#2 is the ladybug bedroom, so I found some fat quarters of Red, White, and Black, and started a Stashbuster quick quilt with them. I'm doing 20 blocks, so it should be big enough for her twin bed. I may have to add a bit more to the length, so it will cover DSIL's feet (6'4") when he reads books to her in her bed. I'm making it as a reward to myself. Every time I finish putting on a border on the king-size quilt, I sew a seam on these twenty blocks. It keeps me from "giving up" on the borders of this giant. I had planned some long-arm quilting today, but I don't think Rose would like me to "contaminate" her house and the quilting machine with pink-eye germs.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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Circle Lord zig-zag templates arrived

2009-11-19T08:46:00.004-06:00

Wow, I LOVE these giant templates. If I could quilt like some of you (Mary), I wouldn't need the templates, but with them, I think this quilting is so neat! The quilt above is laying flat; the hills and valleys are a result of the quilting and the tangential light streaming in the window. It was really nice when I walked in the "studio" and saw this. It's ready for trimming and binding. It's not a Christmas gift, so I will put the binding on the front, and save the turning to the back for something to do while elevating my knee in January.
Happy Quilting,
Becky

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Sunshine "ugly " fabric challenge blocks finished

2009-11-17T10:30:00.006-06:00

All the blocks for the king size quilt I'm making from the Stashbuster Ugly Fabric Challenge are finished. I made 36 - 6" blocks, and 28 - 12" blocks. I'm tired of making blocks from this group of fabrics. The EQ drawing at the top is similar to the set I'm using. I haven't figured out how to make sashing in the borders in EQ. I decided I didn't want to have to deal with pressing points back with so many of them in this quilt. I'm putting about 1-1/2" sashing between each block in both borders, so I'm using one less block than it shows. I'm so ready to stop working on this. However, I'm going to persevere as this is a Christmas present.
Giant Templates - Our giant zig-zag templates for the Circle Lord arrived late yesterday! I'm planning on playing with them this afternoon. They are my Christmas present, but I need to finish other Christmas presents with them so I didn't wait until the 25th to open them. I hope I like them as well as I do the spirals. I really want to be inspired about using the long arm machine so I don't think about the discomfort in my feet and legs. I really want to be able to do this. I'm so inspired by others' quilting, and know I can do some of it if I just make myself practice. PPP - that's what it takes.
Happy quilting,
Becky

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Another big star center finished

2009-11-07T21:27:00.005-06:00

I must have Big Stars on the brain. Today I finished the center of the Stashbuster Ugly fabric Challenge quilt. This will be a king-size Christmas present. The center is 48" square. The other picture is of the finished blocks to surround the center. It will have a plain border, a border of 6" blocks, another plain border, then a border of 12" blocks. I need to sew a lot, as I still need about 12 more blocks of each size.

I did go down to the long-arm and loaded the two charity quilts that were on the design wall last Monday. My friend wanted to try a pantograph on something before she tried to do it on a snowman quilt top she made. The first pass was a bit rocky. I left it for her to practice. I hope she finishes them soon, as I have 4 tops waiting that need to be finished by Christmas. I really wish I was better at the long-arm, but it takes constant practice, and I don't do that right now. Even just loading and helping her get started was rough on my joints. I really wish I could have retired sooner, but I can't go back. Oh, well, at least I can still cut and piece tops to my heart's content.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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Shredded carrots - never again

2009-11-06T05:39:00.006-06:00

Oh, the innocent-appearing shredded carrot. The restaurant I ate at (not for long) last evening garnishes their garden salad with them. Do you see how they curl a bit on the end? If you get a piece with that curly end down in your windpipe, it gets stuck! You, of course, have to cough, and cough, and cough, but every time you try to take a breath that thing gets pulled further into your lungs. The patrons of the (nice) restaurant look at you with wide eyes, the manager and wait staff come running, your daughter tries a Heimlich but you push her away because you've taught CPR so many years and you keep thinking no Heimlich if "they" are still moving air past the obstruction. You now understand about panic! When you finally cough that now nasty carrot and other contents up in your hand, no one wants you to go to the bathroom alone to wash - and an old OR nurse can't stand "contaminated" hands!

After everyone sits back down, your 3-year-old DGD crawls under the table to your side and asks "Dramma all right?" She then demonstrates how to cover her mouth when you cough like they do in preschool. The manager offers you ice cream, on the house, to try and "ease" your throat; DGD has to have a bite, and says "nasty" - they have a bit of nutmeg in their vanilla. Wait staff, and manager, come back several times as things are starting to swell, and wheezing accompanies the coughing. Take-home boxes appear, DD makes an appeal for an expedited check, the manager walks you out and helps you in the car, and everyone goes down the street to the local ER.

The security guard at the door tells you to put on a mask (NOT) since you are coughing, wheezing, unable to talk - DD is parking the car. The desk clerk pushes a button and in what seems like an hour, but was probably about a minute, an (excellent) nurse appears with a wheelchair, takes you straight back into a room, calls for a respiratory therapist, helps the admitting nurse takes vitals, and says he'll have the doctor write the order when the chart gets into the computer. Good, good triage nurse. DGD has to be up on the bed with you to make sure they are taking care of Dramma okay. The dinner out was a "treat" for her as she "survived" allergy skin tests earlier in the afternoon. She stands right next to the nurse and watches when she puts that plastic tube in Dramma's hand.

The rest is like you've done before: breathing treatment, an IV line "just in case", chest x-ray to check for remaining particles, an indirect laryngoscopy to look for damage (man does that Cetacaine taste bad), a bit of steroid for the road after feeling comes back to your throat. When Dramma stands up, DGD sits up on the bed, lays the BP cuff and O2 saturation monitor on her hand and says "my turn" and throws a fit when she doesn't get a "tiger" bandaide. This girl has no fear of hospital things - they've been a part of her life since birth weighing 2.7 lbs. By 8:30 PM you are at home, assuring everyone you are fine, and can really be alone - with the phone by your side - as DH is out of town playing with trains, again.

Oh, the manager at Longhorn - very nice man - gave DD his work and cell number, and wanted her to call when things were settled. (I did apologize for making them have to fill out an incident report.) DD did call, and next Tuesday, Wed, or Thursday, we will receive a free dinner, on him. I finished my steak about 1:30 this morning, with small bites, and it really tasted good. I think, however, that I will check for alternatives to salad for a while.

Hopefully tomorrow we can do some
Happy quilting,
Becky
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Quilts for kids tops finished- My design wall

2009-11-02T15:11:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I started and finished the quilt kit for Quilts for Kids. They ask that you send another quilt made from your stash. I had this Disappearing 9 Patch cut out, so today I finished it. If I ever make it down to the quilting machine, they can be loaded together on one backing for quilting. It is much faster that way. I'll either send back their backing, or use it on another charity project.

I haven't been quilting on the big machine, other than the small quilt for the railroad symposium. My stamina and pain tolerance aren't what they used to be, and one quilt on the long-arm usually costs me an additional day of rest (rather than doing the things I want). I only work 2-3 hours in a day, with a rest time each hour, but it still is a problem. I'm having my second total knee the end of the year, and I'm hoping things will be better. I think we have found the problem, and fixed it, that created the slow, and incomplete recovery with the first knee. I feel as if I've let down the Heartstrings Quilt Project, because I have more tops here to finish, but it is taking a long time. I WILL finish them, later if not sooner. Right now I'm trying to finish up Christmas presents, as I will have have to stop some medications mid-December, so need to finish soon.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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V & T train quilt to new owner

2009-10-21T18:34:00.005-05:00

The train quilt was finished, and delivered to the Friends of the Nevada State Railroad Museum for their silent auction last weekend. It made $125, which I thought was good for a drag-around size. We had two grandparents striving for it, so it went higher than I expected. I did, however, tell my husband he had to buy it if it didn't go for at least $75. I didn't have to worry. It was won by a quilter / grandma for her grandson, and the quilt was being sent back to Missouri, but to St. Louis this time. People seemed to enjoy the back art big star, made from scraps, so I may have to rethink always using one-piece backs for my quilts. When I was quilting this quilt, I didn't have problems with the dreaded "baggy back". I did pay attention while loading it so I could center the star left-to-right. I deliberately didn't center it top to bottom. I'm holding it upside down, so the extra on the bottom would tuck in and still leave the whole big star on the top of the bed.

QUILT SHOPS
I had a wonderful time at the symposium, which was over on Sunday after seeing the McKeene car nearly restored. We stayed over an extra day, and drove down to Gardnerville, NV to the quilt shop there. It was wonderful! They had a collection of antique sewing machines - and child sewing machines that was wonderful to see. On top of one set of shelves was an old, but beautiful Singer that appeared to be a chain stitcher. I have a Willcox and Gibbs, but have never seen the Singer one. It wasn't listed for sale. I did a planned buy - two pieces of light blue, a serendipity backing of flannel for the Cabin in the Woods (40% off), two fat quarter bundles - red and white for DGD2, and pinks (I'm out) for DGD1. That just left 2 one yard pieces of diagonal stripes to use for binding on the QOV tops I need to finish. I didn't plan to buy them, but didn't want to pass it up, either. We also took in the Windy Moon quilt shop in Reno. I would love to have that place near me, because they have lots and lots of stuff - some of the older fabrics and such. If I ran out of something needed to finish an older project, I might be able to find it here. I only bought one panel which is a bright colored train tote bag kit. DGD2 is using my basket to store Thomas (the tank engine) track and cars, and I would like it back! Hopefully I can finish this for her for Christmas. Who knows what I would have purchased if I had more luggage space. I had carried on the quilt, and the fabric purchases just fit in that space.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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Back art finished, creeping crud

2009-10-09T19:34:00.011-05:00

The picture above, left, has now become the picture on the right, so the back art is now finished. I hope I feel good enough tomorrow to load the front, bottom left, and the back on the quilting machine. I'm in a quandary how to quilt it. I was going to quilt it following the piecing lines, such as Mary http://blog.maryquilts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/DSCN7803.JPG
has done on the Heartstrings Happy blocks, but my center patches are 6" rather than the usual 4", so I thought I would have to quilt in the centers. Then the border is 8 1/2", so now what should I do? The train fabric has little swirls with 4 dots, almost like a bass cleft, including the border fabric. I suppose I could fall back on my swirls templates, but they will really mask the train blocks, and seem to make a quilt less puffy than I would like. Maybe I should try a panto?? Any comments /ideas would be helpful. DH asked if I was binding it all on by machine, but I think I want to hand turn it if I can. I think I can eke out enough binding from the last of the lime green fabric - I hope. This trying to use up every last bit of fabric from one project can really cut you close.
Creeping Crud
For the last four weeks I have been taking care of DH, then DGD#2 with all their respiratory viruses, pneumonia, etc. Why now, when they are nearly well, do I have to come down with it? I started antibiotics and breathing treatments yesterday, so hopefully I will have enough energy to quilt this top tomorrow, and sew the binding on. I may be finishing it on the plane, as we leave Thursday for the V & T symposium.
Happy quilting,
Becky

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What's on my design wall 10/5/09

2009-10-05T10:08:00.004-05:00

The train donation top is finished, and I started playing with the scraps for some back art. I don't know where I picked up this obsession of using up all the small scraps before I move on to another project. I'm sorry the train quilt picture is a little fuzzy, and the colors are closer to real in the backart picture. I hope to start quilting it tomorrow, so will have a finished picture in about 3 days (I hope).

Backyard update
I'm still playing in the back yard with iris transplanting. I became frustrated Saturday - I thought I would have the help of DGS - and he's such good help - but he had to go home too early. I was trying to hold an iris with my grabber in one hand, and use the hoe to pull dirt over the rhizomes. DH came home, and I asked him to come outside in about 20 minutes and help me stand up. Then I did what I call the "Mom Ackley" way of gardening. She sat on a cushion and inched her way down thru the garden area. She was, however, able to take off one leg to get it out of the way. It was probably quite a show when DH came out and tried to help me up. I can't get my feet back under me to be pulled up. I finally scooted on my bottom down to a swale in the yard so my feet were lower than my bottom, and then he pulled me up. Note to self: Don't get down on the ground when you are alone. I sure hope when I have the second knee done, I will be able to kneel.

Happy quilting,
Becky
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Help with Layout , please

2009-09-29T21:44:00.010-05:00

I'm not sure how blogger will put these, but let's call the far left one - A, then b, c, d, as they go down. I could use some help deciding on a layout for these blocks. They are happy blocks with train fabric in the middle, and the border fabric is also trains. There is a border for the bottom, I just couldn't reach it very well. It's a donation quilt for the V&T symposium - a group trying to rebuild the Virgina and Truckee Railroad, but they also are friends of the Nevada State Railroad Museum. We go in a couple of weeks, so I need to get this one finished. I can't decide on a layout. If you would leave a comment on which one you like best, I would appreciate it. It is easier to see now that they are in small pictures, so I would really appreciate your feedback. Thanks.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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What design wall????

2009-09-27T21:19:00.017-05:00

If you are expecting to read a quilting post here, now is the time to move on to another blog. I haven't been in the hobby / quilting room for about 2 weeks. I'm writing this posting to "journal" about the work we've been doing mainly on property that doesn't belong to us.
Our Back Yard
This is the view of our back yard looking west from near the east edge of our property. We have been here about 4 years; we were the first house on the cul-de-sac. The back "yard" was awash with mud and the hillside oozing down on us. We've put in all this "landscaping" for water control, and because I like flowers. The two retaining walls have flowerbeds that are my arm's length wide, so I can play with flowers while standing up, since I can't reach the ground anymore.

This was the west side of our property during a rain storm, after we put in our landscaping. The developer did a lot of grading after this picture was taken, but the "gully" of water still remained whenever it rained hard. About six months ago, several of the owners of houses on the far side of this mess decided to stop the flow on their side, by digging a ditch on our side and running plastic pipe from their sump pumps across the walking path, and dumping it on our property. We ended up with a ditch about a foot wide and a foot deep between our yard and the path (asphalt). After a lot of hubbub, the city getting involved, a possible lawsuit for loss of a real estate sale, etc, we had a meeting, and discussed what to do. I ended up asking if anyone had a problem if we cleaned up the common area on our side, and made it part of our yard for the time being. Did I mention that the development was foreclosed on, the builder bankrupt and such about a month before the neighbor did all the bobcat work?
The new gully

This is now the new "gully". My DS brought his tractor and did two days or grading and filling the ditch, also recreating a swale at the back of the property to keep the hillside water from washing out. Throughout this past week I have been digging out along the asphalt, removing dirt and weeds so that we could lay sod yesterday. Some of the sod was older, hence the yellowness, but they assure me with water it will do fine. This is 68 rolls of sod, black dirt to fill the seams, and seeding on all the areas that still are bare. My son also made me four iris beds along the back - you can see one in the left pictur e. For two weeks DGS and I have been digging up iris from the two raised beds, and preparing them for planting in the new beds. I still have one more iris bed to dig up. Two of the new beds are now planted, two to go, and the bed on the side of the house needs digging and replanting. We also have to do some sprinkler work so we can water the sod and seedings on the area we fixed that doesn't belong to us. If another developer ever buys this, all our work will probably be bulldozed to make room for more houses. I hope it is a long time coming.

The Great Panda Heist
This panda had been in our front yard for 4 years. A few weeks ago, a huge moving truck filled our cul-de-sac, and a van-load of movers parked right next to our yard - all of them were parked weird. When they left, my panda was missing. My DGDs both love the panda. This one likes to run outside and kiss the panda. Last Halloween she was seen feeding it. I had that panda for about 15 years, and gave it a new paint job for the move to the new house. It was light weight, as it was hollow. Everyone asks what happened to it.

While I was buying sod, I took time to check out all the statuary at the nursery. This is an old nursery, run by an old man who never gets rid of things. In the very back of the place I found this panda - in bad shape - and asked for a price. I bought it, and it now resides on my workbench, waiting for repair and repainting. It took 3 strong 12 year olds to lift it out of the truck and onto the workbench. I bet no one will steal THIS panda.

I hope when I finish all this, I can resume quilting. I keep dreaming about it, missing it. Christmas is coming, and I have a lot of things to finish. I scheduled my next total knee replacement for late December, so I need to put together some handwork I can do while recuperating.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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What's on my design wall 9/14/09

2009-09-14T14:36:00.006-05:00

I'm working (slowly it seems) on putting together the Cabin in the Woods to use up all the flannel left from the Big Star Buffalo quilt. On the other design wall are some happy blocks I'm using as leaders / enders. They have train fabric in the center. Every October there is a meeting of the friends of the Nevada State Railroad Museum. I usually go with my DH about every other year. They have a silent auction at the symposium - donations from members - usually railroad related items. I thought I would donate the Happy Block quilt (if I finish it in time). The group is trying to rebuild the V&T (Virgina & Truckee) railroad from Virginia City to Carson City. It is now open to Mound House. DH is a speaker again this year, but we will have to make time to ride the railroad, and visit quilt shops, as well as attend the symposium. I don't think Carson City has any, but we fly in and out of Reno, and I know of some quilt shops there.
Happy Quilting,
Becky

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Triangle labels, Stashbuster syle

2009-09-11T22:41:00.012-05:00

A Stashbuster member asked me to put some pictures up on how I made my labels. This is NOT my idea - someone else came up with this quick way to do labels.
#1 - I use Word to make the label to print on "Miracle fabric sheets". I start 5" down from the top of the page. As I add information, I make the lines shorter, and centered, so they will fit into a triangle.
#2 - After printing the label on fabric, heat-setting, rinsing, drying and ironing the label, I fold it in half.

#3 - I use a 6" bias square and line it up on the fold, then rotary cut it on both sides.
#4 - You end up with a triangle of fabric 2 layers thick with the fold at the top.
#5 - Put the label in the corner of the quilt you want to label, and sew it in with the binding. You can slip-stitch the top down if you want. Some people suggest adding some pieces of the quilt fabric underneath the flap before sewing it down - to have some for repairs if needed.

Thanks to whoever first wrote about this method on Stashbusters. It is really easy and quick.

I usually buy my "Miracle Fabric Sheets" from http://www.cjenkinscompany.com They run a lot of sales, and I've never had any problems with their sheets. There are other good brands out there, but there are also a few where the printing rubs off very quickly. This website also has good information about how to get the best results.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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Big Star Buffalo Quilt delivered

2009-09-09T15:37:00.007-05:00

We returned last night (early this morning) from visiting friends in Coeur d'Alene. The picture above is when we were out on the boat in the lake. It was so beautiful. The weather was overcast, which allowed me to take lots of pictures to use as examples of landscape colors in toned colors. It also made it very comfortable (temperature-wise), and it didn't increase my sunburn.
I delivered the big star buffalo quilt to our friends, Chris and Patty. Chris said he moved to Idaho so he could have a buffalo ranch, but right now the only buffalo are in the various decorations around their house. Maybe someday. They both loved the quilt. We are holding it over the edge of the loft in their home, where you can spend the day just enjoying the view from the living room, as most of the two outside walls are huge glass windows.
A few people have asked for directions for the Big Star, so I think I will do a tutorial, but not for a few days. Instead of a brief flight from Spokane to Seattle, then a non-stop home to Kansas City, the airline delayed the first flight, so the connection was out of the picture. They then re-routed us to Las Vegas, to Denver, then finally home after a 4 1/2 hour layover in Denver, and a race for the flight in Vegas. Going out the trip was great, all on time. I'm still really tired, so this is the extent of trying to write on the computer today. Hopefully I will be back to quilting tomorrow.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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What's on my design wall 8/31/09

2009-08-31T13:05:00.005-05:00

What's NOT on my design wall - the Big Star Buffalo Ranch quilt. It is finished, label and everything. It is folded up to become my carry-on luggage for our trip on Thursday. Chris has a loft, with a railing, so hopefully I can get a picture there. The label includes the admonition to use with two persons so you can fight your way out from underneath it and not smother! A king flannel quilt, even with light batting, is one heavy dude!
So what do we do with the leftovers? Start another quilt. I had wanted to use the panel seen in the left picture on Chris's quilt, but it wouldn't work with any setting I could come up with for a king - square - quilt. This will be a long lap quilt, and I am trying to use up all the left-over fabric scraps on it. Some of the checkerboard background is pieced - one 2" square has three pieces in it. I had to introduce the striped background for some of the last round (the block on the right), but I had purchased it to use as binding for the Big Star, but chose the green instead. This quilt will probably become a Christmas present.
Happy Quilting,
Becky

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Not really a design wall....

2009-08-23T15:14:00.002-05:00

I know this doesn't look like a design wall, but it is what I've been doing today. DSIL is growing a garden for the first time this year. Tomatoes have been late because we haven't had very many hot, sunny days for August. We went over to see DGD and take her a birthday present because she was too sick to have a party (she's 3). Their table was covered with tomatoes that were ripening - ripe. I offered to "do something with them", so we loaded then in two flat boxes to bring them home. DGD started crying and fussing - she didn't like it that we were taking all her tomatoes! I've emailed this photo to them so she can see what happens at grandma's house. If she wasn't sick, I would have brought her home to "help". I was surprised I could remember how to can, and that I had enough jars and lids. I've given most of that stuff away over the years. The kids and I used to do it every year as a family project - beans, tomatoes, applesauce, and frozen peaches. Now it is so easy to buy stuff, and I don't have the financial constraints - wait - we may be back to thinking like that with this economy. DH and I are off to St. Charles, MO for a few days away to pretend we are having a vacation this year. There's quilt shops, antique shops, and an old "carriage car plant" that made railroad cars. Something for everyone.
Happy Quilting,
Becky

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What's on my design wall 8/17/09

2009-08-17T11:04:00.004-05:00

Some days you just want a bit of a challenge. Last evening DH was out playing with trains, and I decided to cut out the "Secret project" pieces. A small amount of it can be seen in the right photo, however it covers the entire wall. One piece of fabric is a red batik, and I decided I couldn't cut it until I washed it with Retayne, so put it in the washer. I stopped working on that, and decided to make a 12" Ice Crystals Block. It's like making a rolling star, and then adding 4 half LeMoyne stars around the edges. The small diamonds 1 3/4" certainly furnished the challenge. The block pictured on the left with the other Blazing stars is actually from left-overs of my DD's wedding quilt. I followed a picture in one of Joen Wolfrom's books which used red, black, grey, and white (after receiving permission from the maker who was flattered that my DD picked her quilt). It had a log cabin center, a pieced red inner border of the medallion, then gradated rail fence blocks that used the greys and black and whites. Everything was made from 1 3/4" strips, so I cut a lot of fat quarters into them. Many of the greys were not used at all. Black and whites in different values were just coming into large production, and they really did a better job on the gradations. Of course, I have to use up all the left-overs. After making the snow crystal block, and seeing how poorly it plays with the blazing stars, I think I need to make at least two quilts, one with the greys, and one with the red/B&W.
If the rain ever lets up, I'll be going down the street to the longarm and loading the Big Star. I need to have it quilted and off the machine in the next few days to meet my timeline. I plan to hand stitch the binding - it is a gift - and at 120" each side, I think it will take a while. I may be binding on the plane Labor Day weekend. We have some long lay-overs, and I'm not trusting the quilt to baggage handlers.
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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Completion of give-away

2009-08-16T11:00:00.006-05:00

It doesn't take much to amuse us this morning. DH and I are sitting at our computers in the library, and the 2 older DGC are playing in here as well. We have a small metal file cabinet between us, and there is a small box of magnetic letters sitting on top of it. DGD started to grab the letters, and DH said "The letters are asleep" and said she couldn't have them. The 4 year old looked at him and said"Letters don't sleep". We all had a good laugh, and now she is putting the letters in alphabetical order on the file cabinet, with the assurance she will put them back in the box when finished.
Back to quilting! The random number generator has declared http://thequilter.blogspot.com/ Paula the winner of the three hankies pictured in http://beckyquiltobsession.blogspot.com/2009/08/give-away-hankies-hanky-quilts.html this session. However, If you would like one of the other hankies - sorry, no crocheted ones - please send me your email and I will send you one of my choosing. If you want to specify a color you might like, please do so.
I've looked at all the pictures in webshots, three books on hanky quilts, and have decided I need to do one similar to the dancing senorita. I found (and bought) this embroidery pattern on some one's website. I hope to adapt it to some hanky blocks. The hanky quilt will have to wait until I finish the Big Star and one other quilt, then I will play with it. I always like to "think about" a possible quilt for a while, mulling it over in my mind until the desired design becomes clearer. It usually changes when I actually start / finish the quilt, but I enjoy the process as much as the finished product. I'm sure that's why I have so many UFO's. LOL
Happy Quilting,
Becky
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