Baby Quilt on the make - My Quilting Projects

This Cute! Pattern from Studio E Fabrics was a challenge to work with. Not a pattern for a beginner quilter.  "Choo Choo Dinoz" is made using a panel of baby dinoz and some great fabrics.  I was asked to complete this quilt by my granddaughter Bobby Jean for her little boy Emmett.  It is ready for borders now and I will be backing it with minky fabric which is soft and cuddly.  Just what a little guy needs.  I am hoping to have this done by the end of next week.  

Then on to my next project - a quilt for my great grandson Ethan.  "Dr Seuss" - I completed the quilt top during the early summer and can't wait to complete it.  During my travels this past summer I was able to get a Cat in the Hat panel that I want to use for the backing at the Eagle Creek Quilt Shop in Shakopee, MN.  

this past week I was able to deliver my "Winnie the Pooh" baby quilt for my granddaughter Amelia.  I had also completed the quilt top earlier this summer and finished quilting the top just this past week.  I enjoyed making this pattern.  it was a disappering nine patch using Winnie the Pooh 7 1/2" squares along with 30's fabric.  In my travels this summer I was able to pick up Winnie The Pooh fabric for $4 a pound in a great little shop - the West Virginia Quilt Shop in barboursville W VA

 

more finishes for finish Friday this week

The Paper Pieced Crazy Quilted Postcard Mug Rug yesterday but was unable to upload a picture here on my blog. I am having trouble with my internet  explorer and can't seem to get on blogspot to write so I am writing from my tablet.  Thank goodness.  You can see a picture of it on my facebook page Quilting and Sewing or the FB group Quilting.  This is a picture of it unbound.  You can see Block #'s 1 & 2 in my previous blog, (which was meant to be posted on Friday.).  Block 3 is also finished  in shades of blue, I haven't crazy quilted it yet, it will be saved as a 4 1/2" x 6 1/2"  block and sewn together with the 12 other BOM's made over the course of the year.

My Crazy Quilted Postcard BOM Block #2 used in a Mug Rug.  

my 1st Friday Finishes for 2014

 Here is my 1st Friday Finishes for 2014

I decided to join the QUILTING group on Face book for their monthly BOM - a Paper Pieced Postcard, rug-mug & wall quilt.  Each month we will be given a Paper piecing pattern to use to make all 3 - I completed my Pieced Postcard Block #1 and am working on my mug rug. Since I love paper piecing I do think I will Enjoy these projects.  

I have finished my Pieced Postcard Block #2 and have made it into a mug rug. it just needs binding and it will be complete. 

Pieced and Quilted PostCard Block #2

a close up of the crazy quilting I did on this block

This is the Rug Mug made using Pieced & Quilted Postcard Block #2

2014 BOM Paper Pieced Quilted Postcards

Today I worked on my January Paper Pieced Quilted Postcards that I am following on Facebook group QUILTING.  Carol Ann Ferrari-Rogers uploaded a pattern for us to follow for our January BOM.  It is a paper pieced block measuring 41 /2" x 6 1/2" unfinished.  For each month we have the option to make 3 blocks using one for a postcard, one for a mug rug and one to be sewn together at the end of the year for a wall quilt hanging.  Each person can choose to make one or all three of each months paper piecing pattern.  I feel like I want to make all 3.  Here is the finished January block for my Postcard.  Thank you Helena Dantoni for the pattern. 

Paper Pieced finished Block

My Finished Quilted Postcard
 



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A new year of quilting has begun for me

It's a new year and time to review those projects that I completed and those that need to be finished.  A nice sunny cold day outside.  the wind chill is horrific but it promises to be a warmer day today.  in the upper 20's lol - I just took my car in for an oil change and it was a wicked short walk to my car after it was finished due to the winds.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!!!!!!!!  I am seriously contemplating moving to a warmer climate by years end.  Where I'm not sure but I do need it to be somewhere warmer year round.  My rheumatoid arthritis is kicking ass this winter and it hasn't even started! 
But on to warmer thoughts of quilts, sewing and relaxing in my sewing studio! 
My first project I want to finish this month is the Baby Quilt I am making for my newest granddaughter Amelia.  I just have to finish quilting it since the binding is already done.  I can see it now sitting on my sewing machine - almost ready, a small project but a perfct one to start the new year! 

Then I will review my finished projects for 2013



Binding applied and now I am working on quilting it.

 A close p of Winnie the Pooh. 

Baby quilt top ready to be quilted.

 

Happy New Year 2014!

A cold February Day 2013

 

Remembering the cold weather that lasted thru May of 2013 Brrrrrrrr!

Today is New Year's Eve Day.  The end of 2013 Tomorrow is the Beginning of 2014 - A fresh start and a time for renewal for many.  I sit here at my keyboard looking out my window, it is - 8 degrees outside here in Hudson Wisconsin. the Sky is light with some sunshine showing thru& the trees look grey covered with a light coating of snow.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!  My home feels cold and my back is bent over making it difficult to walk around this morning.  Right away I turn up the heat and head for the microwave to warm up a hot cup of Cocoa and make a warm bowl of oatmeal so I can take my morning meds.  I am seriously thinking I need to move to a warmer climate.  These old bones of mine can't take this chill.... I am cold and feel miserable this am, wanting to get into my sewing room to organize it for the new year of fun projects but not feeling warm enough to be able to sit and bend freely.  Yes a warm climate would be nice this time of year!  I sit here reflecting on my need for warmth knowing I need to move to the kitchen for breakfast so I can enjoy my day, take my meds and continue to reflect on this day..  Today I plan to look at those accomplishments, and happy times of 2013 and look forward to a great New Year.  Welcome 2014!!!!  I hope the chill does not last as long this winter as it did last winter. 

The Holiday Craft and Bake Sale was a success

My churches Holiday Bake and Craft Sale was a great success again this year. All of the pot holders I made and some of my coaster sets sold.  I always enjoy seeing all of the different things that the other talented crafters and bakers make.  I took pictures to post but my computer is not behaving so I am not able to post them tonight.

On our Speakers at the Patchwork Harvest Quilt Show XI

 

"Saturday's Speaker was Debbie Bowles of  Maple Island Quilts.  I did not catch her 1st in the morning but I was told it was standing room only but I did see her trunk show at her 2pm presentation On Curves and It was very enjoyable.   She showed how she cut the Curves for her quilts by varying the width and length of her fabrics and layering dark and lights. She was a very informative  Speaker. 

Yesterday at the Patchwork Harvest XI Quilt Show I met our speaker Lori Allison.  Wow did she have a great trunk show of quilts to show us.  You can catch and interview with her here with  "the trip around the world block " That she had in her Trunk show.  She loves Kaffee Fassett Fabrics and you can view some of her other quilts she designed using them by clicking here.  I was very inspired by her way of doing easy strip piecing and cutting techniques to achieve these spectacular quilts.  I enjoyed her quilt "the Candy Queen" and the Feathering on her pattern "Feather my Vest".

 

I'm off to the Patchwork Harvest XI Quilt Show today!

I hope you will all join me at the Patchwork Harvest XI Quilt Show Today at the Middle School in Hudson WI from 11am - 4pm at 1300 Carmichael Road.   Come and see the marvelous quilts done by the Ladies and Men of the Hudson Heritage Quilters.  Yesterday the Mayor and his wife stopped by and enjoyed the show.  We have a variety of vendors there for you and a silent auction too.  You can catch me at the Raffle ticket table by our lovely Raffle quilt done by the ladies of the Guild.  Later I will be at the admission table in the afternoon.  at 1pm today our Speaker will be Lori Allison  of Allison Designs.  Yesterday our speaker was Debbie Bowles of Maple Island Designs.  She gave two presentations and I understand the morning one was standing room only.  I missed that one but was able to be there for her afternoon presentations and it was quite awesome.  She discussed Curves from her book on using curves in quilts and her quilts were very spectacular.  Hope to see you there.  - Diane Swett 

It's a great Saturday Morning in November

A Triangle Bag I made at the February Retreat 2013

Today is the 1st Saturday in November.  I am planning to finish more coaster sets and pot holders.  Yesterday I ordered two pot holder pattern sets from Annies e-patterns Central.  Last night I made the templates and cut them out for each pattern.  I can't wait to use up more scraps on these pot holders. 

 I also downloaded a free pattern yesterday  for Triangle purses from Pintrest. I have been making these little triangles purses since this spring in preparation for Christmas.  Thank you Dale Potter for your pattern.  It has given me a new perspective on how to make them in a simpler way. Here are some I have already made.
Thursday the pattern arrived for the Spinning Diamonds Quilts.  Now to gather my fabrics for this quilt.  I am excited because this will be my 1st quilt using Batiks. 

Other bags I made during the spring/summer 3013
in Preparation for Christmas

Town Square
Pot Holders 

Six Mosaic Pot Holders

 

Quilted at the point Tuesday morning with my quilting buddies Gwen & Frank

a pair of Mug Buddies Coasters ready for binding

 

yesterday morning I joined my quilting buddies at the point for our usual Tuesday morning quilting session.  we each worked on items that we want to place in the Holiday Craft Fair.  It was a nice cool autumn day and we were getting and matching colors for our projects.  I chose more fabric for my mug buddies that I am making.  I have 5 sets of 2 sandwiched together and ready for binding and just need to make 5 more sets.  I also started working on a hot pad similar to the ones I made last year.  I want to make 10 of these for the sale in different kitchen colors using a crazy quilting pattern.  Wow I have a lot to do.  I am also working on a Halloween Candle mat using a free table runner pattern I downloaded from a blog.  I am using fabric from my winnings when I went on the Fall Harvest Shop Hop Bus trip.   

Scrappy Pot Holder 2012

Halloween Fat Quarters "My Winnings"

A tutorial for a "Spinning Diamonds" Quilt by Kaye Woods

Spinning Diamonds a pattern
by Kaye Woods

This morning I awoke early so I was looking on Pintrest for some quilting ideas using my smart phone.  I came across this YouTube tutorial by Kaye Wood on "spinning Diamonds".  The technique seemed easy and the quilt looked complex.  I guess that is why I pinned it.  I watched the video on You Tube while I ate my breakfast and visited the website and decided to order the pattern.  So now I can't wait to receive the pattern in the mail, but I will collect the fabric I want to use.  I have decided to use Batiks for this quilt.  This will be my 1st time using batiks and I am excited about that.  I have seen other in my quilt club using batiks for a blooming 9 patch and they were so pretty.  The pattern uses 9 different fabrics ranging from light blue, pinks, purples, greens and deep blues, cut into 2 1/2" strips with strips sets of 5 pieced together.  I will post pictures of my project when I start working on it. 

It was a dreary Saturday morning until I went to my Hudson Heritage Quilting Guild meeting.

I awoke early this morning to a dreary cloudy & rainy morning.  It was cold out this am, only 36 degrees.  I contemplated staying home this am instead of going to my HHQ mtg.  I am so glad that I decided to go tho.  A lot was covered regarding the upcoming Patchwork Harvest Quilt Show XI we are having in November.  When I entered I noticed a table with a few items on it, and a couple of beautifully pieced and embellished crazy quilt style blocks.  I was immediately drawn to them.  I love to do crazy quilting myself and was delighted to see that someone else did too.  We discussed the upcoming Fall Holiday Quilt Show at the Middle School and other guild business then it was show and tell time.  after a break we had a presentation by Linda Lemon Keller, she showed us her wall hangings she had done using wool and doing it in crazy quilting and embroidery.  Wow what a great inspiration was she.  she also shared her library of good books on Embroidery and creativity.  I already have on book by Judith Baker Montano on Elegant Stitches.  I plan on adding to my own library some of the books she had on her list.  Here are some pictures of my own crazy quilting on hot pads and embroidery and applique block with beaded embroidery on it.
 

Halloween is fast approching and I have a Surprize!

With Halloween on the way I have been busy making some cute goodies using the 5 Fat Quarters I won on the Fall Harvest Quilting Shop Hop Bus Trip I went on recently.  These fabrics are the cutest Halloween fabrics and I am enjoying working with them.  Keep tuned in to see what these fun fabrics become.  :)

A SMALL NEEDLE CASE FOR YOUR EMBROIDERY, APPLIQUE, SEWING & QUILTING NEEDLES

This Friday at my ASG mtg, (American Sewing Guild), I am in charge of the craft instruction. I put together a kit for each person at the meeting to make small needle case.  This could be part of your sewing kit, kept with  embroidery or applique threads or as a part of your quilting kit to hold your quilting needles.  I use mine when I need to finish my quilt binding and to bury knots on the quilt top after machine quilting.   

 

A small neelde case

Patterned fabric - 2 1/2" x 4"

Batting or Felt 1 1/2" x 2"

button for front

needle & a legnth of of thread

Directions:
fold pattern fabric in half wrong sides together - it will measure 2" x 2 1/2" - finger crease fold then open

place batting and/or felt at the top of the fold.

Thread the needle and sew thru all fabrics near the fold, catching the batting along the legnth of the fold.

sew button on the front of the case.

place needles thru batting - Now you have a needle case to use with your applique projects or quilting projects or to place in your sewing kit.

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

The Harvest Sampler Shop Hop Bus Tour October 12th 2013

 Saturday October 12th


Pumpkin Hollow by Bunny Hill Designs
Block of the Month at Quilter's Haven in Rosemont MN

I went on a bus ride with my quilting friends from Hudson for the HARVEST SAMPLER SHOP HOP.  I awoke early at 3:30 am, (a whole hour before the alarm went off)     It was still dark out, the air had a chill to it and the wind was picking up.  I dressed and ate breakfast and left the house about 6:15 to drive downtown Hudson, WI to my 1st Hop Shop -  "Sew Little Time" Quilt Shop in to meet the other ladies and wait for the bus. This is my Local Quilt shop and I enjoy taking classes and 1st Tuesday Quilt club and Meeting my friends in the Civil War Quilt Club.   Judy and Carol were already there and Karol-Lee drove in just after me.  The parking lot began to fill with the other ladies coming to catch the bus.  We were all excited and chatted while we had coffee and doughnuts at the shop and signed our "PASSPORT'S" for the trip. Linda gave us our pair of fat 8's & our 1st Block, "Autumn Basket", and a goody bag to take with us.  The Finished Quilt Showing all the Blocks was hung on the wall above the counter. 

Finally the bus arrived and we were off to our 1st shop. As we started on our way names were drawn from a bag for door prizes.  To my surprise and delight my name was drawn and I chose a prize of 5 fat Quarter of Halloween fabric.  I already had a project in mind, earlier in the morning while I was reading an email from www.FreeQuiltPatterns.info I downloaded a Free Pattern: Fall Table Runner by Melissa 

Our 1st & 2nd Blocks - "Autumn Basket"
 from Sew Little Time QS in Hudson WI, &
  "Doris Delight" from Quilter's Haven in Rosemont
MN with 2 fat 8's each 

Halloween Fat Quarters - My winnings

The fabrics I bought while on the Shop Hop

My Third Block, "Richmond" at Eagle Creek Quilt Shop

 

   

Our 1st stop was "Quilter's Haven" in Rosemont MN.   This was my 1st visit here, the staff were friendly and I enjoyed looking at all the fabrics and displays and was able to find some fabric for the Sock Monkey Baby Quilt I plan to make.  The fabric was a dark brown printed with Baby ABC Blocks.  They had Coffee ready for us and while taking a break in their classroom I enjoyed the Pumpkin Hollow Block of the month by Bunny Hill Designs Quilt that was taking shape on their Classroom wall. 

Back on the bus everyone was checking out each others goodies.  The Chatter & laughter was intoxicating.  We soon arrived at our 3rd Hop Shop Eagle Creek Quilt Shop in Shakopee MN.  It is located in an old renovated Train Station building.  I had visited this shop last winter on another Bus shop hop and could not wait to go inside and check out what they would have in store for us.  On the wall were displays of quilts large and small, felted projects and needle punch.  Every nook and cranny had purses, fat quarters, patterns of all sorts.  On the wall by the children/baby fabrics was a Dr Seuss "Cat in the Hat" Quilt using a panel - wow what an idea it gave me.  I had pieced together a Dr Seuss child's quilt at Quilt Retreat this past summer & that would make a great backing teamed up with some cuddle fabric.  Yes! I did buy the panel.  After coffee and cake we Hopped on the bus and headed on to our next Quit Shop.  We still had three more shops to go,  The Noble Quilter in Elk River MN, Quilted Treasures in Rogers MN and Four Seasons Quilt Shop in Maple Grove MN, each with their own specialties

I enjoyed my visits to each of these last 3 shops.  Each one was so different than the other.  At the Noble Quilter I fell in love with a quilt that was on display there designed by shop owner Angie Roberts whose shop and quilt pattern called Perfect Palette had been featured in Quilt Sampler spring/summer 2013 issue. 

The perfect palette

 

At Quilted Treasures I found some cute baby quilt pattern kits in adorable childrens fabric backed by soft cuddle material.  Then we went to Four Seasons quilt shop in Maple Grove.  I had been here before so I headed towards the back of the shop to thumb thru their 30's materials in children's prints for my Baby Quilt Projects and did pick up 1/2 yard of Civil War Fabric for my Sampler Quilt. 

We arrived back at "Sew Little Time" Quilt shop in Hudson WI about 6pm and Linda the Shop Owner had some treats waiting for us.  Brownies and Ice Cream.  Yum!  I signed up for a finishing kit for the Harvest Quilt and the went home.I got back home about 7pm and looked over all my goodies and reviewed my day, I ate supper and went to bed early that evening.  It was a fun day spent with my quilting friends.