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Thursday, May 31, 2012

A Beautiful Beginning!

I received some stars today
for our STARRY QUILT!!!
THANK YOU!!!

What  a GREAT Beginning
for a WONDERFUL quilt(s)
to be donated to my local
Veteran's Hospital.

DETAILS:
Blocks are 12 1/2" unfinished.
ANY star block is welcome!
Desired colors are
RED, BLUE, YELLOW and WHITE.
Blocks should be mailed by:
JULY 1, 2012.

There was only ONE commentor
who I was not able to contact
because of the No-reply setting
on her profile.
There is a very GOOD
explanation about this topic here.

Please email  me directly
IF you have any trouble.
;)

Happy Sewing!


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Life and quilts

Quilting MEETS us wherever we might be.
Whether it's a BIRTH, GRADUATION....
Or.....
Remembering a loved one like the quilts
I posted about yesterday.

A quilt JOINS us in all the
MOMENTS of life.

Fun moments...
like a picnic.

Sad moments....
Like an illness.

A QUILT is RIGHT there with us!

This Modern quilt
is for a wedding gift.
Another special MOMENT in life!!!!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Mission Accomplished

My quilt Commission is now complete!
There are TWO twin quilts.....
Pieced.
Quilted.
Bound.
and
OFF!!!
to their new owners!

My friend is Soooo looking forward to handing these over
to her Mom and Aunt!
Wish I could be there to see their faces!!!

I'm so Thankful to be a part of
a SPECIAL memory!!!

Isn't that why we quilt???

Sunday, May 27, 2012

trash?

I've said it before......I'll say it again.

ONE quilter's trash...
is
ANOTHER quilter's TREASURE!!!!

These tiny scraps came from a bag given to me
by a quilter who was overwhelmed with the mess.

Some of us like fabric folded neatly in thirds...or...fourths...etc...
Some of us like raggedy bags of jumbled scraps!!!!
Guess who I am???
:0
I DO fold my fabric......most of the time.......
but, I also LOVE those nondescript bags of SCRAPS!!!!!

I sewed the scraps together after determining a loose color scheme.

I found a backing...
Just the right size!!.....in my cupboard.

I added some wool batting...leftover from a previous project.

I then basted the WHOLE thing with some
BIG. UGLY. STITCHES.

It will hold together nicely when I go to hand quilt!!!

Here are the orange embroidery flosses I found in my box of thread.
They're not all the same exact color.
You know what???
I'm not sure that matters!

I now have a new little "take along" project FRIEND!!!!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Starry quilt: a collection

I live very close to a Veteran's Hospital.
During the next month I'd like to make a quilt or TWO to donate!

Would YOU like to help????

If you're interested please send me
a 12 1/2" UNFINISHED star...
ANY kind of star!!!
Using the colors:
blue, white, red or yellow.
ANY SHADE....print or solid....dark or light.
;)
You know me....
I'm not fussy.
.

I made an OHIO STAR
SOooooo...
If you don't want to have to think about
WHAT KIND of star to make...
YOU can make one like I DID!!!
;)

Cut:
 FOUR 4 1/2" squares using LIGHT fabric
ONE 4 1/2" square using Dark fabric

Cut:
TWO 5 1/2" squares using Dark fabric.
ONE 5 1/2" square using light fabric.
ONE 5 1/2" square using medium fabric.

Using your 5 1/2" Squares
Lay ONE dark on a light
and
ONE dark on a medium.

Draw diagonal lines.


Sew on each side of line.
Trim.
Open.
PRESS.

You will have TWO of these sets.
(PHOTO shows only ONE set)

Place one on top of the other other...
making sure that the DARK half is on OPPOSITE sides.


Draw a diagonal line on each set.
Sew.
Trim.
PRESS.

FOUR nice little hourglass blocks.

Trim them to 4 1/2".

Arrange like this.

Sew it together.

Your OHIO STAR should measure 12/ 1/2".

Let me know with a comment if you'd like to help.
I'll email back an address...
so that you can put some LOVE into our
*****STARRY***** quilt!!!

I will be collecting blocks until July 1, 2012
IF you are a no-reply blogger....
I WILL not be able to email you back. :/

Happy SEWING!

Friday, May 25, 2012

a dress!

IF.....you know how to use a sewing machine....
you REALLY should make your little girl a dress....
at least ONCE!
Don't you think???

I finally did it!

I found a FREE pattern here...
that I used as my jumping off place!
If you look at the pattern you'll see....
I didn't follow it
WORD. For. WORD.
;)

Since I made this while my little one was at school
I had an issue with the length.
I made it WAY too short....
Guess I still see her as my BABY. :)
Sooo....
I added that bottom piece.

I added a yo-yo flower to dress it up a bit...
and some elastic around the mid section.


I feel like I've NOW done one of those MOMMY things
you're supposed to DO if you know how to sew!!!

Hey!
I might even do it again! 

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Unexpected happiness

After receiving an unexpected bag of presents scraps yesterday
I immediately set to work.
The bag was upended on the carpet...
and....
All the little strips and pieces were divided....
BY COLOR...
ALL around me!!!!

My son asked about the mess.
I ignored him.
;)

In the picture above you can see the blues
and orange/mustards I found!!!
I wanted to begin sewing them together
RIGHT AWAY!!!!

but.....


When the swirling was done....

I had some FUN!!!!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Determined

I was determined yesterday.
This fabric needed to be a QUILT!!
TODAY!!!!

I was finishing up at dinner time
and
continued cooking and sewing
sort of simultaneously.
;)

Thankfully...... my sewing machine is
only STEPS away from my kitchen!


Some quilts just GET IN ME...
and I have to get THEM OUT.....
OR...
I can't sleep!!!

Well....
this one got done...
and I slept....
PEACEFULLY.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Starting over

I was inspired by this quilt...
and thought I'd try something like it.

Well...
I didn't like it.

So....
I cut my blocks up...
and started over.

That happens sometimes.
:/

I'm using NEW fabric gifted to me
last week for my birthday.

My friends sure KNOW me!!!!
:0

Sunday, May 20, 2012

the UNDERSIDE

This time...
the back of the quilts took JUST AS LONG
as the fronts!!!!
There was a lot of DIGGING around here....
matching....
and
digging some more!!!....
Until I found JUST the right few chunks of fabric
that suited each other.

I've mentioned that I'm trying to USE up what I have on hand.
This isn't always easy.
But, I will say...... it's ALWAYS rewarding!!!

It's good to know I've saved a few pennies!
It's also good to know.....
 I've saved another piece of fabric from a lonely life in the cupboard. ;)

I can NOW say I've accomplished something this weekend!
Whew!
There are now TWO backs
to go with

I'm ready to zoom around the quilt....
feed dogs down....
with....
some music playing nice and LOUD!
;0

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Almost twins

Remember when I had trouble cutting up those old dresses???
Well...
the deed is done now...
And I have not ONE....

but TWO quilts to show for it!!!
Woo hoo!!!

I'd call them twins....
but they're slightly different
due to the availability of fabric in my STASH!
Yes!!!
I used ONLY from what I had.
and...
I just LOVE that challenge!
You never know exactly WHAT you're going to end up with
when you use ONLY what you've got!!!!

PLUS...
I really NEED to use up some of the fabric
that lives at my house!!!
I'd much rather have it live in QUILTS
than live in the CUPBOARD!!!!


I made one for my friend's mom and her aunt.
Two quilts for Two sisters....
Made with fabric from their mother's clothing.

A simple pattern....
with a BIG message of LOVE!!!!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

handwork

Making table mats is something I really like to do.
I'd call them table runners....
but they're always a BIT short.

I have a drawer with my little collection.
Oh...
And sometimes I'll give one or two away.
;)


This little table mat has been traveling around with me.

I'm finally DONE!
(well almost)
;/

There was the piecing..
There was the embroidery...
then.... the hand quilting.

It saw me through meetings...
doctor appts....
and most recently...
a CAMPING TRIP!!!


The binding is on!!!
And tomorrow...
I'll be stitching that down on the back!
With FRIENDS.
That makes the sewing so SWEET!