Thursday, February 28, 2013

Quilts Returning from the Quilter

Here are pictures of the quilts that just returned home.

Planning to bind this in the green.
Close ups of a couple of the blocks:


Here is the black and cream quilt with a close up of the quilting.  The pattern is called Too Simple.



And last but not least a picture of Coins in the Fountain.




This pattern and fabric came from Pat Sloan.  She had the kits available on her site Pat Sloan's Web Store though I do not see the kits there any more, she still has some wonderful things for sale including jelly rolls of her fabrics Eat Your Fruits and Veggies and her patterns.  I stocked up on her fabrics and have a plan for them.

I am off to finish cutting and piecing bindings so I can finish Crazy Hearts, and the three above and send them on their way to their new owners.

Thank you Shirley Jackson for the beautiful pictures that you took of my quilts. I love the wonderful job you did on the quilting. I need to get busy and get more done and in the mail.

Have a wonderful evening and happy quilting.

OFF KUiLTeR

My quilts have arrived safely from Shirley in Kentucky and are ready for binding which I am busy cutting and piecing today.

I started a new quilt at my favorite quilt store Quilt Zone, here in Anchorage.  The quilt can be done pieced or machine appliqued. I prefer to piece, so am doing mine that way.

The pattern was designed by a local quilter, Janet McWorkman and she is teaching the class.


I started with a bluish-black background, but then when I choose fabrics from my stash for the block centers I changed to a brown background.

After I made all the centers and then some as the quilt called for 31 and I made 46, so I can't count.  :)  I was involved and going strong, so kept going. I did not realize until I had them all done that I was as my friend says, an over-achiever.

Once I laid them out on the brown I decided that some of them just did not work and pulled the original background back out, and a second quilt was born.

Here are some pictures, the centers are just laid out on the backgrounds for both quilts.

I will start cutting and adding the backgrounds to make the blocks the correct sizes after I finish piecing the bindings for the three that are home from the quilter.

This is the brown background and a sampling of the blocks.
This is the bluish-black background with a sampling of the blocks and a few more off to the side.


Thursday, February 21, 2013

The Sewing Cave: Another Wonderful Wanda Quilt

The Sewing Cave: Another Wonderful Wanda Quilt

The link above is to the blog of quilter Shirley Jackson, of Kentucky, and shows one of the quilts that I sent to her to have quilted. I cannot wait to see it in person. I am in awe just looking at the pictures. It is beautiful.  Shirley did a beautiful job with the quilting.

I am excited to see the three quilts I sent her.  She has one more to quilt and then she will send them home to me.  All three are gifts and I am looking forward to them arriving home so I can see them in person, add the binding and then send them on their way to their new homes.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Moved another one to Topsville!!

Knock one more UFQ off my list for this year.

I finished a very old UFQ. It was a mystery quilt that I started back in the late 1990s.  It is a Marti Michell mystery called "The Mystery of the Substitute Teacher" and uses the Perfect Patchwork Template Set L.  The pattern is dated 1997.

I am also working on my "OFF KQuiLTer" top for the class I started on Saturday. I have several blocks about half way done. She teaches the class two ways. One is using straight stitching to applique the blocks and the other is pieced. I decided to go with pieced blocks and they are moving along quite quickly. The quilt has 29 blocks and I have at least ten to the point where I am ready to add the background fabric which goes on last.   Here is a picture of the pattern we are doing. The designer is also the teacher of the class.

I have brownish colored background and am using floral/plant prints and accents for the centers and center borders.  So far I am liking what I have sewn with my background.  There are 29 blocks in total in the quilt, so we shall see how far I get between now and Saturday, March

Friday, February 15, 2013

Crazy Hearts

Pat Sloan asked us to post or share something that is all about hearts. For me that is easy as this blog is named for a quilt made with hearts and the picture is at the top of the page. I am also sharing another quilt with hearts that I made without revealing who the recipient is.
I made this special quilt for someone special.  Due to my issues with my hand and hand surgery it got put on the back burner as I could not finish the binding and the label, but am working on finishing it up now so I can deliver it.  Here is my Buggy Barn Quilt called Crazy Hearts:

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Coins in the Fountain

Finished my modified version of Coins in the Fountain today. Backing and top are done and boxed up with Lindsey's Quilt and Quilt for another friend and ready to mail to the quilter.

I modified the Coins in the fountain to be longer and narrower as the recipient spends time in a wheel chair and this way it will not get caught in the wheels if she uses it in the chair.

Also finished a rag time flannel baby quilt today. Giving it to the grandmother to do the snipping and then it will pass to her son and his wife for their new baby born January 28th.  He came a few days early, so I am within my original time line as he was due February 9th.

Friday, February 1, 2013

UFQ Progress Since March 13, 2012

Abbreviations: 
  • NBHS - needs binding hand sewn
  • OTQ - off to quilter 
  • HA - Hand Applique

New Projects Added and Progress
  • Fall 2012 Mystery - topsville
  • Moda Twirl Jelly Roll Quilt - completed/bound
  • Heart Crazies - NBHS
  • Spring Mystery: Flower Basket Block - done
  • Sampler Quilt - three blocks need hand piecing
  • Pick-Up Sticks - in progress
  • Mardi Gra Mystery - NBHS
  • Red/Cream/Blue Mystery - NBHS
  • Coins in the Fountain - in progress
  • Flannel Baby Quilt - done and delivered
  • Flannel Baby Quilt - in progress 
  • Too Simple -  OTQ
  • Plaid four patches -OTQ
  • Aurifil BOM - in progress 
  • QuiltMashUp Christmas Swap -sashing cut
  • Christmas Tree Skirts x 2 -Done
  • Spiral Table Runners x 2 - Done
  • Mug Rugs x 10 - Done
  • Christmas Placemats x 4 - Done
  • Christmas Table Runners x 6 - Done  
  • Tote Bag - Done
  • Kitchen Sink Jacket - quilting in progress
  • Pillow Cases x 8 - Done  
  • Christmas WH - Done 

 UFQ's 
  • Shamrock WH - topsville
  • Hoffman Fabric Swap Top done January 2013
  • Red, Cream, Blue Swap - topsville
  • Table Runner - completed
  • Clay's Stars - topsville
  • Space Attic Window's  topsville
  • Bryce's Lizard Quilt topvillesville
  • Daisy Days - HA working on last block
  • Bargello - sent it out the door
  • Black Bear and Dress -sent out the door
  • Saturday Sampler topsville
  • Friendship Stars -topsville
  • Burgundy and Green Swap -topsville, OTQ 

I think there may be a few things I have left off the list, but for the most part this should be fairly complete.  I will be updating my UFQ list for this year shortly.  I am still checking what is what is in my sewing room, as I think there may be a few things hiding in the pile of tops, and in the closet that are not on my list and should be. My plan is to post my UFQ list for this year this weekend. I wanted to get it up last month, but ended up subbing all but 3 days, so time got away from me.  Oh well, that's life. I did get in a lot of sewing on the weekends, so I am happy. 

Wishing you a loving stitching filled February.