A Quilting Sheep

Made up my mind...

2012-01-26T06:19:00.000-08:00

I've been

thinking,

sketching,

searching,

pondering

and

debating

for days on what I wanted to do with my huge stack of Simplicity fat quarters by 3 Sisters. ...

I agonized because I {LOVE} this fabric and it's out of print.

I decided on block #147 of 100 Quilt Blocks Vol. 2.

In the center will be a Dresden plate.

I'm excited!!

Vintage sheets duvet cover

2012-01-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

On our trip last weekend, I found a full/queen size down comforter for $9. It was in pristine condition. Its cold here in Iowa, and to help with the heating bills I the thermostat is turned down to 60℉ at night. A comfy down comforter is welcome on our bed to keep us toasty warm.

I dug through my vintage sheets, chose 3 pink ones that were 100% cotton (I like the crisp feel to them) and made a duvet cover for it. I didn't have enough Velcro to use for the closure, so I chose to make ties out of the extra fabric. I like the look better.

Not bad for just winging it. =)

Just the two of us

2012-01-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

Last week, I texted my husband and requested a weekend away...

just the 2 of us.

He must have been wanting the same thing because with in an hour, he had the plans made and the hotel room booked. Sweet man of mine....

It was a great, fantastic, and relaxing weekend!!

We bumped into Michelle and Louie at one of the thrift stores, which was a fun surprise and we ended up spending the rest of the day with them and enjoying their company. We hopped into their car and they escorted us all over the Quad Cities. They know the area well, so we could simply sit back and relax. It was perfect.

These are just a few of treasures we found and brought home...

Russ found this salt shaker and thought it would be cute in our kitchen. I agree. I wish we could have found it's matching mate.

I scored a pink Gooseberry pattern Pyrex casserole dish. My first, but I hope not my last.

Another cute Pyrex bowl in the Butterprint pattern. The color is perfect.

This was Michelle's find and she lead me to it. According to her research, it is a Metlox cookie jar sans the lid. I think she's cute.

A cake carrier.

Pink depression glasses and sugar bowl.

Pitcher, creamer and sugar bowl.

I love old jars! This one is large. I will use it to store pasta or other foods.

Another find by my husband. He seems to be looking for salt and pepper shakers...

Sometimes you just need to get away and recharge. I was really needing some time away. I am grateful to have a husband who loves me so very much and provided a wonderful weekend away.

I am blessed...

Have a great week, everyone!!

One down, one to go...

2012-01-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

I am feeling the pressure to get two quilts done for my son's supporting teachers. One for his supervising teacher (We are part of a homeschool association. Her job is to that make sure we are one track with his education. She has been with us for his whole schooling career) and one for his piano teacher.

Last fall, I began working on one of them. I figured I had lots of time to get them both done before May, when he graduates.

Change of plans...

He is going to do a senior recital (piano) as part of his honors program in March. I want to honor the two ladies that helped me educate my son and I could do that more easily at his recital. That means I need to get them done NOW!

One down! One to go!

Dresden Plate mini tute

2012-01-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

Because I don't think a girl can have too many Dresden plate rulers, I bought a new one a few months ago, but with the holidays, didn't get the chance to play with it.

My kitchen table needed a new table topper to go with my kitchen's new look. That's where my new ruler comes in. =) Then I thought, "Why not do a mini tutorial while I am at it?"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Here is how the ruler works. It's really very simple. =)

This ruler makes 12 fan blades per plate. I want 4 plates for my table topper when I'm finished, so I chose 12 different fabrics and will cut 4 blades from each of the 12 fabrics. As you can see, you can make your fabric strips anywhere from 1" to 8 1/2" with this ruler. I chose to make mine 8" and cut my fabric in 8 " strips. I usually cut up to 4 layers of fabric when cutting the blades.

Line up your ruler on your fabric and cut on both sides of the ruler. The piece on the left is a scrap piece. This is the only time you need to cut your fabric on two sides of the ruler. After the first cuts, you simply rotate the ruler and cut again. Over and over until you have as many pieces as you need. There is very little fabric waste, which is so nice.

After your fabric is all cut into your fan blades, take your fabric and fold the wider part of the blade in half, right sides together, using 1/4" seam,

chain piece your blades. I have found using a small stitch length keeps them from coming apart at the ends after you cut them apart from the chain. On my sewing machine, I use the 1.5 setting. My normal piecing setting is 2.5, if that helps.

After they are all sewn, cut the threads that are holding them together. On each of the fans, cut the corner on the fold, being very careful not to cut the thread.

I put my thumb up in the inside of the fan and use my index finger to finger press the seam open

and then I flip the blade right side out. It's kind of hard to explain, but once you have the blade in your hand, you will understand. If not, please ask for clarification.

I didn't take a picture of this next part, but what you will need is something to stick up inside the point to get it is all nice and pointy. A chop stick is what I like to use. That seam is going to go in the center (I just eye ball it) on the back side of the fan blade. Give your fan blade a good press.

It looks like a tie, doesn't it?

Once they are all complete, it's time to make the plates. I like to lay out my fabric in a circle for this part.

Taking two blades and putting them right sides together, making sure they are lined up nicely at the top. The bottom part of the blades will be covered with a circle so that part of the blade doesn't have to be perfect.

It's important to back stitch at the top to lock the top of the blades together. I also chain piece at this point, always back stitching at the top of each blade.

Cut them apart, open and lay them right sides together

and sew until they are all sewn together. Time to press all the seams open. I am pretty free with the starch during this part.

See how easy that was?

Now its time to cover the center of your Dresden plate. There are many ways to make circles. This is just how I like to do it. There is no right or wrong way. =)

I use cereal boxes for templates. I cut out a circle and cover it with foil. The foil gets hot and helps with the pressing, but it can also burn your fingers, so be careful.

I cut the fabric larger than the template. As you can see, it's not exact at all.

Its kind of hard to see, but I put tiny snips all around the circle to help get it to fold around the template. This is the time when starch is your friend. I starch these babies like crazy!

I nudge the fabric with the iron all around the circle. If I don't like how it looks, I starch and press it all over again.

The finished circle.

I use washable fabric glue to hold the circle in place on the Dresden plate until it gets sewn on the block.

I press it with the iron to dry the glue. And now you are done!

Another idea is to make a small Dresden plate to use as the center.

My new table topper!

Tutorials are not easy to write, so my hat is off to all the bloggers out there that do it well and have taught me so much!

Beauty

2012-01-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

Still here...

2012-01-10T08:19:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is having a good 2012 so far. =)

Though the pace is much slower, we are still plugging away at the kitchen. It will be done.....eventually.

Going into a withdrawal phase (pulling into myself) isn't unusual and that's why I have been so quiet lately. I have had some stuff (depression, sadness) to deal with and so I retreated into my mind and avoid people, that means the computer, too. In the last two days I have posted a comment here or there on blogs, so I am beginning to come back out of my self imposed cocoon.

During my quiet, reflective time, I have been busy in my sewing room. It's a great place to get lost and still end up feeling like something has been accomplished. Because I didn't want to talk, I didn't take any pictures of the progress, so all I have to show is the end result.

It's totally scrappy. I decided on 14" blocks and I made fabric using the smallest pieces to cutting larger prices of fabric, sewing them together to make them. It's hard to see, but I then quilted each block differently. In some blocks I did an all over motif, in others, I quilted each square with in the block. All straight lines with my walking foot. All eyeballed...ie: no rulers or measuring, just going for it.

I really like how it turned out.

It's going to special friend. I hope to deliver it today. =)

What's going on...

2011-12-29T17:05:00.000-08:00

Starting Monday, the hubz, boys and I have been busy little bees giving my kitchen a much needed update. All that's left is getting the chair rail on.

I should have taken better before pictures. This one was taken several years ago. Mitch is way taller than this now. This side of the kitchen had off white walls with the apple wall paper boarder.

A few of the walls on the other side of the kitchen had this very dark hunter green. Yes, the 90's....

A fresh coat of a light aqua paint and some bead board paneling in the process of being painted a high gloss white.

Tonight I put a few things back. The plan is to get the corner pieces and the chair railing on tomorrow. The kitchen is so much brighter now!! Eventually I want shelving to be on the back wall up near the ceiling and on the other wall to the right to store/display my Pyrex and other things I have been collecting.

See my new cover for my Kitchen Aid mixer? (I used the pattern by Heart of Mary.) The fabric Carrie Nelson's Fresh Palette. I'm using her line for the curtains and eventually a table cloth and/or table runner and anything else I can make as what I have in my stash lasts. Oh, and the mini dresden plate wall hanging I made needs to find it's spot. =D

Someday a new floor and a new counter top will be added, but that's a ways away.

This was my Christmas present and I love it....

A pink tree for me

2011-12-22T10:11:00.001-08:00

My friend Mary Ann dropped off a surprise for me. Sweet!!

#BDSI

2011-12-22T05:04:00.000-08:00

What is #BDSI? It's Boxing Day Sew In!

Go to Sandy's blog to get all the details!

I know exactly what I am going to work on....

Last finishes for 2011, I think....

2011-12-18T11:13:00.001-08:00

I am getting over a migraine, so this post will be pretty wordless and the pictures aren't the greatest. There are worse things in life than poor quality pictures or blogs posts, am I right? =)

Finished table runner using Eleanor Burn's pattern #1276

Baby quilt for my friend Jenny. Her baby boy is due in February.

Giveaway winner...

2011-12-11T15:36:00.001-08:00

Thank you all for entering my giveaway. I wish I could send you all something. =)

Number 9 is Cheryl @ Cheryl's Teapots 2 Quilting. Make sure you go check out her blog. She is very creative. =)

Congratulations, Cheryl...

Now, I hope you enjoy the pictures of the completed wall hanging.

I love how it turned out. =) Now I am excited to get my kitchen painted so I can hang it up!

I really enjoyed the hand quilting part. It was so relaxing! I used number 8 Presencia Finca Perle cotton.

Thanks for stopping by!

2011-12-07T06:55:00.001-08:00

Have you heard of Pinterest?

Essentially it's a virtual bulletin board. It's a great place to save bookmarks to things you want to do, for example, quilt patterns. Or you could make a pin board that holds gift ideas for your friends and family. There are a ton of household tips and money saving ideas that I really enjoy. Oh, if you like to cook and are looking for recipes, Pinterest is the place to go.

Here is a screen shot of my boards so you can get an idea of what I mean.

I have more boards, but they are farther down the screen.

If you see something on my pin board you find interesting, you click on the picture and it will take you to the original site where the picture came from. It's a great way to save tutorials. Repinning is when you see something on someone's pin board and you want to save it to your own pin boards.

Another thing is you can follow other people and their boards, so you can see what they are pinning. You can all of their boards or only the ones you are interested in. I tend not to follow the food ones. It only makes me hungry seeing all the good food. *wink*

Brilliant...

And because it's on line, you don't have to remember web sites if you want to show someone something. You just go to your Pinterest account and show them from there.

I have some invitations to Pinterest if anyone is interested. Just let me know. =)

Here is where you can find me on Pinterest. If you have an account to Pinterest, let me know! I would love to follow your boards!

Mini Dresden Plate ~ pattern review

2011-12-05T11:38:00.001-08:00

...Giveaway closed...

Welcome to my second review of an Eleanor Burns Signature Pattern. =)

This one was a fun pattern because, as most of you already know, I seriously love Dresden Plates!

These are tiny. The smallest I have ever made. The strips are 2 1/2 inches wide, which means this is a great pattern to use with jelly roll strips. It doesn't take a lot of fabric, so its also a great scrap buster type of pattern. I am going to use this quilt as a wall hanging in my kitchen, so I chose fabric to go with the new paint that will be on the kitchen walls at the end of the month. I have high hopes. =D

Love chain piecing.

A handy dandy thread cutter. It was the best $5 I have spent on a gadget.

Blades waiting to be pressed.

The pattern gives detailed instructions on how to press the fan blades after they are sewn together so the plate will lay nice and flat after its pressed. It was the first time pressing my Dresden Plates with all open seams and seeing how well my plates turned out, I will be pressing my Dresden's with open seams from now on.

Note to self...Take a picture of the back of the plate so my peeps can see how nice the seams look...

The trickiest part of the Dresden plate, at least I think so, is making the circles. I tried doing them the way the pattern suggested, but I couldn't get them to lay nicely. It's completely my error, not the patterns fault or the technique suggested because I have seen others use this technique. I ended up doing it my way which is to starch the fabric like crazy and press the edges around a circle template. They are far from perfect. I need to get this figured out. I like my circles to be perfectly round.

This was new for me. The pattern tells you to chain piece the pieces together and NOT clip the connecting threads or press. It was kind of tricky, but I really liked this method of getting the rows together (the pieces didn't get mixed up) and I liked not having to pin to get the seams lined up. I attribute this method as the reason why my corner stones did so well with staying lined up. Always a good thing. =) After it was all one piece, I then took it to my table for a good pressing.

The quilting process has begun....

The rest of my quilting I am going to do by hand with perle cotton.

I loved this pattern and it's one I would do over and over again. It's easy, fairly quick and fun. It makes a nice size wall hanging (26" x 26"), small baby quilt or a nice table topper.

Did you notice in one of the earlier pictures, that the paper was still on the fan template that came with the pattern? You know what that means, don't you??

I would love to gift this pattern to one of you, dear friends....All you need to do is leave me a comment. If you want, let me know what your favorite quilt block is. =)

I will draw a winner on Sunday, 11th of December. It will be my birthday present to YOU.

✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸

This is very important:

Please make sure you are not a "no-reply" blogger (see button in my side bar to learn how to check to see if you are or not) or I won't be able to contact you and I will have to draw a new name.

✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸

Have a great one!

Peek

2011-12-01T09:13:00.001-08:00

I can't wait to get this one finished!

Giveaway Winner...

2011-11-30T15:04:00.001-08:00

Thank you all for playing along with my first really, real giveaway.

There will be more patterns to give away in the future, so watch for them....

Eleanor Burns and a Prize

2011-11-26T18:24:00.000-08:00

* Give away closed*

When I was asked if I would be willing to do some pattern reviews for a few of Eleanor Burns' new patterns, I considered it for a nano-second and said, "YES!"

Are you kidding me?

Come on! It's Eleanor Burns! Need I say more?

I didn't think so. =)

Alas, it was not Eleanor who asked me...Maybe someday I will get to meet this inspirational and very talented lady.

On to the topic at hand....Up to this point in my quilting {ahem} career, I've yet to buy a pattern and then make the quilt. I intend to, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't buy the pattern in the first place, however, after I get it home I become intimidated as I read the instructions. After trying to decipher them for a while, I end up folding them back up and putting them away to look at it "another time." Those other times have yet to happen.

Another challenge for me is picking out the fabrics for a project. Up to now, I have almost always used fat quarter bundles or other precuts for my quilts. I much prefer to let the fabric designers do all the hard work of deciding what goes with what. Doing some reviews for her patterns is going to stretch me in that area and I think it's a good thing,

So, without further ado, here is my first review.

My first pattern is a Dresden plate variation called a Grandmother's Fan. The pattern (#1276) comes with instructions to make both a table runner and a quilt and it also comes with the acrylic template to make the blades. Normally you would remove the protective paper covers on the ruler before you use it. I left the paper on the ruler for a reason. There will be more on that later.

As I have mentioned a time or ten, I love Dresden plates, but up to now, I haven't done a Grandmother's fan, so I was excited...and intimidated, to give this one a shot. Why intimidated? It's on point. I have only done one quilt on point and it was hard, so I chose to do the table runner instead of the quilt. I reasoned there would be fewer triangles to deal with that way and fewer chances to mess it up.

Cutting the fan blades

I really didn't need to worry, however, the instructions were very clear on how to put it together and I didn't need my seam ripper at all! The instructions also include which way to press the seams, which I really appreciate. Within 4 hours, I had a table runner top that measured 49" x 20 1/2" unfinished. As a matter of fact, it has taken me much longer to write this post than it did to sew the table runner! *grin*

All that's left is the borders.

There is an option to add piping to the quarter circles, which would have added a nice touch. It was Black Friday when I made this and not worth it to me to brave the crowds to buy piping or cording to make my own.

Finished top

The pattern is labeled as "easy," and I agree that it is easy, however, I don't consider it a beginner pattern only because of working with pieces that are cut on the bias. I do think this pattern would be a great choice for a quilting class in order to teach new quilters how to sew with pieces cut on the bias and showing them how to sew blocks on point.

If you have any questions about the pattern that I wasn't clear on, please feel free to ask. =)

If you would like to win this pattern, just leave a comment telling me how you found my blog or how long you have been coming here to visit. I am hoping those who are more shy will come out to say, "Hi." =)

✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸
This is very important:
Please make sure you are not a "no-reply" blogger (see button in my side bar to learn how to check to see if you are or not) or I won't be able to contact you and I will have to draw a new name.
✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸

I will draw a winner on Wednesday the 30th of November.

Talk to you soon!! =)

New blog button

2011-11-26T09:06:00.001-08:00

Edit...I'm still tweaking things.

I made a new blog button.

I didn't delete my old one from Photobucket, so it will still work for you. Feel free to grab the new one. ...Or not. =) The coding is on the sidebar. Let me know if you need any help.

Have a great Saturday!

Fun Mail Day

2011-11-21T16:51:00.001-08:00

Two packages came today.

One I can talk about and one will have to wait for a little while.

Lets just say that this lovely lady is my new BFF...

Eleanor Burns

Whether she wants to return the favor remains to be seen. ;-)

The package I can talk about is from my blogging friend Theophanie @ Jubilent Nest. She recently had a give away and I won! She is a sweet, talented and creative lady and has great blog. Tell her I sent you. =)

Ribbin trim for a Christmas stocking perhaps?

On a more sobering note. My husband's dear uncle died yesterday morning so this already very busy week will be even more busy.

I wish each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving...I am thankful for all of you.

Sold...Accuquilt Go!

2011-11-17T12:13:00.001-08:00

I'm selling my Accuquilt Go.

6 1/2" tumbler die

6 1/2" triangle die

Alex Anderson Quarter Square 4" finished triangle die

Original die that came with the Go!

Everything you see here for $200 plus S&H.

If interested, send me an email at redeemedsheep (at) gmail (dot) com.

Ta-done!

2011-11-14T14:50:00.001-08:00

The top, that is. It's windy here so this is the best picture I could get.

It's bigger than I expected it to be, which is funny because I was worried it would be too small. It measures 66" x 78".

I chose to go scrappy with the sashing because I ~~hate~~ am not fond corner stones. Knowing that this quilt would need way more ~~dreadful~~ corner stones than I wanted to deal with, I figured out a way to get creative so I could avoid them.

This particular fat quarter stack had 20 fat quarters in it and each fat has almost half left over. It's always surprising to me to see how far fat quarters can go.

For now, this quilt needs to be put away. I need to focus on Christmas and make some decisions on what to do, if anything, for gifts for the ladies in my family. Last year I made them zippered bags. I'm drawing a blank this year...Anyone have any good ideas?

Love this blue

2011-11-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

Copen {Kona cotton}

Summer Breeze in the Autumn

2011-11-07T07:22:00.001-08:00

Working on a new project. =)

Scraps

2011-11-04T08:20:00.001-07:00

How do you organize your scraps? Currently, they are sorted by color in baggies in my bucket.

I'm wondering if it would make more sense to trim them and store them by size. If so, what sizes would you suggest? Obviously 5" and 10" would be good sizes. What other sizes would be a good idea?

Or, should I give them away?

I need help....

Amy, a redeemed sheep
~Posting from my iPhone~

All Caught up

2011-11-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

All of my WIPs (works in progress) are done! My goal for the year was to get all the quilt tops I made last year quilted. Woot!

Today is a perfect all day here in Iowa. It's in the 70's and sunny. Perfect picture taking day....My neighbors yard is so pretty with the colorful leaves laying on the grass.

Don't look too closely at my ~~almost~~ lined up mitered corners.

After taking a picture of the quilt, I looked up and took this picture. Beautiful orange and blue...

I used Glide thread and magna glide bobbins on Tipsy. It went well and I will be buying it again. I had some tension issues, but after doing some research, I discovered it was all my fault. *not a big surprise* My mistake (this time, at least) was having the quilt too tight between the bars on the frame. Fortunately, the tension issues are harder to spot once the quilt has been washed and dried.

Quilt size 83" x 75".

My Own Gigi's Tulips

2011-10-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

My own Gigi's Tulips quilt is finally finished.

It has special meaning to me that I shared a bit about here when I made one almost exactly like it for my friend, Karyn.

You can't really see any of the quilting because of the busyness of the backing fabric, which isn't always a bad deal. *wink*

Which leads me to this....

After much research (and finally heading Michelle's advice) I broke down and bought the magna-glide pre-wound bobbins to try on Tipsy. I went ahead and bought a cone of thread of the same thing while I was at it, although I have heard that any type of thread will work with the bobbins.

If it saves my sanity to spend a bit more for pre-wound bobbins then they will be well worth it.

I'd like to try out the Glide thread and bobbins on my 1930's pinwheels quilt. I had started quilting it on my Juki so I will have to do some ripping before I can load it up on Tipsy, but I don't know if my frame is big enough. Guess I should go find out, huh? =)

Christmas baby quilts

2011-10-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

I got these done over a week ago and just now got the pictures taken so I could get them posted. Fall is such a busy time! The weather has been perfect for getting the gardens all put to bed for winter and some fall cleaning in the house, so I have been taking advantage of that. One of these days I will get back to my sewing room to get a few more projects finished.

We made up

2011-10-15T12:48:00.001-07:00

THE Phone, Reece's Rainbow and Cuteness

2011-10-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

If you have been over to my other blog, A Redeemed Sheep, you now know that my colonoscopy is over and I survived. Whew...

What I didn't share is I got a new toy out of the deal.

I finally got my iPhone.

L.O.V.E. I.T!

Apparently, as I was waking up, I was telling Naomi how wonderful it was and how much I loved it. I feel a wee bit sheepish that I didn't wake up talking about ow much I loved my husband and my friend for taking such good care of me. Guess they now know where they rank in my life. *silly*

I still haven't fully made up with Tipsy, but at least I don't grumble at her as I walk by. That's progress.

On to some quilting news. Saturday was the Buddy Walk. I showed my support by donating two baby quilts to my friends, Laurie and Nevin. She held a silent auction to support local families who are adopting via Reece's Rainbow. It was a real honor to do so and I hope the families who won them are enjoying them.

I'll end with a picture of two of my favorite little guys because they are cuteness x 1000....

Have a great day, everyone!

grumble

2011-10-06T23:28:00.000-07:00

I had a fight with Tipsy....

I have a colonoscopy coming up...

I got my hair trimmed. Bangs are too short...

I need to take a class to help Tipsy and I make up....

I am grateful for the medical advances that provide tests to catch cancer early....

My hair will grow....

I have a husband who loves me...

I have friends who care about me...

God sent His Son to die for my sins...

I really have nothing to grumble about...

Lucas and his quilt

2011-10-02T06:32:00.000-07:00

I forgot to take a picture of Lucas' quilt after I had it all quilted. Can you believe that? And I did all the quilting on Tipsy, even....

*feeling pretty silly about now*

But I did take pictures of the quilt with baby Lucas, so that makes up for it. =)

He is a sweetie....

Christmas Quilts

2011-09-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Left over yardage + scraps and mix in one charm pack = two Christmas baby quilts.

One is 45" x 45". The other is 45" x 57".

I made up the pattern as I went along.

Heading to Wisconsin tomorrow to see my grandson Lucas. I can not wait!

Projects, finishes and news

2011-09-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

A sneak peek at a baby quilt I started for a dear friend of mine who is expecting baby number 5. She is having a boy, however, her only daughter is convinced she is having a sister. =)

I only have 1 1/2 rows done out of 10 in the pinwheel quilt and have put in at least ten hours already. It's a bit overwhelming, so I am only working on it in spurts here and there.

I had several HST left over from the tulip quilts, so I played around with them and came up with these blocks. I have no plans for them yet. I think they are cute. =)

The baby quilt got finished. I love split 9 patches...

Back of the quilt.

All wrapped up in a bow with a rattle, ready to be delivered.

Oh....One more small thing.

I have a new grandchild! My first grandson Lucas was born yesterday. I can't wait to meet him. =)

Lucas and his daddy

French Hatbox

2011-09-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder...

If you have a Tuesday Morning shop near you, check it out. You just might find a jelly roll like this one. =)

French Hatbox by Tanya Whelan

Vintage Table

2011-09-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

I forgot to show you my new kitchen table that I am using in my sewing room.

How many of you grew up with one like it? I remember in the first house I lived in, our counters were gray and pink with boomerang designs.

We had a new baby girl born at our church, so I am trying to get this done for her. =)

However, I won't get to sew on it today. Instead, I am busy with my little guys.... =) There is a reason we have children when we are young. I am just sayin'! Whew...

Ruler hanger idea

2011-09-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

I was catching up on emails this morning and followed a link to a gadget that sparked my own idea. Don't you love it when that happens?

A few months ago, I picked up these vintage swinging kitchen towel bars for 75¢ a piece.

I squeezed it to release it from the wall bracket part.

I picked up tons of packages of these rings last year when they were on clearance. I knew I would find uses for them.

Slide them on and replace the bar.

Ta-da! A way to hang rulers, patterns or anything else you can think of.

All that's left to do is to clean up the hangers and find a place to hang them up.

Have a great weekend!

Prairie points, pinwheels and dolly dresses

2011-09-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

I've been a busy bee getting some unfinished projects done. I have only two more to go. The pinwheel quilt is pinned and the quilting has begun. The tulip quilt is waiting. It feels good to be so close to being caught up! =)

Here are the quilts I have been working on the last week or so.

I seriously love this quilt.

I love every thing about it...

I love the 30's fabric, I love the pinwheels and

I love the prairie points.

They were a bit fussy to work with to get them all evenly spaced, but it wasn't hard, so I would use them again. They really dress up the quilt.

This picture was taken after coming straight from the dryer. They all lay almost perfectly.

Here is the back with an orphan block.

It was quilted using my Juki and with Tipsy and measure a little over 50" x 50".

I'm going to hang it up in my sewing room so I can enjoy it.

Next up, the dolly dresses quilt.

{Note to self: The right fabric binding choice can make a huge difference in how a quilt looks.}

I love the green polka dot binding. It frames it nicely.

I used simple stitch in the ditch to outline the dresses

and added just a touch of rick rack to some of them.

Again, I used my Juki and Tipsy to quilt it and it measures 48" x 48".

And lastly, a simple strip quilt. It measures 40" x 40".

It was a good week to get some UFO's done and I also got some serious stash busting done, too.

Sad news from a blogging friend

2011-09-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

My friend, John'aLee and her family received some very sad news today. Her soon-to-be-son-in-law was killed in Afghanistan.

You can go here to leave your words of support, prayers and comfort.

Curtains

2011-09-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

New curtains for the room.

Ahhhhh, much better...

No, I didn't forget to make a curtain for the desk.

Sweet...

Wait!

What is that on the desk?

Could it be?

It is! My winnings from the Wantobe Quilters campaign!

I feel so loved....

Sweetly Sunkissed

2011-09-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Remember when I asked you all about your thoughts on this quilt?

I was smart enough to listen to you wise ones and take the time to tear it apart to remake it.

I am very glad I did!

The final measurement of the quilt is 38" x 38" and the fabrics used are scraps of Sunkissed by Moda left over from the Block- A- Palooza quilt along.

Dollar desk final reveal...

2011-08-31T06:03:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the great knobs and drawer pulls at Hobby Lobby? They are amazing! I have been drooling over them for a couple of months, but had no reason to buy any...Until now. =) Better yet, at my local Hobby Lobby, they are 50% off. I picked and put down several styles until I settled on these clear glass knobs.

Ready?

From this...

To this...

Pokey very wisely suggested I tally up the total for the redoing of the desk. Estimating a bit high, I would say it cost $45 which includes the paint, new paint brush and knobs.

Linking up with Whatever You Want Wednesday. =)

The dollar desk gets a facelift

2011-08-29T15:57:00.001-07:00

Last summer, I bought a walnut executive desk for a dollar at the Salvation Army. This weekend I took the plunge and spruced it up.

Here is the before:

Pretty ugly....But very functional. The skirt hides the blocks I have it setting on to raise it to a 35" height to make it easier on my back for cutting fabric.

First thing Russ and I did was to solve how to get it taller without using the blocks. We stacked wood, layer by layer and shaped each layer with the router until we ended up with the legs at the right height.

Here they are, all painted and ready to be put back on the desk.

Here she is all painted in a lovely light shade of pink. Don't the legs look great!

They look pretty good together!

Up next is to get drawer pulls and I need to let it cure a bit before I get too much stuff put on top of it. It's very hard waiting though...

For those who would be interested, I used Dutch Boy Porch and Floor satin finish paint. to get the clean lines on the sides of the drawers I used Frog Tape. It worked exactly as promised. Great stuff!

~ Amy, a redeemed sheep

We won!!

2011-08-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Laurie, my very best friend of lots and lots of years, and I won a prize at Stash Manicure's Wantobe Quilter campaign! Look at what we won!

http://www.sewwequilt.com/2011/08/20-winners-of-our-wantobe-quilters.html

Thank you, Madame Samm and a hearty "hear hear" to all the great sponsors!

Christmas Quilt

2011-08-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

Sewing has been very hit and miss. More often than not, you can find me on the back of the Goldwing with my hubby, however, I did grab time to get the Christmas quilt done yesterday.

You can see the quilting better on this side.

I did do a baby quilt on Tipsy a few weeks ago. As soon as it's delivered to the new mom and her wee baby boy, I'll share it. I am thrilled with how it turned out. =)

Happy quilting, friends....

How are y'all doin'?

2011-08-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

Are you all enjoying the Quilters Wantobe contest over at Sew We Quilt? Can you believe the fabulous prizes? Amazing....

Here is a short and very simplified way to join in.

And...in your comment, mention your sponsor. That would be me, if you signed up with me. =)

Things have been crazy busy here and I have had no time to get to my sewing room, much less even think about writing a blog post. I shared on A Redeemed Sheep one piece of big news that has caused me great angst in the last couple of weeks and that is my youngest will be transitioning to the public high school for school this year. He was the main reason I decided to homeschool 10 years ago and to move him to the public school was a difficult...and right....decision. At least for now.

As soon as I get this post up, I am heading upstairs to my sewing room to work on the Christmas quilt.

Have a great day, everyone!!!

The day has come!

2011-08-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

The day we have all been waiting for....

The kick off of the

WOW! Is it ever going to be exciting!

52 sponsors!

52!

!WOWZA!

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are for Wantobe Quilters
( those who do not quilt, they do not have tools, machines, rulers, fabric bundles)

Huge reminder...
You MUST leave your name and your blog sponsor name in your comment
or you will not be eligible to win.

And I do want you to win. =)

Tuesdays and Thursdays are for QUILTERS...
( all those who quilt..you will be able to win new tools too)

If you do not have a blog you can still enter of course..

but give your name to someone on the list of bloggers.

Good luck, everyone! =)

Calling all Wantobe Quilters

2011-07-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and followers, I would love to welcome you to a Wantobe Quilters Campaign over here. They are having quilting supplies to giveaway 5 x a week for 12 weeks. Supplies that will have you quilting

before you know it...From sewing machines to irons, to die cutters, to mats, to rotary cutters, sewing baskets, scissors, batting, needles, rolled sewing machine bags, patterns, books, magazines...everything you could imagine to assist you in being a NEW Quilter. Even if you are already part of this community you can win

quilting stuff too...Tuesday and Thursday are days for us.. All you have to do is give me your name and phone number and email sew I can submit this to the organizer, because if you win anything I can win something too. All you have to do is be my follower and a follower over at Sew We Quilt @ Stash Manicure....

That is all! There are over 49 Sponsors involved.

I am pretty excited to be part of this, sew should you. =)

I love being a QUILTER!

( p.s you will not be eligible to win anything if you do not register

with a blogger where you see this message)

Is this a fail? Edit: On the right track?

2011-07-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer....My feelings will not be hurt one bit.

Do you think this quilt is a fail? Why or why not?

Edit:

I really appreciated all the feedback here and on Facebook. =)

Here is where it stands for now. I am trying to use only what is in my stash.

What do you think now??

I made a dress!!

2011-07-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

And to tell the truth, I am quite pleased with myself. The dress is for Brooklyn, who is turning 4 very soon! Her mom knows I was trying to make it so I am not ruining a surprise. Besides, there are other surprises to go along with the dress.

The pattern is called Kyla by Frog Legs and Ponytails.

It's reversible!

It actually wasn't too hard. I had to re and re-read the instructions several times, but only because this type of sewing is new to me. Now that I have made it once, making another wouldn't take very long at all.

I can think of several other little girls that need a new dress. =)

Sew fine

2011-07-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

Viking got a tune up. She sews "sew" fine now....

Stay cool and enjoy your 4th of July!

180 days...

2011-06-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

...until Christmas! *grin*

My Daddy bought me a layer cake of Kate Spain's 12 Days of Christmas for my birthday. I began making the blocks last winter, but other projects came along. You know the drill.

Today, the quilt top got finished. I just might get it done by Christmas!

Maybe....

Singer 15-91

2011-06-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Fair warning: spending time Michelle will make you want to rescue sewing machines.

Case in point...Russ found this little lady was at Goodwill the other night with a price tag of $15. After a wee bit of research, Russ and I discovered we found a Singer 15-91. 15-91's are gear driven and not belt driven. She has what is called a "potted motor." This particular machine was born in 1949. More information on the SInger 15-91's can be found on Sew Classic Blog.

As you can see, the cord was in terrible shape. Not too surprising with it being over 60 years old. I confess, I did plug it in to see if the machine worked. It ran beautifully. When I went to unplug it, the sparks flew from the plug and exploded. I never claimed to have common sense and am grateful my house didn't catch fire. Lesson learned....

During the cleaning time, the black plastic that was on the wires crumbled off and made a huge black mess. Clearly, the whole thing needed to be rewired.

This is where Russ, my personal electrical tech comes in the picture.

He began some work on it last night and is making more progress today. It will be a sweet machine when it's all fixed up and oiled.

And, no, I am not going to begin collecting machines.

Although, a featherweight would be sweet....

Hmmm......

~ Charming Stars ~

2011-06-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

Another unfinished object to check off my list. =)

Charming Stars pattern created by Little Lady Patchwork.

I chose to do echo and straight line quilting. I love how it turned out. =)

A New Old Lamp

2011-06-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

New old lamp...

New old shade...

Shade recovered using this tutorial.

My new old lamp all lit up.

A finish, a do-over and a baby gift....

2011-06-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

My honey is on his annual kayaking trip, so I have been very busy in my sewing room.

A) to keep me busy to pass the time

and

B) to keep the depression/anxiety away.

Before I had quilting in my life, I would movie binge. I must say, it's more fun to have something to show for my time. =)

Ok...Show and Tell time. I made this 40" x 32" quilt top over a year ago using Lady Harvatine's pattern.

The backing was a wild curtain I found at Goodwill a couple of weeks ago. It was perfect for this bright quilt. I have more of it left, so it will pop up in another project eventually.

Baby Myrna's quilt. She is several weeks old, so I need to get it to her!

Love the sweet and sassy girls.

My do-over and I am ashamed to say, I didn't take before pictures. This was one of my very first quilts. The binding was terrible and I wasn't thrilled with the quilting. I removed all the stitching and redid it with simple straight lines. At the last second, I decided to add some applique flowers.

Now I really like it!

A Finish....Block-A-Palooza

2011-06-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

It is finished and I love it!

I did the straight line quilting on Miss Juki and the rest of the quilting on Tipsy.

I love the back....

Snickers box

2011-06-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

Ohhhh...I have a sweet friend. Truth be told, I have a lot of sweet friends. But a particular sweet friend gave me a treasure today....

An original Snickers box.

They even put the label on the sides of the inner box.

A note from the manufacturer to the retail owner on the back.

Do you remember when candy bars were 5¢ a bar? I do, but barely.

Ahhh, but the real treasure is inside....

No, not a candy bar, silly...

Hexagons made with real vintage fabric.

Look at all the pretty colors.

Under those blocks were pieces all cut and waiting to be sewn together.

Another view after I stirred them up a bit.

I have no idea what I will do with them. In the meantime, they will stay safe in a really cool Snickers box.

Stitching Time

2011-06-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

Before I show you the new clock, I want to share the link where you can get your own studio to stitch for yourself. It was created by the very talented Madame Samm.

Okay...New clock time! {ahem} Before:

After:

Notice...I did some stitching, too. =) I could get into this, I think.

Creativity Be Gone

2011-06-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

Working on the garage sale has taken up most of my week, but today I had a window of time to hang out in my sewing room.

I really want to make a stitching studio like Wendy @ Why Knot Kwilt made. Look at this adorableness! It's dreamy...

After two hours of playing with fabric, I gave up. Not one spark of creativity would show up...

I guess Wendy will have to give me hers and I will call myself Wendy from now on. That will work, don't you think??

I'm home...

2011-05-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

What a great vacation! South Dakota is beautiful! I had no idea....You can see a few pictures over at my family blog, A Redeemed Sheep.

We hit at least 7 quilt stores over the course of the week. Two stops really stand out and I want to make sure they get a special shout out. One is in Rapid City, SD called Fabric City and The Sewing Center. We showed up 30 minutes before closing and they graciously allowed me to stay late as I ~~drooled~~ shopped in their beautiful store. The store was just a few blocks from our hotel, but how I heard about it was from Moneik, a new blog reader, who posted here to tell me about it. Not only did I love the store, but I got to meet Moneik face to face that night!! That's what I love about the blogging world, meeting and making new friends. =)

The other shop was in Custer, SD called The Quilt Shop, which is owned by Sue Kortum. She is also a longarmer and I got to see some of her work. She is very talented! We ended up staying at her shop for well over an hour visiting with Sue. It was like talking with a long lost friend. =) I grabbed up a jelly roll of Bliss from her store. Woot! If you are in the area, she had several layer cakes and charm packs of Bliss, as well.

Here are a few pictures of the fabric I added to my stash this vacation....

I also found this little lady in a junk store for $15. I'm afraid we got a little too over zealous cleaning her up and some of her pretty detail work on the bed got damaged. =( I'm trying not to stress over it after having a whole week of no anxiety at all! I don't like feeling anxious and want to stay as anxious free as possible. She will still look pretty on a shelf in my sewing room.

I am hopelessly behind in blog reading. We only had internet if we were in the lobby. So, I closed my eyes tight and hit read all in my reader. Feeling behind makes me feel anxious...

Anxiety = bad. Relaxed = good.

That was the big lesson this vacation for me....

What is this? ~ Update!

2011-05-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

I think Gail, who is anonymous, has figured out the mystery! It's a stocking darner like the one found here. Way cool! Thanks, Gail!!

Casey bought me a sewing chest at a garage sale and inside of it was this thing...

The spring comes off and the hooks move.

What in the world is it? Does anyone know??

Vacation time

2011-05-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

We will be leaving on vacation very soon. Packing, getting caught up on laundry, keeping the house picked up, has been the order of my days instead of sewing.

I have been assured I will see a quilt store or two on our travels to the Badlands and the beautiful Black Hills. =)

See you when we get back!

A.May.Zing

2011-05-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

I...

Can't...

Breathe...

A HUGE thank you to Michelle @ Life With Lou who told me about the garage sale that's happening tomorrow and encouraged me to call to get the info on the 301A today. All who are looking for this beauty tomorrow will be disappointed because it came home with me! Woot!!

I'd love to find a cabinet for her...

Purse Makeover

2011-05-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I bought myself a new purse at the Pella Tulip Time Festival.

I loved every thing about it except for one thing...The shoulder straps. Too narrow and too short since I I prefer cross body bags.

Enter new strap made from fabric in my stash. The new strap has d rings on the ends, recycled from another bag that I tossed a long time ago. You can see them in the next picture.

It was scary cutting the old straps off, but I had plans for them so I screwed up my courage squeezed my eyes shut and went for it. {snip}

Next I folded what was left of the old handle under and sewed it down at the top. There was a lot of layers to get through, however, my Juki handled it like a champ. I just took it nice and easy.

The old strap then became a loop on the sides of the purse to connect the d ring to. Again, a lot of layers to go through, but my Juki did a great job.

And the other part of the left over strap went into making a key chain wrist strap.

Ta-da! New purse! =D

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-love, Mathena. Note: she is not taller than I am. Just sayin'. She received the table runner and quilt today. My father-in-love wondered if I was going to make him a quilt for Father's day. I think it was a hint, don't you?

My beautiful daughter, Haley...

Garden stone from Haley...

Happy Mother's Day! =)

Simple Vintage Sheet quilt

2011-05-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

It's super soft and so much prettier in person.

I think it's sweet...

It's for my Casey, if she wants it. =)

PS...She wanted it...=)

Honesty

2011-04-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

Have you all read the post, "There are things I don't say," by Rachel at Stitched in Color?

Just so you know...

* My life is far from perfect. I am a selfish, self centered sinner, saved by Grace by a good God, Jesus Christ.

I am Unspeakably Sinful.

* I appreciate all of you and am so grateful for all the encouragement I receive. I apologize for being so far behind in responding to your comments. Forgive me?

Good intentions...Or biting off more than I can chew.

2011-04-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

I intended to do some hand quilting with the perle thread...

Really! I did!

However, the size of the quilt, {90 x 70} has me overwhelmed.

Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind...

Again.

Maybe??

2011-04-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Progress...And another decision

2011-04-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

Just to give you an idea of what I am planning on doing, none of the plates are attached and are just tossed for the photo op.

The thing I am disappointed with is the yellow centers are very see through. Even if I cut out the green background, it's still doesn't look right. I tested it last night by tucking a piece of batting behind the center of the plate.

My solution, adding one more smaller circle for the center in the plates.

Decisions, decisions...

2011-04-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

I am considering doing some hand quilting with perle thread...Seriously enough that I asked Madame Samm...yes...the famous Madame Samm of Sew WE Quilt @ Stash Manicure...how she quilts her quilts. Have you seen her work? Cute, I tell you...CUTE!

Go ahead...Go check it out...Day Bed Quilt.

Am I right?? Seriously...

So, I asked her a question on her blog about it, and lo and behold, she asked for my telephone number! Yup...I'm hobnobbing with the famous now. *grin*

Now to decide what to do and how. Some machine quilting and accent with the stitching? Or all hand quilting?

Thanks, Samm, for your help...It was a real pleasure chatting with you tonight. =)

Tuesday Morning bargains on Thursday afternoon

2011-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Morning is one of my favorite stores to wander around in. They have everything there! Linens and dog toys...Toys for kids and luggage...Oriental rugs and party supplies....It's a great place to find gifts for all occasions.

I hadn't been there in a while so I popped in to look around yesterday since I was already out and about. I bought some great stuff!

First, though, I wanted to share with you my favorite scissors of all time. Westcott Titanium bonded 5" micro-tipped scissors.

I stumbled on them by accident last year at Target on their clearance rack. They were selling for $3. If I had known how amazing they were, I would have bought them all, then and there. They are super sharp and I use them mainly for thread snipping.

I tie a scrap of selvedge on all my fabric scissors so everyone knows they are mine and not to be used for paper.

Okay...Back to Tuesday Morning! I found some great stuff for the sewing room....

Fabric...I am not a huge jelly roll fan, but at $15, I could be. Now I can try some of the jelly roll patterns out there and see if I want to be a jelly roll fan.

I've been wanting to try fabric sheets for my printer, but the price has always given me pause, even on sale. At this discounted price, I am willing to give them a try to see how they work.

Has anyone used this product? For $3 I thought it would be worth a try...I've been wanting to try to do some applique and this looks easy enough.

Quilt hangers. Maybe I can find a place to display a quilt in my home somewhere.

Aleen's No-Sew fabric glue...Not sure what to use it for, but the price was right. If anyone has some suggestions for me, I am all ears!

Two June Tailor 6 1/2 inch rotary cutter rulers.

And lastly, a cute find...At least I think so, a magnetic bulletin board...It could be used for Karen's @ Sew Many Ways clever idea.

I just noticed you can see my reflection in the wrapper!!

Have you found any fun bargains lately?

Gigi's Tulips

2011-04-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I was blessed enough to do day care for a sweet and very tiny little girl named Gigi aka The Princess...Gigi was blessed with the gift of Down Syndrome and I was privileged to have had a window of time where I could pour out my love upon this miracle child.

This quilt is for my friend who was Gigi's foster mom...30's fabric because she loves all things vintage and tulips because of the poem Welcome to Holland.

I sure miss her seeing her sweet little face....

Tulips: The big picture

2011-04-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

Of course there are things I would have done differently, but for the most part, I like it.

Now to decide what to do for the border and then make the binding.

Making friends with Tipsy

2011-04-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

It's going okay. =) When I get anxious, I just park her and go check my emails, read a blog post or two and then go back up to try again.

The thread I am using for the bobbin and top thread is Connecting Threads Essential Cotton quilting thread. I've always liked their thread and it's working nicely. No thread breakage or tension problems.

God is being kind to me. =)

Quilting Tulips

2011-04-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

I gotta really buckle down and get moving if I am going to get this done by the 22nd of April...I have 4 of the 9 squares done...I have been wondering, thought, is it possible to put it on my quilting frame after all the straight line quilting is done and do a bit of meandering in the yellow parts of the blocks with Tipsy? Or is that a big no-no?

Table runner

2011-04-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

Also for my mother-in-love....

It's so wonderful seeing flowers again!

A girl and her tutu...

2011-04-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

This sweet little girl is my granddaughter, Brooklyn. The young man behind her is her birthfather, my son. Brooklyn was placed for adoption at birth. We are very blessed to be part of an open adoption.

Looking at her face makes me smile...

More dresden plates....

2011-03-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

I love making dresden plates!! These are smaller than the dresden plates I made for my mother-in-love. I used 5" blades in hers. These are 4" blades.

I found backing fabric for the tulip quilts at a steal of a deal. $3.95 a yard at AAA Quilter's Supply! With the price of cotton going up, I was thrilled to find such a great deal.

Have a great Thursday! =)

Block-A-Palooza quilt top

2011-03-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

The Block-a-palooza ended last week with three layouts to choose from.

I chose the on point layout since I had never tried it before and because this quilt had me out of my comfort zone many times over, I figured it was the best way to bring it to a close. But, I also wanted to do some applique...

So I made some flowers...

...and added them to the yellow squares.

I ❤ this quilt!!

Thank you, Quilt Dad, and all of the other Block-A-Palooza team members, for making this quilt along so much fun!

Dresden Plates Finished!

2011-03-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

I was burning the midnight oil with this one. It was almost a compulsion to get it done. I am thrilled with how it turned out. I think the faux piping adds a nice touch. The finished size 70" x 70".

Perhaps now I can catch up with all your blog updates! =)

Tutus

2011-03-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

My Casey and I made tutus today for some special little girls in our lives....We followed the tutorial on Precious Cupcakes. Easy and fun!!

Dresden plates ~ Quilting

2011-03-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your comments. I haven't taken any time away from my sewing room to do any computer time, which means all my blog reading has been neglected as well. My nose has been to the needle, so to speak.

To answer a question that did pop up, no I am not using Tipsy to quilt this one. I need to do a lot of practice before I will put a quilt top I have made on it. My LQS has some charity quilts that need quilted and the owner told me I could use them for my practice, so I hope to make a good dent in practice time on Tipsy and eventually quilt a quilt top I have made.

Using the walking foot on Miss Juki I decided to do echo quilting on the outside of the plate. On the inside I made a 10 point star/flower. I'm not 100% sold on the flower/star. I'm thinking I should continue the echo quilting to inside the plate, but at wider intervals. Maybe two rounds and then do something in the circle? I have no idea what I am going to do for the sashing yet. The echo quilting takes a long time, so I have time to think about what I want to do.

Dresden Plates ~ Flimsy done

2011-03-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled with how this one turned out. I can't wait to get it finished and delivered to my mom-in-love...

Dresden Plates

2011-03-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Pokey@ PokeyDotQuilting is making the most darling dresden plates, which inspired me to make a few myself. When finished, the quilt will go to my mother-in-love, Mathena.

The Pips are here!

2011-03-12T00:20:00.000-08:00

She has a name...

2011-03-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

In response to my post about my black heart, Marlene @ Stitchin By the Lake wrote a comment that made me laugh.

Seriously laugh.

She said:

Like you I'd be scared but with a husband like that you've obviously got a personal cheering section! Everyone says practice and I know they are right but remember to be forgiving of yourself because you won't be satisfied with what you do for a long time. I'm a newbie at free motion quilting and I still think my stitching looks like a drunk monkey did it but I'm finally at the point that I think the monkey is just tipsy...and that's progress. :) blessings, marlene

And in that comment, Miss Fun Quilter got her name...

Drunk Monkey...

I'm kidding! I'm kidding!

Her name, for real, is Tipsy. =)

BTW: Marlene is having a giveaway. Go check it out!

Vignette in Stitches Give-Away

2011-03-09T11:21:00.000-08:00

Vignette in Stitches is a new to me blog, thanks to Deb @ Mountain Musings and they are having a lovely little giveaway of 15 fat quarters of Where the Wind Blows.

Lovely, isn't it?? =)

{insert clever title}

2011-03-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

Warning: This post has no continuity.

Thank you all for your encouragement this weekend. I am {very} grateful....

I gave myself a blog makeover. I needed a change. I reserve the right to change it half a dozen more times until I am sure I am satisfied, but I think I am...Maybe...

I practiced on Miss Fun Quilter this morning. We aren't friends yet, but we are better acquainted. It's a start.

I finished a couple of blocks for the Block-a-palooza. I need go see the one posted for today.

The mailman brought me some fabric I bought on clearance. Love the Jane Pindots!

I finished both tulip quilt tops.

This one is for me.

This one is for my friend.

The cathedral windows block is taking shape.

That's all I got...*grin*

Baring my black heart

2011-03-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

My husband is {the most} amazing husband in the whole world.

Yes, he is.

Look at what he bought me, just because he loves me....

No, I didn't ask for it. He did all the researching, went to the Nolting factory many times over his lunch break, called them numerous times to ask them all kinds of questions and then surprised me with this amazing machine for Valentine's Day....

A Nolting Fun Quilter on a Hinterberg stretch frame.

As for me, I am not the most amazing wife.

Not by a long shot...

See the word fun on this machine? It even has a smile on it. I think it's there to convince you she is ever so much fun to play with...

Ummm....My question.

When does the fun begin?

Just keeping it real, people...I am afraid of this thing.

No, that's not entirely true....

Miss Fun Quilter causes me to be filled with anxiety.

Anxiety as in {panic attacks}.

Last night, I cried on my {perfect} hubby's shoulder and told him to take it back.

Go ahead...Take a moment and feel sorry for my hubby for having such a terrible wife.

I'll wait....

I am baring my {black} heart in the hopes that someone...anyone...can relate and will have some words of encouragement for me.

I'm all ears because I really, really want to {heart} quilting with Miss Fun Quilter.

Small stuff

2011-02-27T11:20:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's nice to do small projects that can get done in a day. Yesterday I did just that.

I made myself a new camera case. I found the pattern on Tip-Nut.

I've been wanting a pattern for a casserole cover for a long time. I found one at the I-80 Quilt Shoppers Shopping Spree. I chose the John Deere fabric so I could make it for a friend of mine whose hubby is a huge John Deere fan. Now that I have the pattern I can make one for myself and for friends and family members as gifts.

Here it is all closed up.

One side open so you can see how the pan goes in.

And lastly, I made a new spray bottle cover for my water bottle. This pattern can be found @ Sew Many Ways.

Block-A-Palooza-ing Today

2011-02-25T15:41:00.000-08:00

All caught up...

Patterns & Windows

2011-02-24T05:53:00.000-08:00

First the patterns:

Valerie @ A Day in May graciously shared where to get three free quilt patterns. Trust me, you will want them. Go to her blog {be sure to say 'Hi' while you are there} to get the details.

Now for the windows:

Melissa Stramel is doing a tutorial on how to make Cathedral Windows with no hand sewing.

Here is one of the finished products of yesterdays tutorial.

Her directions look complicated, but it's really easy. I had all nine whipped up in less than an hour.

Today's goal, to get caught up on the Block -a-palooza!

I-80 Quilt Shopper's One-Stop Shopping Spree

2011-02-21T17:46:00.000-08:00

At the last minute, Russ took the day off today and took me to the I-80 Quilt Shopper's One-Stop Shopping Spree. We had a great time, as always. I love spending time with my hubby. =)

These are a few of the things that came home with me, with the exception of the Modern Basics book. That was waiting for me at home. =)

Block-A-Palooza block 8

2011-02-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

I received a tiny introduction to applique! I think I could like this...

Cathedral Windows

2011-02-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

Melissa@Make Life Beautiful is having a sewalong to teach us how to make Cathedral Windows with the sewing machine! That's right...No hand sewing!

I don't know about you, but I am all over this idea!

Go here for the supply list. Hint: You will have most of it in your stash. How's that for a bonus!!

Norah's Stars

2011-02-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

Remember this little baby quilt? I think Norah likes it, don't you??

Tulips

2011-02-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

The beginning stages of a new project. This quilt will have a story, but I want to share it when it's finished. My goal is to have it finished in April.

I'm following the pattern Scrappy Spring Tulips.

Block-A-Palooza block 7

2011-02-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one grateful for an easy block?

Posting this, I can see I need to turn the top orange block so the stripes go the same direction as the rest of them...

Block-A-Palooza blocks 5 and 6

2011-02-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Cute block, but difficult. Ish...Far from perfect and I may have to redo it.

I found green polka dot fabric in my stash that works with Sunkissed! It makes the worry of not having enough fabric a little less worrisome.

I love this block...

The next block is out and it's an easy one! I hope to get it done this afternoon.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!