Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Six Black Wellies!
So my wonderful daughter has this blog about her adventures in England.
Here is just a little competition from Charlotte, North Carolina!
SIX BLACK WELLIES!!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Backsplash for kitchen chosen!!! eeek
Joy..but, not sewing....
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Happy St. Paddy's Day!!!
The label from this quilt reads: Happy Birthday Emily, March 1, 2000, love from yo Ma!
I see that this was back in my hand quilting days.
Loving the green: Glass back splash choices for my new kitchen....eeekkk, so excited!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Turquoise scrap top
Oh, the clarity of the morning light!
And the joy of the first day of IKEA cabinet installation!!!
From The Archives...Vintage Star of Bethleham
Still obsessing about the wonderful world of antique quilts!! I can see that this old picture does not do this quilt justice. It is a really beautiful quilt. I have pulled it out of the archives to look at again.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
4 patch process
Something is seriously wrong with me! Finishing UFO/WIPs is my goal now or should be. So I found many misc. 4 patches and decided to make up a cuddle quilt. It should have been easy because why would I put much work into that??? Then I decided that the four patches were too boring and I should really do something different because I had done mindless work last week when Mr. Habitat man was here. So, I sewed 4 4-patches together into a 16 patch. I should have left it alone...but oh, no I was on a roll. I decided to put some old turquoise batik face to face with these 16 patches and sew them together and then slice them in half. This was getting way too complicated and I was starting to think it was horrid and time was going..ugh. So now, instead of using up my many 4 patches, I was creating more patches in a different shape and really accomplishing nothing much at all....Same question all over again....what is wrong with me???
It is bedtime....so I am showing "process" and going to bed. Sounds like a record here...and either will put these new blocks away for the future or mess with them tomorrow. Thank you for listening! Good night.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
"Quilt as you go", My disaster!
In the early 70's, Georgia Bonesteel came to Miami to teach her new exciting method of "quilt as you go". I took her class with great excitement. Up to that time, I had only made one block quilts. She taught us to hand applique with a topstitch and a method of piecing the blocks together which I promptly forgot. I thought she was a genius. I took those blocks with me on airplanes and to visit friends and family. Thirty five some years later, guess who still has this UFO with the old fashion batting sticking out everywhere and fabric that is not good quality???? You guessed right..me! It is an absolute disaster. I thought of just chucking it, but then I have put in so much hand work. Dear me..
Now I have seen wonderful new ways of doing "quilt as you go"...It probably is too late for me! I am hoping my dear friends in my quilting group will help me with it when we go to our retreat in April...please??? Check out this great site for fabulous color and a good tutorial.
http://www.thequiltingedge.com/2011/02/tutorialqayg-5-joining-blocks-with.html
http://www.thequiltingedge.com/2011/02/tutorialqayg-5-joining-blocks-with.html
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Free motion quilting
There used to be a store near here where they sold little stones with happy faces on them. I would keep them in a dish and when a client wanted a quick fix, I would just hand them a magic stone!!! So wonderful...but, alas when I needed them, they were all gone. So when Iris showed up at Guild with a quilt with wonderful free motion quilting, I wanted to know how to do that and fast. I didn't know that Iris knew how to do that...I wanted not to be left behind! Hmm was I hoping a bolt would hit me from the sky..yup...or maybe there would be a new magic pill?? yup... But, that was not to be. As today came to an end and the Habitat guy was getting ready to go, I found an orphan block that I had been going to make into a pot holder. The light bulb in my head came on and I decided to practice free motion quilting on that potholder. I emphasize the word practice, because I think that is really the answer. I am delighted and here is my result:.
I have never done those little circles before. I realized that I always keep my machine on the fast mode, but that keeping it slower was better for this task. This was arduous, but I think I was concentrating too hard and not relaxing. I am looking forward to more of that word: Practice:)
Orange Bag Tote/ maybe Grapefruit Bag?
Ok, now...at 8:30 this morning a Jerry from Habitat Re-stores was here right on the dot to take down my kitchen. It is almost 4 and he is still here...humming away, taking down my kitchen. I, too have been busy. I cancelled my work today and I have been sewing. A friend had given me an empty orange bag for re-purposing. Today was that day for me. A rainy day that I needed to be home for anyway!
What is better than one orange/grapefruit bag tote? Two:)
Then after I took the pictures, I decided to add random buttons!
Some lovely Bradford Pear blossoms in the background!
Free motion feather tutorial
This is a good tutorial for free motion feathers. I just had to share it!
http://joanne-threadhead.blogspot.com/2011/03/free-motion-feather-tutorial.html
http://joanne-threadhead.blogspot.com/2011/03/free-motion-feather-tutorial.html
Antique English Log Cabin....from the archives
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Who is crabby now???
I should be excited! I AM excited, because we are getting a new IKEA kitchen!! But, first...grrr. My husband and I have different organizational ideas and skills..so as we dismantle the insides of our cabinets to be ready for Habitat for Humanity to take them away tomorrow morning...well, what can I say. Self banishment for me!! A good stiff drink:)
A wonderful place to escape to!!!
A cuddle quilt made with no thinking needed!
Thank you Ruth for the fabric from "Happy Fabric Day!!" http://ruthsloan.blogspot.com/
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Online Quilt Show!! Red and Whites...my favorites
Taryn at Repro Quilt Lover blog is having an online quilt show of red and white quilts!! It is for all of us who cannot make it to New York City for the upcoming red and white quilt show at the Museum of Folk Art. These are my favorite kind of quilts so I put in all four of mine that I could find. Now I hear that people know how to upload quilts from snapshots taken before blogging...Maybe I can learn that and add more:) Thank you Taryn!!
http://reproquiltlover.blogspot.com/2011/03/red-and-white-quilt-exhibit-bloggers.html
Friday, March 4, 2011
Circle Tutorial from - The Crafts Dept.
Thank you to the Fabric Shopper! http://fabricshopperonline.com for the link below to a very great circle tutorial!! http://thecraftsdept.marthastewart.com/2010/07/finished-baby-quilt-follow-up.html
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
"Grandma and Me", snowball quilt finished
Finally, my snowball is finished. It has mostly reproduction 30's fabric with a few funky fabrics thrown in for good measure. It has Grandma's original doilies from that era, napkins from her canasta games and tea towels. Grandma Edith Karlson Franzen, 1896 to 1996, clear minded and sewing to the end. I love you Grandma.
The airplane block is a piece I bought in Japan 25 years ago. I love the backing fabric.
A piece of a canasta napkin.
The doilies in the border.
A piece from a pillow, "Good Night" in Swedish.
Her initials she embroidered on a tea towel.
Process! I put the blue painter's tape on the quilt to mark the lattice quilting. This quilt was machine quilted at my retreat. I tacked down the binding by hand when I got home.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Happy 28th Birthday to my Emily!! xxoo
Emily and Brian in Punta Cana
Emily working on her picnic quilt!
My Dearest Emily, How in the world did you get to be 28??? I love you lots. Happy Birthday