Strings and selvedges

This is a top from last year...pale and feminine. Selvedges with words like "fleur", and "garden"...with pastel string pieces. The one pale beige block in the center features the Eiffel Tower . The border fabric (and backing) has roses, post marks and cursive script and the word, "Paris"!

I had to use my Singer Featherweight on the kitchen counter to piece the back. Because MY back has flared up, and sitting at the machine is part of the problem!

Voila! The back is ready for the batting and quilting!

This will be a gift for my first granddaughter, I think!

 

Small pleasures!

Ready for spring, pink tulips in a forcing jar. Snow in the front yard lingers!

On the back porch, pots of daffodil bulbs in the morning sun.....noses beginning to peep up!

Meanwhile, I have concern for our daughter and her family near Atlanta, as the winter storm approaches and shuts down the city.

I am knitting two pink cardigans for the twins there, but the cold my almost be gone by the time these are finished! I knit on one sweater, then the other so that they will finish at about the same time!

I have made several of these pink burlap buntings....for the holiday....now in the mail...and one hanging here!

I am enjoying a new lime green table/ desk from the thrift store. Now I have a special corner for writing, sketching or just being!

Still loving my latest scrappy quilt!

Thinking of adding another vintage sewing machine to my collection......it has roses on the case and is 3/4 size. A Kenmore 1040, sigh!

Of course I don't NEED it!

 

Sunday Morning low volume quilt

It is still snowing today! This week I quilted and bound this "Sunday Morning" quilt ( pattern is in the quilt book by that name). It just came out of the washer and dryer, looking lovely!

 

Here is a closer look.....

I like mixing pale and light with a touch of deeper color thrown in, floral prints, large and small, and stripes and dots.....checks and plaids.....

I machine quilt, free motion on an antique Singer slant needle, 301. The machine has a "card table" in which it sits. With the feed dogs lowered, I'm all set.

This may go to a grandaughter....we will see!

Now down to clean and organize the sewing room...that is if the heaters have made it warm enough to be down there, brrrr!

 

Dreamsicle Quilt and more

We are collecting blocks for a dear quilting friend.

It has grown to become a quilt top!

It his project was inspired by a quilt which I saw on the Internet called a "Dreamsicle Quilt"! Our friend, Lovina loves orange, so this is being made for her!!!

Today, sleet, snow, cold...but I am warm and cozy inside my sewing studio, machine quilting a low-volume, "Sunday Morning", quilt...from many "scraps", and for me!

I quilt with my antique Singer 301, you can lower the feed dogs and be ready for free motion quilting,

The wooden table which works with this machine makes a wonderful surface to support the weight of the quilt while I'm quilting!

Lucky me!!!!

 

Disappearing 4 patch block

A young woman who works where I do is having a baby in November.  Her shower is Sunday.

I hope to "whip up" a small crib quilt for her.

The baby is a girl! I have lots in my stash that will work!

The pattern is

Our guild has an annual "Airing of the Quilts" which is informal and a lot of fun!  Last month we met again at a member's home with a large yard and lots of fence for hanging our quilts.

Here my friend, Paula stands by to help me tell about my "through Grandmother's Window" quilt. It is a block of the month pattern from "Piece O' Cake" designs.  I started it in 1994!  Almost 20 years later, it is almost finished!  It is for my first grandchild, Lilia.

Below is a flower garden quilt which my grandmother made and gave to me when I was 6!  Love the bright pink!

Also shown above, is my pomegranate stitchery wall hanging, an art quilt.  Love doing these!

Paula told about her first quilt which she made at my shop in the early 1990's, the trellis pattern is from "In the Beginning".  Paula used some black floral sheets which she loved and enhanced the morning glories with beaded dewdrops!

Queen of the May

A special block as my daughter's birthday is May 1st.  This pattern is not too common, but I found it in a book, Family Ties by Nancilu Butler Burdick. (c. 1991, ISBN 1-55853-134-3)

From "Family Ties" quilt book



Using scraps from family baby clothes, and other I created this version.

it will be a gift for my "secret stitcher" pal this month!



pieced from scraps 5/21/2012



String-pieced 60 degree star quilt

Pieced on light weight (tissue paper or newprint) paper using thin strips of fabrics (some sewing scraps!) these are not fast to make!

I finally have all the stars finished and it is coming together with a tradtional (and modern) white muslin setting.

I left my toe in there for a bit of humor.....I'm also thinking of polka dot border....what ever color is still on sale tomorrow at Hancock's! [when I am back at work....or back at shopping! LOL!]

Catching up on quilts

I am a bit behind on posting my quilts.....so here goes...

This is from Kaffe Fassett's Passionate Patchwork book....the "Fonthill Quilt"...

there are several more borders to go on it! Lots of 1.5 inch half-square triangles forming sawtooth borders and pinwheels. These are separated and held together by a soft green floral.

More borders to come!

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Now a look at my "Sakiori" quilt from the book "Japanese Quilt Inspirations" by Susan Briscoe.

Here the top and back are basted together for quilting. I love the cheerful bird print on the back!

The finished quilt, mostly machine quilted (on an antique Singer 301) and hand-quilted in the gold circles.

Hexagon quilt

A beautiful sunny morning after a stormy night...so much rain this spring!

Mom is sewing down the binding on this small quilt. I pieced the quilt last spring.

It is machine quilted in the idtch around the blocks and "big stitch" quilted with pearl cotton in the hexagons.

After the washing, things change!

Before free-motion quilting and washing, the edges of the colored scraps are neat and tidy....

......but not that way after the first washing. The washing makes it pucker up and soften, it mkaes the edges ravel and fray. [ I was compelled to trim off most of the "strings"... It is standard crib size, 45'X60"].

I used binding scraps to keep the colors moving, even on the binding. [of course you can't see the binding in this photo .]

Topsy turvy quilt

An easy crib quilt is almost finished....

A friend is wondering about the pattern, so I was able to scan it .....

It is from Quilter's Newsletter Best Weekend Quilts, Autumn 2010.

Ticker tape quilts, a new form of tile quilt!

The photo above is by Karen Griska, the author of the Selvedge blog . It is called "Stamp Collection" tile quilt.

You can read a lot about this on Pat Sloan's blog post.

I have a friend already making one of these and I 'm feeling that I will be too! What fun!!!

I'll be back to show you what I come up with!

Indigo Reflections is now on the wall!

Held up by a small dowel, this beaded and embellished art stitchery piece is now in my living room! Fun!

Recyled Holiday

I found this doily for 50 cents at a thrift store. it was stained but cleaned up nicely! Last night was time to make something with it...we've been snowed in so using what I had was necessary! I used some small red velveteen pieces, some batting scraps for stuffing and added dried lavendar in the middle of the stuffing. So it is a 9" X 11"
sachet pillow and is on it's way to one of my Valentines!

New Quilt Block -a-palooza Quilt Along Group to Join

This is a Flickr group which is posting and making a block each week. The designers of each week's block are linked from the Flickr site.

The first block is "Flying over the Fields" by John Adams, Quilt Dad .

Now to download the patterns and get caught up!

For a baby girl yet to arrive!

Working on a crib quilt for a granddaughter (possibly) expected in June....fun and contemporary....I am working on the pink ruffle!

Indigo Reflections....making progress!

A bird, flowers, the moon reflected on the water....art quilts are fun! this one also has a ceramic button! I am keeping the edges and the stitches primitive and irregular. I plan to display this at our quilt show and then hang it in my home....NFS! [size is about 14X24. click on the photo for more detail!]

Getting started on Indigo Reflections art quilt

Beginning a small art quilt with my collection of indigo fabrics...some hand dyed. some Bali batiks, some from Shibori Girl.

Working this way is new to me, I have learned a lot from Jane LaFazio who teaches for Joggles. Jane is offering a 6 week on-line art quilt class this coming March.
I will be stitching this and a small beaded quilt of pomegranates which I hope to enter into our Quilt show this April.

Finished but should I use it?

I guess we can change them out!

This is the quilt on our bed now...I had hung the angel above the bed and then found this folkart wedding quilt which seems to go with it so well! Meanwhile, I finished the quilt I was making for this new bedroom.....
So, I guess I will soon try it on our bed, under the angel watercolor.