The Quilters Quilt

I went into Suzzie's Quilt shop and found the really neat sewing themed fabric.  The fabric is Sewing Box by Gina Martin. I really liked the fabric so much that I picked up the Yellow Brick Road pattern by Atkinson Designs to make a lap quilt with the Sewing Box fabrics.  The pattern calls for fat quarters (12 for a lap quilt).

Just a small note.  I used bamboo batting (Nature-Fil Batting by Fairfield).  I had the easiest time quilting this quilt than I had with any of my other quilts.  I don't know if it was the batting or not but from now on I am only using  Nature-Fil Batting.

I have named this quilt The Quilters Quilt because both my husband and my son-in-law both called it the quilters quilt when I showed it to them.

After I finished the quilt, I went to Suzzie's quilt shop to show Suzzie the quilt.  She and another worker liked the quilt so much that both of them picked out the same fabrics  to make this quilt for themselves.  Suzzie asked me to bring the quilt back on Wednesday for Quilt Club.  After showing the quilt at Quilt Club two more people were wanting to buy the fabric to make this quilt. Wow, I didn't realize how popular this quilt would be.

Where The Wild Things Are Quilt

I know that it has been awhile but I have not stopped quilting.  I was working on my largest quilt to date. I made a full size quilt for my daughter's friend's son.  She gave me the fabric and asked for a full size quilt made out of large squares.

I cut out 12 1/2 " squares of three fabrics for a total of 35 squares. I cut out 2 1/2" strips out of another fabric for the sashing.  Out of the 2 1/2" strips I cut 28 6 1/2" x 2 1/2". I then pieced the remaining strips together to make 6 60 1/2" x 2 1/2", 2 96 1/2" x 2 1/2", and 2 64 1/2" x 2 1/2".  Then out of the last fabric I cut 6 1/2 " strips for the outer border. I cut 2 at 100 1/2" x 6 1/2" and 2 at 76 1/2" x 6 1/2"

This is not the greatest diagram, but I hope you can understand it.

I sewed 12 1/2 inch pieces of the 2 1/2 inch strips on each side of the squares. I then sewed a long 2 1/2 inch strip in between each row.  I then added the sides of the inner border. After that I added the top and bottom of the inner border. I then repeated the process for the outer border.

Here are pictures of the finished quilt.

Holiday projects

I'm sorry that it has been so long since my last post.  I was working frantically to get all my Christmas projects done.

These are a few of the projects I was working on.

 

If this looks a little familiar, it is because it is the same pattern as my 

Dallas Cowboy quilt.  One of my friends is a Steelers fan and she asked me to make this for her.

 After I bought this fabric I wasn't crazy about it but I was in a time crunch to make a thanksgiving table topper, so this is what I came up with.

 This is the quilt I made as a Christmas present for my son-in-laws parents. They recently bought a river house and I made this for them to put in their river house family room.

This was my last quilting project I finished before Christmas.  This went on the kitchen table.

As you can see I was very busy before the Holidays.  so much more has happened since then. Stay tuned and I will try to get everyone updated.  I will work on posting every other day until I am up to date.

Charlie's Baby Quilt

I am expecting my fourth granddaughter in January.  I posted a couple of months ago the fabrics for her baby quilt.  I have now finished the quilt and delivered it to my daughter at her baby shower.

I ordered Lily Pulitzer fabric from Etsy for the dresses.  I found some wood grain fabric for the dress forms.  I cut out the 16 dresses and the 16 dress forms and using Appli-Kay Wonder from Floriana, I ironed on the dresses and forms onto white fabric.  After they were ironed on I used the blanket stitch on the sewing machine to finish the applique edges.

The pattern called for the white blocks to have four different fabrics bordering each of the blocks.  I decided that this would make the quilt too busy, so I decided to use only one fabric to border each block.

I used the same fabrics that my daughter used to make her crib skirt, to border and back the quilt.

I imitated the swirl pattern in the white background fabric when I free motion quilted the quilt.

Here is the finished quilt!

Linking up with Amanda @ Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday

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Hexagons

When Martelli had templates on their Redline Direct, I bought a set of hexagons. At the time I bought then I had no idea what I was going to do with them.  Then I saw a "Grandmother's Flower Garden" quilt on line and knew that I had to make it.

 Well, for starters it is pieced together using the English paper piecing method.  If you don't know what that is, here is a video that will help you understand English paper piecing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHe-MJavMqI.

I decided to start by making a pin cushion that I found in McCall's Quilting Magazine (Nov./Dec. 2013) to get me started with hexagons.

I used Martelli hexagons to cut both the paper and the fabric.

I used the 2 inch fussy cut template to make my paper pattern.  After I make one sheet, I then copied the paper several times and then cut out all the hexagons.

 

I first cut a 2 1/2 by 3 inch pieces of fabric, then using the template, I cut the hexagon shapes.

 

Next I pinned the paper shapes to the fabric.

I have stitched the edges down and now I am ready to whip stitch the hexagons together.  I stitched mine down differently than in any of the other videos.  I tack down ONLY the corners (with a stitch and then a back stitch) making sure that I do NOT go through the paper. This helps preserve the paper so that it can be used over many times.

Next I pressed them and right after I press them and before I sew them together, I take out the papers (which can be used again).  This is different than any of the youtube videos that I watched.  I just don't see the need for the paper when sewing them together.

I sewed all the sides together except one.  I stuffed it with crushed walnut shells, that I got at the pet store, before whip stitching the last side of the last hexagon.  My finished pin cushion!

My Applique Class

Last Saturday was my second Applique class.  I finished the first block while traveling back from Disney on the train.

It's not perfect, but this is my first block.   I should get better with each block.

I thought I was ahead of the game by having everything already cut out for the second block, but when I got to class a lot of the people already had the second block finished and was already working on the third block.  We are all working at our own pace and I love that. Not sure how much I will have done by the next class but I will keep you updated.

Original Sewing and Quilt Expo

Today I went to the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Fredericksburg, VA.  For those of you who think it is more about sewing than quilting, you couldn't be more wrong.  I would say that 75% of the show was dedicated to quilting. I had a great time wondering through all the booths.  For this expo I concentrated on patterns.  Boy did I find a lot.  Let me share with you some of the things that I picked up.

I have always wanted to do a nativity quilt.  I probably won't have it finished before this Christmas, maybe next Christmas.

I figured this would be a great go to table runner.

I always wanted to learn the tea leaf pattern.  This looked quick and easy.

How could I resist this with two daughters and three granddaughters. The words are covered up by the flash, but it says "Sometimes I miss my sister".  I'm thinking I'll make it for my oldest granddaughter.

OK, I know it is not quilting but how cute is this petite wallet and this checkbook wallet.

I have been admiring this in the Keepsake Quilting catalog for awhile.  Can't wait to try it.

This was done by the same person that designed the "Up North" quilt.

I think they are supposed to be wall hangings but I think they would make great table runners.  One of my goals is to have a table runner for every season.  These will help a lot.

I also stopped by the Martelli booth.  I met Linda Winner and she was telling me that they have redone all of their instructional videos.  She was really excited about them.  The best place to find her videos is www.youtube.com/lindavideos.

While I am talking about Martelli, there is a Redline Direct coming up on October 10.  Up next is cutting mats.  These mats last a life time.  I don't know about you but I go through mats.  I'm getting one from the show, it is the demo mat, but since they last forever I don't mind that it is used.

Quilting While on Vacation

Heading to Florida to see my dad and then to my favorite place on earth, Disney World.  I can't take my sewing machine with me so I will switch to hand quilting.

 After my hand applique class I am taking this to work on.  Will also try to start the next block but I will need more instruction to finish it.

This is a yo yo quilt that I am making for my oldest granddaughter, Raelynn.

 

By my calculations I need 1600 yo yos to make this queen size quilt. I cut all of these circles by hand.  I would draw a circle (using a template) onto the fabric and then cutting out each one of the circles.  

Again Martelli has come through with a great invention.  The circle template.  I saw them at a trade show and bought a set.  I am just sorry I didn't find this product earlier.  The rest of the 1600 circles will be cut with Martelli's circle template.

Lily dress Quilt

I am so excited!  My Lily Pulitzer fabric came today from Hong Kong.  Can't wait to start the quilt for my fourth granddaughter, Charlie.

Dallas Cowboy Quilt

It football season and I love to watch it.  I am a Dallas Cowboy fan. I was born and raised in Dallas so it is only natural that I am a Cowboy fan.  In my family growing up the women in the  were just as much or more of a football fan as the men.  I used to go to many of the Cowboy games growing up in the 70's.  I loved watching Roger Staubach play, and of course our big rival was and is the Washington Redskins.  Now I live in the Washington DC suburbs and my family is a house divided.   My oldest daughter and I are the Cowboy fans and my youngest daughter and husband are the Redskin fans.  It is very interesting in the house when they play each other as they do twice a year.

With football season starting, I decided to make a Dallas Cowboy quilt.  I found a pattern in Quick Quilts October/November 2010 magazine.

The pattern showed the New Orleans Saints, but it was easy enough to change to Dallas Cowboys (my local Joanne Fabric Store had Dallas Cowboy fabric).  I went to Suzzie's Quilt shop to get the other fabrics and I was telling her that I had eyelashes on the back of the Halloween Twister quilt.

Suzzie sell Jonome sewing machines, which is the brand of my machine.  She showed me a different bobbin holder that is supposed to get rid of the eyelashes, so I bought it.  It is the best investment I have made in a long time.  I had no eyelashes on my Dallas Cowboy quilt.

Now I'm ready for those cold winter  days to watch football.

Quilting the Halloween Twister Quilt

Now comes the fun part. Quilting the pieced top.  This is where my new table shines.. I was able to stretch out the quilt top onto the table to make my "quilt sandwich" ( backing, batting, and top).

  I bought two different multicolored threads to pick from. To help make my decision about which thread to use I grabbed some left over fabric and batting and made a practice piece.

 The top piece is quilted with sand color thread and the bottom is quilted with Halloween colored thread.

I stilled wasn't sure so I added a quilt piece and also used some orange thread.

OK, decision made. Sand on the top of the quilt and orange on the back.


The finished quilt!!!

Beautiful Quilt

Today I went to Suzzie's Quilt Shop and ran into a wonderful woman by the name of Nancy.  She was showing us a quilt that she just finished.  It was one of the most beautiful quilts that I have ever seen.  I asked her if I could take a picture of it to put on my blog.  She was very gracious to let me do do that. So, here it is.

She has a wonderful story about the quilt. I will try to do it justice.  She made the quilt for someone (I think a family member) who was battling cancer.  The person Nancy made the quilt for is now cancer free and has decided to donate the quilt to the cancer treatment center where she received her treatments so that other people could enjoy the quilt while there at the center.  Nancy made a quilt that would take the patients to another place that was beautiful.  I think she did a wonderful job, don't you think.

Nancy has her own website with pictures of other quilts she has made. Check it out. www.PADutchGirl.com.

Halloween Twister Quilt part 3

When you make a twister quilt, it is a different that sewing a regular quilt.  The deference is that you sew the quilt together then you cut the quilt apart and sew it back together.  Ok, even when I wrote that it sounded strange, but trust me it works and is well worth the effort.


First you sew all the squares together in the order that the pattern gives you.. In my quilt I changed things up a bit but it still looks similar to the pattern.  This was the way the pattern said to lay out the squares.

Can you see a difference in the way I ended up laying out the squares?

After sew all the squares together, you add the border.

Now comes the fun part, cutting up the quilt top.

After cutting each row of new squares, you sew each row together. Then stitch all the rows together.  Pretty cool don't you think?