A Sweet Slice!

I am taking a bit of a risk here, but what the heck. I like to live on the edge and I love to show off so hopefully I am not giving my identity away to my Secret Pal.... In my quilt guild, Procrastinating Quilters, we do the "Secret Pal" thing. It is the first time I have ever done this, and I am having such fun with it! I am hoping my secret pal doesn't read my blog because I simply have to share what I made for her for her birthday. Her birthday is today, Easter Sunday.







MY secret pal found me the most recent issue of Quilts and More, Spring 2009, and in it was a pattern for this pincushion called Sweet Slice. It was "easy peasie lemon squeezie" to make and what a wonderful thing it is! It is filled with "Ground English Walnut Shells" which I bought at PetSmart (never even heard of the stuff, since my husband and I don't have a need for reptile bedding....). This is what the directions called for and I was totally amazed at what a wonderful, perfect, filler it is. The natural oils in the walnut shells keep the pins from rusting and it makes a very stable pincushion. I am going to make myself one next. And probably another for a special quilter I know...




Also, if MY Secret Pal is reading my blog, I have to tell you that you are wonderful! I love everything you have given to me! When you gave me the most recent issue of Quilts and More, I was ecstatic. I had just gone to JoAnns and this issue was sold out and I thought I was going to have to buy one on ebay because this would have been my first missing issue in years and years! Also, I love the pattern and fabric, and everything else you have gifted me with and I especially LOVE Mary Ellen's Best Press. I am way too cheap to treat myself to that and now I am hooked! Love it! Thanks so much...


YUMMY!!!!

Stepping Outside of My Box - Hand Applique

I belong to a wonderful quilt guild, The Procrastinating Quilters. Our president, Cathy Starman, has come up with a challenge she titled "The 2008 Presidents Paint Chip Challenge." I was so excited to get involved. Each member who accepts the challenge is given a closed envelope with three paint chips in it - you don't get to choose the colors. My paint chips are shown above, but the color in the photo isn't true. The real colors are a very warm grey, a pretty pink and a very light blue grey. Not seeing the colors before you choose your envelope allows us to step outside our comfort zones in the choice of fabric colors. There are also size restrictions. The perimeter of the quilt can not exceed 100 inches and must be no smaller than 60 inches. In the spirit of stepping outside our comfort zones, I decided that after all these years of quilting it was high time for me to try hand applique. As you can see in the photo above, I have started the project. I based my challenge on an applique quilt pattern I had saved for years from an old magazine. Thankfully, I had to modify the pattern because it was for a bed quilt and that didn't fall into the size limitations. Thank goodness I didn't have to make it bed size because my grandchildren would be out of college and I would still be working on the hand appliqued flowers! What you see above is the first of four flowers. It took me longer to sew that one flower down than it did for me to piece and cut the entire top. The flower isn't even done, as the center circle hasn't been applied yet. My goodness, do I have new respect for hand appliquers. I have machine appliqued hundreds of designs, and I must say, this IS quite the challenge for me. I am using the freezer paper method where you iron the freezer paper template onto the right side of the fabric and then turn the seam allowance under using the needle. What a sadistic process! I will post photos of the finished project or the entrance to the insane asylum I am residing in, whichever comes first....

There has been some fun and excitement in my life recently. My Grandtots came down to sunny Florida to visit Grandma and Grandpa with their parents. They stayed for 2 and a half weeks and it was glorious! Above is Little Lucy, who took quite well to the beach life. Below is Madelyn who, as you can see from the photo below, loves the water. That photo was taken at the Florida Aquarium's little water park for the kids. What a great place that it! The Aquarium is in Tampa and if you are ever in the area, I highly recommend a visit. There is something there for everyone!

The Most Important Quilt I've Ever Made

Occasionally, as quilters, we get to make some very important quilts. The quilt hanging below is an example. My wonderful brother-in-law, Scott, passed away nearly a year ago. It was very unexpected as he was only 45 years old. This photograph is one of my favorite of him, standing outside, sippin his coffee, in the outdoors he loved, in Colorado. He and my sister were married 20 years. Scott was a fabulous person, a wonderful husband, incredible uncle and friend. Shortly after he passed away I spoke with my sister and told her that I could make a quilt for her using Scott's shirts if she wanted. She sent me a box of shirts that held some special memories for her. For weeks I browsed through patterns, trying to find just the right fit. The shirts were knits and wovens, and some were quite bulky so I needed something that didn't have a great deal of seams coming together, and one that wasn't too intricate. I found the perfect pattern and I honestly couldn't be more pleased.

I used the Atkinson Designs pattern, Slide Show. First off, it seems wonderfully symbolic and secondly it was the perfect pattern to highlight the actual fabric of the shirts. I used ten shirts to make this quilt. I could have used less, but I liked the variety that ten gave. A shirt back is the perfect size to get the two large blocks and then the strips for the smaller blocks. I couldn't believe how easy it was to sew using the bulkier than usual shirt fabrics. The only thing I changed was the ironing direction of the seams. In the pattern you were instructed to iron the seams towards the fat quarters (in my case, the shirts). Changing this kept the bulk to a minimum and my longarm quilter didn't have any problems at all.

When I was finished with the quilt, and it was safely delivered to Marlene Hooten, of the famed Lucky Sew and Sew longarm machine quilting company, I surveyed the leftovers and just knew I had to use them for something. Brenda travels for a living, so I thought a little quilt, or a lovie as we call them in my family, might be a nice thing for her to stuff into her suitcase while she travels.

When the little lovie was complete, I still had more leftovers... That led to the large tote bag. Everyone always needs a large tote bag, right? This one I quilted, following the line of the blocks, both up and down, before the side seams were sewn. Then I sewed the seams and covered them with seam binding cut from the background fabric. This bag will wash and wear like iron.

Here is a shot of Marlene's fabulous quilting on the regular quilt. We choose the "Bending in the Wind" pattern for the quilt. It is outdoorsy and I really like the way it turned out. Marlene never disappoints.

Here is the quilt label. I even used one of Scott's shirts for the label. I was very pleased with the way that the label turned out - all thanks for that go to my beloved Janome 11000! So, quilters, if ever you are looking to make a quilt such as this for a loved one, the Slide Show quilt pattern is the perfect fit for shirts and such.

Best Quilting "Notion" EVER!

In my mailbox the other day was the newest edition of my very favorite quilting magazine EVER, Quilter's Home. If any of you haven't had an opportunity to savor this masterpiece, run out and grab a copy today. It will be more than worth the cover price, I promise you. I have never opened up a quilting magazine that offers so much. First, the creator of this magazine is hysterical. Oh, and irreverent. He is exactly what the quilting world needs. In addition to his wonderful personality and wit, he never fails to have within the covers of that magazine a project that I absolutely have to make NOW. This months magazine didn't let me down and is the reason for this post. Today I made what I am sure will be my favorite quilting notion for years to come. It came out of Quilter's Home Magazine and there is no one out there that can't make this themselves! The magazine tells you, step by step, how to make this amazing "Easy Portable Ironing Table". You start with this style TV Snack Table. I bought mine from Wal-Mart for $9.00. Yes, you read that correctly. Only nine dollars!
Once your table is home all you have to do is cover it with one layer of cotton batting, then a layer of Insul-brite (available at JoAnns) and top that with silver Teflon treated ironing board cloth (available at JoAnns). You need a piece of each of those items that is 5 inches bigger than the width and length of the table top. You layer those items on the floor in this order:

1. Teflon treated ironing board cloth - face down.

2. Insul-brite - non shiny side up.

3. Cotton batting - some people use two layers, I only used one and it's perfect for me.

Lay the snack table upside down in the center of the fabrics. Wrap the edges of the fabrics around the edge of the table and using a staple gun, staple through the layers to the underside of the snack table, covering the sides all the way around. Pull the layers tight so that you have a neat and tidy ironing surface. It's that simple!

The table is perfect for sitting next to your sewing machine if you are paper piecing, at a workshop, or simply putting blocks together. It is fabulous! Quilter's Home didn't use the Insul-brite, but I had some so I used it.

Grandchild update! This is my precious little Lucy Ann (second grandchild) who I wrote about in my last post. I am thrilled to let you know she is completely recovered and growing like a weed. In fact I think that she and the rest of her family will be coming down to visit her Grandma and Grandpa at the end of the month. YEAH! I also have to thank each and every one of you that answered my "Call Out to Quilters" for Project Linus quilts. It is a wonderful gesture and it reminded me that quilters really are the "Best of the Best." Thanks to all of you!

And not to be overlooked, and in my attempt to provide equal time, here is my first granddaughter, Madelyn, who proves that it is never too cold out to eat ice cream. Bless her precious little heart...

A "Call Out" to Quilters: Project Linus is there for us, too.

This is my precious little angel, Lucy Ann, who was born on December 8th. She is our second grandchild, and the little sister of our first granddaughter, Madelyn. Many of you know Madelyn since I have managed to shamelessly work her into as many posts as possible throughout her two and a half years. Last week Little Lucy became ill with a virus called RSV. RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, commonly causes an infection in small children and babies. RSV is very contagious and almost all babies get it before the age of 2. Many babies get only a cold from RSV. Some babies with RSV develop potentially serious lower respiratory infections such as bronchiolitis, an infection of the small breathing tubes in the lungs, or pneumonia. Luckily, she didn't get pneumonia.

She did, however, end up in the hospital with bronchiolitis. It was very frightening to all of us as she is only seven weeks old and thinking about a little peanut like her struggling to breathe was terrifying and heart wrenching. My husband and I had just returned to Florida from New York, where they live, so we weren't even there to help. When my daughter called to say our Little Lucy was in the hospital and in an oxygen tent, I knew I had to be strong and reassure my daughter that her daughter would be just fine and that the hospital was the best place for her.

Nik then went on to tell me that there was a quilt waiting for Lucy in her oxygen tent when they arrived. It was a Project Linus quilt and was made by a woman named Ruth in Pennsylvania. It touched my daughter so and made her think of me, her own mother, and also a quilter. I hung up the phone and couldn't hold down that lump in my throat any longer. My precious little granddaughter was wrapped and warm in a quilt that someone had lovingly taken the time to create for sweet, sick little babies. How touched I was, especially since I wasn't there, to know that she was cocooned in quilter's love while she was getting better. We quilters are an amazing bunch, aren't we? Warming the hearts of so many.

(Lucy getting a breathing treatment from her mom)

Lucy is doing much better now and is home with her family. We are so thankful! I realized that I have to "repay" that very special quilt, and throw in a few extra for good measure. That quilt meant so much to our family last week. My hope is that this post will inspire a few quilters to also create a Project Linus quilt to donate. After all, sometimes even we quilters and our families are recipients of this kindness and love. What a wonderful organization.

And Ruth from Pennsylvania, I can't thank you enough. Your loving gesture kept my granddaughter warm in that big oxygen tent and warmed the heart of her mommy at a time when they needed it most. What a gift!

Oh, The People I Have Met!

Teaching and taking quilting classes allows all of us the opportunity to meet wonderful new people. At a few of my most recent classes I have met some "standout students." Country Quilts and Bears in Clearwater, Florida is where I met Alison, a fun and energetic lady, to say the least! What a lark she is. Alison took my class because she has a new grandbaby coming soon and she thought it would be fun to make the Quilted Toddler Jacket. She is literally a master seamstress, but had never quilted. I think Alison was surprised to find that she already had all the skills she needed to make this jacket and hat. She did a beautiful job!

Above and below are Alison's finished products. They are gorgeous, aren't they?

Below is Sue. She came to the class to learn how to make TWO Quilted Toddler Jackets for twin grandchildren. She did one in class then went home and sewed the second one. Sue was such a joy to have in class. She didn't have a great deal of sewing experience and also had a new sewing machine, but let me tell you, she plugged along and mastered the entire process. She didn't even whine when I forgot to take a lunch break! I was so proud of her. What a joy she was to have in class!

Below is Sue proudly showing off her finished product! Isn't it gorgeous?

Dora is below. Dora was also a complete joy to have in my class. She had minimal sewing experience (but had been a longarm quilter!) and she left the shop a pro. Dora rolled up her sleeves and dove into the project head first and literally never looked up! She pieced the entire project and because that wasn't enough work, she then appliqued Mickey and Pluto onto the jacket back. I liked the finished jacket so much, I bought the same fabric so I could duplicate it!

Here is the front of Dora's jacket laying across one of the many stuffed bears at Country Quilts and Bears.

Below is Dora's hat. She completed the hat at home. I love that she sent me a photo of the hat actually on the head of the recipient. Is that not the cutest, ever? Dora even appliqued Mickey and Pluto onto the brim of the hat! I love it!

Sewing Out Samples

I have been very busy sewing up a Quilted Toddler Jacket and Hat pattern and a new Quilted Toddler Bib pattern for this wonderful quilting and embroidery site, Ann The Gran. They are going to sell my patterns and asked if I would sew up a few items using their machine embroidery designs. So that's what I have been doing. The bib pattern was a tremendous amount of fun to create. I used their Jacobean Style embroidery designs and let me tell you, they sew out beautifully! It was especially fun for me to make that bib since I have a new granddaughter named Lucy. She was born on December 8th and we just got back from spending nearly two weeks up in New York with Lucy, her big sister, Madelyn, and their parents.

Here is the jacket I made for a little boy using Ann The Grans Zoom Zoom design pack. I was nearly knocked out of my chair at the detail and precision that these designs sew out with. They are amazing and I couldn't have been more pleased to put these on a finished jacket.

The font is Arabesque from Ann The Grans web site as well. It happens to be my favorite embroidery font and I use it all the time. I actually bought this font months ago, long before we were in talks about them selling my patterns on their site. It is fabulous!

I would also like to point out the condition of my lawn. I am sure that if you have read this far down the blog, you are saying, "What is wrong with these people. Their lawn looks like a hay field." Well, let me tell you what's wrong with "these people." My husband decided to "go green" and buy an electric lawn mower that you plug in and charge, then you unplug it and mow. Well, you can see by the height of our lawn just how reliable this "green" lawn mower is. Since day one it hasn't had enough charge to mow all of our incredibly small yard. Our lot is only 50 feet wide and 100 feet deep. On that is our house, a shed, a double driveway and flower beds. That doesn't leave much lawn space. So, suffice it to say that when you "go green" and buy an electric lawn mower, you literally "go green" because in no time at all you have a hay field!