Update from previous post

Remember I showed you this picture of the back of the cross stitched quilt and commented that I wish there was more quilting in the motif area?  Well, the lady’s hubby told her he thought it needed more quilting (smart man!) so I got the quilt back and added more quilting around the center of all the motifs and did the binding for her as well.  I have to say here that I will never – I mean NEVER – bind another quilt that has high loft cheap polyester batting.  It was bad enough to quilt yet alone bind.  I think I must be spoiled….

And a few finishes:

This is the second quilt I’ve made from the horses panels and coordinating fabric.  I bought it at a yard sale and have sent what was left on in a “I don’t want it …” swap held over on the Quilters for Comfort Yahoo page.  And even at that I still have a couple panels…  This quilt will be going to a great nephew’s baby daughter due to arrive in June.

I fell in love with the printed fabric in this quilt and knew I had to make something with it.  This has been a quilt top for a couple years and I’m so happy I’ve finished it.  This is a keeper for me (like I really need another quilt….)

This is another swap block quilt.  Those who participated chose their block pattern and the colors of fabrics they wanted to use.  Now I really am not a ‘yellow’ person, and why I chose yellow, black and grey?  I have no idea but I love how this quilt came together.  I’m still deciding if I’ll be keeping it or gifting it…This block pattern is Brasstown Star and is from Quilter’s Cache.

I received 3 sets of embroidered blocks that will be assembled into quilts for QFC.  The lady used Mylar in  two of the sets and sort of created a dilemma as far as what type of fabric to use for making the filler blocks.  I decided to pull my binding strips and made up some 4-patch blocks and alternated with white squares to make 9-patch blocks (pictures next time….)  So the fillers will be scrappy and I was able to use up quite a bit of my left over bindings.

I also was asked to help with a quilting project at the local Senior Citizens Center here in town.  I could never get a straight answer as to what they actually needed to I suggested a meeting to organize… So when I asked them what they needed from me the answer was to teach them what to do.  WHAT????  I’m not a teacher… Okay,  these ladies are not dumb they just need some guidance so I’ve told them we could do simple 4” squares.  The quilts are being donated for “humanitarian” efforts and need to be 45 X 60”  and tied or quilted every 4”.  Yes, I was thinking of 5” blocks until I was told that most of them would tie and I felt if the squares were 4” they could just tie them at the intersection of the blocks…  Thank goodness another lady who is also a quilter and had taught quilting showed up later.  She and I will work together to help these ladies learn some simple quilt making techniques.

So, yes, I’m staying busy and getting things accomplished.

Katie

Getting some stuff done!

Had a lady bring me a quilt she said she’s been working on for most of her married life (50 years!).  It was a preprinted cross stitch pattern and had dot lines for the quilting, which I believe 50 years ago was probably meant for hand quilting!  Beautiful quilt and I explained to her that I do not do hand quilting and that there was no way I would be able to stay on those printed lines.  She said she didn’t care she just wanted it done and the preprinted lines are supposed to wash out.  Well, okay then…. Then she has the batting which I believe was probably as old as the quit.  High loft polyester that must have gotten hot at one point in time because it actually had a spot where it was melted and as I was unfolding it, it created a hole.  Thank goodness it was on the side and I was able to avoid that. 

Look close, you can see the ‘dots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really, a very pretty quilt and I sure hope that preprinting washes out!

A little close up of how it all came together.

 

 

 

 

and, of course, the back.  If this had been a cotton or an 80/20 blend batting, I think I would have suggest some sort of quilting around the center of the cross stitch motifs.  I didn’t really care for the large areas of no quilting.

So on to my own projects… I had bought a ‘baggie’ of scraps at a yard sale and was pleasantly surprised when I opened it up to find a fat quarter pack and scraps from what was probably a fat quarter pack.  I took the scraps and cut blades and was able to get 6 Dresden plates that are ready to applique to a 14” square.  I’m hoping to be able to take the existing fat quarter pack and make a piano key border from them.  I may have to incorporate some fabric from my stash to ‘stretch’ it.  I also managed to get three quilts quilted that were ‘in waiting’.  Two of them have been waiting for a couple years – yes… years!  The other is a baby quilt for my great nephew’s new baby girl due in June.  So be looking for pictures in my next post! 

On the Quilters for Comfort front – I have backed off a little because of wanting to get some of my own projects into the completed stage.  For the first go round of this year I did send 9 quilts.  All of the tops were made by others and quilted by me.  The second round was pillowcases and I sent out 16 of those:

The pillowcases are really quick to make and a great way to use up those fabrics that you aren’t sure what you were thinking when you bought it….  So anyway, talking to my co-hort she understood that I needed to back off.  So this go round I will assemble and quilt only two quilts and then it will be getting ready for Sew Fest.  And.. not long after Sew Fest is my sister’s wedding.  My sewing for that has been greatly reduced.  It started with 2 dresses and 2 shirts, grew to 8 shirts and 4 dresses and is now down to just the bride’s dress and the groom’s shirt.  I found a site that sells the shirts and dresses that will co-ordinate – big sigh of relief here!

Hope you all are enjoying spring and are out of the paths of the storms that are starting to move through.  Until next time…

Katie

I really HAVE to….

…. get back to the sewing room!  I have not spent much time in there for about 2 weeks now.  First, I was house/pet sitting for my son.  Oh, I took projects to work on.  Little things that I normally just pull out when I don’t feel like working on anything major.  I thought it would be a good way to force myself to get something done.  The sewing fates were against me!  I took a paper piecing project.  I had put a new blade in my rotary cutter.  Well, it wasn’t round, but at least it left an impression and I was able to use the scissors… Got a couple more of those blocks done, so I guess it wasn’t a total loss.  Then my son had requested a grill cover for his new grill – a year ago.. Just bought a large painter’s canvas tarp and used that.  It was okay.. but not my best work.  Then I had planned on making some pillows for my daughter-in-law from some fabric she bought 5 years ago and then decided it was too dark for what she wanted it for.  Bought pillows from the thrift store to get the pillow forms.  First one I cut the cover was shredded foam – you can just imagine the mess that made!  That hit the trash.  Guess who still has some really nice fabric that she needs to do something with????? Anyway, things just did not work the way I had hoped..

This week the weather has been so beautiful here in Arizona that I just wanted to be outside.  Now I’m the first to say “I am no gardener”  but I do love playing in the dirt.  So I played in the dirt!  Put in a couple flowering plants.  Bought some seeds and put in some herbs, tomatoes, zucchini and watermelon.  Yes, watermelon.   A few years back I had bought seeds for the kids to plant.  We got nothing… A year or so after that, I found the seeds that were left and just put them in.. Oh my goodness!!! I had the nicest watermelon vines!  And the cutest little watermelons.  Unfortunately, I’d planted way to late in the season so not enough time for them to ripen.  I did pick a couple that the kids ate and said were good.  When I pulled those vines out, I found 8 more little watermelons under the vines.  So, we’ll try it again and see if we actually get something edible this time .  I do love to cook and love working with fresh herbs.  I still have cilantro and Italian parsley growing that I literally threw in last year simply because I found some old seed… Maybe that’s my problem, if I just throw the seeds in without caring if they grow or not, they grow… If I plan it, work it and care – they won’t….. Maybe that’s the trick, just scatter some seeds and see what comes up…..

I got the first baby quilt (see previous post) sent out and most of the top done for the second one.  Maybe I’ll stay inside today and get the borders on it.  I have at least one quilt to make for QFC and a couple more that will be coming my way for quilting.  I had someone approach me about quilting for them.  I told her she could bring it to me and I’d look at it and see what she has.  She told me it was already marked and I’m thinking it may be a whole cloth quilt that has been marked for the quilting – not sure I want to mess with something like that, but if she’s not too picky, I might.

QFC Sew Fest is being held the first week in August this year and will be held in Alabama.  That’s 4 months away but I know how quickly that time will pass and I need to get busy doing stuff for that as well.  This year we’re adding Christmas theme quilts for children.  The red, white and gold fabrics can then be used with our Patriotic quilts as well, the change up will be the greens & blues.  We decided to add the Christmas quilts because so many of us have bought Christmas fabrics on sale (or have leftovers) and those of us who embroider have all these super cute Christmas designs that we’ll never use, and so therefore a bit of Christmas thrown in….

Enough of my ramblings for now.  Hopefully next time I will have some pictures to show

Katie

Wondering…..

I’m wondering if it’s worth keeping my blog.  I mean let’s face it, it’s not like I spend much time posting anything here.  And maybe, if I was more diligent, I’d have a bit more interest.  I have to admit, I do enjoy looking back over what few posts I have and seeing some of what I’ve done.  I don’t keep a journal so I guess this is a ‘sort of’ way of journaling.  And really, I did start this blog for me….. Okay, guess I won’t be leaving

Instagram?  Twitter?  Facebook? and how many other “social media” places are out there?  I do have a Facebook account.  I do a whole lot more reading than posting.  And I have to tell you I can’t believe how many people ‘share’ from Pinterest and other sights.  And it’s supposed to be because they are bookmarking it??? Have they not thought about sending themselves a link and keeping a folder in their email accounts???? And what about actually saying something???? I don’t want to see all those little signs and pictures people post because they’re too lazy to think up words to say.  Okay, I guess that turned into a rant and I didn’t really mean it to…..  Okay so Instagram – I guess that’s where people post a LOT of pictures.  Now I don’t have a “smart” phone with a fancy camera so I guess I’m not going to ever be on Instagram but seriously, I don’t think I want to take a picture of every thing in my life.    Twitter – quick short notes (I think)…. Oh, never mind…. I guess I just don’t get it…….

I love these designs.  They are from Quite a Stitch and are very stitch heavy.  Each one of these took almost 3 hours to stitch out.  But I think they were well worth it.  I have one more I want to do and have the frame to match and they will hang in my bathroom as a set.

 

 

 

 

This still needs to be quilted.  My great niece is expecting her first baby the end of the month and it’s a boy.  I usually make baby quilts that are a bit brighter but these fabrics are the ones that ‘talked’ to me – so this is her quilt…

Usually this time of year I head to Disneyland with my son and family but I’ve passed this year.  Last year I came home with quite a bit of knee pain and my ortho told me I was looking at a total knee replacement.  Well, until I’m in constant pain and can no longer walk a mile, it’s not happening.  But I didn’t think I could do 5 days of Disney so instead I will be animal sitting at my son’s.  I had told him over a year ago I would make him a cover for his grill and so this is an opportunity to get that done.  My DIL had bought fabric to make covers for the rocker for the nursery for when Tiffani was born but the fabric ended up being too dark and Tiffani is now 5 years old and into everything Frozen!  My DIL put the rocker/glider outside on the back porch, so I’m going to make the new covers for the cushions and surprise her.  I was trying to think of all the different projects to kit up and take with me and then it dawned on me that I’m not leaving the state and it’s only a 25 minute drive from their house to mine….. No sense in hauling a bunch of stuff down there when I can just come get it…..

Until next time when I feel I have something to say or something I feel is worth sharing…. Hope your part of the world is warming up and starting to see the signs of spring..

Katie

My life as it is

So much has been going on in my life (maybe I should say “indirectly” in my life) that I’m not sure where to start… How about some pictures?…

My BFF had asked me quite a while back that if I wanted a project she would love for me to make her a bed-size quilt.  Both she and her DH had already received their cuddle quilts… These blocks that are the Hidden Wells block, were ones I started about a year ago and were intended to go to my brother-in-law to give as a wedding gift.  Don’t know how it happened, but I ended up with 2 different size blocks from the same strip sets, sewn on the same machine, cut using the same rulers… I showed these blocks to my friend and she loved the fabrics.  I told her buy the sashing and border fabric and I’ll make the blocks into a quilt – so she did and I did… This was a plan-as-you-go quilt.  She loves it and that’s all that matters

These next quilts are all QFC quilts.  They are going to a police department in WA to help comfort children when there is a crisis in their lives..

The Baltimore Album style quilt is a combination of applique and fabric paint.  When I first saw this quilt, I was not sure how it would work out.  I was worried about it being stiff from the paint, but it really wasn’t.  All the quilts with embroidery were made by Mickey M. and the ones without embroidery were made by Barb J.  Both ladies are from the Quilters for Comfort group.  The quilt with the yellow crazy blocks?  That picture just does not do that quilt justice.  It’s a gorgeous quilt!  I did all over spirals in the quilting and it just added so much texture.  I think it’s one of my most favorite quilts to date.

Okay, so pictures out of the way and if you’re not interested in what’s going on at a personal level, you might not want to read any further….

If you’ve followed me a while, you know I had a sister-in-law with many health issues.   Yes, I wrote “had”… She passed away on Feb. 1st.  I think she’s been very tired and ready to go for the past year.  She passed peacefully in her sleep and I believe that is always a blessing.   My hubby (her brother) will miss her as they were closest in their family of 6 siblings but he takes solace in knowing he was there for her whenever she needed him while she lived.

My sister’s future father-in-law passed away this past Friday.  He had been diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer and they knew his time was near.  I believe that has been the delay in setting a date for their wedding.

My dear friends that spent 8 months in Seattle while he underwent a stem cell transplant for leukemia?  While he’s considered cured of the disease but has something else going on and the doctors have yet to figure out what it is.  He went into ‘respit’ care at the Tucson VA to give her time to heal after he unintentionally pushed her and she broke her wrist, requiring surgery.  His planned 12 day stay ended up being a month.  They will be going back to Seattle for the oncology team there to try and figure out why the downward spiral.  I worry about them both so much.

And then…. another good friend who was in (what she thought) was a committed relationship of 6 years got a text from her ‘significant other’ , while she was out of town caring for an elderly friend who just got out of the hospital, that he no longer lived here…. What a snake-in-the-grass!  Left her in a financial mess as well as an emotional mess…. DH & I have been trying to help her through this difficult time.  She’s having to move in with one of her sons until she can get herself turned around.  At 66 years of age, a person should not have to go through something like this… Well at any age….

And lastly (I think) my friends who received the quilt in the first picture, he underwent knee replacement yesterday and, praise God, is doing amazingly well.  They anticipate he will be released this afternoon.  Modern medicine has come a long way!

Through all this I have thanked God for my simple life.  When I see what so many of my friends are going through, I feel my life is truly blessed….

 

Katie

Really? Already? 2015?

So what did I do in 2014?  I have no idea!  Seriously, where did it go??? 

Christmas has come and gone.. and lucky me was sick through it.  Ended up with a bad cold which I guess I should be thankful that it was not the flu.  Planned on 15 for Christmas dinner and ended up with 12 as one couple ended up in the ER with him trying to pass kidney stones.  One of our other friends actually fell getting out of his truck in front of our house and skinned up his face.  Rather than come in and have me patch him up, he got back in his truck and went home and called to tell me he wasn’t going to make it… I think a little embarrassment played a part.  So meals were delivered later instead.

The Anna Coronation dress that I was so stressed about:

  I did NOT put all those applique pieces on the skirt and did use the decorative ribbon.  That ribbon was the most expensive part of this dress as I needed over 12 yards!

I was so pleased that she recognized the dress for what it was before she got it completely out of the gift bag.  She wore her dress all day – over her flannel PJ’s from G-ma.

I also told you in my last post that my sister and her guy were in Hawaii and that I hoped they were having a good time.  Turns out I’m getting a new brother-in-law!  Yep, they got engaged over there and when the couple they were with asked if they were going to get married there, Harold said, “oh, no!  My future sister-in-law would kill me!”  Ah he’s a smart man!  I’m beyond excited for them.  My sister is 54 and never been married.  She waited for the right guy and he’s it.  He’s a gem of a person and I’m beyond excited for them.  Wedding is slated for “sometime early 2015”.  So I wait to hear a date, plan a dress and a trip to Florida.

The new year has started with me getting some quilts quilted.  I have several to get done for Quilters for Comfort and several of my own I’d like to get to finished!  I also have a couple I’d like to make… so looks like I will busy.

I know it’s bitterly cold across the U.S. so I hope if you live in one of those areas, that you’ll stay inside and stay safe…

Katie

“A day that will live in infamy”

My history is really bad but I believe it was Roosevelt that said that after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. 

I truly did not plan my post around this being December 7th or “Pearl Harbor Day”.  My sister and her guy are in Hawaii and I really hope they’re having a wonderful time.  I also will take a moment to reflect on the tragic of that day and pray that some day our world will be a peaceful place.

Okay, enough of that…. I have been sewing PJ’s for the grands.  Most of it is pajama pants and I’ve order long sleeve T’s that I will embroider to match the pants.  My next big sewing project is making my youngest granddaughter, who is into everything Disney princess, the Anna (from Frozen) coronation gown.  OMG… when I saw how many tiny pieces of applique go on the skirt of that gown….

Well, let’s just say this grandma is going to be looking for some wide, decorative ribbon…

I finished the memorials.  I did 5 but forgot to take pictures of the last 2…

The family members who receive these will recognize the clothing and ties.  The extremely colorful one is going to their granddaughter and she’s going to love it.  It just screams her name…  The purple tie – those number do not represent the year but the number of the Elk’s lodge he was associated with.  These were really lovely people and I feel blessed to have known them and also was honored to be able to make these.

Thanksgiving day in Arizona.  Yep, served on the patio outside.  My daughter-in-law sets a beautiful table and we all felt truly blessed to live in a place where we were able to ‘take it outside’.

I hope everyone is taking time to enjoy this Holiday season.  I think sometimes we get too caught up in the commercialism and forget about the joy the birth of a baby brings.  Even in the circumstances of His birth, I’m sure Mary & Joseph were full of joy.  This is a season of joy and blessings to all…

Katie