and sew it goes…

I do believe that if I spent all my waking hours for the next 6 months in the sewing room, I would still not get caught up with everything I need or want to do…. but then if I’d stay off Pinterest, maybe I would quit finding things I’d like to try.  Ah such is life with a computer

Decided I needed to use up some scraps (maybe I should say “leftovers”).  I received 3 sets of embroidered squares from Darlene H. from QFC (Quilters for Comfort) and she used Mylar in 2 of those sets.  I decided I would use up some of my left over binding strips and made some 4 patch squares and came up with scrappy ‘filler’ blocks.  Still need to quilt these:

I really love the owl set of designs.  I normally work in sets of 10 but Darlene sent sets of 12 so a little different setting.  I get creative with my own quilts but not so much when they’re comfort quilts.

And in this quilt:

I took some smaller pieces of fabric and cut them into 15” squares and just did stack n whack blocks.  Took some left over 3½” squares and made the embroidered blocks into snowballs.  The border fabric is some that I received when my sister-in-law passed and because it has color that matches some of the embroidery threads as well as the fabrics, I decided this was a good place to use it.  The designs are Winnie the Pooh so lots of color..

Sew…. three quilts ready for quilting and I received two more completed quilt tops in the mail so make it now 5!  I will get them quilted, then on to binding and done!

Katie

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