Design Wall Monday - 6/7

Well, jury duty is postponed for later in the week so I will do this now to get it in before they call and say come in.  Our system is set up one day or one trial.  I didn't get to work on the dresden scrappy. Instead I have a blanket of belief for our soldiers angels project on the design wall so to speak.  I'm part of the binders.  They want all the binding done by machine because these quilt will get a lot of wear and they don't want them to come apart in the washings or use.

Thread Painting

Well didn't get much done on the scrappy coverlet as I attended a thread painting workshop by Phyllis Binkley and wanted to finish doing the sample.  I thought it was going to be a landscape class after her lecture and trunk show.  She had so many beautiful quilts that looked like photographs!  You can see her work at:  http://www.landscapeartquilts.com/  So after her presentation, I signed right up.  Come to find out the workshop she gives at guilds is a thread painting class. You have to go to her house to do the landscape part.  All you bring is some scissors and photos.  Since I had already paid and said I would come, I stuck it out and I'm glad I did.  It may not be the kind of technique I use often - I like to make bed, lap and baby quilts - not so much wall hangings.  But she taught me that I can do this.  So here is my sample.  We wrote right on the cloth (notes to remind us how we did the different techniques) and it made me feel much more confident about using the machine to do more on my quilts.  We learn machine beading, embellishing with thread, marking perspective, blending material and thread, coping with metallic thread, 3-d work and lots more.  What do you think? Well, looking at the pic I think I should learn to use my macro so you can see more detail.  So much to learn!

Design Wall Monday 5/31

I worked a little bit on my scrappy dresden and it's back on the wall again.  I'm sure you can guess what comes next.  First one to leave a comment and guess right, gets a bag of scraps sent to them - LOL!

For all who serve

In honor of all who serve, I made a block contribution to our Soldier's Angel project this Memorial Day weekend.  The guild is gathering 12" blocks to make into quilts.  Here's the unit I'll be turning in next meeting.  I had a challenge putting it together.  The pattern I had was for an 8" block and I had to convert it to a 12".  The problem was the stripe piece has 5 pieces and I had to figure out what each piece would be that would line up with the star.  If I'd made the star first it would have been a piece of cake, cuz all I'd had to do was measure that smallish stripe in the flying geese unit and I'd have known what the others had to be.  I now have enough strips to make some crazy unit to give a third block.

Two UFOs

Well, I finished 2 more ufos - these were small.  I had taken out a larger one to do but didn't feel like tackling it right now, maybe later.  The purse (ufo #8) is one I got from a demo night at our guild.  Sally Hanson came and gave us a lesson on how to put the purse together.  I bought a kit.  It's just taken me a couple of years or so to get done what she did in one night - LOL.  There is a velcro tab closure at the top.   The other ufo (#9)  is made from left over flying geese I made when I was making the border for my daughter's quilt in 2005.  I don't like working in black and dreaded doing the binding - but sewing the binding on to the back and bringing it over to the front made it very easy for me to machine finish it. Now who do I give these to?

Design Wall Monday 5/24

Here's what I've done so far on my scrap coverlet. Not much but at least I got once around the medallion dresden block with some strips I had and some red larger leftover squares. It measures more true as a rectangle now.  Phew!  I have an idea for this week of what to look for, but first I have to decide how I am going to quilt this row around the middle. Any suggestions of what you would add would be greatfully appreciated.

Blogger's Quilt Festival Entry

I'm still tickled pink my Oriental Spring won a ribbon at the Valley Quilter's Quilt show this year.  I made this back a while but it has always been been one of my favorites.  I learned a lot about applique and quilting doing it.  The flowers are 3 dimensional and the quilt is reversable.  I made a circular design on the back to honor the Japanese tradition to use these in their quilts.  I really like how the iris came out.  And I love red.  So this is my entry for the Spring Bloggers Quilt Festival. To join the festival, click on the button below.  There are a lot of beautiful quilts there!    

Design Wall Monday

Okay, here is what I have on my design wall (err make that carpet)or had that is. One orphan block - well, actually I have 13, but I've come up with a design for the other 12 and are approximately 17" squarish, so that makes this an orphan. I've decided to make a coverlet(that's a quilt without batting) as a summer throw. This is going to be totally from my scraps. In keeping with that I've picked an old curtain of which you can see the back under the dresden plate block. I got that at a fabric swap as I really liked the print. So first order of business is to machine applique the block to the center of the backing. Yes, this will be a "quilt as I find to add".

UFO #7

Okay, it's just a pre-printed/quilted panel. I just refuse to call it a cheater panel - LOL. I added the binding. It was a ufo cuz I bought it out of a bargain bin with every intention of making a baby quilt, so to me it qualifies as a ufo - it was waiting to get finished.

This one's going to the local crisis pregnancy center. Thin - just right for summer. Now to find UFO #8.

Hugs,

Angie

UFO #6 Round Robin

Another of the countless ufos is done. Here is a round robin my online group (quiltsonreview at yahoo groups) hosted in 08. I specifically requested a smaller robin because I want to hang this in our master bathroom. I made the poppy in the center in a sulky class in the late 90s at the Road to California Quilt Show. It was a lot of fun, ladies! Thank you for your beautiful contributions. I especially liked that we did a journal to go with it, but can I find it?! LOL I'm sure it will turn up as I continue to destash. Here is the back:

Design wall Monday 4/25

Okay, I'm late, but the last two weeks have been way too busy. So here is the quilt that was on my design wall a couple of mondays ago. I don't have a wall any more to hang the blocks from - LOL , it's behind the boxes that have materialized from somewhere - you know how that happens, so I use the carpeted floor in the guest room. Here it is quilt top together, sandwiched and I'm quilting it. The blocks are 6 inches without the sashing. I like to use freezer paper to quilt a motif. On the left here is the finished quilt. I call it Fielding Nine - it's an opportunity

quilt for the baseball league my DGS is in. He plays T-ball. They need funds to pay the summer water bill and the proceeds are going toward it.

I used the left over fabric from the front and a little white to make the back. They are a Christian Athletic League and thought this would be apropriate.

UFO #5 for this year is

Bullseye Blossoms. These bullseye blocks were from a few years back from the online group Quilter On Review. I made 25 for the swap and cut into fourths and send them to our Swap Lady. She returned them and I made the ones you see as the border. When I had assembled them, I realized the quilt was smaller than I wanted, so I had to think of something to make it bigger. The blocks measure 8" finished. I searched the web images and didn't find anything I wanted to tackle, and then I thought of all those circles I had cut out of the backs when I was making the bullseye and the blossoms were born. These are all raw edge appliqué, so it was a breeze to put together and to quilt. I made it my quilt as I go way - lol - this time I could do the whole center and then just added the borders. I'm keeping this one.

Lily Mary Anita

Here she is, our little Precious, at nine days old and a family portrait:

Click on arrow and you'll go to the video clip.

Lily is such a good baby - her mom can't believe how lucky she is to have such a cooperative little one - they have to wake her to feed and not sleep too long - her brother was like that also. And here's delighted Abuela with Lily. Life is good!

For all those who asked:

Here is one of my two blue doors. We had the house painted and I decided I wanted blue doors instead of the same oh - prettey bright huh? I'd do it again if given the opportunity, but I think I would pick a darker blue. Our front door is really into our breezeway/patio area. Some day I'd like to enclose it. When we didn't have the door I'd get UPS and FedEx opening the slider door right into my living room and I didn't like that. Does keep the critters out to from coming in from the street. The door came from our church school that was remodeling. It is a nice wide door, larger than a regular door.

Soldier's Angel Block

Here's a block I'm donating to our guild's Soldier's Angels project. We're to make 12 1/2 " blocks and they will be made into quilts to send to soldiers in Afghanistan or Iraq. We're doing red white and blue but with Americana touches.

Day Trip #1

Went with 3 friends on the nicest day trip. We went to the Palos Verdes peninsula. It was wonderful. Right on the beach and an hour's drive from home, but light years different from our semi desert area. Our first stop was the Trump National Golf Club - not for golf (LOL) but the the public seashore access that is there. Here is the start of the trail. I was worried that it would be gravely and hard for one of our members to handle but it was all like this. The total way is 2 miles round trip and what a view! That is Catalina Island you can see about 26 miles from shore. We were right by one of the tees, although we could not go out on the course. As we walked along enjoying the coastline and the beautiful flowers (they have made it into a wildflower reserve) we were just enchanted with the walk. And as it was a Monday, we didn't have a crowd surrounding us which was a blessing - parking space you know. The trail ends at the clubhouse. If you are adventurous enough, you can take the gravel trail down and find yourself at a nice beach area - alas too steep for me. From there we went to the Wayfarer's Chapel - a Swedenborgen Christian church built in the 60's. Isn't this fabulous?! Many weddings and other services are held here and the gardens surrounding are so serene and inviting.

Our next stop was the Terranea Resort Hotel that has another great walk along the cliffs and a wonderful restaurant named Nelson's - after Mike Nelson of Sea Hunt tv series. Food was great and the outdoor seating's view fabulous. Here is a beautiful succulent planting just to the right of the entrance to the restaurant.

That's a lighthouse in the distance beyond the fence and just a few hundred feet from it was the Point Vicente Interpretive Center where we learned about the old Marineland, the lighthouse, the Indians of the area and we saw a whale!

Our last stop was to the Malaga Cove Library built in 1930 and has fabulous furniture still from that period still in use and is one of the fine examples of peninsula architecture still open. Outside they have this wonderful fountain - my kind of library.

Table Runner

Last month, I made a table runner for my friend, Torri, for her birthday. She had given me some stack n whack blocks she had made long ago and wanted me to make her a jacket with. I made a table runner instead and 6 napkins. I forgot to take a picture, but when we visited them in Rancho Mirage I was able to take a photo. Here it is. You can tell she likes very bright colors.

Easter is Today!

My Easter greeting to you! From www.catholicgreetings.org

And the Winner of the 2nd basket giveaway is:

Number 17 or Rachel C! Congratulations, Rachel. Leave a comment here so I'll know you saw this.

Look forward to sending you the basket.
Angie

PS: Number was chosen randomly at Random.org - Thank you all for participating.

Signs of Spring

Well, although it was 11 degrees below normal yesterday - I'm finding signs of spring in the garden. There are white geranium flowers, freezia blooms, allysum, one Cecil Bruner rose and these: Are these marguerites? Anyone know? Guess I'll have to search the Web and see if I can find a name - can't remember, but they do brighten my kitchen window with their soft periwinkle blue.

UFO #4

I haven't been organizing cuz I've been quilting, but I will get back to it soon. Here's ufo #4 - another charity quilt which will go to another preemie who will be home soon. It started from 4 leftover blocks from when we were BOM ladies for the guild. Measures the required minimum of 30" after I added a wide binding. I used a dotted multicolor for the back. Have started on ufo #5 and it's a biggy.

Got a Ribbon

I entered a quilt in the Hemet Valley Quilter's Show last month Feb 12-13th. And surprise - I won a ribbon! My Oriental Spring won a 2nd place in Small Wall Hangings - Mixed. This is a quilt I made in 2000 that was a guild challenge. We got 5 fabrics and were told to do something Haiku and this is what I came up with. The background is machine pieced. The cherry blossoms are hand appliqued and the quilt is hand quilted. It measures 22 by 30.

Wish I could visit

The International Flower Show which starts Feb 28th in Philadelphia. Plan to try to go to the sites mentioned next time in PA. Isn't this beautiful? Go to http://bit.ly/9U15HF to read the full story and photo credit. Saw this at CAgardengirl on twitter.

Two projects done

I found a use for those two Louisiana blocks. Instead of a quilt for my son's car, I made them into placemats for my friend, Bette, whose birthday falls on Feb. 14th. Happy Birthday again, Bette, if you are reading this. The placemat behind the first placemat is the showing the backing I used for them. The second project I whipped through (another 6 hour quilt) is a grandma's quilt for my friend who is now a grandmother of 3. We're having a sort of shower for her and giving things grandma might find handy to have on hand when the little ones visit (lol- or not so little ones). The idea for this quilt came from a book called Lickety Split Quilts for Little Ones. Most of the quilts are made from big (15" and up) blocks. That's my mom holding the quilt for me. I wanted to use this cute frog fabric for the back, but I didn't have enough, then I found a stripe I'd thought would do with it. So I used it after all.

Made it in 6 Hours Flat

Here is a baby quilt I made in 6 hours - yup from start to finish. I even set a timer to see if it would be finished in that time. Took about 2 hours to find the fabric and make the blocks. One hour was to make the sandwich of the back and batting, and three hours to do the assembly and quilting, border and binding. I'm liking this quilt as you go method!! This will work great for making charity quilts. My pattern is one block with the units 6 " square. Came out to 36" square. The center block is personalized with the baby's name. See second photo. I'm happy to report that I only used material from my stash - so there go 2 1/2 yards to a new home!

Organizing Report #1

Okay, decided to attack the small top of a three drawer cabinet. It was pilled high with a file box, stabilizers, clippings, fabric and other stuff (the basket being one). Put away the fabric which included charm packs, put away clippings, stored the stabilizers, tossed some junk and found 2 ufos. Here's one of them - 16 crumb blocks with border now added and even bound.

The second ufo [really not mine] - I inherited it from my neightbor's stash. She passed away two years ago May. She had joined this bom at one of our LQS, and didn't complete it. Somehow it wound up on my shelf. 3 of them were still in the cut pieces. Ive put together the three, but for some reason they don't call to me, so I'm going to enter them in our orphan block swap at the next guild meeting. I'm going to keep two of them and make something out of them Maybe a lap quilt for my son, Frank's Dodge Charger since the color of it is black. We'll see.

Here are my three cherubs:

They kept me busy during the past Christmas season. What fun we had.

Leo, William and Frank! Leo is going on five months. William is 7 and Frank is 6. They are 18 months apart.

A row of blocks

Here is my row of blocks for a soldiersangels quilt. We want to make 100 this year. The guild made 62 in 09. I figure if we make 8-9 a month we should reach that goal. This is machine applique - a method I want to work with this year to get better at it.

This measures 12/12 by 48 1/2" . Hope it has the Americana feel to it.

QAIG Finale

I did finish this a while ago, but the Christmas prep and festivities kept me from posting sooner. I'm pleased with how it turned out. This is the next to the biggest one I have quilted this way. It came out to 60"x72". It got quilted in 3 sections and then I added the borders. I assembled the borders and did a minimal amount of quilting on them then attached them to the center. I then quilted the borders. I am next going to try a large one using a one piece backing instead of pieces. This one will have me piecing batting strips. But that will be further along in 2010. I must admit I found my set of chunky churn dash blocks (the ones I had kept when I made them to send to the swap mistress and then forgot about them. I added another row to the center of the quilt and made it wider that way. That is why you can see that one section of border is wider than the rest. Thanks for looking!