Jayden's Quilt

Here's the back of Jayden's quilt:

I think I like the backing more than the front:

It's basted... but I'm not quite confident enough to quilt it just yet...  Need to practice some more...

Picnic Quilt

I've had this UFO going for a while now... Trying to finish it up in short order!

Am 1/3 of the way finished with tying it... and then I will have to bind it and wash it...

This is what I'm bringing to work on this weekend to my KCMQG sewing afternoon.  Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is working on and getting away for a few hours.

It's made from batik charm squares that I got when one of my guilds (Blue Valley Quilters' Guild) did a charm square exchange not too long ago.  I signed up for a couple of packs plus I added a few from my collection.  It's pretty big.  I wanted something we could spread out and sprawl out on.  The backing is a darker batik, which should hide dirt nicely.  This one will be used a lot, I think.

Color Class

Last Saturday, my good friend, Parthena treated me to a quilting class.  Some ME time....  And I pounced on the opportunity to go.  Prairie Point Quilt Shop is where the class was and I had such a great time.  The teacher had all of these pre-cut 2 1/2 inch squares and we delighted in designing these blocks...  Which are your favorites?

I like the yellow one and the last one with reds/oranges/yellows/green....

So much fun.  I put the yellow one together, basted it and quilted it on my machine with my new darning foot.  That's a great name for this particular foot because I was saying, "Darn!" a lot...  My tension on my bobbin must be screwed up or something because I did an awful lot of "unsewing"...  

But I stitched the binding on with a machine and I just need to tack it down by hand.  I'll have myself a new little wall hanging for my bathroom in no time, thank you very much!

And by the way, Parthena, if you're reading this, I appreciate your friendship more than you know and I've missed you since you've been out of town.  Come home soon!

Passing the Time...

Making biscuits... Endlessly...

Jayden's Quilt

My sister, Laura has 4 daughters and lives in Houston.  Olivia is 7, Cameron is 5, Natalie is 3 1/2 and Marley just turned 1.

That's a picture of the girls with  my boys during Easter weekend.

Since then, they've opened their home up to a little boy named Jayden.  He is 2 1/2 years old and they will be fostering him for an indefinite amount of time.  They would like to eventually adopt him, but it's too soon to know how that will work out...

So I've made him a quilt.  Here is the top:

I pieced the back and it turns out, I like it more than the front.  I haven't had a chance to snap a picture of the back just yet...  

I'm going to have to find some safety pins and get serious about quilting it.  Not using batting.  It's hot in Houston.  Going to use my new darning foot.  Maybe some free motion circles or something...  We shall see...

A New Foot!

I forgot to mention that I got a new darning foot for my machine.  The lady at Joanne's in Overland Park was very nice this visit.  By the way, they never called me from my last visit when I left my # and told them I needed one...

She showed me how to drop my feed dogs (I had no idea that I could do that) and demonstrated how to meander.  Looks like exactly what I want to do...  Will let you know how it goes!

Updates

I'm back from my Easter travels.  Saw family and friends and drove a LOT.

Now it's time to get things back in order so that I can SEW!

I am halfway through the laundry (2 1/2 big piles left)...

I need to switch out winter/summer clothes for the kids...

I am making two new raised gardens in my backyard.  Still need to finish up lining them with landscape fabric and filling them with dirt...  Then I'll put more of that landscape fabric stuff on top and we'll be ready for planting...  I'm hopeful that I can be ready to plant by Friday or so...  Will need to top everything off with mulch once I've planted, I think.

Had a very successful birthday party with Wyatt and his buddies.  Stick horses were a hit.  Now that his party is behind me, I need to start thinking about Owen's birthday party in late May.  Also, my in-laws are having their 50th wedding anniversary over Memorial Day weekend.  We'll be having a big party and I'm going to be pretty busy with getting ready for it...

But I bought new fabric for a new project.  My sister, Laura lives in Houston.  She has 4 girls and is about to get a foster son.  I think he needs a quilt of his own.  I bought some cute puppy dog fabric with a blue background and several solids to compliment it... Going to try square in a square, I think.  It should come together pretty quickly.  I think I'll make 12 1/2 inch blocks... Probably 12 of them.  I have some fun weenie dog fabric for the backing.  I don't plan to use batting since they live in Houston.  I have some satin ribbon that I plan to use for binding but I've not tried that before.  Sorry I don't have pictures of the fabric yet, but the door leading up to my sewing room (attic) is blocked by laundry.

One thing that's cramped my style lately is that the hubs has been traveling.  He went to DC last week and leaves for Toronto Tuesday...  Will be gone till Friday.  Ugh.  Good thing my in-laws are around to stop by to visit.  Always helps to break up the day when we go on an outing.  Anyways, there's been no time for me to have "me" time...

But hopefully that will change starting Saturday.  Am going on a road trip (all by myself, blissfully) to Abilene, KS.  Going to meet some Quilts of Valor friends from Wichita and visit the Eisenhower Library to talk with them about an upcoming project they're doing.  For Veterans' Day, they are going to be displaying quilts made for the Quilts of Valor Project and will then be donating all of the quilts to Kansas military people.  So excited about that.  If you'd like more details, let me know.  The more quilts, the better!

On The Road

I'm in Houston visiting my sisters.  Drove to Little Rock Wed...  To Houston Fri... Going back to Little Rock Mon... Then home Wed...

Has been good to see everyone, but I'm so very tired.  I miss my husband and I miss my bed.  My boys aren't sleeping as well since we're not at home and I don't have much help in the wrangling department.  It's leaving me very weary.

I have decided to treat myself to a lot of extra quilting time when I get home.  I need that therapy.  Have been looking all around online for inspiration and I've found lots.

Cannot wait to get home to sew!

Red Scrappy King Sized Quilt...

Tonight I worked some more on this big quilt for my bed...  I need it to be 100 x 120 (I think) and it's currently 100 x 67.

I chopped up more fabric into strips/squares and will hopefully be able to add another foot to the quilt soon...  But there will be more to go...

I hadn't realized how HUGE a king-sized quilt is.  I've only made one before and it's been a couple of years.  Here's a picture of the other king sized quilt I've made... It's a sampler with 30's reproductions on it...

I use it as a bedspread most of the year.  I'm going to make my red quilt without batting.  It'll be our summer quilt...  Cannot wait!  The back will be similar, but probably blue.

Working on Quilts of Valor

My mother-in-law and I have been gearing up for a morning of sewing in a couple of weeks.  About 10 people are coming over from our guild in Blue Valley to work on Quilts of Valor.  Here are some kits we've got in baggies to put together...

We coordinate a bunch of quilters/piecers to crank out Quilts of Valor.  We're up to a grand total of 83 either sent or in the process of being made over the past 1 1/2 years.  Very rewarding and exciting.

At our monthly guild meetings, I pass out a different block pattern each month.  Members bring in 12 1/2 inch blocks and we incorporate them into sampler quilts, such as the ones seen above.

Some members enjoy piecing tops together, others enjoy binding or making matching pillowcases.  I go out and raise a little funding here and there to cover yardage for backings and for shipping.  Friends donate fabric from their stashes.

Often, we get quilt tops or completed quilts that are donated and we facilitate getting them shipped to veterans or active duty military personnel.  

Here's one I just shipped to Florida to a WW II veteran who was injured in the Battle of the Bulge...

Elaine Elliot donated the blocks, Susan Van Kirk Byer pieced them together and Peggy Skaith quilted it for us.  Elaine Alexander did the binding and Betty Zwego paid for shipping.  Judy Masur got us in contact with the son of the recipient.  He requested a Quilt of Valor for his father.  It's truly a group effort.

A Boy and His Stick Horse

Wyatt's been riding Ralphie around the house.  I think I should probably get my father-in-law to help me shorten it just a few inches.  It's taller than Wyatt is...

Blue Valley Quilters' Guild

Deb Rowden was the guest speaker this morning at BVQG and she spoke about memory quilts.

I took a couple of pictures.  Sorry the quality isn't great, but let me tell you about the ones that struck my fancy...

This one reminded me of Gee's Bend quilts...  It was made for the widow of a man who had just passed away out of his dress shirts.  It was made in 4 parts (quadrants).  What a great way to create a family heirloom and to remember those who were special to us.

This next quilt was made of neckties.  I took a picture because I love the setting.  I'm more and more drawn to diamonds and triangles...  This strippy look is very appealing to me.

Preparing For Our Next Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild Meeting

I'm trying to decide which book to bring to the KCMQG meeting next week.  We've been asked to bring a favorite quilting book that we use a lot.  This is a great one that has lots of information (basic to advanced) on a wide variety of quiltmaking topics.  

Another book I use often is: 

It's great if you like to make sampler quilts.  I enjoy making samplers because it helps me to learn and practice new techniques.  This book (and others by the same author with similar titles) gives you patterns for blocks and directions to make them in a variety of sizes.  Patterns are pretty straightforward and the layout of the book makes it easy to quickly find what you are looking for.

A Pin Cushion Addict? And The Tip of the Day

I never thought much about it, but I have quite a few pin cushions...  Here are a few of them...

These first two belonged to my great grandmother.  I use the tomato looking one for needles.  It's got a little attachment (the strawberry looking thing) that sharpens needles.  Very handy.

These three were made by a good family friend, Mary Harrison.  She made all of them from discarded fabric (the bottom two were made from scraps she took from my sewing room trash can when she visited...). Was a great reminder that we should be resourceful and not wasteful.  She even saved up lint from her dryer to stuff these with.  I love them!

These are two of the ones I use most often.  The blue one is magnetic, so it's very handy.  I sometimes use it if I'm taking my sewing somewhere to work on it.  The one on the bottom is a nice and puffy one I bought at the Blue Valley Quilters' Guild's boutique during last year's quilt show.  It has my very favorite type of pins sticking out of it.  Love those flat heads.

I have two others that are not in my sewing room.  One is a triangular shaped chicken (and it has strangely flown the coop... not sure where it is!).  The other is an adorable little light blue crocheted cupcake.  Must get you guys a picture of these two...

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TIP OF THE DAY:

Last month, I learned from my friend Trisch that it's a great idea to store your safety pins in a box or tin that closes and that you should leave them open when they're in the box.  It's quicker to use these when pinning a quilt to baste it if the pins aren't shut.

She also puts each pin in place in the fabric without closing them.  When every safety pin is in place, she goes back and closes all of them.  This is because often when you're pinning a sandwiched quilt, it is a lot of trouble to have to go back and open each safety pin if you have to readjust your sandwich.

Gwen Marston's New Book: Jacks

I'm experimenting a little with some Linus quilts.  

This one is going to have lots of fun bright colors... Perhaps different combinations of blocks...

This block is crooked on purpose.  It's a 5 inch (4.5 inch finished) block called, "Jacks".

I think it is a fun one!

Blue Valley Quilters' Guild This Morning

I went to BVQG this morning.  Had a great time!  People brought in a few Quilts of Valor, so that's always fun.  Some are tops needing quilters... Some need backings...

A couple of friends donated fabric to the cause, too.  SO excited about that.  A bunch!

I've been playing quilt shop in my own kitchen, matching up things to make Linus Quilts, Downy Quilts and Quilts of Valor.

I need more time.

Pictures to come...

Stick Horses...

Wyatt's turning 3 in April.  We're having a little party for him and his buddies here at the house.  Very low-key this year.  Cowboy theme.  If all goes as planned, I'm going to make stick horses for him and all of his friends.  They can romp around the back yard with their stallions while we adults snap pictures and visit.

Here's my first attempt.  His name is "Ralphie" and Owen claimed him right away.

And here is Wyatt's horse.  His name is "Applejack".  He still needs a stick and some stuffing...

I will probably need to sew some nostrils onto Applejack, too...



2 horses (almost) down, 7 or 8 to go...

During Today's Naptime...

My choices are:

1.  Sweep and mop my floors. (not likely)
2.  Nap.  (sounding better)
3.  Clean more on my sewing room.  (I like the sound of this one because if it's clean, then I can give myself guilt-free permission to sew tonight!)

Will report back on the verdict...

Until then, here's a quick picture for you...

Yours truly many moons ago on Halloween.  Mom made my outfit and she did my "make up", too!