Friday, December 28, 2012

Thinking About Embellishing

As a New Years present, all members (even free registered members) of The Quilt Show can see Show 402 with Sue Nickels through January 1.


                                          http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/shows.php/episode/402

I watched it today.  In one segment Ricky Tims demostrates embellishing a quilt top with decorative machine stitches.  I started thinking about adding some to the butterflies quilt top.   Sue Nickels said she uses starch as a stabilizer when adding decorative stitches to background fabric so I could try that as well instead of a tear-away.  
If you are registered, I hope before the end of December you will check out the free shows on The Quilt Show.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Butterflies Top Done

     As this year 2012 draws closer to the end I am thinking of all I still have on my  to-do list.  I have finished adding simple borders to the butterflies so that is one more top ready to be quilted.


It is 50 by 62" so is a fair size lap quilt. I don't have a particular recipient in mind.  Would it need to go to a girl or woman?  I wonder if some men like butterflies.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Butterflies

     I am on a mission to use up orphan blocks and finish UFOs.   I had 2 butterfly blocks left over from a quilt my sister and I made a couple of years ago for a niece.   I decided to make a few more to have enough for a small lap quilt.   I used the sew and flip method to add background and form the wings.  Only problem, I did not pay attention.  After I had trimmed the background away on 8 wings, I found that I had added the large triangle in the wrong corner of the rectangles.  There was no way to correct what I had done so I decided to use them anyway.  Nature is not perfect so why do my butterflies have to be.  Can you pick out the butterflies with the strange wings?  This part is all together.  I plan to add a simple border and I will have another quilt top to be quilted.   


Monday, December 24, 2012

Ready for Christmas

    All Christmas projects have been completed and I'm ready for Christmas.
I made several "Wonder Wallets" for presents.  They are easy.

After our big family gathering Friday evening, Saturday  and Sunday I found some time to finish piecing another adult comfort top from pieces left by a guild member who passed away this year.


I hope everyone has a Wonderful Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 17, 2012

Another Top Together

  Today I appliqued raw edge leaves for the flowers and I  like the addition.

After I choose a backing, I will have at least 5 tops to be quilted.  With family gatherings between now and Christmas, I probably will wait until after Christmas to actually do some quilting.
    I hope everyone enjoys a holiday of  peace and love.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

It Just Kept Growing


      I thought I would just make the 12 blocks and have a small charity quilt.


When I was reading quilt blogs, I saw an interesting border idea that I decided would go with these blocks.  As I added the border of bright 2 ½” strips, I also added another pieced yellow border.  With the borders, the quilt top measured 52 by 64”.

I figured with an additional 4 inch border the quilt would be a good size adult lap quilt at 60 by 72”.  I went searching in my stash and found a fabric of small bright multi-colored squares and this is how the top looks now. 

I still need to appliqué leaves.  I plan to use 4 green fabrics leftover from my daughter-in-laws spring floral pinwheel quilt.  I will cut out a bunch of leaves and then I can play with where they will look best.  

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Progress on UFO

    I finished Christmas gifts and last package in the mail so last night I pulled out a UFO.   Some time about 2007 my sister's quilt group swapped blocks by the following pattern.  I made 4 sample blocks and tried to get my guild bee interested by had no takers so my 4 blocks sat.  I decided to make 8 more to have enough for a lap quilt. Pat Sloan shared the project information in the April 2006 "McCall's Quilting".
These are raw edge appliqued and I used some fancy stitches available on my sewing machine.
The flower pieces are appliqued to the background.

Then the blocks are cut into 4 parts.

Then they were switched and resewn into blocks.

I used a little water and a chenille brush to fray the edges.

The pattern has a leaf that I do plan to add. 

I just had to add a photo of my sister's finished quilt in her guild show the past fall.
Notice the butterflies made from 2 parts.


Friday, December 7, 2012

Christmas Stocking

    My youngest granddaughter needed a Christmas stocking so that was my task today.  I have made each member of her family a stocking.  I still have the pattern from when I made a stocking for her father, my oldest son. The original stocking was out of felt. Years later I made it over using the same design, only I used fabric that I quilted.  Here is Lily's stocking which will go in the mail soon.

I have also made a few Christmas presents; but because I don't want to spoil the surprise, I will not post photos or tell about them now. I still have at least one more to make.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

String Hearts Finished


My bright String Heart quilt is finished.  I finished quilting yesterday and finished hand sewing the binding today. 

I hope you can see some of the quilting.  I used the walking foot to stitch-in-the ditch outlining the hearts and borders.  I also used the walking foot to quilt the wobbly lines in the strip border. 

I hope you can see a little of the FMQ loops I did in the small borders.  I did FMQ loops and hearts in the yellow and FMQ heart shapes inside heart shapes on the red, blue and purple. 

Monday, December 3, 2012

Comfort Quilt Top Done


     Last night I added the final columns to complete an adult comfort quilt top for GCQ.  The pieces and pattern were an unfinished project from Kathy H.  The pattern is “Rhapsody in Color” from Spring 2009 “Fabric Trends” except without borders. 

There are still pieces for another adult top.  I’m hoping someone else in guild will quilt this since I have 4 tops waiting to be quilted by me.  I also have other projects to sew before Christmas. 

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Two Tops Ready for Quilting

    Two UFOs are getting closer to being finished.
The string heart top and backing are ready to sandwich.

The blue sampler top is finished.  I just need to piece a backing.

    I am on a mission to finish projects and reduce my stash of fabrics.  I have been temped to start Bonnie Hunter's new mystery, Easy Street, but I have other quilts I have had on my list for a time that I want to make.