St Pat's quilting

 I had my quilt guild last week and the pattern for the Block of the Month was a shamrock.  You can easily find it as a free one on Bernina here.  It is on a 10 1/2 inch square background.

It was fun to use up  lots of green scraps.  I showed it to my daughter and she liked it.  So I made a door hanger for her and a second one for my mom at the nursing home.  I even had some shamrock fabric for the back of both.  I did enlarge it from 1 1/2 blocks to 2 inch cut blocks to make it bigger.  It measures 17 inches across. 

Winter Quilt Show part 2

 Here are a few more quilts I enjoyed at the Winter Quilt Show February 3.

So many little triangles!  Oh my!

such fun quilting and design

A modern feel that might be good for a gift to make

Very cool bias made strips in a Celtic design.

Wonderful design by Sarah Fielke

And yes, I did get a few new projects at the show.  There was so much inspiration, plus we went to a fabric shop near by.

Here are my new starts.   

I borrowed the Dear Jane quilt book from a friend this summer and saw a pastel version at a quilt store.

The blocks are both pieced and applique.

These are 4 1/2 inch finished blocks.  I need to redo the gold one. 

I saw this line of tiny muted pastel checks called toolbox something?  and knew that they worked for the project I wanted to complete.

And lastly I saw this cute little cross stitch pattern. I had to have it. 

Snowmen everywhere

 Last January I started Merry Merry Snowmen by Ann Sutton of Bunny Hill which was a 9 block pattern.  I did it with a friend and we met weekly  to sew together and share fabrics most French General. All the snowmen were appliqued in wool by hand.  And all the other details were appliqued in cotton by machine in a blanket stitch. 

I finished the top and the back in October and sent it off to be longarmed. And I collected it in January. 

There have been countless hours attaching the binding and the rod pocket.  And then all the eyes needed buttons and other small details.  

Lastly I have been quilting the large applique designs. 

AND for the big finish:  Hooray for me!!!!!!!  

Completed size 62 by 66   (Photo a little yellowy )

First Quilt Show of the Season

 Yesterday I had the great pleasure of going to a quilt show in the Washington County Fairgrounds of Wisconsin.  It was a little windy blowing the coldness, but so worth it! I always love the inspiration and seeing all the quilters come out of the woodwork to get inspired. So many goodies to shop as well. 

The quilts also were just so amazing as well. 

Size of these houses were just SOOOO small. Love  the arrangement and all the colors. 

This one just blew me away with the amazing free piecing and lovely small detail quilting and this just shows that the back is ALSO pieced.  Oh, my!

Such amazing work and completed on a 1917 treadle machine.  

Be still my heart. A first place in this category

Close up of the next quilt made by a mother daughter team.  The needlework on the wool was exquisite. 

And this was the Best of Show  

I have been spending my evenings putting on button eyes  and coal French knots for my snowmen. 

It is almost done. 

Finish it Up!

I have been very successful finishing quilts this year.  Yards and yards of bindings, as will as all those other kinds of finishing details.  ( And I haven't even started any new things other than the Valentines for my Mom and sister.  This despite the goals I had set for the beginning of the new year.) 

I found this linky party online on Instagram.  And as it represents what I am already doing, it is so easy to be a part of it and to continue my finishing roll. 

Tiffany of Village Bound Quilts is organizing and running this and has several sponsors for prizes. 

 Check it out here:  Finish it Up link

Here is my latest finish: 

The binding and rod pocket are all attached. 

Here is a close up of the 6 inch blocks and feathers in the round.

And the free motion feathers in the border.

Lastly, the stitching from the back.  

Hooray for me!

Hand stitching

 Still working on my UFOs.

I have happily finished the wool matt. It was a round robin where several of us designed a matt for ourselves including some ideas and wools. And we passed them all on to the next person on our list each month. 6 people total.  Such creative touches and designs were made by each person. 

I enjoyed  making the center and then 2 of the hearts. I love checking Pinterest for different ideas. So many to choose from!

And for a smile, I am including a photo of my daughter's cat sitting on my quilts as we take care of the cat while she is on vacation somewhere warm. 

A new month: a new finish

 I AM SO EXCITED!  I have an almost finished  project that I have been working on for many years. It has had several spurts and lots of sputters. 

I have this pattern from a very old book from Primitive Gatherings when it was at different location.  They had 3 seasonal books Christmas, Spring and my favorite fall.   I have actually made at least 3 different patterns from this book and some of them multiples of the same project.  Copyright 2009.

 I love fall: the colors, the leaves, and the feel of the golden sun.  Oh, caramel apples and apple cider are awesome, too. 

The first hurdle was piecing these tiny half square triangles. I made a variety of fall colors. I don't even know what technique I used. Remember this is long before triangle paper. 

The next step was to assemble the trees.   Another delay. Long break of time when I couldn't even find the book and got a copy of the pattern from the store at its previous location. And then I needed to assemble the setting triangles,  with the border of more half square triangles.  Again not an easy task.  

And as I was looking through my stash of book, lo and behold the book was found. The difference is not having a flat spine, Then I added the setting triangles and borders on a retreat and I was so happy. 

Little trees October 2022

I started quilting in the ditch which was easy with invisible thread.  And I decided to free motion feather the outer border.  I  ran out of thread.   Ughhh.  Alas, a different day, another stab at the feathers.  If you are willing to attempt them, there are several videos on YouTube. Free motion feathers 4 ways ,  Angela Walters instruction: More free motion feathers with suggestions I watched them over and over. And I also drew them on paper page after page to get the muscle memory and that helped tremendously. 

So I asked for advice on what to do in the the setting triangles and squares.  It was suggested to do the feathers in the round/ circle. I spent lots of time researching and practicing. Here is a site I really felt helped a lot: Feathers in a wreath

And yesterday,  I spent all of this afternoon getting it accomplished.  Several frogged attempts and remarking.  But DONE! 

Then I trimmed the outer edges and attached the binding and rod pocket.  Now for the final hand stitching.

I can't tell you how this has sat beside me for months, waiting to be finished. It is such a joy to have the hard work out of the way. 

I really don't know how many years this has been hanging around, and luckily I did keep the pieces and the main fabrics together. 

Lots more binding and UFOs

 I spent half of one football game and all of the second NFL division playoffs putting on the binding of my snowmen quilt...plus one side of the rod pocket.  

I have yet to add all the eyes and some embroidery details.  I have discovered it will need some  machine quilting in the large motifs.  It shouldn't be too hard.

Additionally I have layered  50 inch wall hanging to quilt.  I needed to do it, before we begin cat sitting for my daughter. This is a UFO from 2 years ago. It was a Stay at Home Round Robin challenge by Quilting Gail and a number of other ladies. I am debating putting small dresden fans in the corners. HMMMM?  Suggestions??

And then as Valentines Day is approaching, I recalled another UFO sitting on my pile.  

So I pulled it out to see where it stands.  This was an exchange with a group of wool quilters.

There were 6 of us and each month we passed around our boxes for each to add something to it. 

Here is where it stood and below are the 2 hearts I will finish with embellishments. 

And I created 2 labels for my newly finished  and almost finished quilts. 

Valentines Day is coming!

 Since Mom has moved to Indianapolis/Carmel last fall, I have made a goal of making a wall hanging either for Mom's door to her room or her room.  It was the least thing I could do from a distance using my skills. I have made so many things over the years for her. I have done 3 mini wall hangings already: her birthday cake, a Christmas tree and then an embroidered snowman with wording for January.

So now I have finished a cute Valentine one and made a spare for my sister who lives close to Mom.  I thought I would do something for her since she does so much for Mom. 

The newest edition of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine had a pattern for one.  I felt it was perfect for this situation but reduced the blocks from 3 inch to 2 inch making my wall hanging 16 inches square.  I had a good time digging through my assorted reds and white prints with red to make it. 

Here was the webbing of rows:

And here are the finished quilts.  The lighting makes them look dingy, but you can see in the photo above that they are in did crayon red and bright white with a lovely light coral for the lettering.

The quilting was done in red, because I ran out of white thread.  Oh no!

In between sewing, I am starting to clean and organize some of my supplies.  Today, I cleaned behind my cutting table. My scrap basket is overflowing. That despite just using up a lot of it in my 9 patch wonder. Today I sorted through my patterns and filled a plastic shopping bag to donate to the guild's quilt show in March. I have been slowly going through my pile of magazines. My how much we accumulate over the years. 

In addition, I have been sorting a few UFO's and trying to get them moving along to a finish. 

I added the borders to this quilt top. I had made the blocks 2 years ago from small packets of fabric and instructions from a quilt store at 2 dollars a block. I had found them at a rummage table of a quilt show. I purchased the setting blocks and borders to go with them. I love the reproduction colors. 

Now to  assemble the layers and quilt it.  I even found a stencil for the between/setting  blocks

( So much for starting new projects; this feels good to get things done. )

A BIG Christmas Finish

 I was so excited to finish my 9 patch pretties.   So I dropped it off at my long armer. And at the same time, I picked up the 2 quilts which had been finished.  It was delayed several times due to health issues on her end, my trip to Louisiana and then my long lasting cold.  But here is the first binding finish. 

So I have been sewing like crazy trying to get the binding on. My big finish is the Sewcialites Christmas.  This was a block of the week by Fat Quarter Shop, a free pattern which I made in 9 inch blocks. I enjoy doing these kind of projects and have 2 still needed to be put together. The setting is also a design from them, although I don't know if it was for this series or a previous one.  It is  a slight variation of theirs. 

Center blocks up close

This is a large quilt ending up at 100 inches squared. Which means I spent 3 nights watching football playoff games hand sewing the binding on. ( And the Packers lost in a very exciting game. They were not favored. ) 

Beautiful edge to edge quilt in swirly design with holly leaves and berries. The backing was a wide back thatched fabric by Robin Pickens in Scarlet. 

The binding as leftover strips from many of the  Christmas fabrics in the quilt alternating colors. 

A very big finish.  I am so happy!

Just needs the rod pocket and label.

I can breathe again.

 Today, Thursday, is the first day I slept without numerous cold/cough medications. And I can breathe without the stuffiness in my nasal passages.  There are still some residual effects, but such a welcome difference. 

So I am trying to get back to my New Year's goals. 

Great News!!!!!! I have finished my 9 Patch Pretties!  All borders are on and all the papers are removed.  

Hooray!     Hip Hip Hooray!    Hip Hip Hooray!

Sorry only indoor photos without an assistant.