Too busy for blogging much this week! Spending all my time with family. Baby L is here from Arizona!
Along with his adorable parents.
And Baby E has been here as well.
They’ve been enjoying getting to know each other!
I will be back with quilty content soon!
Last Sunday, I finished quilting the last of the Quilts of Valor that I will complete this year. I have three more tops ready for quilting in January safely tucked away. This one was pieced by another quilter from the Stitching Sisters QOV group.
This panto was a bit of a challenge for me! I couldn’t wrap my head around “writing” the words backwards so I ended up working left to right instead of the usual right to left.
Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday, Richard and Tanya Quilts for Link a Finish Friday.
I said the other day that I wanted to quilt one quilt for myself this month. I really wanted to get the cheddar top quilted but got sidetracked by the needed repairs. Here is another vintage, machine pieced top I considered.
This is one of the tops hubby gave me for Christmas last year. I love this top! It does have some issues as well. A few seams need repair and it doesn’t lay quite flat. I need to come up with a quilting plan that will enhance the top and yet, stay in the background.
Since I had the perfect backing, and this top has aged enough, this is the top that actually ended up in the frame.
But I still don’t have a quilting plan for this either!
I want feathers in the border, but I am not so precise that formal feathers seem a good idea.
I’m hoping inspiration will hit today. I need to get this out of the frame so it is free as soon as Daughter #3’s project is ready to go.
Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday and Pretty Bobbins for IQuilt.
Isn’t this awesome?
Daughter #3 surprised me with this early Christmas gift! She took a photo of one of my quilts and had it put on the cover of this notebook. She knows how I love notebooks! Beautiful empty pages, just waiting to be filled….
Here is the quilt:
In case you are interested, she ordered this via Shutterfly.
Knitnkwilt left me a comment yesterday regarding the block pattern in my vintage quilt top. She found the block ( or one very close to it) in this book:
Here is the block in the quilt.
Looks like a pretty close match to me! Thanks, Clare! I wonder if the maker of this top made a mistake in those corners and decided to change he pattern instead of rip. Sounds like something I would do!
Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts for Let’s Bee Sewcial.
I mentioned yesterday that I wanted to quilt one quilt for myself this month. Yesterday, I pulled out the top I was thinking of to take a closer look.
This is a vintage top that I purchased for a whopping $15 a few years back. This top is all machine pieced.
And I think someone was quite proud of her new sewing machine; just look at the detail added to the pieces!
This detail stitching was apparently done before the piecing. I think it is charming, but it does present an issue. How to quilt this without taking away from the stitching? It has taken me a while to come to an answer. I decided a close, all over crosshatch would be a great way to finish this top without taking away from the maker’s design ideas. I absolutely love the cheddar!
In taking a closer look, I discovered it was not quite ready for quilting. The borders have ripples and it would be easier to remove and reattach them than to deal with that in the quilting stage. It also has this:
I am not sure the best way to tackle a repair right here. I hate to just remove this since it has the stitching on it. Any suggestions?
Also, any idea what this block is called? I don’t think I have ever seen this one before.
I know many would cringe at the thought of finishing this vintage top with machine quilting. However, the quilter here clearly loved her machine and used it as much as she could. I think she would approve.
Linking up with Free Motion By the River for Linky Tuesday.
I never did set goals for November. That might be a good thing. I did finish a few things though. Here is a quick run through.
I finished this baby quilt for Daughter #3 to take to a baby shower.
And I quilted 7 Quilts of Valor:
There really is a seventh one. I will show that later this week. I also started a couple three new projects.
Now onto goals for December. Seems a bit foolish to even make any! But here goes:
1. I want to complete the SQT challenge quilt for December.
2. I want to finish the Cascadia Mystery QAL quilt from Humble Quilts.
3. I want to complete 12 more sawtooth star blocks.
4. I will help Daughter #3 compete her not so secret Christmas gift for her someone kinda special.
5. I want to quilt one quilt for myself. I am not yet sure what it will be. I hope to decide this week and get it in the frame so I can work on it here and there.
Linking up with Lily’s Quilts for Fresh Sewing Day.
Remember the Cascadia Mystery QAL hosted by Lori at Humble Quilts? The one that finished last week? Yeah, I sewed another piece from Part 1 last night.
I really want to finish this. I hope to sneak in a bit of work on it today.
I added a jingle bell at the top of the tree on the stocking I was working on last night. And I proceeded to add buttons. Hmm… Didn’t like them. So I took them off again but left the bell.
I finished quilting the Quilt of Valor I was working on but it was too late for pictures last night.
The Christmas countdown here has begun.
Yes, that is a 5. In five days, my #1 Son and his beautiful family arrive. That means all my Christmas Prep must be done by then.
Time to finish my coffee and get moving!
Linking up with Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday and Stitch by Stitch for Anything Goes Monday.
I hope to get a little slow stitching in today on this stocking I made for Baby E.
I want to add some buttons for ornaments on the little tree.
Daughter #3 is making progress on her Christmas project.
And I started quilting another Quilt of Valor.
I am using this pantograph, generously given to me by another long arm quilter.
Normally, Pantographs are stitched from right to left. But I am finding it easier with this one to work left to right.
I am pretty. Sure this will be the last one I quilt before Christmas.
We got our trees up and decorated this weekend.
And yes, that is grass you see out those windows! The snow has melted and I am not sorry. It is only a matter of time until we have enough to shovel.
Linking up with Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We sure did! Our big meal was Wednesday evening so hubby and I spent a low key day at home yesterday. I stayed in my jammies, ate leftovers, and did a bit of sewing.
My big finish was this QOV, pieced by one of the members of the Stitching Sisters group.
Here are a few detail shots.
And from the back.
Today will be spent with Baby E.
Cheeky little fellow!
Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday, Richard and Tanya Quilts for Link a Finish Friday, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?
