KatyQuilts

We are home again! It was a wonderful trip and having Daughter #2 here the week before made for a fabulous couple of weeks. Now it is time to do laundry, put things away, and regroup. Even with that, I hope to get a bit of stitching in.

After I finish this block, I will have a total of 55 in my pile!
T

hear are prepared and I hope to stitch them today. This turned out to be a great road trip project. I didn’t work on my hexies at all but after the pumpkin seeds are done, I am sure I will be ready to go back to them.

Linking up with Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday.

Mr. Wonderful really lives up to his name. We left his parents house this morning and he drove while I read my book. Next thing I know, we are stopping in Hamilton, Missouri, home of the Missouri Star Quilt Company!

What I glorious surprise! I will share my purchases with you when I get back home. Here are some pics from our “detour”!

Just the day before, he surprised me with this:

This bag contains micro handles for my Avante! I can’t wait to try them out!

Linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?

We are still visiting Mr. Wonderful’s parents. I thought I would share a couple things I have made for them. First is their 50th anniversary quilt made back in 2000.

It is impossible to get a straight shot on it where it is hanging.

I made this quilt for my FIL a few years ago.

It looks great on the stand in this corner with the matching table runner.

We went to a very nice quilt shop yesterday and I found a border fabric for my churn dash blocks.

Have a great Thursday!

I’m still visiting family and still working on my pumpkin seed blocks.

I have a few more basted and ready to go as well.

Spending the day with family!

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for Work in Progress Wednesday.

Mr. Wonderful and I are visiting his parents this week. It is so good to see them! Last night, Mama Mim shared some treasures sent to her by her brother including this diary that had belonged to her mother.

What a fun read! This is one of my favorite entries:

So many entries mention quilting.

And she was a master at every form of needlework, but quilting was clearly her favorite. Here is an early photo of her.

She helped me quilt my second quilt. I had basted it and bought an extra hoop to hand quilt it. She worked on one end and I worked at the other. It was the first time for her to quilt in a hoop and she let me know this was some newfangled system! She also told me my size 7 needles were like quilting with nails. But she never mentioned how ugly that quilt was nor how poorly pieced. I used her quilt frame for many, many quilts until I switched to machine quilting. Here is one of her later quilts:

I loved Grandma S and wish I could sit down and chat with her today.

At least I can read her diary.

Linking up with Connie at Free Motion by the River for Linky Tuesday..

I got 10 blocks finished in the car yesterday. Here are a few:

I had 5 done at home for a total of 15. I changed my technique slightly because I wasn’t real happy with how they were turning out. I decided to baste the edges of the appliqué. I had some questions regarding the glue I use. I hope this will explain it better.
After basting the edges of the appliqué, I put some glue on the freezer paper like this:

Then I place it where I want it on the background square.. I appliqué almost all the way around.

Then I remove the basting stitches and use a tweezer to loosen the glue. I carefully grab the freezer paper with the tweezer, roll it up, and pull it out.

Then I tuck the edges back in and finish the appliqué. No need to cut the backing out this way.

And this is why I decided to baste the edges:

Yuck!

The 5 I did at home looked much better but working on the car is different. The extra step takes time but the appliqué is easier to do and it turns out better so it is worth it. I have 10 more basted and ready to appliqué today.

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for DWM.

I have been preparing more pumpkin seed blocks to hand appliqué while on the road. I have 5 done so far.

This is how I prepare my applique. First I cut my pattern out of freezer paper and iron it to the back of my fabric. Then I cut the extra fabric away leaving about a 1/4″ seam allowance to turn under as I go.

Next I finger press the background square in half.

I place the appliqué on top, peeking under the ends to see that the pattern is centered on the line and use a few swipes of glue to hold it in place.

I need to cut a few more background squares and my kit will be ready to go.

For travel, I like to use these Iris scrap booking cases from Joann’s. They are often on sale for half off and yesterday I got an extra 10% off making them $4.50 each. They are pretty big and shallow so they make a nice work surface on my lap in the car.

We had a lovely time with family while Daughter #2 was home last week.

After church, Mr. Wonderful and I are hitting the road and my slow stitching will commence!

Linking up with Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

~2 Chronicles 7:14