Design Wall Monday

Not much sewing happened over the weekend. I did get the QOV loaded and ready to quilt

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I also started throwing some bright triangles up on the design wall. I cut these with my 6″ HST die during my cleaning frenzy a few weeks ago.

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I know, I have no business starting something else. This will eventually be a service quilt for our local shelter. I wanted to do something quick so I could practice more quilting using a pantograph pattern.
I am linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times. Click here to see what others are up to.
Lots of non quilting things to do today so I best get moving!
Until next time….

Posted in Accuquilt Studio Cutter, Design Wall Monday, Fresh Modern Quilts, Machine quilting, Quilt of Valor, Service Quilts | 1 Comment

Frame Friday

I have been a bit frustrated with Barney lately. But armed with some great advice and help from a new online friend (Hi Nancy!), I am trying again! She told me about Glide thread and Magnaglide bobbins. I LOVE them! It has reduced my thread breakage greatly.
Last week I quilted a quilt for QBB and did not have a single thread break. That’s progress!
Yesterday, I spent time practicing. I am still not happy with templates and rulers. I’ve decided to put them away for now. Here are a few shots of my practice. Obviously, I have a LOT to learn.

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I am trying to stay away from my standard meander. I did take a run at a pantograph and liked it better than I thought.
I am loading my next QOV this weekend. There is always a risk in learning new things, a balance between trying new things and still ending up with a product you are happy with. I have a few ideas for this next one. We’ll see how it goes.
Until next time….

Posted in Machine quilting | 2 Comments

Contrary Wife

Here is the final product after washing. It measures 25″ x 25.”

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Have a great day!

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Doll Quilts | 5 Comments

What was I thinking? or How Sharpies Saved the Day

I am working away at my goals for the month. It seems I forgot a big one on the list: taxes. Blech!!!! Maybe my productivity in other areas is a result of trying to ignore the biggie.
Anyway, the April SQT challenge was announced and it is a 4.5″ Contrary Wife block. Make anything you want with this block. I wanted to work with indigos and chrome yellow but don’t have enough of either. So I went the scrappy route yet again.

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Thanks to insomnia, I started piecing blocks at 4 AM yesterday. By afternoon, I was piecing borders between loads of laundry.

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Not sure about the yellow dots in the corner blocks but I forged ahead. After quilting, I liked them even less! Just didn’t go with the gold.

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See how blindingly bright they are? So I got out my drab olive Sharpie and colored them in!

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Much better! Here is a pic of the finished quilt before washing

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I am MUCH happier with the corner blocks now. This picture is lighter in color than the actual quilt. Maybe spring will come today and I can take some pics outside before work???? Hope springs eternal.

Until next time…

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Doll Quilts, Fabric, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

First thing off the list!

Yesterday, I posted my goals for April. One of those goals was to finish another quilt for Quilts Beyond Borders and to get all 5 shipped. I did it! Here is the last of the 5 quilts I sent. This one I pieced in March.

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And here is a picture of the last top that I quilted for QBB.

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I also got all the quilts for QBB shipped.  So I can scratch that off the list as well!

Until next time….

Posted in Fresh Modern Quilts, Modern Quilts, Service Quilts | 1 Comment

Get it Done Goals

Judy at Patchwork Times asked about completed goals for the month of March and goals for April. Check out her linky party here.  I needed to look back to see what all I have finished in March and I have to say, I am pretty happy with my accomplishments for the month.

First, I finished two quilts for the Small Quilt Talk challenge.

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I finished a little UFO that has been floating around for a few years:

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The infamous Tumbler was Pieced and quilted:

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The very old batik UFO was added onto, quilted and finished. This will end up with Quilts Beyond Borders.

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I also quilted three tops for Quilts Beyond Borders. Here is the first:

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And the second:

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I will take a picture of the third and add it later today. I made progress on a few other projects and I cannot forget the big clean in the sewing room!

However, I have done very little knitting this month. Perhaps a little more BBC is in order…..

I need to be reasonable in my goals for April. We do have a wedding coming up! Here goes with my list:

1. Quilt and bind one more service quilt.

2. Ship quilts to QBB.

3. April SQT challenge quilt.

4. May SQT challenge quilt.

5. Small quilt for SQT Swap for Judith in Wales!

6. Border and bind QOV # 12 (for April). Blocks are done and together.

7. QOV #13 (for May).

8. Finish Yellow socks. I just turned the heel on sock #1.

I better stop there!  I am really trying to clear the decks in prep for the May wedding.

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Goals | 2 Comments

Design Wall Monday

As part of of the Small Quilt Talk group, I am making one small quilt a month. We usually do not know the challenge pattern until the first of the month. However, our fearless leader, Kathy Tracy, offered a free pattern on her website and decided this would be the pattern for May. This was terrific for me since May is wedding month here. So I have started the May quilt and will start thinking about the April challenge when it is posted sometime today.

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I am linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times. Click here to see what others have on their design walls.

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Doll Quilts | 5 Comments

Grace….beautiful grace

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8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Another top quilted for QBB

Here is the second top that I quilted for Quilts Beyond Borders.

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I finished the third today but have not yet taken a picture of it.
It was beautiful here today! It could have been warmer but the sun shone. I also found the daffodils beginning to peek through.

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Until next time….

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What’s on my needles…and frame

I have not been accomplishing much on the knitting front. Here is a sock I am currently working on, at a snail’s pace.

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It is a DK weight cotton that I found at a thrift shop and the color is actually a butter yellow.
I have also started quilting some tops for Quilts Beyond Borders. Carla sent me three tops this week and the first is quilted and bound.

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This is my first time quilting something someone else had pieced and I was a little nervous! Carla assured me it was a good place to practice since there are no quilt police in the orphanage where these will end up. If you want to help, visit the QBB blog.
Time for work! Have a great day.

Now faith, hope , and love remain – these three things- but the greatest of these is love. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

Posted in Knitting, Socks | Leave a comment