Riley's Quilt

Here is a quilt I just finished for Riley. Riley is the daughter of one of my daughter's friends in San Francisco. She is about a year old and I finally am getting her quilt finished.

At the baby shower last year, Christina gave the guests a 5 inch square of white and some fabric pens. They all decorated a block for Riley, who was not born yet. They didn't just sign their names but decorated the blocks with pictures and words.

After the shower, Christina sent me the blocks and a few scraps of fabric with the pink and green that were going to be used for her bedroom. There were 27 blocks which created my first problem - how do you set 27 blocks into a quilt. Then I couldn't decide on fabrics to use. I decided to border each of the blocks with color but just couldn't find the right fabrics to use.

Finally, I found a fat quarter pack that was perfect. It had 4 pink, 4 green and a couple of purple fat quarters. The pink and green coordinated well with the fabric scraps that were sent to me.

The next problem was the 27 blocks. I finally decided that I could applique her name at the top of the quilt in a block that would measure the same as 3 blocks. That allowed me to set it 5 blocks wide by 6 blocks long. Making progress.

I put the blocks together and then tried to decide on a border for the quilt. I looked at every pink or green fabric we had at the shop and finally found one that would work. I bought enough for the border and backing. The next morning, I started to cut the fabric for the borders and realized that the fabric I bought was breast cancer fabric with small pink ribbons on it - not good for a baby quilt.

Of course, I went back to the shop (at least I now am ready to make a breast cancer quilt when needed) to look for something that would work. After putting the quilt against almost every bolt in the store, I realized that it really didn't need a border - it was finished as is.

I then found a pink and white checked Minky for the back of the quilt and got it quilted today so I can take it with me when I go to San Francisco on Friday. I love the look of Minky after it is quilted and this one is really nice. I will try to get a picture of Riley with her quilt next week.

I just reviewed my photos and see that there is a block that is upside down - I can't believe that I did that! Oh well, it doesn't how up as much in person and it was a square that didn't really have a top side so it will have to stay there. I am not going to take out the quilting!!!

Easter Ornament Tree

The Georgia Crazy Quilters had an Easter ornament swap and I posted photos of the ones I made a few days ago. This time, here are pictures of the tree that I have to display the ornaments.


Not all the ornaments are from this year's swap but they all look great together, don't they.

I really enjoy this type of swap where everyone can use their imagination and talent to create something to share.

I also have ornaments for Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, Halloween and of course, Christmas.

Gammill

The Stashbuster topic of the week is about sewing machines. I have many but thought I would take a few pictures of my favorite - my Gammill longarm.



I have had my Gammill since late 2001 and still love her as much as I did when I bought her. Actually, I like her a lot more now that I have more experience and am better at quilting with her.

Here is part of my thread collection for the longarm. I need to have more room for more thread - it seems that I am always wanting a different color that what I have.

I do a lot of custom quilting but like to do pantos also. Here is my panto storage. It is actually two shoe storage units stacked on top of each other. I number each panto according to the storage bin number and have a excel spreadsheet that lists them alphabetically, by bin number and by type. So far, it seems to be a good way of keeping them in order.

My regular sewing machine is a Pfaff 2144 that has been upgraded to a 2170. I love this machine. I also have a 2030, a 4870 serger and a Janome Gem Gold that lives in my car trunk - ready to sew anytime, anywhere.

I also have 2 treadle machines that I use as end tables, a Viking 1+ that I hate and a little blue Kenmore machine. I hate to admit that I am lusting after an embellisher but haven't given in and bought one yet. I think I will take the little blue to my daughter's house when I go next week. I need a good machine in my room there and since I don't use it here, that is probably a good place for it to live.

Art Dolls and Easter Ornaments

First is a scan of two pages for an Art Doll fatbook that I am participating in. I made 25 art dolls out of playing cards. I have a large collection of playing cards in different shapes and used cats for the head, popsicles for the arms, regular cards for the body and a Tiki for the legs. I used brads to put them together. They measure about 8 inches tall and the background is 10 inches by 4 inches. They are velcroed to the background page so that they are removable.

Above is one of the Easter ornaments that I talked about yesterday. They are all in the mail to their new homes. I made small quilt blocks using a square in a square and machine binding. They are very cute.

Gift Quilt from my Sister

Not much going on today so I thought I would post a picture of a quilt that is hanging in my living room. My sister Robin made it for me Christmas of 2005. It is made from a Thimbleberries pattern and uses beautiful Asian fabrics. She quilted it on her handi-quilter.

I have been working on Easter ornaments for an exchange with the Georgia Crazy Quilters. They were due earlier this month but I just couldn't get them done in time. I just need to add the hangers on them and they will go in the mail tomorrow. I will take a picture before I mail them.

Fabric Charms again

The photo I posted of my fabric charms/inchies wasn't very clear because of the flash. Diane suggested that I scan them instead and that worked out much better. I didn't make all of them but the ones with purple on the outside are the ones I made. The rest were trade with the other women at the Fiber Art Bee.

We meet each month and have been playing with lots of fun things. As I said in the previous post, they are one inch square. You can see the eyelet in most of them. Still undecided on what to do with them.

Fabric Charms

Today my FiberArt Bee met and we made fabric charms. They are each only 1 inch square and have an eyelet so that they can be attached to a bracelet or something else with a jump ring.

We each made 10-16 of them and then traded 2 of ours with each of the others. I made 16 and the picture has mine and the traded ones. We had fun - it is different working so small.

Not sure what we are going to do next month but I am sure it will be fun.

Baby Quilt

Here is another quilt that was made from charm packs. I made it about two years ago and it is now on the back of my couch while it waits for a baby that needs it. Sometimes it is nice to have a baby quilt made and ready to go. This quilt only used one charm pack - I won it as a door prize.

I quilted flowers in the border and just did a wavy line in the squares. Turned out real cute and took very little time.

I spent most of the day working on a customer quilt. Barb made a beautiful tulip quilt and I quilted it.


Tomorrow is my fiber art bee. We are going to make fabric charms. They are only about 1 inch square. Should be fun.

100th Post - Bulloch Hall Quilt Show

This is my 100th post to my blog - a milesone of sorts. It has been fun to write and post pictures and read the comments - I love the comments because they show that someone is reading besides me.

Yesterday, my Piecemaker's Bee went to the Bulloch Hall Quilt Show is Roswell, GA. It is a beautiful historic house and a wonderful place to view quilts. I was surprised that right inside the front door, Jan's Saturday Sampler quilt was hanging. I custom quilted it for her last year.

Not sure you can see the quilting but she did a great job of arranging the blocks in an unusual fashion with the large basket of flowers in the center. I love quilting for Jan because her quilts are always unique and fun to work on.

First UFO

Here are all the blocks I found from the first quilt that I talked about yesterday. There are six that are completely finished and the Dresden plate that is not sewn down to the background - it also needs a center circle applied.

Since 7 is a number that does not easily fit into a quilt, I think I will not use the unfinished one but will try to put the other four into a small charity quilt. Along with the blocks, I found a lot of the fabric from making them. It looks like I have a couple of yards of each - can't imagine why I bought so much.

They are all hand pieced or appliqued and better made than I remember. If I eliminate the one block, I will have 3 with pink background and 3 with green background. I can sash them and make it into a small child's quilt that someone will love.

I will add them to my unfortunately large list of UFO's but I feel better about them than I have for years. It was still a miserable experience in the class and I really don't like the fabrics but at least it can turn into a FO at some time.

Topic of the Week - UFOs

The suggested topic of the week is about UFOs. First question is What is Your Oldest UFO? No question about mine. It is the first quilt I started, back in the early 90's when I lived in Australia.

I was somewhat homesick and found a local quilt shop and signed up to make a quilt. What is really surprising about that experience is that I continued to quilt. Many of you have probably experienced something like I did when I first took a class. I really don't understand why the person owned a quilt shop or even tried to work with the public.

The class was a traditional hand piecing class - not knowing any better, I signed up and went to the shop to buy the fabric. Apparently there was only one way to select fabric - her way! After much discussion, I ended up with a "lovely" pink and green selection - Yuck! OK - It was a learning quilt, not a masterpiece so I could live with it.

I managed to complete 4 blocks - actually, they are fairly well pieced, but not attractive. I still have the rest of the fabric in a plastic box and don't know why I don't just throw them away. I have thought of making pillows out of the finished ones but they are really ugly.

Actually, I am glad that I know how to hand-piece but HATED the process a the time and HATE the unfinished project.

A couple of months later, I went to another quilt shop in Sydney and took a "quilt as you go" log cabin. My son in Sweden still has this quilt. It was red, white and blue and actually looks pretty good. They use it as a picnic quilt and he told me it is developing a few holes - I will try to patch it next time I go to visit. At least it has been loved, which is much more than I can say about the first blocks I did.

I think I will go up and try to find the blocks tomorrow and take pictures - maybe they are not as bad as I remember.

Deco Pictures

Here is the first one I completed. The title of it is Gratitude.

Next was I Love Lucy.


The Secret SuperHero Identity - I described myself as a Quilt Diva. I bought this pattern a couple of years ago and want to make it for the door of my sewing room.

Lastly here is Unlikely Fairys - I did the strange tooth fairy and also the snack fairy.

I have several more decos to work on but it feels good to get these done and on the way to the next person.

Sewing Expo

Lynda and I went to the Sewing Expo today and had a great time. The East Cobb Quilters Guild had a booth there and were displaying the raffle quilt. I must admit that it was a thrill to see a quilt that I had quilted in a setting like that.

There were lots of great products there and I managed to only buy link rollers. I love lots of the fibers but I really don't need any more - I need to use the ones I have already purchased at other shows.

We sold a lot of tickets at Shop Hop for the quilt but I think having it at Sewing Expo will allow us to sell a lot of tickets.

I have been working on some Decos and will post pictures tomorrow.

Quilt for Noah

I picked up a quilt right before the shop hop that I made for my granson Noah last year. It has been hanging as a sample for several months but all the kits are finally sold and I can send the quilt on to Noah.

It is made from a simple panel, bordered by a border print. I then quilted it using the design as a guide for the quilting.

It turned out cute and since his 4th birthday is coming up in June, I will send it to Sweden for him at that time.

Favorite Quilting Tool

Swooze suggested we talk about our favorite quilting tool. I have many - I love my Roxanne thimble, my rotary cutter and my many, many rulers but I think my favorite - or at least my most frequently used - is a simple roll of blue painters tape.

I use it with my longarm to mark the beginning and end of pantos. I have it on my sewing machine where I have it marked so that I can do 1/2 square triangles without marking them.

I keep it in my travel kit so that I can mark 1/4 inch seams for my students. I am currently teaching a jacket that requires 1/2 inch seams so I mark their machines for that.

I have been looking at the tags that are sold to mark blocks, rows, pressing direction and I have realized that I can use a small piece of tape and a sharpie (one of my other favorite things) to mark them. I can use the money to buy other tools or fabric instead.

I really love blue tape!

Shop is Over!!!

Well, the shop hop is over. It certainly seems like it was a success as we were very busy for each of the last four days. Each shop designed a flower block and made some kind of quilt using the blocks. We did a table topper using our design. She called our block Tossed Azaleas and used four of them in the table topper. We gave each hopper the pattern and enough fabric to do one block.

I quilted the table topper and you can seem some of the quilting here.

We had the guild's raffle quilt in the shop for the past three days and managed to sell a lot of tickets. Everyone seems to love the quilt.

The shop looked so great -our theme was Garden Party and we had floral quilts hung everywhere. We sold all the kits from the two quilts that I made so that makes me feel good.

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop

Well, we survived the first of four days of shop hop. It was a terrible weather day here in the Atlanta area, with rain, thunder and a tornado watch but it didn't keep the dedicated hoppers from coming out. I was amazed at how many people showed up, in absolute downpours.

We worked late last night and completely changed the look of the shop, hanging all new quilts and putting out kits for all of them. The theme of the shop hop is "Springtime in Georgia" so we have flowers and spring all over the shop. It really looks great and the customers seemed to enjoy it.

We have three more days and are expected to have good weather so it should be busy again tomorrow.