almost getaway day

One last picture and then I'll stop yakking about this project until I can tell you that the top is done and on its way to the long arm quilter.

I must correct a misconception that Laurie Ann may have had. I wish I were that organized to be working on Christmas projects this early in the year, LOL! It is not my quilt but rather one that I am finishing up for the family of one of my quilt group members who passed a couple of years ago. Betsy had two sons---Rob has a quilt that Betsy finished but Russell and his family are waiting for this one.

I was able to spread the blocks out at our meeting yesterday and stood up on a chair to get it to fit in the picure. I finished up the blocks that spell out NOEL that fit under the Santa block once I got home. The only piecing that remains are two bands of flying geese that I hope to do this afternoon. The little mittens will probably be shifted up. Betsy had the spacer bands, the candy cane blocks centers, folded flowers and the friendship star in log cabin done. The Santa block is from a long ago block swap being pressed into service. Other than that, the rest of the blocks I have done.

Tomorrow Pippi will hopefully not be hiding under my bed when it is time for us to leave for our trip to IL. It may take some tuna to tempt her out of there if that is the case. Her usual haunts have been pushed aside for under the bed and under the table in the sewing room that I have jacked up for pressing/cutting. This is the only spot she can fit into, trust me. There and atop my tote bag. I had to laugh yesterday when I pull the bag out of the car trunk--coated with kitty hair! See how lumpy the thing is? How can that be as comfortable as her cat perch or the TOP of the bed? Goofy girl.

I have two college graduations to go to--my godchild/niece Allison graduates from what my alma mater evolved into: the College of Nursing at Illinois State University and my oldest nephew Blake graduates from the College of Engineering at University of IL. Toss in Mother's Day weekend and it is going to be a busy time as well as a whirlwind trip. I don't know that Mom and I will get any sewing or cutting done this trip--maybe on Saturday. DJ has a couple rounds of golf scheduled and a baseball game for his grandson. I found after the fact, that his son had gotten a pair of tickets to a Martina McBride concert in Bloomington for Friday night probably a late birthday present for his dad. Sweet thought but I can't go due to graduation. (Unless Tracy goes with him I doubt he will go by himself.)

SO consider me off a holiday or Beach Day as Darilyn says. A little packing remains though the laundry is done and a Walmart run has already been made for pantyhose and to gas up the car. Catch you later.

recent completions

my most recent completions to add to the Christmas quilt. Today I'll work on a couple of the applique blocks since I am off to my quilt group meeting soon.

I spoke of the block sources for these in my post on Sunday.

Bed of Roses block in Christmas colors--foundation pieced but that was mainly because it was a goofy size on the cuts I would have made conventionally.

Memory block--one of the few that the pattern actually called for

Part 2--pics in 1st one

I continue to plug away getting applique blocks prepped for the Christmas quilt so at this point I don't have much to share with you as they are not done, just ready for the next step. BUT it has been a couple steps forward and a couple back lately.

I spent most of the morning yesterday making two ornaments for a block and then hated the result. The fabric, while quite lovely (what looked like Hoffman metallics--cut squares I had purchased at one point) just didn't work. One was too low in contrast on and too much contrast on the second and they were ultimately too big for the space I needed. Maybe I can use it somewhere else down the line but not here.

SO after messing with those ornament blocks and getting really glue-y fingers, it occured to me that I had some Quilter's Glu-tube that came with another patterns plus for a stained glass quilt wallhanging. It's still in the package sealed up but would it work after all this time? Only one way to find out, right? Pretty slick!! Worked great on the next thing I preppd. I guess they recommend their own product of QTI's Quilter's Iron On Poly Paper for the templates but hey this worked and the paper pulled right out.

I moved onto 3 little mitten blocks (glu-tube, thanks!) and a snowman block that I ended up fusing. I could show you the fused block but it has some cute embellishments that will really make the block. (See the card that inspired it in the preceeding post.)

Last evening Pam and I were tossing around ideas of what could fill the space about 9 x 7.5 finished since ornament idea was scrapped. She had some good suggestions but some had been used already. Then it occured to me that a Little Brown House Pattern I have owned called "JOY" --a reindeer that I could possibly use. I had bought this as pattern plus from Keepsake Quilting" and it was hanging on my pegboard above the cutting table. I just wasnt sure how big they were in the wallhanging versus a quilt block. Go for it, says Pam when she saw the picture I emailed her. Might be fine even without the string of lights tangled in their antlers.

I thought two faces might fit but it will be only one--the original pattern has three. He definitely gets a red nose for Rudolph! I've made some wrong turns on this one. Ruined the first little face when the ink ran trying to mark the eyes with a sharpie and freezer paper template. Okay, that didn't work so the 2nd one I used a pigma pen and colored in through drafting circle thing with all the holes in it. Also I had to make two tries at the red nose "perfect circle" AND I miscalculated--not once but twice the dimensions to cut it for the bias strips though I am using the 2nd go round. That actually was a happy accident as it is just the right width--my first choice would have been too wide. I'm stitching on this blocks as I write this so maybe by tomorrow I can post a pic of it.

I fused the antlers down on this as I do not want to needle turn this stuff but will edge finish by hand as the areas are so small. The whole thing was supposed to fused actually but this quilt is going to a family with two small (correction: thanks, Jane!) BOYS and a teenaged daughter so I am not sure how it will used--coach throw or wallhanging??

All things happen for a reason, don't they? Had I not just had some recent practice on that round robin using bias press bars, sunflower making that translated to poinsettia blocks and making perfect circles this would be a much, much bigger chore with much room for review of technique etc.

My inspiration for this quilt's block changes have come from various sources--see the following (or is it preceeding?) post.

Inspiration

Inspiration comes from a lot of different spots. This was in an advertisement for a quilting publication, I believe. I made three of them this size for my own quilt but resized them a bit for Betsy's as they go in a space with a different configuration.

Then this one came from a transfer book--full sized sheet that I resized with Rapid Re-sizer software to get it to fit in an approx. 9 x 7 space. I love to do redwork embroidery and had done a similiar block for my own quilt so Betsy's will get one too.

A Christmas card my husband received several years ago. Resized it as well but bigger this time, not smaller. I cannot replicate the colors used necessarily but it made a cute version last evening. I had the most fun digging around in the scrap bag and Christmas fabrics to dress this little guy. Betsy had some neat star buttons and one that looks a lot like the sunflower that can be included on the block. Probably will use some perle cotton for the outlining stitch since there is a blue background.

Its coming together though slowly................

Followup, thanks to Jan

Thanks, Jan for sending along the picture of Beth's doll, doll quilt and her big quilt. Now I can post a followup to my post of yesterday. Looks like the doll's hais is a little worse for wear, LOL.

Beth got her doll quilt a long time before she got the bed sized quilt. I was determined that she would have it in time for her 10th birthday last year. There it is on her new bed in her new home in TN.

I should say that the fabric was purchased for this when Beth was just a baby, got stalled out for too long but now she has grown into it, I guess.

Today finds me working on a couple more blocks in Betsy's Christmas quilt. The train blocks are done and added plus two hole in the barn doors with a candy cane she had appliqued for the centers of both blocks.

I got the bright idea to try to make a pointsettia block instead of doing 2 Ohio Star blocks--hey, I can do this easy after making some that were about half this size for the round robin!! And yes, that means more applique, LOL. (Hanne, I'm using your hint on this one. ) I hope to prep a bell block that believe it or not, is in the book but maybe a bit bigger. Still more applique!

What's more, I am also considering the "Springtime Blossom" block that Evelyn AKA Starfishy and Hanne helped me with as it looked so pretty in reds and greens. That was not the correct name though--let me go get the info that Evelyn posted. Ah, here we go--- in her note of April 15, 2005

"a block from the quilt called Bed of Roses block - first published in Quiltmaker in March/April 1996 (issue 48) and re-printed in Quiltmaker's All-Time Favorites Spring of 2000 (photo of cover below). The original quilt is featured in 30's(?) pastels. I made my block in Christmas-sy fabrics - just in case I ever get around to making a Christmas quilt! "

Her example looks so pretty in Christmas colors so would be a good choice. I don't feel like adding two stars in Christmas colors if I'm piecing it-- there are already a bunch of stars in the quilt. This would give me a chance to try the block without committing to a whole quilt's worth too. Okay, that did it--convinced me, LOL.

Time to heat up our lunch and then back to work---

Girls and dolls

Today I am sharing some pictures of the dolls and their quilts that I made for my nieces. I had a ball with these! But realize that I never did get around to making any for the youngest ones, as I type this.

This one belongs to Rosie.







Randi called her doll "Amy". The Wild Goose Chase block is in the same colors and much the same pattern as a real quilt that I have started for her--another UFO, sorry to say.

Amber called her doll "Rachel" Rachel's quilt was a little puff quilt and just big enough for me to try making one. 121 squares was quite enough to convince me that I probably would never make a large version, LOL.


My SIL Jan will have to refresh my faulty memory. I know this is Beth's because it replicates the big quilt that I made for her but did I make her a doll?? I seem to have no pictures of it. Also did I post a picture of her quilt in my "Lost" blog?

I'm passing on the quilt meeting today to stay home and make some more train blocks for Betsy's Christmas quilt. Finn, there will be be a train included just not the same one as the pattern. I did the caboose and side car yesterday with the engine and passenger car on my goals for today. That should complete the top half.


Patti, I understood what you were telling me about partial seams and in fact, that is probably what I was doing. Betsy had left the seams partially finished around the dark blue tree applique. It still didn't make it too easy to manipulate it around a 2 x 3 spacer but we got the job done. I appreciate your help though. I've been looking at the sketch closely to see if we can eliminate it on the lower half but I know I can if I have to.

Catch you later----

what I've got so far

Here is what I have together so far. Betsy had most of this done--I only made one of the Christmas ornaments and that foundation pieced candle you see by the angel.

I had to join the loose blocks and then do the set in seams to make it fit together. Awful way to design a quilt in my opinion. I tried to draw a line to show you roughly what I got have gotten done .

I spent most of yesterday afternoon making this block, foundation piecing. Who wants to do the needle turn applique that the project originally called for? Well, some of you gluttons for punishment might but NOT this quilter. It is too big with no white space around. Back to the drawing board.

Well, back to EQ to find the ones I want and re-size them. that I need some coupling between the cars so draw that up so I can add it to the foundation piecing on the block itself. More designing and re-sizing and re-printing this morning.

The gray at the top is too light anyway on this block and the spot calls for a darker background. I"m thinking a nice blue background on the whole deal and run a colored strip along the bottom of all four cars.

I'll run to Hancock's in a bit so I can get to work after DJ and I trudge along our old Rails to Trails. I'll put on my headphones and think about what color cars I want to make--representational or something in primary colors? He is impeding the creative process here!!! BUT since Mr. Impatient is waiting I better sign off, get dressed in walking clothes and head on out. It is important to exercise but he has horrible timing, LOL.