Festive Mystery Finish

A bit late for Christmas or else very early, this baby is wrapped up.  My first prairie points are not perfect and I'm not sure when I'll use them again, but they definitely add a nice touch.  It's just tedious sewing the backing edge down.  So I end February with 2 nice finishes.  Another quilt with Sue Abrey's name on the label as designer.  Thank you, Sue.

 

I also made the ninth block in the Ben Franklin QAL.  It's called Happy Home.

It's the middle block in the bottom row. 

 

I'm finishing my course with Cindy Needham on Craftsy, and then I'll try quilting another UFO.  I may have another finish in my near future.

 

Be quilting or be square.

 

God Bless You.

 

There's Nothing Like a Finished Quilt

 

This is a big finish for me.  The QOV is done.  I am going to add a hanging sleeve to the back in case my brother wants to use it, but other than that, this project moves across the finish line.  I feel very good about that.

 

I added a friendship star to the backing.  It's very appropriate. 

 

 

When I was at MQE last spring the person at the Quilt of Valor booth gave me one of the labels they use when they present a quilt.  I doctored the picture so my brother's name isn't visible.

 

 

Some of the backing fabric.  My very poor hand quilting is visible but that's ok. 

 

This means I can move to another UFO and push it across the finish line.  I selected the Festive Mystery Quilt because all I need to do is quilt it and bind it and it's done.  I've already run into problems with that simple intention, so I'll begin today with some unsewing.  That's the quilting life. 

 

I want to give a shout out to SewCalGal for a recent review she did on a Craftsy class with Cindy Needham.  http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2013/02/craftsy-class-design-it-quilt-it-with.html  Based on her post and review I decided to take the course, mostly because one of the segments was about a table-top method of basting the quilt sandwich.  This part of quilting for me has always been the big dread.  Last night I watched the intro and the basting segments and feel that I have already learned so much.  Cindy is terrific, and has a nice way of conveying what she knows.  FYI, when I clicked on the Craftsy link through SewCalGal's post, the course was discounted 25%, but when I opened Craftsy from my browser the course was the regular $40.  I don't know how long that discount is in effect.  

 

Wishing you a finish soon.

 

God Bless You.

 



Philadelphia Pavement and Real Progress

This is the eighth block in the Benjamin Franklin QAL.  http://erikhomemade.typepad.com/  I love how this block turned out and think I got the balance just right in the colors and prints. 

What really pleases me is that I have reached the point of sewing the binding on the Quilt of Valor I'm making for my brother.  That's what I'll be doing for the next few days. 

Moxie loves this quilt.  When I was quilting it she would get on the fabric that was in the hoop and try to nest there or else crawl under it for a nap.  I had to put it away in a plastic container to keep her off of it.  Too funny.

 

God Bless You.

GQA Voting and Adventures in Squirrelville.

Yesterday Moxie was jumping from window to window facing the backyard so I looked out and saw a squirrel hanging like a monkey by his tail in the redbud tree.  I was thinking "wow, I didn't know squirrels could loop their tails around and hang like that" (duh) when I realized it was in distress.  Now the snow was still mid-thigh high, but I put on boots, hat, scarf, coat and gloves (mostly to protect myself in case he got violent), went out with branch clippers and tried to help it.  The poor guy had gotten his tail caught in the Y of a branch, but I could not cut it.  However, because I had lowered the branch he was hanging on, he could get his forepaws on another branch and pull, which he did, and suddenly he was loose and running for cover.  This was left in the tree:

That's fur and it's still there today, so it's caught really well.  He removed the bark trying to get free.  I think that should make up for the squirrel who jumped under my moving tire a few months ago. 

It's time to cast your votes in SewCalGal's 2013 Golden Quilters Awards. http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2013/02/2013-golden-quilter-awards-voting.html

The thing to remember is that not only can you vote for someone you want to acknowledge in the quilting world or for something that you rate highly, but you give yourself a chance to win prizes donated by sponsors who support SewCalGal's event.  There are gift certificates, fabric, quilting tools, thread, books, and a neat set of lotions.  You can vote until 2/28/13.  When I first began quilting and blogging a few years ago, few of the faces and names meant anything to me, but I am happy to say that I recognize many of them now so it's a bit of a challenge to choose.  The easy ones are those I nominated.

This morning I intended to drive to the library, post office and drug store.  But, parking is a mess what with snow mounds covering any parking spaces, so all I got done was the drug store.  However, we've been lucky in that fog has eaten up some of the snow and it's sunny and warm today, so maybe tomorrow will be better day for doing errands. 

 

God bless you.

Fashion Show

My location is experiencing a blizzard tonight so I thought I'd have a little fashion show of some Barbie clothes I've been making.  She always loves a dress-up and it's fun, so here we go.

 

 



Barbie in no one's fool.  She doesn't want Ken to have any excuses for not knowing it's Valentine's Day next week so she got some really big indicator pieces to make sure the message is received. 

 

I also made an I Spy quilt much like one I made a few years ago, and used my favorite backing for a kids' quilt.

 

Do you like the little quilt pictured behind Barbie?   I recently won the first issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazine that was reproduced because the series is so wonderfully popular.  And I was lucky times 2 because I also won one of their very coveted mugs that is printed with all 100 blocks from the issue on it. 

 I really love it.

Thank you to Quiltmaker. 

This block was designed by Vicki Bellino and is called Queen of Hearts. 

 

If you are in blizzard territory, I'm praying for all of us to be safe tonight and the next few days.  After that, it's a big warm up. 

 

God Bless You.