Postcards and Lanterns

I joined in Sheila's Postcard Exchange http://sheilasquiltworld.blogspot.com/  and received this beautiful postcard from my partner, Sharon, who is also "up north" as we say here,

 in Nova Scotia.

I love the musical fabric and the Broderie Perse applique roses. 

Thank you, Sharon.

 

These are the cards I sent to Sharon.  These were my first fabric postcards, and I love making these things.

 

 

 

I designed the top card and used a Sizzix die for the second. 

 

This is another I made.

 

You see, they become addictive.  You can let your creativity take over and play.  My only issue is that my wonderful little sewing machine has only a few decorative stitches. 

Thanks for organizing the exchange, Sheila.  I'm happy I joined in the fun.

 

The third lantern block is called Double Ladder.

 



 

God Bless You.

Enjoyable Sewing

I worked on a quilt today that I totally enjoyed making; it was fun putting it together.  I had this collection; Coffee Cats Café, and wanted to make something that wasn't summery.  After the past two weeks of heat, yesterday it hit 98 degrees, I am ready for cooler weather and an autumn project. 

I love the beatnik cats.  Visions of Dobie Gillis and Maynard G. Krebs.

This panel is part of the collection but I didn't use this today.

 

I decided to make this quilt, an Around the Twist design,

from this book, Big Print Patchwork by Sandy Turner. 

True confessions, I borrowed this book from the library, it was due back yesterday, so I need to return it on Monday because someone else has it on hold.  So, I wanted to make something and had this weekend to do it.

This is what I have so far.



The intertwined sashes have a cool look and are deceptively easy, even though for me it was a  mind-bender putting the pieces together and totally fun. 

Second Lantern-A-Long Block

The second block in the Lantern-A-Long is the Staircase Lantern.

Only three more blocks to go.

I sent four slab blocks to Calgary yesterday.

I made another postcard that will be going off to the west coast.  I haven't heard that my other postcards have reached their destination, but I'm keeping the faith that they will...someday.

 

I learned today that Mary Ellen Hopkins passed away on July 10th.  Mary Ellen was the quilter and instructor who published a few books, one of which I was able to recently purchase used, The It's Okay If You Sit On My Quilt Book.  The American Quilting Society did a nice post on her that made her sound like a very funny, happy person who made her mark in American quilting. 

 

God Bless You.

Christmas QAL July Sunday - Post 4

I put everything back almost the way it was in my sewing room and I think I will be able to find things again. 

This is the arrangement I'm going with for this project.  I'm pretty sure it's a wall hanging.  I love Nativity scenes and have a few, so now I'll have one more.

I get the Craft Gossip emails and wanted to share a free Christmas Quilt BOM that they posted about.  It's a beautiful design and the blogger is Erin Russek.    http://erinrussek.typepad.com/one-piece-at-a-time/jingle-bom/

For the cat lovers, check out this quilt http://www.24blocks.com/2013/07/caterday-quilts-july-13.html  I love it.

It is currently 90 degrees outside, but being the nut I am I just finished cutting the grass.  It takes me about an hour, but at least it's done.  I now have to rely on this stuff:

not because I'm an athlete but because it helps me to keep going when I want to quit.

So, with that I'm done for today.  I want to say that Hazel and Granddad George have been delightful hosts.   I hope we continue to see Granddad; his grumpy face is growing on me.  As usual during these QAL's I get things done and I love seeing what everyone else is up to.  It's been a nice weekend. 

 

Thanks, Hazel.

 

God Bless You All.

Christmas QAL July Sunday - Post 3

 Last night I played a bit with the Nativity project and laid some cotton lace between the rows to see how it looked.  I think it works.  I have no idea where I'm going with this project and hope it turns out okay.  I'm having my doubts, though.

 

Friday night before I worked on my scraps I reorganized my sewing room, but it just isn't working out.  I can't find anything, so it's going back to the way it was before I became industrious.  So you may not see any sewing from me today but I will be in my sewing room:)

 

Christmas QAL July - Post 2

I finished my bell wall hanging and have moved on to this project.  And as if sewing wasn't enough joy, I received a delivery of more Christmas fabric; angels, trees and musical instruments.  I could have used the cream and blue poinsettia fabric for the Challenge, and maybe I will yet. 

These bargains were purchased from Fabrics Galore.

 

My bell is translucent and looks cool in the window.  My seams are going in another direction, but other than that I like it.

That's where I am at, and now break time.

Christmas QAL July - Post 1

I'm linking in to the Christmas QAL which this month is hosted by Hazel http://www.hazelsquilts.blogspot.com

My coffee has kicked in and I am stitching away.  I've already spotted some lovely projects being worked on and know that the December show and tell will be a delight.

 

I have begun to quilt my star by stitching in the ditch.  My goal is to finish this little wall hanging today and that shouldn't be a problem. 

Last night I finished my second slab block.  Hopefully I will make one or two more and then mail them out on Monday. 

Are you distracted easily?  As I was making these slab blocks and seeing what a mess my scraps were in I decided to begin organizing them.  Thus, last night I was cutting, pressing and folding the yellow scraps.  The good news is doing this makes room; the bad news is I have a big shopping bag full of scraps to work on. 

Christmas QAL, Lanterns and Slabs

This weekend Hazel is hosting the Christmas QAL http://www.hazelsquilts.blogspot.com  Hope you can find some time to join in and quilt with us.  I'm curious and want to see your projects.  If you are new to the QAL, the info intro on the Christmas QAL page is a good place to start.  Both Hazel and I have that posted.

 

Isn't this a beautiful bundle of fabric?  I received it today from Henry Glass Fabrics and is what I won from their July 4th giveaway. 

 

This week they are hosting a Summer Fabric Party.  Check it out. http://henryglassfabrics.blogspot.com/

 

I joined the Lantern QAL at Quilty Habit and completed the first block. http://www.quiltyhabit.blogspot.com   I made 2 of the block because I'm not sure what I'm making in the way of size or design.

 

 

Sharon of Vrooman's Quilts posted today about the slab blocks (scrap blocks) being collected by Cheryl, a quilter in Canada, for victims in Southern Alberta and Calgary.  http://naptimequilter.blogspot.ca/2013/06/slabs-for.html  I have one block completed and one half done and that's just from this afternoon and evening.  After the first block they come together quickly.  This is doable for me because I don't have to make a complete quilt. 

 

 

God Bless You.

 



Henry Glass Fabrics Summer Fabric Party. Lantern QAL

 Henry Glass Fabrics http://henryglassfabrics.blogspot.com/ is posting about some of their designers this week, and there are fabric bundles for giveaways each day.  Yesterday the fabric line was  called Here Fishy Fishy.  You will smile when you see the quilt that was made; it is too cute.  And today they are showing the most lovable bears in Bear Hugs.   I won one of their giveaways from July 4th. 

Today I am working on my blocks for the Lantern QAL I joined at Quilty Habit http://www.quiltyhabit.blogspot.com/ (even though I said I wasn't joining any QAL's this year so I could finish UFO's - so much for plans.)  I needed to make something new, easy and different.  These blocks are modern to my thinking, so I'm putting my toe in that pond to see if I like it. All I have so far is the layout;

I'm using up strips from a Ty Pennington Impressions jelly roll.  I'll be working on this between a doctor appointment and a dentist appointment today so we'll see what gets done. 

I made my first fabric postcards and mailed them yesterday to my partner who is in Nova Scotia.  Sheila of Sheila's Quilt World http://sheilasquiltworld.blogspot.com/ posted about the exchange she was planning so I joined in since I wanted to make fabric postcards but held back because it was an unknown venture.  I can't post my cards yet until my partner receives them, but then I'll show what I made.  Post Office I'm counting on you:-)

Janet Wickell at about.com quilting http://quilting.about.com/ has templates for the backs of the cards.

Check out the giveaway at Henry Glass.

 

This weekend is Christmas QAL; hope to meet up with you at Hazel's http://www.hazelsquilts.blogspot.com

 

God Bless.

Trip Around The World Quilt is Finished

I learned what I needed to do in order to successfully attach prairie points.  When I first looked for a tutorial on them it seemed to me that the individual points were placed a mere quarter or half inch into the adjacent point, but that isn't close enough.  I found this tutorial and just by looking at the pics I saw the solution.  http://www.designsbyloftcreations.com/2013/06/prairie-points-two-ways.html  As you can see the points are nestled well into each other and this helps when sewing them on because they don't travel and there aren't spaces between them. 



The quilt back is very patchy.

And I used one of my new Sizzix dies, a dove, next to the label. 

I love a finished quilt.

 

I began the current blocks for the Ben Franklin QAL.  We're making City Street blocks.  I'm not going to finish them today.  Time to grab a good book.

God Bless You.



 

 

Patriotic Bell

 

 I played with my bell block and Sizzix dies in order to make an appropriate wall hanging for the July holiday.  I had this hanging and wondered what it was missing.  Then it came to me.

It needs its clapper.

 

I also worked on sewing on the prairie points to KP's quilt, but all of the stitches have been taken out and I will have to redo. 

I almost dropped the plan to use a mix of fabrics for the points, but after pinning them on I think it looks okay. 

 

 

Have a wonderful day.

God Bless You.



Quilting KP's Quilt and Other Stuff

I began quilting KP's quilt.  I'm hoping to make the curves within the squares design that has the cathedral windows look.  Of course, my curves curve all over the place but that's what makes it my quilting.

 

The only batting I had at home the day I made the sandwich was the extra loft type.  I hesitated using it but now I really like the results.  So, it would be nice if I can get this done by early July, but whenever I make a plan something happens so no plan, just doing.

 

I won this great book from Quiltmaker. 

It's Farm Fresh Quilts by Kim Gaddy. 

 

I love, love the designs in this book.  You may see a bee skep or chicken runner soon.

 

And because I appreciate her approach to quilting, I ordered Mary Ellen Hopkins' book, The It's Okay To Sit On My Quilt Book.

It's out of print, so I ordered a used book through Amazon.  My book is like new.  Love it.

 

I like my Sizzix die cutter very much, and get emails from them when they have sales and such.  I was able to buy all of these dies for under $40.00, including shipping, which I think is pretty good shopping.

 

If you like die cutters, visit SewCalGal  http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/ .  There is an eBosser blog hop going on with how-to's and giveaways.  Apparently, the eBosser is compatible with dies from multiple manufacturers.  Sounds nice.

 

The sun is out and so are the lawn mowers. 

Not mine:-)

God Bless You.

 

 



2013 Christmas QAL - Thank You All

 

The winner of the two fat quarters is Sheila.  I'm waiting for a reply to my email and will send them out to her when she responds.  Since she is in Australia it may actually be Christmas by the time they reach her with the mail what it is.    I must need a good rest.  Sheila is in Nova Scotia.  My apologies. 

Next month we will be at Hazel's Quilts http://hazelsquilts.blogspot.com/ 

Hazel's a fun chick so I'm sure we'll have a memorable time at her place.  No pressure, Hazel ;-)

 

Thank you to each and every one of you who participated with me this weekend.  I met some new folks and made progress with my projects, so as far as I'm concerned it was a success.

 

I hope to see you next month. 

 

Now I can take down my Christmas background.  It's cute  but I need a bit of Spring/Summer.

 

God Bless You.

2013 Christmas QAL - Flash Quiz

Did that get your attention?    Do you remember flash quizzes?  Boy, did I hate them.  Well, this is not a flash quiz.  But in celebration of the first Christimas QAL of 2013 this is a Flash Giveaway.

 

2 fat quarters of Christmas fabric.  Not colors you can use in the challenge, but nice nevertheless. 

 

Everyone who has linked up is in the giveaway.  If you do not want to be a part of it, then send me an email and I will take your name out of the hat.

 

I'll wait until the end of the day here or tomorrow morning and then post the winner. 

 

Thanks so much for being a part of the 2013 Christmas QAl.  I have enjoyed yesterday and today very much.

 



2013 Christmas QAL - A Neat How-to

I wanted to share something with you that I just came across on facebook.  It's a way to make multiple HST's at once.  I love smart quilters, especially those who share their knowledge.

 http://scrapatches.blogspot.com/2012/10/mysterious-hsts.html

http://katiesquiltsandcrafts.blogspot.com/2010/12/half-square-triangle-shortcut.html

Hope you can use the info.

2013 Christmas QAL - Autumn Apron

The feedback on my question about the QAL being a weekend event is positive, and we seem to have more people able to join in today, so that makes me happy.

 

I abandoned my plaid fabric and small squares.  I don't know how I will approach them yet, so better to put them aside.  Instead, I finally cut out and put together an apron that came as a panel with the ties, pocket and embellishments.  I've had it for a few years so I'm happy it's done. 

It's from Henry Glass & Co.  Right up there with Christmas fabric is autumn fabric on my "I love that" list.  So we talked about aprons yesterday and today I made one. 

 

We're covering the seasons this weekend.  Gotta love it.

Christmas QAL -It's Sunday and We Are Back

Welcome to everyone joining in today.  I'm back from Mass and can now visit you and see what's going on at your houses. 

 Here's a project I began last night.  I wanted to see how it would look with the plaid, and I like it, but it needs some light fabric somewhere so I will play some more.

Would you like to know what I think.  I'll tell you anyway:)  I think the two day QAL is neat because I can work at a slower pace if I choose to.  It's working for me anyway.  Let me know what you think about it.