I Just Love Quilts

Possibilities:
Saturday was A Fun Day!
Quilters Make Wonderful Friends!
Are You Influenced by Other Quilters?
Let's Do It Again!

Any of those would be perfect!

Saturday certainly was a fun day.  Liri, I have to tell you that the first thing Ruth did when she came in the front door was give me a hug, and tell me, "The hug is from Liri!"  Thanks much!

Ruth has already done a great write-up about the day.  Both Jenn and Ruth went right to sewing after our coffee/hot chocolate and doughnuts which Ruth brought.  They both made lots of progress on their projects.  I wish I had taken pictures myself, but I didn't; don't know why; still can't believe I didn't!

Jenn first finished a lion hood for Malek's Halloween costume; hopefully she will post a picture of him wearing it; it is too cute!  Then she just whipped out those little quilt tops!  I don't think she got out of her chair but once or twice all day, except for lunch.  (You should see her nice machine bag on wheels; I think she said her mother gave it to her for Christmas.  It has a place for everything!)  Jenn also brought some delicious cookies too, and that was a good thing, since I almost burned the brownies!

Ruth had all her Civil War fabrics so organized in her plastic tubs, and when she got set up, she kept her machine singing all day!  Every time I looked around, she had more tiny little blocks lying all around!  I think she was working mostly on her "Gone to Texas" quilt, which would be a challenge for me, but her work is perfection!

I did make a hanging sleeve for my Kaleidoscope quilt which I will be entering in a small quilt show about the middle of November.  I still haven't whipped it down yet, but it is pinned on!  (I was going to do that while watching the Cowboys, but forget that!!  They were worse than the Rangers!!  'Nuff said!!! *frown*)   Saturday I did  start on some little blue and yellow blocks I had brought home from church quilting to try to put together.  Sunday afternoon I had this much finished; it's 38" wide.  Borders will still have to be added, and then I'll back and quilt it this week.  It will be No. 11 in that nursing home project.


In the past, I've alluded to the fact that quilters make wonderful friends.  (Remember my "Walmart" quilting friend experience?  The statement was/still is true of that lady.)  I think I said back then that quilting is another universal language, much like music, from all around the world.  Certainly that is true of the relationship between Ruth, Jenn, and me. (Actually, Ruth and I first met at a quilt show prior to meeting Jenn.)   When the three of us first met by appointment at that quilt shop in the metroplex, we just seemed to bond together.  No doubt anyone there or where we ate lunch would have thought we had known one another for at least months.  We had no problem conversing on a variety of subjects.  I must say that in today's crazy world, I would never consider inviting someone into my home after one meeting, unless that person were a quilter that I was confident would be a "good" person, one that I would feel safe with, and one whose company I would truly enjoy because of our common interest in quilting.  Over my many years, I don't think I've ever met a quilter who was not a really good person, and certainly Ruth and Jenn meet that standard!  I'm sure many of you who follow my blog do too!   I just wish somehow the three of us could meet more of you in person, and that you lived closer to us so we could get together.  So the statement stands:  Quilters make wonderful friends!

I'm wondering; are any of you quilters are influenced by your quilting friends?  (That question could lead off on many tangents, but I'm going to chase only one.)  I must tell you that Ruth's quilts and her interests in Civil War quilts have captured my attention.  I had never considered making a Civil War quilt for myself before I met Ruth.  Oh sure, our church quilting group was working on the Underground Railroad, but that really did not interest me personally.  But I came home from that quilt shop where we met Jenn, with lots of Civil War fabrics which I have since turned into my own Underground Railroad quilt top.  I've been hankering to build a Civil War stash, but Saturday I said I'm going to have to go shopping, and soon!  I still have some fabrics left over, but I want more!  Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts blog has me hooked, especially after seeing Ruth's beautiful blocks each week.  I've got to make those blocks; got to get started right away!  Got to go shopping soon!  I've printed all the directions to date! The history lessons are fantastic too!  I dug in the closet today, and found fabrics to make the first block in the series from last January!  I've got a lot of catching up to do!  It may take me into 2012, but I'll get the blocks made! Just 43 more to catch up!*whew*
Here's my Civil War Block No. 1:

Civil War Block No. 1

So don't try to tell me I'm not influenced by my quilting friends! *grin*

Now for the last title possibility:
I'm already looking forward to our next get-together!  So let's do it again!  I'm sure we will!

Hey, everyone, Christmas will be here before we know it!  Boy, have I got a lot ahead of me to get ready for that!  Seems like I just go from one shindig to another, but I'm having fun in my old age! *wink*

Hope everyone has a good week, and gets lots of quilting done!

---"Love"

Here it is, finally!
Making the pinwheels was actually fun!  Again the problem came with the borders, and the fact that I still can't stitch straight!  If I had used common sense and changed to green thread for the top-stitching, it wouldn't be as bad.  This business of quilting as you go, at least the method we were shown to use, is not my favorite way of doing it!  It is faster, but not as pretty to me.  This one is 57" x 36".  Thank goodness, No. 10 is already finished --- (last blog).  I'm going to take a brief break from these projects.  The dust bunnies are totally out of hand around here! So is the junk mail! 

Last Saturday I just couldn't get into working on No. 9.  Want to know why?  There was a quilt show at Granbury, Texas, within driving distance for me; *big grin*!  My quilting buddy who usually goes with me was into deep cleaning her house and couldn't go, so I just decided to go alone.  I took a Farm to Market road through the country, and it was so refreshing to see the stock tanks full of water and a little green grass beginning to show after recent rains. 

It was a good show; lots of pretty quilts, and some unusual ones.  Thought you might enjoy seeing some of them. 

Best of Show this year was made by their guild president.  I got to talk to her a few minutes.  She said she worked 18 months on this quilt, which has lots of beautiful felt applique; then she had it custom machine quilted.  She was inspired to make the quilt, based on Scripture which says we plant the seeds, but God gives the harvest.  I want to include more than one picture so you can see her beautiful work.  It's incredible!

Notice the beautiful machine quilting, in addition to the wool applique.
I took so many pictures!  Here are some of the others.


I love the quilting in this one!

City of Granbury, Texas

I regret that I cut the title off the quilt above.  That's their Courthouse in the center,and all the buildings, etc. around the edges are historical sites in town, and on the right side is the Brazos River.  What a treasure this quilt is!  I believe it was a guild group effort, and it has been a highlight of their show in past years.  

Borders were added to a tablecloth to make this Texas quilt.

Got hankies?  Make a quilt! "Dear Jane"  - Notice the border too! Beautiful hand quilting on an antique quilt! And now, one final Texas quilt!  Now I'm looking forward to a sew-in here in my home Saturday with Ruth and Jenn.  Guess I better get to cleaning house! ---"Love" 

Well, I kept changing those No. 9 half-squares around, trying to get inspired, but I just got more confused.  I dug in my "old", original stash fabrics for something to go with them.  In the process, I remembered a lot of fabric strips hanging in a closet.  I had bought the fabrics when a store in town went out of business, and while they are not the best of fabrics, I decided maybe I could use them, but not for the half-squares.  They would become little quilt No. 10! 

I had bought the fabric soon after I began quilting in 1999, and had sewed a lot of it into strips, to make a Rail Fence quilt for Son No.1.  I carefully hung those strips on a clothes hanger in the closet and abandoned the idea!  I'm really glad I remembered it this week, because now those strips are a little quilt!  (59" x 39")
Then when I looked for a tan backing in my stash, none was to be found, so to Walmart I went.  Of course, they had nothing that would match, so in desperation I began looking for anything with those wild colors.   I could hardly believe what I found!  After all those years, I found some of the same colors in tiny stripes!   It doesn't have the bluish-green color, but if you look closely at the top, you will see it has a little dull green stripe also.  I think the narrow stripes with many of the same colors, work just fine, probably better than solid tan would have worked, especially when its use is considered.  Anyway, its finished!  Again I turned the backing to the front for the borders, and did better on the top stitching this time.

Today I've worked on the No. 9 pink and green half-squares.  I finally came up with an idea for a block from an old magazine, and have the top almost together.  I hope to finish it tomorrow.  I'm really liking how it is looking so far --- very different from all the others I've made!  In fact, it may be painful for me to let it go!  But it is being made for a purpose, so go it will, at the proper time.

Sometime next week I'm going to have to start cleaning house!  Ruth, our Country Log Cabin Quilter, and Jennifer of PurpleHeartOri"Jenn"als, are coming for a sew-in next Saturday, and we are going to have fun!  I'm really looking forward to their visit!  I hope they don't mind dust bunnies! *wink*

Thanks for all the nice comments on my recent blogs; I do appreciate them so much even though I don't always reply to each one individually.  Isn't it fun sharing all our pictures with each other?  I just love reading all the blogs; I've learned so much from everyone!

Hope everyone has a fun and restful week-end! 

---"Love"

Me too, almost!

First let me show you No. 7; it was easy, with muslin backing turned to front and stitched down; 36" x 48".
I immediately began on No. 8, which was slow go from the start.  The braids were easy to put together, but there was just so much pressing, cutting, etc, and trying to find scraps big enough to work!  Fortunately, I had managed to get home with the four backing strips, all exactly the same size, 10" x 36", but I had no idea what I'd do with them.  They worked perfectly for this project.  I found one yard of the solid blue that matched well for the borders and sashings.  Final size is 39" x 45".

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong --- after I got the four panels made.  When I joined the first two and turned it over to check it, I had stitched the second panel on upside down!  Had to rip that off and turn it around.  From then on it was just one thing after another, and I couldn't stitch a straight line to save myself!  The quilt-as-you-go really is a time-saver.......if I could just keep my head on straight.  My right index finger is worn to a frazzle from ripping!  I told a friend just to call me "Rippit, the Frog"!  As a last straw, when pinning the last long border down, I stuck my finger with a pin, and got a big drop of blood in that blue border!  Of course, that had to have immediate attention!  I was about ready to trash the whole thing, but I lacked just one more row of stitching across the bottom, so I determined to finish it if it took me all night!  Fortunately I finished it all just a few minutes before the first pitch of the Ranger game.  I took the pictures, and threw it on the pile in the back bedroom.  Usually I have to stand and gloat at my completions, but not this one!  I haven't been back in that room again tonight!

Just in passing, (talk about gloating!)  HOW 'BOUT THOSE TEXAS RANGERS???!!

Thursday at church quilting, I had cut some strips for the next quilt, No. 9, and tonight I stitched them into the half-square triangles, got them cut apart, and had 36.  Here's the first trial layout.  I'm sure I'll change them a half-dozen times before I stitch them into rows.  I don't have anymore of the green, so I'll have to find something in my stash to go with it.  I don't have an idea for sure yet where this one is headed, but here's what I have so far. 

I better hit the sack!  I found out tonight at 9:30 that I have to play the organ tomorrow for the 8:30 and 11 AM church services, and again at 6 PM; also another funeral Monday afternoon!  I hope my hands are feeling better by morning.  I'm getting all kinds of aches and pains in a lot of different body parts; my left knee is barely working at all since last night!  Just so you know, gettin' old is NOT for sissies!

Have a great Sunday!

---"Love"

My estate sale friend came to me at church Sunday and handed me a sack with a couple of surprises, left over from the estate sale I had helped her with.  She also brought me a 3" tumbler template I had bought, but she had failed to get it in my sack. 

I had not even looked at clothes at the sale, but I'll enjoy this tee-shirt!


This was the only quilt top that caught my interest, and it was the only one left after the sale. 


Since I had helped her and had also bought so much, she thought I should have the little Texas quilt top.  Notice in the second picture that the top was pieced together in strips about 2.5"!  Notice how the "Texas maps" Panhandles fit together, upright and then upside down, on the diagonal. (That explanation is so those not familiar with the shape of Texas will see it better; I had to look twice the first time I saw the quilt.)  I could hardly believe the construction technique!  I washed and pressed the top; I hope you can see the seams well.  I don't know who designed the pattern; I think it was in the pattern rack, but I didn't get it.  It was quite an accomplishment! 
I don't know when I'll get it quilted, but I may try to quilt stars on it when I get better at free-motion quilting.  That may be a while!

Saturday I finished this little church quilt; that makes six completed by me!  The print has books and letters on it.  It (the fabric) is really quite nice, but my pictures don't show it very well. 

I didn't have enough of any of the fabrics, so I had to piece the backing.

Sunday I got a patriotic rail fence top about half completed, and Monday I finished it.  It has a plain muslin backing, turned to the front and top stitched for the wide binding!  (Both No. 6 and 7 are 48" x 36".)

Don't look very closely at the little bit of quilting on either quilt.  They both need more, but there's still lots of quilts to make before spending more time at this point!  *frown*

I am so very grateful for the 4.7"+ rain that fell on my yard Saturday night!  That means I'll have to mow this week I guess!  At least it will save lots of sick trees around town I hope!

This is going to be a good week!  Hope it will be for all of you too!
 
One more thing:  Go, Texas Rangers!  We want that pennant!

---"Love"

Dear me!  Where do I begin?  There's so much fun to report that I may have to do it in two posts!

First I think I'll give an updated report on the little church quilts.  I now have five totally completed, and two more in the mill that are looking pretty good.  The first three were incomplete in my last blog, so I'm going to show the full series again.  All of them really need more quilting, but until we get 75 together, there won't be time for more quilting!  With the quilt-as-you-go method (plus a little more in places), at least they will be held together fairly well.
(Don't even ask about those outside borders!  Remember, for the most part, these are quilt-as-you go, and I got confused!   *wink*  If that excuse is not good enough, I'll use my standby:  I had a stroke!  *giggle*)

I wish I had taken a picture of the scraps I had for this one!  The borders and backing are from my stash, and as you would guess, this one is MY favorite so far, but I do like the black/green floral too.

Bindings were applied in the usual manner and whipped down by hand on the red/blue and black/green quilts.  On the other three I pulled the backing to the front and machine stitched it; those are my first times for that procedure; just so you know, I don't like doing that, but it is faster (maybe!).  With so many to make, I have to keep trying to perfect that!  Also I tried a little free motion quilting on the deer and on the patriotic panel.  I'm glad the pictures can't be enlarged any more; I did an awful job, but.......we were told.....use these for learning experiences.   I'm getting lots of experience, but not much learning!  But I must admit, it has been lots of fun so far!  Working with scraps like these surely calls for lots of creative juices!  (And lots of sweet iced tea and Hershey Chocolate Drops!)

Also since my last blog, I helped a friend a little with an estate sale; she is in that business, but is not a quilter.  She had no idea what a lot of the stuff was.  The lady who died was a dedicated quilter for many years and had everything quilty you would ever imagine, and fabric to excess!  (Is that possible for a quilter???  --- Yes, after seeing that stash, I'd have to say it IS possible!)  In the sale was everything from a Bernina 440 QT (sold the first hour at a terrifically low price!) and cabinet to quilty refrig magnets!  Literally!  I've never seen so much stuff in all my life in one home!  Because I helped my friend a little bit, she allowed me to choose (and of course, pay for) whatever I wanted before the sale, which began the day I took new DIL to the quilt show in Fort Worth. 

Then I went back to the sale on Saturday because she asked me to "work the sewing room" for five hours, which was a blast!  Watching ladies (and some men) dig through all that fabric and stuff was hilarious.  When the husbands came in the room with the ladies, I'd ask the men if they were quilters, and of course, they would say no.  I told them if they stayed in that room, we'd make a quilter out of them; if they didn't like that idea, I suggested they go out back to the shop where all the hand tools were, but to leave their checkbooks with their wives.  When my work time was up, I did a little more shopping.  I think I bought about 40 yards or more of fabric (including two 6-yard pieces of Moda at $2 a yard!  One will be a perfect backing for my Underground RR quilt I think; by the same designer as the striped border), and lots of other stuff I probably didn't need, but just couldn't pass up, including a nice adjustable office chair that is perfect for my sewing situation.  I didn't shop at all in any of the other rooms, but a quick walk through proved the lady had beautiful things all over her house; I just didn't have enough cash to get into those things!

Here's the "loot" (I think that's all of it!)  I may have to rob a bank to pay the electric bill tomorrow!  I've never done anything like that before in my life, and I enjoyed every minute of it!  (Remember, I've hardly left town all summer, so this was my vacation!)

 I've been really staying at home this week, sewing up a storm, or plotting and planning how I can create something from that big pile of little scraps I brought home from the church.  I've dug into my stash (or Hobby Lobby) pretty deep for backings, etc.  I did go to the church quilters' meeting this morning.

Now for the rest of the fun!  I think I'll include it in this post rather than a separate one.  The DIL and I enjoyed the Trinity Valley Quilt Show in Fort Worth so very much;  there were lots (about 300) of beautiful quilts, machine and hand quilted!  As usual, I took way too many pictures, and I'm not able to give credit where credit is due, but I want to show you just a few more pictures from that show, in no particular order.  If a reader recognizes a quilt that belongs to her, just know I thought your quilt was fantastic!  Can you believe I didn't buy a thing at that show??!!  DIL, not a quilter, was ready to come home by the time we saw all the quilts, so I didn't visit many vendors' booths; after the estate sale, I certainly did NOT need to! 

(Be sure to double click to see the quilting detail better!)





One more thing:  I've been invited to hang a couple of my quilts in a small one-day nearby show in November.  Now I have to decide which ones!  That will be fun too.  I haven't done that in the past few years, and I'm looking forward to it.

Now I'm done!  I promise not to keep so much fun to myself for so long again!  I just couldn't find time to get all this together before now. 

Tomorrow, I quilt again! 

---"Love"