Christmas Sewing

The Christmas sewing is slowing down now with 7 quilts made for great nieces and nephews and a pillow case for each one. Pillow cases make such nice wrapping. Still have 2 quilts to make for 2 great nieces but they will get them for their birthdays in April.

Granddaughter, Abbi, requested a pillow case with cheetah fabric. I had to add the pink fabric too. The 2 black pillow cases do not have quilts in them. They are the my "Christmas wrapping".

This is Alyssa's quilt who lives in North Carolina. The pink and yellow went well with the Disney pillow my sister made.

Dylan's Quilt with raw edge applique puppy.

One last project....making pajama bottoms for Abbi out of this flannel "I love Grandma" fabric. Our gift exchange isn't until Saturday so I have lots of time...right??

Baby Sister Purse by Kristy Wolf

When our Checker Distributors representative showed us this bag pattern I could not resist making it. It is from Whistlepig Creek Productions called Baby Sister Purse. It also has a zippered wallet/clutch pattern included which I haven't made....yet.

This was a little tough sewing through many layers of fusible fleece so to make this again I would not use the fleece in the outside pockets. I am thinking Deco-bond would work well or a much thinner fleece. I used Pellon 987 (I think that is the number...don't do numbers very well). There is alot of binding on this which really adds to the design but if you are one who doesn't like to do binding, well.....you know.

 

 

Just wanted to share a couple of pics of my granddaughter who is almost 8 years old. She has grown up so much this year.

 

 

Mystery Quilt Top Done

Love the mystery quilt top in the turquoise, lime green and white. Heather Spence is doing another mystery quilt starting in January if anyone is interested in joining her. You can find her on Etsy. I am going pass on that one. Here is the quilt.

Mystery Quilt

 

Here are some more Christmas gift quilt tops for great nieces and nephews.

 

Angelina's Quilt

Harley's Quilt

Dylan's Quilt without appliqued puppy.

Arianna's Quilt without applique.....

Jacob's Quilt

 

Quilt with Ombre fabric

When Quilts at the Marshall House got in a selection of ombre fabrics complete with a downloadable pattern I thought it would make the perfect high school graduation quilt for my nephew. Blue is his color and this quilt has about every shade. The picture is showing the lighter blues almost white in the pic but there is no white at all.

I did the first border in fabric with baseballs and baseball mitts...only one of the sports my nephew plays. The backing is a flannel with browns and creams that go very nicely with the "out of place" inner border. Now just to get it quilted and bound after it spends some time for show at the quilt shop.

Quilt Retreat- Hankerd Inn, Pleasant Lake, Michigan

Along with quilting sisters, Joyce, Judy, Carol, Rita, Carolyn, Fran, and Carolyn I spent 4 wonderful, relaxing days at the Hankerd Inn sewing and sewing. Hankerd Inn is a bed and breakfast inn owner by a quilter who has created accommodations specifically for quilters and scrapbookers. She is just north of Jackson, Michigan in Pleasant Lake situated on a golf course. You can find her online.

I was able to get a very good start on making smaller quilts...just under lapsize...for 6 of my great nieces and nephews and twin size quilts for 2 great nieces for Christmas gifts. The twin size quilts are for a bunkbed...one in purple and the other one in pink. Here is a pic of one of the little quilts for Allysa.

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More pics of the other ones coming soon. Here are some of my friends at the retreat. Our next one is in February.

 

 

A New Addiction

Just because I haven't blogged in quite awhile doesn't necessarily mean I haven't been in the sewing room. The upside of working in a quilt shop is that I see and read many of the newest books. One of the newer books, Pieced Hexagons by Mickey Depre, had been calling my name for about 3 weeks and last Saturday I gave in and purchased it. Oh my goodness, these hexies are so much fun. I like hexagons anyway and English paper piecing and these are the icing on the cake. These are my newest addiction and I am happy.

The designer uses 1 1/2 inch hexagons and shows many patterns and alternative ways to place fabrics. So far I am using 30's fabrics because I love them and have lots of choices.
I have already "incorrectly" sewn my fabrics but it really doesn't matter unless you absolutely have to have your posie a certain way and that would never be me.

Bonnie Hunter's New Book

Bonnie, a self-proclaiming quiltaholic, continues to make amazing scrap quilts and her next book, String Fling, proves it. The quilts in the new book can be seen at her website.

 http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/05/presenting-string-fling.html

Think this is a "gotta have" book.

Hawaiian-style Applique Halloween

This really is the last Halloween quilty thing I am doing for this year. It is Nancy Chong's design using her Hawaiian style of needleturn applique. I didn't follow her directions exactly but love the way it turned out. I only quilting is outlining the applique and haven't decided yet if I will do more McTavish-style to fill in background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowmen???

Since my hubby decided it was cold enough to turn on the heat this morning I thought showing my Itty Bitty Snowmen would be appropriate. These are my latest snowmen measuring 3 x 8 inches. The trio are sewn onto another little quilt as a frame. Pearl Louise Designs has adorable little quilts and whole line of Itty Bitty patterns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Itty Bitty Snowmen

When I was making my Itty Bitty ghosts I couldn't resist making the Itty Bitty snowman and snowlady too. Fun, fast, and easy.

Mystery Quilt Button

Here is the Mystery Quilt Button to look for on Heather Spence Designs Etsy Store. Just click on the button with the $15 price to sign up.

Hope you can join us...

Mystery Quilt

I don't usually do these kind of things but this mystery quilt really caught my eye. It is being done as a fund raiser for a boy who has had a brain tumor removed and now is going though extensive rehab to regain mobility, etc.

***The clues are sent by email every Friday starting next week for 6 weeks. I like that it doesn't drag on for months.
***It doesn't take a ton of fabric so there isn't a huge investment into something you may not like.
***The cost is $15. Would be great to have all of you join us. They are trying for 250 quilters and I think they are up to about 120 so far.

https://www.facebook.com/MysteryQuilt

To sign up click on the My Shop icon which goes to Heather Spence's Etsy Shop. Find the pink flower that says Fall Mystery Quilt 2012 with $15 price. I used paypal....so very convenient. I try to keep about $50 in my account for my misc. small purchases online.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HeatherSpenceDesigns?ref=search_shop_redirect

Heather will email you....this is very well organized.

For experienced quilters (that is not a beginner) you need

• 1 1./2 yard Dark
• 2/3 yard Medium
• 2 1/8 yard Light

Backing -- 4 yards
Binding -- 1/2 yard

I will get backing and binding after quilt is done to know what I want. Heather, the designer and organizer is using red, pink and white.
Amount of fabric needed for beginners is a little different and I didn't write that down but you will get that from Heather in an email.

These are my fabrics:

 

We have been told that the quilt will have a modern feel and I have been admiring all the quilts done with lots of white so this will be my first using solid colors. The white is a Moda muslin and the turquoise and green are mottled. I would have done solids but the shop didn't have the colors I wanted. I am very anxious to start cutting into these luscious colors.

Let me know if you decide to join the group.

Itty Bitty Ghosts and Snowmen

Finally remembered to get pictures of my Itty Bitty Ghosts that are in the quilt shop. Loved doing these. Each individual ghost is 3 x 8 inches and the trio are glued onto a small quilted piece that is also bound. The tiny star buttons were included in the pattern.

More Fall Quilting

Forgot to add my Just Can't Cut It table topper that is on my dining room table. This was done with a line of fabric from last year and of course I can't recall the name. It was quilted on a longarm, free motion.

 

 

Close up of fabric and some of the quilting. Stitch regulators are the bomb.

 

This wallhanging is in the front entry. This was a panel and all I did was add a border and quilted free motion. The yellow background makes it pop and loving the oranges. The quilt in the same line of fabric is on the bench and was made using 2 charm packs and the 10 minute block. 2 borders were added and then machine quilted.

 

 

This was my first official needleturn applique project. I started this at a Pat Sloan workshop using one of her patterns...of course...and her fabrics. This was made at least 4 years ago and I hang it every year.

I'm Still Here...Busier Than Ever

Finally back on and loving fall, my favorite season by far. I went through all my Halloween fabrics and pulled out projects I really, really wanted and put the projects I was so-so about in the pile that will be sold at the Country Store at next year's quilt show. Then I told myself I could work on Halloweeny things until the end of September. This is what I have gotten done.

Here is Happy Jack. He is hanging beside the fireplace. There is another one just like him at the quilt shop selling patterns and kits.

This table runner is made with a panel in the center with a couple added borders. How easy is that? It's all about the fabric.

Another table runner for my coffee table done with a line of fabric designed by Pat Sloan. Love the pop of color of light blue.

 

Here is The Witch Is In wallhanging I gave my daughter-in-law to be for her birthday last Saturday. There is another one at the shop that I will get for my front door one of these days.

Pumpkin little quilt on a frame that sits on a table. Right now it is sitting on a bookcase. These frames are so handy.

 

Still need to get pics of my Itty Bitty ghosts that are hanging at the shop that I also finished. Now I just need to remember to take my camera today. I am teaching the project bag called Classmates by Atkinson Design to 4 students. Fun time today.