Free Motion Quilting Practice

I came across this preprinted panel (actually I have 2 of them - don't ask me why 'cause I don't know) when looking through my fabric cabinet and decided it was time to do something with it. So I sandwiched it with batt and backing and got it quilted. I turned the backing over to the front as self binding. I did add fabric to the top and bottom so that the quilt would be retangular rather than square. I had fun quilting the center with lots of snail shell circles. This is a baby size quilt and will be donated to my quilt guild's baby quilt project.

A Baby Quilt Completed

This little quilt was made from 6 inch fabric squares that I picked up from quilt guild a couple months ago. They were to be used for making a baby quilt for our baby quilt project. I cut the squares in half and stitched them together. I was short on fabric and needed some for one more block. I didn't think 1 odd block would look right so I made 2 different blocks and put them in opposite corners. I used fleece on the back, turned it to the front, stitched it down with a decorative stitch and then trimmed along the stitching. The quilting is a decorative stitch as well. This quilt will be taken to quilt guild and donated for our baby quilt project.

Fleece Bear

At my quilt guild this month, a teddy bear project was announced. We're going to give bears to the police and fire departments who use bears to give to children who are in crisis situations and need a bear to hold and hug. I bought a bear pattern several months ago thinking that I'd use it to make some bears from an old, faded, worn quilt I have but I hadn't yet used the pattern. After hearing of the bear project, I decided to make a bear from some fleece scraps I have left from using fleece to back baby quilts. This bear is about 12" tall, went together easily and looks not only cute but cuddly as well. It will go to quilt guild next month for donation to the bear project. I definitely will use the pattern again!

Finally updating blog

Late July and August I was on vacation with my family and then school started only a couple days after we returned home. I started a new job in a new school. There have been and will continue to be lots of new things to learn. This along with my husband having had 2 surgeries in the past month, has limited my time for quilting and tatting. I did complete a couple of tatted items (a small anniversary heart and a framed tatted motif) but failed to take pictures of them before giving them as gifts. I've also started a Tat Design Course but I'm struggling to keep up with it. I'm learning a lot, though, with each and every lesson.

This week is the deadline for some swap blocks I signed up for. I have completed the 3.5" (3"finished) 9 patches and rail blocks (same size). For each type of block, I've made 10 sets of 10. I'll receive back 100 of each type of block but each little block will be different.

Here are photos of the blocks I've made.

Last angel received

This is the last of my 2009 angels from the angel roundrobin. This was tatted by Maria. It's called Joyce's angel and is a pattern by Martha Ess. It now occurs to me that I didn't make an angel for myself and that often is a part of a roundrobin. So I will give some thought as to what I'll do and get one done. It won't get done and posted until next month as I'm vacationing until August. I promise myself to add another angel to this 2009 roundrobin collection. That will make 6 angels. The next thing will be deciding what to do with them. Frame them? Maybe a mini-quilt ?- 6 angel blocks would be nice. A mobile - only if all the angels were stiffened.

My angel for Eva

In reviewing my angel roundrobin photos, I believe that this angel didn't get posted. I made this angel for Eva. It is a Mark Meyers' pattern and uses #70 thread in varigated pink and also white. The gold is a rayon thread.

Alphabet Swap Block Quilt 1

This little quilt (36" x 42") is made from a set of alphabet swap blocks (from blockswappers). The set of swap blocks included each of the 26 letters and the 4 stars. The colors look a bit faded in this photo. This is a bright, cheery little quilt that will hang in my classroom. I put a hanging sleeve on the back, knowing that I will be hanging this quilt.

I have another set of alphabet blocks from the same swap but I'm still thinking about how I want to put them together.