Joyce's crafts

TATTED EDGING PINCUSHIONS

2011-11-01T21:20:00.003-04:00

With a love of mini 9 patches and tatting, it was easy to make these little pincushions for my guild's bazaar. Each pincushion is made from a 3" finished 9 patch, the pocket filled with sand and then a tatted edging added all around. Oh, a button added in the center. My friend Jan, who is also a quilter, uses the one I made her as a paperweight at work.

SO - guess these are multi functional!

Stocking Ornaments

2011-11-01T21:16:00.005-04:00

I decided to make some items for my quilt guild's bazaar this year. So I made some little granny square stockings. I made enough to sell but also kept back a few to use as gifts this Christmas season.

Fall Mini Quilt

2011-11-01T20:44:00.003-04:00

For this quilt, I used 3" finished 9 patches and 3" finished rails. I already had the little blocks so the quilt went together quickly. I added a couple borders, quilted it and added binding. With all the orange in it, I decided to make it a true fall quilt by appliquing some pumpkins at the bottom. I used pumpkins cut from a novelty fabric. This has a rod pocket on the back, making it easy to hang. Finished size - 12" x 15".

Lasagna Quilt 2

2011-11-01T20:33:00.002-04:00

Several months ago, we had a lesson on a fast way to make a lasagna quilt. I tried it but I wasn't particularly pleased with the result. It bothered me that the some of the novelty prints I used were upside down. Knowing I wouldn't use the large size quilt, the quilt was cut in two and borders added, making 2 nice size baby/toddler quilts. This is a bit larger than the first one I finished as it has an additional border. This quilt is backed with fleece (light blue) and bound by turning the backing over to the top of the quilt and stitching it down. I like to use a decorative stitch and trim the fabric along the stitch line. This leaves an interesting design along the edge of the quilt and no bulk as it has a raw edge rather than a hemmed edge.

2011-11-01T20:23:00.003-04:00

Lots of pastels baby quilt

I brought this quilt kit home from my quilt guild a couple months ago. The kit included completed quilt top, batting and backing. It's about 40" square finished. I turned the backing over to the top to bind the quilt. I'll be taking this back to guild this month and it will be donated to a local charity. It's not quite to my liking as it has a much puffier batt than I prefer but it will be much appreciated by its future owner. I like the way our guild does this projects. No one has to do all the steps to making a quilt unless they choose to. Some prefer to make only the tops. I like to practice machine quilting on a quilt top.

Fall fabrics mini quilt

2011-07-14T14:29:00.002-04:00

Here's a little quilt I made for a gift. The 9 patches are 3" finished. The quilt is 12" x 15". I put a rod pocket on the back and will include a cafe' rod for the recipient to use to hang this quilt on. Most of the fabrics have a leaf pattern on them.

lasagna quilt

2011-07-14T14:05:00.002-04:00

This nearly became a UFO. My quilt guild had a lesson on making a quilt from 2.5" strips or from a jelly roll (a roll of fabrics which are 2.5" by width of fabric. I thought I'd give this a try but instead of using the number of strips called for, I used some width of fabric strips and some less than width of fabric because I had them in my box of strips. I also thought that I'd start with half of the length called for so I could make a smaller quilt.

The finished quilt top was NOT to my liking at all. The size was okay but I had some places where the same fabric showed up in adjacent rows and the rows went vertically rather than horizontally. NOW WHAT???

After much thought and consideration I decided I couldn't live with so many like fabrics touching one another so I ripped out a couple of seams and move a section or two to the other end of the quilt top. That looked better - but I still had rows going up and down instead of across. So the quilt top was taken to my cutting table and cut in half. Now I had 2 much smaller quilt tops but the rows could go across the quilt. A couple of borders and they'd make nice baby quilts.

This is one of the quilts - FINISHED! The other one is ready to quilt and I'll post the photo when it is done. If I ever want to make another quilt like these, I'll not use the 'jelly roll race' concept when I want a smaller quilt or when using directional fabrics (some of the fabrics aren't facing the direction I'd prefer).

Lesson learned and hopefully one I'll remember: When a project doesn't turn out to your liking, fix it or turn it into something else before you put it on a shelf or in a closet. This saves the project from becoming a UFO.

More baby quilts

2011-07-11T20:13:00.002-04:00

These quilts are also made from kits that I got from my guild. One is squares cut from flannels - mostly sports fabrics.The next quilt is made from a preprinted panel. To get the little pictures to show this way instead of on their side, I cut the panel apart and added sashing and borders. Both of these little quilts have been donated to my quilt guild's baby project.

Quilts for my guild's baby quilts project

2011-07-11T19:59:00.005-04:00

Here is a little quilt made from a kit I brought home from quilt guild. The top was done and the kit also included batting and this printed 'quilt' backing. I put this together (quilting and binding) then took it back to quilt guild. These baby quilts go to a local charity.

Completed NYE Mystery quilt

2011-07-09T10:17:00.007-04:00

It's been WAY too long since I've posted. My blog has taken a back seat to work and family health issues. I will try to catch up on posting my projects completed over recent months.

Let's start with the photo (shown above) of the NYE Mystery quilt I'd posted about but still haven't posted the finished quilt. This measures approx. 36" x 45" and is backed with a bright pink fleece, though not quite as bright as the pink fabric in the quilt. The top and bottom borders are the same yellow novelty print as the center squares on the blocks.

The blue 4 patch is another baby quilt made from novelty prints. This is also 36" x 45" and backed with fleece. It makes very cuddly quilts.

NYE Mystery

2011-01-03T19:13:00.002-05:00

I got the crib size NYE mystery quilt done but I'm still giving thought to borders and then it will need to be quilted. Since this is a baby size, I'll use fleece as the backing. I have some that is just the right shade of pink. This is going to be a pretty little quilt.

2010 NYE Mystery Quilt

2010-12-31T20:08:00.002-05:00

I'll be doing Ann Smith's NYE mystery quilt. These are the selected fabric. We were asked to choose a focus fabric, a "pop" fabric, a medium and a background. I've done several of the NYE mysteries and they're fun to do. I expect this one to be also.

Family handprint quilt

2010-12-31T19:56:00.004-05:00

In November, my family was talking about what to do for my mom for Christmas. My daughter in law made a suggestion of a handprint quilt so when people were together for Thanksgiving, handprints were traced and I began to design a quilt. For this a simple 9 patch would do. Each handprint has on it the name of the person that handprint came from. Here you'll find photos of the quilt and also the center block. The finished quilt is 45" x 60" and there is space enough to add additional handprints.

9 patch and tatting pincushion

2010-12-30T15:01:00.003-05:00

This is the little pincushion I made for Jan. It's made from a 3 inch (finished) 9 patch. The pincusion is filled with sand and I used embroidery floss to attach the button. The floss was taken through a button hole, through the filled pincusion to the back and then brought back to the front of the pincushion, through the other button hole and tied. I then attached a tatted edging which I'd made to fit this project.

Sewing notions

2010-12-30T14:49:00.004-05:00

I made an apron for a mug to be used to put sewing notions in, keeping everything handy and accessible. This one has pockets on the inside and the outside of the mug it covers. I put a couple gadgets in but it will hold lots more. Keeping with the sewing theme, I used a "button" novelty print. This was a gift for my friend, Jan. Now I need to make one for myself. I have a couple other projects to finish first.

2010 Christmas ornaments

2010-11-28T19:19:00.005-05:00

When my husband and I started our family, I began making an annual Christmas ornament for my children. That tradition has continued without exception. Now I'm continuing to make an ornament for not only my children but their spouses and also their children. Sometimes the ornaments are not given until Christmas because I don't have them finished. This year, however, I got the ornaments finished in a timely manner and gave them to the kids and grandkids on Thanksgiving so they'll have them to use during this Christmas season.

I always try to put a name or initials on the ornaments as well as a date. This year I used small beads to indicate the initials of the recepient and also the year (2010). The snowflakes were made for my kids and their spouses and the penguins were made for the grandkids.

The snowflake is made from size 80 thread and the pattern for the 2 color flake by Anne Bruvold. The penguin is made using size 20 thread for the white and 3 strands of floss (I didn't have any #20 black thread) and the pattern by Jane Eborall.

Small Distinctive Doily

2010-10-31T21:24:00.004-04:00

Here is a little doily measuring about 4.5 inches across. It is the tumbler size doily from the Distinctive Luncheon Set in Tatting Doilies & Edgings, edited by Rita Weiss and published by Dover.

This is tatted with Valdani Hand Dyed Variegated denim blues thread. I finished the tatting on this last night and have now started another small doily to go with it. The pattern is different but the thread is the same.

Spencer Doily

2010-10-31T20:45:00.003-04:00

I stated this doily a year or more ago, got tired of working on it and put it aside. When I got it out recently, I realized that by finishing the medallion row which was partially done, I could use it as a finished doily. So I added the rest of the medallions and this is ready to block and frame. It was tatted with YLI thread, varigated beiges. It measures about 8 inches across. I'm thinking it will go well in a set with the small doilies done in the same thread. This doily is the first 8 rows of the Tatted Centerpiece by Mrs. J.C. Spencer. The entire centerpiece has13 rows or rounds. Maybe someday I'll try this again and make the entire centerpiece.

Party Time mini

2010-10-31T20:22:00.002-04:00

This is a variation of the tumbler size doily from Party-Time Doilies, pattern found in Traditional Tatting Patterns edited by Rita Weiss and published by Dover. This little doily was also tatted with the YLI beiges thread and completed last week. It measures 3.5 inches across and will go nicely with the Loop-di-Loop doily when they're both framed in matching frames.

Loop-di-loop doily

2010-10-31T20:04:00.003-04:00

This little doily, tatted this month, is the Loop-di-Loop doily designed by Harmut Haas publised in Old-Time Crhochet, Summer 2002. I tatted it with YLI cotton thread, varigated beiges. The completed doily finished at 4.5 inches diameter, a nice size to frame and hang to display.

Catching Up

2010-10-29T22:12:00.004-04:00

I went through some recent posts and listed pattern source for some tatted items. I'm learning that it's best to record or document the source together with the photo rather than finding the pattern later.

I'm still adding to my blog items that I've completed over the past couple months. One of these items is this baby quilt, made for a cousin's baby. The pattern is a disappearing 4 patch. Once again I used novelty fabrics which I so enjoy doing for baby quilts. This was made from stash and scraps, other than the backing which is fleece. I find that a purchased fleece blanket is less money than buying yardage so I keep several blankets just for this purpose.

Cluny bookmark

2010-10-03T23:08:00.004-04:00

I have completed a cluny bookmark designed by Georgia Seitz. I used #20, color 125 LizBeth thread. This thread is larger than I normally use and it felt akward in my hands especially when doing the clunies. I'll give it a try in a smaller thread sometime. I feel that I still have a long way to go before I'm both comfortable making clunies and getting them to look symmetrical, one to another.

New Quilt Pattern and New Quilt

2010-09-29T20:55:00.007-04:00

Last June I posted my progress on a quilt for my son and his fiance. Now I'll finish that story. The quilt is finished - ALL 1000+ square inches of it, completed with binding and label. Here's what the quilt required:

18 9" Ohio Star blocks

18 9" Indiana Puzzle blocks

49 4.5" Square in a Square blocks

(See photos of these blocks on the June 23, 2010 entry.)

In addition, the quilt required 84 4.5" x 9" diamond blocks like the one shown here. The diamond blocks will go between and surround the Ohio Stars and Indiana Puzzle blocks.

There was also a triple border which was dark brown on each side of the creme white center strip. This quilt top was much bigger than I wanted to try on my home sewing machine so I asked a friend who is in quilt guild with me to quilt it on her long arm machine. Besides, if I had tried quilting it, it would not have been finished in time for the October wedding. As you who are quilters know, once the quilting is finished, the quilt still isn't finished. There is still binding to put on and also a label to attach to the back. So that was my project this past weekend and several evenings as well. It's a long way around a 103" square quilt. (That's what it measured after quilting.) This quilt takes the prize for the largest quilt I've ever made.

Before the last bit of binding could be completed, I needed to print a label so that I could attach it on two sides as I put on the binding. Everyone who has seen this quilt has commented on the circular patterns (the quilters are reminded of the familiar weding ring pattern). So after much thought and study of the various patterns in this quilt, it was given a name - INDIANA AND OHIO RINGS. My kids like the symbolism in this quilt as my son was born in Indiana and his bride in Ohio.

Now, here is the photo of this quilt, designed on EQ5 using the requested colors of: eggplant, pumpkin, cranberry, chocolate and vanilla.

This quilt took me beyond my comfort level in both design and colors used. I don't think I would have chosen to work with all of these colors prior to designing and making this quilt but I'm very glad that I did. It was a joy to work on and I'm very pleased with the end result. I hope this quilt, once given to its new owners, brings much pleasure and enjoyment for years to come.

Tatted Heart

2010-09-29T20:50:00.003-04:00

This little heart was made for the top of a wedding gift. The gift was being mailed and a fancy ribbon and/or bow just wouldn't make it and look nice when it arrived so I tucked in this little heart into the card as an extra little gift for the bride and groom. The beads are a yellow-gold color which was used on the wedding invitations. This pattern is the "Y-Knot Heart" from Hearts belong to Tatting by Karey Solomon.

"Something Old" butterflies

2010-09-29T20:39:00.009-04:00

These butterflies were made to give to 2 brides to be, both of them getting married in Oct. I have made a butterfly for this poem several times and brides think they're pretty special and they have been used on wedding day. The butterflies were tatted with varigated with size 70 or 50 thread. Here's the little poem explanation that accompanied them:

Something Old - the art of tatting
Something New - a butterfly to represent new life with your spouse
Something Borrowed - this is yours only until you pass it along to a special person in your life
Something Blue - the thread from which this butterfly is made

Misc. Bookmarks

2010-09-29T20:35:00.002-04:00

These are misc. bookmarks tatted while I was traveling this summer.

Tatted bookmark

2010-09-29T20:09:00.003-04:00

I have been busy with both tatting and quilting but my blog has not been a priority the past 2 or 3 months. When you read the entries for Sept. 2010, you'll see what I've been so busy doing.

In July, our family had a family reunion. I made a bookmark like this one for each of the 3 members of the planning committee. I failed to get a photo of all of them prior to giving them away. They were all this pattern but were done in different colors. The bookmarks were much appreciated. The pattern for this bookmark is one from Lenore English.

Flower bookmark and Heart bookmark

2010-07-07T10:36:00.007-04:00

I made this flower bookmark for Allie for her July birthday. The pattern is Jane Eborall's Flowery SCMR Bookmark. I used the following threads: Coats & Clark, size 70, color 169 and DMC, size 80, color 701. Even though I've made this before, it still took some attention to the pattern when I started it because it had been awhile since I'd done SCMR's. Once I got the first flower done, it went easily. I liked the way the thread formed yellow and lavender flowers, even though it was all one thread. Sometimes I get lovely surprises that would have been hard to plan for.

The next photo shows the anniversary heart made for my friend Pam. She and her husband are celebrating 45 years of marriage this summer. I knew that 40 years was Ruby and 50 is Golden but I didn't know a color for 45. From the internet I found that 45 was Red Sapphire. Now I had a problem as all I could find out about red sapphire was that it was ruby. So what to do? I chose a red (DMC size 8, color 321 and then planned the placement of 45 seed beads (#408B from Bead Republic ). The heart pattern is "Small Tatted Heart" designed by Betsy Evans (1998 copyright). The chain is composed of split rings followed by a cloverleaf.

As you can see, I've been doing quite a lot of tatting recently. This isn't all but I don't have photos of other items. I'll post them soon.

cross bookmark

2010-07-07T10:23:00.004-04:00

This is a little cross I made for my friend Pam. It's made from a varigated size 80 DMC thread, color 58. The pattern is one designed by Rebecca in 2006. This is an easy pattern to make and I like the little rings at the outside edges.

Buckeye Beauty sets and Wedding Quilt

2010-06-23T16:59:00.011-04:00

I did lots of sewing over the weekend and yesterday. I made 2 groups of 7 buckeye beauty sets. 6 of each group I'll send in for an exchange/swap I'm doing in July. I made an extra set to keep for me. A set is 2 4-patches and 2 half-square triangles. By sending the sets rather than a finished block, each quilter can put the sets together however she wants to. It makes for more flexibility. I'll do 2 more groups making a total of 4 groups of 6 (24 sets) for the swap. The photo shows an example of 2 sets.

In addition to these, I started a queen size (105" x 105") quilt that will be given to my son and his bride for their wedding this fall. So far I have 18 Ohio Star blocks (9" finished), 18 square in square blocks (4.5 finished) and 2 Indiana puzzle blocks (9" finished) completed. I need a total of 18 Indiana puzzle blocks so have a ways to go on completing them but all of the Ohio Star blocks are completed. This quilt needs 49 of the square in square blocks so the 18 I've completed are just a start but they go pretty quickly.

Below are photos of each type of block.

Spool Blocks 2

2010-05-27T20:08:00.003-04:00

The next swap I'm doing is the 2nd of 4 spool block swaps for this calendar year. They're all 6" finished blocks. This set of blocks was to have stripes as the "thread" part of the spool. Here are examples of my blocks which I completed this week. I made 4 sets of 6 blocks plus blocks to keep for me. These are fun blocks to do.

Fall Colors Quilt

2010-05-14T19:37:00.007-04:00

close-up of quilting
This is a baby quilt made from a kit I brought home from quilt guild recently. The kit was a completed top, batting and backing. My task - to do the quilting and add binding. I decided to try some decorative stitching on the seams and also do some free motion quilting in each block. It was fun to do all the quilted leaves in the blocks. I used scrap strips of fabric for the binding. This little quilt will be taken back to quilt guild and donated to a charity as a part of our guild's baby quilt project.

100 mini s done!

2010-05-02T20:04:00.003-04:00

May 15 is the mail date for the next swap I'm doing. I just finished the last of my 100 mini 9 patches today. These are 3.5 inch (3 inch finished) blocks. They are really cute and I've made several quilts from my collection of mini 9 patches. Two were wallhangings and one was a baby quilt. It's fun to have so much variety as the result of doing swaps. I'll send in my 100 blocks (10 of each one pictured) but I'll get back 100 blocks - all different. By swapping blocks, we extend and enlarge our wealth of fabrics as we get back all colors, patterns, and color combinations that would be difficult for any 1 quilter to collect.

I've also been making some extras to use in a craft class I'm teaching. We'll use these for little quilted ornaments. More on that later.

Connected Hearts Bookmarks

2010-05-02T19:46:00.004-04:00

I made these little paper clips last week and gave them to my Bible study group. We were finishing a series of lessons and we were talking about our connection with one another. These little connected hearts (pattern: Hearts Entwined by Ellen Lai, May 2008) were perfect to remind us of our connection with one another and also of our need to be connected to God.
These were made with size 50 thread. Larger thread would have made the hearts larger but I was using up thread already on shuttles. That's what's so nice about these little projects. They're a great way to empty shuttles and make something useful at the same time.

Animal Novelties

2010-03-14T19:00:00.004-04:00

This little quilt was made for my friend Macee who is having a little boy next month. Each of the novelty print centers has one or more animals on it. Each novelty print is the center of a square in square block. Each square in square is then framed with a green or gold border. The backing is fleece, making this a soft, cuddly quilt. Size: 36" x 45".

March Guild Quilt

2010-03-12T19:51:00.004-05:00

I was easily drawn to this little quilt top at quilt guild the first of the month so brought it home to quilt and finish. The photo may not do it justice. The blues and purples are lovely and the light prints have purple flowers on them. I love blues and purples!

I machine quilted this with diagonal lines of stitching and then folded the backing over to the top (self-binding) and stitched it down. This quilt is approx. 36 x 45". I will take it back to quilt guild at our April meeting and then it will be donated to a local charity. So I don't take all of the credit, this quilt top was pieced by someone else in our guild. Right now I don't know who - but I'll have to ask her to stand and be acknowledged when I show the quilt. She's the one who put all the lovely colors together.

Giant Postage Stamp Quilt

2010-03-06T15:14:00.003-05:00

Finding out I had a baby shower coming up soon, I decided to put my giant postage stamp blocks to use. These were 16" blocks (4 of them) that I had from the giant postage stamp round robin I was in last spring and summer. I had made 1 additional block. I put four blocks together, divided the 5th block into 2 halves, stitched them short sides together and stitched the half row onto the bottom of the quilt top. Adding a 2.5" strip on the border, I now had a baby quilt approx. 36" x 45", my favorite baby quilt size. I used a fleece blanket as backing and turned the edges of it over to the top as self-binding.

When one looks closely at the little squares of fabric, there are many novelties fabrics to be found. Here's what went onto my label, in addition to my name, city, state, date and care instructions:

Use your quilt to:
Play a game of “I Spy” and
find a picture.
Find several pictures and
make up a riddle, rhyme or a story.
Snuggle, cuddle or take a nap.
Most of all enjoy it!

February Quilt Guild Project

2010-02-20T17:01:00.003-05:00

At this month's Quilt Guild meeting, I picked up a kit which included quilt top, batting and backing. I have finished this little quilt which will go back to the quilt guild and then be donated to a local charity as part of our guild's ongoing baby quilt project. This little quilt is a large 9 patch, made from 2 different prints. It'll make a great gift for a baby!

Buckeye Beauty block units

2010-02-11T20:14:00.004-05:00

Here are some of the units of the Buckeye Beauty blocks (8") that I made for the block_swappers swap. These blocks were to have fall colors with cream or tan background fabrics. When I get my block units back, it will be fun to play with them and see all the variations that cn be made with these units if 4 patches and hst's (that's half squre triangles).

Small pincushion

2010-02-01T20:43:00.005-05:00

I very much enjoyed making the pincushion for the pincushion swap but I liked it so much, I was reluctant to give it away. Does that ever happen to you? So the solution was to make one for myself. I chose to use the same applique pattern and tatted edging (they went together so well). This time I chose to put a button on as the flower center. In my button collection, I was able to find one about the same shade as the flower fabric. This pincushion is a little smaller than the original one as I only had a strip of muslin that I was working with and I wanted to use it. The strip wasn't as wide as what I used first. Still, the muslin made a nice background for the applique and since I used a double thickness (on both pincushions), I think the muslin will nicely contain the fine sand that it is stuffed/filled with. So - here's MY little pincushion for you to see.

Pincushion with tatted edge

2010-01-25T21:53:00.008-05:00

I'm in a pincushion swap with the Indiana quilters group. After looking at lots of pincushion instructions that are available with an internet search, I decided not to use any of them. Instead I chose to make an appliqued quilt block, stitch it to a backing making a little pillow and then filling it with fine sand. Having done that it seemed appropriate to add a bit of tatting so a found a little butterfly I had with my tatting threads and stitched it onto the pillow. Actually, I added the butterfly prior to making the pillow and adding the sand. Guess I'd better get this in the right order. I found some vintage thread (size 70 tatting cotton) which was a varigated cream, green and pink. This seemed the perfect color combination to frame my little pincushion so I tatted the narrow edging and stitched it to the pincushion. This stitching of the edging was done last, after everything else was completed. The pincushion is approx. 4.5" square and the sand fills it nicely when it's laying flat, particularly if one pushes a bit on the center to push the sand into the corners. Using a small funnel to put the sand in worked nicely. I was able to do it with little mess and no help. While I stitched closed the opening through which I poured the sand, I sat the pincushion in a bowl to keep it upright. I didn't want it falling over and spilling sand everywhere. The pattern for the applique can be found on the Sentimental Stitches website. It's one of the midget blocks - #87, tempting tulip. Here's the link for the pattern:

http://sentimentalstitches.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/midget-blocks-87.pdf

Now that I've completed this little pincushion, I want one for myself! Guess I'll be doing some more applique, something I'm learning to do. This little project was great practice.

For those interested, I don't know how many cups of sand I used as I didn't measure it but my husband and I weighed the finished pincushion and it was approximately 14 ounces. Most of the weight is sand so 1 pound of sand should be plenty. Wait until spring to get the sand and buy playsand. It's much cheaper than buying sand by the pound in a craft store. You'll have lots to share with a child if you buy a bag. A couple years ago, my husband and I were looking for sand to put in pincushions I was making and asked if we could have some from a broken bag that was spilling its contents. We got much more than I needed for little to no cost.

Floral block #3

2010-01-24T16:05:00.003-05:00

Magic Cross, one of the many patterns on Quilter's Cache, is my 3rd floral block for the floral swap. This is a 12" block as are the other 2 sets I've done for this swap. All the fabric is cut for the Magic Cross blocks but I have some sewing to do yet. I should, though, have the blocks ready to mail to the swap hostess by mid-week. I hope to get the sewing finished today. It will be lots of fun to see all the different prints and patterns in the blocks I get back in February.

Starlit Pathways finished!

2010-01-21T19:30:00.007-05:00

This is a UFO (unfinished object) from a no-mail round robin. The directions were given in 6 installations, the first being a 6" square of fabric. Each succeeding installation gave instructions for the next round or border. This was a lesson in color as we were to select colors that would go with those in our center. I was using fabric from what I had on hand (stash) rather than purchasing the yardage I'd need for the whole quilt so I found that I had to use different yellows, different greens and 2 different florals plus an additional floral for the backing and binding. I think that the color variations add interest to this quilt.

Oh, this is the first quilt that I've made that has lots of yellow in it. That was also a new venture into color for me.

This was a UFO because I put off quilting it. I didn't want to mess it up! I did some straight row quilting but lots of free motion quilting in this quilt. On this page there is a close-up photo to show the quilting. Now that I've finished this quilt (approx. 46 x 58") I hope to complete several more UFO's.

Quilt Guild Project

2010-01-21T19:18:00.003-05:00

This little "Frolicking puppies" baby quilt was completed this week. I brought home the "kit" from quilt guild early this month. The "kit" was fabric for the top and back and also batting. The fabric for the top was a printed panel. I sandwiched the pieces and then quilted this using a straight line of stitching above and below the borders between the rows of puppies. On each row, I used meandering lies of quilting. This little quilt will go back to quilt guild to be donated to a local charity as part of our guild's baby quilt project.

This was a fun, quick little quilt to complete and finish. It was a great practice piece for free motion quilting and I got to use up some 2.5" strips for the binding. I just picked out a few that would go with the blues and greens in the quilt.

Batik Baby Quilt

2009-12-27T19:34:00.006-05:00

This is a photo of the baby quilt I just finished. The blocks feature novelty prints surrounded by batik fabrics. I backed this with a piece of fleece, turned the fleece to the front of the quilt and stitched it with a decorative stitch prior to trimming the fleece. I quilted these with free motion quilting. The size is approximately 36" x 45".

My 2nd floral block

2009-12-27T19:26:00.005-05:00

This is the second of my set of blocks for the 12" floral block swap that I'm in. The green was a fat quarter and I got 2 blocks out of it. The floral is a scrap from a bigger quilt that I made. The block is called Pennsylvania. The blocks are due in February. I have 2 of these but still need to do the other 4 to make up my set of 6 plus 1 for me.

Christmas ornaments 2009

2009-12-23T14:30:00.005-05:00

It's been tradition since my children were little to give Christmas ornaments to the kids. Sometimes these were purchased but most of the time it was something that I made. By the time my boys were grown, they were able to leave home with a boxful of ornaments which held special meaning and childhood memories. The tradition continues as I continue to give to my children, and now to the grandchildren, a new ornament annually. This year I made fabric stars. I stitched a Christmas button to the center of each one, front and back.

New bags made

2009-12-23T14:21:00.002-05:00

Here are two bags that I made as Christmas gifts. They're made from 2 kitchen towels each. The outside has 2 large pockets front and back. The bag is very roomy but has no pockets inside so I made for each one, a purse organizer with a pocket size tissue holder and a fabric covered 3 x 5" notebook. There are 4 more pockets to hold additional items. I love having a purse organizer in my purse. Since I've been using one, I no longer have to dig to the bottom of my purse in search of something. I can find it in a pocket instead. This makes 3 of these bags that I've made but none for me so I think the next one may be for me.

floral swap

2009-12-04T22:33:00.004-05:00

I've signed up for a floral block swap on the blockswappers yahoo group. I'll be making 2 different kinds of blocks. This is the first one, a churn dash block. I've made 6 identical to this one. I'll send the 6 blocks to the hostess for this swap and will receive in return 6 different blocks made by other quilters. This block I'll keep for me as it was made in addition to the 6 swap blocks. This is a 12" block (finished). The blocks are due 2/15/2010 so it's nice to have one set done early. I expect to receive my swap blocks back by early March. It's always fun to see all the lovely blocks with so many different fabrics in them.

Hand towel handbag

2009-12-04T22:23:00.004-05:00

Hanging from the knobs on my cabinet doors is the little handbag that I made for my friend Jan's birthday. This is made from purchased purse handles and 2 kitchen towels. There are 4 large pockets on the outside (2 on the front and 2 on the back of the bag). The buttons are decorative only and help hold the little pleats at the top of each pocket. This is a very roomy handbag. It'll be great as a purse or as a bag to hold a craft project. It was quick and easy to do. A great little gift. I think I'll make a few more.

Quilts for Twins

2009-11-18T22:04:00.005-05:00

I recently found out that a family member had twins - a boy and a girl. I'd been planning to make baby quilts for the babies but the parents didn't want to know what the babies would be before the birth so I waited until they were born to plan my quilts. I had the red double 4-patch novelty already done waiting to be used as a gift. Thinking that it would be appropriate for a boy, I pulled out my novelties, chose some and purchased a few more girl prints and set out to make another double 4-patch , this time with pinks. I think the two will fit the twins perfectly. Both quilts are backed with fleece, very nice and cuddly for the coming winter months.

Free Motion Quilting Practice

2009-10-17T21:11:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-16T11:50:00.004-04:00

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

2009-10-16T11:35:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-10T21:54:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-20T22:31:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-20T22:26:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-15T10:22:00.002-04:00

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.

Machine Quilting Practice

2009-07-15T10:13:00.004-04:00

This was a pre-printed panel. I put it together with batting and backing and machine quilted it. This was good practice for me and I have a little quilt that I can put up for a future gift. This little quilt is 34" x 40", just a little smaller than I usually make baby quilts.

2009-06-29T19:42:00.002-04:00

The first photo is block 6 of the ugly fabric challenge. It's a corn and beans block. The next photo shows the first 6 blocks of this challenge. The blocks are 12" finished. The challenge is scheduled to last 9 months so it will last 3 more installments. This is a little quilt that I'm enjoying doing. I've been doing 1 block each month, but there are 2 per month to choose from. When all the blocks are posted, I will probably go back and choose some additional blocks to make a quilt that is 3 x 4 blocks. Right now, I'm hoping that my finished quilt will have alternating aqua and white blocks. We'll see what happens as the challenge continues.

Ugly Fabric Challenge

2009-06-29T19:30:00.003-04:00

This is block 5 of the Ugly Fabric Challenge/Sunshine Challenge. It is an Illinois block.

My 5th angel

2009-05-19T18:17:00.004-04:00

Here's the angel I made for Meme. It is made from size 20 crochet cotton. The pattern is "Hazel's Angel" by Mark Myers.

Angel received

2009-05-19T18:14:00.004-04:00

This lovely angel was sent to me by Aileen. The angel roundrobin will soon be coming to an end as there is only one more angel left. What a nice collection of angels these will be.

Sunshine Sampler

2009-05-02T15:40:00.003-04:00

Sunshine Sampler is the Ugly Fabric Challenge that I'm doing. This is block 4. The light floral is my ugly fabric. It isn't so ugly when put with other fabrics.

Angel from Dyan

2009-04-28T18:47:00.003-04:00

This is the angel that I received this week, tatted by Dyan. Aren't the colors in the thread lovely? This is my 3rd angel, received from the 2009 angel roundrobin.

birthday bookmark

2009-04-28T18:35:00.003-04:00

I just completed this bookmark for a friend's birthday. It is tatted from size 70 tatting cotton. The pattern is in Simple Angel Lesson Series by Sabina Carden-Madden. I've made this bookmark a couple times before but in a larger thread. Using the size 70 was a bit more challenging. This measured appoximately 1" x 6". Clicking on the photo will produce a larger image and allow you to get a closer more detailed view.

Another angel

2009-04-25T13:46:00.004-04:00

You're viewing a photo of the angel I made for Eva in the angel roundrobin I'm in. The pattern is: Christina's Angel, designed by Mark Meyers. It is tatted with DMC #70 thread, colors #48 and #818, white and also a metallic looking silk thread I had. This lovely little angel is approximately 3" high. I'll be mailing it to Eva sometime this week.

Bedazzled 5

2009-04-11T19:19:00.004-04:00

Guess I'm catching up on some posting today. The angels posted today are items I've had for a couple weeks but hadn't taken time to photograph them. Today I completed border 5 on the Bedazzled Quilt I'm doing. At this point the quilt is 48" square. The next border will be published on Claudia's Quilt Shoppe website in May.

I don't think I want a square guilt any bigger than this so will think about adding to 2 sides only for a retangular quilt. We'll see. It will depend on what the next border is.

Angel from Eva

2009-04-11T19:15:00.001-04:00

I recently received this angel from Eva. It is the Dimpled Ring Angel written by Lenora English. This is a lovely little angel.

Dyan's angel

2009-04-11T19:06:00.003-04:00

Dyan's angel is on its way to her. I tatted this using thread called Wildflowers by Caron. The pattern is one written by Becky Dempsey and is called Spring Angel. This is a tatted angel pattern that shows an angel who appears to be flying or hovering.

Sunshine Sampler Block 3

2009-04-04T15:57:00.004-04:00

This is block 3 of the sunshine sampler (ugly fabric) challenge. The block is called Baby FourPatch.

1st angel received

2009-04-04T15:50:00.005-04:00

Here is the lovely angel that I received from Meme in the angel roundrobin. This angel has both tatting and hairpin lace. The hairpin lace skirt is done with thread but the tatting is done with narrow ribbon. How unique!

angel 2

2009-03-28T10:17:00.004-04:00

Here's the angel that has been sent to Aileen.

I used vintage thread: Clark's ONT Brilliant.

The pattern is: Dimpled Ring Angel by Lenore English.

Split 9 patch quilt

2009-03-24T11:56:00.004-04:00

I finished my split 9 patch quilt this morning. I used two fabrics on the back and used scraps from those for the binding. I used two different colors of thread for the quilting - white on the white areas and green on the colored areas. By doing this the thread isn't a stark contrast against the quilt. A varigated thread might have done the same thing but I chose to use what I had rather than go buy some. Many of the blocks in this quilt were from a swap I did a couple years ago so it's nice to get this quilt finished. Size: 54 x 72"

This is the largest quilt I've done on my sewing machine. It was a challenge at first but it got easier as I went.

2009 Angel Roundrobin

2009-03-15T21:47:00.003-04:00

This is my first angel for the 2009 angel roundrobin. This is a pattern called Marjorie's Angel by Martha Ess. This angel will go to Maria. It is made from size 30 thread and is about 3 inches tall.

Bedazzled - border 4

2009-03-15T16:42:00.002-04:00

Here is my Bedazzled quilt top with border 4 added. This is a BOM from Claudia's quilt shoppe. Usually BOM stands for Block of the Month but for this quilt it is Border of the Month as each month Claudia is adding a new border. Currently this quilt is approx. 40" square.

GPS - Joni's blocks

2009-03-08T18:40:00.003-04:00

Joni sent me 2 4 patches for the Giant Postage Stamp roundrobin. Here are her blocks after I added squares all around her 4 patches. They'll be sent on someone else to add to.

Another quilt from mini 9 patches

2009-03-08T18:31:00.003-04:00

I just completed the qulting and binding of this quilt last night. This is a baby quilt (36" x 45"). I tried something new (to me anyway) for the border. I used my machine to embroider the info on my binding prior to applying the binding to the quilt. The label info shows along one side of the quilt on the back of the quilt but it is on the binding rather than a separate label. The nice thing about that is not having to hand stitch on a or 2 sides of the label.

Sunshine - Ugly Fabric Challenge

2009-03-08T18:14:00.003-04:00

Here's a photo of my 2nd block for the Sunshine Sampler - also known as the ugly fabric challenge. As I've thought about it, the print that I'm using with the agua/green and black and gold on it is a piece that was in with fabrics and quilt blocks that I got from my grandmother. It is nice to get it used and I'm enjoying the challenge.

Heart blocks received

2009-03-08T18:08:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I received a packet of heart blocks from the heart block swap I did. Here's a photo of them. I still want to give more thought as to how to set them into a quilt. I made 4 of the ones I sent in for the swap and received 16 swapped blocks so I have 20 blocks. These will be put aside for awhile as I have several projects that I need to get finished this month.

Novelty Pinwheels

2009-02-28T16:23:00.002-05:00

This is a little baby quilt I just finished. It is made from half-square triangles (waste triangles) left over from another novelty quilt I made. I'm practicing my free motion quilting. It needs some improvement as I don't have a consistent amount of quilting in the entire quilt but when it's being used, I don't think the baby will notice or mind at all. I used fleece on the back turning it over to the front as self binding.

A New Round Robin

2009-02-23T18:08:00.003-05:00

I started a new round robin this week - but failed to take photos before my blocks were mailed off. This round robin is a Giant Postage Stamp block. Each person begins with 2.5" squares and makes a 4 patch block. Three people will add 2.5" squares to what they receive and then the completed 16.5" blocks will be sent back to their owner. I'll have my completed blocks back in June as we're taking approximately one month for people to do their rounds. It will be fun to see the blocks when I get them back. Chances are most of the fabrics used will be ones that I don't have, making for lots of variety.

Ugly Fabric Challenge Block

2009-02-12T21:59:00.005-05:00

Here is Block 1 of the Ugly Fabric Challenge. This challenge is called Sunshine Sampler as quilters are encouraged to use yellow or orange along with their ugly fabric. I have less than 1 yard of this fabric, so it will be an accent rather than a focus fabric in the blocks. This fabric has a green/gold in it so it could count as my yellow but I may also use a yellow or gold in some blocks or in sashing on the quilt. This will be a 9 block quilt, directions for each block being given on a monthly basis like a Block of the Month. Blocks are 12" finished.

Ugly Fabric Challenge

2009-02-12T19:19:00.010-05:00

Stashbuster has started an ugly fabric challenge. What constitutes an ugly fabric? Perhaps something you don't like or something that is hard to work with due to its pattern or color. I found two in my cabinet that probably fit this category. One is a teal, black and white which I don't perceive as ugly but is difficult to work with because of its diagonal design. The other is a tan small print that I've never cared much for. Both of these fabrics were given to me. I guess I have hung onto them in hopes that I could use them someday. Is that someday here? Maybe. I can't see myself using the diagonal print in a quilt top but it may work as a backing. Now to see what will work with the small leafy print. I found a black floral and some teal which matches the little teal splotches in the print. These have some potential.

Bedazzled

2009-02-07T14:10:00.006-05:00

I've been doing a BOM Mystery from Claudia's Quilt Shop. Instead of a Block of the Month - this is a Border of the Month. Each month a new border is added. The pattern for February is Border 3. Currently the quilt is approx. 32" square. Right now I'm thinking that with its primary colors, it has lots potential as a baby quilt but Claudia's pattern when completed will be 64" - way too big for a baby quilt. I'll see what the border is next month and decide whether or not to continue or stop and finish this quilt for a baby. If I don't continue with this, I'll have to start another one as I really like this pattern and the way it is quickly going together.

More heart blocks

2009-02-07T14:05:00.003-05:00

Here are 2 more heart blocks for the heart block swap I'm doing on BlockSwappers. My four sets of heart blocks will be put in the mail the first of the week and then by the end of the month, I'll have 24 blocks sent back to me. It will be fun to see who they are from and what colors and fabrics there are.

It Comes From Within

2009-01-31T18:55:00.005-05:00

"It Comes From Within " is a quilt which was offerered in 2008 as a no mail round robin on the quiltsbykos yahoo group. I was quick to get the top finished but then it sat on a shelf in my sewing room. I decided to get it finished so that it would no longer be a UFO (unfinished object). Having a day off work this week due to a snowstorm (we got nearly 13 inches of snow!) gave me some extra time to work on it. I was able to finish it today. This wallhanging is 34" square and will be one of several that I can alternately put above my fireplace. The center square was a block that I had, made by my paternal grandmother. She was a quilter and probably the reason I'm a quilter today. Quilting is part of my heritage. That makes the title of this little quilt especially meaningful.

9 patch hearts

2009-01-27T22:37:00.003-05:00

I've signed up for a 9 patch heart swap. I have made two sets of hearts. Here are two heart blocks. This will be the piecing project I complete next as the blocks are due in February. They are 7.5" (7"finished) blocks and go together quickly.

The top edges of the blocks don't show up as they are white on white and are against white flannel on the wall in my sewing room. Still, you get the idea of the heart.

9 patch mini quilt completed

2009-01-27T22:24:00.005-05:00

Well! I did it. I finished this little quilt before the end of the month! It is all machine done. I used the backing as self-binding by turning it over to the front of the quilt. It is labeled and has a rod pocket attached so it is ready for hanging.

mini blocks mini quilt

2009-01-20T22:08:00.005-05:00

Today I went to my box of mini 9 patches collected from previous swaps and pulled out some reds. I then took some half square triangles from my leader/ender basket and the result is this cute little mini quilt that measures approx. 15 x 18 with the added border. I plan to get this quilted by the end of the month. If the quilting goes as quickly as the piecing of this little quilt did, it won't be a problem.

Mini 9 patches

2009-01-20T21:59:00.005-05:00

These are some of the mini 9 patch blocks I've been working on for a swap. These little cuties are 3.5 inches and finish as 3" blocks in a quilt. I really like these and enjoy making them. They're really easy when one starts with 1.5" strips. This swap is scheduled for March so I'm finished with my blocks early.

My focus so far this year (2009) has been to complete items for swaps I've signed up for. I've completed all my brown and pink blocks, the mini 9 patches and the F alphabet blocks. I still have about 20 B alphabet blocks to complete.

Another brown and pink block set

2009-01-20T21:54:00.002-05:00

This is a sample of my second set of pink and brown 6" blocks. This block is called thrifty. This swap doesn't occur until June so I have lots of time to think about how I will use the blocks. I'll have 24 as the result of this swap.

Brown and Pink Swap

2009-01-02T22:12:00.003-05:00

I just signed up for a 12 person swap. This swap will be 6" blocks made with brown and pink. Each person will be doing a different block pattern. My block is a 9 patch variation. I've made only one of these so far. I wanted to see what it would look like. I tried a pale pink but changed to this pink so that there would be contrast between the pink and white. This pink reminds me of cherry ice cream.

Quilt Block Swaps

2009-01-02T21:59:00.002-05:00

I've been working on B and F blocks for the alphabet block swap I'm in. These are paper pieced. Though the color may not show it the B has butterfly fabric with a soft print behind it. The F's have frogs or flowers. I'll be making 28 of each letter and then will receive in return one block for each letter of the alphabet. What a fun alphabet quilt these will make. It'll be fun just seeing all the blocks together, made by different quilters. I'll be using several different fabric combinations as I'm using fabric that I already have and I don't have large amounts of my novelty fabrics. I'm finding that I can get 5 or 6 out of 2 fat quarters. The F is very easy to do, the B more challenging as it requires the pattern to be cut into 2 pieces and then the pieces are stitched together to make the B.

Christmas Tree Skirt

2009-01-02T21:52:00.002-05:00

This is the tree skirt that I made for Scott and Millie. It is reversible, patchwork on one side and snowmen on the other. The snowmen side was a printed panel - actually each panel was only 1/2 of the tree skirt so this is a nice size. There are pockets on the snowmen side, a place to hide a special little gift or a fun place to put any small gift. They had been wanting a tree skirt and were very pleased with this gift.

2008 beaded ornament

2008-12-08T21:47:00.004-05:00

I've been doing some tatting with beads. I've made several of these snowflakes and have at least 1 more to do before Christmas. It's an easy pattern. It takes awhile to load all the beads onto the thread. Even at that, it makes a great project to do while watching an NFL game. These little flakes are getting easier and quicker to do the more I do them.

Small quilted ornamets

2008-12-08T21:43:00.003-05:00

Here are two little ornaments that I made for this Christmas. These will go to my grandchildren.

A gift of Tatted Ornaments

2008-12-08T21:18:00.003-05:00

I knew that I hadn't posted for awhile but was a bit surprised that my last post was September. I've been working on projects but obviously with no finishes. I hope to remedy that in the next couple months. I hope to post several photos in the next few weeks.

Here are some tatted ornaments that I already had made. I stiffened them and am giving to my friend Jan for part of her birthday gift. I taught her to tat so I know she'll appreciate them.

Star Tablerunner

2008-09-27T11:20:00.006-04:00

I made this little tablerunner last January and then it sat on a shelf. Not wanting it to become a UFO, I got it out this week, added a backing and got it quilted. I used fall color fabrics on the back so now I have not just 1 tablerunner but 2: 1 star tablerunner and 1 fall tablerunner. It will be fun to use each one. The bonus is that I only have one tablerunner to put away and store.

Another baby quilt

2008-09-16T22:21:00.003-04:00

While looking through a quilt magazine, I saw a double 4 patch quilt that I really liked. I knew that I had a lot of 4 patches already made so I decided to see how many I had that could be used for a small quilt. I had enough without making more so I gave thought to using novelty fabrics. When I went to the cabinet to look for novelties, I found that I had 6 1/2" pieces already cut. Now all I needed was some red/brown squares. This was a quick cutting job and I was ready to begin piecing. This would be another baby size quilt with fleece backing. I once again used the scallop edging on the fold over binding. This just became my favorite way to finish a baby quilt.

This quilt finishes at 36" x 42".