quilt festival

It's quilt festival time!

Time to figure out.....what quilt should I share???

Here's one of my favorites from this year.

A quilt that came together with some orphan blocks (the trees)

and an idea.

My idea was to make some houses....

a school house...flag...

but best of all....

a BUS!!!

That bus was so fun and challenging to create.

The bus was added because this quilt is for

a special teacher.

A special Education teacher.

Busses are a big part of special education at my daughter's school.

The busses all line up every morning and every afternoon....

The children walk and wheel along together to the bus area.

It's kind of a social event.

I really enjoyed making this one.


The best part, though,...
was giving it away!!!

I thought the teacher would take it home....
hang in on a sofa....
hang it on a wall....
fold it and look at it once in a while....
who knows?

This special teacher actually hung it in her classroom...
Wow!!!
That put a SMILE on MY face. :)

christmas quilt

One Christmas quilt top done.

Done. done. done.

I DO need to quilt it.

So technically it's not...

done. done. done.

I blogged about making the trees here.

As usual, I get excited about the top being complete

and I want to share it right away!!

DO you do that too??

This one uses a lot of scraps.

Most of the Christmas fabrics in my stash came from my

"quilt Mom", Gerda.

The scraps are kind of "dated", but the little scraps look great

when you update them with something

comtemporary like that black.

Don't you think?

simple gifts.

Simple gifts.

Scrappy love.

Homemade happiness.

Practical present.

How to here.

snickerdoodles.

It's a baking cookies kind of day here.

Snickerdoodles never fail to satisfy my craving for cookies.

RECIPE

1/2 C. butter

1/2 C. Crisco

1 1/2 C. sugar

2 eggs.

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix.

This is my favorite part of baking.

Using a recipe written by someone else!!

In their own handwriting!

This one was given to me by a Young Friend.

So SWEET.

These handwritten recipes never fail to

put those special people in my mind.

Add.

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 2/3 C. Flour

You're supposed to sift these dry ingredients

together first.....

but I never do.

It turns out just fine.

When the cookie dough is ready.

You've got to taste it.....don't you?

YES.

mmmmm.....

Here's the fun part.

Mix 2 T. sugar and 1 t. cinnamon

Roll the little cookie balls in there.

Lick your fingers, of course.

Bake at 375 degrees

for 8 - 10 minutes.

Be careful.

Don't eat them all.

proof

As I was digging in an old sewing box today

I unearthed the proof.

I've always loved fabric.

fiber.

needles.

thread.

yarn.

The first sample is maybe 20 years old.

Little. Only 8" x 3".

Those houses are a classic,

Huh?

This one's even older.

30 years??

There I was in high school......

doodling with fabric,

yarn and thread.

Memories......
Can you hear Barbara Streisand singing in the background???

friday finish

You can't tell in the picture....

but it's not quite done.

I just need to hand stitch the binding down on the back.

It's the perfect activity for today...since I have a friend visiting.

You know.

Talking.

Sewing.

Talking.

Sewing.

The two things I love to do!!!

I love these table runners so much.
I may even make one for me!!!

I wondered what to use for the binding,
and let me tell you!!!
I found the perfect scrap!!!
I sure wish you could come over to my house and
get a good look and feel!!!
It a curious, old, cotton that has a little bit of
shine on one side.
Does anyone know what that old vintage shiny
cotton is called???
I had just enough for both table runners.
And
I think
It's the perfect color!!


You can see I machine quilted a few lines
and also
hand quilted a few lines with embroidery floss.



I'm so happy with these two little gifts.
A great way to end the week.

I'll add this to Amy's sew and tell...
then...
I'm going to clean up.
I won't be able to sew and talk if my house is a mess!

hostess gifts

My husband and I were given hospitality last week

on our trip.

A couple of wonderful meals and

great fellowship with friends.

A thank you note would be sufficient....

But a quilted gift is lots more fun!!!!

Twin table runners.
14" x 30"
For two sets of great hosts and hostesses!!!



You can see I used lots of white scraps for the background.
I really like that part!!!!

My simple shapes were ironed on using steam a seam and
a simple zigzag stitch around each one.
Good thing I had some matching thread!!!
The long vine is cut 1" wide, machine basted in thirds
and then stitched down.
After zigzagging it down I took the basting stitch out.
Super simple!!


I machine quilted a few lines to help stabilize
and make my handwork easier...
The hand quilting NOW begins!!!!

easy trees.

Since I already had the tree pieces leftover from

last year, these were a cinch to make.

I DID need a piece of fabric

BIG enough to fill in the background.

Oh good.

I had it!!!!

That's what a stash is for.

When the inspiration comes...

I'm ready!!!

I began with a square piece of newspaper that I thought would

be big enough. I didn't measure...but I tried to make sure it's square.

That'll make it easier to put the quilt together...

don't ya think??

Ya.

Drew some lines.

Figured out how long I wanted that tree trunk.


Figured out about how big that triangle is.
Then all I had to do was use this as my pattern.

As I added pieces I tried to fudge and make the blocks
a little bit bigger than my paper pattern.
I did not stress about it being perfectly square.
I will just have to square the blocks UP...I mean DOWN... when I'm done!

Super simple.
Not complicated at all.


Now....I've got to think!
Should I use black in those outside corners???

Hmm.....

cool air

There's a chill in the air today at my house

so I went digging through my Christmas fabrics.

What did I find??....

Leftovers from my projects last year.

Lots of orphan pieces from my little

hexagon table toppers here and here.

You can see I'd even pieced some together to

MAKE a little piece of the hexagon pie...thinking....

maybe....

someday....

I'd be able to figure out a way to use them.

I do like thinking about what to do with leftovers.

Crazy. I know.

I figured something out!!

Yeah!

And I think I have enough little pie pieces to make
a quilt.

If I don't.....

That problem is EASILY solved!

tried and true

I made a quilt using this same pattern last year

and last week I was told again how much the quilt was

appreciated.

Well.....
I decided that would be my pattern this week!!

I had been struggling with what to do with this

novelty fabric.

I had only 1/2 yard I wanted to use

but just couldn't decide how to use it

in a quilt!!

After that sweet comment I knew I'd use the same pattern

and it actually worked out perfectly!!

I have only a couple of little scraps left!!

I cut twelve 5" squares

and had a piece left over for the middle of the backing.

The rest of the fabric are just pieces that went along with

the novelty children's fabric

and, of course, the white.

This one measures 42"x42"

I made the quilt exactly the same.

No thinking required.

Just what I needed.

That last piece of novelty fabric was a little too short

so I added the white piece for the label.

I plan to give the new Mommy a pen to fill
in the important baby details on that label.

Baby quilts are
fun.

quick.
satisfying.

and cute.

Who could ask for more?

I'm adding this to Amy's sew and tell....

just in the nick of time!!!

while I was gone.

While I was away

I received some mail.

Lovely mail.

Quilt mail.

The best kind.
My pile of bee blocks is growing...

and I'm getting excited!!!

Can't wait until they're all in and I can begin the

putting together process!!

I've also REALLY enjoyed seeing the little scraps

that my bee friends have been including in the blocks.

Thank you.

Those little triangles mean a lot! ;)

While I was away

I made ONE of these.

Only one!!!!

Guess that traveling and quilting do not go together very well.

At least not for me.

But LOOK at what I found during my trip!!

Amazing!

A centuries old pattern that is probably one of the

older examples of my quilt design!

Who knows?

Maybe it's THE oldest one???
I found this mosaic at the Israel Museum in

Jerusalem.

While I was away

I got to meet one of my blog friends, Miri.

Quilters are the best!!
Right?

Right.

flyfoot block

Frieda from the Nittany block party requested

a 12 1/2" unfinished block....any block.

I found this block pattern in an old

Georgia Bonesteel book.
I figured out how big those half square triangles needed to be...

(my half square triangles are 3 1/2" square)

and then began arranging!!

Isn't this an interesting pattern??

Frieda sent some very nice Christmas fabric.

She's thinking ahead!!!

I kind of liked it...

so....

I made one for me too!!

The beginning of another project!

Then I got busy getting my little travel bag ready.

120 petals...or so....



Cut from some fabric that I hope kind of goes with
the quilt I began last year!
Sometimes quilts take a l-o-n-g time.




I need 49 of these blocks.
UUggghhhh.
really?
Did I know that when I began?
Well....sort of.


I do know it's the perfect project for travel.
And I'm traveling!!!


This corner of blogland will probably be quiet this week.
Unless I figure out how to access computers where I'm going.
I'll miss you while I'm gone.
Thank you for leaving me such sweet comments.
I look forward to every one of them.
You are the best cheering section I know of!


You're all so inspiring and supportive!!!


I do enjoy writing about what I'm up to...
and I'm usually thinking about you as I sew.
Sometimes...even when I'm cooking!
I guess you could say....I'm never lonely.
;)
Well....

I'm off....on an adventure...with my husband....to
far away Israel!!


I wonder how many blocks I'll be able to finish while I'm gone?
Will there be a Joseph's Coat quilt in the year 2010?
Let's not hold our breath!!!

Monday

I finished putting some scraps together today

for this little quilt top.

This one measures only 35"x36",

but I began with only four little scraps of fabric

measuring Maybe 5"x 10" each.

I haven't yet decided if this will stay like it is

or if I'll let it grow.

Hmmmm......

I am satisfied that I got this far.

I think I'll fold it up or hang it up somewhere

and enjoy thinking about the possibilities!!!

This is how I often make scrappy quilts.

I first make the scrappy blocks

and eyeball the sizes as I go.

Then I lay them out and sew them in rows,

putting "like-width-sized" blocks in a row.

You can see my rows are all different widths.

Of course, I have to adjust some blocks by

adding and taking away fabric.
But I love it!!

Then....

I measure the lengths.

In this case, I barely had to add anything to

any of the rows.

They were all about the same length!!!

I was amazed.

Guess these fabrics just wanted to be

together.

They sure seemed to fit together

perfectly!!!!

Here's a close-up of my favorite little scrap.

This one measures only 3"x3".

Small but mighty.

It led me down a road that

got me to this quilt!!!

yum.

First, I did what I had to do.

That is....bake a cake for a neighbor in need.

I knew a whole cake was probably going to be too big,

and I Selfishly wanted some too.
You can't really give someone a cake with a piece or pieces taken out

can You????

So I bought another bundt pan and

experimented.

I DO like to DO THAT!!

Instead of one cake.

I made two...but I didn't double the recipe!

It worked!

I now have two little cakes

that still look cute.

A little short....but cute.

Thanks to Barb for posting the recipe.

and thanks to my nose for figuring out

WHEN to get them out of the oven.
They didn't need to be in there for a whole hour

when they're this little!!!

After doing what I had to do.

I did what I'd been really wanting to do.

This is my stack of projects.

Yes.

I have a few going at one time.

I have what I call

"quilting A.D.D."

A wonderful thing to have, by the way! ;)

These baskets help keep everything together.

I got to play with some scraps.


Now I have a pile of blocks.



Highlighting that old.
vintage.
goodness.