Inspired by Contest

I entered this little mini quilt

into this year's

QUILT ALLIANCE contest.

The theme was

"INspired BY"

 

Can anyone guess the quilt pattern that inspired me????

The FAN block.

Fan shapes were cut out of light weight paper.

Bits of fabric were sewn on...

then I added more white fabric ........

EMBROIDERY  :).....

and some BIG RED STITCHES!!!

 

There were some GREAT entries this year.

 

Here's the link.

Enjoy the quilt show. ;)

 

 

Friday

Yeah!

Quilt for Granddaughter is finally complete!

 Vacations, wedding stuff, family stuff

ALL got in the way as this one sat folded up

WAITING to be quilted.....

and BOUND.

I used some gingham for the binding.

LOVE that piece of fabric!

I'll be sad when the LAST of it is used up!

Now my granddaughter can be

COVERED UP

in her new BIG girl bed!!!

 

 

 

I've also been knitting rows

on this baby afghan.

This is the kind of thing that TRAVELS!!

Gotta LOVE handwork!

 

One of these days....cough cough sputter sputter....

it'll be done too!

 

*****************

thoughts on how to GET things done!

*****************

I was asked about how I get so much done

and WHEN do I find the time??

 

I FIT it in.

I give myself DEADLINES.

I give myself GOALS.

I don't watch Television.

I DO knit in the evenings (recently)

and solve crime with netflix.  ;)

I can usually solve the mystery in about 45 minutes.

LOL!

I have 2 children with special needs.

I take handwork to every Doctor appt.

I'm home more than most, I think.

I don't do as much housecleaning as I should.

Making stuff is IN ME!

I have to MAKE.

BLOGGING about what I MAKE

adds to the PLEASURE!

It adds a FRIENDLY aspect!

Thanks for being my friend here.

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Work

Didn't know I'd be

adding a Big ol' name to this quilt today!
I didn't have quite enough of that lovely print for the BACK of my quilt!

;/

I added a blue CHUNK

and it looked so LONELY.

I had to do something!

:)

 

 

After ZIGZAGGING around all the letters....

I sandwiched it up

and I'm ready to QUILT!!!!

 

Had to pull out my old machine.

The ONLY machine around here that has zigzag!

I'm sure MS. Pfaff was happy to spin her wheels a bit!

 

Sometimes a problem turns into

a WONDERFUL opportunity!

I would NEVER have thought to put

that name in

if it hadn't been for the lack of FABRIC!!!

I love the FUN it adds to my quilt.

 

Did you hear me say LACK of fabric???

Oops..

There's no LACK here.

 

Oh no sirree!

There might not be the RIGHT fabric...

but there's LOTS of FABRIC all right!!!

;)

Little scrappy project

This little blog has seen a lot of potholders.

:)

I'm on a mission to make some more!

They wear out....don't they?

Well...

They DO if you cook!!!

 

I'm making a few sets as welcome gifts.

This set is for a man.

Are they MANLY enough?

 

I think the old LEVI's on the back add a LOT.

Plus.....

It Makes these extra STURDY.

 

As usual, I used an old towel for batting.

;)

I made a simple 9 patch using 2 1/2" squares

and a 2" border

making these about 10"x10".

 

Little projects make me EXTRA happy!

DIGGING around in my 2 1/2" squares drawer

 makes me happy too!!

 

 

Wedding Shower Homemade

We had a Wedding shower!

:)

Still SHOCKED that my THIRD child is about to get married!

 

 

Pompom balls were made using balloons and coffee filters.

Cloth napkins were made using my stash.  ;)

Cookies were Painstakingly painted/frosted and bagged by a friend.

Little tiny succulent gardens were made.

Photos were tied onto balloons for a FESTIVE look!

 

Hey!

Even my dress is HOMEMADE!

:)

 

CREDITS:

Most of the HOMEMADE stuff was NOT made by ME.

;)

I DO appreciate HOMEMADE though.

Don't you?

And...

thankful others in my family do TOO!!!

 

I can only take credit for the dress

and a few napkins.

 

 

 

 

Cloth Napkins

I've been away this week.

It was Wonderful!

A whole week of FAMILY time in the MOUNTAINS!

 

When I returned there were things to DO!!!

LOTs of cloth napkins to make.

:)

 

My older daughter is getting a wedding shower together for

my younger daughter.

Cloth napkins are ON THE AGENDA

and older daughter got stalled.

Using my sewing machine

when I'm NOT AT HOME was a challenge.

 

EVERY sewing machine is SO unique.

 

IT's done now.

The napkins are ready!

The food is getting ready!

and

WE are READY to CELEBRATE!!!

 

I quickly added a youtube video

as I worked on the napkins.

 

It will be a HOMEMADE shower.

The BEST kind.

;)

 

 

 

 

Bag Lady

Family Camp this week.

:)

Good thing I know how to make BAGS!!!

Hah!

 

Just to highlight a few.....

 

Bags for sleeping bags.

I quickly added felt initials for the kids.

Bag for knitting.

Another Bag for knitting.

;)

Each project NEEDS a bag, right???

T-shirt bag for towels.

BIG BAG for bedding.

I prefer sheets and quilts to sleeping bags.

 LOVE ALL my BAGS!

 

 

 

 

Friday Fun

A little something for a new baby.

A special request.

:)

He's made up of recycled shirts.

Stripes and plaids.

A little bit of felt...

a FEW stitches....

Very chewable.

Very Washable.

 

The pocket even works!

Remember Corduroy??

I do.

 

LOVED making this little guy.

The hardest part was STUFFING those

THIN extremities.  ;)

 

Inspired

I made this quilt 2 years ago??

I didn't label.

Bad. bad.

I remember having fun with the sample fabric

quilting lines with my machine....

and then hand quilting lines and around the wedges.

 

Wool batting makes this quilt extra soft and light weight!

Very cuddly.

 

I was so pleased when Cat let me know she copied!

 

Not exactly.

But SO nice to know you've inspired someone!

The VERY last minute

Last minute.

Isn't THAT when we get the MOST done?

 

I'm making SETS of coasters for some teacher gifts.

A few men teachers means....

 I need some that will suit them too!

 

I LOVE.love.love these.

Hope the teacher doesn't take offense!

LOL!

These are NICE and bright!!!

O.K.

I LOVE these too!!!

The newish fabric

(robert kaufman found at the discount store)

with the denim is such a GREAT match!

 

I'm even making some with old flannel shirts!

I have a couple more sets to make.

Then.....School will be OVER and OUT!!

 

Question friends:

WHAT should I add to these coasters?

I want to tie them up with twine and add something little....

Any ideas?

 

The tutorial for these coasters is here.

I used a 5" square this time instead of 4".

 

Need to get back to my machine!

The last minute is quickly ticking away......

;)

 

 

**********************

 

I had JUST enough time to upload a simple

YOUtube instructional video.

:)

Here it is.

 

 

I'm ready for summer!

Summer is almost here.

I'm READY!!

 

Saltwater sandals arrived!!! (revisiting childhood)

A garden is growing!!

and

There are LOTS of quilts to be made!

 

 

Technology and a Twin bed

This week has been a FULL week of new technology challenges.

:)

It all began with a new phone.

 

There were so many places to explore.

Instagram....youtube....the iphone WORLD!!!

 

But...

I managed to get a quilt together!

It was an easy and quick quilt to make...

AND....it's all done.

 

It's even a respectable TWIN size!

60"x80"

 

All I did for this quilt was cut 12" strips from the fabrics.

(selvage to selvage)

Then...I cut them into random chunks.

 

I lined the chunks up in rows 60" long wide

They're all 12" tall.

 

sewed the chunks in rows....then....

pinned and got rows together!!!

It took 7 rows to make it long enough.

My granddaughter has a BIG bed now

and I needed something ASAP to cover her up.

:)

adding borders

Adding easy borders

to a simple quilt.

:)

simple quilt video

I did something today that I've wanted to do for a long long time.

I uploaded a video onto YOUTUBE.

 

Yes....I had some stage fright...

But...

I DO like challenges!

And it WAS a challenge, folks!!!

 

Technology and I have never been CLOSE.

;)

I attempted to make another quilt just like this one

I gave away last month.

It is SUCH a simple quilt to make!

GREAT for a beginner

or ANYONE needing a quilt in a HURRY!

 

I hope to add more info on adding borders

and quilting simple lines.

Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

Snowflake. Quilt along month 6

I finally chose a snowflake design to add to my christmas quilt!

I was inspired by this pillow.

 

I began with four 3" squares, one 1" square

and a strip of red (1")

You also need a strip of white (1") not in the photo

:)

I added red strips to my little white square.

Make them a BIT longer.

Your 3" squares might grow just a little!

Make four diagonal cuts.

First make some red and white joined strips.

No measurements.SORRY.

I eyeballed them as I went.

First I joined a red and white strip...

then I laid it down on top of my 3" square

along that diagonal cut

and I trimmed the ends off...

leaving a generous "tail" to trim later.

 

Insert the strips into your white squares.

TRIM.

Add RED strips in the middle of the TOP two

and the BOTTOM two.

 

Red strips didn't make it into the photo!

:/

here they are.

It should now look like this!

 

You can probably guess what to do next!

LOL!

I made ONE snowflake this morning.

I'll make at least TWO more.

 

Then to decide How to place them!

On point???

Or not???

 

Probably will do a bit of both.

Looking forward to seeing YOUR snowflakes here!

 

I think there will be ONE more step to this quilt

and then....

It'll be time to sandwich and QUILT this thing!

We want it in time for the holidays...right???