Friday Finishes

 

Just a quick post with two finishes.  First is a cheery baby quilt for a little boy that has already arrived.

 

Each quilt teaches me something or reminds me of a previous lesson learned.

This quilt has bias borders.  When I went to baste the edges down of the side borders, it let me know that I need to baste going down on one advance of the quilt.  Then the next time I advanced the quilt, I had to baste from the belly bar up.  This prevented the quilt side-borders from becoming stretched and/or twisted. 

The backing is Shannon which makes it super soft and cuddly. 

 

The second quilt is a breath of fresh air during these gray winter days.

This is a fractured quilt. 

 

Today I am linking up with.....Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Link a Finish Friday, Freedom Fridays, and Crazy Mom Quilts.  

Have a great weekend!

Yours in quilting,

Terry

 

 

 

 

Working on Wednesday

Just a reminder that Bonnie Hunter's Alletaire Mystery Quilt pattern is only available until February 1, 2016.  If you haven't printed off all the clues/pattern instructions, here is the link before its too late.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/allietare-mystery.html

Click on each blue link, then click on the Printer Friendly version, followed by clicking on the printer icon that you see towards the bottom of the screen.  Bonnie gives detailed step by step instructions.  Don't feel bad that you missed the mystery or didn't sew along.  Its not a race, its about enjoying the process or the journey.

 

I collected my fabrics during the time the mystery clues where coming out.  I didn't start cutting out fabrics until after the reveal.

I have everything cut out except the golds.  Getting the many parts cut out does make the sewing go smoother.  Make sure you label the parts to eliminate confusion.  I have pressed my seams open which has reduced bulk on these small pieces.  If you choose not to press the seams open, read the instructions carefully as Bonnie gives pressing directions.

This is my "quilty" sister, Cathy.  She is close to finishing her Alletaire quilt. She is choosing to add an additional border using more gold and neutral four patches before adding the black final border.

 

Have a great Wednesday.

 

Yours in quilting,

Terry

 

 

Tuesday Tip

Recently, I went to a sewing weekend.  The group of ladies planned ahead and we offered a sewing machine cleaning to the group.  An appointment was made at a sewing machine business to have the machines dropped off a week before the retreat (6 machines).  As we travelled to the retreat, we stopped at Smitty's Sew & Vac and picked up the machines already for our busy weekend.  Since we can't arrive at our destination until 2pm, we stopped at the Sterling quilt store and ate lunch at Arthur's Garden Deli.  We also stopped off at the J store (JoAnn Fabrics) and found out that they were having a sale with some great doorbuster deals.  This smaller version of a rotary mat was 40% off which made it less than $20.  Several of us picked them up and put them to use at the weekend sewing days right away.  I was working on Bonnie Hunter's Alletaire Mystery Quilt.  The mat is the perfect traveling size and easy to use for blocks 6 1/2" or smaller.  I was working on squaring up 2" half-square triangles. 

 

My friend grabbed one of these Ott Lites.  It has the magnifier head which is great for handwork or for unstitching those tiny stitches.  It also converts to a table top lite.  This was 60% off which made it about $64.  This was a great bargain and I purchased one, also.

My eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be and this will be helpful if I find time to work on my Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses blocks.

Check out your coupons, flyers, and the online deals.  Its the perfect time to find some great deals.

 

One of my "quilty" sisters and I are making a few blocks to go with a pre-printed panel.  I have to make 1-eight pointed star, 1-pinwheel, and four barn blocks.  All blocks have to measure 6 1/2" inches. 

 

 

Today I am linking up with Connie at Freemotion by the River, Building Blocks Tuesdays, and Fabric Tuesday by A Quilt Story.

 

Yours in quilting,

Terry

 

 

 

Design Wall Monday

My husband was off work this weekend and what a treat it was.  We hung mini blinds in both both bedrooms and cleaned up the house together.  I am blessed with a husband that believes that if we work together then we can play together.  We also had a date night going to see a movie along with popcorn.  Yummy!

 

It doesn't take too much to make my guy happy.  While he was sleeping after working nights, I received a UPS delivery.  When he woke up, I told him about the delivery.  After working 24.5 years for Coke, he received his retirement gift.  A Big Bertha golf club for all the years of hard work he put in.  He was a like a kid in a candy store.

 

I have been taking a little time for piecing.  I am so blessed that my longarm business has grown and continues to grow.  I miss being able to sew for myself.  I have decided to take time to do what I love.  In the evenings or on the weekends, I have been carving out some time to finish up UFO's.  Below, is the scrappy strips sent home with us when we visited Shippshewana last June.  The form asked that we complete one light block and one dark block.  I completed mine Saturday and will be mailing them off so they maybe added to other blocks in Shippshewana for charity quilts. 

 

I have set up a small table and portable ironing board in the front room.  I working on pressing the 296 half-square triangles for Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, Alletiare.

 

 

I have them stacked in piles and now squaring them up.

 

Finally, I am sewing them together when I can steal 10-15 minutes at a time.

 

Time to get busy over at the longarm.  Have a motivational Monday!

 

Today I am linking up with... Monday Making at Love, Laugh, Quilt, Cynthia at Oh Scrap! and Judy at Patchwork Times.   

 

Yours in quilting,

Terry

 

 

 

Friday Finishes

How many times have you heard a quilter say, "I hate this quilt" or " I don't like this quilt"?  My customer calls this her ugly quilt.  I never thought it was ugly, ucky, or not pretty in any way.  I always thought it was a breath of Spring!  While working on quilting this quilt I was thinking of warm Spring days with crocuses poking their heads out of the last snow, daisies and dandelions.

A view of the back, showing the Glide thread and Mary Beth Krapil's pattern from Handi Quilter. 

 

Below is this yummy teal, gray and yellow beauty.  Its quilted with Omni Natural White and the quilting pattern is Apricot Moon's Ginger Snap.

 

Handi Quilter has introduced a new foot called the Glide foot.  It is wonderful.  The cupped shape of the foot allows it to glide over the surface of the quilt.  It is especially helpful where is bulk due to seams or excess fabric.

Below is a warm, flannel baby quilt.  The thread used on this one was Omni Banana and

a Handi Quilter E2E from the June update. 

Below is a full view. 

 

Here is a lovely full size quilt made with a layer cake of Spring fabrics.   

This is quilted with Omni Mulberry and the quilting pattern is Marbled Feathers from Intelligent Quilting. 

 

Next is the back of a quilt using Omni Banana thread and Flutterby pattern by Handi Quilter. 

Below is the front of the quilt. 

 

 

 Below is the final quilt for this week made with Moda fabrics and I believe it is a Doug Leko pattern.

This one is quilted with Omni Nugget and the pattern is Marbled Feathers.

 

 

Its a pleasure quilting these beautiful quilts.  It sure feels good to deliver them back to their owners for bindings and labels.

Today I am linking up with.....Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Link a Finish Friday, Freedom Fridays, and Crazy Mom Quilts.  

Have a great weekend!

Yours in quilting,
Terry

 

 

www.365challenge.com

I  am a big fan of free patterns that are shared by designers.  Yesterday I posted Quilt Doodle Designs 2016 BOM and now I would like to share another pattern.  My friend, Corry, sent me a link to the 365 Challenge, Facebook page and website.

http://www.365challenge.com.au/

You may sign up on the website to get an email a day for each block's pattern in PDF format.

You can also like the page on Facebook and follow along.  I like that the blocks start out easy and progress in skill level.  If I decide to follow along and make this I would do it totally scrappy just making sure to follow the directions closely when choosing dark, medium and lights fabrics as recommended.  The block sizes are 3" to 6" in the first part.

Yours in quilting,

Terry

Quilt Doodle Designs 2016 Block of the Month

Check out the Quilt Doodle Designs has released their materials list and the first row for January.

It is adorable.

 

 

 

http://www.quiltdoodledesigns.com/Quilt__Doodle__BOM__2016.pdf

 

http://quiltdoodledesigns.blogspot.com/2015/12/happy-new-year-im-really-excited-about.html

 

Remember to print off the pattern for each row during the month it is released.  It is free the month it is released, after that you will have to pay a small fee on Craftsy.

 

Yours in quilting,

Terry

 

 

Finished 2015 - Welcome 2016!

We welcomed in 2016 with our annual dinner with the neighbors and friends.  For the last few years we have walked next door for prime rib dinner with many delicious side dishes.  I took a healthy dip with chips.  I don't know the name of the dip but here is the recipe.

 

1 can of white hominy, drained

1 can of black eyed peas, drained

green onion sliced thin, using some of the green

grape tomatoes sliced into edible pieces

Kraft Zesty Italian dressing, lite or fat free

Dorito scoops

 

Mix ingredients together adding as much green onion as you like.  Some green onions are very strong and some are mild.  Taste as you mix ingredients together.  It is better if you can leave it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.  If you are in a hurry, you certainly can throw it all together and eat immediately. 

 

After dinner we played the bowling game on Xbox 360 which was great because it makes you get up and move after eating.  Since my husband had to get up early this morning for work, we headed home at 9:30.  We were old-fogies and were in bed by 10pm.

 

Are you asking yourself what 2016 has in-store for us?  I know I am and I want to have a little say in how my year takes shape.  I am setting a few resolutions:

 

1.  Take care of my health.

2.  Take more Handi Quilter Pro Stitcher Training by attending Quilter's Academy.

3.  Work on finishing UFO's quilts, one a month.

4.  Complete a minimum of three (3) Quilts of Valor.

5.  Clean and organize sewing room.

 

What are your new resolutions or goals?  Do you set realistic goals or big hairy audacious goals that really stretch your abilities?  I tried sticking with realistic goals this year and will be tracking them so I can check them off my list as the year progresses.

 

So here is a view of my very messy sewing area.  I have been cutting out Allietare, Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt. 

Here's another view of the same space.  This what I will be working on organizing, sorting, labeling,

and cleaning.  There just isn't enough elbow space to work. 

 

I hope you will leave me a message with some of your goals for 2016.  I love hearing from all of you.

 

Enjoy the first day of 2016!

 

Yours in quilting,

Terry