HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wow! I know I say it every year, but what happened to last year? It went by very fast. It's true that the older you get the faster time seems to go. I guess being busy with cats and sewing and just life in general makes the time go. 

This time last year I was running back and forth to the Emergency Vet Clinic to see Micha who was hospitalized after a severe crash due to kidney failure. We were able to keep Micha with us until he passed away May 22. We still miss they little guy a lot.

It was a year of dealing with various feline medical issues, but those have tapered off as the year progressed. I'm seriously praying for no medical crises this year. Please. Twitty is doing well, finally, on his thyroid medicine that's applied to his ears. Buddy is maintaining on his glaucoma treatment, though his vision is waning. Max, my medical standout for 2011, is doing quite well on his rather large insulin dosage. Everyone else seems to be hanging in there with minor issues only.Me? I can't afford to get sick so I don't.

Business in my Etsy shop was down a bit this year, but then everyone is trying to cut back, including me. I've had the chance to make some amazing baby clothes quilts and I'm so grateful for my loyal customers. I made a lot of tote bags this winter and will continue to include tote and diaper bags in my inventory. I learned to make some simple coasters and soon every one of my friends and family will have their very own set!! I love to make them and see what fabric combos I can come up with. 

I'm hoping to take a beginning quilting class this year. I took one in 1999 and the wall hanging I made then is among the few quilted items I have finished since. I'm also hoping to branch out into more traditional quilting style in some of my totes and things. I'm also looking into matching accessory sets to go with the totes. 

My big wish for this year is a new sewing machine. I have two Brother machines, the newer computerized one has stitch regulation problems and needs to go to the shop and the other older and simpler one probably needs a tune up. They have both been great machines even though I probably  haven't taken the best care of them as far as maintenance is concerned. I guess I'll see how much it costs to get the newer one in running order and then decide what to do. I have so many other things I want to tackle and I need a good machine to take that next step.

My family is doing well. My son still likes his job which is a blessing in itself. So many people go to work each day just dreading it. That's no fun, I know from experience. The grandkids are doing well in school and granddaughter will graduate from high school this spring. Och! That make me feel old!

I know that 2012 was a learning year for me and I'm hoping I can carry over those lessons to make 2013 the best year ever. I wish that for everyone who reads my blog. I know that if we put our minds to it, we can make this world a better place this year. Are you with me?

Happy New Year, y'all!!

FINALLY A PROJECT FOR ME!

I'm finally working on a project just for ME! I picked up this kit at the 2010 International Quilt Festival here in Houston. I fell in love with the colors and the pattern and figured the wall hanging size would make a good beginner project. To make it just about perfect, all the pieces were die cut and the kit included the batting and backing. All I needed was the thread!!

This is a picture of the finished top which went together very quickly. I love the earth tones with soft greens and creams. The backing is more soft green. Even though the pieces were fairly small, I found that, with the die cutting, everything went together very easily.

Here's a close up of the different blocks. There were two different patterns. It was fun setting the blocks on point. I've never done that before. I was so lucky that the instructions were very detailed and had lots of pictures. I'm a visual learner so pictures are invaluable for me. Since it's so small and I don't have much experience with machine quilting, I will be hand quilting this one.

I must admit that my hand quilting skills leave much to be desired, but I'm using a neutral thread that blends in with the fabrics so you can't see all the mistakes without looking really close. The videos by Alex Anderson on "The Quilt Show" website have helped me select needles and thimbles and hoops. I even ordered her book on hand quilting and learned more on correct technique. It even has a section on building your own quilt frame from saw horses and 2" x 2" lumber. Cool! I'm seriously thinking about doing that.

I'll make another post when the quilt is all finished and bound. I'll be hanging it behind my bed since it coordinates very well with my round robin friendship quilt.

THE FINAL ROUND ROBIN QUILT

This is Christina's Round Robin Quilt. She's my quilting buddy from Long Island, NY. Her quilt is as vibrant and beautiful as she is. I love the pinks and blues with that great gold, don't you? I think my favorite part is the flowers in the corner blocks. It makes the quilt really sing.


Since most of these quilts were going to go on a bed, we decided that the last addition would only be to the top and bottom to make them a tad more rectangular. For this quilt I tried to use all of the main colors and added squares in pink, gold and blue. I made the middle squares on each end a four-patch block.

I also included a picture of the back of the quilt as it was the prettiest of the bunch. I think this quilt could truly be called reversable as the back is just as interesting as the front.

This whole round robin project was a lot of work to be honest. But it was worth all the stress and frustration. The project challenged us to use our skills and our imagination to join together and make a true heirloom for each person. And I think it brought us a tad closer together. We may be separated by miles and miles, but we had a common goal and a love of quilting that brought these "quilting sisters" together. Maybe we should do this again? But not for a while.

ROUND ROBIN VI

Though picking a favorite quilt from our round robin project is almost impossible, this one would be near the top of the list. I love homespuns in quilts and this one has a huge variety of colors and styles. This super quilt belongs to Jen and I know she is so happy with it. When I got this one in the mail and saw the homespun, the first thought I had was denim. I love denim with homespun. So I dug out three partial bolts of homespun I was lucky enough to find when one of our local Walmarts closed out their fabric department. They were in shades of red, green and blue. Then I went to my precious stash of recycled denim and cut corner blocks for my addition. Of course I used my usual squares, alternating the different homespun fabrics. I don't have a picture of the quilt completed, but there was only one more person for it to go to after me so this is pretty close. It has such a homey feel to it, I know it will be treasured for years to come.

ROUND ROBIN II

Here's the second round robin quilt I worked on. It belongs to my buddy in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryellen. We call her ME for short. The first picture is how it was when I first received it. I just love the bright pinks, blues and golds in the original block. The second round picked up the blues and added shades of brown that really set off the original block. I love the pinwheel blocks at the corners. Since the blues were picked up in the second round I decided to pick up the pink in my round. I added strips of blue and gold in addition to the pink and I think it makes a nice impact. Below is the finished quilt. It is so beautiful and colorful, just like the originator. *smile* It's so much fun to see how each person's addition feeds off the earlier ones and adds another dimension to the quilt. Now this picture was taken before the seams were clipped so just imagine all the soft and fluffy seams adding even more to this unique quilt.

Everyone who quilts and has quilting buddies should try a round robin project. It's fun and a great challenge to your imagination. And you get a beautiful keepsake quilt at the end. Thanks to the ladies of the Quilters Corner Group on eBay for this great experience. Stay tuned for the rest of the quilts.

ROUND ROBIN I

Since I posted about my round robin quilt, I thought I would show the progression of the other round robins that passed thru my sewing machine. It's an interesting process to be sure.

The first block I received was from our group leader, an experienced quilter. I mean she has a quilt shop and teaches classes!! Talk about pressure! After thinking long and hard I came up with a simple block pattern in two tones of blue, to pick up the blue in the starter block. I didn't think of taking the "before and after" shots til round robin quilt 2, but below is a picture of the finished quilt.


The light block in the middle was the orignal lock and I added the blue squares. The other participants finished it off with mostly 30's reproduction fabrics. It turned out really cute, don't you think?

MY ROUND ROBIN QUILT

Last summer, seven of my online quilting buddies and I decided we would do our version of a round robin quilt project. Round robin quilts are quilts that start with a center block and are sent around to the other participants for their additions and then returned to the originator.

Normally the finished project would be a completed quilt top, ready to layer and quilt. Since not all of us are experienced traditional quilters, we decided that each addition would be joined rag quilt style. That way, when the quilt returned to the originator, it would be finished except for clipping.

This project was the most fun I've had since I participated in an art doll project a few years ago. It is indeed a challenge to come up with something interesting and new to add to the quilt that's come to you. Each person sent preferences as to colors and other things, but it was totally up to each person to add whatever she wanted.

This is a picture of my completed quilt, still unclipped at the time. The block in the center was my starting place. All I requested was that the additions be in earth tones. When I made my block I used some fat quarters I had that appealed to me in color and print. I had forgotten that I got those fat quarters in a swap some time back. How wonderful that some of the round robin participants also participated in that fat quarter swap. As a result my quilt has some of the fabrics in the center block continued throughout the quilt.


This quilt is HUGE!!! I know from the postage on the box that it weighed 7 lbs! The bed that it's shown on is a queen and it extends down all four sides. I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I opened that box and saw my quilt. I actually shed a few tears.

As soon as I get the quilt ready, it will go on my bed permanently. I am actually changing my decor to match. As you can see from the above picture, I even have someone just waiting to nap on it.

If I can get permission, I would like to post pictures of the other round robins as they came thru my sewing room. I took "before and after" pics of each one. All the participants posted pictures of their finished quilts in our group. It was really neat to see how each one turned out, especially the ones received early in the process.

Although our quilts went all over the country, this would be a nice project for a local quilting group. Even though it was hard sometimes to come up with something, the challenge was good for the brain. And the sense of accomplishment was wonderful.

CURRENT PROJECTS

I just wanted to share my latest project of which I'm very proud. I saw a tutorial for a patriotic table runner on the net (forget where, but will let you know when I remember). I didn't want red, white and blue so I searched the stash and realized it was perfect for a Christmas runner with only one color change - replace the blue with green. So I used a number of different of different Christmas prints to make this and I think it turned out great!

This picture is of the runner hanging on my design wall.

This is the runner on the cutting table. Please ignore the mess!!

I'm backing it with another Christmas print - green with little holly leaves - and using another print for the binding should I ever get that far. At first I thought about hand quilting, but couldn't decide on a design. Then I thought I could just stitch in the ditch, but why do that by hand when you can do it easier on the machine? So I'm still thinking on it. I am hoping to get it finished by this Christmas!!

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY!!! PLEASE?!?!

Ok, I know I said we needed some rain, but enough already!!! I couldn't get out and run some needed errands yesterday because of the rain. I'm not afraid of getting wet; it's the crazy Houston drivers and unexpected standing water that keeps me in. There has been enough rain at my house that the backyard is beginning to pond. We had at least an inch yesterday and expect that much more today. Of course I shouldn't complain when people in areas near here are having water in their houses.

At least I was able to use my time constructively yesterday to start on a cute quilted table runner. The pattern I found on allpeoplequilt.com had it in patriotic colors, but, if you change blue to green, you get Christmas!!! I had a lot of Christmas fabric in my stash so it was easy to pick out some fabrics to use. I have two of the three blocks assembled and it was really pretty easy. Of course the cutting would have gone smoother if I had paid better attention to the instructions. However, I have a lot of the fabric so I'll just keep the extras for another creation. Maybe another runner? Who knows? I'll post a pic when I get done.

I'm going to prepare to at least hit the grocery store today. The cat food and kitty litter can wait til another day. If I don't go to the grocery store I may have to resort to eating cat food so I may just have to brave the rain. Somehow Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblets just isn't that appetizing - even with a salad!

CAT PICS

I think this is something every quilter needs - a feline fabric sitter. This is Boo sitting atop a stack of squares for some patriotic quilts that are to go overseas. She said that she wanted to make sure they didn't go anywhere. Makes sense to me!! lol

I caught this pic of Mr. G a while ago. I walked out the door into the garage and there he was lounging on the Jeep during our drippy weather. If you look close you can see the cat prints all over the hood. I guess I'll just back it out in the next shower for a good rinse.

CAT LOVERS SEWING GIVEAWAY

You must go check out Sew Meow's blog today about her birthday giveaway. Today she's adding the cutest cat fabric. Check it out and see how to enter MANY LOUD MEOWS heard round the WORLD!

NEW PROJECT

I'm starting a new quilt using the disappearing nine-patch blocks. It's going to be a patriotic quilt in red, white and blue with denim on the back. Just getting the squares cut out; I'll work on the layout tomorrow and try to post some pics of the process.

AUTO REPAIRS

Today has been so non-productive! The A/C in my Jeep was no longer cooling so I took it in to the dealer thinking it just needed coolant. After a wait of an hour and a half, they tell me it needs some new part whose name I can't remember (the price I can remember!). The good news is the part is in stock. The bad news is that they will need the rest of the day to get it installed. I was at the shop, hadn't arranged for a ride so I called around and found someone who would come and get me and take me to the shop when the Jeep was ready. I signed up for the shuttle to take me home. After more than 30 minutes, I was able to get ahold of my neighbor and he came and got me. I had called a dear friend for the evening ride, but my neighbor said he could take me back. That's all settled, but I HATE being here without a vehicle, even tho I don't really need to go anywhere. Of course, what I hate worse is hanging around the shop waiting to get the car. At least at home I can get stuff done. So that's what I'll try to do.

I so enjoyed making the disappearing nine-patch totes, I'd like to try a raggy disappearing nine-patch quilt. Sounds like it might be very interesting. I'll keep ya' up to date on my progress, how about that?

DISAPPEARING NINE PATCH PROJECT

I should have started taking pictures of this project sooner, but, oh well!! I'm making two totes from a charm pack from MODA of the "Gypsy Rose" collection by Joanna Firueroa of Fig Tree Quilts. This is a beautiful collection of fabrics with soft, rich colors and sort of boho florals and prints. This project used 36 of the 38 squares in the collection. Not enough for even a small throw quilt, but good for two mini totes. The lining will be a very pale shell pink floral. I'm not sure about pockets, but there should be at least one interior pocket. I also need to come up with something for the straps. Anyway, this is a picture of the four blocks I created. I really love this look and I'm sure I'll try it again. I want to thank Fabricsnquilts for the tutorial she posted in our Quilters Corner Group. You can also find other tutorials/instructions on the net. It's a very easy way to make very interesting blocks.

GREAT GIVEAWAY

Check out Magnolia Bay Quilts new blog and her great giveaway. I've added the blog to my list and you will want to add it to yours, too.

http://magnoliabayquilts.blogspot.com/2009/04/time-for-blog-give-away.html?showComment=1241281860000#c6074351458203835047

By the way, I just finished a new mini tote with button embellishments. I'll try to get a picture up tomorrow. I was looking at it when I finished and it just didn't look, well, finished! I thought and thought and then it came to me - BUTTONS!! I got out my big button stash and managed to find enough white buttons to add that final touch. Kinda cute if I do say so myself. Well, I'll let you be the judge tomorrow!

IDEA OF THE WEEK

I just found the greatest idea for a quilt design wall at the "Quilting on a Budget" blog. It's a great idea for those of us who just don't have the wall space for a permanent design wall. You can read all about it at http://quiltingonabudget.blogspot.com/2009/04/design-wall-for-every-quilters-budget.html

I bought a vinyl tablecloth with the felted backing to use for quilt layout and now I have a idea on how to put it up and where!! Now all I need is a tension rod and I'm good to go!!

Today is Sunday and it's supposed to be my lazy day, but I think I'd better get out and mow the grass before the house gets swallowed up in it! With all this rain you can almost see the grass growing before your very eyes! At least I can mow the dry spots. Hey, the exercise will do me good. And it's supposed to rain Monday and/or Tuesday, so now's the time to get to it.

I also need to seriously think about replacing the faucet and all in the master bath bathtub. Ugh!! I've done a lot of minor plumbing around the house - replacing kitchen and bathroom faucets, commode repairs - but this is a bit trickier. There's no separate water cut-off for the bathtub so I'll have to turn the water off for the whole house. I'm just worried that I'll get into some sort of situation where I won't be able to turn the water back on until someone comes out to straighten out the mess I made. Oh, well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say!! Geez, I love being a homeowner!!! lol

I hope everyone reading this has a great Sunday! TTFN

NEW TOTES

I listed two new totes yesterday - one in great summer fabrics from the Tutti Frutti collection and the other a super quilter's tote in two fabrics by Debbie Mumm. I so enjoyed making both of them because of the fun fabrics. I have them listed on ebay, Etsy and Bonanzle so get over to the venue of your choice and have a closer look!

Tutti Frutti Tote

Quilter's Tote

DREARY THURSDAY

It's another dreary day that threatens rain, but doesn't follow through. It's been cloudy and cool for the past few days and we did get about a quarter inch of rain last night. We could sure use more. At least the weather is an incentive to stay inside and sew.

I'm currently working on a cute sewing tote made from two Debbie Mumm fabrics. The base color is a lovely milk chocolate brown with touches of citrusy yellows, greens and oranges. The pockets are trimmed with a yellow-gold crackle print. It will be the perfect tote to transport all of your quilting goodies to a class or quilting bee. There will be plenty of room for scissors, rotary cutters, thread, needles, pins, rulers, templates and, of course, fabric. I should have it finished today, but the weather will play a role in when I can get good pictures. Watch this space for this great tote.