Material Obsession, things I envy

I've been plugging away over here getting my quilts pieced with everything I already own.  I promise I will only buy batting and thread!  And yet...i got a great book at the library.

I think I need to buy this book it's called Material Obsession, Modern Quilts with Traditional Roots.  You can read a review here.  Anyway looking at most of these quilts I decided i really need to go visit Grandma.  I need to ask her if I can have her quilting frame before someone else comes along and takes it.. You know how things go with big families.  Most of these quilts are hand quilted with big chunky stitches.  Something Grandma would frown on.  Her stitch is Beautiful.  She is a hand quilter.  She's the reason I quilt.  I love her quilts like they are my children. 

The Back is beautiful.  I wish she would have made a whole cloth.  Imagine if she had learned Tripunto?

Meanwhile This is what's I've been busy with all in the mosquito infested back yard.

Some of those cucumbers are past their prime.  I had to toss them.  If you miss them they turn into bitter watermelon sized cukes.

What keeps me busy

Did you see all that stuff??????   I have three buckets of material!!!  That is mostly quilt quality material!  I inherited from my cousins mother in law.  I have it separated into Earthy and everything,  pastel flowers and fruits and future Riley-Kassidy Dresses (unless i get knocked up and have a girl-bwah ha ha).

Just cleaning up today i found material for 4 quilts!!! 

A pretty earthy floral quilt.

another very earthy warm colored quilt...very dark.  i really think it's pretty though.

The flash ruined it, but very muted purple and pink floral quilt. She had 4 fat quarters stacked together.  I had no idea.

Michael Miller Mirabelle Packed roses...but i found all the other stuff too!

Green Monster still waiting in the wings.



Poor Green Monster....

Next blog I will make some pickles.  Another thing that is keeping me busy (but not as busy as you think!)

Reunion Auction Items

I've been a busy bee lately.  I've finished three quilt projects and one clothing item.  All of these are for my family reunion.  Every year we have an auction.  All these projects probable cost me the price of thread and electricity;  oh and a 6.99 package of cotton blend batting.  (Yeah Wal-mart for carrying cotton blend batting!). 

In addition to the Jungle quilt I made a scrappy table runner.  I used a pattern from Moda Bake shop here . 

Then I did a Half yard challenge from Fons and Porter to complete this Baby Quilt.  I had to improvise since I don't have cool 1/2 & 1/4 square ruler.  I am not as creative I guess.  The material I chose dictated a very traditional quilt though. 

I also finished these two aprons.  I love aprons!  I have a lot of material that is "aprony"(fruits and vegetables).  I used Simplicity 2626 view A.  Hancock's had a 5 for 5 sale of patterns.  You know I loaded up!  Always wait for a sale like this!  If you don't you are paying sometimes 10-12 dollars for a multi-view pattern!  This was so easy that you can read the instructions and go.  I did spend alot of time making my own 1/4 inch double fold bias tape.  Wow...I wish i had one of those bias tape makers that day!.  But I learned an awesome trick that I learned in my Fons and Porter Magazine.  On your ironing board place one pin the width of your tape.  run your tape through it and press as you pull the tape through it...this is after you press it all in half and are making the double fold.  I then make my pin gap narrower (1/4 inch) and pulled it through a second time. 

I had a busy week.  Unfortunately I think I really hurt my left arm.   For sure a carpal tunnel thing...Yay (sarcasm).

Peaceable Kingdom Quilt

This week I've been making a quilt for my family reunion.  Every year we auction off things.  I have 3- 5 gallon tubs of material that I inherited from my cousins mother in law.  She was a quilter and a hoarder apparently.  Some of this material is brand new with the tags, alot of it is discontinued.  It's kinda cool.  I can look through it and find a quilt to piece.  I was rifling through to get all the little girl material out and came across this panel. 

I then found a pink funky polka dot, a piece of really cool Batik fabric, and some leftover black material from my indian girl quilt.  I even found a cool and funky black and purple ribbon fabric for the backing. 

what a fat quarter can do

I participated in a fat quarter swap a few months ago.  It was alot of fun because I got some really cute things.  None of them went with anything.  One of the participants sent me two with some ribbon and some yellow lace.  She must have known.

It is really pretty easy to turn it into a baby skirt!  I cut each fat quarter in half.  some one way and some the other.  I had to change because of the layout of the material on one of them and it made it cute too!  I sewed a piece of lace on one end when I sewed a narrow hem.  Sew into a a tube.  Turn down the top edge twice to make a casing.  Sew all but a few inches.  Insert your elastic and finish the casing. 

Finally...

I finished piecing this ...still need to trim and press...oh then make a backing and baste it and quilt it...thinking about sending this one off any suggestions???  I want to do a feather ring in the green blocks i know that for sure..

where was i???oh yes piecing ....alot

Our family had a weeklong vacation, but before that we had end of school and just a whole bunch of fun.  Soon I'll be going to live with my mom and dad with the boys while she recovers from a knee replacement.  She's needed one since her first one really but they don't do them both at the same time.  Wondering if I could take my sewing machine...do you think ill have time???probably not...i stocked up on books instead.

I made a baby quilt for my special little niece who is just so gorgeous and funny already.  I think she will be a spunky little girl.  Her momma and daddy are funny and smart (and beautiful)...  (okay, my gushing is over. Can you tell I'm feeling the love for this little girl?)  I really have to reign it in though.  New parents don't like that very much.  It's just that all these babies are hitting me right at my wanting another baby stage.  The oldest is 5 and wonderful, the 2 yr old is about to be 3 and it's hitting me hard.  The whole having only two is starting to feel real and yes it will be awesome to do more and have more freedom.... BUT... I want a girl.  Not just any girl, my girl.  I want one bad.  It's sorta like never seeing a part of yourself go on.  I realize i have two beautiful boys and im very thankful for them don't get me wrong!  My husband is totally fine stopping.  I'm only 60% fine.  On bad days I'm 100% though.  I just wonder if ill ever get over this.  I was pregnant at a women's retreat and a very sad woman with 3 girls found out i was pregnant and said "well you'll be alone one day and my girls will always be around me."  Wow....what do you say about that???   it was a "Loving Well"  retreat and let me tell you i had to dig deep at that moment.  There were many things to say but none that Jesus would be happy about!  Jesus and I always have to discuss my words and temper...nightly ...sigh...

I finished the Indian Maiden for my aunt.  I'm very nervous about how she'll like it.  I thought way outside the box on my quilting.  My husband said I went crazy.  So he has set me up to doubt myself...He really needs to keep quiet though...Sorta like when he gives me any negative opinion on quilting/fashion etc.  We really need a full length mirror when he gives me fashion advice... So I can look at myself and not ask, and he can look at it and not answer!

So I am sewing a sleeve and a label on that today and when I'm with my parents i'll find a way to give it to her.

I have been quilting for our family lately.  With all the quilts I make, I have kept very few.  Most of them were first attempts also.  I am making a king sized feed sack quilt.  I followed a pattern in McCall's Quilting.  It's called Cottage Stars.  I am making ten 11 more blocks to make it larger.  The directions weren't so great though so I'm finding some things wrong with it.  Perhaps my cutting wasn't exact but it's supposed to be for a confident beginner.  They say to trim the star points to 3.5"  which doesn't work because all the other blocks are 4.5"  so i have a first try block.  I'm glad I sewed one block before I trimmed them all. 

It's taking forever!!  I will have all my blocks (maybe) by Friday.  I wouldn't mind putting it on a frame and hand quilting this one.  Maybe Grandma can teach me...hmm...

wonky lattice quilt

I finished the quilt for the baby and im in love ....i chose warm and natural batting.  It has such a nice weight and it quilts so nicely.  I had alot of fun quilting.  I chose a meandering stipple on the blocks...the small sashing i quilted with a mario vine per leah day. 

The outside i stiched a 1" grid. 

I think the baby will like it...on to make the sham tomorrow

checking in

I haven't really completed anything new this week.  Last week I made a table runner and a grandma's quilt for my mom.  Both of which i forgot to take pictures of.  I outline quilted and quilted the sashing of the indian girl quilt.   It's very exhausting that one...High loft Polyester Batting is an absolute nightmare.  Never Again!!!  If there aren't a million creases and mistakes i will be surprised.

I had to take a break from that quilt for alittle bit.  With my birthday money I purchased the fabric to finish my wonky lattice quilt for the baby.  The blocks are cut from 3 (5 fat quarter packs) from Wal-Mart of all places.  I used the Elizabeth's method for the lattice blocks and instead of solid material i chose the bigger print that were so cute and the whole reason I liked these packs.  Oh and it's a flannel backed quilt so it will be extra cozy. 

In other news I sold the birdy quilt.  I don't know that i'll do it again in awhile.  I have to build inventory and i have alot of projects in motion.  Not to mention being home all summer with 2 kids.  They are home today and the oldest has snuck into the kitchen twice and ate all the "goodies" including biting the ends off 2 pints of strawberries.  Seriously????????  He has some mad ninja eating skills.  Wonder where he gets that??

New Quilts for this week

After finishing my monster indian girl quilt im afraid to start the process so i decided to finish quilting my lap quilt that is funky and fun.  The top and bottom edges were really hard to bind.  I don't think i will do that again without help.  It's just for me so i didn't have to be perfect.

I have really started to dislike polyester batting.  It's very hard to quilt on.  For a few quilts i tried cotton batting.  I really love it.  It's more expensive sure but there's this nice static cling that happens with your quilt top and you are less likely to get wrinkles. 

Speaking of wrinkles.  Can you see the problem with this quilt???

No?  Well how about this side??

GRRRRRR!!!!!  I took out stiches and redid it...but it was a gonner.  I was thinking of selling it on my etsy shop but i'd hate to do that to someone...thinking i will give it to charity.  Ric Rac does make it all better though right???  I really really love Ric Rack.  It's so cute...I may ask my brother if he wants the quilt...who knows Miss Riley might like a ladybug quilt to play on...

oh and this is usually what happens while i quilt...around time to get the oldest from school....

oh and i found these great pictures taken by my oldest...this is what ive been finding on my camera after he's played on the computer ....

Indian Maiden Quilt...

Okay i'm going to reveal my little project.. 


The Indian Girl Quilt

This quilt is a replica of one my Great-Grandma Charity had for years.  My mom and aunt loved this quilt.  I found a pattern for it.  It's like a Sunbonnet Sue quilt only not.  These girls are good for my body image by the way.  It was so fun to make.  The Peach on is the one in the book.  I will definitely make another one because you can truly make it a scrap quilt.  I did not have Peach Fabric and I didn't buy an exessive amount of fringe although i wish i could have.  I loved putting the fringe on the shawls. 

The original quilt is lost so im not sure how well it resembles it.  The peach material was hard to find...and i just figured i could use my scraps.  I primarily used small callico print and 1930's retro fabrics. 

it is soooo big...i probably could cut this in half and made two lap quilts...it's definitely a full sized quilt.

this was the first one i appliqued by hand (unironed)....which prompted me to machine applique the remaining 19 girls.  Major props to you hand quilters...

i love fringe

this is one of my favorites...love the black and red....