Four O'Clock Quilt Company

A Table runner design

2010-04-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here's another of my designs. This is made from one of Moda's Collections for a Cause. It is for my dining room table, but I took this picture outside. (obviously!) The checkerboard border made it a little hard to handle on the next border even though my 'checkers' measure perfectly. Who knows why. I'm not a fabulous quilter just a prolific one!

A spring quilt picture....

2010-04-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a pattern I designed from an antique quilt. Those are my favorites. There seems to be such a charm to quilts that are made without a selection of patterns, fabrics, or internet inspiration. The quilts come from a place inside a person. I changed the method of piecing of this one. It combines piecing and applique and if you can tell by the picture, it is hand quilted to create the illusion of flowers where the circles are the flower centers. It is made from 40s prints which is probably authentic. Or maybe the 30s solids would have been more in keeping with the original, but I really like the prints. I made it small for the interest of time and money, but it would be darling on a twin bed in a cheerful girly room. I hope you enjoy this pic!

Giveaway on this blog!

2010-04-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

If any of you wear jewelry or still work and wear work clothes, check out this necklace! It helps orphans in Africa, and if you order they will pick out a free winner and refund their money! There is a great need in Africa, and if you go to the blog of the 21 year old American that lives there and has personally adopted over a dozen children, you will be amazed. That blog is mentioned on the Life at Home blog. Please check it out. And good luck on the free necklace!!
http://tiffygator.blogspot.com/2010/04/little-giveaway-just-in-time-for.html

computer woes

2010-04-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

I'm going to come back and post soon, but I have been having a lot of computer woes. Internet explorer doesn't work half of the time, things take forever to load, so much so that I just walk away! This is a brand new computer too! sigh.... but never fear! I'm coming back with quilt pics soon!

Cheese House

2010-03-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd show one of my designs. I wanted to use cheddar, so I did an off balance log cabin. It's named in honor of the Amish Cheese House near my hometown. Cheddar, log cabin, Cheese House.... get it?? :) I used 3 yards of cheddar in this lap sized baby, so when and if I get around to making up the pattern, I'll suggest a little more. The blocks were made with fat quarters of Civil War prints which I really like, but somehow I never have exactly what I need so I have to keep purchasing more! I bet some of you have that problem! I like how this came out, and it was easy to make and cut. This is one of those patterns where you really HAVE to cut all the pieces first so that you can have a selection in each block. I machine quilted this, and it is just about at the limit of what I can do on a machine.

Not done yet!

2010-03-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

As I suspected and really did know, a month is not long enough to hand quilt my quilt! Even a twin size. In fact I don't know if two months will be enough! Maybe three months will do it! I have to confess I worked hard for a week or so, then I got sidetracked! I think I'll have to find a simpler project for April's club. I still will work on my hand quilting though. It is soothing, but it's hard to watch a movie or anything and really pay attention to the size of the stitch and exactly where it is going! So, tv and movies are out. It's a quiet time activity I think. I've been sidetracked with getting a new wardrobe, and birthday presents, and company, and etc etc. Life basically. How do so many of you accomplish so much? I really want to know! I did get a new camera, which I am not thrilled with, but I will post some more quilt pics soon. Stay tuned!

CGGQC March project

2010-03-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

I guess if I'm on a roll, I might as well run with it! Sore fingers aside, I started hand quilting another quilt. This was all pinned and ready for machine quilting, but I know that I will never get around to that! I'm not very enthused about fighting all that fabric in my machine. But it is a twin size so it shouldn't take that long - ha ha! At least not as long as a queen size! Hand quilting is all I can seem to manage, I haven't been in my sewing room in forever. Now, I really don't know if I can finish this in March, but I can try. My method is to do all the outline quilting and then go back when I figure out a design to use. This quilt has a lot of sashing also. It's my own design, a combo of piecing and applique. It's Moda Kashmir IV fabric. I had entertained thoughts of making my own patterns, a dream that may never be realized, but this was one of them. I called it Daisy Whirls. I think GD1's bedroom is the right color scheme for this quilt....:)

Feb. project DONE!!!

2010-02-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

My project for the Charming Quilt Club was to finish handquilting this top! I finished today, and not a moment too soon, because my thumb is sore!! I'm not even going to attempt to bind it for awhile. Maybe next month?

Because this month has been all about this one blue and white quilt, I'll show you the one that is actually on my bed. It is Moda Paris Flea Market Fabric, my own design and hand quilted too. All the fabric is either lights or mediums, no darks, so it is just a mass of beautiful floral color. The layout is pretty much random but it is a riot of fabric.

I started with the pinwheel block and built around it with cornerstones and rectangles. Then sashing. The fabric line is still one of my favorites.

Charming Girls Quilt Club

2010-02-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

I've decided that I'm going to finish quilting the blue and white quilt this month! I'm working on the sashing quilting so I think this is doable! Wish me luck! Your blogs are all so inspiring. I can do this! Quilting away! I need to see this done!

Hand quilting

2010-01-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

I haven't been upstairs, in a long, long while. But along with one of my 'resolutions' (you know, more hand quilting finishes and 3 red and white quilts for the twin beds) I have been trying to hand quilt when the GD toddlers are sleeping and my emotions are calm. I was pleased with the template for quilting that I found. The batting is maybe too puffy, but can't be helped now. I think I'll like it when it is done. However, since it is an antique reproduction I think it is only a double bed size. Oh well, I can fold it at the bottom and pull it up on cold nights. I had a hard time finding a marking pencil in the house. Can you believe that? I didn't want to use a washable or a water washout one one because I have a yellow quilt that the markings left dots here and there on and never washed out. So, I wanted a plain number 2 pencil so it would wash out. Finally, I found one. I'm not a precise quilter. I eyeball a lot, because this is stress relief, not stress inducing as it would be if I was striving for perfection. Type A I am not! Just a plain old Type B here! You will never see my stuff put up for judging!

Giveaway

2010-01-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

Head on over to this blog http://katicupcakequiltingco.blogspot.com/ for a giveaway of some fabulous fabric.....

2010-01-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your wishes and comments. This has been the most terrible two weeks of my life. I'm trying to stay afloat and carry on. Your prayers and thoughts help.

I'm throwing out belongings right and left. I have some that are worth too much to go to Goodwill.

This top is made from Moda charm packs, and some poison green. It's 64 by 83 1/2. Does it appeal to anyone out there? Email me if it does!

This is a great quilt top I picked up in an antique store for $40.00. It's all solids, the curves are handpieced and the straight seams are machine pieced. The graphic beauty of it appealed to me. I never did anything to it after I brought it home, so it has not been washed or ironed. The size is 69 by 88 1/2.

I guess I should say, that ideally I'd like 40 apiece for these, I hope to get my Etsy store open soon and they will be there if no one desires them before then.

I'd love to find new deserving homes for these! Please spread the word in blogland.

Life

2010-01-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

A few days after my last post, 38 years went down the drain. How? I'm not sure. I could use all the prayers you send my way. I don't want this. The grass is never greener on the other side.
Kelly, you don't know it, but your last two insprirational posts have helped! My daughter came to be a support system and helped me change the look of my blog. Life goes on. I might get one of my finishes done this month! I hope! I can't dwell, so I'll be back with more quilting pictures and projects soon. I hope to open my Etsy store and sell off crafting things, wedding supplies, quilt tops and more. I'll keep you posted. Hopefully this weekend I'll get things moving on that. Right now, grief and potty training GD #2 is the order of the day.

Two more wins!

2010-01-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

I love Kelly at Cotton Charm! She was the best Santa this year! It was a year in which we all only bought the kids presents and the adults got next to nothing. So I was so thrilled to win a bundle of Moda Glace! Thrilled! I love it so much!

And then I won a kit for this cute cat pattern through Alderwood Quilts (Alderwoodquilts.com) via SewCal Gal. She was one of the sponsors.Isn't it darling? Thank you! I have to admit I was a little bummed this season. I didn't decorate full out , I didn't cook my usual over the top meal, but these two things really helped my spirits. I love Christmas and I love playing Santa and buying gifts for everyone, so it was really different to have blog friends sending me things. I love it! and a huge thank you to both of them!

My finishes for January...CGQC keeps inspiring!

2010-01-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try not to start anything new this month. HA! That's a joke isn't it? But, I am also going to be on the road for a couple weekends in January. Two nice quilt shows I'm really hoping to attend. So I'm going upstairs to do a lot of prep, and I'm going to catch up on my Vicksburg blocks. I'm three behind and they are the applique ones. I can do them watching the munchkins or in the car if I get them ready to go.And my poor Bunny Hill BOM. I love it and I must finish it! What if she starts a new one? I have to get this one done. So I'm going to prep those blocks for travel too. I have a lot started and none of them completed! All totaled that's about 15 or more blocks that neeed started and /or finished. Wish me luck!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T07:18:00.001-08:00

Where did the time go? How did we get ten years into the millenium? Usually, and last night is no exception, I can't stay up until midnight. Party pooper, I know. Oh well, when I went to bed, it was the New Year on the east coast! Today it is time to start dismantling the Christmas decorations, but I probably won't because GD 2 and 3 spent the night and that task would be better when toddler fingers aren't trying to help. It had been a long time since little girls came and jumped in bed with us wanting breakfast.

I have made a huge goals for myself for 2010. One, I want to make 3 red and white twin sized bed quilts for the beds in my loft. Simple, graphic quilts. I'm still on my red and white kick! Two, continue to finish more UFOs! Perhaps all of them? That is a huge goal. Three, I want to design more, and use my EQ6 more. I am finding I spend too much unproductive time on the computer. I read so many blogs that I really need to cut back. I have found a lot of home decor blogs that have helped take the place of my beloved Country Home magazine. I was a subscriber from the 2nd issue 30 plus years ago. I miss it! But it is all so time consuming, and I really want to sew.
I have found some great things on blogs. On Christmas morning I used the Cinn-bon icing recipe on my own cinnamon rolls. Yum Yum! Fresh cinnamon rolls are a Christmas morning tradition. I find out about sales at places like the Cotton Charm quilt store, and BOMs. I am very behind on Bunny Hills (which is now over), and slightly behind on the Vicksburg one. Since I was let go from my job, last January, it has been a great year. I am happy to be home all the time and I sew a lot more than I did when I had a long commute and a 40 hour a week job. 2010 will bring more of the same I'm sure. Lots more recipes, quilts, inspiration, sales, fabric, dreams, UFOs, and finished quilts. I don't sew anything but quilts, so forgive me if I'm not in swaps or exchanges. I love reading all the blogs, and I hope that the New Year brings you quilts and happiness. May it bring you all the joy of a three year old in a Snow White costume. I know mine will!

I won a giveaway! and No mom please don't make me sit on his lap! and a finish for CCQC!

2009-12-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

First off, I would like to say a big big thank you to Michelle of L7Quilt Company because I won her giveaway! http://thel7quiltco.blogspot.com/

Monday I picked up a parcel that I knew was from her! Unfortunately I had to get a battery for my camera before I could take a picture! I am so excited to have won a giveaway, and very excited to have won this one. It is a honey bun in the Nostalgia line, which I love and she included a packet of Looking Back 2 1/2 inch squares. I am going to have fun with both of these!

Thank you Michelle! Thank you!

That battery came just in time too. I knew it was going, flashing at me on our weekend trip to California, and it totally conked out right here...

Luckily I had the new one in my pocket! These are GD2 and 3 and they did not want to sit on Santa's lap! The two year old however was very chatty from three feet away. Hi HO HO! (that's what she calls him) I want a ball, and a doll and a choo choo train! See my pretty dress, and look I got painted nails just for Christmas! and on and on. Then the drama of getting near him. Afterward, she wanted to go back and show him the picture of her with him. But no sitting on the lap or anywhere near him. She just wanted to talk!

So far I have one finish for Charming Girls Quilt Club. I finished my table runner that I made experimenting with different combinations using a 60 degree triangle. One more to go, those darn prairie points, but I still have another week to get upstairs and get it done!

Merry Christmas to all!!

Dear Santa....

2009-12-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

My Dear Santa,

I'm sure that you remember me. It's been awhile since I've written since I have actually been working as one of your elves for the last 38 years. Children love their presents and I really love to make them and give them. But just to spur your memory, I'm the short one, slightly rotund, and I seem to have gotten gray hair over the years. How come I'm the only elf that ages? But, never mind with that. I do have a wish for me this year, and I heard through the elf grapevine that the Fat Quarter Shop might help you this year! That's exciting! Here it is Santa, isn't it pretty? A beautiful bundle of fabric. I'm sure I can do something with this. I know, I know, it's not red, which besides being your favorite color is one of mine too, but I'm a closet pastel person. Please, please remember me this year! Petite Maison will be just perfect. Thank you ahead of time, I have faith in you. Love from, your short, rotund, gray haired elf.

Quick Christmas Button Ornament

2009-12-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

This quickie ornament is about 3 inches by 3 1/2 inches. All you need is some old white buttons, and a little bit of muslin and a length of white satin ribbon. I cut out the hearts, and machine sewed around them leaving room to turn the ornament. You can sew the ribbon on at this point, or sew it on later. Stuff lightly and then position and sew the buttons around the outside edge keeping the heart shape. I have buttons on both sides so that it is reversible and shows well no matter how it hangs. Old buttons are rarely white, but off white, so I used an aged muslin. To get a good heart shape, simply fold your pattern paper in half and cut so that both sides are identical. Your shape could be funky or classical. I also added a bow to one side. My first intent was to cover the heart in buttons, but that made the ornament too heavy, so I only put them around the edges. It could be done in reds and greens, too. I have this one on my white and silver tree but I'm thinking that I need another one for my tree with handmade ornaments. I'd better get busy on that!

I got lazy this year! No baking! Hubby is on Atkins, and I'm diabetic, so I set up a candy buffet for visitors. Yum! I find I can stay away from it better than a homemade cookie buffet! Strangely enough the red vines are a big hit!

Check this out!

Red and white....

2009-12-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

I really hoped that I would have the top finished by the end of the year. I only have the side triangles to go, but it won't happen, it's a lot more work.

There is 16 of the side triangles because it is queen size. I couldn't wait to put it together though, so I left a little bit of the end seams open to put the triangles in later. I don't know how I'm going to quilt it, and I am open for ideas. I'm thinking the background in a straight line grid, but I don't know about the red areas. Send me your thoughts if you have quilted applique quilts! I think I'll go around the applique inside and out but not through the layers. Or should I go through the layers like Hawaiian quilts? If you've made a Baltimore Album quilt let me know. All these blocks came from the Baltimore Album books by Elly Sienkiewicz.

Christmas quilts are on the table, and on the wall, and the beds, and under the tree....

2009-12-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

check out

http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/ for a virtual Christmas Quilt show.

Christmas for kids

2009-12-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

While I was in Pennsylvania we visited Christmas Tree Lane. This is a valley fixture in Kraynaks. It probably has 50 plus trees (I wish I had asked) and starts with the children's trees, in various themes with animatronic characters. Here's a small overview... after all the kids trees, it phases into more religious and traditional trees. I've been taking my kids there for 34 years. I wish my grandkids could see it..

I'll try to show some of the adult trees in a later post, although a lot of them came out blurry. Maybe I can hunt up some pics of other years.

Charming Girls Quilt Club

2009-12-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

My finishes for the month... well.... hopefully my finishes for the month.

Yesterday I got upstairs for almost the whole day. I played around with my 60 degree ruler and made twelve different hexagons and put them into a table runner. I think I'll just cut the sides even to make binding a cinch. I cut strips in 2-3 inches to make the triangles. I have my favorite of them all, so I think I'll make something else out of it. A full size red and white hexagon quilt. Now there would be a project!

My other finish is this thing that has been hanging around forever. It was made from two charm packs and just needs the prairie points. I'm tired of looking at it! It has to be done this month!

I'm on a red and white theme this month!

While I'm here I'll show you a quick pic of my loft sewing room. The two year old and I put up the loft tree. She is still quite disturbed that it isn't green.. nope, it's white with all red and white ornaments. So far it only has the three ornaments that I bought this year, because they weren't in the 'Christmas closet'. I haven't got things organized up there to show you any more yet. It's a messy workroom!

Happy quilting!

I should get my mail more often...

2009-11-30T11:44:00.000-08:00

It's me! In the middle of page 10! I have a small mention and a couple quotes......

Came and Went

2009-11-30T06:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving came and went. We only had four people, the smallest amount we have ever had. I had a bad cold courtesy of granddaughter number 2. My poor cat was found upstairs in my loft and had to be buried before dinner. He had been sick, and I guess he wanted to be remembered in a big way. He always was right between my sewing machine chair and the ironing board, so I would have to step over him constantly, and that's where he was that morning.

Moving on to Christmas! This is an old quilt which was a one yard challenge. I had one yard of the red, and one of the green, lots of muslin, and little snips of a red print. I love red and white quilts and I have a couple more to show you this month.

And...... I finished my one and only present I am making. Tiffany, if you read this, don't tell your sister! It's for granddaughter number 3 because no one (me included) made her a baby quilt. This will be just in time for her to use in her crib this winter and a good size for a toddler bed. I finished it yesterday and today I will wash it and soften it up. I enlarged a font on the computer, printed it out, reversed it onto fusible web and then machine stitched it in place. What do you think?

This Thanksgiving

2009-11-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

Kelly tagged us with the questions 'what other crafts do you do? and what are we thankful for this Thanksgiving?'

First off, my other craft is knitting. I know a lot of quilters are knitters also. I had put knitting on the backburner until the granddaughters came along and then I really went to town churning out sweaters for them the first couple years. I don't think they wear them very much, but, hey, at least I had a good time making them.

I made this big because she grows so fast. When she was smaller I made her a cashmere and wool coat sweater. I wish I had a picture of that one.

I'm thankful for my kids and grandkids, and my house with the sewing room and its big bathroom.

If you think a bathroom is a silly thing to be thankful about, it's because I spent my life having bathrooms that I could barely turn around in. I don't ever go in it without being happy about it, and I've lived here almost 3 years. I also waited a long time for a sewing room to myself.

Of course I'm thankful for hubby who provides all this for us, and keeps helping the adult kids and the grandkids in this bad economy and works and worries more than he should have to at this stage of his life.

I'm thankful we still have good health and I could go on and on, but I don't know that it would make good reading!

Thanks Kelly, for making us reflect about what good things we all have!

Over the River and Through the Desert....To Grandma's House We Go

2009-11-15T08:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, Thanksgiving is coming up really fast! And just beyond that is Christmas. Some years we have put our tree/trees up around the 12th of December, which is my husband's Birthday, but then we have often been known to put them up the day after Thanksgiving and the trees stay up until January 2nd. Two years ago, I put up three trees. Yes, I'm nuts. This business of more than one tree started years ago in our other house because we had a family room and living room, and if the tree is in either of those rooms then it can't be seen from the other rooms. It's the same in this house. We spend most of our time in the kitchen/family room and the fireplace is there. But on the holiday we entertain in the the livingroom/dining room combo. So it deserves a tree also, right? So where is the third tree? Call me crazy but I wanted one in my loft/sewing room which overlooks the living room. I don't know if I'll get all this done this year. I'm more motivated to make quilt tops than to decorate right now, but we'll see. As time goes on, I tend to get more enthusiasm for decorating. All our trees are 'fake' trees, because we like to leave them up for a month, and a real tree has a hard time in the dry air we cope with. I hate needles in the carpet for months afterward.

It takes a lot of work to get all this 'stuff' out! And put it away! This is my buffet years ago, I've collected white and silver santas since this picture, and the houses go on the fireplace now.

I have an extensive collection of cast iron santa doorstops, too. I waited years to have a house with a staircase to display them on.

I wanted to show you a stocking I made Granddaughter number 1 for her first Christmas. I made it from an old red wool shirt and left the pocket on it for a special Christmas treat from Santa. The white showing just under the white top is where the sleeve to the shirt was.

Then last year for Granddaughter number 4, I used an old wool sweater. I sent it through a hot wash and

dry several times to 'felt' it, cut the pattern and before I lined it I did some beadwork where the original white of the nordic design was.

A red ribbon, some buttons, and a knitted top out of funky fur yarn, and she also has her own individual stocking.

I made stockings for Granddaughters 2 and 3 also, I just can't find the pics right now. That will be another post if I can find them.

Baskets for traveling

2009-11-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

Here is the peak at what I was working on in spare moments on the airplane or sitting around at night. I used the adorable little basket pattern from When the Cold Wind Blows, but of course I had to change it. I created a pattern in which the handle was part of the basket. Why have two pieces if you could have one? Then, I used light baskets on dark background, and dark baskets on light backgrounds. I'll probably change the setting of them too. There are lots of options. The more traditional four square....

or this foursquare.....

or offset.....

or just random which is more like the original pattern.

I also have thought of using a large applique block from the book as a center, with the baskets surrounding it. There are so many options. For now, I'm going to cut some more and leave it as my travel work. I always need something quick and easy to work on when I'm away from home. These little things barely took any time at all and a couple dozen fit in a gallon baggie for travel. I'm hoping it will be a stash buster, except that I had to go buy a lot of shirtings because my stash is mostly mediums and darks!

I did manage to visit two little quilt stores in PA. I drooled over the new fabrics, but due to the fact that I was living out of a carry on bag, and my husband's bag was already 50 pounds I only picked up about 11 yards in mostly fat quarters that I could stuff into all the nooks and crannies of my carry on. Hubby rolled his eyes at me everytime he had to stuff that suitcase into the overhead bins because it was a bit puffier than when we started out. I might add that I'm too short to get anything in those bins,or I would I have done it myself and skipped the eye rolls I got! Then on the last leg back to Phoenix, after we were stuck in Atlanta because of Tropical Storm Ida, I also managed to stuff my lined rain coat in that bag! He really had to shove and push then! Even the flight attendant (I almost called her a stewardess!) asked if I had been shopping!

Charleston, South Carolina

2009-11-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, but I was away for ten days! It took me most of the morning to catch up on my blog reading, because, although we had a computer with us my husband was using it for the stock market most of the time, and I guess I was truly on vacation, thinking about other things. We started out in Pennsylvania where my mother still lives, and after visiting friends and family, and setting her up with a new computer we went down to Charleston, South Carolina for a conference. I'll post about PA. later because it's more of a Christmas post, but I have to show you a few pics of the Kiawah Sanctuary resort near Charleston. I had the absolute best meal I've ever had, five courses, formal, and two amazing buffets, breakfast and lunch that the resort put on for our conference. I should scan that menu because, I'm sorry, I don't live the life that millionares do, and I'd never seen anything like it. Most of the speakers at the conference and many of the people there are very rich. I was totally out of my element. The reason that we were there is that years ago, hubby bought a lifetime subscription to the newsletters these financial gurus write. It was an experience. We had an ocean view room, chocolate on our pillows, the works. At dinner we sat next to a guy who was wearing a cast because he had just been mugged in Argentina for his Rolex. Sheesh, okay, I don't aspire to that lifestyle, I'm just hoping to be secure in my retirement. Isn't that staircase resplendent? and there were two of them in the lobby area. Check the second picture, waay in the back you can see the other one. The pics are dark because the flash just wouldn't carry that far. I got a total kick out of the Alligator sign. I never really thought of the low country as alligator country although I had been there before.. don't feed or tease or harass the alligators. Okay, not likely on my part! I did take some handwork to do in odd moments, a new project. I'll take pics and post it soon too.

October Charming Girls quilt projects and pumpkin patch

2009-10-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

October has been a busy busy month, but I have managed to get the binding on the 3 quilts and my table runner quilted and bound. The amazing part is that I did it by the 21st! So my Charming Girl projects are DONE! The pink and brown quilt will be in my new Etsy shop as soon as I get it open. That is taking longer than expected, but it will happen in the near future. Oops, I just realized that I left out a picture, but you can see the quilt to the left of the pink and brown one. It's pink and white. They are hanging on the balcony to my quilt room/loft, which is a total disaster right now. It really needs a good organization - or perhaps finishing some projects will help the mess clear itself.

I also managed to get a knitted hat and sweater set finished for granddaughter number 1 and given to her when we went to her house for granddaughter number 4's first birthday. I think I took her more things than I did the poor little birthday girl! Not to spoil her, but I know when I make or buy her things that 3 more little girls will wear it eventually too.

The picture shows granddaughter 2 and 4 in the pumpkin patch along with 2 of my kids and son in law. Quixote, the Akita /Pit Bull mix enjoyed himself in the pumpkin patch too. The only downside to the day is that in the middle of October it was 100 degrees.. tooo HOT! Way too hot! Do they look hot in the picture? Sunglasses and hats are the norm for us. I'm lucky if I ever get to wear any winter clothes.

Now I have to decide what projects I want to start and or finish for November. This is a big decision!

I still have those prairie points from back in the summer to finish, so that is on the list - and I need to work on some Christmas projects. I have a feeling that the holidays are going to sneak up on me.

Happy quilting folks!

2009-10-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it, I'm an old hippie.. I go around in Clarks slipons everyday, although in my younger years at work I wore the 'cute one' shoe. I have never worn heels, and the last time I was in a dress was over 6 years ago at one of my daughters' weddings. At the other daughters' wedding, I wore pants. I'm pretty low maintenance, and although I have a lot of shoes, they are all the comfy kind. I'm really short too, so one would think I'd go for a little height, but really only models wear heels and jeans right? Not me. Ouch! Comfort all the way.

I'm working away on my October projects. I started the binding on the 3rd quilt today, and then I will move on to quilting the table runner.. perhaps I'll even finish early and move on to other projects! I have 4 more red applique fleur de lis, and then I only have to do the setting triangles.. stay posted, I'll be excited to finish that one. And no, I haven't been able to find any more fabric so I'm going to have to squeeze it out of my last yard. I hope I can, I hope I can!

Bloggers Quilt Festival

2009-10-09T07:03:00.001-07:00

For the Blogger's Quilt Festival, I wanted to show a redwork Mother Goose/Nursery Rhyme quilt that I made my daughter. First I picked the fabric, then I went looking for matching floss because it isn't a true red. It took forever to pick the style of block that would compliment the embroidery. I had to add in some flowers because at the time I didn't have enough nursery rhyme blocks, but I have since seen several more in magazines. I seem to be drawn to embroidery and quilting because I'm in the middle of a little pumpkin wall hanging right now, and I just bought a pattern of cute little houses to do in black.

This quilt is hand quilted and truthfully, I never let my daughter use it! How sad is that? Never used or washed and I'm sure it has cotton batting in it. Hope you all enjoy it!

2009-10-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

It's finally cool here and I felt like getting out the fall decor. I haven't done too much yet, just got the quilts out of the cupboard. I love the cat and pumpkin quilt, made years ago. I had found the perfect background with little cats and pumpkins on it that set it off perfectly. The tablerunners are my own concoctions, one made around the large square of Halloween print in the center. The little ghost embroidery just sits on a side table. I like redwork, orangework, blackwork, in other words doing embroidery in just one color. Maybe this weekend I'll get down the tubs of pumpkins, silk leaves and old fashioned figurines that I picked up at Michaels last year.. It's fall! It's finally under 100 degrees! This week the highs are only 80! Time to decorate!

Charming Girls Quilt Club

2009-10-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

My October projects for the Charming Girls Club! I just got these three quilts back from the quilter - she did a fabulous job, and now my job is to trim and bind them. Plus my tablerunner (shown on the chair), which I am going to machine quilt myself and bind. It's little, I think I can get all this done!

The second pic is a little bit washed out, but it is the peachy pinks from Moda's Wuthering Heights line from several years back. The tablerunner is leftover scraps from a queen quilt I just put together. I think you can tell that I like pastels a lot from the pinks and greens. The second to last quilt is half square triangles from Kashmir IV put together with pink and sea foam green scraps I had. Just leftovers in my own pattern. The other pink and green is a Jacob's Ladder variation. There you have it, I will finish these 4 quilts! Yay!

Little Getaway

2009-10-05T10:12:00.001-07:00

We did another long weekend trip to California and slept on the sailboat at Dana Point. This trip we did a couple touristy things we had never done before. One was to take the ferry over to Catalina Island.
Isn't this pretty? I know the pic isn't that good, but this is our full moon cruise back to the mainland from Catalina Island and Avalon. We decided to brave the wind and sit outside on the return trip. It was a beautiful ride, just about an hour and 20 minutes.

For all the 'Beaches' fans out there, this is the cottage from the movie. For those of you who don't know the movie - go watch it! Bette Midler - it's very good. The cottage is in disrepair, but they have plans to restore it. It is at Crystal Cove which is now in the California State Park system.

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

Applique update

2009-09-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

I'm working on block number 31! Yay! I did a layout in EQ and decided I needed 41 to make a queen sized quilt, with even more for the end triangles, and corners... My problem is that I'm going to run out of the red fusion floral, even though I had yards of it. I searched the local shops with no luck and ordered two packages off the internet, one wasn't a good match, the other has yet to come. I want to bind it in red also, so I'm hoping this next package will do it. Otherwise, I go to plan B , which I haven't devised yet. I don't want a smaller quilt, so I'm hoping this will work. The white is Kona white which I buy in bolts from JoAnns with their coupons. Love those coupons!
On another note, I took three quilts to a quilter last Sunday. I gave up on ever getting my backlog done myself. I'll feel good when the backlog is cleared up and I can make tops with a clear conscience! I've ordered several books from Amazon and I am geared up to clean the stash. The babysitting keeps me from doing anything but handwork right now which is why I hope to have this top done soon!

Cutter quilts I won't cut

2009-09-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Years ago (about 20) I picked this quilt up in a thrift store... I was attracted to it's tiny triangles which are about 1 1/4 inches on a side, and the pink and green which I absolutely love. It was labeled a cutter quilt, but I won't do that, I value and respect the workmanship of tiny triangles, hand piecing and hand quilting. It was never a museum quilt, but somehow it speaks to me. I really really want to make a copy of this someday.. perhaps soon! At first glance this quilt looks pretty random but when you really inspect it, you would find that it was planned out perfectly. It would be easy to copy but time consuming... I think I should do it! Twenty years of wanting to is enough isn't it? I think the printed fabrics are 30s or 40s, and the pink, green and white are solids. That too is my cup of tea, combining prints and solids in antique reproductions. I hope you appreciate this as much as I do. Someone added satin blanket binding to the top and bottom and there are some holes, but for five dollars, it's a real charmer. When I bought this I did all hand piecing, but now, I'll have to machine piece. I'm over the hand piecing! ha!

September 11

2009-09-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

September 11

2009-09-08T08:09:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd share a little wall hanging I made after 2001. How many remember that it was a Tuesday that year? How many remember the year? How many remember the shock we felt to be attacked? I'm not a political person, but as a quilter of the last century documented her life and times in her quilts, I felt the need to embroider these simple words on my red, white and blue wall hanging. I believe I got the pattern from the internet somewhere. Perhaps the Jinny Beyer site? That I don't really remember, but when I went to work that morning, I found out that one of my friends' college roommates worked in the towers. Simply putting this on this quilt means that future generations will remember too.

Quilters will always remember their lives through their quilts. I think we should document our lives more often in our quilts. Email has pretty much insured that we won't leave any actual letters behind! Sign your quilts with a story of who, what, why, where, and when. Leave a legacy.

2009-08-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that not a lot of sewing is happening around here. I've agreed to temporarily babysit granddaughters number 2 and 3 who are 2 1/2 and 1 1/2. It's days of diapers, food, drinks and naps that never happen at the same time. I'm trying to quilt on my blue and white Pierre Star, and still working on the red and white applique, but it is a MUCH slower pace. The youngest one particularly is a wanderer and loves to open cupboards and drawers and what's in them or behind them? Nothing she can have! I chase after her a lot.

So, what do I do for fun? I get online and order up a fat quarter bundle of Mill House Inn from the Fat Quarter Shop. It got here in record time! It's so pretty I don't even want to untie the bundle. The colors are fabulous. I am a pastel person, and I love white, light pretty quilts.. the browns are a perfect foil for the pastels. Love it!! I don't have immediate plans because the yardage isn't available yet, but I'll think of something soon. I usually make bed sized quilts because what the heck does one do with dozens of wall hangings? I'm really curious, because so many patterns are not bed sized any more. I only have one wall hanging in the main part of my house, one in my husband's office, and two in the sewing room. I do have 1 crib, 4 twin beds, 1 double bed, and 1 queen bed in my house, so bed sized quilts make more sense for me.

Needless to say, the sewing room is not baby proof. Rotary cutters and a 1 year old? No, I don't think so! I find a few moments up there (it's a loft) but they are few and far between. I've only finished one of my Charming Girls monthly projects for August, and still have the prairie points to do on the other quilt. Wish me luck! I have so many started projects. There's another reason to just stare at the Mill House Inn bundle for awhile.

Charming Girls Quilt Club

2009-08-03T09:06:00.001-07:00

Here's my two projects for August. Yes, two. These both have been sitting in my sewing room just waiting and waiting. The first one needs the prairie points and some applique, the other needs the cheddar binding put on it. I can handle that right? Quilting is sort of like a high school crush, you are really into him/' the project' until the next boy/'fabric/project' comes along and then you go off chasing the newbie. I really have too many crushes going at the same time. But I can't seem to limit myself, so I WILL finish these two tops in August.

Applique

2009-07-31T08:32:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to improve my applique for years now. This spring when I was no longer working, I sat down with some Hawaiian applique and did four pillow sized and one tulip pattern in a 40 inch wall hanging. Then I decided to go for it, and I'm making all the Fleur de lis from the Baltimore album blooks. I thought some might be more than my abilities can handle but by the time I finish with 30 or so of them, I should have improved my skills! So here I am, almost halfway done, except I have big plans for setting them together. I think my skills have improved. So far I am happy with all of them. I have an unorthodox way of cutting them. I make the 1/8th pattern and fold my red into 8ths and draw around my pattern. Then I cut them out, all the layers at the same time, Hawaiian style. This works great, but I haven't got to the intricate ones yet. With them I may have to make a full freezer paper pattern. I fold my white squares in 8ths, press and then open the red and lay it on top, matching the pressing lines, baste, and then needle turn. I have to baste because I hate working on work with pins stuck in it. Also, I took these in the car on the way to California and it is much simpler to have basted them when you are working in cars and hotel rooms. It's an extra step, but the design never shifts, and it is working perfectly.
Of course our dear Roady, Rhoady, or Roadster, as I call him ,sat on them the second I started laying them out. He was my daughter's cat, found as a stray when she was in college. He was hiding under cars covered in oil, out in the apartment parking lot, hence his name. I've had him now for years. Someone declawed him, and although I probably would never do that, my leather and wicker furniture is all the better for it.

Sea World and Shopping

2009-07-24T09:45:00.001-07:00

I'm just back from a mini-vacation to Sea World and I had to do some shopping for fabric while I was gone. First off, I got lots of good stuff including a bolt of Timeless Treasures batik from a small shop in Sahuarita near Tucson. It was only $6.00 a yard if you bought the bolt. Plus that shop had lots of polka dots and happy fabrics for a project I have in mind. It was a double wide mobile home, in the middle of the desert, stuffed with fabric. My daughter had been hiding it from me!

Then in San Diego, I had to stop at Rosie's. They advertise 20,000 bolts of fabric and I believe it. I came out of there with a heavy heavy bag full!

Now today, I'm off to one of our biggest shops, 15,000 bolts, which is having their annual July sale! It's been a great week, lots of fabric and quality time with granddaughters number 1 and 4. AND it's not hardly over 100 degrees today....

2009-07-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

Kelly tagged us, so I'm going to try to answer her questions. I'm not really a chatterbox, so bear with me.

1. My favorite fabric, hands down, Moda! I seem to use much more of it than anything else. They always seem to have a collection I'm in love with. Most recently I've used the Kashmir IV collection. Love their prints!

2. The pattern I'm looking forward to? Whatever my next one is! I am getting away from other people's patterns, and I have a notebook full of ideas for my own quilts. I'm working hard on improving my applique, so I have several of my own designs in applique in the works.

3. My weakness food? Well Chocolate! I eat semi-sweet chocolate chips for my snack of choice. Ghirardelli only. It was my husband's idea to mix them into the peanut butter jar. :)

4. If I knew I couldn't fail, I would have done things a little differently 40 years ago. But here I am and I love life.

5. The best life advice? Think before you open your mouth, because what comes out can't go back in.

Charming Girls Quilt Club

2009-07-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

I joined the Charming Girls Quilt Club a little late for July, but I'll be posting something for August. What will it be? My patriotic redwork? My fleur de lis appliques? Finishing the quilting and binding a log cabin? or something else? I have many many projects in the que! Silly me. Sometimes it's overwhelming. So this club is a good thing. One small step at a time.

I quilt in the loft of my home. It's about 350 square feet, and besides my cutting table, my sewing table, an antique cradle full of quilts, multiple shelves of books and fabrics, shelves of my family glassware, it is also full of handmade bears, ABC baby plates, children's books, some pottery, three twin beds covered in quilts, cast iron flower doorstops, and of course me. We call it the Goldilocks room because of the three beds and the multitude of mohair bears in different sizes, and an antique picture of Goldilocks talking to three teddy bears. Come to think of it, maybe there isn't room for me in there! Anyway, I'll find something to work on and I'll get it posted soon. A short trip to Sea World with grand daughters number 1 and 4 is in order first....Oh, I forgot my daughters' vintage Strawberry Shortcake doll house is hidden up there too. Granddaughter number 1 who will soon be three will probably discover it soon. Last trip to see me, she curled up on one of the beds and talked and looked at books while I sewed. Cozy!

2009-07-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

I can't really show you the last 3 or 4 I finished - top secret - ha ha. No really, I hope to make patterns of them someday, but maybe this will do. I just started to hand quilt this quilt two days ago, pardon the wrinkled look in this photo. I really like this quilt, it's an antique replica, and I hope to put tons of hand quilting on it. Carrie, how's the handquilting going? Didn't I read somewhere that you were trying it out?

Gosh, there are about a hundred quilts of all sizes in between my first one and this one and some of them were on my flickr patch, and now since I upgraded Internet Explorer yesterday, flickr isn't working. grrrrr - off to figure out why and fix it.

2009-07-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

Carrie and Camille have challenged us to put up our first quilt and the last one we have finished. This is sort of my first quilt. I think it dates to 1975. I say it's my first one because it's my first quilted quilt. All the others before this were tied. I got really bored one day in my mobile home with my one year old, and pulled out all my scraps and some transfer patterns (from my grandmother ) that I'd been dragging around the country. I enlarged one by hand, and this is the result. It's rather embarrassing! The stitches are HUGE! I'm new to this blogging stuff, so I just realized that I should have done my latest one first - oh well!

2009-07-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

Here's another quilt I did 'back in the day'. I do love antique reproductions and I seem to make plenty of them. This particular one was hand pieced and hand quilted. It's not very big, those sunbursts are probably six inches across. But there were plenty of them! I do admire the women of the last century for their handwork.

2009-06-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

2009-06-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

. I live in an area where they grow hundreds of acres of roses. The color is unbelievable. Some fields are just acres of red, where others are large swaths of color and in this one the roses were a different color in every row. I never get tired of this sight.

2009-06-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

This is a scrap quilt that I did years ago. I was a hand quilter, now I quilt both by hand and machine. This is what I like to call a controlled scrap quilt, on each block there are elements that are the same print in every block - for instance the star has green points in every block, and the sashing down the middle is the same. It gives some order to scrap quilts. I also like to mix prints and solids. I'd have to go look to be sure, but I think this was hand pieced too! I used to be crazy! Ha Ha, but now I have the sanity of a sewing maching and rotary cutter!

2009-06-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Before I go, I thought I'd put up a pic of my sunflower. Look real close and you can see the bee in the flower. And yes, our sky is usually that color!

2009-06-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

I was out doing errands today, 20 miles roundtrip to the dry cleaners and Starbucks, and I was looking at all the blooming plants. Red yucca, yellow yucca, lantana in gold, red, and purple, the purple sages blooming now, and all the hummingbird bushes, the oleanders, and more. And you know, even with all that color, I'm still missing the lilacs, lily of the valley, little purple violets growing wild in the grass, rose of sharons, and more from back east. I've been in the west 34 years now and still miss them! Our June has been very mild, not really over 100 consistantly yet, and still dry. My garden which I started in Feb, is going great. My sunflowers just burst into bloom this week, and my tomatoes are producing more than I can eat. My fig tree has tons figs on it, and my lemon tree will have tons of lemons this fall. So I have nothing to complain about! But it's going to get harder and harder to keep bedding plants etc alive as the heat hits. I won't plant again until September now. It's time to go concentrate on quilts!

So, I'm off to put the binding on my newest table runner, and the prairie points on my newest toddler quilt made from two charm packs, and baste my twin made from Kashmir IV. I do love Moda fabrics! You can tell that I am one of those people that can't have just one project going. Oh no, there's half a dozen or more in various stages in my workroom. Sometimes I wish I could clone myself!

set up

2009-04-19T17:48:00.001-07:00

I just set this up, so nothing is here yet! But hopefully there will be soon!