RSC16 week 1

A NEW YEAR FULL OF PROMISE

I feel a new lightness and excitement today, mainly because I accomplished two goals this week, so RSC15 came to a good finish.

First, I completed the balloon block flimsie, my first ever Rainbow Challenge.

My friend and I put our heads together and worked out a final design for the backing.  It's going to be fun, but that's all I'm saying for now.

The second finish was my secret gift for my daughter, the table runner made from a Connecting Threads kit. which I ended up binding on Christmas morning.  I had to give it to her when I arrived for dinner there so it could be the centerpiece of her table.

She was delighted and my SIL got some great photos of it on her big dining room table.  She was especially happy that I had used the African-style valance fabric on the back, which she had seen on the two other runners I made for friends at Thanksgiving.  

The backing also made a perfect binding.  I machine quilted all the outlines, using my walking foot.  For the center squares I did a simple four-petaled figure, using a pale olive thread along with maroon in the bobbin.

That's not the whole story.  I love the elegant kit fabric so much that I ordered a larger kit from the same line, naturally on a great sale deal.  I will not make the kit, but will have three yards of this precious stuff, three yards of black and many other fabrics.   What better way to start off the year!

For my first blogging year my total of finished quilt projects included three Project Linus kid quilts, an iPad carrying bag, a rainbow zigzag twin quilt,  a butterfly throw quilt, the balloon flimsie and three table runners for a total of ten projects.  Not a lot compared to most of you, but I feel a sense of accomplishment.  And I am one happy quilter looking forward to a new year of fun, fabric and friendships.  I wish the same for each one of you, dear friends.

Monday Making, December 29

I hope everyone had as happy a Christmas as I had with my family.  We laughed and laughed, which was so special for each of us.  

My secret gift was for my daughter, the table runner made from a Connecting Threads kit. which I ended up binding on Christmas morning.  I had to give it to her when I arrived so it could be the centerpiece of her table.

She was delighted and my SIL got some great photos of it on her big dining room table.  She was especially happy that I had used the African-style valance fabric on the back, which she had seen on the two other runners I made for friends at Thanksgiving.  

The backing also made a perfect binding.  I machine quilted all the outlines, using my walking foot.  For the center squares I did a simple four-petaled figure, using a pale olive thread along with maroon in the bobbin.

Now  for the end of the story: 

I love the elegant fabric so much that I ordered a larger kit from the same line, naturally on a great sale deal.  I will not make the kit, but will have three yards of this precious stuff, three yards of black and many other fabrics.   So I am one happy quilter, looking forward a new year of fun, fabric and friendships.  I wish the same for all of you!

RSC15, week 52

A WONDERFUL YEAR

This year of quilt blogging has been a truly special year for me.  It got me started back in quilting again after about 20 years since my last quilt.  It's been meeting so many kind and caring quilters plus giving me goals to work for and renewing my creativity.  

So I want to show you the last quilt I made back then, which had a great deal of meaning for me.  I call it Shekinah, the light of the presence of God dwelling with His people.

I cut each triangle separately and placed it on my design wall before piecing the first half and then duplicating it in reverse.  My goal was using the stars as the basis and turning some into crosses, as well as having the light glow from the center and fade outward.

I machine quilted it at 60x60 in one week in time for a show entry.  After that life intruded and I put away the machine.

Meanwhile this year is finishing well for me, which I hope to share with you next week as an end and onto the new year with more projects piling up quickly.  

I wish all you dear friends, and especially Angela, a happy and blessed New Year.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com, Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com and Making Monday at Love, Laugh, Quilt.

Monday Making, December 21

GIFTING TIME

The moment I spotted this table runner at Connecting Threads I knew I had to make it.  The colors are so rich and elegant, and the piecing is not too complex.

I'm almost finished with this special gift.  It's the first time I have ever bought a kit and I worked very carefully to get the measurements right.  It was like putting together a puzzle.  The backing is the African type fabric.  I got it at our quilt group giveaway table, yards and yards of a deep valance.  This is the third table runner I'm using it for and still have 2-1/2 yards left!  It wil also be the binding.

I want to thank all of you quilt bloggers who have been such a help and encouragement to me this past year, and I wish you joy and peace now and in the new year.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com.  This is my first post to Monday Making, thanks to Beth for hosting it.

RSC15 week 51

TIME FLIES

So much to do, so much to look forward to.  I was so happy this week when my five yards of Kona aqua arrived from Craftsy.  It's going to make a fun backing for my 30 balloon blocks.

I've been busy piecing the rows with lime green sashing.  In fact, I got so excited adding side strips that I miscounted, attached too many and had to do a lot of ripping (they did not need a strip on both sides, only one.)  I've also made some progress on my secret gift, which takes priority for now. 

 I did not put up my little Christmas tree and entire Bethlehem village, just to keep things simple for me and my family without Chris. But one of my favorite antique quilts just speaks Christmas to me, so it comes out to enjoy.  It's a log cabin Courthouse Steps done in some kind of heavy twill fabrics, probably from around 1900.  It is done in red, tan, navy, dark green and a black, peach and white print.

From my home to yours a blessed Christmas, memorable family times and a Happy New Year!

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com.   Come by and enjoy.

Sew Cute Tuesday, December 15

WINTER COLOR

Well, yesterday broke the December record high temp, in the 50's here in Madison, WI. But Christmas is coming soon and I'm working on a surprise project for someone special.  It is my first kit project ever, from the Kaliedescope collection at Connecting Threads.  I really love the rich colors and the feature print.  The directions are clear and I was able to streamline the process, so the major portion is finished.

I did end up substituting the green for a drab olive print and the teal for a much darker blue that gave no contrast to the star points.  I was so happy that those star points are showing.

Finally I have started on the balloon block sashing.  I'm using 2-inch cut strips.  I got the green print on a great sale, and here is the first photo of all 30 blocks laid out.  There will also be horizontal sashing and a wider border of the lime green.

One more important detail, the backing.  I looked online and found more of the balloon print available.  But the price would be more than I spent on the whole quilt.  Fortunately I found a great bright turquoise Kona solid at Craftsy's sale, a 5-yard piece for  about $22 plus free shipping.  I have about 8 extra balloon squares, so I can do something fun on the back.  That's how I like to do things, for fun.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com. Please join us there.

RSC15 week 50

WINTER COLOR

Well, yesterday broke the December record high temp, in the 50's here in Madison, WI. But Christmas is coming soon and I'm working on a surprise project for someone special.  It is my first kit project ever, from the Kaliedescope collection at Connecting Threads.  I really love the rich colors and the feature print.  The directions are clear and I was able to streamline the process, so the major portion is finished.

I did end up substituting the green for a drab olive print and the teal for a much darker blue that gave no contrast to the star points.  I was so happy that those star points are showing.

Finally I have started on the balloon block sashing.  I'm using 2-inch cut strips.  I got the green print on a great sale, and here is a taste of the color mix.  The total will be 30 blocks, a nice size.

One more important detail, the backing.  I looked online and found more of the balloon print available.  But the price would be more than I spent on the whole quilt.  Today I found a great bright turquoise Kona solid at Craftsy's sale, a 5-yard piece for  about $22 plus free shipping.  I have about 8 extra balloon squares, so I can do something fun on the back.  That's how I like to do things, for fun.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com. Please join us there.

Sew Cute Tuesday, December 8

COVERUP TIP

When I saw dust on the thread about to go through the needle in my machine, I realized THIS IS A PROBLEM!  It was obviously being picked up when passing over the machine surfaces.  Occasional dusting would not take care of this.  I needed a machine cover NOW. 

I have enough going on without taking the time to stitch up a cute colorful cover.  What did I have on hand?  Lots of green type fabric grocery bags, taking up room that could be used for more stash.  After pawing through a pile of them, I found this larger black plastic fiber one.  The size worked, so with my kitchen shears (NOT my Ginghers) I cut it down to size and voila! It fits perfectly and only took one minute.  Not very colorful, so I will have to do something to deck it out.  Maybe Christmas lights?

I'm working on a secret gift now, so that's it for now.  Have a good time quilting.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com.  Come see what everyone is up to.

RSC 15 week 49

STARTING TO FINISH

This week I've been able to make some progress on my balloons quilt.  The lime green fabric I ordered finally arrived and is exactly what I wanted at a great price.  I also squared up the 30 blocks to make a 5x6 block setting.  Here I laid some out on the uncut fabric.  Most of you who commented to me said the lime was the best color choice for sashing, so here's the proof you were right.

A HAPPY SURPRISE

I had wanted to make a disappearing 9-patch quilt for a long time. This was the result, as I posted in week 46.  It started with two charm packs based on butterflies and flowers, plus some batiks.

I finished making this butterfly quilt as a surprise for a very dear friend many miles away.  I knew she followed my blog, so I had to be careful what I posted about it.

  It had been a secret until Monday when it arrived at her post office.  She got the package and called me on the phone before she opened it, so we could share the moment together.  Her surprise and happiness overwhelmed her and she cried so much that she couldn't read the inscription. I was in tears as well.  She has been a faithful friend for more than 30 years and totally deserved it.

On Tuesday I received these photos from her.

  Z

That's the very best part of quilting, all the reward we need.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com. Come check them out, so many nice folks share their projects.

RSC15 week 48

,DEADLINES MET, LOOKING AHEAD

Last weekend I worked myself silly (as in making stupid mistakes) to meet two deadlines on Monday.  But I DID IT!  I finished two nearly identical table runners as thank you gifts for two very generous women, because the design spoke to me of Thanksgiving.

These were my Fruits and Veggies runners made with fabrics from the giveaway table at our quilt group meetings.  My friends were both delighted with their gifts and also really loved the backing/binding, an African theme fabric.  I quilted the panels in two diagonal crosses, simple but easy

 So now I was able to relax and enjoy Thanksgiving.  I hope you folks in the States all had a blessed day as well.

Now back to lime green.  For my balloon block sashing I ordered some lovely lime blender, a remnant of 2.5 yards, from Jelly Roll Quilts, and it just arrived today, one of several purchases I'm expecting.

Meanwhile I have laid out a sample block of my first choice for RSC16 with these 2.5 inch squares.

I have wanted to do wonky stars for a long time and recently I saw my favorite version on Deb's blog at VT Quilter.  I'm thinking of doing it in batiks, because their range of colors is so varied.  There are a couple of other patterns I'm also considering.  It's going to be an exciting year!

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com.    Please join me for some fun.

Sew Cute Tuesday, November 24

FRUITS AND VEGGIES

This weekend I finally completed my matched pair of Fruits and Veggies table runners.  I started out with giveaway fabric pieces and added gold sashing strips.  The piece was so wide that I cut the whole thing in half lengthwise to make two table runners.  That was posted on Sew Cute Tuesday Nov. 3.

Then I realized that I knew of two lovely women who deserved a thank you gift for Thanksgiving. So I scrounged through my stash and found a yards-long valence with an African motif in fall colors.  It was also wide enough to use for backing and binding. 

Even the batting for both was made from leftovers.  Recently in one of my online shopping sprees I had bought a 1.5-inch wide roll of Heat Press Batting Together, which worked beautifully on the Warm and White pieces. 

I worked like crazy over the past few days to get them done for yesterday's giveaways.  Both friends were really surprised and delighted beyond my expectations.  

Best wishes to all you dear friends for a very blessed Thanksgiving.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com.  Please check out all the great projects there.

RSC15 week 47

A  BUSY WEEK

Deadlines are a good thing for me and have kept me glued to the sewing machine this week, or so it seems.  On Monday I showed my finished butterfly quilt at our Monona Quilters meeting.

Now I am working on two table runners from the fruits and veggies fabrics, which are both to be given to friends before Thanksgiving.  I found exactly the right backing for them.  It is a very long deep valance with an African feeling.  After ripping miles of seams it was wide enough to also be binding as well as backing.  They are now ready for quilting.

Where is the lime green this time?  I have more than enough balloon blocks for a kids quilt.  So a friend and I  auditioned some sashing choices.

 I originally planned on using thin black strips, but the black was too depressing for a child's quilt.

What about white?

The white did nothing for me or my friend.  She liked grey, but it made me feel sleepy, not happy.

Then the BIG IDEA hit. Why not use lime green sashing instead of making some extra blocks which I won't even need?  Here is our trial photo.

Fortunately I have lots of extra lime green strips, so I will do 30 blocks for the front and a few extras on the back, but no lime green squares.  I will save my fun lime scraps on last week's post to use for my plans for the new year.  Will announce them next week.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.

RSC week 46

LOTS OF GREEN AND A LOVELY FINISH

It was fun finding the lime greens in my stash.  I found more cute ones than I expected, so I decided to finish my balloons and get started on a new block for RSC16, to see how I like doing it.  Can't hurt to have a couple of lime green blocks on hand just because they are so pretty.  If and when I get the first new one done, you will be the first to know.

My big project this week was finishing the butterfly quilt I've been working on for months.  It is a throw size, disappearing 9-patch.  I used two charm packs with butterfly themes and assorted batiks.  It even has lime green in it.

I found a lovely raspberry batik in my stash, enough to add a nice border.  The backing was bought several years ago for a dress which never got made.  I quilted it on the diagonal, using lavender thread on the front and dark blue on the back. I bound it with the backing, finishing it yesterday morning.

Now I only have two projects with deadlines before Christmas,  in addition to trying to find a finish for my balloon blocks.  It's been a great experience, a good feeling to be part of quilt blogging this year, thanks to all of you.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com.   Please check out the good things to see there.

RSC15 week 45

LIME GREEN AT LAST

About twenty years ago I made a wall quilt which I called Sunlight.  It was the third in a series using an unnamed asymmetric block from a Michael James book.  I loved the movement in this block, and in this quilt I accentuated the diagonals of rays of sunlight in the woods.  I used basically greens and yellows, with a lot of lime as well as bits of orange and purple.  I learned a lot about color by trying out each one.  Any color made with added white or black was too dull and stood out like a sore thumb, so out it went.

As you can see in the closeup, I used all types of fabric from velvets to satin ribbons. The leaf print is from a thrift shop 1960's silk sheath dress, which was just the perfect touch I was missing.  Since then I have always been drawn to clear bright colors.

I have been busy quilting another project this week, but will get started on some new lime greens soon.   

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com.  Do come and enjoy what folks are doing.

Sew Cute Tuesday, November 3

FRUITS AND VEGGIES

On the giveaway table at our quilt group I found these strips of fruits and veggies fabric, already cut about 8 inches by WOF.  I cut the harvest gold strips to finish at 1.5 inches.  My first idea was a tablecloth, but it would have to be bigger.  So why not two table runners?  

 

I plan to do a 2-inch gold border, but they will be too wide for table runners, I think.  As pictured, they are 19 inches.  Should I cut them narrower?  I look at pics of table runner patterns and they vary in width.  I'm thinking of cutting off about 3 or 4 inches from each.

  I plan to give one as a thank you to the dear person who finished hand quilting this Amish style quilt I could not finish for my son before he died in April. Now I love having it on my bed and snuggling under it.  This photo was taken of us when she returned it to me at our meeting.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com.  Please visit and see what folks are doing.

RSC15 week 44

MOVING ON

As far as brown goes, I have no more new projects in the works with brown that you have not seen.  However, there is a lovely pot of brown on my deck that has not died off yet.  It was a Mothers Day gift from my family and I have enjoyed the coleus, begonia and sweet potato vine combo all summer.  I even saw a hummingbird trying its flowers for nectar, and just an hour ago two birds were checking it out.  So it has given pleasure to many.

  

Now this new month excites me, not only for the light green, but for a book that has me ready to get started on another WIP to join the crowd.  However, I really do intend to get the quilting and binding done on the butterfly quilt, which is staring me in the face.  You all are my witnesses to this promise.

The 9-Patch Pizzazz by Judy Sisneros is the book I got on sale that has me hooked, and look what I found in my stash!  The perfect feature fabric for 12-inch squares and a nice blending fabric for the patches.  This is going to be FUN.  We will have to wait and see if I can keep my hands off it.

    Meanwhile, a happy November to all of you dear folks.

RSC15 week 43

BROWN, OLD AND NEW

About 20 years ago, in my antique quilt collecting days (which have continued with my daughter's help), I found this stack of old blocks nicely pieced in about 1870-1900.  They were waiting for someone to give them a good home, and I could not resist.  They had been pressed, but developed stains and some folds over the years, naturally.  

I thought this brown month was the time to share them.  I need some advice on how to handle them, i.e., wash or not, piece them,etc.  if you have some ideas or can point me to someone knowledgeable about treating antique quilts, I sure would appreciate any help you can offer.

Here is how my dark chocolate block looks with some of the others, very good I think.  In two months I will have 36 blocks, but I have no idea about turning them into one or more quilts.  I will have to get out the grid paper and do some designing.   Soon that will be one more WIP.  They seem to be stacking up on me, but I am quilting the butterfly D9P, just simple diagonals, so it won't take long.

Thanks again, folks, for all your encouragement and inspiration.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com and Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com. Please come join us, it's lots of fun.