Pansy Basket and Flower Garden

I spent some of my day today working on the pansy basket candle mat and continuing to work on the Flower Garden Quilt. I also "shopped" out of my fabric boxes and I think I have enough different reds to make my pinwheel quilt. I may try to cut out my blocks for it later today. My eyes get tired of one color or project and I have to move on to another. I need to work on the tension on my machine it seems to be a bit off today. I hope this does not delay my progress

Well back to sewing!

Pansy Basket Candle Mat

Well it is raining here today so I am spending more time in the sewing room. I have worked on my candle mat today. I still need to get a modeled blue fabric for the background, but have cut all the other parts out and when I go to the store today on the way to pickup DS I can then finish the mat. I think I did a fairly good job of replicating the pansy.

I am still working on the Flower Garden Quilt too. I hope to be able to sew it together in the next day or two.

Moda Tin Box Sampler Series- Sonnet Collection

Last year while I was recovering from surgery a friend gave me a small tin box that has a quilt sampler in it. I had forgoten about it until I was looking for some fabric today. The kit comes with instructions to make a mini quilt, 45 - 5 inch squares and a CD and instructions on how to make the mini quilt. It has the April Cornell Sonnet Collection fabrics. I will look at the fabrics today and try to decide on which blocks I want to use to make the mini quilt. It will make a lovely candle mat or mini wall quilt. It reminds me of fall. I actually might make it for my Thanksgiving table. Well off to play with colors.

I am also going to work on getting pictures put up on the blog today. I think I have finally gotten the bugs worked out and hope to get back to post photos this afternoon.

Flower Garden Quilt Again

I have spent an hour again today working on my Flower Garden Quilt. I now have the applique flowers cut out and ready to be attached to the WOW squares. I will use the fusible paper and then with a decorative stitch sew the flowers down. I am now trying to decide what I want to do for the flower centers. Perhaps seed or bugle beads. I also need to start deciding on the outside border. I am thinking of using green fabric and appliqueing smaller flowers and make vines with appliqued yarn. I will need to think about this process for a few days. May try it out on a scrap of fabric and see what I think.

Today is a beautiful day and I need to go work in my real flower garden!

Working on Flower Garden Quilt

I have spent about an hour today working on the Flower Garden Quilt. It is coming along rather quickly and I actually may have it finished by Mother's Day. I have all the strips sewn together and ironed. Now I need to cut the blocks apart and make the appliqued flowers. I think this will be really cute.


I hope to go the fabric store on the way to pick up DS this afternoon. I want to start working on a Pinwheel quilt in shades of red. This will be either a Christmas or Birthday gift so will have a bit more time to work on it, but what to get started.

Well off to work in the yard, but would rather be quilting.

Quilted Pillow Tops

I thought today I would spend most of my day working on Christmas since it is the 25 of the month, however, I ended up making three throw pillows for the family room futon. We had recently painted the Living Room and I had made pillows. Now the family room is finished and the old pillows no longer matched. I went through my orphaned blocks and found some that would look good in the room and had three pillows made in just over an hour. Glad I could use up some of the orphans.

I also finished the handwork on the binding of the Christmas quilt so I can finish the accessory items I want to go with it. Probably a throw pillow or two and some pillow cases or shams.

I did make a few Rubber stamped Christmas cards and worked on adding new bits to the 2010 holiday newsletter.

It is cold here today and since I did not see the movie The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, last Christmas I think I will watch it while I have a few minutes.

Flower Garden Quilt

I was inspired this morning when I went to the local garden center. I came home with the idea to make "Mom's Flower Garden". I will use approximately 40 assorted 2 1/2 strips. A jelly roll would make this easy, but since I want to use as much as possible of the fabric I have I will cut the strips myself. That way too I can control the variety of fabrics to be used. I will applique a flower on white quilt blocks and join them with the strip blocks. I will also have a white border where flowers will vine around the edge. I have started picking out the colors for the strips. Now I must decide how big to make the quilt and if I have time to get it all done by Mother's Day. I think this would be a great gift for my Mom for Mother's Day. So now I have a new goal.

The binding is all sewn on the T-shirt quilt and DH can now enjoy his quilt.

I have machine stitched all the binding on the Christmas Quilt and will work on the hand work while watching TV tonight.

Well, I can't quilt if I am on the computer, so guess I better get back to quilting.

Happy Block Swap Quilt

Several months ago I participated in a swap for black and white and red and black happy blocks. Today is the day I will start putting the blocks together. I really like the variations of colors in the swapped blocks and think this will be a great quilt. No plans yet on who I might give it to, but think it would make a lovely gift.

Got up this morning and have sewed the binding around the T-shirt quilt so now I can start working on the handwork in the evening. I plan to sew the binding on the Christmas quilt today too, but need to get more green thread first.

With spring coming, even if it does not look that way out my window, I have snow and rain currently with wind, I want to design a candle mat with a basket of pansies on it. I have a pansy in the yard blooming and will need to study the blossom so I can make it look realistic. I will probably make an Amish basket block and applique the pansies on the basket.

Well off to the sewing machine.

Earth Day Quilt

Several years ago my husband gave me a challenge to make a quilt out of 100% recycled fabrics and supplies. Then he handed me a pair of his old jeans and said I could start with them.

At first I was totally drawing a blank, but finally decided I would make a cathedral window type of quilt. So after going through all of our old jeans in the house I started cutting out circles. When I needed more jean circles I put this quilt on hold and would work on it whenever I had more jeans to recycle. I also needed a bunch of 4 1/2 inch squares of fabric and batting. I dug though boxes and drawers of fabric and think I have only 2 squares of each fabric in my squares pile. I cut batting squares along the way too. I think I have enough of everything so on this Earth Day I will begin sewing the circles together to make squares.

I know this will be a quilt that will still take some time to make, but know DH will be surprised when I give it to him when it is finished. He probably has forgotten about it by now. I think he challenged me about 4 years ago. Once I get a few circles sew together I will put in a photo. I am sure this will help to describe what I am trying to do. Oh, since he told me this had to be 100% recycled it will be sew together using several different colored spools of thread.

Well Happy Earth Day and I had better get to my project!

Hello and Welcome

In celebration of my 50th year I have decided to get out of my comfort zone and delve into the computer world. I decided to write a blog about my area of passion and at the same time provide a way for family and friends to see what I have been making lately.

I currently have many UFOs (unfinished objects) to work on as well as plans for making 5 new quilts. The two quilts that I am currently the most pleased with are a T-shirt quilt I am finishing for DH and a Dresden Plate quilt I am finishing for my Christmas bedroom. Both quilts are finished except for the bindings. I often put off binding the quilts because it is the part of quilt making I enjoy the least. However, I need to look at it as a opportunity to rest and quilt in the evenings. I have four other tops that I need to quilt and 3 tops I am in the process of making.

I quilt every single day even if it is just a few stitches on an applique or making only one block. I have been know to make an entire quilt in one day. I have been so engrossed in quilting I have foregotten to make dinner for my family. DH and DS are very supportive of my passion but will ask every once in awhile when I am going to do the laundry or fix dinner.