Tuffimom's Quilts

Commemorative Quilts

2012-02-12T12:32:00.002-05:00

Guess there are lots of reasons to make a quilt: enamored with the fabric, the challenge of the pattern, celebrating a new baby or a "special" birthday or commemorating an event. I've made my share of quilts for all of the previously mentioned reasons, but this post is going to focus on a few of the commemorative quilts I've made.

Made this quilt for a friend's special birthday. Everyone at the party signed their name so she could wrap herself in their good wishes for years to come.

This technique also worked for a baby shower.....

And a close up of one of the blocks....

Now the little guy has a lasting keepsake of all those who came together to celebrate his coming into the world!

The latest commemorative quilt I made was for Love Apple Quilters 30th anniversary....

Thirty Years Stitching Together

Each heart is named after a particular aspect of the guild that makes it so special. Both the appliques and the quilting are Love Apples. Was thrilled to find the fabric in the borders--they look like teeny-tiny love apples, too!

Commemorative Quilts are on Quilting Gallery this weekend! You should stop by and vote for five of your favorites. "Thirty Years Stitching Together" is one of the entries.

Serendipity!

2012-02-09T13:49:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I love the Ten Minute Table Runners! I first found them at The Village Quilter and everyone I've gifted one seems to enjoy it. Of course, I haven't had the time to make one for myself, but I have at least two waiting in the wings. (The irony boggles the mind, doesn't it? Can't pull off a ten minute project!) Guess mine will be all the more special when they are done!

A dear friend enjoyed a recent trip to Hawaii and her birthday is this month, so I thought I'd make one for her. Picked out some fabrics from my stash that would have a Hawaiian feel in her favorite colors. Assembled the runner and looked for the perfect button embellishment.

The first choice was a pink button....

Sort of was lost on the fabric, but I liked the color. Decided to keep looking.....

It looks okay, but wasn't exactly what I envisioned.

Then the serendipity part of the project! I accidentally dropped the buttons and they landed on each other! I slid them into position and....

Lovely!!

And, the had the same number of holes that lined up perfectly!

Guess it seems I'm making a big deal out of buttons, but this event sort of drove home to me how the littlest thing can inspire! I'm looking at the world in a whole new way: seeing new color combinations, design opportunities and thinking a little bit outside the box. Will keep you posted!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2012-01-26T18:57:00.000-05:00

I thought the holidays were busy, but this month is proving to be quite challenging getting "it" all done! A few friends needed their quilts in a hurry, so I machine quilted them--

This kit is made of organic cottons from The Village Quilter

Perfect baby gift!!

Nichole Webb Rivera has a great video on YouTube about how to make these Bottom's Up Hearts. Her website, YesYouCanQuilt , is full of useful information. Love making these little hearts and the overall design is delightful!

The same friend made another quilt for a special gift....


Pinks and browns always remind me of chocolate covered cherries!

Just a sneak peak...

And finally, here's a small sample of some of my custom quilting. Lisa H. Calle has great rulers for sale on her website Stone House Quilting.

What have you been working on?? Do you have more time to quilt in the summer or winter? What fool-proof organizational technique do you use to make sure you get time to quilt?

Just A Scrappin'

2012-01-18T08:46:00.000-05:00

Today is my day to be a guest blogger on Just A Scrappin" and am grateful to Linda for allowing me a chance to share my paper crafts! As I'm sure you've noticed, most of my time is spent on all things quilty, but I think it is good to stretch myself and try something different.

If you have a chance, please stop over at Just A Scrappin' --Linda has lots of creative people posting and you're sure to be inspired!

My New Website!!

2012-01-14T23:34:00.000-05:00

Isn't this serene? Perfect place to spend some time quilting!

It's here!! It's here!! My new website!! I have the best brother in the world!! He designed a comfy place for my patterns to live--now I have to design something worthy of his hard work! Check out this link--EwesQuilting and sign the guest book so I know you've been there and you will have one chance to win a yet to be named prize. But wait--there's more!! If you also comment on this post suggesting what kinds of patterns you'd like to see on my website for free, you get another chance to win. That will give you two chances to win a fantastic prize, but you have to post before January 21, 2012! Please make sure I can contact you if you're the winner!

Will post a picture of the prize soon!

Branching Out, Just A Bit!

2012-01-10T09:41:00.000-05:00

Cricut Expression, like the one that lives in my house!

Although quilting is my favorite past time, after, of course, spending time with my family, I do have another hobby I like to dabble in--paper crafting with my Cricut!

So, in order to get inspired and improve my skills, I follow a blog, Just A Scrappin', to learn about the newest cartridges and techniques. Am excited to tell that I'm going to be a guest blogger January 18th! My focus will be on a few cards and tags made for the holidays! Hope you'll be able to check in (and maybe cheer me on a bit--this is the first time I've ever "guest blogged!") on the 18th.

It's Coming!!

2012-01-08T16:56:00.004-05:00

Am very happy to announce that I'm getting a new website next week!! Yippee!! My brother is a web designer extraordinaire and has been kind enough to bless me with his talents! (I have the best family!)

Thinking of something special we can do for the great unveiling....I'll decide and post again in a couple of days!

Christmas Giving 2011

2011-12-31T22:52:00.001-05:00

Another year is coming to a close and another is waiting in the wings, full of promise! The other day our older daughter of 16 remarked, "Wow, time is just flying by!" Wait until she's my age--it evaporates!!

Wanted to share some of the Christmas items I made this year--this is the first installment since not everyone has received their gifts yet......

Ten-Minute table runner from The Village Quilter

Some button embellishments

This table runner is one of the gifts I made for my mother--she loves cardinals and chickadees!

A tiny 12 inch wall-hanging in a Celtic style for our pastor and his wife......

Batik stocking--tres chic for the 16 year-old!

Skull animals for Christma

Our older daughter was ready for a new stocking--Minnie Mouse no longer held all the loot Santa brought!

The younger daughter's stocking was starting to show its age, so she also needed a new stocking. She is certainly her own person!

We only have two human children--the other stocking is for Tuffi, our Wheaten Terrier!

Our Tuffi!

There were two quilts on the gift list, but will have to post the second picture in the next couple of days. Here's one for a special little guy....

His mom holding up his quilt--she was just as thrilled as he was!

This year ended with some very exciting quilty possibilities and I'm looking forward to 2012! Planning some fun activities, will be revealing a brand new look for my website and a new BOM! Hope you'll join me!

Wishing you and your family much health and happiness in the coming year!

Our Latest Winner!

2011-12-18T15:19:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Cassandra, our newest winner of the Sophie charm pack!

Thanks to all who participated in the Blog Hop Party--had a wonderful time meeting everyone! In the next few weeks, watch for the unveiling of a new look for my website, Ewes Quilting and a brand new BOM!

Wishing all of you the happiest of holidays--Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and Happy New Year! Or, as one of my great-aunts used to say, "Have a Cool Yule and a Frantic First!"

Our Final Prize

2011-12-16T09:04:00.000-05:00

Click here for a complete list of participating bloggers!

Many of you have been busy bees, buzzing from blog to blog! Certainly nice to have a bit of a diversion during such a busy time of year! Thank you to all my new followers--appreciate you taking the time to read my little blog and enjoy all your comments!

Congratulations to Rosa for being our latest winner of the table runner kit!

And my final prize is.....

Another 5 inch charm pack!

Moda Bake Shop has a project that uses a Sophie charm pack, click here to check it out. Very clever quilt and full of places to do some fancy quilting! Looking over the pattern, I noticed that they recommend using a product like Liquid Stitch to place the appliques. Not sure how my sewing machine would enjoy sewing through glue, so I think I'd use Roxanne's Glue Baste-It. Had anyone ever tried sewing through Liquid Stitch?

Find I'm doing more and more applique lately, although piecing is my first love. Seems like applique compliments the piecing and makes the quilt extra special. Have tried various ways to applique, but would love to hear your favorite way--needle-turn, fusible, machine, hand, etc. Feel free to share any secrets you use to make your applique "just right."

Please post a comment on any applique advice you'd like to offer on this entry between Friday, December 16th and before midnight December 17th and a winner will be selected randomly on December 18th. Please make sure I'm able to contact you by e-mail to let you know if you won. Thanks so much for playing and it's been great fun meeting all of you!

Everyday Ten Minute Table Runner Give-Away!

2011-12-14T09:43:00.000-05:00

Click here for all the blogs on the hop!

Looks like I'm starting to rhyme my post titles--must be due to all the excitement this time of year brings!

Congratulations to our latest winner......Cherise!! Very much enjoyed reading everyone's favorite two color combinations-thanks so much for sharing! You all have fantastic color sense!

Our next prize is.....

.......another Ten Minute Table Runner ready to grace your table after the hubbub of the holidays!! This kit includes Moda's Grand Finale by Sandy Gervais--very charming!

So, for today's question, I'd like to know how many blogs all of you have visited during the Blog Hop Party? Have you won many prizes? My husband has an amazing track record at winning prizes, but me, not so much. Please post a comment on this entry between Wednesday, December 14th and before midnight December 15th and a winner will be selected randomly on December 16. Please make sure I'm able to contact you by e-mail to let you know if you won. Thanks so much for playing!

Charm Pack Give Away!

2011-12-11T14:57:00.001-05:00

Click here for all the participants in the Blog Hop!

Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment on the last post--just loved learning about all the wonderful handmade gifts you've given or received! Congratulations to Ella for winning our first of four give-aways!

The next prize up for grabs is....

I love five-inch charm packs! Feel so empowered owning a little bit of an entire collection!

"Rouenneries Deux" translates to "two printed cotten." Moda has packaged these little beauties in a five-inch charm pack, all ready for your creative touch! If time is short and you need a project in a jiffy, check out Moda's Bake Shop for a great idea! Was thinking it would made a great tote bag for my sister, the family francophile.

Since these fabrics are printed with only two colors, I was thinking about two color quilts and wondered what two colors you enjoy most together? If I look at my quilts, seems I prefer red and white. Please post your favorite two color combination by midnight, Tuesday December 13 and a winner will be selected randomly on December 14. Please make sure I'm able to contact you by e-mail to let you know if you won. Best to you!!

Prize 1 of the Blog Party

2011-12-09T23:56:00.001-05:00

It's time to start!! Click here for the complete list of participating blogs!

Welcome to my blog!! Am so glad you stopped by to visit during the Blog Party! Since your time is precious as you're checking out the over 200 blogs, I'll be brief!

Here's the first prize:

Chickadees, cardinals and holly!! Oh, my!!

This cute little bundle is a Ten-Minute Table Runner, complete with complimentary fabrics and instructions. Believe me, you can whip one of these babies up before Christmas dinner! I usually add simple embellishments like buttons or yo-yo's to give it that extra special touch. Made one for my parents this year--will post a picture when I finish sewing on the special buttons.

To participate in the drawing for this prize, please post a comment on either December 10 or by midnight December 11. Just for fun, please include in your comment your favorite hand-made gift you've either given or received. Make sure I can contact you by e-mail if your is number is randomly selected on December 12, when a new prize will be posted! Please come again on Monday and see what you can win!

Hope you win lots of great quilty stuff this week! Thanks, again, for stopping by!

My Give-Aways for the Blog Party

2011-12-08T20:51:00.001-05:00

So, the Quilter's Blog Party is right around the corner! From December 10-17, well over 200 quilting blogs will be offering prizes and my blog is one of them! My prizes are pictured above--one Ten-Minute Christmas table runner, one Ten-Minute everyday table runner, a Moda "Sophia" five-inch charm pack and another Moda "Rouenneries Deux" five-inch charm pack.

Since there are so many blogs to visit, thought I would have a drawing every other day so you have two days to enter for each prize. How does that sound? Post a comment to each blog entry and I'll pull a winner randomly.

For a list of all the blogs, click here!

See you December 10th!

Quilter’s Blog Hop Party with Give-Aways!

2011-12-01T23:09:00.001-05:00

For the first time, I'm going to participate in a Blog Hop! December 10-17, 2011 check back here to see what prize I'll be offering, how to enter for the drawing and a list of all the other blogs that are participating,

There will be plenty of quilty loot for you to win from nearly one hundred blogs!!

Necessity Is Still The Mother of Invention!

2011-11-11T10:53:00.001-05:00

I love my Avante, whom I've lovingly named "Harvey." (I'm sure you've all seen the 1950's movie with Jimmy Stewart and the six foot, three and a half inch white rabbit--if not, here's a description of the classic movie.)

Harvey is pretty well behaved and quilts anything I throw at him, but he's picky about his thread. He likes it on a cone rather than a spool. Not having too much extra time to get the proper spool pin in place, I had to improvise. Thankfully, our household doesn't lack for craft supplies, specifically, chenille stems (formally referred to as "pipe cleaners" when smoking a pipe was more socially acceptable).

Please, HandiQuilter, don't hold this against me!!

My innovation isn't going to be a permanent solution, but in a pinch, works perfectly! Would love for you to share your unconventional, but effective, solutions to machine quilting issues! Please post a comment so I can learn from your experience!

My Quilt Market Adventure

2011-11-01T20:49:00.001-04:00

Flew home yesterday from Houston after enjoying Quilt Market--my very first time! Not sure if "overload" is the right word to describe how I feel, but it's a start.

Perhaps I should start from the beginning--a friend of mine, Simona Brickers, is planning to open a quilt shop in Princeton and needed a bit of technical advice on what a quilter would like to see. Thankfully, my schedule wasn't too full and my Paul encouraged me to go.


Houston Airport art--very pretty!

Houston at night

Beautiful!

The first day of our adventure took us 110 miles away from Houston on a tour of Texas landmarks, quilt stores and a quilt museum or two.

Am thankful for the people willing to do this job, since I certainly wouldn't do it!

Painted church--just gorgeous!

Then we were off and running to the newly opened Texas Quilt Museum in La Grange! Need to go back to see the Grandmother's Flower Garden in full bloom.

There's Simona with the handbag everyone wanted!

Here's the mural on the outside of the building. You can see the frames where the flower garden in the shape of a quilt block is going to live.

Our next stop was Winedale.....

Another worthwhile exhibit!

We also went to four quilt stores, but I was too busy buying fabric to take any pictures. Imagine lots of fabric, fantastic customer service and snacks greeting you at each shop....sort of like quilter's heaven....

The next day we woke up bright and early to go to Schoolhouse (mini workshops talking about new products, techniques or business strategies).

Here's a picture of a ruler demonstration with Cheryl Phillips of Phillips Fiber Art:

Another great workshop was on social media, but I may be a bit biased. Monica Lee-Henell (my sister-in-law!!) helped us to learn about blogging, Facebook, websites and various ways of interacting with others on-line.

Monica Lee showing off one of her two new fabric lines, "The Neighborhood." Take a peek at Cardigan Girls here .

Later that night there was an event called, "Sample Spree," but I feel that is something of a misnomer. This Jersey Girl was no match for many of these quilters when it came to taking advantage of a sale--using brute force if necessary. If you smiled and made small talk, they were less likely to draw blood in pursuit of a bargain.

Here's a picture of about a fifth of one of the lines to get in.....

And once inside.....


A sea of humanity!

The next couple of days were spent checking out all the new quilting products coming out this year. Was told that if you walked up and down every aisle, you would have covered forty miles. Don't doubt it for a minute!

Not sure how many of you know it, but there are super heroes that quilt and I have a picture to prove it!

The Man of Steel reveals his secret identity as a cutting-edge quilter!

Going to Quilt Market was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed every minute I spent in Texas, but there is no place like home! Am so excited to find all the new products in the quilt stores and move my quilting to another level!

Meeting Barbara Brackman

2011-10-19T23:48:00.000-04:00

At the American Quilt Study Group seminar in Cherry Hill, NJ this September, I met a quilt historian I admire--Barbara Brackman!!! Actually, she came up to me during the presentation of the papers and took a picture of my portfolio......and then......she blogged about it!! Check out her blog, Barbara Brackman's Material Culture--it's cued up to the page where she has the picture of my portfolio. (It's the second picture.)

Kind of funny--I wouldn't know a contemporary actress if I tripped on her, but became a giggly school girl in the presence of a famous quilt historian.

Here is a picture of the portfolios I've made--the larger red one is the one Barbara noticed.

Portfolio samples for a Love Apple Quilters workshop

The AQSG was wonderful--was so glad I was able to attend the events I did and look forward to the chance to do it again!

October's BOM Posted!

2011-10-04T07:46:00.000-04:00

"Fool's Block"--the name has no reflection on those making it! ; ) Think the points in the corners look like a jester's hat.

Wow!! We are fast approaching the end of the of this block of the month and zipping towards the holidays! Keeping the time of year in mind, the blocks get simpler. This one is called "Fool's Block" and the instructions can be found here.

In case you need a refresher, here's the final quilt:

"Quilty Delights" 2011 Block of the Month

Will be posting the sashing instructions in several installments between now and the first of the year.

Thanks so much for following my Quilty Delights this year! Have an applique BOM ready to go for next year--preview coming in the next few weeks!

September Block of the Month Is Posted!

2011-09-15T07:42:00.000-04:00

"Baskets of Flowers" is now posted! You can find the instructions here. You'll see there is a bit of a glitch with the picture of the block at the beginning of the instructions--my computer tech/husband is working on it and we'll have it fixed as soon as possible. The diagram at the end of the file is fine and gives you a good idea of what the block should look like.

Thanks so much for checking out "Baskets of Flowers"--we're coming to the home stretch and you'll have all the installments, sashing included, but January!

Jersey Fresh

2011-09-09T08:15:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of the summer, I stopped by The Village Quilter to pick up my block of the month, when I was shown their newest kit. "Jersey Fresh" suited my taste--polka dots, fruits and veggies and lots of room for quilting.

Look at how cleverly the staff at The Village Quilters pack their kits!

Look at all those cool fruit and veggie fabrics together!

Our older daughter arranged the pieced border for me--she did a great job! Love that our girls love fabric and design as much as I do.

The rest of the top came together quickly and soon it was on the frame.

Here's a close-up of some of the quilting--since I love vegetables, I quilted double hearts among the polka dots and strawberries.

Cabbage, carrots and plums! Oh, my!

Am thrilled it's a big enough quilt to cover my entire kitchen table (but, it certainly had a decent amount of binding!).

Pretty sure not one plate of food will be placed on this tablecloth!

Since this summer's heat was so intensive in our part of the world and the rabbits so voracious, our veggie garden yielded the minimum. (Am hopeful the few tomatoes out there ripen by Thanksgiving!) This table cover provides the Jersey Fresh fruits and veggies my garden couldn't.

Today's My Day!

2011-09-08T16:06:00.001-04:00

Today is my day to be featured on Quiltmaker's Blog! Click here to see the completed quilt I made for their Back To School event. While you're there, get the first few installments of a free pattern and sign up for the give away!

Back To School

2011-09-07T11:57:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again--Back To School! Love those words! In fact, I love school so much, I became an elementary school teacher and taught first grade in the inner city for a number of years. As a tribute to those years, would like to offer you a chance to travel back in time and revisit the quilts I made for various schools. Come and join me in my time machine and we'll set the dial to February, 1995.....

For my last year in Camden, had each class contribute a crayoned block of what Black History meant to them:

Polaroids don't scan that well....

Everyone seemed very happy with this quilt! It was intended it to be a present for H. B. Wilson Elementary School, but the Camden Board of Education liked it so much they hung it in their offices. They even called the Courier Post! The kids were so proud their efforts were in the newspaper!

When our oldest daughter entered first grade, I offered to make a thank you gift for her teacher. It was her first year teaching and she did a wonderful job. Each child made their own block and I assembled it. She felt so appreciated!

Each of the children's names are quilted in the borders.

For the second grade teacher, we made a quilt as a family for lovely Mrs. Pliner. Time was short, so Paul helped me clip the seams on this rag-style quilt--I have the best husband ever!

Mrs. Pliner has a room in her house dedicated to school related items and this quilt hangs proudly there. Every time she walks by, she remembers how much she is loved.

Third grade rolled around pretty quickly! This year's teacher was also a farmer. And a man. Certainly did present something of a challenge making a masculine quilt, but didn't want him to feel left out. Maybe his wife would appreciate it?

The star centers were the phrases he often used in his class.

The backing fabric was John Deere tractors--perfect for a farmer's quilt!

The following year, the room parents remembered my ability to quilt and recruited me to make another quilt for the teacher. Unfortunately, we had a terrible car accident and my collar bone and foot were broken.....and the quilt wasn't quite done being quilted. I asked a dear friend and exceptional quilter to finish the names in the border for me and she did a wonderful job. In all the excitement, I'm not sure where the picture of the finished quilt is, but I still have the EQ design so you can get an idea of what it looked like:


Imagine fourth grade art work in the blank squares.

On a recent Back To School night, we went to visit this quilt and were horrified at what we saw...almost can't type it.....those of you with sensitive stomachs may want to look away for the next few sentences......in spite of the hanging sleeve on the back of this quilt, the teacher cut two holes in the corners so she could hang it by two hooks. I was in total disbelief she would CUT holes in a quilt! People really need to be educated in quilt care!

Imagine my surprise when the next year's room parents remembered I had made "thank you" quilts for teachers!! This particular year was our older daughter's last year in elementary school, so I was willing to make what I thought would be one more quilt. And, since our younger daughter started kindergarten that same year, I didn't want her teacher to feel left out, so I did one for her class, too. My mantra that year was, "What was I thinking??"

The fifth grade quilt

The dedication blocks

Detail of our daughter's block.

The teacher seemed pleased to receive the quilt and the kids were so proud to present her with such a keepsake.

Here are some pictures of the kindergarten teacher's quilt:

The teacher just loved all things Disney!

Have to say, the kindergarten teacher gave the most enthusiastic reaction I've ever experienced when presenting a quilt! She bounced up and down and hugged me so hard--it was wonderful to see someone so happy!

If we continue on our time travel adventure, fast forward to 2009. A few years had passed and I took a break from making teacher quilts, mostly because many of the teachers already had one! One day, I received a phone call from the art teacher asking if I'd be willing to work with her to create a quilt for the district art festival. Of course, I would! At the time, I was also the president of Love Apple Quilters and those generous ladies were always looking for a community service project.

Money was limited, so I hand-dyed muslin and Love Apples contributed all the fruit and veggie fabric they could find. The block was designed to allowed for all 100 students in the fifth grade to contribute their own fabric art.

Here is Marlton Elementary School's "Farm Fresh Fifth Grade":


A Love Apple donated her awesome quilting, but would prefer to remain anonymous--talented and generous!

A special group of fifth graders were selected to draw the alphabet letters and their accompanying fruit. Turned out to be a great cultural experience, including tasting a variety of new foods. Loved hearing the kids tell their parents about the quilt and showing off what they made.

Since the 2010 project went so well and our youngest daughter was in fifth grade, it was suggested I would also make the 2011 district art project. Mrs. Gordon decided our project would be influenced by the work of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and the students did a fantastic job!

"Fifth Grade Fantasy Flowers"

Again, the budget was tight, so I hand-dyed the muslin, but that allowed for custom colors. The kids used paintsticks to achieve these fantastic fantasy flowers.

Well, our faithful time machine has brought us back to the present. Hope you've enjoyed our little journey! I've never seen all these quilts together and am amazed at how much my style has changed and grown over the last sixteen years. Wonder what the next sixteen will bring?

As a quilter, please consider sharing your artistic endeavors with as many children as possible--they are the quilters of the future!

Secret Revealed--Almost!!

2011-08-29T20:47:00.000-04:00

Remember in July I told you I had a special project with Quiltmaker magazine? (If you're new to my blog, here's the link: I've Got a Secret!) The waiting is coming to an end and all will be revealed during Quiltmaker's Back to School Party!

Seems like a perfect project for an elementary school teacher, doesn't it?

You don't want to miss this event! Every day there's going to be plenty of quilty fun--give-a-ways, tips, free patterns and more!

If you win something, could you please post in the comment section? Would love to bask in the glow of your good fortune!

Quilty Delights August BOM Posted!

2011-08-26T08:20:00.000-04:00

This month's block is called "Red Cross." In light of this week's excitement, including an earthquake and impending arrival of hurricane Irene, am really hoping we won't need their services! You can find the instructions for this block at Ewe's Quilting. The hardest part of this block is keeping all the fabrics oriented properly, so make sure you take your time and lay out all the pieces.

Appreciate all the positive feedback I've been getting from the groups who are doing my BOM--thank you!! Also appreciate everyone's patience with this month's block--being away for two weeks, having the "special project" for Quiltmaker magazine and then helping out some friends with their quilting, really put me behind. Since the hurricane is going to limit our activities this weekend, I'll have a chance to catch-up.

South American Treasures

2011-08-02T21:22:00.000-04:00

My dear, sweet husband planned our summer get-away to South America this year while the girls were at camp. It was quite a trip--ten planes in thirteen days, two countries, three climate zones and only one quilt store.

Moai are enormous--this guy is about 90 tons!

Our first stop was Easter Island, land of the moai. The Rapa Nui don't have much need for quilts on this temperate island, where the temperatures hover around 70 degrees all the time, but they have a thriving souvenir industry that makes fabric placemats! So, we went off to the artist's market and found these:

No one is left who can read the Rapa Nui written language, but they do know you start at the bottom left corner and go to the bottom right corner, then turn it over and read the line above it. You keep flipping the piece every time you get to the end of a line.

Of course, they all vary in size a bit, but that's what setting strips are for!

The next stop on our adventure was Santiago--the home of the only quilt store in South America. Our tour guide, Hugo, said it was the first time in twenty years he ever had to take tourists to a quilt store.


Pilar and the other quilters were very welcoming!

Had to keep in mind that any fabric I purchased had to be carried throughout the rest of our South American adventure, so I restrained myself.

The cotton fabrics are from Brazil, while the fat quarters and die cuts are American fabrics.

Going to take a brief moment and feature a fabulous picture my Paul took of Santiago the night we were there:

Taken from our hotel window in Santiago.

Will be inspired by this trip for a long time!

I've Got A Secret!

2011-07-14T19:42:00.000-04:00

Can't say anything more about it now, but I've been chosen to work on a special project for Quiltmaker magazine!! I'm so excited and can't wait to share it with you!!

So watch this space for more information and pictures in September!

Happy Birthday to Ewe!

2011-07-10T00:51:00.001-04:00

Are ewe ready to party??

It's been a while since I've made a fabric post card, but wanted to send a special birthday greeting to a fellow sheep enthusiast. So, out came the Timtex, fusible iron-on, the drawing paper and this little ewe was ready!

Thankfully, the post office cooperated and it landed in her mailbox on time.

Won't wait so long to make the next post card--these snail mail mini-quilts are a great way to try a new technique, play with some fabric and send some good wishes!

Mother's Day Is Every Day, Right?

2011-07-07T11:42:00.000-04:00

While at MQX, I found a lovely booth where they were selling table runner kits quite reasonably. The owner was so sweet-natured, it was hard not to make a purchase. Fortunately, one kit was of pansies, my mother's favorite flower:

Biggest table runner I ever made--almost 53 inches!

Uses this opportunity to quilt more feathers with invisible thread--just love knowing feathers are there, even if they aren't too visible!

The fabric amounts were off a bit, so there wasn't enough for the backing. My mom loves the Aunt Grace fabric, so here's the backing...


Each girl's dress is a fabric from the Aunt Grace line--very cute!

And the finished project:

The pattern called for thick bindings, but that made turning those weird angled corners too much of a challenge. Would recommend for a project like this to keep your bindings as thin as possible.

Good think my mother is patient--this table runner is her final gift for Mother's Day (2011).

July's BOM Posted

2011-07-02T14:36:00.000-04:00

July's block of the month, Off Set Squares, is up and ready for you at Ewes Quilting. For some reason, unknown to us, there is something of a technical glitch in the graphics. As soon as humanly possible it will be corrected, but we have to bring in a specialist--my brother, the web designer extraordinaire!

Sewing For Happy Campers

2011-06-29T15:10:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, far too many to count, I bought these panels for the girls' bunks at camp. In my world, the urgent tends to crowd out the important, so they had to wait....and then wait a little longer.....until, finally, my world got a bit less structured and I was able to put them together for this summer's camp.

So, I got started. I cut out the Sugar Daddy pillow and quickly realized the manufacturer goofed:

Oops!

By adding the words, "Delicious Milk Caramel Pop," they made the front at least an inch larger than the back. The grain of the fabric wouldn't easily allow for fudging, but I did the best I could. Really wish pattern designers would proof-read and double check their patterns--crafters are limited in how much time they can spend on their hobby and this type of bump in the road only wastes valuable time.

The other pillows went a little easier and the tootsie roll one is the favorite:

Gives whole new meaning to "Super Sized"

Love sending handmade gifts with the girls when they are at camp--sort of like I'm right there with them, but without the bugs!

Summer Fun!!

2011-06-26T22:24:00.000-04:00

Just in case you need something to fill your summer days, Anna Lena has organized something of a quilt challenge for the summer--try to make one six inch bow tie block every day of summer and have 95 completed blocks by the time the kids go back to school. Here is her blog post. There's a Facebook page, too, you may want to "like" so you can see everyone's progress--click here.

As always, I'm a bit behind, but have every intention of catching up. So, my plan is to make two blocks a day to not only catch up, but be ahead by the time we go on vacation.

Here are my first two:

Pretty sure I have enough 1930's reproduction fabrics to make no duplicate blocks.

Looking forward to having another completed quilt top for the fall--then off to the quilting frame and binding. Perfect way to spend a chilly autumn night, under a quilt!

New Gadget

2011-06-24T12:22:00.000-04:00

Until I invest in a better system, I'm forced to pin, pin, pin when loading a quilt onto my frame. My family is a bit tenuous to approach me while I'm preparing a quilt for quilting for fear of being skewered. So, I've been trying to find alternative pin holders rather than my apron.

At MQX, Judy Woodworth had these nifty little magnetic holders, but our time was so short, I never got a chance to ask her about them. But, a trip to Lowes was able to solve the riddle:

Its intended purpose is holding nails, nuts and bolts and costs less than $7!

It is one strong magnet! In fact, it can hold pins on a vertical surface or on the bars of my frame--check it out:

Magnet strong enough to go through all the layers of a quilt, too!

Had a pillowcase making session with "the girls" and they loved using the bowl for catching pins. (Being such a powerful magnet, I wouldn't recommend using this as a pin bowl next to a computerized machine or credit cards for fear of causing damage.) Looking at our trips to Lowes in a whole new way!

Latest Quilting Endeavor

2011-06-21T20:33:00.000-04:00

Latest quilt I quilted for a friend.....

Amazing use of color!

Each basket has different quilting.

Rick-rack adds texture and a punch of color....

She asked that I get creative--brave soul! Quilted ferns and tendrils in the borders.

This is the kind of quilt that makes a dent in a scrap basket.

Thankfully, she seemed pleased with the end result!

June's BOM Is Available

2011-05-31T22:39:00.000-04:00


Grandmom's Favorite

In an attempt to be more organized, June's block is done and posted here. It's a simple block sporting pinwheels, known to be thrilling to toddlers and adults alike!

Now, off to survive a kitchen remodel! Thankfully, I'll be forced to hide in my sewing room and sew up a storm!

May's BOM Is Posted

2011-05-11T21:39:00.000-04:00

Life's been so exciting lately and I'm slowly catching up. Thank you for your patience with me!

Nine Patch Star Variation

For full instructions, check out Ewe's Quilting .

Fifth Grade Art Project 2011--Part II

2011-05-11T12:24:00.000-04:00

You may remember from an earlier post I've been honored for a second year to help our elementary school's art department by tuning their original art into a quilt ( Fifth Grade Art Project ). Well, it's been stitched, quilted, bound, sleeved, labeled and is now ready to go on display!


Think Friedensreich Hundertwasser would be very pleased!

The students did a fantastic job capturing Hundertwasser's vision under the art direction of Mrs. Randi Gordon at Marlton Elementary School. Each child made a flower with paint sticks to keep with this year's art festival theme, "Fantasy Flowers."

Flowers lend themselves to bugs, so I took some liberties with the quilting and included a critter or two.

A tiny spider's web and spider....

A butterfly looking for a good place to land...

And a dragonfly near our daughter Sarah's flower.

Given our Sarah's intense dislike for spiders, she requested a dragonfly near her flower. The spider and his web were banished to the other side of the quilt.

Sarah is going to be a demonstrator at the art festival this year, showing others how to create a gargoyle like hers! She is thrilled with this special honor and thankful for the opportunity! (Pictures will follow!)

The Caped Crusader Meets Sleepy Time

2011-05-01T12:54:00.000-04:00

We have a sweet little redheaded nephew and godson who loves Batman, so how could I pass up such a great find at Olde City Quilts? (Besides, I've already made him three quilts!) A pillowcase kit in a Batman bucket! The best part of making this pillowcase is the time-saving technique--worked out to be a thirty minute project!

Should inspire some great super hero dreams for a special little guy

If you'd like to use the same technique as I did, look on Lazy Girl Blog. The directions are clear and the pictures well done. See a whole pillowcase wardrobe in our future--the girls are planning on making a bunch of their own!

New Jersey Shop Hop 2011

2011-04-30T23:31:00.000-04:00

It's one of my favorite times of the year, a quilting quest of sorts, where I drive all over New Jersey picking up charm packs from eleven different quilt stores. This year's New Jersey Shop Hop was the 10th anniversary and pink charms with darling buttons were available for every hopper.

My new stash of pink charms!

My DH plans the route carefully--one day (the long day) visiting six stores to the north, another day driving to the three stores to the south and the last day my sweet DH joins me for the remaining two stores down the shore. In total, put about 463 miles on the van. Of course, this year's horrible rain made it a bit more challenging to drive, but mercifully, the trip was without incident.

Those who planned the Shop Hop didn't make it easy to pick a quilt pattern! After a few nights of "oohing" and "aaahing" over the choices, we decided to purchase the finishing kit for The Village Quilter's offering, designed by Karen Dever and the Village Quilter staff.


Guess I'm still riding the wave of the basket themed quilt show....

An added bonus is a day at the shore with my DH, walking on Ocean City's boardwalk and enjoying a lovely lunch. (Anything you eat at the shore seems to taste better!)

Don't let April fool you--the sun is quite capable of a good scorching! I know first-hand!

I finished the hop in three days and hope to win one of the wonderful prizes. If not, that's okay--I enjoyed a mini vacation, lovely people and a date with my husband. Already feel like a winner! Besides, there's always next year!

Love Apple Quilters May Workshops

2011-04-11T21:29:00.000-04:00

Love Apple Quilters sponsor five workshops a year and I'm teaching a class using one of Kari Ramsay's patterns for Moda, "In A Jiffy." Kari not only writes excellent directions, she's come up with a fantastic technique for making a quilt top, dare I say it, "In A Jiffy!"

With another quilt show looming in two years, we're going to need to get started now. If you'd like to make it along with us, check out In A Jiffy and print out your copy, grab a layer cake, a bottle of Mary Ellen's starch alternative and a long acrylic ruler.

Making the quilt top would have only taken a few hours if I could get a few hours in a row.

Here's a picture of the top, held up by my special quilt rack--our teenage daughter:

Made with a layer cake purchased from The Village Quilter, Mt. Holly, NJ

Didn't have time to quilt the top before presenting the class samples, so I'll have to post how I quilt it later. Stay tuned!

Quilty Delights April BOM Posted!

2011-04-10T00:44:00.000-04:00

This month's block of the month is called "Providence Quilt Block,' which is very fitting! Next week I will be attending the Machine Quilter's Expo in Providence, Rhode Island.

Although this block is a bit more challenging than some of those earlier in the year, if you take your time and go step by step, you should have no problem. The directions can be found on my website Providence Quilt Block.

Love Apples Quilt Show--March 26-27, 2011

2011-03-30T12:34:00.000-04:00

Love Apple Quilters put on their biannual quilt show this past weekend, welcoming over a thousand visitors to view nearly 300 quilts on display made by its members! The hard work of the Quilt Show committee, led by Mary Cahilly, produced a show far exceeding everyone's imagination. Not only am I very proud to be a Love Apple, but am humbled to be the president of an organization filled with talented quilters.

We were thrilled to see an eager crowd fill the lobby and spill into the parking lot Saturday morning! Some came to see the quilts, some to cheer on family members displaying quilts and some to visit one of the many vendors--regardless of the reason, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and passed along positive comments to anyone who would listen.

One of the many vendors


Some even found a comfortable seat for a quick rest--looking at 300 quilts can be exhausting!

Junior Quilts were exhibited by new quilters aged 8 to 15 to encourage the next generation of Love Apples....

Made by a quilter age 11


Made by a quilter age 10

Here are a few of the quilts I entered:

"Acorns and Oak Leaves" made from fabrics purchased in Ireland

A mystery quilt quilted by Leanna Spanner of Anilee Creations

"Sedona Sunset"

Worked very hard on "Sedona Sunset." My DH purchased this kit for me while we were in Sedona at Quilter's Store Sedona & Gallery in 2008. Took me two years to get up enough courage to cut into all those gorgeous batiks. Jill Boyd and Patty Krause are exceptional designers and the directions were very clear (with all the pieces in each block and fabric variations, it could have been a disaster!). Not only was there built-in fabric "insurance" in case of a cutting error, but each fabric was marked to correspond with the pattern--with all the slight color variations, those cute little stickers were a huge stress reducer!

Some detail of the quilting

Close up of the sunburst in the center of the quilt

Spent several days quilting and finished just in time for the show! Am thrilled all the effort paid off in the form of a "Vendor's Choice" ribbon from the Village Quilter in Mount Holly, NJ!

To date, my "Sedona Sunset" quilt is the most complicated quilt I've ever attempted and now it's time to seek out a new challenge. As I keep looking, think I'll quilt all those tops I've accumulated and reduce my UFO pile. (Starting to run out of walls to hang quilts and am pretty sure my DH isn't going to build another addition to the house!)

Thank you for reading to the end of my brief summary of our quilt show! Hope you can join us next time! If you're interested in becoming a Love Apple and share in the fun of putting on a big quilt show, check out our website, Love Apple Quilters .

Love Apple Quilters 2011 Challenge

2011-03-28T21:32:00.000-04:00

This quilt show's challenge was "A Tisket, A Tasket, Looks What's In My Basket." There were only a few rules that we had to follow--144 inches in perimeter, a basket with something in it and had to be turned in on-time.

My challenge is named "A Tisket, A Tasket, Oops! I Spilled My Basket!" My dear husband and I sketched it out over lunch one day and he named it. It was fun to play with colors and scale to make it look like the blocks were falling off the quilt. Guess it turned out to be something of a quilted collage since the blocks are barely stitched down, some corners flapping in the breeze to a completed quilt of a basket made of low contrast fabrics.

Am pleased to report that the guild liked my entry, giving me a second place ribbon!

Red And White Quilt--Wish You Well

2011-03-08T22:51:00.000-05:00

To celebrate the opening of Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts at the American Folk Art Museum in NYC, we're blogging about our red and white quilts and having a virtual quilt show on the Repro Quilt Lover.

This quilt is my own design and was entered in Love Apple Quilters 2007 quilt challenge. Am pleased to say it won an Honorable Mention. Louise McDonough design talents show in the machine embroidery designs.

March's BOM Is Posted!

2011-03-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

March's BOM is now posted on Ewe's Quilting ! Sorry about being a bit late--Love Apple Quilters are gearing up for our quilt show at the end of this month, so my time is not my own. (Would love for you to visit! Check out Love Apple Quilters to get all the details!)

Here are a couple of blocks made from past months' patterns:


Pretty nice so far, don't you think?

Thanks for checking in and I hope to have some more completed projects posted soon--one's on the frame and ready to go!

Acorns and Oak Leaves

2011-02-12T00:35:00.000-05:00

When my Paul travels to Ireland for business and to visit his family, he stops into any quilt store he can find. (His co-workers just can't put into words their enthusiasm for these little detours!)

One quilt store was "Mission Quilts" where he met lovely ladies willing to help him pick out fabric and a pattern for me. Mission Quilts is located in County Londonderry where acorns and oak leaves are the symbol of the county. The fabrics are covered with those elements in the most wonderful designs!

Here is the finished quilt:

Had a wonderful time quilting lots of acorns and oak leaves in each square:


Detail of Acorns and Oak Leaves, along with the border quilting.

Quilted this quilt on my longarm. Enjoyed the challenge of designing my own pattern and applying it to the quilt. Love the fact that my husband supports my quilting habit in such a wonderful way!

"Hairy" Up And Make These!

2011-02-10T14:21:00.000-05:00

Found a fantastic project you can make in under an hour, but the process is so much fun, you may become addicted! Our two girls have lots and lots of hair that needs to be tamed and this reversible headband is perfect for the job!

The step-by-step directions can be found at KC Quilts: Reversible Fabric Headbands and I was able to make three in about an hour, including the learning curve.

Here is a sampling of some I've made:

Made one for each of our daughters and one for a friend. The elastic feature prevents any sized noggin from getting a headache. If you don't have the time to make your own, some will be on sale at the Love Apple Quilter's quilt show in March (for details, go to Love Apple Quilters). Hope to see you there!

February's BOM Posted!

2011-02-02T21:33:00.000-05:00

If you are following Ewe's Quilting 2011 free Block of the Month "Quilty Delights," the instructions for February's block, Five Patch Chain, is up and ready.

Fifth Grade Art Project 2011

2011-01-25T16:06:00.000-05:00

Have been spending the last two days immersing fabrics into dye and am amazed how every pair of gloves has an invisible hole so my hands match the fabric!

More fabric than what we need, but it was too much fun to stop!

This year's fifth grade art project is going to be influenced by the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

Here's an image of his work:

Found on Bing Images

The fifth graders will use paint sticks and textures to create their own fantasy flowers on a strippy quilt. Can't wait to see how the kids add their own flair.

Stay tuned for the finished quilt.....

New Block of the Month "Quilty Delights"

2011-01-01T22:42:00.001-05:00

One of my many New Year's resolutions is to do five quilty things a day--sounds easy, doesn't it? In the spirit of keeping this resolution alive, am going to share more of what I'm doing here on this blog, including more finished quilts! Have so many on the brink of being finished, but that's a post for another day.

As swap hostess for BlockBuddies, I've provided a Block of the Month swap for the past four years and here's the one for 2011:

This month's block is Cross and Crown:

We make two blocks, one to keep and one to swap. If you're interested, feel free to join our little on-line quilting group--the button is on the right of the screen.

Here are a few other colorways you might prefer (purple is way out of my comfort zone, but it was requested by the group):

Americana

Autumn Splendor

Would love to hear your feedback! If you are interested on making the blocks along with us, please feel free to get the instructions free on my website, Ewes Quilting.

Christmas Stocking

2010-12-16T22:24:00.000-05:00

Been a busy bee getting last minute things done for Christmas! This quick and easy stocking is for my hairdresser who has a room in her house decorated in pink, black and white. Had found a fabric with poodles with bright pink noses and antlers--still amazed "Rudolf the Red Nosed Poodle" was ever printed--containing the perfect coloration. She loves all things handmade and keeps our entire family well groomed, so it was a delight to make for her.

Coffee Cozy

2010-11-13T00:27:00.000-05:00

Better Homes and Gardens most recent issue of "Quilts and More" (Fall 2010) had a cute little project for your coffee drinking buddy--"Perk Me Up." Designer Veronica Koh Eischeid did a great job of writing easy to understand directions and the project came together in less than an hour.

Made this little cozy for my dear friend's Friday night coffee. We've been meeting at a local Starbucks every week for the past five years while our kids attend youth group and found it to be a wonderfully therapeutic way to end a busy week. Now our oldest daughters are coming with us and, in spite of sitting on the other side of the room, are continuing the tradition of making time for lifelong friends.

This Year's First Christmas Gift

2010-10-26T16:38:00.001-04:00

My wonderful husband has been accompanying me to The Village Quilter lately to pick up my Buck-A-Block so we can spend some extra time together. He's been great at finding projects he'd like me to make and this month's find was a Biscuit Basket by Aunties Two.

Perfect size for mega biscuits!

Bird's eye view

Using a Moda jelly roll and a roll of 1 3/4 inch stiffy stuff, the basket came together in a day. (If you recognize the fabric, could you please post the name in the comment section? I always try to give credit where credit is due and I can't remember the name--a suspected episode of "Sometimers.") The directions are clear and technique is easy to follow. Was a little nervous about the binding since the basket barely fit into my sewing machine, but it was just as easy to do as a quilt binding.

Have an idea of who in my family would appreciate this cute little basket, but since they are regular readers of my blog, I don't want to spoil the surprise. Excited to finish a project in a day, especially with the multitude of interruptions in my day--doctors' appointments, dishes, laundry, meals, etc.

Anatomy of a Swap

2010-10-25T13:13:00.001-04:00

Some might wonder why I don't post more finished projects, so thought I might take you on a journey through the process of hosting a swap. The swaps you'll see here are from the BlockBuddy Yahoo group.

First step is to select a swap. We have several running at the same time. The most popular right now are the Chicklets, an invention of my imagination. Chicklets are 4 1/2 inch four patches using white on white and a flavored gum color. The flavor of the month was grape.

Lots and lots of grape chicklets!!

Just love all the colors!

Another favorite are the Country Nine-Patches. Found this charming block here: Quilting.About.com . Not only are they addictive to make, but thinking they are going to make a fabulous quilt.

Classic blue and white--can't wait to start assembling the top!

A quick and easy block is the Double Four Patch. If you'd like to try this versatile block, directions are located here: http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltblocklotto/ss/january07_lotto.htm . Saw one in a recent quilt show--just love the classic blue and white set in a visually pleasing way.

This cute little four patch is called a Stripey Four-Patch. These darling blocks are done in white-on-white and 1930 reproduction fabrics. If you only have fifteen minutes to sew, these blocks should be your first choice. Am partial to them being set on-point, which creates a tessellating design. My black and batik top is done, just waiting for the quilting.

Sometimes we just swap components of blocks. Been swapping half-square triangles for months and am growing a delightful collection for a future scrap quilt.

Dozens and dozens of half-square triangles! Oh, the possibilities!

And, we swap 2 1/2 inch strips called "Zippy Strips."

Galaxy Star

Last, but not least, we have a block of the month. The pattern for this month's star is located at www.EwesQuilting.com under the BOM section.

Once all the swaps are sent to me, I distribute them to their new homes where they live happily every after!

Waiting for the mail carrier to whisk away the squishies to their new home!

If one or more of these swaps appeal to you, please come and join us at BlockBuddies! Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BlockBuddySwaps/ and sign-up. You'll find lovely, talented ladies, fun activities and boatloads of swaps!!

October's Star

2010-10-13T17:16:00.000-04:00

If you're ever in the mood for a Block of the Month, would like to invite you to my website, www.EwesQuilting.com ! This BOM is the third I've run for BlockBuddies, but the first I've offered on my website. The blocks from January to October are up now and November is ready and waiting for next month.

Appreciate your feedback!

It's Your Turn Round Robin!

2010-10-11T14:17:00.000-04:00

Block Buddies is doing a special project--an "It's Your Turn Round Robin" in the style of Pat Sloan's quilter's activity by the same name! Due to time restraints, we're going to just have four members in each group and everyone's going to make one block that fits the theme.

As you can see, my theme is Christmas. Used a Nancy Halversen design for the Nativity and the Karen Kay Buckley method of machine applique. The background fabric at the top has Psalms scrolling across, filling the sky like I imagine the angels did when proclaiming His birth all those years ago. (Luke 2:13-14)

Am hoping for lots of angels, sheep (am very fond of the black ones) and a star. Am fortunate the group I'm in is filled with incredibly talented ladies who will do an exceptional job. Will be sure to post when it's finished!

If this kind of activity appeals to you, please feel free to check out Block Buddies for yourself! Here's a link http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BlockBuddySwaps/ .We have loads of activities and one is sure to appeal to you!

A New Place For My Patterns

2010-08-29T00:08:00.001-04:00

My dear, sweet, long-suffering, patient and all around wonderful husband has spent the better part of this week checking website names and setting up a new place for my original patterns to live. It still needs a bit of "finishing" (imagine sheep frolicking around a quilting frame), but for now, my first mystery quilt and Block of the Month are free at www.EwesQuilting.com .
Please go visit and sign my guestbook! Would love to hear your feedback!

"Summer Fun" Notebook Challenge Quilt

2010-08-13T20:22:00.000-04:00

My big gift for Christmas last year was a Cricut electronic cutting machine. Have enjoyed the various paper related projects I've been making with it--love the accuracy of the cutting and the ability to manipulate shapes by size and orientation. When my DH gave it to me, he said he thought it could be used with fabric and I could use it in my quilting. Sweeter words were never spoken!

First, felt I needed to become familiar with how to use the machine with paper before I could start working with fabric. Then, after six months of practicing (and a smidgen of procrastination) the perfect project came along--a notebook quilt challenge with Love Apples Quilters. Seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally try fabric with the Cricut.

There really isn't much written about how to use fabric in a Cricut machine on the internet. What little I did read suggested ironing on fusible adhesive and using the paper as a stabilizer, putting it on the sticky mat, placing it into the machine and cutting away. Well, it doesn't really work that way. Found that sewable fusible peels away too easily from the backing, although did work on simple shapes. Peeling off the backing and then placing the fabric directly onto the sticky board didn't work because the sewable fusible doesn't provide enough stability. So, in a final attempt, I used heavy duty fusible on the fabric and placed it directly onto the mat and had success! (Took me five attempts to get the word "Summer" to cut correctly due to it's curlicue style. It felt really good to conquer that hurdle!!)

In addition to using heavy duty fusible, it was necessary to slow the cutting down to a minimum, increase the pressure and blade length (used it set on 4).

After learning a few of the secrets of using fabric on the Cricut, thought it would be a great project to test out using textile glitter to add a little sparkle in the lightening bugs' tales and on the flag of the sandcastle.

Here's how it turned out:

Notebook Quilt (8 1/2 inches by 11 inches) using "Stretch Your Imagination" cartridge

The little guy in the lower left corner is a cricket in his grasshopper pajamas--our girls are very concerned that crickets are black and grasshoppers are green, but a black cricket wouldn't have shown up on such a dark background. You have to love their desire for accuracy!

This little project, learning curve included, took me about a day to complete. Would love to make one for every season and am working on some more layouts.

My Sewing Room--The Cleaned Up Version

2010-08-09T09:54:00.001-04:00

Here's my little corner of the house dedicated to all my creative endeavors. About nine years ago, my sweet husband realized that my unfinished basement space was not going to allow me to do all the things I wanted to do, so he hired a handyman to put up walls, the cabinets and a custom cutting table. It was so white and bright back then, it looked like you were caught in a snowstorm. (Years later, he build me an addition to the family room to house my longarm machine, but that's a tale for another time!)

Over the years, the whiteness has been toned down by the millions of things now living in the space. Here is a photo looking into my 12 foot by 10 foot room from the girls' play/tv/computer area.

You can sort of see my design wall on the left side of the picture. My ironing board is set up underneath it so I have to get up and down frequently to keep myself moving, lest I solidify in one position. The cabinets hold mostly kits, assorted UFO's and other crafting supplies.

Looking in from the outside

This picture is taken from the other side, showing my Horn sewing table and Brother Quilt Club machine. Love the large space behind my machine!

More Elfa storage for the notions--great little bins!

Facing south, you can see that I have a modest collection of books. My stash is contained in the bins from the Container Store. Keep explaining to my DH how I really don't have that much fabric compared to most quilters I know. He has yet to believe me.

Not every color or type of fabric has its own bin....some day!

Underneath the cutting table is more storage of batting, ribbons, quilt tops and scrapbooking supplies. Don't know what I would do without my Container Store storage units! Besides, this offers a wonderful place to hide when everyone is looking for me!

Best hiding spot in the house!

Thank you for taking the five cent tour of my sewing space! If you have any suggestions on how I could improve the storage or organization, please don't hesitate to comment!

Our New Mailbox

2010-07-29T22:47:00.001-04:00

The time had come to replace the mailbox and it's pole. We knew it was time because the pole was rotten all the way through and no amount of boards stuffed at the base would prevent it from tipping over.

Rather than bring bodily harm to the nicest mail carrier we've ever had, the decision was made to replace the entire set-up. When the new mailbox came home, it gave me an idea--have seen painted flowers, light houses and John Deere tractors, but never a quilt block. Having the nicest and most long-suffering husband in the world, asked if it would be okay for me to decorate it. Thankfully (and predictably), he agreed.

Gathered my supplies--an EQ print out of a variable star block, some paint pens, chalk and a ruler. Colored the back of the print out with chalk and then traced it onto the mailbox.

The image was a bit fuzzy, but still usable. Settled down for a relaxing coloring session.

Here are the first two colors finished....

and here is the block all done! (Before the purple was dry, it was very pink, hence the smudge in the square.) Then I got to work on the other side. When both sides had their respective blocks, sprayed it with a satin sealant.

Here is our new mailbox out on the curb, waiting the hundreds of swaps to arrive. Thinking the mail carrier won't have the heart to deliver bills to such quilty mailbox.

Fat Quarter Bags

2010-06-25T23:13:00.000-04:00

Hard to imagine it's almost been a year since we went to the Knoxville AQS show last July. (Harder still that it's taken me this long to finally use the patterns I purchased there!) Tennessee was a fantastic place to go for vacation--enjoyed the Smokey Mountains (met a black bear on the trail), Gatlinburg(Ripley's Aquarium is very entertaining) and Dollywood.

While at the quilt show, found a booth carrying patterns by a company called, "P. S. Gone Quilting." Very cute patterns were available--could have bought one of each, but ended up purchasing one for making lined drawstring bags from a single fat quarter, another for a red and white scrap quilt and a third for a collapsible bottle holder using tiny embroidery hoops.

Thought the drawstring bags would be a great item for Love Apple Quilters' 2011 Quilt Show boutique, so stole some time away from the usual schedule and tried it out.

What fun! The bag went together in less than an hour and provided all kinds of opportunities for embellishments! Added some beads to the coordinating ribbon ties, just to add a little bit of sparkle.

Did give the ice cream cones as a gift bag to a young sewer for her birthday and it was well received. Hope everyone who comes to the quilt show is equally pleased!

A Couple Completed Projects

2010-04-24T18:53:00.000-04:00

A friend was having a birthday, so thought a tablerunner would be a nice way to celebrate. Found the pattern and fabric at Calico and Cotton in Ocean City, NJ.

The next project was a prize for a contest I had with BlockBuddies, my on-line yahoo group. We were starting a new swap and she picked the winning name.

It's a chocolate covered strawberry pin cushion. Just for fun, put some stuffing in a dish to look like whipped cream--the perfect fat-free dessert!! The winner seemed to appreciate my humble offerings and put it to good use.

Now, off to finish a UFO!

New Jersey's 9th Annual Shop Hop

2010-04-16T22:19:00.000-04:00

Today I finished my third NJ ShopHop--two days early! This year, there were eleven stores, as far north as Vernon and as far south as Swedesboro. Chocolate colored charm squares, quilt patterns, chocolate related recipes and pewter necklace charms were offered by each store.

Chocolate Charms

Mercifully, not only were the store hours extended, but they added a day. This additional day allowed me to work within my family's schedule. Hopped at six stores the first day, three stores the next and two on the third. My DH was able to come with me for the last day and we spent a lovely afternoon at the beach, walking the boardwalk.

After much deliberating, decided we liked the quilt offered at Calico and Cotton in Ocean City. Here's the finishing kit and pattern, Delectable Mountains:

Now I'm itching to make this quilt so I can quilt it on my new frame!

Newest Member of Our Family

2010-04-10T23:15:00.000-04:00

My dear husband and I went to the American Quilt Society's show in Lancaster, PA in March. As you can see by the name on the tag, a HandiQuilter Avante came home with me! Am so excited at the idea of quilting a twelve inch block on point. Of course, will need to practice quite a bit first!

The easiest part of the process was bringing home the machine in the back of our minivan--it only weighs 65 pounds. While waiting for the table to arrive, the pink sarcophagus lived in the dining room.

Almost two weeks later, the table arrived Thursday, April 8! The UPS lady not only had a few choice words for me, but also had an asthma attack when she got all 255 pounds of table onto the front porch. Paul, being the best husband in the world, got right to work putting it together. Since there was no way for us to lift the boxes and put them into the house, he brought it in, piece by piece.

The front porch Thursday night

Once the first five of fifteen steps were competed (three hours later), my table really started to take shape! Amazing how much room a 12 foot table really needs! Have seven months to figure out where the Christmas tree is going to go, since it traditionally goes in that corner.

By Saturday morning, we freed the machine from its box and put it on the table--just perfect! Using the enclosed DVD, was able to load the quilt and start practicing. Am amazed at how simple it is to use--feel like I can get started on a quilt right away! Thankfully, I have at least twelve tops to quilt, so practice isn't going to be a problem.

This little gizmo is the bobbin winder--it was the only component I was able to pick up myself, weighing in at around ten pounds.

Am very excited to have this great new toy, err, I mean tool, to finish my quilts. Most of all, am thankful for a darling husband who encourages me (sparing no expense) in all that I do.

Spring Break Sewing Class

2010-04-08T19:58:00.000-04:00

This year's spring break is a little unusual this year due to the snow--our older daughter had only Monday off while our younger daughter had the week off. Having only one child to entertain allowed for a long-overdue sewing lesson with her dear friend, a young lady quite enamoured with sewing.

Dug out my first sewing machine, a Singer I purchased when we first were married. This machine is something of a dinosaur, but provides a full education without the risk of overwhelming the user.

After finding a beginner's appropriate apron pattern (cooking is another of their passions), I took the girls to Joann's and had them to pick out whatever fabric they'd like. One young lady selected a chicken print for the main part of the apron with an egg fabric for the pocket. (Very clever!!)

Chicken and Egg Apron

Our daughter selected cherries for her main section with a back pocket--Mary Engelbreit would be so proud! (And who will be able to tell if it gets dirty?)

Cherries Jubilee

And, since Father's Day is around the corner (more honestly, at that time of year, I'm either at a loss for gift ideas or up to my eyeballs in deadlines), decided to make a very handsome one for my sweet husband. Here it is modeled by our older daughter....

Celebrating Daddy!

The girls did all the pressing and sewing--thought we'd save using a rotary cutter for another lesson. Am so very proud of their efforts and how naturally talented they are! Hope they continue to enjoy sewing!

Love Apple Quilters' 30th Anniversary

2010-03-10T09:13:00.000-05:00

In a time when so many organizations and businesses are ceasing to be, Love Apple Quilters celebrated thirty years of giving quilts, educating quilters and providing a haven for ladies to enjoy each other's company. I'm so pleased to be part of this organization for the past eight years! The ladies and gentleman trusted me to be the president this year, which is a great honor.

Our February festivities were postponed a month due to snow, but thirty years together is not a celebration that can be contained in only one meeting! For our first installment, we had special chocolate favors provided by The Sweet Stop (http://www.thesweetstop.shutterfly.com/), fat quarters, tea, cookies and an anniversary challenge.

The Anniversary Challenge was to make a quilt depicting what Love Apples means to you in red, green, yellow, white and a "love apple," also known as a pomegranate.

Here's my contribution:

The design is bits and pieces from various sources--the friendship hearts were from a magazine and the machine appliqued love apples were from EQ6. Was glad to find a pomegranate quilting pattern that fit perfectly in the spaces without any adjustments!

Although I didn't win the popular vote, did receive an award of my own. A lady I respect as a person and one of the most talented quilters I know, told me she voted for my quilt. Am still basking in the glow of that remark!

Gift Card Holders

2010-01-29T10:22:00.000-05:00

Have some gift cards to give to special friends, but just handing over an envelope with the cards inside makes me feel guilty for not being able to come up with the "perfect" gift. In an effort to improve the presentation, thought a customized wallet would be appreciated.

For the young gentleman of the group, I made a bi-fold wallet using a free pattern found on www.sewing.about.com/od/bagstotespurseproject/ss/menswallet.htm . The pattern is okay, but there has to be a better way than recommended to do the bias binding. After four attempts to make flat corners with the binding folded around the edges, decided to open the binding and sew it on like a quilt binding. The last attempt worked the best, but wasn't as perfect as I would have liked. Hopefully, he'll have so much money stuffed in his gift, no one will notice a wrinkle here or there!

For the two young ladies, one a teen and the other a near-teen, I made cell phone holders. Being "fashionistas," they like accessories for their cell phones. Being sisters, reflecting their personalities is a must. So, while shopping at Olde City Quilts in Burlington, I noticed a Quiltsmart cell phone holder pattern. Glad I got to make two of those--very, very clever and easy to do! Found some coordinating buttons and trims at Joann's and am pleased with how they turned out....and our own teen-aged daughter gave them her stamp of approval.

My Christmas Gift

2010-01-02T11:17:00.000-05:00

Rereading the title of my blog, I'm reminded of its focus, but can't help but write about it. My dear, sweet husband purchased me a new toy that is providing me with not only hours of entertainment, but quilt inspiration. It's a Cricut--an electronic die cut machine, fully equipped with four cartridges. (I have since purchased a fifth--who can resist paper dolls?)

My first project was a card for a sweet little boy's birthday. Thankfully, the cartidges include instructions for projects and this one worked perfectly. The envelope size was a little tricky to figure out, but after three tries, got one that worked.

We spent a quiet New Year's Day together, which gave me a chance to play with some of my own ideas. Now, I've never claimed to be a paper artist or scrapbooker, so I'm sure my ideas are quite primitive to those of you who are--just wanted to make a few "thank you" cards, cover a book and try a little gift bag.

Not unhappy with the way they turned out, but would make a few different choices next time.

Having worked part way through the learning curve, am now ready to try fabric--there are a few quilt blocks I'm eager to try.

American Patchwork & Quilting One Million Pillowcase Challenge

2009-12-02T20:36:00.000-05:00

According to http://www.dictionary.com/, the first definition of the word "challenge" is "a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc." This challenge was designed by AllPeopleQuilt.com to help those in challenging life circumstances. Donna, owner of The Spider's Web Fabric Shop (http://www.thespiderswebfabricshop.com/) has decided to use her Ohio store as a drop-off point. Thankfully, she needed samples and I was able to volunteer my sewing services.

The basic pattern was the first one I tried. Donna sent me a lovely combination of horse-themed fabrics. Took me less than an hour to do the entire project and only required very basic sewing skills. Followed the directions exactly, except for the band/body seam--to prevent ravelling, I pinked the edges on all the samples.

The second pattern has a ruffle. Now I know the prospect of making a ruffle strikes terror in some of the bravest of quilty hearts, but this design element was a piece of cake! Certainly added a nice touch to the pillowcase and would be perfect for a little girl. As usual, Donna's choice of fabrics was exceptional. Took about an hour to make, ruffle included.

Pattern three has a pieced hour-glass block band--and the wallowing piggy fabric lent itself to having"peeking" pigs in the center square. This pillowcase took a bit longer to complete, perhaps around two hours. But, I've never been known for speedy piecing--way too busy pinning.

Finally, pattern four has a simple patchwork design in the band. The piecing was quick and easy, allowing me to complete it in under two hours. The hibiscus pattern is complimented by green and red fabrics, giving it a Hawaiian feel.

Since each of these pillowcases are quick and easy enough to finish in an afternoon, try them all! Make two--one for a child in your life and one for someone less fortunate. AllPeopleQuilt.com has a map of participating stores listed on the website or you could send it to Donna's shop (address listed on her site).

Love Apples Workshop and Contest

2009-11-22T19:49:00.001-05:00

As the chair of LAQ's workshops, it's my responsibility to not only provide a quality "educational" experience for the membership, but a time of escape from every day routines and opportunities to build relationships.

Yesterday, I took a class with Karen Zeplin making a small table topper (Kay Woods, Fons and Porter, January 2006). Most of the project was completed before lunch, except for the little bit of handwork required to finish the edges. (Karen is such a sweetheart--she did half of my binding while I was running around!)

Here's mine:

Since we finished early, she had a surprise for us! She had made up another little block kit for us to do!

Isn't it cute?

How fortunate we are to have such dedicated teachers that go the extra mile to make their classes exceptional! Melissa Boos taught the other class, a mystery, which turned out to be an Amish Puzzle ball. She kept her class in suspense for four hours!

At lunch time, it has become a bit of a tradition for me to create a new quilt related game. Some are better than others, but yesterday's game was the most successful so far.

Here it is:

There are twenty-seven quilt patterns hidden in this picture. Can you find them? The ladies were given ten minutes and were able to find 18. Would like to have a contest for anyone who reads my blog--the first one who e-mails me at contest@njquilter.com by November 29, 2009 with the most correct block names, will win a prize! (Only the ladies that attended yesterday's workshop would not be eligible, since I gave them the answers.) So, print out the picture, search for names of quilt blocks and send your list to me no later than November 29, 2009. Enjoy!!

Notebook Quilt

2009-10-08T09:29:00.000-04:00

Love Apple Quilters is having an October challenge making a "Notebook Quilt." Seemed like a perfect way to try out a technique I learned several years ago at Quilt University. The technique involves a tracing of a photograph and machine applique. (You should really take the class--it's fascinating!)

Wanted to incorporate my flowers into my quilting, so took a host of pictures looking for one that was simple enough to finish in a limited amount of time. My fifteen year old hibiscus proved to be a perfect candidate. Of course, this past summer wasn't very sunny, so the leaves are a less than perfect. Was excited for the chance to use some of my hand-dyed fabrics, but putting scissors to them was not easy!

Got to work, tracing, cutting, stitching, outlining and trimming. With very well-written directions, the learning curve was kind and I made only a few mistakes and easily recovered.

Here's how it turned out:

Happily finished putting the last few beads to realize that the challenge required the object to be oriented in a vertical position. Ugh!! With the excitement of finally doing a project I had waited to do for over a year, getting my flowers in fabric and using my hand-dyed fabrics, completely forgot to look at the directions one more time!

Hope the kids don't realize I didn't follow directions! Perhaps I should listen to myself when singing the virtues of reading the requirements before starting the project!

Working My Way Through the Rainbow, Part II

2009-09-22T15:55:00.000-04:00

Finally the schedule allowed me to finish dyeing my rainbow! Seems a dead-line tends to inspire me the most. Tomorrow, I'll meet with the art teacher to show her what fabrics have been collected from Love Apple Quilters and dyed.

Tried for the first time dying so many fabrics at once. Thinking seven vats is pushing it a bit, so will stick to five in the future.

So, here are the colors marinating....

And here is the final result.

PFD vs. Muslin

Comparing how the different fabrics take the dye.

Even purchasing brand new gloves did not prevent me from having one blue finger....

Dare I say, I'm "dyeing" to do this again?

Putting the UGH! in Ugly

2009-08-08T22:11:00.000-04:00

Had the privilege of selecting a game for Love Apple Quilters last guild meeting. Regularly scour the internet for games suitable for workshops, but thought this game would be perfect to involve the whole guild.

About 30 of us all brought one yard of the ugliest fabric on our stash. Amazing how one quilter's "ugly" is another quilter's "treasure." We tore our fabric in two, keeping one half and passing the other half around the circle. The passing and tearing went on for three more turns. The challenge was to make a small wall-hanging out of what we acquired, without adding any other fabric.

Here's what I got:

Sort of redefines "ugly," doesn't it?

Looked at those five fabrics for two weeks before being inspired. Started to grow concerned when they started to look nice together...except for one. The small squares just did not fit in the abstract pattern of the block print fabric, no matter what pattern I picked.

So, I decided to tea dye the odd ball. Well, hours in a tea bath did not make much of an impact. Tried coffee next, without much success. Turned out a brown pencil did the trick! Pleating the fabric to show only the complimentary squares seemed improve the situation.

Here's what I made:

Thought a fitting name would be "Tile Work in King Neptune's Privy." Our teenage daughter is horrified I would use the word "privy"--fearing the Quilt Police will revoke my license, this quilt isn't making any public appearances, so she can save her embarrassment for a future event.

Here are a few of the other contributions:

Such a talented group of ladies! (No names were used to protect the innocent.) By the way, the first entry pictured won!

Working My Way Through the Rainbow--Dyeing Fabric Part I

2009-07-25T00:12:00.000-04:00

Aside from quilting, I have another guilty pleasure--I love to dye fabric! Although I have had the girls involved in past dyeing sessions, opted to indulge myself while they were at camp. (That way meals/activities would not interfere with the process. My sweet DH could bring dinner home if he was hungry! LOL!)

Had taken a class on Quilt University with Marjie McWilliams and loved her excellent instructions and bonus lessons. With my fifth grade art project on the horizon, decided to incorporate her techniques to dye the donated muslin. While I had the dye out, seemed like a good time to add to my fat quarter collection, too.

Only have five vats, so I decided to breakdown the rainbow. Here are the first five colors in the vats resting:

The colors were so vivid!

Of course, I didn't have enough gloves to protect my hands--youngest DD operates or practices dentistry on her stuffed toys and "needs" them. My left hand was affected the most by the dyes and my sweet DH commented on "catching my red-handed"--groan!

Here are the final products:

Yardage for the fifth grade art festival project.

Fat quarters for my collection.

Very pleased with how the fabrics took the color and look forward to my next session! Will go shopping for more gloves before then so that my hands aren't "bluetiful."

Quilt As You Go

2009-07-13T22:59:00.001-04:00

As Love Apple Quilters' workshop chair, I have the pleasure of scheduling the talented ladies from our guild to teach at our affordable Saturday workshops several times a year. Thankfully, the ladies are very vocal in what they want to take as a class and this project was one of those requests.

Having never made a "quilt as you go," had to conquer the learning curve before I could teach the class. Thought I would keep it simple by making a lap quilt. Used 1 1/2 yards of backing, comparable sized batting and a kit for a rag quilt that I got on clearance at the NJ Quilt Show. The rag quilt strips were cut in 2 1/2", 3 1/2" and 4 1/2" strips--perfect! The strips could run from selvage to selvage and be added easily to lengthen the quilt.

The hardest part of this lap quilt was stuffing it into the sewing machine while keeping the backing/batting from puckering. I used basting safety pins to keep the batting and backing smooth, but it seemed like spray adhesive would work well, too. And, since the kit was flannel, it was a bit steamy binding it in July.

Knowing that I haven't given my sweet nephew a quilt in the past month or two, this one is for him. It has little rocket men, stars and trains on the back. (Seems like a strange combination, but he just loves trains! Maybe some day, he'll like spaceships, too!)

Green Fairy Quilts

2009-07-09T20:26:00.000-04:00

Judy Madsen is having a give away of all sorts of goodies! Go to her blog, Green Fairy Quilts at http://greenfairyquilts.blogspot.com/ and post a comment to be entered into her drawing for one of five quilty presents. If you blog about her contest, then you get five entries. She also has a charity she runs to help those less fortunate in Romania. If you make a donation to that cause, you will have ten entries.

Even if you don't enter her contests, her blog is exceptional and patterns clever. Enjoy!

UrbanElementz Essential Elements Panto Club

2009-07-08T13:08:00.000-04:00

The more I spent time on http://www.urbanelementz.com/ , the more I realize how valuable a resource it is. Patricia Ritter has an Essential Elements Panto Club--a must-have for any machine quilter. Every month you are sent a set of pantos--borders, overall designs, setting triangles and specific blocks--for a reasonable price. Here is this month's offering:

Isn't that gorgeous? You can find sign-ups for this club at http://www.urbanelementz.com/essential_elementz/ .

Love all the detail that Patricia includes in her nature inspired designs and the inclusion of two rows of overall quilting to ease lining up. Would be nice to look forward to a gift every month that can be added to your quilting box of tricks!

Another Great Find: Quilt Pantographs by Urban Elementz

2009-06-16T10:25:00.000-04:00

Found another quilting treasure on the internet--Patricia Ritter of Urban Elementz (http://www.urbanelementz.com)! Inspired by nature, Patricia has developed beautiful pantographs with the mid-arm and longarm quilter in mind. Choices included overall designs and blocks in various sizes. Loved the uniqueness of the continuous line designs--feathers, swirly leaves, bubbles, flowers, etc.

The website is well organized and user-friendly. Spent hours exploring all the options! No need leave home to purchase new quilting patterns, they can be downloaded anytime. Or, if you prefer, she has a line of design/groovy boards, too.

Having my own mid-arm set-up, downloaded this design.....

to finish one of these quilts:

This top is from a Block Buddy Round Robin,

this one is a Scottish Mystery Quilt from the Village Quilter and...

here is a Friendship Star from a Block Buddies swap (each star has the signature of a member from all over the United States).

Asking for your input! In the comment section, please cast your vote on which quilt you think would work best with my pantograph from Urban Elementz.

New Find: The Quilt Pattern Shoppe

2009-05-27T22:02:00.000-04:00

Have a new on-line source for patterns! Could be a new addiction, since there are no shipping fees nor rides to a quilt store. Patterns are only a printer away!

Not only does The Quilt Pattern Shoppe (http://www.thequiltpatternshoppe.com/) have dozens of designers who have authored over 200 patterns from which to choose, but shopper reward points usable towards free patterns and other quilty goodies.

So, I decided to try one of their free patterns and downloaded the "Simply Hearts Table Runner." This two day project was well-written and easy to use. Two thumbs up for whoever proof-read this pattern!

Loved the chance to make a controlled scrappy quilted table runner. (Random and I don't usually get along.) Tried to pick out colors that complimented my Polish stoneware and ended with a very happy, springtime table topper for our kitchen.

Quilted Clock

2009-05-13T12:34:00.001-04:00

Because the commute to Ohio is not reasonable for me and I'd love to work in her quilt store, Donna from the Spider's Web Fabric Store (www.thespiderswebfabricstore.com) kindly allowed me to bring home a kit from our Block Buddies retreat to make as a store sample for her new brick and mortar shop.

Donna selected a fabric with cats strolling in lines and a beautiful amber colored hand-dyed. Because it made more sense for the cats to march horizontally rather than uphill, the squares needed to be cut on the bias, making for an exciting time piecing and quilting. With a little planning and careful handling of the bias edges, the whole project came together by lunchtime.

The directions were well-written, but part of the clock assembly instructions were excluded. If you decide to make this project, remember to put the hanging bracket on the motor first (it isn't listed) or you'll have to take it apart later. (Not as much fun as it sounds!)

Off to pack it up for shipping--Tuffi is offended that I would make a clock with quilted kitties instead of dogs, but Wheaten fabric is hard to find!

Another Tote Bag?

2009-05-12T15:46:00.000-04:00

Was shopping at The Village Quilter on Monday and was so inspired by this bag, ironically named "Must Have," (www.ModaHome.com) , I made an impulse buy. Would be a perfect bag to take on a shopping trip anywhere.

The nice features about this bag are the vinyl outside, long handles and rolled top. Well-written instructions made construction a breeze in only a few hours.

Thinking this one is going to my mother--she will love the fabrics, size and the easy-care exterior.

This tote is the second I've made in less than three weeks--thinking all this momentum will help me get some UFO's done!

Schlep Bag

2009-05-07T21:19:00.000-04:00

This cute patchwork bag was made from a kit purchased from Calico and Cotton, Ocean City, NJ during the Shop Hop. (Worked like a charm during my Ohio trip to hold all the fabric and cheese purchases.) Thought the fruit fabric was so realistic and the ants a humorous touch. The kit contained everything I needed, complete with pre-cut squares, fabric handles and batting strips.

The kit consisted of 32 six and a half inch charm squares sewn into a diagonal setting. I did change the construction of the handles since it was too much trouble to turn such a long tube inside out and then feed a length of batting through. Reinforced the handles with five rows of stitching, just so that it can hold plenty of goodies on shopping trips.

The bag is reversible, so if one side gets dirty, you still have another side to use. Glad mine is bright red--maybe I'll remember to take it into the grocery store!

Block Buddy April Challenge

2009-04-30T12:19:00.000-04:00

April was my month to decide our group's challenge, so I selected an easy project from All Stitched Up. ( www.allstitchedup.blogspot.com/2007/06/spiral-steno-pad-cover.html )

Was able to make this cute steno notebook cover with two fat quarters and a batting scrap in under an hour. The Dollar Store has the steno notepads for $1.00, so you have an inexpensive, thoughtful gift in no time. Would be great for keeping lists, college students or meeting notes.

AniLee National Quilt Day Hunt

2009-04-29T23:31:00.000-04:00

When I started this blog, it was with the intention of posting only finished projects, but am making an exception with this top.

AniLee (http://www.anilee.net/) hosts a Treasure Hunt several times a year and I usually participate. About twenty shops hide a link on-line and you have to search the site, click on the link to gather the clue. Once you gather a certain number of clues, you are given a down-loadable pattern. As a special treat, they provided a one day hunt for National Quilt Day--a shop hop from your computer!

This hunt also had a contest to go along with it. If your top was completed by April 30, it was eligible for a chance to be on the cover of the pattern when it goes on sale, as well as free quilting and binding. A panel of judges will determine the winner.

Seems I get much more done if I have a dead-line, but the stress is just too unbearable to live that way for any length of time! The black background shows off the hand-dyed and batik fabrics contrasting with the various colors of stars in deep space. Wonder if it resembles what the Great Designer saw when creating the universe?

New Jersey's 8th Annual Shop Hop

2009-04-20T22:38:00.000-04:00

It's springtime and that means "hopping" around New Jersey in my third shop hop! This year, the hop was scheduled during the kids' spring break, so rather than drag them over 300 miles, my wonderful parents took them for an over-nighter. The red charm squares are the perfect color!

Started collecting five inch squares, patterns, recipes and charm bracelet charms in Englishtown, then went to Morris Plains, Clinton, Pennington and Mount Holly the first day. My DH took a day from work (and made arrangements for the dog!) so he could go with me to Forked River, Ocean City and have a date night. After church on Sunday, we visited the last store in Haddonfield and turned in my completed passport for the prize drawing.

Purchased the finishing kit from The Village Quilter for the second year in a row--Susan has a knack for designing the perfect layouts. Of course, I haven't finished last year's quilt (where does the time go?!?), so I had better get going.

If you have a free weekend in April, consider participating in the New Jersey Shop Hop (http://www.njshophop09.com/). Each shop is situated in a "charming" town in New Jersey and you come away with a unique quilt project. (Sorry about the pun--just couldn't resist!)

Love Apples 2009 Quilt Challenges

2009-03-16T10:34:00.000-04:00

Well, the quilt show that consumed all of our time and energy for the past two years has come to a successful conclusion. Back to laundry, dusting, vacuuming and cooking! We had over 200 quilts, twenty-one vendors, Civil War reproduction gowns, kids' quilts, charity quilt auction and challenge quilts. A little something for everyone!

The challenge this year was just that--the fabric did not speak to me at all. Could only come up with one reasonable design and tweaked it over and over. Did a modified "stack and whack" quilt, lining up the fabric repeats and cutting 60 degree triangles from the strips. There are 358 triangles, 132 are challenge fabrics, but the angles at which they are cut drastically changes their appearance.

Thankfully, my travelling design team, better known as my parents, came over and offered some excellent advice. Their suggestions added a much needed spark to the quilt.

After the quilt was done, noticed that the scraps might work together to make another quilted item. Used Pink Chalk Designs pattern to make a large folio. Added a quilted cover and pieced many of the pockets.

Now is the time to bask in the glow of a job well-done, but not for too long. We will begin planning the 2011 show in a couple of months and the exciting roller-coaster ride will start all over again.

Flannel Swap Blocks

2009-02-07T18:29:00.000-05:00

Being so quick and easy, this block made a wonderful choice for a swap. Participants will contribute six 8 1/2 inch flannel blocks to each swapper, which will give us a 30 block head start on a quilt. Thinking I might like to have a larger quilt, so would make another 30 blocks--just the right size for keeping warm on a chilly evening . Wondering, though, if it will be spring by the time I get this finished.
The best part of making these blocks is that both the girls helped. Each contributed opinions on color placement, one helped with cutting the chained pieces apart and the other learned to press. They were so excited and would like to try to make their own quilt with this block.
We've come a long way from DD#1 asking me, "Mommy, can't you be like other mothers and not sew?"

It's Your Turn Round Robin

2009-02-04T17:08:00.000-05:00

Our Block Buddies group tried a new type of round robin--this time making whole blocks instead of rows around a center square. I made the star in the lower right-hand corner and sent my block to travel around the country. It went to Michigan, Texas, California, Washington, D. C. and Kentucky to be worked on by very talented ladies. They each added their own star with a black background. All I have to do is sew it together and quilt it for a lovely wall-hanging.

Thank you, Ila, Kathy, Lori, Sheila and Becky! I appreciate every one of your efforts!

January Challenge

2009-01-27T12:24:00.000-05:00

My on-line group is running a monthly challenge for its members this year. The first challenge was a potato baker--one throws washed taters in the bag, no pricking necessary, and they go into the microwave for two or three minutes. People who have made these bags claim that the potatoes are cooked to fluffy perfection. I'm really hoping that the microwave doesn't melt the rayon thread used in the embroidery design--don't want to add that "little something extra" to the taste of the potatoes. Eww!

Downloaded the directions for this project from Sherry Titzer (http://www.atimetostitch.com/). She gives detailed, step-by-step instructions with excellent photographs. The embroidery design is a free download from Serena Smith (http://www.embtreasures.com/), who is a talented digitizer. (Serena Smith also has directions on making one of these bags and they are very clear.)

Up-Date: We used the potato baker and they were the best potatoes from the microwave! As with anything else, it must be used with caution, so follow the directions that are on the website. This project only takes about thirty minutes if you use prequilted fabric or a placemat--it's worth every second!

Challenge Quilt, Well, Sort Of

2009-01-21T11:55:00.000-05:00

Have been feverishly working on my challenge quilt for Love Apple Quilter's 2009 Show in March. Wish I could show it now, but it is to remain anonymous until the vote is taken. Instead, I decided to show the one made for the last quilt show.

The challenge last time, was to create a quilt reminiscent of the 1930's two-color quilt. We purchased the challenge kit with the red fabric and were allowed to add either a white or off-white fabric.

Played and played around with designs for at least eight months and this idea was the best I had. The spinning blocks reminded me of fleur-de-lis and the wide spaces needed a little embellishment. Decided on an embroidery design digitized by Louise McDonough and it seemed to compliment the design perfectly.

Very pleased that my quilt received an honorable mention that year! Will up-date in March with a photo of this year's creation.

Quilt Store Inspiration

2008-12-30T22:51:00.000-05:00

In years past, I made most of my Christmas presents, but now my list is long and I don't enjoy the luxury of time I once did. Not expecting to make any more presents this season, I needed to take a trip to the Village Quilter for my monthly fix--my Buck A Block and peruse through the store to see what is new. Kind of a mini vacation that I take once a month to a quiet fabric filled paradise.

This trip something caught my eye--a cute fabric with an assortment blond, brunette and red-headed skaters. Since one of her granddaughters is red-headed, one a brunette and her grandson red-headed, it seemed like the perfect gift for my mother. Add in the artwork, reminiscent of a favorite childhood card game we would play of little kids taking dragons for a walk, it was sure to be a hit.

Susan suggested a piano key border, so I picked out some complimentary fabrics. Was able to assemble the top in a Sunday afternoon, but finishing it was tricky. With all the necessary Christmas preparation, pagents and concerts, time was at a premium. So, another deadline was missed and now it is a New Year's present.

Expecting this entry to be the last for this year, but looking forward to many more finished projects to post in 2009!

Fabric Origami

2008-12-19T09:59:00.000-05:00

When I was little, my dad would make all kinds of origami for me--samurai hats, water bombs, blow-up frogs and cranes are all part of some of my favorite childhood memories. He patiently sat at the kitchen table, teaching me the folds and how to read the directions when I was old enough to make them myself.

Since I have far more fabric than colored paper, decided to plunge into doing some fabric origami. Soaked the fabric in straight starch and allowed it to stiffen. Next time, will use Stiffy or a similar project to make it very stiff. The directions were frustrating --pretty much backwards. For anyone that tries this technique, always make the bottom of the box first, then the lid, regardless of what the directions tell you.

So, now my dad will have a fabric origami box holding a special Christmas gift from Arizona. What a wonderful way to continue a tradition!

Window Treatment

2008-12-03T14:49:00.000-05:00

Took a quick break from what quilting needs to be done and finished a curtain for the living room that compliments the new furniture. Learned that it is not a good idea to wait too long once the "right" fabric is found. Would have loved to have had eight yards of this cranberry and tan striped moire, but there were only five and three quarters yards left--rats! Now I had to rethink my plan. Fortunately, my mother could see the perfect window treatment, which saved me time I didn't have.

Always working with cotton, this slippery stuff gives me the willies. Was not sure how to keep it all from raveling after cutting, so another phone call to my personal sewing hotline--my mother! She suggested that I pink the edges and, as always, mother knows best! That worked like a charm! Oh, and thankfully, I have a ton of pins that kept everything lined up.

All in all, this project took a few hours for a custom window treatment. Now, off to find sheers that fit a 67 inch window....

New Endeavor

2008-11-30T18:16:00.000-05:00

Seems that quilting takes a back seat to all the holiday preparations that happen between Halloween and New Year's Day. (Eight family birthdays from September to November don't help, either!) Getting in the last bit of quilting before my frame has to come down for the snow village that only fits in that space.

Was asked by one of our fellow church members to quilt a quilt for our former pastor. Since all that was required was a simple meander, didn't think it would be too difficult to quilt, then found out it was 104 inches by 94 inches! Measured my frame, and in theory, it should fit just fine. Turned out that it was more a challenge than I originally thought, getting the tension clamps in the right place and the carriage all the way to the end to quilt the borders. With a little patience, I was able to get the whole quilt done, even with the machine acting up the last 18 inches. Guess "Jaws" (my Brother 1500s) is just as tempermental as I am after quilting for five or so hours.

Now I should be finishing up a few more of my own projects before the season gets too busy, but I don't have any deadlines looming. Just enjoy the process too much to rush it.

Dressing Up

2008-10-29T22:30:00.000-04:00

Well, it's that time of year when I put aside my quilting to work on our daughters' Halloween costumes. Being Christians, we use this time of year to be creative and make costumes that can be a family project. Our older daughter is doing the work on her costume, now that she is a teenager and I concentrated my efforts on the other.

Last Halloween, it was decided that our sweet little girl would be the Travelocity gnome. Thought about this costume for better part of a year and had a plan. Then, FamilyFun magazine had their annual costume edition and there was a ready made gnome...and one on a mushroom! Our family's passion with fungi dictated that this was the costume to make.

After visiting quite a few stores, hot gluing pool noodles, sewing a mushroom cap, assembling a white skirt for a stem, gluing felt circles, stuffing pant legs and making a belt out of duct tape, cardboard and aluminum foil, the costume was ready for the school's annual carnival.

Much to our delight, her costume won the prize for "Most Original!" She happily claimed her prize--nearly knocking down anyone in her path. (It's quite a wide costume!)

Hmm, better get started on next year!!

One Less UFO

2008-10-02T16:31:00.000-04:00

This Christmas wall-hanging is one that took far too long to be finished. While at a quilt show, my mother saw this quilt kit and asked me to finish it for her. Of course! The fabrics were so beautiful--an assortment of greens, lovely background and a wonderful border print. Did find out, however, that the instructions had some serious flaws. Took me quite a while to recover from their miscalculations. Really wish that pattern designers would test their patterns more! Nothing is more frustrating than trying to recover from mistakes.

Did run into a glitch or two of my own when I went to quilt it. Prairie points and a machine quilting frame are a tricky combination. Had to finish the quilt while sitting at a machine which takes much longer. After a while, late is late, so one does the best they can.

Happily, it is now done and I can give it to my mother and before this Christmas--only several Christmases late!

Bull's Eye Quilt

2008-09-30T07:59:00.000-04:00

Finishing this quilt is sort of closing a chapter on a very trying time in my life. The girls and I were hit head-on by a truck which resulted in several broken bones, one of which was my collar bone.

A friend of mine had made this same quilt and had given me the pattern years ago. I had started collecting all kinds of homespuns, but there were so many other projects on the list before it. After the accident, accurate piecing was not an option while in a sling, so this simple pattern of sewing circles was perfect. Once the piecing was done, the dilemma of how to quilt it presented itself. Played with many designs, but had to pick one that was easy to do on my Little Gracie frame. With only 9 inches of quilting space under my Brother 1500, it was a challenge to do a complimentary design. Opted to go more primitive, since that seemed to be the feel of the quilt.

Every time I worked on this quilt, it brought back unpleasant memories of the accident. After three years, decided that it was time to put the accident behind me and finish the quilt. Now it is done and will bring warmth and new memories to those who use it.

Kind of Cozy!

2008-09-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

This cozy project is for my sister on her birthday--today!! (She also shares her birthday with my DH, but he doesn't need a tea cozy.) She has admired the one I made for our mother for several years and offered it as a gift idea. Of course, I would make one for her! First of all, she is my only sister and secondly, she's never asked me for anything before. It was perfect.

Purchased the pattern years ago and it is well-written and easily assembled. The best part is that the cozy is reversible, so it can be two different cozies in one. Kind of fun to use all the decorative stitches on one's sewing machine. I did add the tassles as an extra decorative touch.

The tricky part is that she wanted a particular color to go with her dishes. After scouring about ten on-line stores, went to The Village Quilter and Susan helped me pick out fabric that would fit the style and color of her dishes. Guess we'll know for sure when I give it to her at her birthday party!

Stylish Note Taking

2008-09-19T14:33:00.000-04:00

Was wondering if better ideas come to more stylish notebooks? Guess we'll see over time, but just thankful that this one is so bright that I will never lose it.

Using Michael Miller fabrics and a Pink Chalk pattern, went to work creating a handy way to keep all my notes in order for all the meetings and various workshops I attend. The fabric was a delight, but there were a few measurement issues with the pattern. If you decide to use this pattern, measure the pieces on the template sheet, not the written direction measurements. None of the mistakes were critical to finishing the project, just annoying.

Fall Wall-hanging Swap

2008-09-15T12:58:00.001-04:00

One of the fun activities Block Buddies sponsors is periodic wall-hanging swap. We all do our best work in creating a simple project that can be used as a reminder of the friends we have all over the world.

This year, I made a Nancy Halverson design from her Autumn book. Used the machine applique technique I learned in Karen Kay Buckley's workshop to do the angels. To save on time, the embroidery machine did a wonderful job on the lettering. Was very pleased with how all the colors came together, especially since I did not buy a single piece of fabric to complete this project--a personal first!!