Finally Finished!

Nothing feels better than seeing a quilt finished!  Except it still needs quilting.  It is a little hard to deside how to quilt this one.  There are so many small pieces.  I may need to think a while before I start quilting.

Tropical Kansas Album Quilt

Ten or Fifteen years ago I started this Kansas Album Quilt. I finally finished all the blocks. Some I changed from the original blocks in the pattern. And yes, those are purple and pink flowers on a lavender background. It really gives it a tropical look. I don't know what I was thinking at the time. I made a lot of really traditional Album quilts and I think I was needing a break from those colors and decided to go really wild. The quilt is suposed to be put together with just the blocks but I'm trying to decide if it needs sashing or borders. Let's just hope it doesn't take me ten or fifteen years to make up my mind. Hmmm..........

Everyday Best Quilt

I cut out all these little rectangles in July to use when I went on a quilt retreat. I just love it when you take these little pieces of fabric and turn them into..,.... These lovely curved pieces. Of course you then have to sew the curves together. I don't know if I've ever said this before but I'm not fond of sewing curves. It is a real pain! But I did it.....

And then they turned into these wonderful blocks! Very colorful. Now I just hope I can make it into..............

The quilt in this book. I've always loved this quilt, and knew that some day I would have to make it. Well that day is finally here! I will post the picture when the borders are finally finished.

Wish me luck!

More Blocks!

I finished 3 more blocks for my Civil War Bride Quilt. I have a few more finished that I need to get pictures of. I've had to slow down to do yard work and guilt has made me dig out a few UFO's that I need to work on too. I think that I just need to finish 3 more blocks and then I will be ready for the borders. I'm not sure if I will follow the pattern for the borders or do my own thing. I really love how it is turning out.

New Blocks Finished

I have had a shoulder problem this winter so I have not been able to quilt or cut out or sit at the sewing machine. It is very frustrating, but I have done a lot of hand applique. I finished my blocks for the Cottage Garden Quilt. I just need to decide on the sashing and borders. And I finished 6 more blocks on my Civil War Bride quilt. I love this quilt, I'm tried to make it with more tradional fabrics.

Civil War Bride Quilt

I came across a blog that had this wonderful quilt and all the ladies were working on it and showing photos of their progress. The pattern is made from an antique quilt called "The Bird of Paradise Quilt". When I saw the blocks I just knew I just had to make it, along with the 30 other quilts I'm working on. So I order the pattern and could hardly wait to start. I finished my first 6 blocks and have 3 more nearly finished. Only 11 more and 4 borders and I'll be done. Maybe some time in 2012?

New Tote

I've been on a sewing binge sense I returned from the Quilting Retreat. One of the things I've made is this really great tote called the Charm Party Tote. The pattern is by Penny Sturges and is a really nice tote that you make with a charm pack (pack of 5" squares).

This is the inside of the bag. It has pockets on both sides. The padded handles are real comfortable. The cute guy wearing Texas Longhorn Orange and holding the bag for me (windy day) is my favorite grandson.

I Won a Prize!

I Won a Prize! I received this wonderful stack of fabric goodness in the mail from Let Me Sew Love. I entered a drawing on her website and visited her online Etsy Store and I WON. It is 12 half yard pieces of fabric that came beautifully wrapped and look so pretty stacked together that I haven't been able to cut into them yet. I fondle them when I walk by and dream of what to make with them. I keep changing my mind. They are so pretty. It is a fabric from Paula Prass' new collection, Summer Soiree. I may fondle for another week and then the scissors come out.

Quilt Retreat

I'm getting ready to go on a Quilt Retreat in a few days. I've got the pieces cut and ready to sew for 4 different quilt projects. I'm not sure if I will get this much finished. I might have to do more stitching and less talking this time. A retreat is always so much fun!

Cell Phone Pouch

I finished two new cell phone pouchs. These are easy to make with leftover scraps from other projects. I wrote about the pattern in a previous post Cell Phone Pouch.

Quilt Along

I have all my blocks put together for the "Quilt Along Quilt" that I've been working on. I really love how the fabrics look together. It is so bright and fresh looking. I need to decide if it needs a border or not and get it quilted. I never look forward to quilting in the summer.

Here is a close up of the quilt. This was really a fast fun quilt. Beautiful fabrics like these look great even in a simple quilt. I will definitely make another sometime.

Cell Phone Pouch

I found the instruction for this really cute Cell Phone Pouch on the Blue Moon River Blog. She has the instruction with pictures in a PDF file that you can print out and use. I loved the way it turned out and will definitely make more. I made this one with the left over scraps from the Red and Brown quilt I am working on. I think I need one in black, pink, blue and beige, maybe green. I girl's got to have one for every outfit doesn't she?

Quilt Along

I'm making progress on my "Quilt Along" Quilt. I have all the blocks made and arranged. Now I just have to get them sewn together. It is making a very pretty Girly Quilt. The kind that when my Husband looks at I know he is thinking, "I hope that's not for me!".

New Fabric!

I went to the Oklahoma City Quilt Show last week and got some great new stuff (like I need anymore projects!). I found this great book "Sugar Sack Quilts" and there is a quilt in there that I'm dying to make. It even uses Rick Rack. I found some great fat quarters and a red border fabric so I am ready to go.



I also got these great fabrics at Oklahoma Quiltworks for a Red and Brown quilt that I have be wanting to make. I love this quilt shop. They have everything in the world there. I like to support the small quilt shops in my area, but sometime you just need a print that they don't have. I better get busy on all these projects. Maybe I should give up sleeping?

Quilt Along

I saw this post a while back at Old Red Barn Co. Where she is having a Quilt along. There is even a Flickr group where they post the pictures. Most are using big, bold, beautiful fabrics and the results are wonderful. I just had to make one. It is a very easy strip quilt. Took about 30 minutes to cut out. Sometimes you just need to make a quilt that is fast and will give you that instant gratification.




All cut and ready to go. I can hardly wait to see how the strips look together.

Cottage Garden

My Cottage Garden blocks are slowly coming along. The background is a really nice Brown with vines of green leaves on it. Doesn't really show in the picture. I've been collecting fabrics that will look nice with it. and I loved the way the reds, greens, golds and oranges show up on the brown. I don't usually use orange. I probably have about a tablepoon of them in my fabric stash so this is a nice stretch for me. I do love how the violet color gives it a spark.

This is the quilt I making. Looks lovely in every color. I'm still in my "red" phase so all the vases and some of the flowers are red. I'm not crazy about the center house block so I will probably change that.
The pattern is from Quilting in the garden. It is a really wonderful book. Lots of great quilts. I think I will make up a center block with some of the flower shapes. Maybe make a wreath. I'm not looking forward to quilting that dark brown!

Yummy

I got these really yummy fabrics last week and I need too make something with them. They are really busy fabrics so I need to find a simple pattern that will show them off well. I already have a lot of quilts going right now but sometimes fabric just calls to you and you have to drop things and just do it, or it drives you nuts.

This is an experiment with Threadpainting. I cut all of the pieces out freehand with no pattern, fused them on and stitched with thread (lots and lots of thread!) to shade everything. Learned a lot doing this. Especially what not to do!

Well, I have to say I'm very happy with how it turned out. I just need to put a binding on. I really need to work more on the face shading next time. I think she will look very nice hanging in the sewing room. I will definitely try this again.