Tuesday, August 31, 2010

DONE!!!!

I finished "Cammy's Quilt" yesterday!!! It is really a nice quilt (if I may say so myself). Cammerin (who it is for) really likes it as well, and chose the backing (red tie-dyed flannel). This quilt is made totally from fabric I had! including the backing. I am going to use some of my handdyes as well for the binding, so other than the batting, I will not have to purchase anything---my kind of quilt. I plan to load it tomorrow and begin quilting---I think I will do a simple meandering---it is so busy, anything fancy will be "lost" I think. The next picture I post will be of a completed quilt! Thanks again for the encouragement!!!

xoxo

Friday, August 27, 2010

Progress!


Although I don't blog for comments--it is always nice to get some!!! I got two nice comments about my latest quilting project and it gave me such a rush----a rush to complete the project. We all quilt for our own pleasure I know and honestly, even if no one made a comment about my projects, I would still quilt---but when someone notices---well, it pushes me to finish.
After I finished doing some work on the computer, I completed the remainder of the blocks and started putting the quilt together. I have 5 more rows to go before it is complete and I am liking it!!!! It looks like my Grandson :c)---all bright and spontaneous! I have to work at the hospital tomorrow, so I probably will not get a chance to work on it again until Sunday afternoon, but it should be done by next week and ready for quilting.
Thanks for the encouragement! Keep it up---maybe it will push me to complete some of these UFO's :c)
xoxo
P/S: I just looked at the quilt again and it looks like there are a couple of blocks just "floating". The borders on those are pale green check homespun and a pale blue plaid homespun. Isn't it interesting how some fabrics photograph.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

My Latest Quilting Project!


Today I stayed home and sewed all day---well I did stop for an hour or so and vacuum the house---other than that, I had a really relaxing productive day! This is my latest "creation". It is a relatively simple quilt---for my grandson who has asked for a new quilt. At the Guild auction last year, I purchased a paper bag of homespun fat quarters. I don't know why I did---I really don't like homespun, but I got "caught up" :-). Anyway, since then I purchased a book of Kaffe quilts and this was one of the quilts in that book. Now I don't know about you, but although I absolutely LOVE Kaffe prints, I have a very hard time finding them. The quilt in the book used Kaffe "shot cotton" (I have NEVER ever seen this for sale around here) and Kaffe stripes. The quilt is my interpretation---homespun and my hand dyed fabric. I have also added a row so it will be a bit bigger since my Grandson's bed is queen size. It is comprised of 111 blocks---and they are almost all made!!! When I am doing mundane, repetitive sewing, I often stop and start to put the quilt together just to keep up my interest. The picture is reflective of what the quilt will look like. Rather than put together rows, I put four blocks together--essentially make two rows at the same time. Hopefully I will have all the blocks made and the rows pinned together.
Hope all is going well with you! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Patricia

Friday, August 13, 2010

My Sewing Space!!!!

My two featherweights---(love these machines) stored under the longarm table with various bins of scraps, and UFO's.
Looking out of my studio from the bay window toward the hall leading into the kitchen...notice the door I can close any time I want :c)


Bins filled with rulers, pre-cuts, thread, handdyes, etc. To the side, just out of the picture is magazines, and batting scraps (don't know why I can't throw those away).


Stand along shelfing filled with my radio, baskets of panto's, patterns, fabric, UFO's, bags, etc.


My sewing table--- up toward the ceiling is my television and DVD player so I can "watch" tv or video's as I quilt.

What do you think of my quilting studio? Does it look like I could be on an episode of "Horders"? This was once a formal dining room, but who uses a dining room these days--certainly not us--so I put it to good use. When I first moved in I felt like I had oodles of space. Now I am not so sure. It does look a bit unorganized, but I am about to begin another project and I am going to clean and get it in order. I really need more storage space, but I am afraid to really put things on the wall for fear it will fall down and make a hole in the wall....so I use lots of floor space for storage.
As you can see I have numerous sewing machines. One (the Brother) I piece on; the Viking is reserved for special piecing--ie: sewing on piping, fancy stitching, etc.; a embroidery machine for making labels, etc.. I also have a serger and a machine for doing blind heming left over from my garment sewing days. The first picture is of my two Featherweights that I use when I take classes or when the Guild has sewing days; and then of course there is Olivia, my longarm.
I once felt bad about the chaos, but there are doors that I can close, no one gains admittance unless they too are quilters, or close friends/family members so the unorganization doesn't bother them. It is my space and although it may be a put off to some, this is where my creative juices flow freely.
I just need to gather them up from the floor every now and then.
xoxo


Monday, August 9, 2010

Back Home!

We got back home last night, and are we all really weary! Poor Coal even isn't himself---- It was so very hot in Oklahoma--my goodness! It was as if we were in an oven. The services for my MIL were beautiful. She had 40 grandchildren and only 2 weren't there, one being our oldest son. Even one grandson came all the way from Iraq. I don't know how many great-grands she had.

A Granddaughter read the scriptures, another sang and a Great-granddaughter read a poem she wrote. It was so sweet! All together there were about 200 family members! It was clear from the attendance and the comments that people made, that she made a impact on a lot of people in her 96 years (I thought she was only 95) on this earth.

There was a lot of reconnecting and the younger cousins have decided to have a yearly reunion, so the next time we meet, it will be for a fun occasion and not such a sad one! They have a planning committee and everything. I just hope it isn't in August---Oklahoma is NOT the place to be during that month.

I am home for the next week and then school starts again. I plan to do some sewing, and of course more dyeing. It is just so very hot---I think I will get up really early and start.

Well just wanted to touch base! Take care and there will be more later!

xoxo