Quilts for Grandchildren

This is what I've been working on recently on my days off from work. With the arrival of the Holiday Season, I have fewer days off and fewer hours off on the days I work. That means I'm now squeezing in sewing/quilting/etc. in the bits of time before and after work.

The Robyn quilt was my first real attempt at Free Motion Quilting (FMQ). It was a disaster.  You can't imagine how much machine stitched quilting I ripped out and re-attempted.  You won't be seeing close up photos of the back of this one. It still looks pretty rough. Hopefully my granddaughter won't care and my daughter won't mind repairing it when needed.

This photo shows the machine stitched Prairie Points border.

I had learned a trick or two about FMQ by the time I got to this one.  I really enjoyed this one.  There was not nearly the amount of frustration that accompanied the Robyn quilt.

Detail of machine stitched binding.

I haven't advanced past the basic random loop-ti-loop. Perhaps I'll try something different when I finish my current project.

I'm currently working on a crib size quilt made with "Little Apples" from Pink Castle Fabrics.  I wasn't to sure about the fabric combinations till I got the top pieced. Now I love it! Hopefully I will have it finished and ready to photograph by this time next week.

Red Dresden Plates

Another quilt from the Quilt Show.

*Just a reminder. These photos aren't my quilts. Just my photos.*

And a Triple Irish Chain:

Quilt Show: One Of My Many Favorites

I made a similar quilt once. Mine was just the sun/star block in the middle-left, repeated and turned, and in similar colors. I gave it to friend as a baby gift. I thought she could appreciate it. I want to make another one for me.

Image from the Quilt Show

Several weeks ago, my husband and I went to the Kent Sussex Quilt Show in Georgetown, DE.  I took a ton of photos and have yet post a one. So today I will begin with one.  My plan is to show more, but I don't want to over do it all in one day.

This is a photo of details of a hand appliqued, hand quilted Baltimore Album quilt:

I hope to also post photos soon of the quilts I've been working on. They are no where close to being as impressive as the quilts at the show. But they are mine and so they are special to me.

Enjoy!

Old Quilt & New Quilt

Well, the old quilt isn't really old at all. In fact, it's not even a finished quilt. It's the same green nine patch Irish chain quilt I've been working on.

I was able to get back into the sewing room today to do a little work.  I put the quilt sandwich together and started free-motion machine quilting it. It was going ok.  Free-motion quilting really is a lot more difficult than it looks.  Then something happened and my tension went wonky.  So I started ripping out machine quilting.  Not happy.  Got is figured out and resumed quilting. Then something happened, the machine stopped with a little clunk, and I had a little thread nest on the back side of the quilt.  I got the quilt out of the machine and left it there. It was time to cook supper anyway.  I'll get back to it at the end of the week.  I hope.  I have no photos of it to share.  But based on previous photos, you get the picture.

And now the new quilt.  I bought some pre-cut strips and a package of two 1 yards pieces of fabric today. I'm not sure what exactly I'll do with them.  Probably go back and try to get more to finish the project.  I plan to use this to make a quilt for my grandson Alex. It occurred to me earlier that I haven't made him a blanket of any kind yet and it's his turn.  I would like to finish this before Christmas and send it to him then.  But it will more likely be next Christmas at the rate I'm going on my granddaughter's quilt.

Work has been good, but hours are picking up.  That means less time for quilting, knitting, stamping, scrapping, etc.  But at least I enjoy my work.  It would be really sad to not have time for those things and not like going to work, too.

I still need to edit the photos from the quilt show last Sunday and start posting those.  Until I do, take care and keep crafting!

Teresa

Quilt Progress & Art Philosophy

I've finished sewing the nine patch squares into strips with the setting squares and then sewing the strips together to form the quilt top.

I really do need a proper Design Wall in my Sewing/Craft room.

I used my Cricut and my Close To My Heart 'Art Philosophy' cartridge to cut the letters for my granddaughter's name and I machine appliqued the letters to the quilt.  I really do need to practice more with the machine appliqueing.  And it's unlikely you will see close up photos of the appliqued letters on the quilt.

 Now I need to decide on the binding and get more fabric for the backing and whatever border and binding I decide on. I think I want to do Prairie Points. Or I could add a more traditional border and make the quilt larger/longer.  I'm not really sure if I want to do that, though.  The sewing part would be easy enough.  The only drawback would be the weight and bulk of the quilt while trying to machine quilt it. But I seriously may do that.  But I really like Prairie Points, too.

More about the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge package: I call it package because that's what it is.  In addition to the cartridge, you get three sets of stamps and three 9" X 12" sheets of Dimensional Elements.   And as nice as the stamp sets and Dimensional Elements are, the cartridge ROCKS!  I don't know how they did it, but they packed 700 images into it! When I first saw the price, I thought it was a little steep.  Then I saw what you got with it and I couldn't wait to get mine.  I did have to wait, though, for payday.  But it was well worth the wait.  I can't wait to get my paper out and start playing!

By the way, September is National Stamping Month and with a $75 purchase, you can get a double stamp set valued at $35.90 for FREE! It's a great set - very versatile.  If you have a cricut and want the cartridge, this is an excellent time to expand your stamp library.  And you know, don't you, that with every $50 of your order, you can get the Stamp of the Month for only $5.  Order the Art Philosophy cartridge, a couple of ink pads and/or acrylic blocks and you will qualify for the FREE stamp set and two Stamp of the Month sets for $5 each - one for you and one for a friend. Does it get any better than that?  Can you see now why I love Close To My Heart?

Anyway.  I'll be posting updates on the quilt and cards or scrapbooking pages soon. I hope.  I work tomorrow, Sunday, & Monday. And then we're going camping. May not have time and internet access at the same time for the next week or so. In the meantime . . . .

Create!

Nine Patches & Gifts

Work has been good this week.  I've had a good schedule.  But for some reason, shortly after I get home each day, I have collapsed in exhaustion. I'm hoping I'll have some time Saturday to play/work in the craft room.

I received my 'reveal' gift and card from my Splitcoast Summer Secret Sister this week.  She has been the absolute greatest! This is the card and the contents of the package.  I can't wait to create something with the goodies!

Last weekend I started on the TG quilt.  The name of the quilt is changing day by day.  I don't know what I'll finally end up calling it.  I'm also not sure what size it will be.  I planned to make a small quilt for my granddaughter.  Then I thought, well, a twin size quilt might be better.  But realizing my limitations due to my time, attention span, and pain/fatigue, I think it will be smaller as I originally planned.  When the grandchildren are big enough to need a bed size quilt, I'll teach them how to make their own.

I've done a little online shopping and placed a couple of orders this week. I'm getting some Cricut replacement blades and cutting mats since I'm planning to be using it quite a bit in the next few weeks/months/however long.  I also ordered the backing (can't remember the name) for fabric so I can cut shapes for appliqueing on quilts.  I'll be using it on this quilt.  And my most important purchase, a Spyder monitor color calibration tool.  I have no idea how accurate the colors are in the photos I've been posting.  Next week, hopefully, I can be sure.  But then, I don't know that everyone else's monitors are calibrated, so many may still not be seeing them accurately.  Just the chances you take, I suppose.

Quote of the Day:  “Our lives improve only when we take chances and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.” Walter Anderson

Cards & Albums

With my new Sewing/Scrapping room in operating condition, I spent last weekend working on a long awaited project and making a couple of cards.  I received my order for the Close To My Heart "Mischief" Workshop On The Go kit, the "Wicked" August Stamp of the Month stamp set, plus a few other things and couldn't wait to use them. I need a quick birthday card for our youngest grandson and came up with this:

The colors are way off on all my photos for this post. Please pretend you are seeing the beautiful colors they really are.

The rocket and the stars and swirls at the bottom of the card are from the Pair-A-Phrase stamp set (free with order of $75 through the month of September, National Stamping Month.)

The cat on this card is from the August Stamp of the Month (SOTM) "Wicked".  I usually am just not interested in the Halloween stamps, but this set looked like something I would use for quick cards for the grandkids. The background paper and embellishments are from the "Mischief" Workshop on the Go (WOTG) kit.

The cat stamped a solid black. I don't know why it photographed like this.

After making the cards, I pulled out my Bind-It-All and started my first album with it.  I've had my Bind-It-All for almost a year and it has sat in the box all this time.  I am tickled pink with it! I have so many more plans for it.  My first project was a Halloween album for my two grandsons in Washington state.  (I need to start the box to ship it tomorrow.  I'll add a few more things to the box.)  I hope my son and daughter-in-law will take lots of photos of the kids and put in the album for them along with some journaling to preserve the memories for them.

New Quilt - Inspired By A Girl's Top I Saw At Work

You never know what will inspire you or when.

As some of you know, I work as a sales associate at a well-known department store.  I'm supposed to working in the Catalog Dept.  But more often than not, I assigned to the Children's Dept.  One of my tasks is to refold all the clothes that customers unfold while shopping.  One line of our girl's clothes, mostly the tops, have tons of glitter on them.  It's probably really not that much, but when  you refold stack after stack, glitter gets everywhere.  I've already told one of the supervisors that I'm going to dress as fairy for Halloween.  All I'll need are the wings because I'll already be covered in glitter.

Anyway.  The other day as I was folding these tops, the colors and the pattern of the colors of one really caught my eye.  My mind immediately began planning a quilt top based on these colors and the design.  The top was white with lime green and turquoise.  I loved it!

Today I made a trip to JoAnn's and picked out some fabric in colors that I thought would work.  The background of my quilt top will be white, just like the top, with lime green and some turquoise for an accent.  The fabric is now washed, dried, strings trimmed, folded, and waiting to be pressed and cut.  I've got my fingers crossed that I have enough fabric.  I think it will depend on what size I decide to make the quilt.

In real life, the colors are bright, but I don't think they are this bright!

I also got some embroidery thread to match.  I'm not sure if I'm going to embroider the setting squares or not.  I'm really thinking I might.  And that will probably depend on how frustrated I get trying to relearn to use my embroidery machine again.  It's been ages since I've used it for embroidery.

If I'm as happy with this quilt as I think I will be, I'm going to make another one but using purple in place of the turquoise.  What do you think?

New Craft Blog, New Craft Room

My New Space!

Here it is - the first official photo of my new scrapping/sewing space.  I love it! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to spend as much time in it as I would like.  Life just seems to interfere with  . . . well, the best laid plans.

Besides the paper crafting desk and the sewing table, I have more storage to the left, outside of the camera range, and twin size bed on the left.  The black cords in the corner on the left lead to a television.  There is now a shelf on the wall below the television that holds both of my ink pad storage rack carousel things.  You can see one on the table in this photo. If needed we can use this as a guest room.  Or, I can stretch out and relax a little when I need a break from 'working'.

Next to the ink pad storage thingy, in the pink carry bag, is my Bind-It-All.  I don't know how like I've had it, but I finally, this past weekend, got it out and used it.  I made a Halloween album for my two grandsons in Washington State.  My plan is to take photos of it this weekend and post later.  I used a combination of CTMH (Close To My Heart) cardstock, designer papers, and supplies and other brands.  

Have you noticed that there is no wool, yarn, or fabric in the photo? That's because I can safely store it in tubs and a dresser in Buster's room. (Yes, my bunny has his own room!) Paper is never safe in the same room as Buster and it's not good to leave sewing projects out in his room.  So I can work in here and store in his room.  And the room is right next door so I still get to see him often.

I hope to have more photos to share with you soon.  There are so many neat things - like my Scentsy warmer.  Can you see it?  If you're a Scentsy fan like me, I'm sure you've already spotted it.

Until next time . . . 

From My Studio To Yours,

Teresa