Equilateral Triangles in Black, Gray, Wine

Finished this one up.

Black and Gray and Wine batiks with added gray solids.

It suits our weather this week - dark skies and a bit of snow. The red can be the fire inside. 

One done, next one up.

The Christmas quilt is done.  

I so liked making this design, I have at least 3 more quilts in mind that would be similar. I've seen it (or similar) called Chinese Lantern, Japanese Lantern, Modern Squash blossom, and Delectable Mountain quilt block. My first exposure  was seeing a quilt by (the very talented) Jolene over at Blue elephant stitches and I was so inspired. 

 Next up on the frame this morning is a simple equilateral triangle quilt with gray and black with a touch of wine. A masculine quilt for a son who asked for gray and black... I begged to put an accent color in. 

I have the week off work and lots of quilting plans! 

Then... this one (shown before) is trimmed up and on the design wall for review! 
2015 is almost here. 

Christmas Quilt in process

Merry Christmas!

My quilting project for my time off work is a Christmas Quilt.  The patchwork is the aztec / squash blossom design done in totally scrap holiday fabric. The back I purchased on a great sale.  I am experimenting with making quilting guidelines out of freezer paper and ironing them on. Row by Row.

I hope your Holidays are full of JOY ! ! !

Christmas tree pillow

My grandson colored a Christmas tree with fabric markers and we made it into a pillow.... a very soft pillow.  

Keep warm!

Wrapping up the year with a box of quilts to donate,

and a stack of quilts to donate to the animal shelter.

I know that giving warms my heart, I hope it warms others too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hugs-n-kisses

Two finishes this past weekend! The colorful Hugs-n-Kisses quilt is for my 9 year old grandson, and the blue/purple lattice quilt is for his Mom. 

I'd say "happy weekend" but it's only Wednesday! I have the day off work! So happy day off!

This little light of mine.

Finished up a quick donation quilt - yes it is hurry up time and get them done before the end of the year!  I only got 3 new ones done, so to keep my goal of 6 - I'll donate 3 that haven't sold on etsy.

This quilt has a simple large star, and a whole lot of blue, green and yellow scraps. Around the border I stitched in the words to "This Little Light of Mine".  :) I'm gonna let it shine.

36 blocks

I am not much for repetitive quilt blocks, but I couldn't stop making these. 36 total, but all unique.  They are hanging on the wall so I could choose a layout of colors for the put together. I think this is how they will be... unless I swap a couple around...

Happy Weekend friends. 

DIL's second quilt ! Plus Quilt in solids

Isn't this great ! ! ! She has such a good eye for color picks! 

Modern squash blossom blocks

...lovin' making these...

Hugs-n-Kisses Quilt top

I have been really into using up my existing fabric and trying NOT to buy buy buy.  I have had a bundle of batik fat quarters for a few years now - and they were chose for the Hugs and Kisses quilt. The background is a mix of text and numbers. I went one more row of X's and O's in length than I planned, the quilt is about 50 X 70 now, but I am going to add a thin border to it. 

I am envisioning orange minky on the back - just because it's for a 9 year old - who I think would love SOFT. 

XOXO

Hugs and Kisses Quilt

I am working on a "Hugs and Kisses" quilt for my grandson. Seems appropriate. Here is what I worked up for a pattern. It is basically 5 1/2 inch squares with 3 inch square corners sewn on two of the corners. I bet you can click and enlarge the picture of the pattern.

Using a bright variety of batiks for the "X" and "O"s, and off white text and numbers for the background (corners).  I'll post a picture of the top when done.

Feel free to use the pattern, and let me know if you make one! It can be sized to any size quilt and would make a sweet baby quilt with a grid of four blocks by four blocks.

Hey it's the weekend!!!

Finished quilt top and straight line quilting

Been working on a top and finally finished it up.  I don't know if there is a name for the block design -  It is used often in the signature quilts of old with a light solid fabric in the center portion of each block and color on the triangle corners. This makes me think of a lattice garden wall. 

This morning, in-between house chores... I am experimenting with straight line quilting on the frame. Ironically what is the simplest quilting style on a table is very difficult for me on a frame. I use a low cost beginner set-up of a Grace "start-right" frame and a fabulous Juki machine, but would love love love to upgrade to a machine/frame with a horizontal hold and a stitch regulator. Maybe someday.  Back to my story... to stitch in straight lines I put 2 clamps by the rear wheel on the carriage that holds the machine. It works, but is flakey. 

Happy Weekend. 

DIL's first quilt!

This is my daughter in law's first finished quilt! "Finished" because she has been working on a quilt top, but needed to put together a baby quilt quickly for a gift.  I taught her how to use the Juki on the quilting frame yesterday and she quilted it up with stars and swirls. She did great. I think she is a natural. : )

Scrappy and a little bit improv

I don't know why, but I love to just sew pieces together, they don't even have to match! Makes for a bit of an ugly but unique quilt... Maybe I'll start pulling a color-way before I sew. 

Happy Weekend. 

Reverse Applique

I have been experimenting with Reverse Appliqué on the sewing machine.  fun fun fun.  You layer your quilt sandwich with a second layer on top, do the stitching, then cut away parts thru the first layer only... Very easy, and fun to watch the color pattern emerge as you cut. 

Summer's ending

Last day of August. Long weekend. 

A week ago I trimmed the corner of my finger off with the rotary cutter, but I am back at it this weekend.  Today I sewed thru another finger.  Oh my.  

This weekend's projects were to patch a very utilitarian bed-cover slash dog-blanket.  It had multiple holes in it from happy little dog claws rolling and crawling.  I figure I'll just keep adding patches until it totally resembles a Japanese boro cover. 

I put together and quilted my first donation quilt of the year. I am way behind on making donation quilts this year.  This one still needs the binding and washing.  It was made out of a stack of green and aqua scraps, and I put a white french rose in the corner.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!

Simple quilts.

I enjoy posting my "finishes" here. Thanks to all who look and or comment. :)

I finished up 2 more this weekend, the first is a gender neutral baby quilt that goes with us to Minnesota in a few weeks to another nephew's first baby. 

 The second one is a patriotic quilt for some friends of ours. 

These both went together quick and easy (my type of quilt) and will hopefully put a smile on someones face and wrap them with a hug. 

French Rose Baby Quilt

Finished a French Rose Baby Quilt today... for my nephews baby girl to be born in October.

This quilt design uses raw edge appliqué, which is fun and shabby and easy to make, but the down part is that quilting over the raw edges is difficult. It washed up wonderful though. Washing is so forgiving on quilting!

I didn't use a pattern, just cut the base blocks, then the flower layers, and the petals. I did cut away the excess fabric under the flowers.  There are tutorials for the French Rose on line. Fun quilt.

Camping

We just had our annual week at Flaming Gorge. Camped on the border of Utah and Wyoming at Stateline Cove.  The week was full of boating, fishing, relaxing, cooking, tired dogs, playing kids, etc. Was nice. Also is nice to be home!  

On going...

What I finished:  The Anniversary quilt. It was a large quilt, about 60" X 80".  Backed with more fmf fabric and bound with a charcoal stripe. 

 What I've been working on:  Hand stitched quilt top. I've been calling the pieces "scales"... like dragon scales.  I started by making a clamshell pillow top and thinking the clamshells would be cool elongated and pointed, and worked up a template for "scales".  I thought it would be a good take-along project for the summer.  I think I am half way done already though, so will finish, add a border, and make a lap throw size quilt. Right now it is about 40" across.  I have a lot of future project ideas that would work with this template... like green tones of a forrest, or neutral linen look with embroidery, or medieval colors for a Dragon scale quilt...  As usual more ideas than time. 

As well as too many ideas, a lot of "should do's". I should work up a pattern to sell since it's uniquely out of my brain... some people make a lot of money off patterns.  Well, again... the time thing.

I am SO GLAD it's a weekend, and a three day one too!

Happy Weekend!  Happy Memorial Day!

I hope I'm not burning my dutch oven chicken wings!!!

Bits of this and that

April was a great welcome to Spring. A few showers, storms, sun, great variety. Here is a variety of what I've been up to...  

First, a wild Comic quilt for a son who is wild about comics. 

  

A quilt in process (on the frame being quilted). It is made mostly out of the "Flea Market Fancy" fabrics with a little treasure added in here and there. A lady ordered it custom for an anniversary gift for her parents, and asked for stitched in words of all the things the family liked to do.

Here is Jackie relaxing on the lake. 

And all three happy Jacks - lets go lets go!

Smiles!

Orange triangles Baby Quilt

I am going to be a Great Aunt, my nephew and his wife are going to have a baby. 

Excited. So excited that I had to make a gender-neutral baby quilt.

 The Orange is not florescent! It is simply THE color I cannot photograph accurately. The picture below I tried to edit it to calm it down, but ?????

Going to get this in a box to mail.

Have a happy weekend!

Modern Boro patchwork

"Boro" meaning rags, raw edge scraps of fabric - patch over patch…

Very modern using machine stitching (lots of it) and bright modern fabrics.

In my shop. 

Dog Party

Two goofy Boxers. Zeek and Miya. They are my son and dil's sweet dogs. They play and play and play… then they stop for big velvety hugs. They use their paws a lot. 

This is Boozer, my Mom's newly adopted Pug.  He turns in circles when he is happy and he just gets along well with anybody. 

We are dog sitting this weekend, six total counting my Jack Pack.  

Who, I might add, are the mellowest of them all!
It is interesting to me seeing the unique typical characteristics of the different breeds of dogs.