Got the last one of the year done

Here is one of my quilts. I taught a mystery at a retreat and this was it. This is one block and just one way of setting it. By twisting and turning the block you get other settings. I will post another one as I get it done. I plan to give this one out for a baby quilt. Who to not sure.

I hope everyones Christmas was bright and cheerie! We had a great time here. The grandkids came over on Christmas eve and we opened presents then. It is always so nice to see the kids with there honest faces and expressions. When Savananh opened the baby doll you would have thought it was her first baby doll ever. She shook with excitement. Devon loved his camo jacket and cried when he saw it. Kyler was just excited about all the remote cars he got and we spent the evening dodging the cars as he sped them past. Christmas day was very quiet with just the step son and father in law over. We had the left overs which was still a splendid meal in its self. Now it is time for piecing and trying to get all those small projects caught up before they are due out in the mail for swaps I joined. Today is football!! My beloved KC chiefs are on TV here and I get to see them play. They maybe a loosing team but they are still my team and will have them on while I piece away the day. So now off to the machine

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all! May your Holiday be filled with Joy and laughter! Family and friends! Don't forget the reason for the season!

OUT MY WINDOW

This is the view I look at when I am quilting. Through the tree two blocks is my Local Quilt Store. Sure is nice when I need something it is so close. But it sure is hard on the pocket book to have one so close. Not much to look at. Sure was a nicer view when we lived out in the country.

Christmas give-away

I have been wanting to do a Christmas give away. I know this is a little late but it seems time has just crept up and hit me smack in the face. So I will keep this give away open until Dec 31st. To enter leave a comment on this post,one entry. Follow my blog and leave a comment stating such earns 2 entries. (If you already follow state such and I will give you that extra entry). Follow my blog and post a comment on your blog about this give away with a link and post a comment here stating such gives you 3 entries.


This is the little basket I will be giving away. It has 2 fat quarters. Quilters World magazine, pattern from Country Stitches. Book: Beautiful Threads byMary Tatem, personal fan, wrist pin cushion, thread spool candles, sewing kit,and quilter's adjustable finger guard. If I can find other items between now and then they could be added.
So..

Good Luck!!!!

Merry Christmas

Quilting, Rambling

Here are a few more quilts I have done.

Shelly's

Melissa's

Margie's

I have all my Christmas quilts done know and have decided to do one of my own. It is a Christmas quilt that I have had the top done now for, this is the 3rd Christmas. I don't know if I will actually get it done before Christmas this year but it will at least be quilted now and will just be waiting for the binding. I have one last border to do and then the quilting will be done. The it will be back to working on the quilts that are not Christmas presents but just sitting here waiting to get done.

I did get some Christmas shopping done this weekend. At least the grand kids will have something under the tree. Well that is if I get the tree up. I told the hubby to bring it up from the basement but he hasn't done it yet. So it seems the tree will be making a short appearance this year.

Quilts done

This is Karen O's. Cute little tea cup and pots with plants in them. I did a wondering feather all over this quilt. I really liked the finished product.

This was Karen's too.

Another Karen's but Karen H. Beautiful colors!

Have Trunk Will Travel

I know this is a little late but here are some pics of the Trunk Show I did way back in OCT. I really enjoyed doing this show and can't wait for the next one.

Me on left showing a Grandmothers Flower Garden made by Husbands grandmother.

Me on left showing an antique quilt from the late 1800's made by my Mother in Laws ancestors. The darker black fabric is a swastika fabric. When I had an appraiser look at this one she was joyed, amazed to almost speechless. She had heard of the swastika fabric but had never seen it. It seems most of the fabric and or quilts were destroyed during WW2 when Hitler made this ancient religious symbol and evil one.

This is Midnight Madness a Dereck Lockwood design. I started this as one of my first quilts. Needless to say that I had to put this one away many times and go learn more before I could go on with it.

Time Flies

Ok I know it has been weeks! Believe it or not I have been busy. I still have my Trunkshow photos to go through and share them with you. But for now I have quilts and more quilts.

This is Karen H's, the color is messed up with my camera on this one. Believe me it is a beautiful quilt and more green than the yellow. I quilted the feather meander on it and it turned out great, I hope she loves it as much as I do.

This is Anita H's string pieced pinwheels. I believe she said she started this almost 10 years ago. A UFO almost done and out of her way. I know that will make her happy, this is quilted with swirls.

I went to a retreat the first weekend of NOV and I spent the time teaching classes and bordering tops I have had for years. This is the mystery that I did. I had saw this quilt on some web site and wanted it. So I drafted my own pattern. I have no clue as to the real name of the top but I call it weaving ribbons. (the red looks like a ribbon weaving in and out). No that is not me in the pic. That is Janet a gal from club she was seated there and with the room set up there is no good place to show quilts without some one in the pic so Janet is it in all my pics from that night.

This quilt is a row by row that I did on the Yahoo group Quilting in Indiana. I call this Pinwheels Across Indiana. I love the bright! Thanks ladies I can't wait to quilt this one. Janet again gracing the pic.

This top was a demo I did on Stacking the Deck. Yep some book by someone can't remember who, and not going to go dig for it. This was simple and really turned out neat.

This was a mystery that I did at retreat a couple of years ago. Take a scrappy 9-Patch and triangles and arrange them in different patterns to get a different look. These two are the same block just set different.Yep Janet again taking center stage.

The top row is blocks I started at the retreat when I got bored of bordering. The bottom row is the row by row that I am doing for club and belongs to Anita.

I have another quilt done but it is still on the machine so maybe tomorrow I can get a pic of it andposted.

See I have been busy. I had one of the grandkids yesterday and he spent the night. Yes I woke up tired. I don't know why but I never sleep good when one of the kids are around. They are not babies but I still worry. What if? What if? Grandpa went and got cereal for breakfast and I started feeding Kyler the Halloween candy that was left. Yep he was pretty wound up by the time his daddy come and got him. Well isn't that my job as grandma? Really he was a good boy stayed on Nick junior playing games, or chasing the dog. It was great to spend time with him.

Ok enough for now. Guess I will go get that other quilt off the machine.

Vacation

Well I bet you thought I had forgotten about posting here. I hadn't! Vacation was wonderful, just way to much to see and not enough time to see it. Here is a pic of the view looking down the ski slope. Just a wounderous view.

It is really hard for me to get my hubby out and away from his job. See he loves his job, dairy farming! can't imagine anyone loving that but he does, I guess I should be thankful that some one loves those cows or I wouldn't have the ice cream. He seemed very quiet during the drive to Massanutten (ok I know sometimes I scare him) but the first dairy farm he saw his eyes lit up! It was like he decided that he was still on earth after all. Yes I know I need to get him out more often.

Can you see the bear in the tree? We took skyline drive in the Shenandoah State Park around one curve there were several cars parked (in the road of course) and everyone looking up. It was the cute bear! How anyone saw it I am amazed but they did and I am glad. I can see I have now seen a bear in the wild no fence between us. Of course I told Perry hurry and take the pics were there is one small bear there has to be one larger bear.

After getting back from our trip, I was on overtime at work. Yes I know I should be thankful, when so many people don't even have jobs. It just seemed to overwhelm me. I had the unpacking and laundry to get caught up on and then I had a trunk show for my 'quilting hobby'. You know I love to talk and the closer it got to the show the more worried I became. I was allotted an hour and I kept thinking I will go so far over that everyone will be bored. I decided to cut certain things out of my talk and it worked out pretty well. The show its self was 45 minutes and with the question and answers one hour five minutes! Everyone said it was wonderful and I have been asked to do tow other shows for other clubs and or events.

One of my older sisters had a birthday at this time and I didn't even get her called Sorry Marla I was thinking about you. I then went on the search for a belated birthday card. Ok I know living in this small town has it's disadvantages BUT I couldn't find (still haven't) a belated birthday card. I guess I am going to have to go to the city to shop! But by now the birthday is long gone and I am the ^%&* for not calling or sending a card. Ok so what is new I have been here before.

Then I went to a concert. I have decided to let my hair down and go a little crazy. A rock concert! Nothing to wild. In fact I really really really liked the first group CAVO and to make things better they are from my home state of Missouri. I had a really good time at the concert and went with a friend of mine that I hadn't seen in about 5 years. (she had recently moved back to this area) and is quite a few years younger than me. It was something we both needed, getting away from the riggors of everday life. Hmmm I wonder what we could be upto next!

Now I have a quilt retreat this weekend and I am teaching 2 classes. I really should be on this puter finishing up the instruction sheets but I thought I needed to catch up on the blog. I did power quilting this weekend. I needed to get some customer quilts done, so I turned on the tunes and stayed up all night (well night really but close) and quilted.

Martha's on left and the center one is Margie's Deep Purple Meets Moody Blues and the one on the right is Rose's.

Ok I think I have you upto date on what is going on with me.

Peek-A-Boo Quilt as you Go Instructions

Take your 6½" squares and press with wrong sides togehter on the diagonal. Do this for all 16 squares this way.
This is what your pieces for the wall hanging will look like.









Draw a line ½" from each side on the wrong side of the background squares, thus making a 6½" square drawn on the 7½" piece of background fabric.








Do this to all 4 pieces.






Take your 4" squares and pin or fabric glue to the center of the wrong side of the background square. Do to all 4.


*If using batting put a 6½" piece on top of the background piece then add your 4" square.*


Your 16 squares that are now triangles (and will be referred to as that) the ones that you want as your pinwhell will be referred to as #1 and #2. Always use #1 in the same corner and #2 in the same corner. # 3and #4 can be different.










Take a #1 triangle and lay it with it's 90º corner to the lower left drawn corner of the background square.












Take the #2 triangle and lay it's 90º corner to the upper left drawn corner with it's pooint over the #1.



















Take the #3 triangle and with it's 90º corner place it to the upper right corner over lapping the #2 piece.

Take the #4 triangle and with it's 90º corner , place it in the lower right corner over lapping the #3 BUT pick up the right point leg of #1 and put on top of the #4.

Do these for all 4 pieces.

This is what your layout will look like. Make sure that all your pieces are the same with #1 and #2. The #3 and #4 can be different.

Flip over and take the background piece off and stay stitch a ¼". Stop in the corners just where the two pieces meet and turn there. Do this to a four corners. *Doing this on the wrong side allow puckers to made on the back side and will be hidden later.*

Take the background piece and lay it with the wrong side up, place batting *if using* then the center 4" square and line up. Place your stay stitched triangle pieces back on the background piece right side up.

Top stitch or quilt by starting at the of #1 and #4, just take the folded edge and fold it back about ½" in the center and the point will naturally taper off to nothing. Starting at the point start stitching ¼" inside your stay stitch line, stitch up on side, stopping beofre you get to #4 (which is underneath) fold #4 back and then stitch over it. Continue stitching to #2, fold it back and stitch just to it. Needle down and turn, take a few stitches and turn to the stitch down the other side, stopping at your starting point. Cut and go to your next corner. Repeat but you will not have to stop and fold the underneath piece back now for it is the one you just previously stitched over.

Lay these four pieces out in a pinwheel formation. Take the top two and stitch together. To do this fold back the background fabric and stitch on or just over the stay stitch line. * Make sure you do not catch the backing fabric*

Do this with to you bottom two pieces also.

Take each sewn pair and flip over to the back side. *Trim any excess backing fabric as needed.*Lay one side of backing fabric flat under the other side. Fold the top fabric side under and whip stitch *or use your favorite stitch*

Then sew the two halves together and make the same seam with this center seam.

Bind to finish off.

Bogger Giveaway

Hey checkout this give away. Very talented quilter and a great chance and cool prize. Button is added to the side bar for you to get to Geta's Quilting Studio.

Peek-a-Boo quilt as you go

There was some interest shown in the wall hanging I made so I thought I would post the instructions on here.

I am leaving in a couple of hours for vacation in Virginia but will be returning on Friday. So I am going to post the supplies today and when I get back I will post the instructions (once I get unpacked).

Backing: Four squares at 7½"

Front: Sixteen 6½" squares; consisting of two sets of four matching.( These are the pink and the green) The remaining eight can all be different or coordinating. (Mine has 3 pairs and 2 oddballs.)

Also Four coordinating 4" squares

60" of binding fabric at 2" wide

Batting is not neccessary but if you really want it a thin poly works best.

Also needed are the general quilting supplies.

Quilts and Cards

This is one of Karen O's quilts. cute little baskets. This top just screamed for something other than an all over pattern.

This quilt also belongs to Karen O. I know that the kimono's were from a block swap. If I would have known that these little kimono's were so cute and could make such a beautiful top I would have paticipated in this swap too. But then I wouldn't have had any other oriental fabric to go with it. I think Karen did a wonderful job putting this one together.

It sure is funny how when you turn 50 everyone remembers. Even my kids came across with a gift this year. But anyway, over a month ago I started getting post cards from my younger sister who lives in Parsons KS. Each post card had no message just a number on it. starting with 1 then 2 then 3 and so on. At first I thought it was a count down to our family newsletter that she was doing, but I kept getting them after that. then I thought that she was sending them out to announce our family Christmas get together. But no at number 25 she said half way there and I knew that there was way to many more days for the Christmas thingie. She was thinking way ahead of me that is for sure. Or maybe I was just blocking out the birthday but it didn't even register to me until I got the first ones with letters on it, spelling out Happy Birthday 50, what she was doing. Of course she couldn't just let that go alone either she had to send a red hat and re hatter purse to go with it.

Well I had this dream a couple of days before the birthday, that I come home from work and my house is all TP'd with Black Streamers. The one sister that now lives in VT had done this to my little office area at work when I had turned 40, so I guess I was overlapping this to my dream now. I told a firend about this dream the day before the birthday and a co worker about the day of the birthday. Got home and no black streamers anywhere, but when my sister from Neosho MO called she told me that one night just a couple of nights earlier she had thought about calling the hubby and telling him to TP the house in black streamers. Is this a twilight moment or what. She thought it,I dreamnt it. EErie feeling. co worker thought maybe we were twins, nope.

Ok I have rambled on enough for now.

It's a beautiful day to turn 50

That 's right I turned 50 today! Wahoo I feel like I am 25 so who cares what the number really is. He is a pic of the balloon the hubby got me. Close up of it, shows the truth (well I think so). The rose is another stoy and will get to it a little later. I started the day off with the hubby calling me to make sure I am up and ready for work. He wakes me up with 'good morning and happy birthday'. You would think that I could just jump up and go for it but.... just recently moved into my new bathroom and looking in the mirror I noticed those pesky chin hairs. So I had to find the tweezers and spent the morning plucking, next thing I know it is way past time to hit the pavement to go to work. So decided I better drive. Luckily I had made a salad for my lunch the night before so grab in go. I saw the B'day card laying there so grabed it too. Made it with 5 minutes to spare. The day seemed like all the rest till I got the balloon and with it my favorite candies the peanut butter bars form Atkinson's. Oh love em but sometimes are hard to find. Good hubby! He had given me his blessings to go on a shop hop over the weekend, spending what I wanted, so I knew that there would be no gift, I had already gotten it. That was great I sure love going on shop hops when the restrictions are lifted. But then they paged me again. So off to the front desk I go and what do I find.

This cute boot vase of flowers. My first thought was ..who.. what the.. duh... I slowly walk toward it. I couldn't figure out why he would send a balloon and candy then flowers. But as I get closer I see the writing is female. 'Rose are red, Violets are blue, I am so happy that I am younger than you.' ReJena. O what a great friend she is. As I go to pick the vase up I see ..

The boot is broke and chiped and cracked and has a bandaid and is leaking water. The greenery is dry and shrivelled and the flowers well are half dead!!! She is a great friend and will be 50 in a few more years and I will out remember this one. Well when she called to order them she told them she wanted dead flowers, they couldn't believe it so to save face they sent the beautiful rose with this beat up ole boot. Just got back from going out to eat. Stuffed I am, and a year older now. Still a great life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sundays News

I have been asked about the gym! Yes I am still going. I had to take a week off due to getting quilts done. I really think I over did it the first week. So I have changed the routine. No more piyo (pilates yoga mix) that was just way to much for this ole lady right now. I do want to get to that stage someday but I just thought it is to be relaxing and if I was straining to do it and couldn't breathe right, I was not relaxing so lets wait. Lets get in a little better shape first. So now it is Mon thru Thur treadmill then machines then bike. On Tues and Thurs I do water areobics after this. My sister had a dream that I was loosing weight. I reassured her that this was a dream. I have done nothing to change my eating habits. In fact we eat out every meal on the weekends. I do try to have salads when we do this tho. But so far nothing has changed there so loosing weight is not in the cards right now. I did bring out the healthy cooking cook books. I even looked at them and jotted down a few pages for future reference. Someday Someday

Here's a purse I made out of duct tape. Yep you heard it, Duct Tape. I took a shortening can and wrapped it with Duct tape sticky side out. Bottom first four or five layers, then the sides. I added old laces and trims with an old vintage photo. I sewed fabric to the top with a draw string and added plastic handles. I carried this once to show it off but that is it. I don't like the ruffle I put on the bottom but then it doesn't even look as bad as it does in the photo. It hangs with the other purses for all to see. Something different to do.

This is ReJena's Pirate quilt. She wanted something that looked like waves on it. My Hubby thought it looked like waves so I went with this design. Now I am not for sure. I did a ship in the bottle in the four corners of the borders.

Ok I think that catches you up for this week!

Till next time