Sunday, November 22, 2009

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.

Monday, November 2, 2009

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.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

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.