April Fools Day & Making Purses

This is a baby quilt that I finished the top of and now I need to sandwich it and I think that I'll hand quilt it.

Another purse from left overs - Love it!

This is a big bag that I put lots of pockets in and I'm going to use it to carry big rulers and sewing items on Monday's as we have quilting and I need to take a photo of it finished!!

These three photos are what it looked like last Monday morning!

I took a photo of this bag and as you can see it is very long.  I love love this fabric and I still have a couple of yards left for other projects.

This is a needle thingy out of the scraps and I used selvages for the ties.  I also made a big pin cushion but I guess I didn't take a photo.

I've wanted to make bags forever but I have just been scared so I happened to watch Jenny Doan's YouTube video on making bags and it all clicked.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7i6Wrl4rZ8

 

I really like Jenny's videos and she has a lot of them.  Hope this will help others who like me are scared of something that turned out to be so easy!!

Free Giveaway

Free Giveaway over at Ted and Bunny's

http://tedandbunny.blogspot.com/

Quilt Top Completed & What Happened To Spring

This is the start of my latest quilt top as I found these blocks that I had done several years ago so I added two more rows to make a full size bed quilt.

I wanted to pull the yellow out as there are a lot of darks since this is batiks so I used this batik yellow that has a lot of the colors in it.  I like it because it is me but I don't think most people would like it.  Maybe I'm wrong but this is going to be an every day quilt so it doesn't matter and also it's an old UFO that is close to being completed.  I will send it off to the quilters soon but I need a backing and it may be muslin since it's not a "special" quilt.  What do you think?

The block above and below are two of my favorites since they have cats on them.  I sure wish I could find these fabrics.  I collect cat fabric.

Another shot of the quilt on my design wall.  It wasn't up there for long as it gets heavy for the flannel.

The next two photos are what is happening here at this time.  It started by sleeting and then went to snow.  They are predicting 6" - 10" and it is to snow all night and most of tomorrow.  When I look out my window at the moment there is a huge tree about a block or so that I can usually see plainly that is like in a fog from where the snow is falling so heavily.

April will be here soon and I'm gearing up for the International Quilt Festival in Cincinnati and I'm taking Machine Quilting for Fraidy Cats on Thursday afternoon and then on Friday I have an all day class Fabric Painting Master Class and Cindy Walter is the instructor.  I'm looking forward to the painting class the most.  The machine quilting is for little stuff so that I can do that better but the large quilts will still go to my quilter.

 

Anyone going to this that would like to meet up there for the fun of it?  I have two friends that will be going with me and last year we met people from all over and even from Canada.  The Canadians have to spend a fortune for fabric so they come to the states for it.  They come on bus trips and it sounds like they have a blast!!

 

I might mess with fabric a little more and go to bed early to start a new book.  I've had my granddaughters here the last couple of days and I don't get to go to bed early and read when they are here.  I must stay in the same room with them! LOL  I love them but they can wear me out and they are 13 and 12!  Eventually they may not want me in the room at all so I guess I better appreciate it while I can.  I did get some crocheting and embroidery work done.  I'm working on a red work quilt.

 

Guess I better go as I'm very gabby so have a great evening or day!!

Quilt Show From Last Fall

These are some quilts from the local guild that have a show about every three years.  I think I enjoyed this show more than I did the one in Bloomington.  I know some of the quilts are side ways and sorry about that.

Two friends and I went on a Shop Hop on Wednesday and we hit 3 states and 6 shops.  We would have missed the last one but they had been busy and were still open.  It was the first time we had done this and there was a lot of driving but we had fun.  We know which ones we would go back to and that's the real friendly ones where people want to help you.  The place in Burlington KY we would not go back to.  Cute shop but we didn't feel welcome and that means a lot.  Quilters are usually the friendliest people!!  The shop was cute but no going back!!!

If you've never done a shop hop then I would recommend it.  Lots of different fabric in each place and lots of laughing - oh LUNCH - that's important also!!!

Does anyone have spring weather?  Still cold in Indiana and a dusting of snow yesterday morning.  My granddaughters are coming tonight for a couple of days and I hope the little one can keep working on her cat quilt that she has started.  She doesn't know it but I've been buying cat fabric for her as her birthday is coming up.  The girl needs to start out early with a stash!!!

See you soon!!

 

March 17, 2013 Orange Quilt

Working more on my black, white and yellow blocks.  Thinking about adding a little yellow between them.  Have to wait and see.  These blocks started out at 12.5" then I added 2.5" of black all around  At this time I think I have 36 blocks but I'm thinking about adding another row on the bottom.  I keep changing my mind as I'm working on them!!

This is a purse that my daughter knitted with wool and then felted.  I really like it a lot and it's very large!!

 

This is another block to add to my rainbow blocks.  Need to work on more than one project or I go crazy!!

This is a little batik curtain I made for my sewing room

A friend of mine left yesterday for Italy but left this book for me to look at and also I offerred to make some quilt blocks for a quilt she is doing for her granddaughter.  This quilt has a gazillion pieces so hopefull I can get a couple of blocks done.  I'm not crazy about little tiny pieces that are futzy!  But I want to help my friend.

This is a pillow that I purchased in the Thrift Shop that I volunteer at once a month.  I love this rabbit.

Here is my orange quilt completed even with the binding!!  I must confess that I sent it out to be quilted and my friend Suzy did the binding.  She is amazing at binding!!!  I am blessed with wonderful friends!!

This is a large mug rug that we did at quilting group and yes I did this binding.  I'm slow!!

 

Well it's almost 60 degrees here in Indiana and the sun is even shining.  In this state the winters are gloomy with not a lot of sunshine.  I do love the sunshine!!!

 

Check back soon as I'm going to start clearing out some fabric and I'm going to put it up for sale here.  At least that is my plan.

 

Have a great day or evening!!!

Bloomington Quilt Show 2013 #3

Well this is the last photos of the show that I'm going to put on.  Next month we'll be in Cincinnati for the International Quilt show and I hope to have more photos from there. I'm very excited about taking classes there for the first time.

I hope you enjoyed all the photos and sorry they were not that great.  Next time I'll take photos of some of the items I purchased and a great ironing tool.  This is bad but yesterday my friend and I went to Indianapolis to go to Crimson and Tate (modern quilt store) and then drove way way up to the north side to another quilt store.  I can't remember the name but I'll look at my receipt.  They had the most fabric that I had seen in a quilt shop.  Very helpful!!

Bloomington Quilt Show 2013 #2 Photos

 

I want to get as many photos as possible downloaded.  I'm going to try for one more post yet today.  The modern art quilts are my favorite but some of the traditional ones are amazing.  I cannot imagine all of the work in those intricate blocks.  I like things are are fast and colorful!

It was beautiful here today and I would say in the low 60's.  There was a breeze but it didn't chill you.  I've been dog sitting this week-end and it's very tiring running back and forth between two houses. 

I did take an opportunity to put a white sheet on the clothesline today and sprayed it with different colors of fabric paint.  I really like it and I'll have to take a photo.  I forgot to take my camera when it was on the line.  It's in my car and going to the quilt group tomorrow for show and tell.  I also dyed a white piece of fabric by boiling some avocado skins and then letting the fabric sit in the water for about 24 hours. Turns a very pretty pink.  Who would have thought?  It's my understanding that you can use all kinds of plants and that is going to be a project for this summer.  Stay tuned as I'll do photos!!

Thanks for stopping by!!