FMQ Friday - Lots of Quilting Going On Here

 

 

First up:  Welcome Home is completed, with the binding finished and everything!  We're hoping to be able to present to our Soldier friend very soon.

Next up:  Bella's Beauties is done but for the binding (see all the clips?)

Just waiting for a few hours of quiet time to stitch down the binding.   Chief Inspector Buffy is checking the workmanship.


 I love the bright pink binding.  It makes me smile every time I see it.  I'm thinking I'll have to use the rest of that fabric for a pillow case for Miss Bella...  Maybe for Christmas.  The quilt is for her birthday next week.  Nothing like a deadline to push a project along!

I used a Lollipop Chain for the pieced border

Next:  100 Hugs a Day - Blue

The binding needs to be finished on this one too.  Notice how neither of the cats wanted to get too close?  I wonder if they know it's not all the way done yet...  Nothing fancy in the quilting here, just an all over loop and circles design.

On the machine now:  The Grinch Won't Steal This Christmas!

 

This was a kit from Quilts for Kids.  Not sure I would have chosen the white backing for a child in the hospital, but this is what they sent, so this is what I used.  I'm on the last corner for quilting, then I can get it bound, washed and on its way back to the organization to be given to a child in need. This will be my first foray into machine binding (I usually do mine by hand).

Quilts for Kids is (are?) asking for volunteers to make quilts and donate quilts.  With so many projects on my plate through the end of the year, I would be hard pressed to squeeze out another quilt this year.  Maybe you can help? 


I'm linking up with Leah Day's FMQ Friday, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Check back later this weekend for what else I've been up to this week.  It sure has been a busy one!  Until next time - Happy Quilting!

Something of a Quandry

I'm working on Bella's Beauties this week.  I want to have it finished in time to send it to her birthday later this month.  I may not make it, and that's ok, there's always Christmas.

I started with an idea and a pattern.  The idea was to gather up fabrics of things she likes, pink and purple, music, puzzles, ladybugs, butterflies and all that princess and fairy stuff.  The pattern is Falling Charms from the Missouri Star Quilt company
 I started auditioning background fabric back in May, and had a really hard time deciding.  Did I want the lavender with butterflies and flowers?






Or lavender with Stars



Or Deep purple batik?

 

 Ok, so the deep purple didn't work so well, and I chose the lavender with butterflies and flowers.

I put it together on the design wall and realized I had the pattern wonky - try again.

And the inside of the top is done.  Now I'm looking at borders...

I know the deep purple has to go in,  But do I want the bright pink with flowers, or the marbled light pink?

 

Ick - neither one!  How about a pieced border?  Piano key sounds good and fairly quick and easy... But do I want...



With the background mixed in?

or not?

Here's where I ended up last night - with the piano key gone and 2 3/8" squares - like a Chinese coin.  (ignore the pink, it's left over from the audition process, I haven't put it away yet.)  But still I need it longer - so maybe a 2nd row with the border fabric repeated on both sides?  I'm still trying to decide.   Before Borders it was 44 x 50.  Add first border it's now 47 x 53.  I want to get it up to at least 60" long so that she has room to grow with it.  Did I mention she's going to be 7 this month?  According to my son and her mother she's between 4' and 4'6"...


I'm not sure why this one is such a struggle.  Maybe its because her grandmother was also a quilter who painstakingly made a quilt for her as a baby that was 'put away for good' and she doesn't get to use it.  Maybe because I want her to love and cherish it AND use it! for a good long time.

I am open to suggestions.

Labor Day Yard Sale

On Friday, Bonnie Hunter over at Quiltville announced she was going to do a linky party for the Labor Day Yard Sale.  I started looking around and found a bunch of fabric I know I won't ever use again.

Long story short - in a former life, I was a crafter who made crafts and gifts to sell  at craft shows.  I stopped doing that back in 2006, and I have all these unfinished projects and fabric for projects that is taking up space. So I took a few pictures and will link up with Quiltville's Labor Day Yard sale and see if I can find a new home for them.

I've tried to price everything to move.  I'll use the proceeds to make charity quilts for Quilts of Valor and Quilts for Kids, and other various charitable organizations next year.


Country Christmas Squares


Up first I have 7 6 sets of 4 strips of this fabric I'll call Country Christmas Squares.  I have 7 6 sets of 4 strips (sorry they're already cut into strips) for sale.  The strips measure approximately 8 1/2" by width of fabric (WOF).  100% Cotton design by Leslie Beck.

I used this fabric to make hotpads, combining it with a solid green or red backing, thermal ironing board fabric and batting.  I sold the hotpads for $2.50 each finished.  Price is $5.00 per set of 4 strips.

 

Up next Birds!  I have a single piece of 47" long by Width of fabric of various birds.  This screen printed fabric.  I'm not sure of the fabric content.  It could be a blend.  This has been around since the 1980s at least!  The background is off white, with mauve and blue in the birds. 

 

The price is $7.00 for the full piece.

SOLD

 

 Cats  -These playful kitties were also made into hotpads... hundreds of them... and also have been around since the 1980s.    This piece of fabric is approximately 2 1/2 yards by 44" wide.  The patches measure approximately 7 3/4" square. 

 CATS are SOLD


The two rows repeat  all the way down the length of the fabric.  The colors are neutral brown to tan and black.

Price for this full length of fabric is $12.00

 Santa's!  These primitive Santa are printed on 100% cotton neutral background 10 across the row.  The patch is 4" x 4 5/8".  There are 4 yards in this piece. I made coasters with this fabric and sold in sets of 6 for $12.  Price for the full piece of fabric (uncut) is $20. 

The picture shows half the width of the fabric (fold to selvedge).










Lastly I have 2  pieces of Debbie Mumm Teapot fabric.  Each piece measures 35" X width of fabric.
The  squares measure approximately 4 x 4 3/4" with 9 squares across x 9 rows for each piece.  I made coasters with this fabric too. 

Cost per piece of fabric - $5.00.













SOLD




JUST ADDED

I have several hot pad kits made up of this adorable Snowman fabric by Diana Markam fabric.  Each kit contains the makings for 5 hotpatds, 5 ea. front fabric, coordinating backing fabric, ironing board fabric all cut to size, 5 loops
for hanging and a strip of 8 oz polyester batting.  Yes I know poly is not all that heat resistant, but I've used these hotpads many times over several years before they needed to be replaced.

Each kit is complete for 5 hotpads, all you need is thread!  Kits are $5.00 each.  Designs vary, but all are in the same fabric line.





I'm sure I have more fabric to purge, and depending on the response, I'll take more pictures and post them here on my blog.  I also have dozens of books and patterns that I've never used.   

The picky details:  I'll ship anywhere in the world US Priority Mail, Flat rate if it makes sense, and the buyer pays shipping and insurance if requested.  I'll accept payment by PayPal or money order.  Leave me a comment or email me at kathycrofoot@gmail.com and I'll get back to you by email with a total and shipping cost.  Payment in USD only.


 Be sure to check out the other offerings at Quiltville's  Labor Day Yard Sale Linky party

Only 168 hours in a week?!?

I don't know where last week went!  I certainly didn't rack up that many billable hours at my 'job'.  So what the heck did I do all week?

I quilted!  I've been like an out-of-control kid in a toy store, wanting to try out everything!  I have so many works in progress it's overwhelming, and I don't know what to work on next.

I was working on quilting a comfort quit for my friend Mary who is battling cancer.  I have an overwhelming need to finish it, but want it to be beautiful and unique. My thought is to give her a place to focus when times are tough, to lose herself in the patterns and movement of the quilting.    The idea was to put a different design in each piece of this Tossed Pinwheel quilt.

Big ideas, right?  Hooo boy - I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I started quilting on this.

I started here 

The pattern is a variation of a Disappearing 9 patch, and I started with 12 9 patches split into 4s - suffice it to say there are a LOT of different blocks here.  The pebbles took a bit of time to fill this 4 1/2 in square.  That was the first indication that this would not be a quick process.  The confused spiral in the 2 x 4 1/2 went fairly quickly, but still took some time.

 

 

 

I filled in a few more squares - the little ones are the easiest... the pearled feather came out ok.

 



 

I like the peppermint candy - to me it looks like a pan of cinnamon rolls.  Then I got the idea to write words of encouragement on this quilt in the 2 x 4 1/2 inch blocks.  Hope, peace, faith, love, trust, healing, prayer.  If you have any others - please leave me a comment - I have LOTS of 2 x 4 1/2 blocks to fill in yet.

And some other designs, knotted spiral, a feather looking thing, one that looks like a ruler, cobblestones, and I don't remember all the others.  Thanks to Leah Day and the Free Motion Quilting Project for all the great filler patterns!  I'm linking up to her FMQ Friday linky party.

Now that I've started this every block thing, I need to continue that way.  Oh My that's a lot of hours at the machine! I finally had to put this away because I had some other things to work on too - and the cats kept eating my Pinmoors right off the quilt! 

So I pulled out a project that needs to be done in a couple of weeks for my almost-granddaughter's birthday.

 

Bella's Beauties is made in the Falling charm pattern from Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I still have to put borders on it then get it ready for quilting.  I'm thinking a narrow dark purple batik then either a piano key border from left over pieces or a scrappy 4 patch and another 2 1/2" of the purple butterflies with a hot pink binding. But we'll see when the spirit moves me again.

 



 

 

100 Hugs a day for Connor, who was born last month, is finished and needs to be quilted.  Plus, Connor has an older brother Christopher who hasn't had a quilt from me yet - so his is in the works too.

 



The Grinch won't Steal This Christmas - a Quilt for Kids kit project that needs to be finished this month.  I also want to send along something else, but not sure if it is going to happen this month.

So when Leah Day posted FMQ Friday - More Time to Quilt Needed! I feel her pain.  I want to spend all my time quilting, but know that if I don't work - as a freelancer - I don't get paid!  I need to get paid to support the quilting habit. 

Other things on my work in process list:  Big Brother quilt for Christopher (72 4 1/2" half square triangles and 288 2 1/2" half square triangles - OMG! what was I thinking?); Jacob's Ladder for the first grandson of my dear friend Mary Ann; Pop-Pop's Pass-times for my father-in-law for Christmas; Quilt of Valor for a very special young man and his new bride commissioned by his Mom, Irish Chain for mother-in-law for Mother's Day, if I can hold out that long; unspecified quilts for my Mom, Sister, brother-in-law, nephew; a Mystery quilt I started back in July; and dozens upon dozens of ideas running through my head.  Plus quilts for charities like Quilts for Kids and Quilts of Valor.

Balance is a skill I desperately need to practice!  I've been learning and practicing balance, having fun and setting boundaries with my coach Teresa Romain at Access Abundance.  This month I will be taking a one day workshop that you might be interested in (if you're within driving distance of Egan MN) called Unblocked and Thriving.  I believe she has a few seats left at the early bird price that ends this week.  Take a look.  Teresa has helped me in so many ways.  It seems like she has a 'webcam' into my soul and her messages are always what I need at that time.

So back to today I'm going to have some fun quilting - basting the two finished quilts and finishing up Bella's Beauties so it too can be basted.  This week is my busy week at work.  I will weave some quilting in amongst the work.  Until next time - Happy Quilting!


 

Two finishes this week

What do you mean it's not MINE?  Buffy thinks
all quilts belong to her

Actually, it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted about a finish...

Welcome Home

This quilt was made to honor and bring comfort to a recently-returned veteran from our town. 

The pattern is called Fourth of July by Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville.  I used Red and blue homespun along with an off-white background fabric. 

 

 It is quilted with Stars and loops in the center .

 

   ... and words honoring his service all around the inside border.  I finished it off with feathers in the outside border and a red and white ticking for the binding.  I hope to be able to present this next week sometime (after I finish the binding and wash it a few hundred times with some color catchers!).

 



100 Hugs a Day

My next finish was a baby quilt I whipped up for one of my husband's co-workers.. 

The pattern is from Deanna at Wedding Dress Blue called 100 Hugs Quilt

I couldn't believe how fast this came together.  A 100 patch in the middle made from 2 1/2" squares from a jelly roll from Jelly Roll Fabrics (20 strips made the whole quilt with some squares left over for my scrap bin) and a nice white on white for the borders and triangles. 

I pretty  much had fun doodling with circles, balloon shapes, hearts, flowers and loops with swirls in the border area.  I finished it off with a multi-colored stripe in pink and purple, yellow and green for the binding.  It is so cute!

All in all, I'm having a good time with my FMQ - thanks to the excellent tutorials by Leah Day at the Free Motion Quilting Project.  Her guidance and inspiration have given me the courage to set my imagination loose and have fun with quilting.



I only have one obstacle. 

I'm not sure I'll ever get these Machingers clean again! (from the Welcome Home quilt, not the baby quilt!) OH yeah, and the cats keep pulling the Pinmoors off my basted quilts.  I know they're supposed to be non-toxic, but have you ever seen one that a cat has yakked up?  I have to put my basted quilts in the closet when I'm not actively working on them, and fold them in on themselves when I need to walk away for even 30 seconds! 


Until next time... Happy Quilting!

Why do I quilt

First let's explore what is a quilt... In technical terms a quilt is 3 layers of textiles joined together by stitching.  A woven top and bottom layer with a layer of additional material like batting for warmth and loft.  In simplistic terms it is a blanket or bed covering.
To me a quilt is much more. 
A quilt is:

• A warm hug when the world is cold
• Comfort for one in need
• A place to rest your body when you are weary
• A fort for children at play
• A place to have an impromptu picnic
• A colorful addition to a room
• Memories of loved-ones long past
• A piece of art to adorn the world
• A work of heart pieced with love and prayers for one who I may never know or know very well
• A labor of love 
• The smile on the face of a loved one.

Dad and Me with his Quilt
Picture by Mom - used with permission

So why do I quilt?  To feed my creativity, and to share my love.  I quilt to wrap someone in love and comfort, to bring a smile to their faces.  I quilt to thank our service members, to let them know I appreciate the freedoms their service provides.  I quilt for the love of creating something beautiful and meaningful from a pile of fabric.  I quilt because I must.

 

 

Practice makes (Almost) Perfect

I am happy to report that my machine is back in working condition - the bobbin winder works as smoothly as it ever did!  She just needed a little drop of oil.  The repair company didn't even charge me!

There have been a lot of projects in the works in my basement workshop. 

Maybe last week, you'll remember I was working on the Prayer Shawl for my sister, practicing with feathers. Just when I was happy with the practice, my machine decided to stop winding bobbins.

This week I was able to finish the quilting! I started out with the feather wreath in the center using a color that matched the backing - oh mistake #1...

The picture doesn't show it, so hopefully nobody will notice all the little green dots here and there.

I wanted to carry the feathers throughout the piece, but I didn't like the way it was turning out - so out came the seam ripper.  After 2 days of ripping out feathers, I thought I'd never want to do them again...

 I decided on an all-over loopy flower-stippling design for the braids....

 

and back to feathers in the border.

 

I'm loving the way it turned out.

 

 



Now all that is left is the binding, and slip it in the mail for a quiet surprise.

The flying geese are for a quilt I'm making for my father-in-law.

 

 

For him, I wanted to do something fun!  My original thought was some kind of I-Spy design and gathered up fat quarters for many of his favorite pass-times, camping, cars, snowmobiling, fire department, fixing things, and collecting yardsticks. There are many stories of various things shown here, like the ice cream cones.  When our son was little, they'd let him have "a thousand scoops" ice cream cones, "but who says we know how to count". 

The flying geese come from a story he tells about how he'd watch the geese every year and as he tells it, geese mate for life.  One day on the road he passed a goose sitting on the side of the road next to a goose that had been hit by a car. The rest of the flock had gone on their way.  The next day he passed the same spot, and the goose was still there, sitting next to his fallen mate.  Every day for about a week, he'd pass the same spot, and see the same sight. On the last day, both geese were down.  The second goose had died of a broken heart.

My in-laws have been married for 55 years, and have one of the strongest marriages I've ever seen.  I hope in 25 years, our son will say the same thing about us.

Linking to Leah Day's FMQ Friday Linkup.  I wish my work looked half as good as her 'mistakes'...