Secret Sister Quilt

I know... I know...  It's been FOREVER since I've added anything to my blog.  I have guilt...  but I've decided to try again to record my never ending quilt making.   First I want to update my blog with a few projects I've made this past year.

Last year my mini group did  Secret Sisters throughout the year with the Christmas party as the 'reveal' of the Sisters and the delivery of quilts made for the Sisters.   My 'sister' was a lady named Carolyn.    Carolyn has very specific likes and it was so much fun getting things for her throughout the whole year because I knew she was going to love everything!   But.. the best part was making her a quilt.    She loves applique and she loves traditional quilting.    It had been awhile since I had done any hand applique so I was jazzed about the project.    I did the technique of turning the edge of the applique pieces with starch and gluing the pieces down then just hand sewing everything.   It went together super fast and I had all the blocks done in January.   Then all I did was give her one a month until September.   I then sent her an 'official' letter from the Quilt Police telling her she must return the blocks to their original owner for signatures (according to the Quilt Police,  you're not allowed to get blocks from someone without them signing them first).   Here is the 'official' letter....

 

Here is the finished quilt.... 

How cute is that.. eh?

Needless to say.. she loved it.  

Cathy's Quilts

 A friend of my mom's in Phoenix asked me to make some quilts for her and her kids from her husbands shirts.  He had passed away a couple of years ago and she decided she didn't want to get rid of his shirts and a quilt was a good way to preserve his shirts in memory. She said he had mostly plaid shirts and there were several blue solid shirts.   I designed several quilts for her to chose from and this was her choice.  She wanted a Cal King,  pillow shams and 5 throws.    Her husband was  a big guy so I had plenty of fabric.   

 Cutting up the shirts was pretty time consuming but when everything was cut up, there was lots of fabric! This is only a small section of the cut up shirts. 

 Here are the pieces for all of the quilts.... labeled and ready to sew together.

 Here is a block...   multiply that times 230.  That sounds like alot, but it really went pretty fast.  

 Here is the layout for the Cal King quilt.   Everything in the quilt is made from shirts except the white fabric.  

 Here is the quilt top on our spare bed which is a queen so the quilt hung almost to the floor.  

This is one of the throws all finished.   I guess I didn't get a good picture of the Cal King quilt finished.  As you can see the blue in this quilt is darker than the other quilts.   There were several colors of blue shirts to use for the alternate blocks.  

Needless to say, she loved her quilts and her kids were so happy with the quilts and the memories of their dad.  

Triple Irish Chain

A couple years ago I started this little quilt using a packet of batiks I got from a Road to California trip.   I made the top (minus borders) and decided I didn't like the background fabric  so I just put it 'out of sight, out of mind'.  I ran across it the other day and decided to just go ahead and finish it.   So I added the border and quilted it.  Now I like it, but I still think I'll give it to one of the Community Service projects my guild is doing.   I did a loopy free motion quilt pattern on it so I had fun doing it as a practice piece.   That's something I need desperately... practice on my Handiquilter.  

Finally finished

I finally finished my flower quilts for the office.   It was a trial and even though I love them now, it took me a long time to LIKE them while I was working on them.   I don't use fusible web very often but I thought it might be a good choice for these so I could topstitch the pieces down.  Well, my sewing machine doesn't like fusible any better than I do and it let me know all about it... with skipped stitches and knots on the back of the quilt.   Ugh... frustration!   But... I finally tried a topstitch needle and silicone on the thread and it did well enough that I could finish the project.   They are hanging in the office now and everyone loves them.   I've even had several people ask if they could buy them...   People just don't realize how much work goes into a project like that so I don't think I could even sell them for the time and effort it took to make them.   Anyway,  I'll keep them...   they look good.  

Little Wrong Stars

Last weekend I went to a sew day for my In Stitches group.   On Saturday it was National Quilting Day so everyone was there!   I think we had all 14 of our members sewing, chatting, laughing and eating!   What fun!   One of the ladies taught a class on a fast method for making a 5 pointed star block.   We all brought fabric to make these stars but I don't think any of us really understood the whole process.  Anyway, there were very few successful blocks.   I made two sets of blocks.. one right and one wrong.   They're still cute, just WRONG.  So, today I put them all together to make a small quilt for some little girl that I don't know.   It came out very cute..  See if you can find the WRONG blocks....

Hint:   Here are the RIGHT blocks. 

Kiwanis Auction Quilt

I was asked again this year to make a quilt for the Kiwanis Auction. The other day I was digging through a box of UFOs and came across some blocks that my mini group made several years ago and decided to put them together, more to just get something finished than for any other reason.  So,  I decided to give that quilt for the Kiwanis Auction.   I finished the quilt on Monday and  washed it to ravel out the raw edges in the circles and it will be off to the Kiwanis folks tomorrow.  

This year they will be taking bids online from March 29th to April 2nd and April 5th to April 9th between  7:00pm and 10:00pm.   The website is:  www.prescottkiwanisauction.net.  

Crocheted Socks

I was inspired to crochet myself some socks after I found some sock yarn that had elastic woven into it.  I liked the idea of having socks that would fit snugly but still be able to go off and on easily.   So..   I found a pattern and started.   It only took a couple of evenings to make the first sock ... ok.. that's not true.   It took several attempts at making the first sock and got ripped out about 3 times before finally making a sock that fit right... THEN it only took a  few evenings to make the first sock.   Then.. it took several weeks to get inspired to make the second sock.   I really like how they came out and they were fun to make, but I don't think I'll make any more soon.   I want to move on to other things... I found a really cute pattern for a felted handbag.  I'll make socks again someday.. now that I know I can do it!   Here's a picture:

How cute are those!