New Glasses!

I recently won a give away of reading glasses (8 pair!) from Gretchen at Bird Nest Cottage.  I was thrilled to have won them, as my collection was dwindling down, and I needed to buy more.

I wanted to show you who else was excited about the new glasses!  He kept saying " I see"  "eyeglasses".  He would not 'write' or 'use the computer' without his eyeglasses.   Can you see my new quilt frame in the back ground???  Q snap... I love it.  Thank you Gretchen for the wonderful new glasses!

My first swap block

I received my first swap block from my partner, Sunny, yesterday.  (you can click the button on the right:  Block Swap Adventure  to learn more about this group)

With this group, we get to describe what type of block we prefer, and Sunny couldn't have made this block any more perfect for me!!  The colors are actually brighter than what my photo shows, but you get the idea. 

I drool over this quilt everytime I see it in catalogs and on the web, but I know I could never create something so beautiful.  (it is offered as a block of the month project)  I am hoping to collect enough scrappy colored blocks from this BSA group to start something similar... in these happy, happy colors!

Yesterday I made this label for our friend's baby quilt.  I wanted to use my Brother machine to embroider her initials and the year on the label, but was very disappointed in how the letters looked.  Too plain, too simple.   I love hand embroidery anyway, so I made this little label and sewed it on last night while watching tv with my daughter.   It's been a good week.  :o)

Brother 101

I am trying to learn my new Brother Sewing Machine and while I am having FUN doing so, I still have a lot to learn.  But that's okay... practice will eventually make me the 'master' of my machine, right?

I practiced free motion quilting on this little block.  I am amazed at how much easier the fabric glides around with the feed dogs down and the quilting foot attachment on the machine.  If you click, you will see that I have a ways to go.... and that I changed designs throughout the process.... but it was fun.  I can feel the potential here!!!

I decided to call this quilt 'finished' without adding the appliqued flower designs, like I had mentioned in an earlier post.  I cut the flowers out, but when I laid them on the quilt, my daughter and I decided it would be too 'busy' by adding all the flowers to it.  I machine quilted this on my new Brother... much easier to do with straight lines!

This is the back side of the quilt.  I hope to give it to baby Kamden's mom next week. 

**The most important thing I have learned so far about my Brother.... the needle will go up or down, whether your thumb is out of the way or not!  I was trying to change out the quilting foot attachment and 'thought' the needle was in the way.  I hit the up/down button and guess what?  the needle was already UP... so when I hit the button, it came DOWN.... right into my thumb.  It broke off when I snatched my thumb out and yelled some word I didn't even know that I knew.  ;-)  I had about 1/4 to 1/2 of a needle hanging out of my thumb.  I pulled it out without difficulty, stopped the bleeding, and once my heart beat calmed down , I resumed sewing.  BIG LESSON LEARNED!  It was pretty sore for a day or two, but much better now.  I think the owners manual said something about turning the machine OFF when changing out accessories.  I guess I need to reread that part. **

A sweet project

I actually found out about the Quilt for Kids project from another blogger and I don't remember who to give credit to:

The project is sponsored by Downy and they have helped provide quilts for very sick children in hospitals.  They send  the (free)  fabric to make a small quilt and the quilter makes and returns the quilt within six weeks. 

I used to be a neonatal and pediatric nurse and as a young nurse, some of us enjoyed sewing doll clothes for the babies.  (back before premie clothes were so available for purchase)  The families loved them.

I have several people in my life who have passed away and I thought this would be a great way to 'remember' them.  I ordered my first kit today and will make it in honor of a recent friend who passed away.  I wanted to share this site with you just in case you are looking for a way to share your love of quilting.  Happy Quilting!

Sneak preview and Georgia Bonesteel

I completed my swap block for my first month in the new group.  (click on block swap adventure button to learn more about this swap)  I can only show a preview, because  my partner hasn't seen the block yet.

But let me tell you... my seam ripper and I became very good friends while making this block.  I had not used templates to make a block in a very long time.  I pulled out my trusty "Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel" book to find 12 inch block patterns.  Of course, the patterns in her book are made with templates.  Thankfully, I was able to find my stash of templates that I had already made to go along with this book, so I was able to save time there. This block proved  to be very challenging for me to make.  It took me a lot longer than it should have, but in the end, I am satisfied with the block and will be mailing it out to my swap partner this week.  I've decided to use the swap group as a way to challenge myself... to relearn... and to learn even more about piecing blocks.  I have very fond memories of using my Georgia Bonesteel book, as this is the first quilting book I had ever owned, and I've used it a LOT!  I hadn't even opened the book in years  and had to climb into the attic to even find it.  What a joy it was to reopen and rediscover the treasures inside.  

*PS.. I loved Georgia  Bonesteel when I was in high school and used to watch her on PBS (whenever we could get the station).  While in college, I dated this one  guy for a short time and was over at his house one day.  He came into the living room to find me watching Georgia Bonesteel on his tv.  He asked "what ARE you watching?"  "you aren't serious, are you?"  "are you really watching that???" LOL.... yes, I was serious... and still am!  :o)

Pssst.... want to see?

Do you want to see my Goodwill finds from today?  (I told myself I was NOT going to go there today.  But  I had to run an errand anyways, so.... my car automatically turned into the GW parking lot!!)

Look at this sweet little chair:

For $1.99, I thought it would be perfect for my little rag doll that I 'plan' to make soon.  :o)  I love this chair!!

And, if I had not stopped at Goodwill today, I would have missed this:

Another vintage stitchery!  If you click to enlarge the picture, you will see the pretting handmade lace that trims the little spread.  CUTE!

Here's the other end of it ... identical to the first one you saw.  I think it's pretty sweet for $2.  I also found a huge crisp white cotton sheet that I plan to cut up for an embroidery project.  And of course, I brought home a couple more books... one on rug making and one about training  dogs. (for my daughter...mine are not trainable! )  Yes, I'm glad I stopped at Goodwill.  You see, it doesn't take much to make my heart sing. :o)

Redwork Snowman

Well, here he is.... the redwork snowman that I made in my class a few weeks ago.

 And  yes, I boogered him up... look at those squares in the corners.  WRONG!  I don't have enough fabric to fix it, so it will be my little booger and I'm going to hang him proudly at Christmas time.  :o)  (that's what I get for trying to figure it out in my head!!!  if someone doesn't give me the exact measurements, I am clueless.... )

**However, I think he is cute and I used  cotton fabric from an old skirt to make the borders.  How clever am I?  **

A finish!

Believe it or not....

I finished my daughter's lap quilt this week!  

This is the back side... her favorite side.  LOL

And a closeup to show my first attempt at 'free motion quilting' on my old Singer.  Not beautiful, but can't wait to try it on my new Brother!  :o)

I love quilt binding!

I never dreamed that one of my favorite things about quilt making would be making the binding. (the outer edge piece that 'seals' up the whole quilt) I learned to make binding from Debbie J. at Homemaking Dreams. Click on the link for her excellent tutorial!

The few quilts I have made in the past, I just brought over the backing to the front, to make a fake binding. Through the years, I have found out that this type of binding does not hold up very well!  (maybe if I had made it differently with a double fold... mine was only a single fold over the edge) My son's sailboat quilt, that I made when he was a little boy, is proof that my single fold fake binding doesn't hold up very well. The quilt, itself, is still in good condition, but the edges are really frayed. It's in my stack of 'things to do'... to bring it back to life with some real quilt binding!
I've been making binding this morning to finish my daughter's lap sized quilt that I started for her as a birthday gift. Well, her birthday was in March.... I will have it completed by tonight. (?) Maybe!

Debbie J. has another blog that is dedicated to her quilting: Angel Scraps Quilting. Check her out and tell her I sent you!
Tomorrow I will receive my first partner for the new swapping group I recently joined. I am very excited to start participating in this swap. You can find the details and the blog here:  Swap Block Adventure.  It's a fun place to see all the blocks.
 
*Debbie: thanks for the blog tutorial; I didn't have to use it quite as much this time, which means I'm starting to remember how to make binding without the tutorial.  However, do not EVER remove this post.  Also, photo credit:  this is Debbie's picture used above... remember I am camera-less this week*

A week off and caffeine withdrawal!

I'm spending my week off from work with hubby in Eastern NC.  As usual, I forgot to bring my camera, but I think this picture pretty much sums it up for you:

Can you spell HEADACHE??  Over ten years ago, after having a stress test for heart palpitations, my doctor had me remove caffeine from my life.  I didn't stop completely, but cut it WAY BACK , and was able to get my symptoms under control.

I did well for several years, but have recently allowed too much caffeine to creep back into my life.  Not good.  For the past week or so, I've been experiencing heart palpitations again, which just about drive me insane.  The constant fluttering in my chest, nervousness and anxiety... what a combination! 

Soooo, this is the week.... I'm not going "cold turkey", but it's pretty close to cold turkey.  Hence, the headache.... sluggishness.... nausea.... irritability....and did I mention headache???? 

However, my heart palpitations are decreasing already.... I only felt just a few yesterday... compared to NONSTOP for a few days earlier!  So.... I'll get there.... again.... and hope that I will have learned my lesson this time.  

** On a happy note, I finished the binding on the little pink baby quilt yesterday.  However, while spending hours on the couch, looking through quilting books, I've decided to add a few appliqued flowers to the six large squares, just to give it a little more "cute".  I can't start on those until I get back home to my extra fabric.  So, onto something else today **

More Vintage Swap Blocks

A few more blocks from swaps listed in Quilt magazine, years ago!!  The swap information would be near the back of the magazine... the first place I would go each time I got a new magazine in the mail.

 If you click to enlarge the pictures, I think you can read the signatures.  It was so much fun receiving blocks from around the country.  That was a BIG DEAL.... before we had internet access.

 Who I am kidding?  It's still a big deal!  I love to receive snail mail.  I don't get much fun mail anymore, but it is always a treat to find something fun... like a new quilt catalog, my monthly devotional, an occasional card in the mailbox.  I will start participating in a  swap group next month.  We will be making one block a month ... 12 inch blocks like these pictured above.   I can hardly wait to start my first block.

The heart block above is one of my all time favorite blocks.  The person who made this one really doesn't live that far from me.  When I received these blocks, I never went anywhere... probably driving  30 miles was a long trip for me.  So Lumberton, NC seemed like a long long ways away.  Now our family spends so much time on the road, a trip to Lumberton would be nothing.  :o)

I hope you are enjoying seeing my 'treasures' with me.  These finds are on my list of 'things to do'.... maybe, just maybe, one day I'll get them put into a pretty quilt top.

Out of my 'comfort' zone

I finally did it.  I took a class at a local quilt shop; something I had been wanting to do for a long time.  Everyone was so welcoming, kind, and generous... I can't believe I waited so long to get started.

This is the quilt that hangs in the window of the shop.  The 'chicken wire' look is actually the quilting for the hanging.  You can check out the shop here.   The Quilting Coop

Today's class was a redwork embroidery project.  Even though I have done lots of embroidery on my own, I found out there is a much simpler way to stitch, and with prettier results than I have had before.  The ladies were fun and I hope to attend another class soon.  :o)