Archive for August, 2009

Wool Dress

August 30, 2009

As I was looking for a towel to make a bib for my granddaughter and my 3 year old (almost 4 year old) granddaughter was looking on I found a dress that my mother had knitted for me about 50 years ago.  So, I pulled the dress out and asked my granddaughter if she would like to try it on and told her how my mother had made it for me when I was her age.  It fit her perfectly and she was very proud of it as she went to show grandpa and her daddy!

I did wonder if she may have looked at all like myself in it many years ago.  I don’t think there are any pictures of me wearing the dress, but certainly sparked my imagination!

Tags:,
Posted in 1 | 6 Comments »

Help!

August 23, 2009

Shortly after my mother-in-law passed away 4 years ago I was given several quilt blocks that had been completed by some unknown ancestor.  These blocks were all hand stitched and are quite beautiful.  I purchased a couple of pieces of material to hopefully put these blocks together with, but have been hesitant to do the job (or lack motivation to do it).  I am a bit concerned as I DON’T HAND STITCH ANYMORE THAN I HAVE TO!  Will I ruin the hand stitched blocks by using machine stitching to finish them?  How about the final quilting?  Please give me suggestions.  I don’t want to ruin all of these blocks that had to have taken a lot of work to make.  Please help me with this as I am certain that my father-in-law would like to see the finished quilt soon.

Tags:,
Posted in Quilting | 4 Comments »

Making Progress

August 17, 2009

I am so excited and pleased with the progress I have made today.  It has been great to be able to stay home and work on the quilt!  After days and days of frustration the quilt is quilted and trimmed and ready for the label and binding!  I have attached the quilt label that I created to put on the back of the quilt.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Quilting | Leave a Comment »

Monday Madness

August 17, 2009

I am feeling in a real push to finally get something done today.  I just spent the weekend with my son and his two kids and another granddaughter.  It got pretty wild around here and of course nothing was accomplished!

Tomorrow I have to return to my paying job and begin preparing for the chaos and confusion of the school year.

So I am lamenting my return to work and my lack of ability to get my quilt finished.  I was having a great deal of frustration last week with my machine and breaking needles, so now it is cleaned, oiled, new needle installed, and the frame has been checked for leveling and my goals have been set for the day.  I intend to get the quilting done and the label made before dinner.  Wish me luck!

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Quilting | Leave a Comment »

The Past Day

August 13, 2009

Well, I did not reach my goal of getting my quilt on my frame.  I got distracted by trying to watch the dvd that came with the frame and trying to get the old computer working…funny it worked last time, but not yesterday or it crashed yesterday!  It takes a long time to try to troubleshoot those things.

I also had been talking to people about how they label their quilts.  It is hard to believe that so many folks don’t label them.  Since most of my quilts are made for specific people I label them and use my creativity to create a label that fits with the theme of my quilt.  I also wonder how people bind their quilts.  I know some of you finish the binding with machine stitching.  I don’t have good luck with that method (I seem to miss the backside of the binding when blind stitching from the front), consequently I hand sew the binding to finish it.

I know that some of the methods of quilting that I use have evolved through the years.  When I look at what I created in the early 80′s it amazes me at how much I have learned.  I am still very pleased with the quilting that I do, but wonder if it would hold up in a show.  I tried to look at the quality of the quilts shown at local fairs and do think that my work is as good, but still have my doubts.  This then leads me to wonder…how do professional quilters start out?  I know that when I make a quilt I make it to be used, not necessarily for show, but it does bring a sense of satisfaction to a person when their work is shown and praised.

Check out my new pages and pictures.  I added more pictures of quilts, sewing projects, and added a page for labels.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Quilting | Leave a Comment »

Newest Quilt

August 11, 2009

Here is my latest quilt.  It has been a chaotic summer and I have not had good luck working on my quilts.  Too many things got in the way of it.  I started one and decided that I must be a pointless person as Kay Wood talks about as I had so many frustrations with the points on the pattern.  So I tossed those pieces in a bag and pulled out some fabric that I had picked up about a year ago.  The fabric is very interesting as it fades from dark to light.  So, I did not use a specific pattern for this one and just started cutting and sewing strips.  This is what I came out with.  I think it is beautiful!

August 2009 Quilt top

August 2009 Quilt top

I am trying to decide how to finish the back of it.  My sister adds a strip of fabric to the back that coordinates with the quilt top for her quilts.  I have never tried that as I worry about getting it on straight when I roll it on the quilting frame.  I guess if I put the strip off center it won’t matter in the end if it is straight or not.   I may try something with this one though, since I have claimed this quilt!   Most of my quilts I have given, sold or donated, so it is time for me to  keep one for myself.

With luck I will have it on the frame this evening and quilted by the weekend!

I am going to try to set a goal for finding time to work on my projects.  As I will be going back to work soon I know it will be come a challenge.  I read where if you set an appointment time that could help (this is said to be a good way to fit exercise into a day) but, my days become very short when I take 8 hours of work time and 1 1/2 hours for commuting out of it.  Maybe I can schedule 15 minutes a day, I will certainly give it a try.

Any suggestions as to how to find more time to sew, quilt, embroider, etc.  would be welcomed!

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Quilting | Leave a Comment »

Blog Update

August 9, 2009

Check out my new pages!  I have just added some photos of some of my quilting and embroidery projects.

Be sure to pick up the McCall’s Quick Quilts and Quilter’s Home magazines which will be on the newstands September 1 and September 15 respectively.  There will be an ad in each of these magazines for my custom made embroidered quilt labels!  Hopefully all this is the beginning of something BIG!!!!

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in Quilting | 1 Comment »

Updating my Blog

August 9, 2009

I spent a great deal of time updating my blog tonight.  Boy if that isn’t a job and a half!  I did learn quite  a lot in the process!  But, by spending so much time working on the computer I have not finished my latest quilt.  I have the top completed, just need to get it on my quilt frame and quilt it.  That seems to  take a bit of time as I need to become inspired as to how to actually quilt it.  I mainly use a meandering stitch.  Since the quilt is a variety of colors I may need to go to  a quilt shop to find a variegated thread to use on the top.  I have decided this will be a quilt that I keep.  I have not kept one of my quilts since the one I hand quilted, which has been quite a few years ago.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Quilting | 2 Comments »

August Quilting

August 3, 2009

Here it is August already and it is too hot to be outside, so I am trying to settle down and be creative.  I had difficulty with the last quilt I was attempting, so set it aside and started a new one.  Since my life is chaotic at this point I decided to try a chaotic quilt.  Who knows it may not end up as chaotic as I think!  But, I will give it a try.

I will need to come up with an idea for a label for it.  I may need to design a border that is chaotic in my embroidery software.  Who knows what will come of it.  Perhaps order from the chaos!

Tags:,
Posted in Quilting | 1 Comment »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.