Blue's Clues Done!

Blue's Clues is done!  My granddaughter Reghan really likes it.  54" x54.5"

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Free motion quilting in loop-de-loop pattern.

Three different turquoise and two different pink threads were used as I ran out.

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I found the starfish fabric at Joann's.  I thought the colors went well with the Blue's Clues fabric.

Enjoy your quilt, Reghan!

Blue's Clues Quilted

Last night I free-motion quilted the three columns of Blue's Clues.  Today I'll join the columns, quilt over the joins, attach the binding, and be done!  My granddaughter may be coming over later today, and my goal is to have the quilt finished before she gets here.  The quilt will stay at my house so she has something to cuddle up with when she's here.

Almost finished!

Blue's Clues Top Finished

The Blue's Clues top is in three columns, each column to be quilted separately, then joined together.  Four of the large squares with the Blue's Clues fabric had to be pieced.  To avoid piecing I considered using alternate fabric.  The backing fabric was one choice and would have looked okay, but finally I decided to use the theme fabric.  The pieced squares don't look too bad.

Originally I had planned to use the dark purple for the border, but when I auditioned it, it looked too dark.

I tried the turquoise, and I liked it a lot better.  It's fresher and more kid-friendly, I think.

Tomorrow is Christmas.  I will be having lunch with my daughter-in-law's family, and have minimal responsibility as far as food preparation.  So, I'll have time to work on the quilt some more.  My quilting goals for tomorrow:  Spray-baste the quilt sandwiches, and do some free-motion quilting.  We'll see how far I get.

Blue's Clues Progress

I'm doing well with the Blue's Clues quilt for my granddaughter.  The four-patches and the plain squares are cut out and up on the design wall.  I've divided the quilt top into three large columns for easy quilting.  One and a half columns are done, and I'll finish the other one-and-a-half tonight.  I may also get the quilt sandwiches ready for quilting tonight, as well.  We'll see.  It's going together fast!

Blue's Clues Project

My next quilt project is a quick four-patch for my granddaughter Reghan.  Not that she doesn't have enough quilts.  This will make Number 4, and the girl isn't 4 years old yet!  lol

Earlier this year Reghan saw some (years old) Blue's Clues fabric in one of my charity fabric bags.  She asked, "Is that for me?"  The rest is history.

The four-patches will be in medium-dark turquoise and dark purple solids, with the Blue's Clues fabric as alternate plain squares, and a border in the same dark purple.  My goal is to have the quilt done by the weekend.  Although it's technically a Christmas gift, the quilt will be given to Reghan at my house and will stay here.  Since I don't expect Reghan, my son and daughter-in-law to come over before Friday, that gives me a few days to crank it out.  I have tomorrow off.  Get sewing, Grandma!

Scraps to Project Linus

After I dropped off the quilts at Sierra Vista yesterday, I drove about 45 minutes to Stockton, where the nearest Project Linus group is.  As I make my quilts, I put scraps that I no longer want to fool around with in a grocery bag.  When the bag gets full, I drive to Stockton and drop off the bag at the Project Linus coordinator Erin's workplace--a hair salon and spa.  I trust that someone in Erin's group loves to work with scraps, and I feel good that my castoffs will become beautiful quilts for needy children.

Sierra Vista Quilts 2009

Today I took nine quilts to Sierra Vista Children's Center, a local children's shelter.  This has been an annual Christmas project for me for a few years.  Each year friends and co-workers donate money, gift cards and discount coupons to fabric stores, fabric, quilt tops and finished quilts.  Through their generosity, this year I was able to create, finish or give nearly a dozen quilts to the children without spending much of my own money.  Unless otherwise indicated, the quilts were made by me.

Contributors:

Edna N.

Cindy F.

Fonda P.

Becky R.

Judy P.

Mary Jane M.

Lena R.

Valery D.

Veronica B.

Arax S.

Misti C.

Zita Y.

#1 Dresden Plate quilt top from Lena R.

Lena started this quilt top years ago.  She knew she'd never finish it, so she gave it to me for Sierra Vista.

The petals were already sewn to the background.  I added the dark green center and finished the quilt.

#2 Doggie quilt made by Becky R.

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Cute!

#3 Teddy Bear Quilt made by Judy P.

Judy found the in-progress quilt at a yard sale, took it apart and re-did it.

She practiced some new free motion quilting techniques, finished the quilt and donated it.

#4 Poodle and Friends

Made mostly with leftovers from my granddaughter's Poodle Quilt

#5 Fishing

Fish fabric donated by Mary Jane M.

Mary Jane donated yards and yards of this fabric.  I have enough to make several more!

Other fabrics in the quilt top are from my stash.

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Mary Jane also gave this coordinating fishing lure fabric.  I have some left of that, too.

#6 Cars - Fabric from Edna N.

Edna gave this fabric very recently.  I had intended to do a strippie quilt, but ran out of time.

There's more of this fabric, so I'll do something fancier next time.

#7 Purple cats

I've had this cute cat print for years.  I love the bright colors.

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Valery D. donated this large floral print very recently.

I knew it would look great with the cat print.

#8 Sailboats

The sailboat fabric is leftovers from On the Ocean Blue, a quilt I made for my daughter-in-law's mother.

The blue fish/seashell fabric is from stash.

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The nautical stripe was sent to me by fellow Stashbuster member Cathy C. for possible use in

On the Ocean Blue.  I didn't use it in that quilt, but it sure looks great here.

#9 Patches - from stash

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Trying to save some money, I used four different fabrics from stash to make the back.

Enjoy your quilts, kids!

Charity Quilts Done

I finished the last of the charity quilts tonight.  I'll take it to work tomorrow to display with the others.  The quilts will be delivered to the children's center on Friday.  I'll post photos of the quilts within a couple of days.

Charity Quilts Almost Finished

I took 6 charity quilts to work today:  2 finished quilts were donated by friends, 1 was an almost-complete top that I finished, and 3 were from scratch.  Tonight I finished 2 more quilts, which I'll take to work to display with the others.  Several people in the office contributed toward the quilts, and I like them to see the results of their contributions before the quilts are delivered.  Tomorrow I'll finish the last quilt and take it to work on Thursday.

Friday I plan to deliver the quilts to a local children's shelter.  I'm hoping my daughter-in-law and granddaughter will be able to come with me.  They came with me last year, but this year my daughter-in-law is on standby for an important appointment, and if she gets called, she'll need to go.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that our schedules will work out.

Charity Quilt Progress

I've finished 2 of 7 charity quilts:  Fishing and Poodles & Friends.  I was hoping to get all 7 quilts done and delivered this weekend, but it's not going to happen.  I've been going to extra church orchestra rehearsals lately, getting ready for Christmas, so I'm losing another evening each week.  I decided not to sweat it, and deliver the quilts in another week.

I'll wait to post photos of finished quilts until they're all done.