Thursday, December 30, 2010

Recent Finishes 12/30/2010

Here are three quilts that I've made during the past few weeks.  I will write detailed entries with more photos and design notes later.  But for now, enjoy!

It's Been a Delight, Betty
For fellow church orchestra member Betty D., who plays violin.
Betty's Delight quilt blocks
58" Square
Original design
Finished November 28

Betty's Delight quilt block with music print



The Commish (formerly Mystery #3)
For Ken H., an attorney in my office who recently became Commissioner/Judge
Features Minnesota (Ken's home state) and Courthouse Star quilt blocks;
 the color navy (he served in the Navy);
medium blue represents the background of the Minnesota state flag (perhaps not the authentic blue, but close).
58" x 70"
Original design
Finished Dec. 22



All Kinds
(Bucket List Quilt)
For my brother Wayne, who loves all kinds of sports
All Kinds quilt block and variations
Features multi-sport print
56" x 78"
Original design
Finished Dec. 27. A few hours later I traveled over 300 miles to Los Angeles area to deliver quilt personally.

All Kinds Block with multi-sport print

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Rockin' Christmas


Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

This is way too fun!

Reghan and The Magic Wall

One activity that my four-year-old granddaughter Reghan and I do when she comes to visit is The Magic Wall.  It's actually my design wall, a large piece of felt in my studio.  I keep a collection of fabrics nearby, and Reghan usually puts one fabric on the wall at a time.

The last time she came over she tried something different.  Below are her creations.

Basically the same layout, with a few more pieces added

Reghan may be a quilt designer in the making!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

All Kinds Quilt

With Mystery #3 done and delivered yesterday (more on that later) I'm starting another, very quick, quilt.  It's for my brother Wayne, who according to my sister-in-law Monica, loves all kinds of sports.  I chose All Kinds quilt block and found a multi-sports themed fabric.  At first my design was 25 blocks, half of them All Kinds, a somewhat complicated block.  Due to time crunch I modified the quilt design to 9 larger blocks, with one central All Kinds block.  The remaining eight blocks are simplified variations of All Kinds, which should be quick to make.  I'm paper-piecing all the blocks.

Last night I washed/dried the fabric and drew my paper-pieced patterns.  Tonight I'll make the All Kinds block--the most difficult.  With the new design I may need a little more of one of the fabrics.  I'll have to see in the morning after I piece some of the other blocks.  Joann's is sure to close early on Christmas Eve.

My deadline is looming, so I've got to boogie!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Update 12/21/2010

Last night I finished the quilt top on Mystery #3.  It's beautiful.  Tonight I'm doing a pillowcase finish, edge-stitching and tying.  My goal is to finish the quilt tonight for tomorrow's delivery.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Update 12/20/2010

Mystery Quilt #3--I've finished the blocks as well as the checkerboard borders for the top and bottom.  Last night I got the quilt top sewn into three long vertical sections.  Tonight I'll finish assembling the top, attach the outer border and get the quilt ready for tying.  I would love to finish the quilt tonight, but I don't think I can pull it off.  I'll finish it Tuesday for sure for Wednesday delivery.

The quilt is looking good!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Update 12/14/2010

Last week I finished the blocks for the Liberated Shoo Fly charity quilt.  I added a couple more Shoo Fly blocks than originally planned, plus a lot of plain fabric blocks to make 35 blocks.  I've set aside the project to work on a more pressing quilt--Mystery #3.

Mystery #3 is for a co-worker.  I'm using a block named after the recipient's home state as well as a block whose name is related to the person's occupation.  I finished the components for the home state block last night, and will have those blocks assembled tonight.  Then I'll begin working on the occupation-related blocks.  My goal is to have the quilt completed by the end of the weekend for delivery early next week.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Memory from France

I just had a memory from when I went to France as a teenager and stayed with a French family for a few weeks during a study trip.  Just now I was putting a bowl of milk in the microwave to heat up for hot chocolate.  I wondered how weird it would be to drink the hot chocolate out of the bowl.  At that instant I remembered how every morning at the French family's home I had a bowl of hot chocolate with my breakfast of French bread with butter.  "Maman" would keep a kettle of hot milk on the stove in the morning.  She would scoop out a bowlful of milk and add chocolate.  I would drink the hot chocolate from the bowl and eat my bread at the little kitchen table.

I hadn't thought about that for nearly 40 years but I can still see it in my mind's eye.  What a pleasant memory.

Saturday, December 04, 2010

Liberated Shoo Fly Quilt

Shoo Fly blocks -- Liberated Quiltmaking style

I'm working on a charity quilt made of Shoo Fly blocks in the Liberated Quiltmaking style, all from stash. Originally the quilt was to be made up of sixteen 12" blocks, with a border to make a lap sized quilt. It was to be given to my church and distributed to someone going through a difficult time.

I had about half of the blocks made up, when I heard about the need for quilts to be given to an orphanage in Mexico. The quilts would be delivered as part of two church missions trips in January and April.

I talked to the organizer of the quilt project and found out that the quilts needed to be 66" x 88" to fit nicely on bunk beds. So, I had to alter my original design, as the quilt would not be large enough. The new design is 35 blocks--19 more than I had planned. With other quilts pending soon, I didn't want to make a whole lot more Shoo Fly blocks. So I will piece just a couple of extra blocks, and will fill in with plain fabric blocks. Hopefully I have enough fabric without having to piece. A narrow border will bring the quilt top to the required size.

I'll have the blocks finished tonight, and will assemble the quilt top tomorrow. That will be the end of my part of the quilt, as another participant in the project will quilt with her longarm machine.

By the way, there is a need for more boys' quilts, as there are plenty of girls' quilts already made.  My original intent for the quilt was that it would be appropriate for a male.  That worked out, didn't it?