Isn't she the cutest?

 Here she is, my youngest daughter, quilting a quilt in a frame for the first time.  She has tied quilts and stitched quilts in her lap but this is the first in a frame.

She makes everything so fun.

Robin

Lots of things

I've been meaning to post for over a week and just couldn't fit it in.  I finished this little Florence Peto quilt.  I machine stitched around the blocks and then used big stitch to outline the applique and the setting triangles.  The small green border looks like it needs some quilting too.

I used one of the leftover blocks for my label.  It took me 11 years to complete this little quilt.  Not my oldest UFO but definitely waiting a long long time.

 

I finished sewing this Red & White quilt top together this morning.  It is from the Aunt Daisy SAL 

I'm a little disappointed in my craftsmanship on this project.  I couldn't seem to press it correctly to make all the points line up.  I didn't really cut points off as much as I didn't line them up properly.  I've decided to name this quilt "Pointless".  I'm not really sure I want to put a label on it  for posterity to know who made this wonky quilt.  

But, in spite of all that it is still very pretty and will really add to my Christmas decorating

.

I want to make Christmas quilts for all six of my kids.  Three of them already have one so I need to make 3 more.  I purchased Vera Mosquera's pattern called "Noel".  And then promptly got out the book above to make the "Ravens" quilt by Blackbird Designs.  

I guess it's because it's almost fall - not almost Christmas.  It doesn't make any sense but I need to go with the project I have enthusiasm for.  

I bought a number of pieces from the Wild Orchid line by Blackbird Designs when this pattern first came out.  It's a really unusual color scheme and takes some getting used to.

I prepped Block 6 for applique.  I'm still trying to decide if I like it or need to change it.  The wing on the bird is not basted down but it is cut out of the fabric below.  It's current fabric with the Edgar Allen Poe's poem "The Raven" written on it.

My husband and our son (the one that is living with Us) have been working hard for over a week to clean out the garage and scrub the floor.  The have washed it with soap and water, they have scrubbed it with something called "Krud Kleaner".  The have used wired bushes on drills to grind down some of the stuff that has been spilled on it.  They sealed it and put epoxy paint on it. 

 WHAT A HUGE PROJECT!!!

But, as you can see, it's done.  And now Mr. Fix-it wants to paint the garage walls.  GASP!

 My neighbor's zinnias are so beautiful I had to share.  Wish I could grow them like this.

Have a wonderful late summer day.  The concord grapes are starting to turn purple so I know autumn will soon be here.

Robin

Baraboo Quilt

I finally finished my "Baraboo" quilt.  It is named after a city in central Wisconsin.

The Baraboo Chamber of Commerce states; "Baraboo is a charming small town in Wisconsin known for its colorful circus history, Devil's Lake State Park and a historic downtown square."

It has the Circus World Museum and was the wintering spot for Ringling Bros. (I think).  Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyway, it seemed like a good name because of the bright intense colors in this quilt.

It's hard to see the turquoise dots in the border that I made circles to match in the body of the quilt so here is a picture.

I've been quilting this in my living room and the oranges just pop out at me when I walk through.  Not in a good way though, it definitely doesn't go with the rest of the décor.  I got out this needlepoint picture that is a good companion to the quilt.

I'm not sure who is going to get this quilt.  But, I'm glad it's done because it has been waiting it's turn for quite a while now.

I also finished this quilt that I have wrapped around my settee.
Wouldn't it be fun to have it upholstered in this quilt?

I had it machine quilted earlier this year but never got the binding sewn on till now.

It is from Temecula Quilt Co. and is called Beyond Baskets.  It has wonderful reproduction fabrics in it.

 You can see my previous post about it here.

After finishing the other two quilts I got out another UFO to finish.  It is the Florence Peto block exchange I participated in with my friend Marlena in 2011.  It past time to get it done.

It won't take long.  I've already sewn around the individual blocks by machine and now I'm big stitching around the designs.  It's almost like doing embroidery.  

It has been so hot here that I haven't accomplished much other than holding still and stitching.  My house desperately needs some attention.

Hope the heat hasn't sapped your energy and you are getting a lot done.

Robin
 

Is it too much red?

I have been wanting to do a Red & White quilt  for a long time.  I finally found something I wanted to do and so I started around February.  It was my Red & White houses quilt (SEE HERE) 

Then I found another Red & White quilt I wanted to do (SEE HERE) and got busy on that.

I thought I was finished with the house top but the quilt kept calling out from the closet. . .

  "I need a word strip border on my left side!" 

So, I finally gave in and have been working on it between company, summer, quilting at the frame, and just being SO DANG HOT!

I having trouble deciding whether to cut out and applique the center of the two O's or leave them  whole.  The "O" above is whole.

I cut out a white circle and put it over the "O" to see what it would look like appliqued open.  I don't know which I like best. . . 

 i

 The other quilt, the Aunt Daisy quilt is making progress.  I sewing the blocks in strips first and you can see that I'm working on the bottom and top row of the block.  I've got the only finished block close by so I can prevent myself from making mistakes.

I love red and I know I'm going to love both of these quilts but I'm getting anxious to start something (or even finish something else) that has a variety of colors in it.

It's like having white lights or multi-colored on a Christmas tree.  Sometimes I want the bright crispness of white lights and other times I want the fanciful happy multi-colored ones.

The good news is that both of my Red & White projects are coming to a close soon and I can get a little more color in my life😏

Robin

I did sneak in a multi-colored purchase.  I bought this curated FQ bundle of Art Gallery Fabrics.

                                                                          Luscious!

Summer stays busy

I decided to make the Blockheads 4 blocks using my Minnick and Simpson scraps or maybe I should say my red, white, and blue scraps. I got caught up last week and it only takes one week to get behind.

The lower right block is just a filler until I get this weeks block made.  I haven't made the appliqued Jan Patek block yet but I want to.  I like the way there is a bonus block every few weeks so I can get more made or exchange one of the bonus blocks for one of the others.

I'm participating in the Aunt Daisy Quilt SAL.  I finished the first block today.  I'll make 8 more for a full sized quilt top.  My points certainly aren't perfect but I love the stark contrast of the red and white.  The white looks more like snow but it's really Kona white. Those triangle blocks are tricky to get all the angles lined up properly.

I finished the Scrap Tease quilt top.  I'm not really happy about the placement of colored strips but I didn't have an area to set it all out to prevent colors being close together,  It's going to be a picnic quilt so it doesn't really matter.   I've always had a sheet hung up for a design wall or a large space on the floor in my family room.  But, now that I've got my son and family living downstairs there is no place to spread out.

Since I have discovered how awkward block placement is right now - I'll choose projects that don't require that kind of thing.  (Like the Aunt Daisy quilt where all the blocks are the same.)

Last week at my quilt group "Bound Together" one of the ladies (whose house was where were meeting) showed us her stash and how she has been working hard to organize it.  She has a huge stash and is folding all the fabric into a uniform size.  I decided to try it with my messy shelves that have become my storage since moving upstairs.  So far I've done the purple and pink (I have tons more pink elsewhere) and I really like how it looks.  The surprise is how time consuming it is to do this because all the fabrics have to be pressed first.

I wonder if I do all the fabric . . . will I really keep it that tidy going forward?

 Hope your summer is fresh and pretty as these hollyhocks in my neighbors yard.  I just had to take a picture.  I love the color of pink.  It's interesting that no bees were there.  When I have had hollyhocks, the bees love them.

Robin

Summer sewing

You know how sometimes your just get a "bee in your bonnet" and sew. . . . and sew . . . until you're done with a project?  That's what I have been doing on this "Scrap Tease" quilt,

I just want to sew and use things up. 

The stack of strips at the front of the photo above were a bit of frustration.  I cut them out 6 3/8" instead of 6 5/8" so I had to recut about 50 pieces.

I completed the sewing on these 54 blocks this morning.  I still need to cut and sew the corner pieces for the blocks to make them square.

This is the 3rd time I have made this pattern.  I like it because it uses up lots of 1 1/2" strips and it sews up quickly.  And it turns out cute every time.  The original quilt has sashing but I like it better with just blocks side by side. 

The pattern is by Bettie Hammock and there is a digital download here

 My original goal was to use up all the Pam Kitty Morning scraps which I did.  I used up a lot more than that but my large scrap box looks just as full as before.  Isn't that always the case?

Do any of your have a pattern that you have made multiple times because you like it so well? 

 If you do, please share.

Robin

The Proxy Quilt

My sister's first great grandchild was born last month.  My sister has been gone almost two years and she would have been so happy to hold that sweet little girl.

She was a great gift giver, even when she couldn't really afford it.  The remembrance of an event had to be acknowledged .

So, when this baby was born I knew I needed to do something.  My sister had purchased this American Jane Crib quilt kit years ago when I was still quickly accumulating grandchildren from my five children. (After a five year hiatus the sixth has since added two.)  But, I never got around to making up this kit.

I decided that since my sister had picked out the quilt kit. . . I could make it up and then it would be like a gift from the baby's great grandmother.  I just put the label on this morning.  It says; "From Great Grandma Pamela Hatch".

 It doesn't photograph well but just imagine the bright American Jane crayon box colors.  I made it up just like the instructions but I had to unpick the sashing and put in something that calmed down the busyness.  The neutral is actually a very very light peach.

It was a fun project and I hope the new parents enjoy this quilt with their little bundle of joy.

Robin