Quarters for Baby

I am starting a new project. It is a win size quilt from American Legacy Quilts, Quarters for Baby, by Mary Jane Best.  I purchased the kit from SewBatiks at the Dallas Quilt show a couple of years ago.  The fabric is flannel batiks.  They are so pretty and soft. 

It was recommended that I wash the flannel before I use if because it will shrink and the wax and dye in the batiks will run.   I tossed them in and added two Shout Color catcher sheets.  I was shocked when I took the color catchers out.

This is the background fabric, used for side set triangles.  The pattern calls for 5/8 of a yard, but the kit only had half a yard.  I contacted the company and they will be sending me more fabric.

These are the eight brights for the 3.5 inch finished size blocks.

This is the border, backing an binding fabric.

 

I am starting the cutting tonight. 

Sewing room is finished

When they were doing the foundation, they had to cut four holes in the sewing/craft room floor.

 

 Every thing was covered in dust, even though we had it covered in sheets! 

 When they finished, we had to lay tile.  We did not care if it matched at this time.  This is the last room that will get a make over.

 

These show the chaos  after a week of cleaning!

And at last we emptied it and scrubbed the floor!

And put it back together.  

 This is the cabinet that had the dust on it.  All of that had been packed, but still had to be washed before it could go back up! 

The boxes on the cutting table have books and patterns to be cataloged and filed.  That is Kirby peeking over the boxes! 

I keep a piece of fabric on the table for them to lay on.

Oh Christmas Tree

This is another small project I have completed.    It was pieced with 2.5 inch blocks - 32 assorted greens, 3 yellow/gold, 1 brown, 63 neutral.

I used greens and gold from a Nancy Halvorsen  'I believe' charm pack.  The brown was a scrap from a fall project and the neutral was a soft green with snowflakes from the local store and the border, back and binding were part of a fat quarter bundle from JoAnns.  Since I used only one background, it lost some of the pin wheel affect.

First you piece the 2.5 inch squares.  I had a photo as to the layout.

Then you use the Mini Twister tool, from CS Designs (however, I could not fine the Mini on their web site).   It is only 1.5 inches and has an X Y line off set.  You place the XY line on the seams and cut the quilt apart.  It took a lot of nerve the first time I did this!

Keeping the new blocks in order, you sew them back together in rows.  I failed to get a picture in progress of this step.

The finished quilt is 11 by 13. I did stitch in the ditch around the tree and border.  I had all of the blocks sewn together before I went to the hospital.  I started on the cutting and reassemble at 3 p.m. on Thursday and was finished by 10 p.m.! 

This pattern is Itty Bitty Twistmas Tree by Susan McKinney purchased at The Old Craft Store

Christmas projects

I helped a friend make Christmas ornaments for her church craft fair.    We were using Christmas ribbon and fabric.  I scanned in the ribbon and fabric and using BERNINA Embroidery Software, Artista, I digitized applique shapes to fit the ribbon or fabric.  I used organza on the back to gave them more shine.  I should have used a water soluble stabilizer so they would have been translucent. .  Since I have a Bernina 830, I can make 8 to 10 in my jumbo hoop.  Some of these came out nice and others did not work as well.

Santa

 Snow scape trees

Merry

Holly leaves

All of these were 2.5 inch wide ribbon.

Snowmen

Santa

The last two were fabric that I fussy cut.  I used an organza that has blue, white and silver snowflakes for the backs of these.

 This is an Advent calender with sock monkeys.  Not sure why this one did not come out bigger.

The pockets have numbers made by sock monkeys in poses.  The Santa monkey is moved from pocket to pocket to count down to Christmas

This is the back.  I bought this cute kit at a shop hop 'Shop Across Texas'  I thought my 6 year old grandson would love it.  His 6th birthday is Thanksgiving weekend, as is his sister and one of his cousins!

This is the December quilt for the hanger in the last post.  I have to put the lights and tinsel on it. 

My husband and his work mates all had nicknames for each other.  They all were some kind of a$$.  When I found this tee shirt I had to get it for him and then I added his name on the back.

These were a little blurry, but you get the idea!

Foundation work is complete!  Yeah!  Plumbing is not.  We have not had any rain all year until now! At least we can start moving things back where they belong. As soon as I am able.  I started passing a kidney stone Tuesday evening and was admitted to the Hospital on Wednesday.  Friday they went and zapped the 9mm stone because it was to big to pass.  Now I am in pain again today as the bits and pieced start to pass. 

Sorry for the long post, but I have been out of commission for a week and still trying to get my feet back under me.

 

Kirby discovered he could open the bottom of the china cabinet.  The ironing board usually sits in front of it.  I hope this readable, the pain meds are kicking in!

More small projects

With the foundation work still on going, I am still just working on small projects.  This was suppose to be a two week project.  They started on a Wednesday and worked three days.  They were to be back the following Wednesday, but it rained, so they postponed till the following Monday.  That was a whole week skipped! Arrived on Monday  and worked two days.  Now waiting on the plumber to do his part.  That is Monday, next week.  Then the foundation guys come back for at least one more day.  Then the Electric Company has to come bury the cable to the house! Hopefully, next week, then we can  move things out of the storage POD on the driveway and start putting things up.  We have to wait 3 to 6 months to repair, paint, replace floors.... At least all but one door closes properly, you do not feel like you are falling down hill in the front part of the house and the cracks are mostly closed.  The last process is to 'mud jack' under the foundation.  So far, all the holes are outside, but we suspect there will be a couple inside.  Thankfully they are only 2 inches across.

Now here is what you are here to see!

These are a block of the month from PatchAbilities     They are 12inches by 14 inches.  I ordered them from a shop in Houston, TX. called  It's A Stitch

I signed up for the full year and paid in advance in order to get the stand free.  Each month you get the pattern and fabric kit plus the topper for the stand.   I just finished Novembers on Sunday and alas, Decembers came in the mail today.  I just thought I was caught up!

Last year I did a series from the same companies but they were 6incy by 22 inch and had a hanger.  They fit nicely in the narrow windows by my front door!

Fundsmentals

 This is  a  block of the month that I am working on.  It really is a block a week because there are 50 blocks. I have completed 32 blocks and have 5 months to go.

These are the fabrics I am using for the background (white) and setting blocks.  I plan to set like the Irish Chain example.

 

These are examples of the setting blocks.  I have completed all of these for the quilt. Below are the blocks.

The quilt shop offered this in two color ways.  I chose Blue and Brown.  The first 4 blocks cost $7.00 and all the others were free if I brought my finished blocks beak the next month.

My friend Chose the Red and brown color way.  She had trouble keeping up, so I have been making her blocks for her.   Here are the last 8. 

This is Angel trying to get me to stop sewing and cuddle with her.  As close as her tail was to the needle, I complied! 

  My Granddaughter entered her Bluebonnet quilt in the local quilt show August.  She was entered in the under 18 category for the last time. She named it about Mama Molly's Bluebonnets because it remimded her of my Mom's from yard in the spring!


Here is her Third place ribbon!


Kirby is trying to talk me into hanging it behind the Quilt box that he is so easy on.