Happy Halloween!

Just finished this jack o' lantern quilt at the end of January.   February 3rd was a gray day, here in Idaho, so I gathered up the remaining pumpkins from the front porch and took them out in the back yard.  I took a fabulous photo of this quilt.

You cannot tell that it is not October, in this chilly photo of my favorite Halloween quilt.  I have made another quilt in the same general pattern, that is currently at Phyllis' getting long-arm quilted.  This is good.  I am two quilts for two months in 2021, I doubt that I will keep up this pace, but I am having a good time so far.  I am saving this one for my daughter, who said she definitely wants it.  Sorry, Susan.

Another Texas Two-Step Quilt, But More Refined

I made about three quilts, in 2020, with this same pattern.  Once you make one, you don't need a pattern to make more.  It is really easy to remember and to do.  One of my co-workers is getting ready to retire and I decided to make them a quilt.  There are no florescent marker fabrics in this one.  It is modern, yet traditional.

I chose the gray with yellow fabric first, then rounded-up the other fabrics to go with.  The gray with yellow reminds me of antique wallpaper.  I got a little crazy and bought the dark blue with gold metallic flecks in it, but it seems to fit the antiqueness of it.  The rings remind me of cup rings on old surfaces, and the gold batik gives it an elegant look.   I am certain Kelly will really like it.  The quilting was done in dark gray thread, as a result, you do not see much of the quilting.  Click on the photo, it will enlarge, so you can see it closer.

Happy New Year 2021!

 I had a stack of fabric that was about to tip over and create an avalanche, so I placed it all on my table and went through it.  I refolded the big bits and took out all the troublesome smaller bits.  I decided I should use up some of the strips.  The trouble with random strips is: you always have more than you can use up!  I did, however, give it a go.  I made a nice big bag, that I can toss stuff into. [I need another bag??]  

the pink fabric is the lining

It is not one of those limp bags.  I took the effort to find some 'sew in' interfacing and sewed it to the back of the pieced strip part of the bag.  It goes clear up the the crease, you can see in the photo.  This way the bag is a little sturdier for standing on it's own (when finished).  It looks quilted!  I did find some fusible fleece scraps, in my interfacing bag (yes, I keep it in a bag), which I used in the strap.  It is a great sturdy comfortable strap.

Oh, I still have some of these fat eighths and strips of "granny fabric".  I have given it to Jane.  Her and the girls are going to use it.  Jane is making a medallion quilt out of some of it, for her annual tutorial on their GF Doll Quilts blog.  I hope it turns out alright.  Now my tipping pile is pretty solid, and I feel I have actually cleaned something up in my quilt room. And I have a new bag!  Let me know if you need a bag . . .

I Got A Diamond In My Christmas Sock

On Christmas morning, I found a diamond in my Christmas stocking.  It was a Creative Grids 60-degree diamond ruler, of course.  So, the next day I used my new ruler to make a wall-hanging for my deserving husband.  Today, I got the casing, hand-sewn onto the back, and the yard stick cut and holes drilled to hang it with.  He is going to hang it in his office.  I took a photo of it hanging in my quilt room.

I quilted it using my walking foot and used red thread.

Back on December 22, I made a casserole cozi for a co-worker.  I was surprised at how quick it was to make.  I left the corners sticking out, so as to have handles, to grab it by, when removing from the microwave with a reheated dish inside.  It is just a mini-quilt with the corners sewn up!  It fits an 8" X 8" casserole dish.  Use for reheating in the microwave, or to protect your table top, when your casserole comes out of the oven.

Pot Holders for All Seasons, by Chris Malone, is the book I found the instructions in.

Bandana Quilt Photographed in Front of Building One

It was a sunny morning, December 3, when I took my quilt over to Building 1, at the Boise VA Medical Center.  My helpers are Erik and George. Building 1 is the oldest building on the VA campus so it was the first one built at Ft Boise, circa 1864.  I know this quilt top, less the border, is a lot younger than that.  This quilt top could have been hand-pieced in the 1960's or earlier.  

Bandana Quilt Finished!

A number of years back, I bought an old quilt top at an antique shop in Boise.  I already described it's construction and the issues with it, in my previous post.  Phyllis did her stippling magic on it and I love it.  I got the binding all on, on Thanksgiving Day.  It is finished.

It is a beautiful quilt.  It is on my table in my quilt room, but I hope to scout out a good place, out-of-doors, to photograph it properly. I hope whomever made all these blocks remembers her work and is having a warm feeling about it just now, or beaming down from heaven with happiness.  Below is a close-up of the back of one of the blocks.

You can see the machine stitching below the yellow and floral block, however the stitching on the yellow four-patch is hand-stitching,  Also note, at the top of the photo, the blue sashing is attached to the red sashing by machine.  I don't know how old the fabrics in the quilt are, but I am glad to finally have risen to the task of making it into a completed quilt. 

What's on the Design Wall in Late November?

That pumpkin quilt top is finished; the one that I posted on November 6.   I need to make the backing, buy that spooky panto, and get it to a long arm quilter.  This is the first time I have done two "What's on the Design Wall" posts in the same month.  Of course, the one that was on my wall in July stayed up there through most of October.  I have finally got a move on it.  This is the Buggy Barn quilt, that I got the book for at a Fall School House event at the Blue Bird Quilt Shop, in Nampa, back in, dare I say 2012???

Then in the next year, I bought the fabrics. Then it lay there until February of 2017, when "Buggy Barn Janet" came to the Quilt Crossing and did a two day class on completing our Buggy Barn stack n whacks.  I was so glad I took the class.  She was wonderful.  I finally got all my horse blocks done, in September 2017.  I know this because, I posted a photo of all twelve blocks, on 09/14/17.  Then they sat there until last week . . . when I discovered I need nine horse blocks to make the quilt, but I actually made twelve horse blocks.  That's how I roll.  Now that I look at the photo I posted in Sept 2017, I am wondering if I should use all twelve in this quilt.  Anyway, I have the barns finished and now I need to make the fence sashing and borders.  The green I have is not going to work, so I am waiting for my green to arrive in the mail.  

I have been resisting several amazing fabrics that have been calling to me all the way from Connecting Threads.  I put the green (mini spots and squares) in the shopping cart, then decided I should buy a couple of those fabrics on my wish list, so I can get the free shipping!  I bought Anjalina, Georgiana, and Margaret from the Jane Austin line, and Marpesia from the French General line, and some tea time fabric to top it off!  I am so excited, I can hardly believe it.  I confess, I am a fabric junkie.

I got all the eyes and nostrils cut out and appliqued on, this last weekend. Whew, that was a chore I did not foresee!  I am ever closer to crossing the finish line, just waiting on the right green fabric for grass: