Wool Applique Table Topper

This is my first attempt at Wool Applique. I really enjoyed the button hole stitch especially after I remembered how to do it. The little pieces of wool were difficult to attach. I will stick to easier pieces for awhile until I get more confident.

Crazy Quilt Pillow

I loved creating this Crazy Quilt Pillow for my daughter. The two different kinds of green material and the pink roses were from my daughter's Christmas dress when she was 3 years old. (She is 24) I loved that dress and knew I was saving it for something special. It is one of her Christmas presents this year.
I haven't done any embroidery for 27 years and found I really enjoyed it. 

A new purse or tote?

What female doesn't like purses and totes? I altered a pattern that I had; I wanted it taller (roomier) to accommodate all the stuff I seem to accumulate.
Each time I have made an item that I think I will want to make again, I should jot down some notes to help me remember the troublesome steps.
I don't know if I like the orange button and think I will look through my stash of buttons for a brown one but for now it does the trick.

Pillows

 Pillows, Pillows, have I mentioned I enjoy pillows?

 They are a great decorative accent to any room.

 I've started making some simple Christmas pillows.

 

Beautiful Crazy Quilt

No, this isn't mine. I was at a Quilt Show and saw this Crazy quilt which I fell in love with.  I saw a lot of neat ideas that I hope to work with soon.

Crazy quilting

I have wanted to try making a crazy quilt block for a long time.  I found working with different types of fabric together isn't easy.  I've read about crazy quilting but  you actually need to make a block to appreciate it.

Now I have the fun of embellishing the block. I haven't decided what type of thread I will use.  I hope to include some ribbon and roses on it.This is my first attempt using the flip n sew method of creating a crazy quilt block. I've read about  different methods and will try another soon...maybe today.

Crazy quilt block

Yellow half square triangle lap quilt

This lap quilt is made using half square triangles and a piano key border. The border along with the purple binding really finished the quilt. I used a wavy stitch to quilt it rather than stitch in the ditch along the seams which gave it a different effect. At first I didn't know if I would like this quilt,  but I really like the finished product. This is a Eleanor Burns pattern called Dessert Time.

Dessert Time

"I Love My Dog" pajama pants

 
 I made my daughter pajama pants honoring her dog, Brooklyn. I got the material at Hancock Fabrics.
 They were really fun to make.

Baby Blanket

  Baby Blankets that I hope will be used and abused. I like using a whole piece of fabric for baby quilts instead of cutting the fabric up into little pieces.

Hey Diddle Diddle the Cat and the Fiddle....

Hello Kitty

Knitting with Fabric

Knitting and fabric can go together. I found a unique pattern for a scarf: a 1 yard of  fabric is cut on the bias  (so it would stretch) and tied the pieces together as I knit.  It is fun to try something different once in a while.

Fabric knitted scarf



First Knitting project in 25+ years

In January 2009 I visited our local library and saw 2 ladies knitting and was instantly enthralled. I learned to Knit in 4-H and hadn't knit for more than 25 years. I (re)started knitting with a simple scarf and then ventured into sweater knitting. This was my first major project after my long hiatus from knitting. 

I practiced on this sweater and then made 2 for my daughter. 

I think my next knitting project will either be a cabled cardigan and/or some socks.

Brown sweater- First major knitting project in 25 + years



First Experience using Stitch in the Ditch

This is my first experience at Machine Quilting using Stitch in the Ditch. This is a Take 5 pattern. I chose 5 fabrics to match pillows I had made.  I tied and hid all the strings, washed and dried it and was pleased with the result. The  recipient, my daughter, likes "puffy" quilts.  I did some variations from the directions. I think and hope it will be a comfy and often used lap quilt.

Awesome yarn for a scarf

Sashay yarn....a different kind of yarn and very lightweight. I love it. My daughter's mother-in-law made her a multi-colored one and I gave this purple/red one to my Mom.
I'm excited to get other colors.

Sashay yarn

Review of helpful Machine Quilting Book

Maurine Noble, Ursula G. Reikes

Machine Quilting Made Easy

I've had a walking foot for my sewing machine since I got my new machine in April 2009, but hadn't really used it. I found this book for Machine Quilting with a Walking Foot and found it a great addition to my quilting library. I wanted to learn how to do more than just Stitch in a Ditch and this book does just that.

Lilac table runner

With each new project I try to learn a new skill. (Thus, my projects aren't perfection, but my skills are hopefully evolving and growing.)


Lilac table runner

 With this table runner I used stencils for the border which I have never done before. The first side I did looks fine but not as nice as the rest. I have attempted Free Motion Quilting before, but it has been a year since I have used it on my home sewing machine.

Winter time table tunner

I fell in love with this "winter time" material last November. I purchased the fabric, but didn't know what I would do with it. The local craft store where I bought the material offered a class using this fabric in January. It is a rail fence pattern.

UFO- Dresdan Plate Pillow and table runner

I finished an UFO (unfinished object) that I started March of 2010. I really like  the Dresdan plate quilt block but didn't know if I wanted to do a whole quilt with it so... I decided on a pillow for my living room instead. I used 5" charm squares from the Moda "Happy" line.

I had enough from one package of charm squares  to make a table runner with the remaining material. Usually, I use a low loft cotton batting for my table runners but in this one I used a high loft polyester batting. It is a quilt-as-you go pattern.

Long arm demonstration quilt

A member of our church donated her long arm quilting machine to our church. I asked her if she could give me a demonstration of the machine. She suggested I bring in a "scrap quilt" to practice on. I told her I didn't care what the quilting looked like; I just wanted to see the machine in action. I was shown how to follow a pattern and another member demonstrated free motion quilting using the long arm machine. I have to admit I was pretty nervous not knowing what to expect. I have only free motion quilted two table runners on my home sewing machine, so this was a new experience. I had a piece of fabric I got on sale two years ago always meaning to do something with it...so I finally have my lighthouse quilt. I only had to add the blue borders. I used a high loft polyester batting.The quilting is the effort of three ladies,... nothing matches but I love it.  Thanks to Julie for donating and demonstrating the machine.

 I have lighthouse plates, small blanket, glasses, pictures and a mirror etching in my TV room, and the lighthouse quilt will make a welcome addition.

Work in Progress

Update on my Sampler Quilt.

All the rows are sewn together. I had 4 long seams to sew. Last Sunday I tried for 3 hours to complete even one and everything went wrong. I put it away for a few days and today I completed them all. I will use the  brown dotted material as an inner border and a green for the outer border.

Brooklyn's Coat

Meet Brooklyn, my grandpup. Her adoptive parents are, Sam and Jane,  my daughter and son-in-law. Brooklyn is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Brooklyn

 Last Christmas I went to visit  Jane and her family in Germany. Even though I had never met my grandpup, I made a dog coat for her. Brooklyn was smaller than what I figured so... I brought her jacket home with me to make smaller. I finally made the alterations, I hope the jacket fits her.

Brooklyn's Coat

Work in Progress

Currently, I am working on a Sampler Quilt with 12 different types of blocks surrounded by numerous half square triangles. This was the first time making flying geese. Not all of my points match exactly, but from across a room they look good. I have it laid out and have started sewing it together.

Rustling Leaves pattern

Altered Book- Inspire To...

I always liked altered books, but so many I had seen used a lot of dark colors and I wanted something different, more personal, with a theme. I named my project “Imagine to..”

My first task was to find a book; I wanted to incorporate some of the book’s themes so this made the task a little bit harder. I had read a book and found a number of passages that I wanted to share. The book’s focus was building faith in a Christian church.

In my altered book I used: scenery pictures (flowering plants, herbs and a sunflower field) printed bible verses on vellum, stickers, brads, homemade paper and  other embellishments I had from rubber stamping.

I really enjoyed making this project as a gift for my daughter for Christmas in 2008.

My daugher's Christmas gift in 2008

Some of the bible verses I wanted to share with my daughter.

The Sunflower field is near our home.

The cover of my Altered book. I used rose petal paper.

My first quilt- Rag quilt

January 2009 I visited a local craft store and fell in love with the rag quilt on display. That rag quilt is what sparked my interest in quilting.  The sample was made out of Homespuns, but I decided to use cotton for my first attempt.  This was a very good project for my first attempt at quilting. If the seams didn't match completely, it didn't matter.

My first two quilts were identical rag quilts made for my daughter and my niece.

Welcome to my world!

I grew up in 4-H taking knitting and sewing as my projects. In 1995, I was introduced to rubber stamping and immediately fell in with the craft. The last few years my interest has waned and the last 3 years I returned to knitting and sewing. (Actually, quilting to be more precise.) My focus has been sewing the last 2 years. I'm working on a few scrapbooks as well. I hope to share trials and accomplishments of my crafting experience past and present.