Kate's quilt

 My husband is great at volunteering me to do things for other people.  I don't mind, but sometimes it isn't what I want to do or he doesn't realize how much work it is.
This past fall my husband volunteered me to make a quilt for his friend's mother, Kate, who is in a nursing home.  He told me she needed a quilt for her lap while she was sitting in her wheelchair.  Okay - what size would that be?  After asking a few quilters if they have made a wheelchair lap quilt before it was decided that probably a baby quilt would be the right size.  Now I don't make small baby quilts - they are more like twin bed size.  I want the child to be able to drag that quilt around and wear it out.
I purchased fabric in pastel colors that I thought would be good for a 95 year old woman and pieced together a quilt top that I thought might work.  I gave the unfinished quilt to his friend and asked him to put this on his mother's lap to see if this size is good.  At this point it is easy to add or subtract a row.
Well, a couple weeks later he returned the quilt top and said that she already had a lap quilt and would like this for her bed.  Great - we went from a lap quilt to now a bed quilt.  There was no turning back.  What did I need to do?  He asked if I could add another row to make it longer.   After adding the row I had a long skinny quilt.  I knew this wasn't right so I asked him if I could put another row to make it a bit wider too.  He replied, well that is what it needed but he didn't want to cause me any more work.  Anymore work - if I was going to finish this quilt it better be right.  So I cut up more fabric and made it another block wider.
After quilting and binding it - it was now December.  I had enough extra fabric from the backing to make a matching pillowcase.  I placed the quilt in the pillow case with a bow and a Christmas card to give Kate as a gift.

Kate with her bed quilt

Well the quilt was a hit.  Kate's son told me that everyone who comes to the nursing home she takes them to her room to see her new quilt.  At night she asks the nurses to fold the quilt, put it in the pillow case and set it on the chair.   In the morning she asks them to please place it back on her bed.  Her son said that there isn't much a 95 year old woman can get excited about - living in a nursing home, but this really meant so much to her and put some bounce back in her step.  I have never meet Kate, but maybe when the weather is nicer I'll get that opportunity.

So as much as this seemed like a pain I am so thankful to my husband for volunteering me.   I was heart warming to know this quilt put a big smile on her face.

Go Ask Alice

Go Ask Alice is the first collage quilt I made.
A local quilt shop had a contest with the theme Alice in Wonderland in 2011.   It included textiles and quilts.  When I was going through the process of deciding if I wanted to compete (which this was my first quilt competition) I knew that there are great quilters in our area who have quilted for many more years than I and also I worked full-time.  Could I pull this off.  Of course, but if I'm going to compete -  it's to win.  And the grand prize is $500.
So what would other quilters do?  Alice in Wonderland - you think of the movie, the cartoon, Disney, hearts, tea party, the white rabbit, etc.  I can easily come up with blocks with one of those themes, but that seemed too obvious.  How do I step out of the box and give these experienced quilters a run for the money?
White Rabbit - this takes me to Grace Slick, the Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit.  This is one of my top favorite songs.  It's been a favorite since it came out in the 60s.  And it went under the radar of censorship of drugs because of the Alice in Wonderland theme - how clever.
That's it - Go Ask Alice
So my idea is to appliqué the words of the song in the middle of the quilt with art from the words around the sides.  I would use a play on words like tall - make the letters tall and thin.  I sketched my idea on a legal pad of paper.
I had no clue on how to execute this so I went to the sponsoring quilt shop to show them my sketch and ask for their recommendations.  The clerk directed me to the bookshelf to a book by Susan Carlson called Serendipity.  I purchased the book.  This book taught me a technique for applying my fabric as a collage quilt.
My next step was to draw my idea full-size on paper.  The max size allowed was 45 by 70 inches.   I would need to use the max size to get all this on my quilt.  With my drawing in place, away I went.
I had three months to complete this quilt.  With fabric pieces going everywhere I plugged along.  First the artwork than the words, but as I progresses the artwork took over all the space and when I tried adding the words it was too busy.  Darn the words will have to go - and I already had them all cut out and ready to go.
Many times I got frustrated that it wasn't what I first decided to do and thought about giving up.  I thought - I'll never get this finished.  I even walked away from it for a couple weeks just stewing on the results.  My eldest son, Dave, was my cheerleader.  He reminded me that it was cool and I shouldn't give up so I would push on.
When I came towards the end of collaging the fabric I was disappointed there were no words.  Because of no words I thought that I would lose the viewer if there wasn't something for them to easily relate to - so I added the teapot and cups, the backwords watch, and the Cheshire Cat in the sky.  Dave said that it didn't need words, but as I looked it over I decided at the last minute to add "Go Ask Alice".  The hookah-smoking caterpillar was perfect to blow smoke up to the top and make the words "Go Ask Alice".
The quilt was due in two days. - it would have to be as it is and now I had to quilt it.  I machine quilted it on a regular sewing machine, put on the binding and turned it in on the day it was due.
So now I had to wait for 4 or 6 weeks for the results.  The quilt shop had a Mad Hatters Tea Party in May and announced the winner.  I couldn't believe it - I was the grand prize winner - Best of Show $500.
So here it is - "Go Ask Alice" (I think she knows)

I love this crazy collage quilt.  I would have spent more time to get better details, but this was my learning experience for this technique and I really ran out of time.
There are more rock 'n roll quilts on the horizon that I have been designing in my head - just have to get them drawn on paper and see how they end up wth fabric.

Black and White

This UFO quilt, number nine  - Black and White was part of a Reach for the Stars - Middle of the Mitten Quilt Shop Hop 2010.  My fellow quilting friends and I drove around Michigan one weekend to nine different shops picking up quilt block patterns to assemble this quilt.   There was no set design for arranging the blocks - so this is my final layout.

I quilted Black and White last week and like the other quilts it's a keeper.  Wish I had the skills to finish these quilts sooner.   But later is working.  This will be a perfect bridal shower gift for my niece.
Since this Shop Hop a couple of these quilt shops are no longer in business.  It saddens me when one closes.   I try my best to support my local shops and I do spend money monthly at these shops.  There is nothing greater than going in their shops and seeing all the wonderful displays and actually being able to touch and match up fabrics.  I know shopping on the internet is convenient and usually a little cheaper, but it isn't the same experience.  Plus, the employees are always so great to share quilting ideas with.

Log Cabin

Catching up on the UFOs, here is number eight.  This log cabin quilt was pieced around 2014.
Taking a class from a local quilt shop, a local quilter named Margie was the teacher.   She makes beautiful old fashioned quilts with civil war prints.  She always has a story of someone from her family past that she copied the pattern from which makes the quilt even more appealing.
However,  Margie doesn't write good directions.  You definitely have to take the class to understand what she is doing.   I know there are easier ways to accomplish the same block, but this is her way.  She could make a fortune selling her patterns if she could write better directions.
This quilt is made with 1 1/2" strips.  Participants shared fabrics from their stash.  The challenge is to put dark fabric strips in one bag and light fabric strips in a second bag.  As you construct the log cabin you grab a strip - dark or light whichever you need without editing - what you pick is what you use. For me this wasn't as easy as it sounds, but I played by the rules and this is my end result.

There are no set strip measurements - you measure and cut as you go. Above I made a queen bed size quilt.  Although it seemed to take forever to complete I'll do it again.  I've already started collecting my stash. Looking up close there are fabrics I would have never used, but in the end this becomes the beauty of the quilt.  Thank you Margie for sharing your style.
Now that I have confidence in my long arm quilter I can move faster to the finish line.   Quilting these quilts and now looking at them on my blog makes me excited to go sew some more quilts.  I still need to catch up on those UFOs.  I tell myself - Stay focused.

Still seeing purple

Still a week away from Christmas.  Hummmm.
 I ordered a new yoga mat for Sarah for Christmas and I can make her a bag to carry it in.  The problem is my husband decided to have the present mailed directly to her instead of here for her to open.  I don't know the measurements of this new mat and will have to have some help from Sarah.  I guess this will have to wait until she gets back to L.A.
After getting the measurements from Sarah I looked through my fabric stash to get sewing.  Can you believe this but I still have some of that purple left from Modie's quilt and Olive's bed.  I'll use up this fabric yet.

Finished the second week of January.  It is a shoulder bag with a top zipper that goes across handle to handle.  On one side has a zipper pocket to put her cell phone, car keys, wallet or whatever in.  It is lined,  has batting and quilted.  Working without a pattern made it a little time consuming, but the finished results are great.  

And yes I still have some of that purple fabric left, but small pieces.

Jingle all the way

I'm feeling on top of the world - there is still two weeks until Christmas and I have another idea for a gift.  My daughter, Sarah,  lives in L.A. and she comes home for Christmas.  She loves plants and one of her favorites is cactus.
For a few years I've wanted to make a fabric collage of a flowering cactus.  Who better to make this for but Sarah.  With only two weeks until Christmas I don't know if I can pull this off, but if I can't I already have her presents - this is just a bonus.   I can always give it to her later as a birthday present.
I got busy drawing out a cactus and adding some flowers, traced the basic outline in black marker and placed muslin over the top to start building up my fabric colors.
Of course I needed more fabric.  For a collage I prefer batik fabric because it doesn't ravel as easy.  Besides batiks have rich colors - perfect.  I headed back up to the quilt shop and found fabrics that  would work and I began snipping and gluing.
This is only the second collage I've made, but it went together great.  And of course it sort of grew from my original drawing as I worked on it - more flowers and cactus.

After one week I had it done and ready to quilt.  Here is my final masterpiece.

I added tied embroidery floss to the cactus to look like the thorns.  The finished size is 20" by 30"

Here some Santa Claus

Christmas is always a fun time and giving the perfect gift is the best!  This past Christmas with my studio in working order it was a breeze to make some special presents.

My oldest son Dave moved to Detroit last spring.  He has a girlfriend named Modie that I wanted to buy Christmas present for.  I don't know her very well - with them living in Detroit I don't get to see them often.  When she came to visit at Thanksgiving she mentioned that she loved the color purple and she seemed to like my quilts.  There you go - I'll make her a quilt in purple.

So up to the local quilt shop in search of a purple fabric that I think she'll like.   Bingo, I found the perfect fabric and bought random amounts not knowing exactly what I might need.   You know my quilts always grow as I sew.  I feel the bigger the better.

This grayish purple seemed perfect for a lap quilt for Modie

Well, one gift done and I have more of this purple fabric leftover.  Modie has a little dog named Olive.  She's a great lap dog.  Olive has come to visit at Thanksgiving and will probably come for Christmas too.   What better way to use up some of that extra fabric than to make a dog bed/pillow.  I still have three weeks until Christmas so back to the sewing machine I go.

Boy this couldn't have come out better.  I even drew Olive's name and appliquéd it on the top.   Now fingers crossed that Olive will like to lay on her new bed. 

Well it looks like Olive likes her new bed

Modie loved her quilt and Olive's too.  Modie is very talented and always is making stuff for people.  She told me that no-one has ever made her something - she is the one always being the maker.   It felt good to give her something that was made from the heart.  I think she's a keeper.

Deck the Halls

Bill and his finance, Heaven, are in their new home for Christmas.  This is the first year for Bill to have his own Christmas tree so I offered to make them a special tree skirt.   I asked if they had any suggestions and Heaven told me they would be decorating in blush pink, mint green and metallic gold.  I had that sinking feeling - those colors aren't an easy order for a Christmas tree skirt, but I asked so I will try my best.
I headed to JoAnn fabrics to see if I could get inspired.  I walked around with a cart for a least two hours trying to  decide what colors would work.  I'd pick up this bolt and that bolt, but I couldn't find any mint green.  What can I do?  I then came across a bolt of upholstery fabric that was a great mint green.   At that point it all came together.  I was not going to use the pink and just go with the mint green, metallic gold and and white with metallic gold polk a dot.  I picked a great tree skirt pattern from Amy Butler that had large covered buttons.  So using her idea, but revising to work with what I had to work with, I made this cute tree skirt.

The mint green upholstery fabric has a herringbone texture.  And with the weight of this fabric it drapes nicely around the base of the Christmas tree

There's Bats in my Attic

Now that my studio is all organized I'm up and running.  Spring has sprung and the snow will be gone soon which makes outside projects a priority.  With the exception of a rainy day I won't be working on many sewing projects.  So with the few weeks left of inside time I'm in a marathon mode to work on my UFOs.  Here is quilt number seven.
I've only bought but a couple quilt kits, but this kit was such a great deal I couldn't pass it up.  It's called Bats in the Attic.  The directions were not easy to follow, but luckily there was a photo to help decipher what I needed to do.  Plus I wanted to make it as a table topper.  There was enough extra fabric, and I had some in my stash, to size it to my dining room table.  When fall comes around it will look great in my dining room.
I assembled it in 2018,  but didn't quilt it until this month.

Bats in the Attic will be my table topper this fall

My Space

Back some years ago My Space was a popular platform to post and share personal stuff online.   I still have a My Space account and I look at it every once in awhile.  Not sure why this platform went south - something came around better - always changing.

Well, this post isn't about My Space, but about my space - a studio!
Above our attached garage is a large living area with a huge family room, a full bath and a large bedroom.  Over the past many years our sons have claimed it as their space.  First my oldest, Dave, claimed it in 2000 when he was in high school.  When he left for college in 2003 my youngest son, Bill, claimed it as his space.
Bill lived in this space until the spring of 2018.  His father built him a house of his own house so he claimed a new space.
Over the years this upstairs space has had two different boys living in it and accumulated lots of extra stuff as my son and daughter moved from college to apartments and town to town.  When Bill moved out it was a mess.
Over the next six months or so I spent cleaning up this space for me.  I painted all the rooms, which took several coats of paint, and cleaned the carpeting. Once cleaned it was ready to start moving my sewing studio into a space of its own - My Studio.  You are probably wondering why it took so long to get this area ready, but I was coming up on summer and inside projects are for rainy days so not much happened during the summer.
My space is finally finished - except for the little decorating touches that go on here and there, but it's done and very productive for me.  No more moving my sewing stuff up and down basement stairs - or onto the dining table and taking it off so we can eat a meal or when company stops by.  Sometimes just getting everything set up made me not in the mood to sew.  Now I can sew for hours or just a few minutes and my project is sitting right where I leave it to continue at a later time.   In fact this is so efficient that I'm not losing pieces of my projects or losing track of what I'm doing.  I don't think it will be as easy to abandon a project and let it become a UFO.  Also, my longarm quilter fits perfectly in this space.  Before I hated going to the basement to quilt on the cold cement floor - now it's part of my space.  It's all part of a flow.
Welcome to My Studio!

My husband made the bookshelves to go on top of this reclaimed cabinet base for storage

A large oak desk makes a great sewing and cutting table.  The desk has many drawers that hold

sewing supplies keeping my stuff handy and organized.

View from my sewing machine.  I'm using half the area for sewing and left the other half as an area for visiting/workout.
My husband decided that he needed to add to the area and bought this treadmill.  Wasn't in my original plan, but I use it regularly - so no complaints. 

My space has also became a space for lots of plants.

Sewing has become so convenient that when Christmas came around I was able to start and complete many gifts within a few weeks.  I can't be more pleased with my studio.  If no one answers the door I bet I'm in the studio.

The un-crazy quilt

Let me go crazy on you. Another quilting class I took in the early 2010 was for a crazy quilt.   The challenge was not only learning to piece this quilt, but also to use some of those fancy stitches that are included on our sewing machines.  My sewing machine has well over 30.
It was fun as I zipped away at piecing the squares.  I even bought different coordinating colors of thread for the decorative topstitching.  I decorated a couple squares with assorted stitching and that's where I stopped.  This quilt was put into a plastic bag and became a UFO for many years.
Working on my UFOs I opened this bag and looked at this quilt I wondered what made me stop - why didn't I finish it.  I was so close to being done. All the squares were pieced and assembled together. All I had left to do was continue the decorative stitching.  As I pondered what happened to this quilt I realized that I didn't like the decorative stitching on the squares - so I stopped.  So now I guess I will call this the un-crazy quilt.
I spent the next couple hours ripping out the decorative stitching on the couple squares and was already feeling better about the finish.  Heck, I even had the backing folded up with the quilt. I loaded the quilt on my longarm and a few hours later it was ready for binding.
I love this quilt.
All bound and it's ready for a new home on my queen bed.

This was crazy easy - or should I say un-crazy.   At this pace I should be zipping through all these UFOs.   With quilt six finished back to the pile.

January vacation

January was an exciting month for me - it was vacation time.  Quilting was put on hold for a couple months - I participated in the Amy Butler Morocco trip.  It was so much more than I could have ever dreamed.  What a great vacation and experience.  Amy is not only a great fabric designer, but also a very sweet and caring person.

Here is a picture of Amy Butler and Valorie Wells at one of our sight seeing adventures - a palace in Marrakesh.  I'm in the background checking out my pictures on my phone.  As you can see nothing is plain and simple - lots of colors and patterns everywhere.

I was so overwhelmed with all the sights, colors, sounds and magic of Morocco. Everything is so colorful and ornate. And the people of Morocco were so friendly and helpful.
Now if shopping is your game Marrakesh has miles of shopping in the Medina and outlaying areas.  So fun to barter with the merchants, once you get the hang of it.  Not sure if I always got the best deals, but I was satisfied with my purchases.  Look at some of the shopping

Walking down one of the market streets

Rugs galore

Just one of the hundreds of booths to shop at

Our time spent in Morocco was full of sightseeing and activities such as: riding camels, goats in trees (you heard me right),  learning to cook Moroccan food, hammering my own brass dish, and weaving on a rug to name a few.  At the Peacock Pavilion, where we stayed, there were lots of crafting activities - carving our own rubber stamps, beading and making talismans.   One special evening included a henna party - and we were all treated to a henna from a very talented artist.

Well the vacation is over and now it's time to get back on track.  I have a New Year's Resolution to work on and I'm ready to tackle some quilts.