Rock-a-bye baby

Christmas is only a few days away.  I've been feeling pretty good that I didn't have any new projects that I started to give as gifts.  Very unstressful.
Well, that was until today.  I decided that I needed to make a doll bed quilt for a doll bed I was giving to a little two year old girl named Allayna for Christmas.  She loves her little baby dolls and is always  laying them down for naps.   Now she'll have a little bed to put them in.
The doll quilt is small, only 16" by 20" and really only took a couple hours to make.  In fact, the fabric I used was left over from a baby quilt that I made for Allayna a couple years ago when she was born.  So this project was fun and unstressful.

This is Allayna's quilt

A baby doll quilt that matches Allayna's quilt

The quilt fits snug in this little doll bed

What a wonderful way to use up those leftover scraps of fabric.  I know Allayna will have hours of fun covering up her baby doll.
I think I'll have to make some doll diapers with velcro closures for her, but not for Christmas.  She has a birthday in January.  Time to measure up her doll.

Got Squares?

A Stash Pot Pie quilt called Pie Chart - Got Squares?  This was a very quick and simple constructed quilt.  The 2 " blocks were randomly assembled.   Contrast from the assorted colored 2" blocks and the white makes this a stunner.

The quilting design I used was inspired by one of the fabric patterns - a three leaf-type flower with a little hook.

The inspirational fabric design is from the turquoise block
in the top left.

Welcome Ruby

A little girl named Ruby was born this past summer to my son's good friend. So of course it was time to make another baby quilt.  
My son delivered this quilt to Ruby a few weeks ago when he was visiting his friend.  I was sure I took a picture of the full quilt, but I have been unable to find it.  I either didn't take the picture or I deleted it before I posted this blog.  Luckily my son snapped this photo for me so I could see this little bundle of joy.

Falling autumn leaves

Grayling has a wonderful living history museum complex called Wellington Farm Park.  This 60 acre park offers an unique look at rural life in a midwestern farming community during the Great Depression - 1930s.
The farming community of  Wellington actually existed in Crawford County and had an operating post office from 1884 - 1916.  Today Wellington still exists but is part of Beaver Creek Township.
Being a non-profit park there are community members who volunteer to keep the park running,  In 2003 the ladies from the Friends of Wellington made a beautiful quilt and sold raffle tickets for a fundraiser.
The quilt is a large, full bed-size, with blocks that are hand appliquéd leaves in stunning fall colors.  The design honors the farms history by taking leaf patterns from the actual trees that grow on the farm.  The quilt was also hand quilted.
When visiting the park with my kids that fall I purchased raffle tickets in their names.  To our surprise my daughter was the proud winner.  We feel blessed to have received such a keepsake.
This quilt has had lots of cuddle time and it still looks great.

A different four-patch

This four-patch quilt was one of the Stash Pot Pies challenges.  I know the group name - Stash Pot Pie is a little unusual, but most patterns included a great recipe for pies.  This pattern included the recipe for Cranberry Chiffon Pie.

This quilt is called American Pie "a different four patch" - a geometric design was formed through color placement.

This quilt looks busy, but was pretty easy to construct

Extra fabric? No problem - just make a matching pillowcase

I started this quilt with an older Viking sewing machine and about three-quarters of the way through I purchased a new Husqvarna Sapphire computerized sewing machine. So of course, I finished the last blocks with my new machine.  To my disappointment the seam allowance was different, even though both machines used the same pressure feet.  The last quarter of the blocks I made were the wrong size and could not be assembled.  So I had to unsew the newly made blocks and resew them on my older Viking machine.  The blocks then went together perfectly.  A lesson learned to measure for accuracy from machine to machine.

Let it snow

During 2010 and 2011 I belonged to a group of quilters called Stash Pot Pie.  We met every other month and would receive two quilt patterns to work on and share our projects at our next meeting.   The variety of patterns made it a great skill builder.  

One of the challenges was the Dresden plate.  Since I already made a traditional Dresden plate quilt I decided to try a different spin and make a deconstructed version.

Making the Dresden plate in the center of the block and adding quarter Dresden plates around the corners gave the look of large snowflakes.  So let it snow

The contrast of white and royal blue make these snowflakes pop.

This close up shows the quarter squares surrounding the full Dresden plate.
Although the square above doesn't look square - it is just how the fabric
was draped when the photo was taken.  It is square

Practice, practice, practice

In the beginning learning to quilt my projects was always intimidating.  One great practice piece I did was to quilt a design by following the fabrics printed pattern.  I purchased this yellow and blue fabric that matched my kitchen/dining room colors and just followed around the floral design.

Being a table runner made the size manageable and  easy to maneuver on my sewing machine.  Since I just followed around the designs it was fun.  I just decided how detailed I wanted to get with my quilting.  In fact, after I got the hang of it I went back to where I started and quilted in more details. This practice piece did wonders for learning to move in all directions.  It also had points, curves and circles to move around.  With only a couple dollars investment if it didn't work I wasn't out of a lot of money.
Since quilting this table runner on my sewing machine I have purchased a long arm quilter. I feel that this type of practice  to move around on your quilt has helped me with my overall quilting.  I can draw pretty good curves, circles and points on my longarm.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Fall and Christmas are the holidays I do the most decorating for.
This ten minute table runner showcases again.  I made this runner a little longer and wider,  but did not add batting or quilt it like the fall runner.  For the embellishment I made small yo-yos to look like berries and made small leaves.
The possibilities are endless and fun.

One of my favorite runners is the pattern Majestic Mountains.  Last year one of my quilting friends saw a picture of this runner on line.  We searched high and low to find the runner to purchase the pattern, but we could not find it.  The picture that she had found was for selling these pre-made runners and they were no longer available.
I started drawing with pencil and paper to figure out sizes to make the size runner that would work for us.
I made three different fabric strip size patterns to accommodate different lengths and widths.  This is my version of the Majestic Mountains table runner.   My friend's runner did not have the pointed ends like mine, but ended straight.  She is already making more for gifts this year.  I think this is a stunning table runner.

This runner looks great on my dining table and I will leave it out most of the winter.

Pumpkin seeds

One of my quilting groups - Stash Pot Pie - did a fall table topper. The blocks look like pumpkin seed blocks, but is actually called cathedral windows. The technique was to fold the fabric and curl it over to make the oval shapes and top-stitch it in place instead of appliquéd.
The instructor had black cats and pumpkins in the adjacent blocks.  Since I already had a halloween runner I decided that I would stick with the fall idea. I used a paisley fabric in fall colors and cut paisleys from the coordinated fabric and machine appliquéd them to the blank squares.  This table topper works great through Thanksgiving.

Here is a close up of the stitched cathedral window block.

It's pumpkin time!

As I was packing away my fall table runners I thought it was a good time to share my projects.
Fall, of course, brings out pumpkins, apples and changing colors of browns, oranges, reds and yellows.
Pumpkins are native to North America and one of the oldest domesticated plants.
When I was a kid I didn't care for pumpkin - except for carving.  One afternoon after school Mrs. Sartori changed that.
I went home with one of my friends from school and his mother, Mrs. Sartori, was busy cooking fresh pumpkins and making them into pumpkin pies.  While sitting around the kitchen table chatting with Mrs. Sartori she place a piece of pumpkin pie in front of each of us.  Trying to be polite I told her no thank you, I don't like pumpkin pie.  Well, she replied back, you haven't tasted Mrs. Sartori's pumpkin pie - you'll love it.  She handed me a fork.  I looked at that piece of pie and decided that to be polite I had to take a bite.  I took a deep breath and took a bite.  Mrs. Sartori was standing over me with a huge smile on her face.  OMG she was right - I hadn't tasted Mrs. Sartori's pumpkin pie.  I ate ever last bite.
Mrs. Sartori shared her secret recipe with me and I have made it for the last 40 plus years.   Everyone that has tasted this pie has agreed that it's the best.  I still don't like store bought pumpkin pie, but look forward to every fall for the pumpkin harvest for fresh pumpkin pie.
Decorating for fall is always fun.  Table runners are great quick projects.  A nice way to try a new technique without committing a whole quilt.  After making a few table runners for fall and Halloween there just isn't room for more, so I decided to convert a table runner pattern into a lap quilt.
One of my favorites I call Pumpkin Patch.  This quilt is actually a table runner pattern that I converted into a lap quilt by adding blocks around the runner.  The pattern is called "Gathering Pumpkins" by Margot Languedoc from The Pattern Basket.

I tried a new technique called couching to add vines.  Couching is zig-zagging over a heavy thread or yarn to secure it to the surface.  It was easy to twist and turn around just like the vines on a pumpkin.   The leaves are machine appliquéd

Of course, fall includes Halloween with the typical Jack O Lanterns.  This table runner was machine appliquéd.

Have you ever made the Ten Minute Table Runner?  I've made a few for many holidays and gifts.

My fall version I actually decided to add batting and quilt the middle.  

It is embellished with  yo-yos on each end to resemble sunflowers with large black buttons for the centers.  I also added a band of orange 1/2" wide piping, so I guess this took a little longer than ten minutes, but it was fun jazzing it up.  The skies the limit.

If you haven't made a ten minute table runner yet you should give it a try.  It's addicting and makes great gifts.

Teach an ole dog new tricks

As I was traveling through the internet I came across a fantastic YouTube method to bury threads on your quilts.  All it takes is a regular needle and a piece of thread.  The process goes so quick and easy it takes the hassle out of burying those threads.  Here's the link:
https://youtu.be/n34ggPYamjc