Much better

11-30-07

Here is the new border on the baby doll quilt. I like it a lot better.

Let me just say it is so cold here. Where are the hot flashes when you need them?

Too "busy"

11-29-07

I started sewing the purple and green border on the baby doll quilt. It is too busy or choppy, so I am planning to undo the border and use the lavender fabric for the border and the green fabric for the binding. I am planning to take the quilt on my trip to FL next week to do the hand sewing on the plane. I would also like to do the same with the color wash mini-quilt. We'll see how it goes!

Sunset

11-29-07

This is the sunset I enjoyed Tuesday night from the front porch!

Back in Business

This is the dog, showing his complete lack of interest in my quilting activities.

Current work in progress--Amanda's Baby Doll quilt by Me and My Sister Designs.

Color wash project from about 15 years ago. I finally assembled the squares. I just need to do the borders and binding and quilt it.

A bin for every project.

The sewing machine and design wall (to the right).

11-26-07

It was wonderful to have the kids at home for the Thanksgiving weekend. Yesterday my husband drove them back to school and I was sad : ( We really miss them when they are away.

Well, I had to do *something* to cheer myself up, so I moved my sewing stuff back into their rooms.

Today I made another trip to the LQS for backing and contrast fabric for the Irish Chain quilt I'll be making for my son's graduation from college.

I also bought fabric for a new Christmas tree skirt. We have changed the color scheme in the living room and the old skirt just doesn't work. For now I will just drape the new fabric around the base of the tree.

Now I just need to sit down and sew!

Happy Thanksgiving!

11-22-07

Happy Thanksgiving!

The kids are home, we're off to church. Then the Packer game at 11 and then we'll be at my aunt's for our family gathering.

The sewing is packed up for while the kids are home.

One Charm Pack cut out

Wildrose fabrics from Moda U class.

2/3 yards of fabric shifted in the wash.

1 yard of fabric that sifted in the wash.

11-18-07

Ack. I got a cold, so I haven't had a lot of energy. But I did finally cut out the Bella Rosa charm pack for a doll quilt which I plan to hang on the wall.

Then I washed some yardage I bought that goes with one of the other charm packs. 1 yard of fabric and it shifted 2 inches in the wash. Now I am freaked out about the charm squares. I prewashed a different charm pack and most of the squares stayed square, but some of them are now trapezoids or rhombuses or whatever you call a square that is no longer square. It took forever to iron the squares after I washed them. Hmmm, I am thinking I am not going to be buying any more charm packs.

I had my Moda U class yesterday and the fabric line this month is Wildrose. They are exactly the colors I love--navy, dark reds, tans, etc. I have charm packs if this line as well and plan to do something with flying geese.

The kids are coming home on Tuesday for Thanksgiving so I will be packing up the sewing stuff so they can have their rooms back : )

Still trying to decide...

11-15-07

I did not cut out a quilt yesterday and may not yet today either. I have been pondering and changing my mind about what to do the with Bella Rosa charm pack. I think I have settled on a plan but want to think about it a little longer.

Maybe I'll cut out a quilt today!

11-14-07

Yesterday I caught up on my errands and folded 8 baskets of laundry, so I am thinking I may cut a doll quilt out of a charm pack today (Bella Rosa).

Next project list

11-12-07

So I am trying to hold off on any sewing this week as I have my next Moda U class on Saturday. However I have 3 different charm packs calling my name, and Saturday I will also buy fabric to make a quilt for my son, who graduates from college this December. He is a really simple guy so I am going to make him an Irish Chain quilt with a dark blue background and cream colored chain.

One of the charm packs is Sweet Baby Jane; I ordered Amanda's baby doll quilt kit from the Fat Quarter Shop. The fabrics are so cute and I think the quilt (19" by 19") will go together quickly. So I may cave and start that one of these days.

Today I am cooking for a friend, suffering with breast cancer, and her family.

Hunter's Star quilt

11-12-07

I made this Hunter's Star quilt last year. I took the class from Trudie Hughes in January 2006 and took a couple weeks in the summer to work exclusively on it. It is still waiting to be quilted. I think it is my favorite of all my quilts.

A quilt for my daughter

11-12-07

My daughter finished high school this past June. She asked me to make her a quilt to take to college; she said I made quilts for everybody else, couldn't she have one too? So we went to the quilt shop and she picked a pattern and fabrics. The pattern is Going my Way by Miss Rosie's Quilt Company. It went together pretty quickly and I got it finished 5 days before she left for school.

My recently finished quilt

11-12-07

This is a quilt I started about 3 years ago. I made the 9 patch blocks and didn't really like the colors I had picked, they just didn't go well together. So I took them all apart and tried again. Still didn't like it, so made them a third time and made it very symmetric with 4 jewel tone colors. It still really wasn't what I had hoped for, so I set it aside to quilt at a later date. I finally pulled it out last month and quilted it. It looks so great on our new brown sofa. My husband and daughter want to paint the living room red so it should all look great together.

Finished

11-11-07

I finished my quilted bag this morning. Just in time, as my next Moda U class is this Saturday. I think making it with 1 1/2 inch scrappy squares breaks up the fabrics nicely.

Diverted

11-10-07

So I really wanted to finish sewing my quilted bag today. But I have gotten on this organizing kick. I cleaned out the chest freezer, cleared off my desk, and now I am in the midst of reorganizing my filing cabinet. I am six months behind on filing because my filing system was so unwieldy, so I am trying to get it under control. I hope I can finish it tonight; I just got back from the office supply store for more file folders...

Oops!

11-10-07

Yesterday I made a pumpkin pie. When I took my first bite, I realized something was terribly wrong.

I forgot to put in the sugar.

I've got a new one (with sugar!) in the oven now.

Taking over the house

11-8-07

I decided since my kids are away at school, I would treat myself to sewing on the main floor of the house instead of down in the dungeon.

They are living in dorms, so all their furniture is still here, but I made room in my son's room for the sewing machine and ironing board. I bought an adjustable table that is counter top height to do my cutting; that is in my daughter's room. This way I can sew in short bursts and not have to put everything away. I do have the kids' blessing on this, and I will certainly take my things out when they come home for holidays : )

My first project in the new quilting studio is a quilted bag from my first Moda U class. I am doing the basic course offered at my local quilt shop. Each month we get 8 fat eighths of a Moda line of fabric. October's fabric was Allspice Tapestry. Hmm, I am more of a blue and burgundy person; pinks and browns, not so much. The pattern for the bag calls for large pieces of the fabrics, 6 x 6, 6 x 12. That is way too random for me so I used 7 of the fabrics and made rows of 1 1/2 inch blocks. I bought an extra yard of one of the fabrics for the lining and handles.

I hope to finish this in a few days and will post a photo of the finished project.

Karen