MQS Fun

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I was able to skip out from work for a few hours to attend the Machine Quilters Showcase held in Overland Park, Ks, this week.

After spending some time admiring some amazing quilts, I met up with Darla from the Scientific Quilter and Robin from ormondbeachquilts for lunch.

After lunch we all went our separate ways, (class, work obligations) for a bit and then met up later.

Darla recorded a hello (hoping it will work) from all of us for a future podcast.

We talked about the possibility of meeting up at AQS show in Des Moines, Iowa in October. My husband is a gem and we are camping there that week so I can attend.

Purchase wise I had one goal in mind, to buy some Aurifil thread.

I was able to purchase 3 large basic colors for piecing and quilting. Along with a smaller white cone and nylon to try.

Fabric was not on my list. Not even a little bit. I have plenty of quilts in my head to do. I really don’t need any more fabric.

Except for my black/white/red quilt I am collecting fabrics for. The top three fabric were a must. The bottom fabric was just plan fun.

This last set of fat quarters, shown above while still bundled, were too good to pass up.  No ideas on how I plan to use them yet. A good price and many possibilities, that was good enough for me.

Thank you Darla and Robin for the lunch company and walking the floor afterwards.

Robin, it was also great to see the quilts you entered. I love the simplicity of your lines, they draw you in and provide a calming place, especially in the midst of so many busy quilts.

Time to quilt, it has been a while since I have actually quilted as other sewing projects, class preparations (future posts) and work have taken up too much of my time lately.

What do you return to when life crowds in?

Enjoy the journey. Jackie

Pizza and Preschoolers

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 I am sure you are wondering how pizza and preschoolers belong on a quilting and sewing blog. For two reasons it is about two of my grandchildren, and aprons.

My husband and son were out-of-town so it was natural to have a “girls night out” with my daughter-in-law, though it included their two younger ones, Noah, soon to be four, and Grace, who just turned 2.

Pizza was on the menu and while it has been forever since I have made pizza dough, it was the perfect opportunity to have the grand-kids enjoy the fun of rolling out and making their own pizza dough.

Here is Grace, not wanting to stop to put on her apron, but not really liking to touch the dough either. So much like her Daddy in that way.

Earlier that day it occurred to me that if they were going to cook at Grandma’s they needed aprons. So even though I was at work my mind started considering my options. I knew I had cupcake fabric that would be perfect for Grace. Noah’s, on the other had, I wasn’t so sure about. Once I got home I rushed to plan, cut and sew, hoping I was sizing them correctly. Sadly, the best I could do for Noah was a solid blue fabric. I didn’t have enough time otherwise I would have embroidered his name on it.

Noah’s first response to the aprons were, “Grace’s apron is more fun!” I assured him I would make his “more fun”, but I needed to know what he wanted on his. After some thought he said a tiger.

My plan was to add an embroidered tiger to his name until I found this fabric:

Not only did it have tigers but other animals which I knew he will love.

 

I made two, one for home and one for Grandma’s. I also made it a little larger so he has more room to grow. He hasn’t seen it yet, but I suspect he will think it was “more fun.”

Enjoy the journey, I sure am. Jackie

To Border or Not to Border

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That is the question.

It’s time to finish this. I have been busy on many other projects, some completed but I am unable to post yet, and others almost done. This however is the next thing on 2nd quarter Finish-a-Long to complete.

My next question, is it ready to baste and quilt or does it need a border?

So does it need a border and if so, light or dark?

I am pretty sure I know what I plan to do, but feedback is welcome.

Decisions, decisions.

Enjoy the journey, Jackie

Tea Towel Aprons

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Another 2012 F-A-L finished for the 2nd quarter that I started it over here.

Missouri Star Quilt Company has a tutorial for making tea towel apron that I found intriguing. So while this is not quilting it is fabric…..

The towels I purchased:

These are fabrics I found in my stash that I thought might work with one of two of them:

This is what I ended up with:

The one on the left I made by sewing individual straps on either side of the waist and neck. The one on the right I made using Jenny’s method where you have one long continuous strap and the neck strap is put over your head and adjusted by the waist ties.

Here is a close-up

The tie is fed through one side of the apron to the top and down the other side. Here is what it looks like from the back where it is inserted:

Missouri Star has a tutorial on how to make this found over here.

These go together really quickly and will make nice gifts.

So what you have made off the beaten quilty path?

Enjoy the journey, Jackie

Quilt As You Go Reversible Table Runner

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This is the project I talked about over here that I worked on in “club” this past Saturday:

This picture shows the Christmas side. Right now it is 32 x 16 and it is not even half done, so it will be very long when completed.

You piece it in such a way that it is sewn on both sides, quilting as you go. Mentally my mind is thinking of other opportunities to use this method. This is the perfect project for a Honey Bun Roll with yardage as your strips are 1 1/2 wide.

Here is a close up of the July 4 side:

The prints are a little busy but I can’t turn back now. I hope to finish this up this weekend, but I am also writing a tutorial for book covers for our next club meeting. I will be happy if I can get both done and still have a chance to work on my Box of Chocolate quilt.

What are you looking forward to?

Enjoy the journey, Jackie

Autograph Quilt and Graduation Days

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I am from the East Coast and graduation was always in June (not sure if that is still true however). Here in the Midwest it is in May.

Right now I have to get busy on a small wall hanging for a friend’s son who is graduating in a couple of weeks. It may be late….

In the meantime, I will share pictures of the autograph quilt I made for my granddaughter for her high school graduation last year.

 

I asked for a list of words that describe her at this point in her life. Using different fonts and word art in Word, I was able to get creative with the layout.

I hope that someday she will look at this and remember the young woman she was and smile.

Once I had the layout I printed it on photo transfer fabric.

Here is a close-up of the fabrics used as well on one of the autographed blocks.

I ironed freezer paper to the back of the white fabric before they were assembled and handed out to friends and family for signing.

Here is a picture of the back and a close-up of the front. I really like the multiple designs that show up in the quilt.


Kynzi is now finishing up her first year of college. Time sure flies.

What special events in your life will you be celebrating or remembering?
Enjoy the journey, Jackie

Getting Ready

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Once a month my Janome Dealer hosts “club.” It is a place to show off whatever sewing project you are working on. We also share ideas, techniques, and design dilemmas. In recent months we have worked on projects that can be made in a couple of hours for a more formal teaching time after “club.” Those that choose to can bring their machine, and prepared supplies to make the featured project.

The “teacher” this month is going to walk us through a “quilt as you go” table runner that is reversible.

I have chosen patriotic for July 4th and Christmas prints. I plan to use a red binding. My pieces are all cut and ready to go. It should be a fun day!

What fun things do you have planned for today?

Enjoy the journey, Jackie

Laurryn’s Baby Quilt

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This went home with my daughter:

It is for one of her good friends that is having her first baby. The print fabric matches the baby’s room curtains. That fabric became my focal print for picking out the remaining colors. I was a little concerned about the brighter colors as I had heard the nursery was going to be more of a neutral color. I have since found out the colors will fit well!

Here is the back:

I liked the way the brown framed the top, and when I can, I use the same fabric for the binding and the back. My estimation of how much brown fabric I needed fell short. This gave me an opportunity to show off a larger piece of the focal fabric on my back.

I also like the way the quilt stitching pattern shows up on the back.

The quilt is my first project that I finished for the 2nd quarter F-A-L that Rhonda is sponsoring over at Quilter in the Gap.

These also went home with my daughter for Laurryn’s new baby.

“Mini Minky’s”, they finish about 14 inches square. One for home and one for the diaper bag. I usually embroider names, but Laurryn request stars. Either no name has been chosen or their lips are sealed. :)

Motherhood will change your life forever Laurryn, with more joys and challenges than you can imagine. Enjoy it to the fullest, as it passes oh so quickly.

Enjoy the journey, Jackie

Road Trip

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I returned last night from a road trip where my daughter and I met 1/2 way in St. Louis, MO for an overnight Mother/Daughter bonding time. Even though it was just over a day long, we packed a lot of eating, talking, laughing, shopping and sleeping into our time together. I miss her dearly and I wish she didn’t live so far away.

One of our excursions included a trip into historic St. Charles, where we dodged rain and found a few fun shops that were open on a Monday. One of them a fabric shop, Patches, Etc which is a quilt and button shop. They have a lot of fabric displayed neatly in a small shop with a back room devoted to patterns and buttons.

Before entering my DD made mention of the length of time she suspected I would be as fabric is not her first craft love. I teased her and said it wouldn’t be as long as we had just spent in a spice shop, which of course I enjoyed as well.

There was special pricing if you purchased 10 fat quarters, so naturally I needed to take advantage of that. My original goal was to find creams, purples and yellows for future projects. I started out with several purples and yellows and was side-tracked by the soft taupe fabrics which I have also started collecting. So away went all the purples and yellows but 2 purples and out came the taupe’s.The taupe’s will be perfect for a couple of gifts I have in mind. I just hope what I have pictured in my mind executes into what I want it to be.

I must mention at this point, I was done shopping. My daughter however was not. She spotted this fabric and envisioned pillows for her newly remodeled basement/craft/home-schooling room.

She “duly noted” that I had finished shopping in a fabric shop before she had. :) She also purchased a couple of other fabrics for flowers for the pillows that went home with her.

Are you wondering why I have this fabric? Once she decides on what pattern she wants for the pillows and I find the matching dark gray fabric (yes she did trust me, though for a bit I wondered) , I will make the pillows for her.

Love you Kristen, same time next year?

Doll Quilt Story Part 2

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This story started over here.

The half square triangles continued to grow:

and grow…

Until finally there was enough to play with a layout:

Neat little rows to make rolling hills of half square triangles. 

It is amazing how much can be done with small amounts of scraps, but the woman is not done yet. Much to her surprise those half square triangles continued to grow, but more on that later…

Thanks to my photographer friend Kathy for shooting the pictures.