It's Me, Again!

I know, it's been a long time. The last post was in November. "So, what happened," you may ask? Well, not that I am using it as my excuse, that time of the year is always busy. Added to the holidays, both my boys have December birthdays. So things got pretty hectic here. And, it's not that I didn't do any quilting, I did. It's just didn't feel motivated to post anything when my to-do list was so long.

Things are now leveling out. My older son is in his last year of Cub Scouts (WEBELOS II, for those who are familiar with Scouting) and as his Scout Leader, I am trying to get our boys prepared for their "Crossing Over Ceremony" (where they "graduate" from Cub Scouting and "cross over" into Boy Scouts). Also, his basketball season is almost over. His tournament will be this Saturday. After both of those are completed, I will have about a month before baseball will start!! Here we go again!!

You might recognize the block in the photo above. I have been trying to complete the rest of these blocks, I'm planning to combine them with some sampler block. Initially, the block seem fairly easy. Then I designed the quilt with 13 of these applique blocks. I realized just how many flowers I was going to have to applique. There are 13 blocks with 4 flowers...each flower has 9 petals...that's 468 hand-appliqued petals. Get the idea? The fairly easy block turn in to a tedious block with all the petals and petals and petals...

The top is going well. I was thinking that I could get it finished by the week's end. But I realized that I will have to purchase more of the black fabric in the sashing. I may have to make I visit to that quilt shop sometime next week.

My New Year's challenge will be to conquer machine quilting and feel confident about it. I don't know if this quilt will be the first one I'll try, but I know that I have to find a faster way, than my usual hand-quilting, to finish my quilts.

I will try to be better in my posting. I will be back soon to show some new projects I have going (as if I really needed more!). : )

Til next time,

Jane

Update on Annie's Quiltmaking 101 Class

In a past post, I had mentioned that I had won an opportunity to participate in an on-line quilt class the-one-and-only Annie Smith of Simplearts.com. Here are some of the blocks that I have finished:

Lesson 2 - Rail Fence Block

Lesson 3 - Log Cabin Block

and Nine Patch Block

Lesson 4 - Madison House

and Madison Trees

Lesson 5 - Heart Block

and Postage Stamp Block

Next lesson will be Drunkard's Path, one of my favorites.

I am using fabric from Moda's Cotton Patch. I love the colors, the oranges and the turquoises, colors that I may not normally use. I am really enjoying the class, even though it may not be the typical "classroom" setting. One problem that I am having is that Annie's blocks look SO MUCH better than mine, but that just my opinion. Another is that I am having a problem envisioning the final product, the finished sampler quilt. I just don't know if I made the right choices in fabric and color selections and if they will look right once they are set side-by-side. I'm just gonna have to trust Annie.

There are 11 lessons total and I will post more block as I finish them.

Later,

Jane

Now That Halloween Has Passed

One of our favorite holidays, in our house, is Halloween. The boys get to go trick-or-treating while disguised in their costumes and receiving an abundance of candy. What more could a child ask for?! I love this time of year because it gives me a break from quilting to make my two boys their Halloween costumes. It gives me another creative outlet and it also gives my boys an opportunity to think up a costume idea that they might not find in a store.

This year, my boys wanted to be a Jedi Knight from Star Wars and a Power Ranger. My older son wanted to wear the costume that I had made for him from last year. That made it easy for me. My younger son wanted to be a Power Ranger. He had watched an older Power Ranger dvd that his brother had and wanted to be the White Ranger from those episodes. I couldn't find a Power Ranger costume pattern from that series, so I had to figure it out on my own. And I did have to practice my machine applique on his costume.

And for me, I didn't actually dress in a costume. I had made a vest the represented a movie that I really like, "Nightmare Before Christmas." It may be more of a Christmas movie than a Halloween movie, but I love the characters in it, Jack and Sally. They remind me of me and my hubby.

I used fabrics that would represent for each character: black and white pin-stripe for Jack and crazy patchwork for Sally. It's quilt making yet not a quilt. I know, kinda geeky, huh?!

I'm planning a another vest that is Autumn themed. I'm hoping to get it finished by the end of the week so that I can work on some of my other projects.

I'll be quilting until the next time,

Jane

Festival of Quilts

Today was the Festival of Quilts in Vincennes, Indiana - and I had one of my quilts in the show!

This was the first year that I had one of my quilts shown at this show. Last year, I had entered the "Old Tippecanoe Block Challenge" that the Festival of Quilts held to commemorate President Harrison (who is from Indiana). To my surprise, I had won!!

I had won first place in the Applique category and second in the Pieced category. While at the show this year, I went to see these blocks at the Grouseland Mansion (former home of Van Buren), which was next door.



It was nice to see them on display.

I just had to "toot" my own horn!

Jane

What's Up?!

I just had my 20 year high school reunion this weekend. It just doesn't seem that long ago! It was so wonderful seeing all of the familiar faces that I hadn't seem in a long time. We all had a great time!

The trip that I had made for the reunion (a 3 and a half hour drive there and a another 3 and a half hour drive back the next day) was to short for me to bring a big project. So, I had decided to bring along the "Christmas Wish BOM" from Gail Pan.

I had finished with one of the blocks and it turned out beautifully. And I was able to start on another block. I can't wait until my son's basketball season starts as this was what I was going to work on while we are at practices.

I am still planning to enter my quilt into the upcoming quilt show, which is the Festival of Quilts at the Grouseland (William Henry Harrison's presidential home and national Historical landmark) in Vincennes, Indiana, on October 16 and 17. I still have a a little more to do before it is finished and I am happy that I had changed my mind on all that elaborate quilting.

The Annie Smith Simplearts on-line quilt class "Quiltmaking 101" is already in it's second lesson and I still haven't picked out my fabric. And, oh my gosh!! It's already the first of October and I have to start sketching the designs for the Halloween costumes. Busy, busy, busy!!

Til next time,

Jane

I Won!!

I had forgotten in the last post the I had won an online quilt class taught by the great Annie Smith! Kelley from pioneerquilter.com was had it as a giveaway on her blog/podcast and I'm thrilled that I had won it.

The class is "Quiltmaking 101." I wouldn't actually call myself a beginning quilter, but it will be a good opportunity to fine tune my skills.

I have never officially taken a quilt class, I'm basically self-taught through trial and error. It's great knowing that my first "quilt teacher" will be Annie.

I'm looking forward to participating in this unique opportunity!

Once again,

Jane

I'm Back!

I've been absent for a while. Life has taken over.

My in-laws had come up from Florida the first week of September. They had, unexpectedly, called the night before, to tell us that they would be here the next day. I had to get the house ready for them and they visit with us for about a week.

And with school started, there was a project that needed help, tests to study for... As well as, my older son is in Cub Scouts and I am one of his leaders, so there are lessons to plan and activities to accomplish... You get the idea! Whew!

I think I've gotten things under control for the time being!

Currently, I am working on an "already completed quilt." It was a quilt I had entered into a quilt show earlier this year. It didn't win any prizes but the one suggested areas of improvement on the commment card was : Much more hand quilting needed in the borders to help the quilt hang straighter.


So, I added a vine and leaf motif in the quilting and added stippling around it. Found out later that hand-quilted stippling doesn't quite look as good as machine-quilted stippling. After working on it for a while, I thought it looked too busy and ripped it all out - about half of the quilt!

(it may be hard to see)

I'm planning to keep the vine and leaf motif, which matches the applique on the quilt. The deadline for the entry is the first of October. Then I plan on making a quilty vest to wear to the show - I know, kinda of geeky! And then there's the Halloween costumes to make. Here we go again!

Til next time, I won't wait so long,

Jane