still quilting

A couple finishes from last week and the week before. Both are from leftover pieces from quilts made over the summer.










Quilting really took a back seat to photography this summer. But I'm glad to say with the holidays approaching the sewing/quilting has resumed. Right now I'm doing a couple of wall hanging using Bonnie Hunter's star struck pattern. One is being hand quilted and one is in pieces- hoping to be a filmsy tonight. Also doing a paper pieced pineapple table runner for me.

really- I do quilt

I've been terribly busy with photography and trying to find a job all summer.

In June the state of NJ allowed the Civil Union of same sex marriages. My sister and her partner signed up the first day. SO all summer I've been working on this quilt. Their colors are black and white.




It was "supposed" to have a piano key border too but in following the directions in the book - or at least as I understood them I got a center 8x9 instead of 7x8. If I had put the piano key border on it would have been too big for my frame so......

There are a bunch of good pics on my photography blog- or on my facebook page for those that do the facebook thing :)

I also had a few friends pass away this summer from different kinds of cancers- some got quilts -some just went too quickly ( like in 6 weeks from diagnosis) seriously- it's all too quickly

I forgot

I forgot this little lap quilt I made my 90 y/o grandmother for her bday. Now she wants matching pillows too.......

Some finishes

It's been almost a month since I posted last- such a bad blogger I know :( But I can honestly say it's because I've been busy actually sewing and quilting.

I didn't think I'd have so many quilts finished with hubby out of work still- scrimping and saving for backing fabrics and batting but much to my sheer amazement- the batting fairy visited me last week. I kid you not- a 40 yard roll of warm and natural was delivered to my house- no names on the paperwork except mine- THANK YOU BATTING FAIRY

My friend Maureen is starting chemo today. I made her a quilt to take with her. Poor thing broke her hip jumping down off the PET Scan table last week. If you could all keep her in your prayers. Finish #12






I had a request from a little friend for a quilt. Seems I made one for her brother when he was born but I didn't know the family when she was born. Tinkerbell fabric has been sitting here since I worked at Joann's many moons ago - but I can happily say it's all gone now :) Finish #11





and I finished both wall hangings- I hand quilted mine in baptist fans and machine quilted one for my aunt. She liked the design so much when I was making them. Things you do when we lost cabe/internet and landline phones during the last Noreaster.


finish 9 and 10
On a sad note- we had to put down DD's cat , Cyd Vicious down yesterday. She was 16 y/o and we had her for just over 11 of them. She developed a huge tumor that she would lick till it bleed and I didn't want her to be out somewhere and it burst and we'd never know what happened. The vet set she had tumors throughout her insides too. RIP my friend- we will miss you.

just a couple quick pics

To prove I'm realy a quilter .................
DD's finished quilt- only 8 months late as a graduation present. Finish #6





A birthday present for one of DD's friends. Never saw a person get so excited to get a quilt -lol Finish #7

Baby Quilt- First finish of 2010

I was still sewing binding on Friday night but never fear it was finished in time for the shower on Sunday.....





She loved it <3

Call the Press I'm actually sewing

This is a wall hanging I started quilting last weekend. It's a Christmas present for a dear friend. I'm almost done hand quilting it (:


Here are two mini quilt tops I finished this weekend. I have a third started- paper piecing *yikes* They are for a mini quilt auction that will run during our quilt show in November. You know you buy books because they're cute. These are from 2 books I bought last year.

This one is from American Doll Quilts 16 Little Projects that Honor a Tradition by Kathleen Tracy


This one is from the book,Paper Pieced Mini Quilts by Wendy Vosters. I didn't paper piece this one though. It was an easy enough design to just enlarge using 2" squares.


There are two more mini quilts I'd like to make. I started one and I need to make a million hsts for the other

I started a photography class last week- been playing with some setting on camera. I tried taking a few of the cats
Nancy is a ham and doesn't mind her pic taken. Something with the flash bothers Moose and he moves







And DD and her date before the wedding they were going to this afternoon- such cuties. He was an hour late picking her up and wasn't a happy camper....

And how about those Jets???

I'm actually sewing

Leftover blocks from 2 quilts being used in a wall hanging that I'm hand quilting.





Some 30's scottie dogs for another wall hanging...needs to be basted-etc





Mini quilt for the quild's upcoming show in the fall. Just needs binding :)




A lazy gal version of Nanette's pattern using strips instead of squares. Thinking outside the box using repros ( not my fav type)

Vice President Quilt

Is this an amazing quilt or what? I had the pleasure of going out to lunch with my Big Sister/ friend Elaine today. Elaine was the person who made my quilt from the Brownstone Quilters. It's a custom of the guild to make a quilt by the past president/vp for the new ones by the end of their term. Now that I'm done, I get to make one for Donna who is now the VP. Design done in EQ now to gather the stuff and have it ready for after the move to start.

Blue and white is such a classic combination and perfect for me. I will treasure it always. Thank you Elaine and Brownstone members for a wonderful momento of my term.





Lovely label with the Browstone Quilter's logo.





now check out this awesome fabric used for the backing-love it!

Catch Up

I quilted my butt off this weekend. Trying to finish quilting all the tops I had in the house before I have to return the borrowed juki.
I still have a small baby quilt ( the burger queen mystery) and a mystery wall hanging that going to live with Paula when it's finished. But I don't think it'll happen till I get back from Buffalo Saturday. No time today- gotta get DS and myself packing. Tomorrow DD has state board testing for her cosmotology license and I'm her manaquin- so we leave early and get home late as the test is in Trenton :( Bringing my Amish Tumbling blocks to work on while she takes the written part of the exam.

A year or two ago Amanda Jean did a quilt along. I made all the blocks and there they sat. :(
THen she did another one that I didn't play in but I used her alternating blocks for this quilt along. It's going to a friend for a couch quilt.




I finally finished my ocean waves quilt. I love how it came out. I'm thinking of doing another one with Cindy's pattern.I guess she didn't post it there yet but I saw a great pic on one of my yahoo groups....I only have gagillion hsts ready to go.



After a very long time I finally finished the last of 4 love quilts. I'm waiting for the family to call me back so I can deliver them all- hopefully today.





Just need to sew the binding down on the quilt for my aunt with breast cancer.



I totally blame Cathi for this mess :)She has a great tutorial on her blog a few months back on the pinning of these cuties. I need a hand sewing project for the train on Wednesday. I had started english paper piecing a double wedding ring- what a mess. I have 23 fqs from a sale at Connecting threads all springy colors so I decided today was the day and I was going to print a couple hundred apple cores for the ride. Yep that's me, the insane one :)

So that's what I've been up to - taking my new camera to Buffalo and hope to take some more amazing pics at the Botanical Garden.
I'll post them to my other blog when I do.

Week from Hell

A oldy but goody quilt pic. Hand pieced and hand quilted. This usually on the FLOOR of DS's room. I really need to get some batiks or dye some fabric and make this again

I'm coming up on the week from hell- not only do I need to do a HUGE membership roster but I need to prode the handsome man I'm married to to pack. I think he's waiting for Friday night.

I did actually turn on the sewing machine yesterday to work on 3 love quilts and made a big dent in all.

Tonight is the Oscars- Hugh Jackman is the host! Love that man :)
That means I'll get alot of Buffalo Troubles quilted-yippee!

Quilts/blocks/ animals

With all the cold weather - the quilts have been working overtime. Better the quilts than the furnace I say. Here's handsome hubby and Moose enjoying Hubby's quilt.



This quilt must be real comfy. Here's hubby and Nancy watching the boob tube.





I have the first row of Aunt Kathy's quilt done. I love the little embroidered animals holding ribbons. I also have embroidered hearts to alternate with the 9 patches. I still need to embroider 20 or so more blocks. Thank goodness for my little brother machine *VBS*



When I mad ethe lazy/shooting star Breast Cancer quilts I had a million bonus hsts. I started making these blocks months ago and put them away. Last night looking for a pattern in an old Quilters Newletter magazine I was that they called it Split Rails. I've also seen it called Sawtooth Rails. I have these blocks going in non pink and whites - just random lights and darks.



I've been missing most of the week because Monday I was going to a quilt show meeting for the guild and managed to get into a car accident with a teen about DD's age. Poor guy was pretty shaken up. Only damage to both vehicles was his license plate wrapped around the hitch to my truck-lol. I pulled it off and stepped onto the sidewalk and some ding dong - talking on her cell phone hit his car which hit my truck again! Still no damage to my truck- but the poor kid lost a bumper. They really make cars like tin cans these days-imho. Next day I was so sore. Whiplash I'm sure but by Wednesday I had xrays to make sure nothing was seriosly wrong. there wasn't :)
but put a big damper on sewing this week.
Lots of people needing blocks for love quilts. I've done 2 of 3 requests. Need to mail them Monday. I want to finish the last request and mail all at once.

Tomorrow I clear off the table and pin baste Buffalo Troubles for hand quilting. And baste the Feathered Star for my friend's bday on Thursday. Wish me luck :)

Ohio Stars

For the last week or so I've been trying to make blocks and hide them to make a quilt for hubby. Yeah he gets Buffalo Troubles but I wanted something that said "Dave" so I've been making Ohio Stars and putting the Masonic Square and Compass in the centers. I really didn't think this through ( as usual) or the centers would be darker blue. The design still would have shown up. Any how I finally finished piecing the top and wouldn't you know hubby came home early and saw it :(



I did manage to make the darker squares with quilting lines for the Ohio Star and pinned it. Since we're following the stitching lines I can't use the juki and the frame. SO we're looking for the juki's reg foot pedal and I will attempt to quilt it on the dining room table over the weekend and get it done by Monday morning

One block :

Another Finish

We had a heat wave in NJ today! 36* Yippee! I was able to finally get the NYE mystery finished and off the frame. Now to finish a top for hubby's bday that's tomorrow. Silly man thinks that Buffalo Troubles is his BDay present. He's in for a surprise. Can't say anymore till he gets the finished product. He'll be surprised I'm sure is all I'm going to say. It's been cold and they had whiteout conditions according to the news yesterday...lovely. We got another inch or so with light snow showers . It's very pretty outside.
I was trying to cross my pattio to go talk to the next door neighbors and almost fell on my butt on the ice and stairs. Could have been very bad fall 3 cement steps but as DD says I'm like a cat and normally land on my feet *VBG*
Speaking of DD she FINALLY got a good job in a salon. Just needs to take a week off of school and be trained. Now to get her to save most of the money from now till we leave in August so we know she'll be ok......fingers crossed!



Moose heard a rumor of a nice warm from the dryer, new quilt on the boy's bed and felt he must test for quality control purposes.

Weekend Project

I was bored Sat night and yesterday. So I started a bday present for my best friend of 40+ years.



She works as an exporter for a WA state winery. The background fabric is from the Napa Valley line.
Almost done quilting the log cabin wall hanging and started another top for another bday present. That one is a secret till given....

Final Finishes of 2008

Like the pineapple blossom quilt that these blocks were made from the spare hsts, everyone loves/wants this wall hanging.Granted it is striking as was the quilt. Which I actually got a phone call from the bf telling me how "awesome" it was and he couldn't thank me enough. Yeah!





A birthday present for my sil who's turning 40 on Thursday. All done and in the gift bag already :)



Yesterday I ventured out to the retail part of town to get some black kona for the fall mystery binding. I happened along the clearence section of Joann's. I orginally picked up the gold and red ones only. Golds for background and reds for the yoyo's I need a million of for a quilt.ANd thought they were a bargain at 50¢. When they rang up at 25¢ I ran back and got the blues and greens.
So I got a total of 26 fqs for a quarter each *VBS*



Tomorrow hubby and I are driving to Buffalo to look for houses/apartments to rent, go to dinner with the new board of directors etc. I found one quilt shop a few blocks from our hotel and I'm going :)
We'll be back on Tuesday late. Then Wednesday is Ann's mystery and I hear from the testers it's another great one. I'm using Buffalo Bills fabric to make it for my son. Get this, he asked today since I stay up most of the night on New Years, did I think i could get it quilted for New Years Day.....**rolling eyes**

It's begining to look alot like Christmas

The best part about sewing bindings on quilts imho is that you need to clean off the sewing area so the quilt can lay on the table. And since yesterday was spent baking, it's still clean :) What a concept!!



The other night I finished the bindings on the pineapple blossom quilts. The blue one was given to my friend and she was speachless. I love that when you give a quilt they had no idea they were getting they can't speak.LOL and I finished this one for DD's BF. I figured she'd put it in the nice gift bag we have for it, but no. She and her kitty had to "test it out". Both approve *VBG*



On one of my yahoo groups we did a secret santa exchange.
Lookie at all the goodies. A new quilt book, thangles, Marti Mitchel stripper templates ( perfect for jelly rolls ) patterns, fabric, a hot pad in my fav color blue a tin that shows all the GS uniforms, a yummy 3 scent candle. And for those that read my 360 blog- a PEEP Puzzle-roflmao! Peeps Wars rock! My secret santa spoiled me rotten. Thanks Judy




The ornament went right on the tree:)


The drama of one person not getting their box has kinda put a damper on the whole thing. I hope none of that happens on Chookyblue's swap. Who's swap box I'm opening tomorrow (Sat) I was going to do it today but the teens are off of school- they're calling for snow...yeah ! They can bake some cookies and make themselves useful :)

New tops and new projects :)

I finished Dave's top tonight before hubby and I watched the newest Batman movie. See it's kitty approved already :) It's added to the tops in que to be quilted. Probably after New Years though.





I started making 3, yep 3 lazy or shooting star quilts with the winnings from Stashbusters no buy winnings for Robin's daughters.






All those 3 inch squares leave bonus 2 1/2" squares when trimmed to make : Kansas Troubles