Saturday, December 1, 2012

Twins and Other Things

I've been busy making this and that.  I finished up my Operation Kid Comfort quilts, November and sent them off.  It is such a busy time of year.

Last year I met a new friend through work.   It was uncanny how we bonded immediatey.  Have you even met someone and you knew immediately they would be your friend for life?  We determined that we were brother and sister just different parents!  My brother from another mother, told me a few months ago that he and his wife were having twins.  What a blessing in his life!  So of course I then procrastinated on making those babies their own quilts!  With about a month to go I had to get busy.  I ended up with this,
 
My brother f.a.m. (from another mother) ended up with this,

They are so precious.  Their quilts were fun and special to make .  Can't wait to see them crawling around on them!
 

 
 
A couple other folks I work with have babies due in January and their quilts are works in progress.  One will have a little girl and I made this for him and his wife.....found out yesterday that I need to add another e at the bottom!!
 
This one is obviously a work in progress for a little boy....Puppy Park, by Riley Blake.  Love it. 
 
I did hit the mall on Saturday after Thanksgiving...no one was there and that made it tolerable!  How's your Holiday prep coming along.  I don't want to think of it. 
 
I just want to sew!!!
 
 
 

Monday, November 12, 2012

DQS 13

I did it...I signed up for DQS 13.  It is not a given that I will get to participate but I have thrown my name in the lottery!  I have stayed away from the swaps so that I could get some projects finished and I have done that.  These are my sent and received from DQS 12.

What fun..
DQS 11...sent.  This was really fun.  It even had a few spiders on it. 
 
This was my first DQS...# 10.  It was probably the mini quilt I am most proud of.  It turned out well and I had such fun creating it.
 
I hope I get to be a part of DQS 13.  I will wait with great anticipation the email that should come before Thanksgiving telling me if I am in or out. 

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Just messing around....

Sometimes you just want to sew,  just want to finish something, quick, easy, and pretty!  Some of us in the KCMQG have been working on our sewing machine covers.  I love Empty Bobbin's pattern because you make your cover to fit your machine exactly.  It was fun and quick and easy and I think pretty!

This fabric is "Groovy Leaves" from Adornit.  Great fabric.  I am really pleased with how this turned out and I am hopeful it will keep my machine healthy.  I liked it so much that I decided I needed to make a mini for my little featherweight.

I found some lime/acid green Alexander Henry owl fabric with a little Kona and ended up with this


I love this little thing!  The pattern included a tip on how to adapt the cover for a small machine.  I made a few changes myself but it turned out great.  Now I can get this machine out of the stinky old case it usually lives in.


Art Gallery fabrics, one of my favorites, has developed the "Fat Quarter Gang".  You can read about them on the Art Gallery Fabrics blog and in their goup on Flickr.  Each member of the gang develops a tutorial of a project that is made with AGF.  Maureen Cracknell Handmade posted her tut on quilted pillow shams and I just had to make it.

Maureen made hers out of the new Lillybelle collection but I don't have any of that.  I have a tub of AGF in my room so I dug in there and came up with 12 coordinating fat quarters, some batting remnants and muslin and I was ready to go.

How easy to add some color to the couch or your bedroom.  How fun to make a couple of these to go with that quilt you are giving as a gift?  Only 10 fat quarters to make two shams.

So these were my weekend finishes.  Fun easy projects that I could finish in a weekend!  Hope you made something fun this weekend.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

It's Sooo Hot....

It has been so hot and so typical Kansas City in July!  I am not certain what has kept me away from the blog but I am still here and I've been sewing!  I feel like I have sewing A.D.D.  I have been great about starting projects but not that great about finishing.  Sometimes I do better than others.  I started sewing this together 

I got a few rows done but then got distracted......by this project


and it is not yet finished either!  I took a class from one of my favorite people, Jacquie Gering while she was in KC and began this "SuperNova' wall hanging from her book "Quilting Modern".
Moving on......................................

It was time to start a project for July in the My Precious QAL on Flickr.  I decided to use these precious fabrics..................a little Tula Pink oldie but goodie!

Which will soon turn into these;

This is the Thimble Blossoms pattern called Spools.  Can't wait to see this one done.




This morning I finished up a cover for my machine.  I have had the "Cover Up" pattern from Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio sitting on my machine for months and months.  Carol posted photos of her Cover Up on the KCMQG Facebook page and I decided I needed to get one done for my machine.  The dust that gets into my machine cannot be helpful!  So I have managed to finish this project.

I love it! and so does my Bernina.

For future projects I got these goodies.....I am absolutely in love with Riley Blake's Ombre DOTS!  They are big dots.  I got these from the idontdodishes etsy shop owned by fellow KCMQG'r Caitlin McIntyre.

I have a project in mind for these...........coming soon  And another bit of fabric that graced my mailbox this week.....

I love this bright orange and gray together.  I have a plan for these two also!  No shortage of ideas around here, just need to make these weekends a little longer.

I'll be back soon with a few more finishes and a few less starts!!

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Lazy Bum!

Yes, I am being a lazy bum this morning.  I need to extricate myself from this oh so comfortable couch and get busy!!  First stop this morning is the Bernina Store 10:00am.  My "Nina" is sick and she is going to see the doctor!  Man I hate to be without my machine.  I'll pull the spare out and still be able to sew.  I have several projects that I need to make progress on today.

I have finshed a couple things during this past week.  From 2009 let me bring you my Kaffe Dresden table topper;
I just love this thing.  Why oh why did it take me 3 years to get this topper finished??  I have run across these blocks in the fabric pile under my cutting table for three years!  Last weekend I finally decided to finish it up.  My friend Mary Anne shared her personal restriction of finishing up a UFO before she allows herself to start another NEW project.  What a great idea!  I am going to try to adopt this philosophy.....we'll see how it goes!  I have this loaded on the quilt frame and will pick up some batting today so I can finish it up.  I need to get a backing made for a top thats waiting to be quilted (another UFO)...so many things, so little time!

I also finished this....... It is my version of Bleachers, an Angela Walters pattern from Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio.  I love how it turned out.  It was a bit of a challenge to make, only because I didn't follow the pattern so I had to change the way I cut and put together the pieces.  It was fun to make, fun to quilt and I love the finished project.  I used my limited Habitat stash.  I only liked a few pieces of the Habitat line and they are all in this quilt!  That grey dot is fabulous!  I have a little left, maybe for a baby quilt.  This quilt is lap size.

Well I must get going !  What are you working on this weekend?


Sunday, May 20, 2012

Meet the Modern Quilt Guild!

Last night me and around 300 of my Modern Quilt Guild friends attended the "Modern Meet Up" sponsored by the Kansas City and St. Louis Modern Quilt Guilds and QuiltCon.  What a great time we all had.  The crowd was a "Who's Who" of the modern quilt world.  We were in a ballroom in the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, Missouri.  They treated us all very well.  It could not have been much better.




We had all kinds of donations...giveaways from many quilty sponsors.    A good time was had by all.  Great conversations, much inspiration and much mingling were had by all.

What a great community to be a part of.  It was wonderful!  Tomorrow is the May KCMQG meeting with our guest Weeks Ringle.  I am so looking forward to that!

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Productive......

It has been a great relaxing productive sewing week.  I have enjoyed being home and spending time each day with my machines.

It is Spring Quilt Market in Kansas CIty this year and I am totally disappointed that I did not get to go...:(    I pacified myself by going to MQS 2012.  It was wonderful of course.  So many beautiful quilts...so many vendors...thread, rulers, longarms...everything.  Even saw a booth selling shoes??? really?  If you have never gone to Machine Quilters Showcase, go next time you get a chance, it is quite impressive.

I dug up a UFO that I have been staring at for almost a year.  Don't know why I did not finished this as it is one of my favorites.  So bright and colorful...

This may be next on the quilter.  I have many tops hanging in the doorway.  My new effort is to get them quilted.  No excuses for not getting them done...just need to do it.



This is what's on the quilter at the moment.

I am hoping to finish this up today!

In honor of Spring Market the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild and the St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild
are hosting a gathering tonight.  I volunteered to help so I will be there!!  Would not have missed it anyway.  Hope to meet some of the quilters I only know from Blog/Flickr land!!

Until next time......

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

My Precious Finish!



My "Precious QAL" entry is finished, quilted and bound!!  If I did not have vacation this week I probably would not have finished completely.  I am very happy with it and took a number of photos!














Anyway......this QAL was lots of fun.  Come join us for the next chapter of the "My Precious QAL" on Flickr.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Oh! It's Friday!!!

Finally.....I have been waiting for this day for several weeks, no, months.  While it is not payday Friday, it is VACATION Friday.  I will be on vacation next week and I am thrilled.  I only have a list of 15 or 20 things I need to get done today before I go!  No sweat, right!

Just so happens my vacation week is Quilt Market, MQS and KCMQG Meet Up week!  I chose the dates well.  Amy Butler is in the house on Tuesday at Nelson Atkins, sponsored by Harpers.  Denyse Schmidt is in the house next week sponsored by my favorite Bernina store!  Weeks Ringle is in the house for the May KCMQG meeting.  Jacquie Gering will be here for market and she is giving a class on the Flip and Stitch method in her new book "Quilting Modern".  Yes I am in Quilty Heaven!  Vacation will definitely include hours of sewing and quilting.  I think on Sunday I will not leave my machine.

I have been working on Some things.....this is my entry for Round One of the My Precious QAL on Flickr.  This will be first up on the quilter this week. I love how it turned out.  The pattern is Out Fox the Fox by Lizzy House and the fabric is my precious Lush by Erin Michael.  The solid is an organic cotton I got on sale from Marmalade Fabrics.  Can't wait to finish.

I have also finished my Bleachers quilt top that I made from Habitat and some Kona solids.  This is a new pattern from Empty Bobbin Studio.  I did not test this pattern for Shea Henderson...





 but I did test Crosshatch.

Well enough for now.

I have to get this day

started so I can get it done!



Enjoy your Friday!!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

"Precious QAL"

I left my beloved KC Scrappy Bee for this upcoming year.  Trying to divest myself of obligations so I can focus on getting some gaols of mine taken care of.  It has been fun and informative the past two years being in this Bee.  I am only going to do things that are at my own pace as other things have stolen my sewing time.  In this light I have joined the "My Precious QAL" on Flickr.  This QAL was desinged for us fabric hoarders to use some of those "Precious" fabrics that we have hoarded and only look at an touch occasionally.  Oh yes, I have several of those!
This is my little stash of Anna Maria Horner Bohemian.  Nope, not using this....yet.


These are the rest of them...my precious stash of out of print (OOP) fabrics and yes, mostly Tula Pink goodies.  I have worked hard stalking the internet to collect this fabulous grouping!
The Moda Lush is absolutely impossible to find except for a few pieces so I have really just looked at this on the shelf for some time.  I am finally motivated and I am going to cut it up to make a quilt and pillow.  Hope I don't cry!!!

We quilters are funny beings about our fabric.  We all have favorites and I think we all share angst when it comes to cutting those favorite fabrics up and putting them in a project.  Even though that was the reason that we bought the stuff!

What are your favorites??  What have you made with them??  If you are still looking at and petting those fabrics come join the "My Precious QAL" on Flickr and lets cut them up!!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy Easter!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter holiday.  I'm spending time with family today, eating wonderful traditional foods, and if I am truly blessed I will get a little quality time with my "Nina"!

Enjoy.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Up Early

I am and have always been an early riser.  This morning a bit earlier than usual.  Five phone calls between 9 pm and 1am so on the last one I just couldn't get back to sleep.  So up I am, showered and ready to start and finish this Friday.  Oh, thank goodness it is Friday.  My job is overwhelming these days with another assistant come and gone in a matter of 6 weeks.  I am on the hunt for help again!  My New Years promise to myself of finding balance and working less this year has not come to fruition...yet!  It is still my goal.

On to better things...Doll Quilt Swap 12 is about to draw to an end.  I made this for my secret partner
It is a paper pieced log cabin block, actually 30 blocks and the quilt finished at 17 inches by 21.

 I am very happy with this little quilt and if my partner does not like it I hope she sends it back to me!  I sewed sparkly little beads in the center of each purple "flower" and sewed tiny buttons at the junction of each block.  I used a SID quilting pattern so as not to obstruct the look of the quilt.  I love it!

I put a fabulous Kaffe print on the back.  Need a label and then mailing and my deadline is Tuesday.

Now for the little quilt I received...   Isn't it wonderful?  Also a paper pieced project and I love it.  Jan made this for me!  Love the colors and the unusal design.....It is fabulous.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

swaps and this and that...

i have been busy, busy.....working and sewing.  It is Big 12 basketball week and being in the parking business in downtown kansas city means i have been busy.  how great it is to see the mass of humanity descend on the city, it is fantastic.  really cuts into my sewing time!

i have once again, against my more intelligent inner voice, joined my two favorite flickr swaps, for the love of solids 2 and the doll quilt swap 12.  both are almost at an end so i will soon be swap less again which is my current goal.  time to get started on those three christmas quilts i want to get done.

this is my main item for floss 2 and my first ever pillow cover.  i will be making more pillows.  it turned out quite nice i think








for the doll quilt swap 12 we had certain blocks that we were allowed to choose from to make our doll quilts.  the quilts are very small of course, and  must contain at least 6 blocks.  We could choose drunkards path, which you would think would be my choice, log cabin, churn dash....etc.  i chose to make these.  more on this later!







i made this quilt  several years ago from a quilting magazine love the fabric but would not be my chosen pattern today.  the fabulous angela quilted it for me and my great niece chloe got it for christmas.  from the scraps of this quilt came this quilt...

i like this one much better for some reason!!!  it will go on the quilter today so i can get it finished up.  it is going to a friends first female grandchild.  I do love this one.  hope the quilting turns out well...we shall see!

i bought this backing fabric for less than $5 a yard.  i get excited when i get fabulous quilting fabric for less than $5 a yard!  especially when it is such a fabulous purple.






Hope you have a great weekend sewing.


Sharon...hope you like the mug rug!  Forgot to take a photo before the kcmqg meeting!