It’s been awhile….

I know, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. But I’ve been busy! I did manage to get some applique Dear Jane blocks finished though. And today I completed a couple more blocks. I have more in the works, hopefully I’ll get them done soon, as I’m almost at 50 blocks completed!

I don’t have any pictures yet, but I recently aquired a treadle sewing machine! I won’t go into the relationships as to who I got it from, but I have found out that it was manufactured somewhere between 1913 and 1920. It needs a lot of cleaning up and I need to replace a few parts before it will work. I’ll have to see if I can take some pictures in the next week or so to post.

On a roll

I am on a roll this week! I’ve finished 5 new DJ blocks this week! I am really very happy with the way the applique blocks are starting to turn out, I think I’ve finally gotten the hang of it! Hope to get even more blocks done soon!

The biggest news this week is that I’ve been teaching! The Amherst Library has a mobile computer lab from the state for a couple of weeks and when the request went out to the guild, I said I’d be interested in teaching it. Today is my last class, 2 beginner and 2 advanced. Everyone is loving the class, and even ladies that have used it before said they’ve learned something new! I even think there are a few that will be upgrading to EQ6 soon! There is also a possibility that I may be teaching the same classes at another library in our area when they get the mobile lab, but I don’t know any details yet!

Star Crazy Log


I joined a group of ladies over at Star Crazy Log to make the 2010 Quilt Show BOM. If you’d like to join us, email nedras@mstar.net with the following information:

•Do you currently belong to The Quilt Show? (necessary to download the patterns)
•Where do you live?
•Do you have a personal blog? (not necessary). Send your link address.

We now have 17 participating – come and join us!

BOM’s

*sigh* I wasn’t planning on adding any more block of the months (BOMs) to my open projects. At least not right away. But of course, one blog links me to another blog and they are doing The Quilt Show 2010 BOM – Star Crazy. So I started thinking about what fabric I had in my stash that I could use. So, I decided to use my Moda Marbles collection that I started last year. I might not have enough to do the entire quilt, in fact I might need to get background fabric, but I’m hoping I’ll be able to use as much stash as possible! I have the first months blocks completed – I just don’t understand how you can be so careful cutting, sewing, pressing, etc and still not have the blocks come out the right size! My blocks almost NEVER come out the right size, but I always fix it later!

The Quilt Show 2010 Star Crazy BOM - Month 1

I also completed another block in my Dear Jane quilt. I just keep chugging along! I’m not sure I like how this one turned out, I think I picked the wrong fabric for it. I might redo it later, we’ll see.

B-4: Pieced

First DJ Block of the year!

I completed my first Dear Jane block of 2010! This one was pretty easy, I don’t mind paper pieced blocks anymore. I still have a few applique blocks prepped, but haven’t had time to work on them yet. Only 1 more block and I have all of the “A” row completed! I just have to figure out the right way to do the last block!

A-12: Paper-pieced

Dear Jane Update

Somehow I managed to get 2 blocks done during the holidays – both were applique so I could work on them while we watched basketball games. I’ve started to get 2 packets a month, and I bought 3 yards of the background fabric so I can start putting the rows together as I finish them. Only 2 more blocks and all of row A is completed!

C-6: Applique
F-13: Applique

Happy New Year!

Well, it’s a new year and I’ve already completed a quilt top! 🙂 I wanted to sew today, but didn’t feel like working on a UFO (Unfinished Object) so I decided to do something new. I found a pattern for a quilter’s sudoku quilt that I had kept from a magazine subscription request that came in the mail and decided it’d be quick and perfect for today! Another plus was that the block size was 4.5″ square and I had that die for my Accuquilt Go! It was so nice and quick to cut the blocks out with the Go – and they are so much more accurate! There was a small pile of waste, but I cut out 81 blocks in less than an hour out of 9 fabrics! It went together pretty quickly, just had to pay close attention to where each block went.

Scraps after using Accuquilt Go to cut out 81 blocks
81 4.5 inch blocks
Quilter's Sudoku

I can now finally post pictures of all the Xmas presents I made this year. I started working on these in September and was working until a few days before Xmas to get them framed. Luckily my mom helped me get them done (thanks Mom!).

Georgia and Brennan are my niece and nephew in Florida – theirs had to be completed first since they had to be shipped. I couldn’t find a frame the right size, so I had to finish hers differently.

Brennan's Looney Toons
Georgia's Care Bears

My sister is a teacher at a day care, so hers was an easy choice. The rest are for my cousin’s little girl, my sister’s best friends little girl and my best friends little girl.

Made for Kimmie (my sister)

Alina's Pooh

I also made some items for my father-in-law and his wife, and when my mom saw the banner, I had to make one for her – along with the hot pad trivet I made her. Oh and I can’t forget the only quilt I made for a present this year for Angela – our friend in Wisconsin that owns a bakery. The white fabric has little cupcakes on it and the backing is all coffee cups.

Chuck & Barb banner 1
Chuck & Barb banner 2
Mom's banner
Angela's Quilt
Mom's trivet

Happy New Year!