Excuse me while I brag a little.

This post has nothing to do with quilting, I just have to brag a little about my weight loss. I am patting my self on the back, OK OK I'll tell you, I have lost 30 lbs, and I hope no one ever finds it, especially me.
No I haven't been on a diet, I had a medical scare last Sept. I made up my mind then to take better care of my self. Best way to do that is eat properly, weight loss followed. A very useful site, I visit it often to stay on track....
www.http://mypyramid.gov/

Shop Samples are keeping me busy

I spent this afternoon at the quilt shop helping Mary hang quilts.
I pieced this quilt a few weeks ago ,then it was sent out to be quilted, it came back of Friday, I was able to get the binding on over the weekend.



I put this together last week, we hung it today too.


Made this tote bag from the leftovers of the above quilt. I love the colors.


Reverse side, did I say I love these colors together..
Also took the table runner from the tutorial I did last week, the fabrics are all from the shop.

I finished two little wall hangings this morning, there is a series of 12, one for each month, I will eventually be doing all 12. Fusing and machine applique, not my favorite thing to do.



While I was there I took a photos of a few previous projects I have completed for the shop.
I need to email my daughter and have her check out this post, so she can pick out her birthday present. Her birthday is in Sept. I'm sure I will have some of these back in my possession by then.






Sew that is what I have been up to lately.

Happy Quilting!

Quilt As You Go, table runner tutorial

Finished size is 17" X 52".
I cut the backing and batting 60" X 20"
you need 6 fabrics for the braid,
plus 1 for the center 6" square.
You will need to cut two 2.5" by 6" and two 2.5" X 8" of each.
The inside border is cut 1 1/2" the outer border 3 1/2".
I cut backing and batting 22" X 60" layered them together using fabric adhesive, I use the heck out of this stuff especially on smaller projects.
Start by finding the center of back, lay your 6" square (right side up) diagonally in the center on top of the batting, pin in place. Next layer the lightest 6" rectangle on two sides, sew through all layers using a thread that matches your backing.
Then place your 8", right sides together on the other two sides starting at the far corner, sew in place, see photo.

Continue in this manner, sewing the 6" rectangle then the 8" until all rectangles have been used.

















Take your 1.5" inner border and lay on each side of the braid making sure you have a 1/4" . Sew in place with right sides together. Do the long sides first then the ends.

Before pressing cut off the little corners that are left sticking out. Of course I save these in my crumb pile.


Do the same for the outer border.


Square up the edges.


I like to sew around the edge before cutting off the excess batting and backing.
Bind with 2.5" binding.


Writing this tutorial was a little harder than I thought it would be, I always think a picture is better than a 1000 words. So if I have left something out please feel free to email me.


And enjoy!



Happy Quilting!

Car Trouble whoa's

You know how frustrating computers can be, well as it turns out most cars have at least 20 different computers, the newer the car the more computers. Well I thought they could hook it up to a computer and diagnose problems in a snap, not so.
The problem started when all my dash lights came on that had anything to do with the brakes. After several days of them staying on I took it to my friendly garage, they decided it was in the ignition switch, so they ordered a switch put it in and guess what, the lights stayed.

No charge, they needed me to leave the car so they could have time to figure it out. Then they decided it was the EBCT, electronic brake control module, very expensive part if you order a new one, I guess like a $1000.
Holy cow, I called my son Tom in Portland, who happens to be in the used car part business, he was able to send me the part at his cost, I don't know what he paid he wouldn't tell me. Any way I took the car back yesterday with the new part that my son had sent to me.
They said it would be a short wait while they installed the part. After 2 hours I got anxious and ask what was happening, they said they needed to keep the car longer that they still didn't know what the problem was and I didn't need that part after all, but my rear brakes were not working.
So I left the car over night again, they just called to tell me my car is ready, that I didn't need any parts after all, some valve was stuck on the ABS pump, what ever that is.

I wanted to stay in my pj's and sew this morning, but I better go get my car. I have some new things to show from the shop, that will have to wait.

Happy Quilting!

Summer's Basket

Aren't these sunflower cornerstones the greatest, I just love em, they are the only part of the quilt that is not preprinted. Yesterday I finished putting the top together for the shop sample quilt.

Mary was in a hurry for this one as she is just going to be display the top.

When I get it back I will be doing some hand work on it, maybe the buttonhole stitch around the sunflowers, but definitely a fun one for hand quilting. There are so few seams to encounter, even the diagonal squares in the first border are preprinted.

I will be dropping this off at the shop today, Mary said when I bring this one back she will load me up with several new projects.
Always fun to be the first to use a new pattern or sew with the latest fabric. So stay tuned I should have some new things to share.

I seem to have lost interest for the time being in the Civil War blocks, I have only made 16 of them, but if I never get back to them I do have enough for a wall hanging.

I had been staying busy with finishing UFO's prior to getting the flu. Which I am still recovering from, I just can't get my energy back, but I do feel a lot better.
Spring is just around the corner and today the sun is shinning brightly, always a good feeling.



Happy Quilting!

A New Shop Sample to Sew

A day late but as I promised a new shop sample.
For those of you new to my blog I sew samples for a quilt shop that is dangerously close to my house,about 5 blocks away.
Mary furnishes everything including the thread, I furnish the labor. The quilt will then be displayed in the shop for 4 or 5 months, or until she needs the space. When it has served it's usefulness at the shop it is mine to keep.
We are both very happy with the arrangement, it certainly works out good for me. I get to sew on the latest fabric with the newest patterns something I would never get to do living alone on a fixed income. And just think of the Christmas gifts I will have stacked up.


"Summers Basket of Flowers" is a new line of fabric by Moda. I just love the red and yellows, they have such a traditional country feel to them.

And just look at this I can see lots of uses for this, just think you much time you could save on borders. This fabric is designed to cut lengthwise, between to rows, they have left just enough fabric for the seam allowance.

This is larger than it looks, each square is 20" the quilt will measure 68" X 68" The Sunflower cornerstones are 8" each.

Mary didn't get the picket fence fabric in, so we are going to go ahead and use the red for the border. I will like it better anyway.

Happy Quilting!

Back to the sewing room

Today the sun is shinning brightly, the sky is a clear blue, and I am feeling better.
Friday I actually spent quite a bit of time in the sewing room
I was able to finish up this quilt top. I had a small collection of homespuns this seemed like the perfect pattern to use them up. The pattern called for the quilt to be square... I never liked the idea of a square quilt unless it was a wall hanging.

(I will be giving this to one of my sons and I could just see him taking a nap and his toes sticking out.) So I added a row of blocks on each end making it longer therefore more practical.



I have been wanting to do try some big stitch quilting with perle cotton and I have been wanting to give the baptist fan quilting pattern a try. It is a lot easier than I expected it to be, at least so far. I did start out by marking the first few fans, then they just seemed to fall in place, at least so far. It is going pretty fast, I completed this much in one afternoon.




I recieved a call from Mary at the quilt shop wanting to know if I was able to start another project for her. I told her I would be in Monday, so I will have something new to show tomorrow.

Happy Quilting!