Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Is it Spring yet?

Fluffy Bunny Tea Towel
My snowmen around my house are starting to look a little out of place.  I'm starved for some color...splashes of spring here and there.  The problem is, I lack motivation to dig the bins out of my crawl space to make the big switch...

So I'm cheating a bit, I've pulled out my bunny tea towels and put them up in my kitchen.  Ahhhh pretty colors, even though there's still snow outside, I can smile at the cute bunnies in my kitchen.

You can add my bunnies to your home too!  All of my patterns are available at Etsy & Craftsy I have both PDF's and packaged patterns.  Happy quilting!

Mr. Cottontail Applique Design on a tea towel...

Mrs. Cottontail

Fluffy Bunny Table Runner 
finished size 17" x 38"

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Texas Rangers & Union Soldiers




Texas Rangers....

   This week I worked on two more blocks from the Civil War Diary Quilt by Rosemary Wells.  I paper pieced both of the blocks using the foundation papers that I printed up from the companion CD, using EQ5.
This skips the whole process of drafting out the blocks which saves tons of time.  It was a challenge this week to get this blocks done, I really need to get ahead of the curve here and have blocks made up a week or two ahead of posting.  Make note to self..... my goal is to post early on Saturday.   And to add to the late posting I was stuggling with Blogger sofeware.  Couldn't get my pictures to show up in my blog.  What usually takes me half an hour turned into a marathon.  Arggggggggggggg!   So let's get started on the next two blocks, 'Texas Rangers' & Union Soldiers....

I started with 'Texas RAngers' and pulled my fabric from my Civil War fabric stash.
Again, the colors I choose are similar to the colors in the book.  I used the foundation paper
That I printed up using the companion CD and EQ5.  This is a pretty straight forward
block and could be easily drafted from the book.  Just remember to add your 1/4" seam allowance.



I cut my fabric into strips for paper piecing.  I find it's easier to
work with.  I also write colors in the sections of the block so I don't
loose track of what I'm doing.

Here I am sewing on the lines as I paper piece.

One section done, three more to go!

'Texas Rangers' is all finished.  The white blocks aren't lining up very well. 
This is driving me crazy but when I group the block with the
rest of the quilt that I have done so far, they look fine and disappear.

'Union Soldiers' is a great block... I love the design.  I picked out
red, white and blue.  Similar to the book.

This block is broken into eight sections to complete the block.

Here is the center star for the block, isn't it cute!

Here I am paper piecing the striped triangle sections of the block.
I'm sewing on the lines!
Sewing the striped triangles onto the center square.  Remember 1/4" seams...


To make the blue triangle corner sections, cut a 4" square out of blue
fabric, then cut the square in half corner to corner to form two triangles.
Sew onto block, remember 1/4" seam allowance.

'Union Soldier' all done.  I love this block!
This would make a lovely table runner!



Remember to post your progress on the Civil War Diary Quilt Group on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1547598@N25/
Next Saturday, April 2nd,  I will be working on 'Victuals' and 'News' from the Civil War Dairy Quilt Book by Rosemary Youngs.  Hope that you're able to join me in my journey.  Feel free to email me any time if you have questions or comments.

Happy quilting and perfect stitches to you!






The Civil War Diary Quilt Book can be bought through paypal or through the mail from Rosemary Youngs...
The Civil War Diary Quilt book is available for $22.99 plus $4.95 priority mail, (global priority mail $11.95) . You can order the CD with the book, you will need  Electric Quilt 5 or 6 to run the CD, the CD alone is $10 and there is no extra charge for postage when you order the book with the CD, total cost for the CD with the book will be $32.99 plus your postage.
Send a check or money order to Rosemary Youngs, 3704 Nicole Ct., Walker, MI 49534


Sunday, March 20, 2011

Harassment

Imagine having a group of 225 show up in your neighborhood and expect dinner and a place to sleep for the night.  Not to mention they came by horse and you would have to find a place for them too.  On January 14, 1862, Nancy Elly Moore writes about how they took care of such a group.  The soldiers threatened that they would break into their homes if they were not given food and shelter.

The block, 'Harassment' is easy to put together using a paper piecing method. I used the paper piecing template that is provided on the Civil War Diary Quilt Book CD that works with EQ5.  This block is broken down into five sections for paper piecing.  If you do not have EQ5 and the companion CD, the pieces can be easily traced onto foundation paper, just remember to add your 1/4" seams around every section.

So here is how I completed the block 'Harassment'...

Here are my color choices and foundation paper that I used to complete the block. 
I again picked fabric that was similar to what was shown in the book.

I wrote my colors in each section so that I can keep on track while sewing.

Here are the five sections to complete this block, notice the 1/4" seams
around each section.  If you draft your own block to work on make sure
to include the seam allowance.

When paper piecing remember to sew on the seam lines drawn
on the foundation paper...

Harassment, almost done!  I just have to sew the sections together.
Line up the 1/4" seams, with right sides together. 

Harassment all done.  I am very happy with the colors and
how this block turned out.  This block alone would make a
very beautiful table runner or quilt.
Remember to post your progress on the Civil War Diary Quilt Group on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1547598@N25/
Next Saturday, March 26th,  I will be working on 'Texas Rangers' and 'Union Soldiers' from the Civil War Dairy Quilt Book by Rosemary Youngs.  Hope that you're able to join me in my journey.  Feel free to email me any time if you have questions or comments.

Happy quilting and perfect stitches to you!


The Civil War Diary Quilt Book can be bought through paypal or through the mail from Rosemary Youngs...
The Civil War Diary Quilt book is available for $22.99 plus $4.95 priority mail, (global priority mail $11.95) . You can order the CD with the book, you will need  Electric Quilt 5 or 6 to run the CD, the CD alone is $10 and there is no extra charge for postage when you order the book with the CD, total cost for the CD with the book will be $32.99 plus your postage.
Send a check or money order to Rosemary Youngs, 3704 Nicole Ct., Walker, MI 49534

Thursday, March 17, 2011

FNSI & Quilt Retreat Part Two....

5:00 am... no one is up except for me... I'm all ready to
finish quilting feathers!
I am always so inspired by other quilters and their projects.  There's just something special about gathering with my quilting friends and family and listening to the hum of the different sewing machines.  We can usually tell who's sewing by the sound of their machine hummming....

We all show up at Cozy Home Quilt Retreat with our bins and suitcases packed full of fabric, books, and ideas.  We barely get out cars packed and we are usually jumping right into our projects.  As we work we laugh and catch up with our quilt retreat friends.  Mom, Laura and I have been guests since Colleen opened several years ago, we were her first group and we now go twice a year.  Usually in the early spring (March) and in the fall.  We're already signed up for 2012!  Kim joined retreat with us a couple of years ago.  Wow how time flies!  Colleen and Ann spoil us rotten with their wonderful meals and friendship. 

I can't wait until tomorrow for FNSI, I'm still filled with inspiration from all my quilting buddies... I will have my own little mini quilt retreat with all my cyber friends and work on something fun, maybe I'll quilt more feathers!

Kim worked on this darling baby quilt... and after she got it done found out her friends had a new little girl!

My mom made this beauty... I can't believe she just used her leftover fabrics from some other
projects!  It turned out so nice!  All of my mom's quilts are awesome...

Laura's having fun working with a Nancy Halvorson Book... she was so organized!
She had everything precut and ready to go.

Kim working on a jelly roll quilt... shhhhhhhhh I think it's a UFO from a
previous quilt retreat!

Colleen admires the beginning of Kat's crazy quilt for her sister-in-law... Kat was also
working on a photo quilt and it was phenomenal... geeez where was my camera when I needed it.
There were at least 100+ photos on it, and I could describe it good enough to give it justice.  Cozy Home
will be using the longarm and quilting it for her.  I hope to get another chance to see it when it's done.

Tootie is hiding behind this adorable Easter quilt.  I'm thrilled that she used my fluffy bunny
applique for her quilt.  It turned out precious.  Tootie also had a Minnesota quilt that she was
working on, wish I had a picture.  It was really cool...

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Quilt Retreat, part one

I want to quilt feathers on everything...

 

I am still all tired out from quilt retreat, it was so much fun.  Here it is Wednesday and I'm still recovering.  Can't wait to go again!  It was a very productive weekend, I packed up some UFOs to work on and conquered a couple of my quilting fears.  Do you have anything that you were ever afraid to try?  Well, I did!  I have always been afraid to quilt feathers.  After visiting Leah's blog a few times I was inspired to give it a try.... really what could go wrong?  Except end up with a really ugly messed up quilt?  Well, I practiced doing feathers on some scrap muslin and then jumped right into my flower quilt.  I'm in love with quilting feathers.  I want to feather everything!  I stayed up Thursday night and feathered away and was so excited to finish the quilt I was up at 5:oo (am) to finish quilting my flower quilt.   

It's finished!  Time to work on the next UFO that I brought to quilt retreat...

Then I finished putting on borders on my postage stamp style quilt.  This quilt is made out of all of the scraps I've collected, mostly from my sister... I want to make another one.  Laura's given me another bag of scraps!
I want to quilt feathers on this too!

This quilt needs a name!  Help me name it....
This was a quilt I started at the last retreat, my first attempt at designing a lap sized quilt...
I was stuck on the borders and what to do and putting it away and coming back to it helped.  'Tootie', a quilt retreat buddy, I only see her at retreat, don't know her real name.  We all call her 'Tootie'.... well she showed me a wonderful way to make flying geese.  It was easy and fun to do!  So I conquered another quilting fear... a flying geese border.... now to follow my scribbled notes and write the pattern...
I love making flying geese borders now!  Want to put them on everything!!!

Finished my time at quilt retreat and made mom a mug rug.... isn't it cute!  I put a feather on it too!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Southern Notes

I worked on one block this last weekend for Civil War Saturday.  Having not really thinking through how I would handle my blog while I'm not at home.  I spent this last weekend on Quilt Retreat at Cozy Home Stitches in Kasson, Minnesota.  Had a wonderful time and will blog about it later this week.  I have so many pictures to share!!  So I am posting my Civil War Diary Quilt block really late.  I worked on 'Southern Notes' while on retreat.  I used colors similar to what is in Rosemary Youngs book, The Civil War Diary Quilt.  The gals at retreat loved the blocks I had done so far and loved the book!  The block, 'Southern Notes' is broken down into two paper piecing sections and is fairly easy to do.
Here I am sewing along, paper piecing,notice how I am sewing on the line and I stitch past the 1/4" seam allowance, it's easier to trim a block then to 'add' onto a block.... I also have marked each section with the color choice.  Otherwise I get goofed up while I sew along.


'Southern Notes' from the Civil War Diary Quilt Book.
Remember to post your progress on the Civil War Diary Quilt Group on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1547598@N25/
This Saturday, March 19th,  I will be working on 'Harassment' from the Civil War Dairy Quilt Book.  Hope that you're able to join me in my journey.

Happy quilting and perfect stitches to you!


The Civil War Diary Quilt Book can be bought through paypal or through the mail from Rosemary Youngs...
The Civil War Diary Quilt book is available for $22.99 plus $4.95 priority mail, (global priority mail $11.95) . You can order the CD with the book, you will need  Electric Quilt 5 or 6 to run the CD, the CD alone is $10 and there is no extra charge for postage when you order the book with the CD, total cost for the CD with the book will be $32.99 plus your postage.
Send a check or money order to Rosemary Youngs, 3704 Nicole Ct., Walker, MI 49534
Labels:

Monday, March 7, 2011

Bonneville Quilt

I have loved this quilt since my dear friend Kim started it at quilt retreat last September.  The pattern is from the Summer 2010 issue  of 'Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, Easy Quilt' magazine.  Kim bought the kit and the fabrics are beautiful!  She quietly worked on it during retreat and then she stopped working on it and packed it away to my dismay!    Well, I was thrilled when she brought it over a couple of weeks ago for me to quilt.  So yesterday I had a quilting marathon and got it done.  Love it!  I followed the quilting suggestion from the magazine and quilted long lazy curved squiggles up and down the quilt.  I think this is her first full sized quilt.  It's beautiful and I think she should keep it for herself, but, I think it's a gift... what a wonderful gift!
I'm sure Wilson is admiring Kim's quilt.  I love the colors.
Wilson sneaking in the picture....
"OK Wilson, get in the picture and sit pretty"...