LAST PROJECTS OF 2014!

These two table toppers were my final projects of 2014!  Both of these table topper will be donated to the Friendship Quilters Tulip Tea and Quilt Sale on March 28, 2015!

This topper was done with Jaybird Sidekick ruler. The pattern is Rock Candy.  This ruler has so many possibilities, can't wait to see what else I can do with the ruler.  The diamond shapes were done with 2" strips of Thimbleberries (ok dated fabric Ha!) fabric that was in my stash.

This table topper was the first project done using the AccuQuilt GO!   It has been a UFO for a long time, finally got the free motion quilting complete. Using the GO makes piecing so precise! Love using the GO to cut fabric.  The fabric for this topper came from my stash too!    

Now I'm going to see (it's 8pm) if I can finish the hand sewn binding on my Courthouse Stars quilt, then it will be completed in 2014 too!  Yahoo!!

Decorating Gingerbread

Having a great time decorating Gingerbread!  This is my first attempt with a pastry decorating bag.  I've watched enough Food Channel shows to kinda know how it works.  But I think this is like quilting, practice makes perfect.  Need a whole lot of practice but my family and friends will think it's cool.   So I'll win there.  The reindeer are awesome, but I can't take credit for the idea.  Pinterest is my friend.   Merry Christmas!

They turned out so cute.  Everybody has been so pleased with the cookies!  Another Christmas tradition!  

Courthouse Stars -T0p Complete!

The blocks are complete and the rows assembled and borders are attached! Whew!  Seems like I've been working on this forever!  I need to find some place in the house or out on the patio to photograph my quilts.

Trying to decide the color of the backing, the front is a graffiti of colors!  Quilting will be simple no use to spend time doing quilting when it won't be noticed.

Courthouse Stars

The beginnings of the Courthouse Stars  Quilt.  The Courthouse Star quilt was featured on the cover of Fons and Porter Scrappy Quilts magazine!  Saw the cover and absolutely needed to buy the magazine.  There are several quilts I want to make in this issue so the price was a bargain.  The quilt consists of two blocks: a Star block, made with hour glass blocks, and a Courthouse Steps block.  The unfinished blocks measures 5".  Here's a sample of the blocks.

The Star block center is a 2" square and the points begin with 3"square . I used method for hour glass shapes suggest by Fons and Porter in the magazine to complete the Star Points. The Courthouse Steps begin with a 2" red square and 1 1/4" strips.  Loads of pieces, Yikes!  The most time consuming part of these blocks is the squaring up of the star points.  Now onto makes all the blocks and assembling the rows. Stay tuned for the next step.

CHOC Sew 2014

What an amazing day!  Twenty five volunteers, four student volunteers and yards and yards of donated fabric produced 161 Bead Bags of Courage and 145 pillowcases!  Amazing! Even more amazing is that in 2013 we made 125 Bead Bags and 75 pillowcases!  To God Be The Glory!

 

Succulent Pumpkins

Crafty Day with my friend Christine.  We made Succulent Pumpkins.

The pumpkin is not cut!  Using a glue gun, attach the moss and then glue the succulent cuttings onto the pumpkin.  The glue will not damage the succulents and it will last for weeks with a slight misting with water once or twice a week.  Chose a white pumpkin so I could use it through Thanksgiving.  The top two are hostess gifts for a Halloween Tea I'm attending.  Fun Day!

Scrappy Quilt

Love the design of this scrappy quilt.  It has loads of half square triangles.  Moved the 2.5" square bin next to the sewing machine and just began sewing the pieces. The secondary design is terrific! So many colors and so many squares!  Proud of this quilt!

Prayers and Squares Quilt

This quilt was a Prayer Quilt made with all Asian Fabric that was donated by Kaufman Fabrics.  The pattern was Disappearing Pinwheel by Jenny Doan's  (Missouri Star Quilt Company)  video on Youtube.  This pattern is completed quickly and can be a bonus using fabric from my stash!  I did buy the border fabric (wasn't enough of the donated fabric). 

Pumpkin Time at Roger's Gardens

What a marvelous day to spend a day with my friend Christine!  Roger's is such a marvelous place, but especially in the fall!  Pumpkins glore, Halloween decorations and the marvelous flowers!!  Hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do!!

Love this bumpy, warty pumpkin!! So wanted to buy one but I knew it was just too early, it wouldn't last until Halloween or Thanksgiving!  Bummer!

Scrappy Time Quilt

Love, love, love Scrappy Quilts!  This is the block for my newest scrappy quilt!  I just drug out the bin of 2.5" squares and got going use my new favorite book.  The blocks are easy and some were made with Bonnie Hunter's Leader Ender Method.

Then it's onto the quilting.  But you need to let it rest (HA) in the closet for a while so that it can mellow. Actually I just got started going on another project.  Quilting Away!

So another quilt is complete!  I think I'll take it to Friendship Quilters and ask if we could sell it at our Quilt Sale in March 2015.  It's a good size and quilting is not just all over.

Hunter Star Top Complete

I am so thrilled with my Hunter Star quilt top.  The small black and white strip first border just sets the quilt off and makes it awesome.  Now to purchase the back (25% off on the 25th of the month)  Yeah  getting a deal!  Plan on purchasing a piece that's red poppies with black and white designed background.  Best part is that tomorrow is the 25th!

Hunter Star

What a great day to use the AccuQuilt Go to make the Hunter Star Block!  Took awhile to figure out how to cut specific pieces, cut just white star shapes, the large triangles and thin middle pieces in the color I needed for the block. At first I just covered the die with a one color but didn't need some of the shapes in all the colors.  It's going to be a dynamite quilt!  I love the contrast.

So while I'm sewing the black, red and white blocks together I thought this would be a great patriotic quilt to make for the Veterans!  So got the GO out and cut red, white and blue to make a sample block.  It's now on my "TO  DO"  list.  

I'll have to get some fabric.. Only had a bit of red and this piece of blue in bin. The red section needs to be a print and not a solid.  Need yardage to do the quilt, well ok a trip to the quilt store won't be such a bad thing!

Katelin's Baby Quilt

Giggles is the name of the pattern by Jawbird Quilts.  I love the color - bold and solid.  This is the first modern quilt I've made.  I discovered that modern quilts take alot of machine quilting, thread and alot of time to complete the machine quilting.  I'm pleased with the quilt and was really pleased that she was thrilled with my gift.

Back has jelly beans, always a favorite with kids 

The pattern used 4.5 inch strips for the chevrons.  Thinking maybe I'll try 2.5 inch strips and see if I can make a bag to go with the quilt.  Everybody always has extra fabric.  A challenge, always love to challenge myself.

Baby Quilts

Two similar quilts   PINK  for two special little girls!    Mary is our pastor's new daughter and Ali is our neighbors baby.  I think every liitle girl needs a pink quilt! Made the borders different.  Used numerous squares from the 2" drawer.  Good to use some of the pieces.

This is Ali's little quilt!

This is Mary's quilt.

So now I have another baby quilt to make for my niece Katelyn's new baby.  I decided to make a quilt with primary colors. Will be a learning quilt= find the color!  Can't take the teacher out of me. The theme of her nursery is "woodland".  How do you make a woodland quilt for a baby?  Going to use my new ruler I bought from Jaybird Quilts.  It will be a cheveron style.  Cutting out the pieces tomorrow.  More to come.

Mystery Quilt Celtic Solstice

After hours of sewing and pressing I completed the Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt that was designed by Bonnie Hunter on Quiltville.  Just to think this is only one half of the blocks!   I am able to make another quilt exactly like this one!!   Amazing.  Bonnie is a " Super Size" person.

I like the quilt for the design it creates but I'm sure glad I don't need to press open any more seams!  I'm concerned about the number of seams when I begin quilting.  Need to choose a back and batting.  Then ready set  quilt!

Top Complete

My Mariner's Compass top is complete.  It's pin and ready to free motion quilt.  I've been letting it set, just have a bit of a nervous stomach.  Don't want to mess it up.  But this afternoon is the time to begin.  Fingers crossed for a good quilting day!  Stay tuned for the reveal!  So proud of the quilt.  This will be displayed on my dining room table.

Yesterday  i continued working on the Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt... The blocks are finished. So now to set the blocks together.  Decided to make two lap quilts.  Bonnie's version is way to large for me to quilt and I really can't justify paying to have it quilted.

Top Complete

Whew, the paper piecing is complete on the compass.  Now onto making and adding the borders.  I like the arrangement of colors but just adore the fabric for the center.  I have enough to use that fabric for the outside border strip.

I'm impressed with the finished product!  Never done Seminole piecing. It does make a nice border.  Was so glad I bought extra of the focus fabric.  I've had lots of complements, always makes a project worthwhile.  Now to pin and quilt.  Going to have to think and study the machine quilting pattern .   Best part of today, I don't have to piece the back! The top is now complete and ready to quilt.  I'm a bit puzzled as how to do the white with yellow polka dot areas. The are a focus and think that pebbles or bubbles would look good to match the fabric in the points but oh my the pebbles to make.

Mariner's Compass Part 2

The decision is made!  I, with the help of Jennifer Morgan (class instructor), chose the orange and green group of fabric.  I really really like the focus fabric.  I wish that the center were larger, but the border would be a stellar idea.  I will need to fussy cut so I get one of the flowers.  This paper piecing class class was really helpful.  I've done paper piecing, Adele's method is not always successful.   Here's the first section and the fabric positions.

It's hard to see the details on the background fabric, white with small yellow polka dots!

Really doesn't look like this will go together in a circle.  Time will tell!

Mariner's Compass Class

This afternoon I'm going to my Mariner's Compass class!.  It was a Christmas Gift from my husband!  I just can't decide which group of fabrics to use for the class.  One is a earthy Brown/Orange/Olive and the other Green/Orange/Red tone.  I love the print on the orange fabric but the other reminds me of fall and everybody knows how I love fall.   So stay tuned and see which one I choose for this quilt.  Excited to go to the class.

Part Number 5 of Celtic Solstice

All the parts, not all pictured here, are now completed.  It seemed like a gazillion pieces. OK, maybe it wasn't a gazillion, just 2,344 pieces for the small version of the quilt excluding the non-pieced border fabrics. I'm making the small version. Whew, so many parts and so many to make sure all the pieces go together so that the yellow is in the center.  Make 100 of these blocks. Learned to be really percise with the quarter inch.  I love this block and will use it in other quilts.  I think I'll use larger pieces.