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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Severe Boredom Means Productivity

Yes Severe Boredom around here.

With the temps being so frigid who wants to go anywhere.  Not this Girl!!!!!

But from out of boredom comes somethings pretty awesome.

First playing with scraps, trying to use the hundreds of scraps I have lying around I made some fun scrappy blocks, that will become a quilt.  What size, I don't know depends on when I get tired of making these blocks, I guess.



Not being satisfied with just making blocks I loaded some of my sister in law www.donnakallner.com hand dyed fabrics and quilted a small baby quilt for her using my free motion........ you guessed it ........ swirls.  When in doubt I always go to swirls.  They make a nice looking quilt and its easy quilting for me.

This 33x41 baby size quilt will be shipped off to Donna for her to add the binding (sorry ran out of hand dyed fabrics for that) and she will add to her Etsy shop  etsy.com donna kallner 





Both sides of this quilt are equally beautiful, so can be considered reversible.

This is how I filled yet another boring yet productive day.

The boring part is only because I - we - are living in the wonderful state of Wisconsin, where this year we have been subject to one of the worst winters in years.  For me it seems like THE worst.

I will have to remember these days once the season changes and temps rise way above 90 plus this coming summer, but oh, even with hot days, I can still manage to get outside early morning and do some yard work and if not work at least visit my flowers.

Sigh!!!!  heavy sigh!!!!! flowers.  Looking forward to seeing bright bold colors in my yard again.

As most people are thinking this long cold winter, it wont be much longer WILL IT????




Sunday, January 26, 2014

Christmas Isn't Over Yet

As far as quilts go Christmas can last all year long, and I am quite happy with that.


Here is a cute wall hanging a new customer brought to be quilted:


Loops all around and a few holly leaves thrown in the mix here and there and everywhere.

Now that this is finished what shall I do the rest of the day............hmmmmm.........


Saturday, January 25, 2014

My Other Obsessions

In between quilting and sewing quilts I need to keep myself busy and so or should I say sew!!!!!

Taken up knitting again, and now I have a new obsession, making scarves.  My SIL has given me a couple of scarves in the past and I absolutely love them.

Now I cant pass up fabrics that might make a beautiful scarf in addition to buying quilting fabrics now I have to check out other silks, rayon etc, anything that might drape and become a scarf.

And lets not forget the microwave bowl potholders -  I keep making them and keep giving them away,

I know Spring better get her sooner than later, so I can put all of this energy into my yard work.


Friday, January 24, 2014

The Next Generation Of Quilter

Kylee has been sewing a Easter table runner off and on for a few months.  She appliqued the eggs and flowers and sewed it all together with sashing and small outer border. We haven't had much time to work together on her sewing.

Finally she finished it and today I let HER  do the quilting using my long arm machine.

We set it up together, I started the first few stitches to show her how to meander, then let her do it on her own.  With just a few moments of guiding her hand with mine she picked it up pretty quickly.

She was pretty stiff as we all are the first time we grab those handles and begin, but before she finished she had manage to relax and get a more even fluid stitch.

She even echoed the flowers and then continued on with meandering.

With more practice I think she will someday soon be able to quilt one of her own quilts.


Monday, January 20, 2014

Notre Dame Tshirt Quilt

This is one neat looking t-shirt quilt:





And now I'm going to bed, started a sore throat yesterday which went a way but this morning woke up to the beginning of a cold and now I feel like yuck.

So that's all I have to say - goodnight or good afternoon, what do you say when you are going to take a nap! 

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Sunday Sew In On CT Today

Briefly this is what I have done so far:  Made 2 microwave bowl potholders - sewed up a scarf and put borders on a scrappy quilt that I have had hanging in my to do closet for ages.

Pieced the back and quilted it this morning.




Just warmed myself a bowl of soup using my little potholder - now its time to load a customer quilt (yes Kelli for you).




Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Knitting & Quilting

I have found a new passion - at least for a while anyway.

Between quilting for customer quilt I have been working on my knitting practice pieces.

The quilt is semi custom and during breaks I picked up the knitting needles. Accomplishing both projects without skipping a beat.





Annette Vance put together this gorgeous quilt and I got to do the quilting!!!!!

Cute?  Now to buy more yarn and make some for all the heads I know LOLOLOLOLOLOL!

These are going to a cute little granddaughter  of a friend.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

A Little of This A Little of That

Just one of those days keeping myself busy.

Made another table mat (yes Donna you get this one)

reverse side


Ky came over this afternoon so she could do some sewing.  While she sewed on my domestic, I loaded and quilted my newest pattern "Knot Garden"

Ready for the binding and this one is done!





In addition I stopped at friends house today after getting my hair colored and she gave me some knitting needles and some yarn to practice on.  I going to try knitting again.  Haven't done it since the 80's.  Starting small making a head band.



And tonight....... while watching Revenge I will finish the binding on the Baby Bud wall hanging.

I think that pretty much fills a day, don't you?

Saturday, January 11, 2014

TABLE SCRAPS

I intend to leave these scraps on the table:

Left over pieces and ends from the hand dyed fabrics wall hanging:


Reversible -  flip flop depending on my mood.

And......... I still have more ends and pieces to do another one hehehehehehehe.

Who has more fun with scraps?

You dont need yards and yards of fabrics to make something beautiful as many of you already know.

Although it is fun to have yards and yards of fabrics too.

Whenever I make a new quilt or wall hanging I'm always thinking what to do with those extra ends cut offs and small pieces.

Some I pass along to other scrappy quilters and some I keep for myself.

These (sorry Donna) I'm keeping - but not to worry there are more extra pieces that will be used.




Friday, January 10, 2014

Transformation

Remember these?.......

Well here is what I did with some of these fabrics.......


48x48

the backing I had in my stash -  don't have a clue why I bought it but I had several yards - and that is why you extra fabrics - you just never know when you are gonna need it
Started piecing this the other day and finished this morning, including the quilting just have to put on the binding and its ready to be shipped to SIL Donna Kallner   www.donnakallner.com


Love the way this turned    And!!!! I still have more of her fabulous fabrics to play with

Wait until you see what I'm doing with the scraps from this project




Wednesday, January 8, 2014

DA BEAR!

Have to admit this is one beautiful football quilt - DA BEARS - Karla did another excellent job.




Tuesday, January 7, 2014

SCORE!!!!

Customer Karla Nitz really scored when she made this fabulous Badger quilt.

She requested a stitching design with footballs, so I used a panto by Patricia Ritter ( http://urbanelementz.com/ ) called Touchdown - how appropriate!