Floating Stars 2013, 2014, 2015

Yes another quilt that took more time than expected -

Started the piecing of Floating Stars in 2013 - finished 2014 and finally as of this evening - quilted 2015

What took so long?   Number one its a 96x96

Number 2 Once I had the inner top pieced - I prolonged adding borders - my least favorite part of making a quilt.

FS hung in my quilt closet for over a year before adding the dreaded borders.

Another 6 months to decide how I wanted to quilt it.

Number 3, I must have changed my mind at least 6 times.  Once I had quilted the customer quilt yesterday with a new stitch design,  that I created - I knew this was the design for FS.

It took almost all day to do this but oh so happy with the results.

yeah I know its 2015 but split the difference because the quilt was actually finished piecing  2014

I really should name this stitch because it will be used again and again love the way it looks on a quilt

Anybody got any ideas for a name for the stitching?  Would appreciate helping me give it a name.

Log Cabin Endless Possibilities

Log Cabin blocks are a favorite of many quilters and there is no lack of ways to put a quilt together using this traditional block.

Curious I wanted to know when quilters first started using this pattern, and to my surprise its dated even farther back than what I had thought.

Found a great article on line http://www.womenfolk.com/quilt_pattern_history/logcabin.htm

Today I finished a quilt for one of my customers and she (like Kylee) used the log cabin block in a Trip Around The World pattern.

Free motion quilting swirls curls and feathers

Kylee was going to originally use this layout but chose her "modern" log cabin lay out instead.

Like I said there are endless possibilities using the Log Cabin Block.

Kylee and Her Quilt

Yesterday was another sew day with Kylee and this time she got her lesson on LAing her own quilt.

We loaded the pattern the day before and I let her follow along with the laser light without running the machine so she could get a feel on how it worked.

Pulled out bobbing and thread turned it on and again let her run the machine to hear it and feel it while following the pattern.

Finally we both felt comfortable enough to let her have a go at actually quilting.

She told me she was not a fan of this part of the quilting process.  That is only because she wants everything to be perfect and she felt her stitching was not perfect.

I know exactly the feelings she was having - I so remember my first attempts at using the long arm.  I took out more stitches than I put in because a line went off - or a stitched crossed over another one etc etc.

For her first time I think her work was pretty darn good.  Were there mistakes, yes.  Could it have been better, yet.  But was it awful NO - like I said pretty darn good for a 14 year old newbie quilter.

I thought I had picked (and she also picked the same panto) that would be the easiest for her.

May have been wrong there, many of my quilting friends thought this was a most difficult panto to use because of the straight lines turning into a curve.

Maybe we should have used one with more curls and swirls - either way I'm really happy, for her, with the end results.

Granted she isn't ready to take over the business from grandma just yet hehehehhehehe, but its a start.

IF I can get her to try it again that is - she said she isn't ready to do this again for a while.

Sew Day At Loose Threads - Strip Club

Yes those stripping girls are at it again.


A fun sewing day at Loose Threads quilt shop Milton, WI -   The "strip club" girls met for a day of sewing and pot luck.


Making quilts from strips

Our mission make charity quilts with 2.5" strips -  Strips were provided by the members of the strip club various fabrics were supplied.

Working as teams groups - we were challenged to make laps size quilts to be given to a charity.  There were 4 on my team and we worked from 9am to 4pm breaking only for food  (where there are quilters there is pot luck)

Well there were a few cookie coffee breaks as well, but you cant have sewing without nourishment.  There is never a lack of food or variety when asked to bring for a pot luck.  We do have to keep our strength up you know.  

There is more exercises in quilting than most people realize

Working diligently in our little groups we manage to get 7 tops completed ( our group actually made 4 - 3 completed and one went home with one of us to finish.

I will get the finished quilt top pictures at the next meeting when hopefully they will be quilted and ready for the binders to do their job.  (I will quilt one or two of them for the group)

Mary Kay our leader and owner of the quilt shop - she makes the sew days so fun and entertaining in addition to supplying us with a large sew room, use of kitchen and additional helping hands with some of the girls that work there. 

It was a fun day but exhausting.  Its not easy sewing, talking eating with friends for 6 hours believe me.

And Then There Were None

4 UFOs received - 4 finished

2 yesterday and 2 today

Wee morning hours loaded and quilted the easy wall hanging for my customer

And then.....................................  I knew the next one was going to take much more time than the others due to the way I wanted to quilt it

Saving the best or most time consuming for last!

The challenge - buttons were sewn onto the top before it was quilted.  Which really wasn't a big problem - its not like they were spread out all around - I was able to work around them quite easily.

At least by the time I was finished with this one I was really getting comfortable with my rulers.

You know what they say practice practice practice and I am certainly getting plenty of practice the past 2 days.

OK OK Just One More Today

Couldnt resist doing this table runner today

NOW Im done for the day!

Sometimes Its Just Fun!

Like this one for instance:

Last night at guild one of the members handed me a bag of small quilts for me to quilt for her.  No expectations - no special instructions - do what I may 

Custom quilting is a lot of work, but can also be fun - just to see what the final piece looks like.

I'm not as artistic as some quilters but when I quilt to my strengths I can come up with a pretty exciting and attractive piece.

This one I'm loving.  Everything went smoothly (for a change)  

Getting so much more comfortable with the pro line rulers by Lisa Calle - one of the best purchases from Houston this year.

Even though I tend to get somewhat tense using them  (fear of hitting the needle on the ruler) by the end of a piece like this one - I'm relaxing and enjoying the process.    

Concentration is a necessity - you don't want to have your mind and your hands going off in the wrong direction. 

There are 3 more pieces to do but after the work that goes into just one of these - I'm thinking I should take a break and not push it.

Although, I'm excited to tackle another one - maybe do the easier of the 3 - table runner which I think would look just as nice just stippled.  

A Little of This A Little of That

Here I go again - never a dull moment for me

Just this week I did the quilting for 2 identical baby quilts for a customer  - twin boys (who will be coming into a family that already has twin girls)

There was no need to take a second picture  - like I said identical


Next on the agenda this week I worked on my guild challenge quilt - not due until July but you know there is no reason to wait until the last second.

I'm trying do decide if I want a solid border or scrappy border - the inner top is complete - and once I make a decision on the borders it will be ready for quilting.   NOTE:  2 years ago in Houston I purchased a ruler to make star sashings.  At long last I braved the new world adding the star sashings.  It took some time. Certainly its not like just cutting and adding strips of fabric between blocks, but oh so glad I took on the extra work.   Really loving the added feature that it adds to the quilt.

After completing the sewing around noon - took a break for lunch - knowing I had a guild meeting tonight I wanted to bring along another show and tell -  in addition to my birthday block quilt.

So....... quickly this afternoon I loaded a quilt and yes even managed to get it quilted in time to take a shower and get ready for guild

Mind you the binding is not on this yet but no matter it came along with me for the meeting

Free motion leaves

This fabric was purchased during my vacation with my friends this past June - Nettie loved the fabrics but didn't buy them.  She convinced me I should and so I did.


Once I started working on it (although I love the quilt for myself) I decided I would give this to my dear friend Nettie.

Many years ago I made her a quilt for her birthday and she uses it daily for her afternoon naps or when she isn't feeling well - just about anytime it suits her to cuddle with her quilt.   Now she has a 2nd one to change off and on as the mood fits

Remember its a SECRET so don't go telling her before I get the chance to bring it to her.

It feels so good to be actually completing some of the projects that I had on my "too do:" list.

Lets not forget I also pieced together a quilt for another friend. - quilting is on hold until the backing and batting is purchased but you can have a look at the top

Whew looking back at this past week and past few days - I really have gotten quite a few projects completed.

See what you can do when you dont have a social life hehehehehehehehe!

Habitat For Humanity

A very worthy cause indeed.

One of my friends/customer Karla Nitz, made a raffle quilt  for this good cause -  I offered to quilt it and now its completed.

I truly hope this raises a lot of money for "Habitat"  - 

While quilting this my thoughts go to the reason this quilt has been made and I'm proud to be the one to send it on its way.

If you notice the quilt is made with Bucky Badger fabric, so of course I quilted using "Touchdown" panto.  A perfect panto I would say.  

Some lucky person will eventually win this quilt and take it home.

Should have asked Karla where to buy a ticket, I wouldn't mind winning this myself.

And It Only Took A Year

Hehehehehe -  do you remember the Birthday Block swap that a group of us started January of 2013 -  I know its 2015 now but you have to remember My birthday is Nov so it took all of 2013 to get my blocks.


Ta da!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  My quilt is done

I absolutely LOVE THIS quilt 

Especially when each block was made by a friend -  Cant tell you how much these girls mean to me.

Met them on line through www.connectedthreadz.com  -   Yes the same bunch that I meet in Houston when ever we can make it.

Not everyone makes it to Houston all at the same time, but we are in touch daily with each other from all over the states and other countries.

This group of quilters and sewers are the most supportive - informative - sweetest people you can imagine.

I wouldn't trade their friendship for anything.   

Thanks my CT Thriendz - I will cherish this quilt forever!

5 Minute Blocks

One of my customers "Vicki Zarnick" from IN - sent me this top to quilt for her.

After opening the top I found windmills but they were open like little pockets.

I just had to look up the pattern - you tubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIxl3af3lzY Fun to watch but oh how to quilt it????


Its simply would not work with a simple Edge to Edge pattern - so instead I custom quilted it.

I enjoyed watching her video so much saved it to favorites and plan a future Cathedral Window quilt using her technique