Halloween Quilt

My friend, Debra sent me some Halloween embroideries last Tuesday which I used in this quilt:

I don't think I've ever finished anything so quickly. I worked on it every spare minute, had to go out of town Thursday and half a day Friday. It certainly is not a perfect creation but I love it: the colors, the funky embroideries and the primitive feel of it.

Georgia Quilt Show

The Georgia Quilt Show - photos were taken with my phone because I forgot to take my camera, then my phone started dying on me.  I thought the quality and diversity were very good this year.  There were lots of beautiful applique, some traditionally pieced quilts, and yet a number of modern quilts. Something for everyone - not a huge number but the quality was quite good,I thought.

Lots of detail in this quilt.

This quilt was heavily embellished.

I loved this whimsical applique.

I'm sorry that I do not have the quilters' names and titles of the pieces. This quilt was particularly amazing for all the detail and tiny applique pieces.

"Frugally Sustainable"

You know what's fun? Finding interesting and really useful ways to save money. I hate buying cleaners and have used white vinegar to clean lots of things, like the oven hood, the floors, etc. I found this great website, Frugally Sustainable, where I get great information and links to other blogs which have ingenious suggestions, recipes, and hints on using common, everyday stuff you probably already have or buy to clean and cook. I'm not a penny pincher by any means but I do get a kick out of finding ways to save money. And if I can save money on cleaning and cooking, it gives me more cash to by FABRIC.
:-)

Today there's a blog hop over there and you'll find dozens of useful website. I just started Weight Watchers a few weeks ago and this recipe for home made ice "cream" got me all excited. I started thinking of substitutes and variations and calculating points in my head immediately. So I'm about to go freeze some bananas so we can have this stuff with our Independence Day dinner tonight!

UFO Progress

The final applique block for my 2013 UFO completion project. I still have a few pieces to add - a final layer of dimensional flowers.

Mother's Day we went to Chastain Park

to an Arts Festival.

I had pizza.

Then we drove through Buckhead and looked at the beautiful, 

if somewhat excessive

"houses.:

2013 UFO Progress

Here's block three of the four I needed to complete a long dormant UFO:

As I said on Tuesday Stitchers, the colors are a lot more vibrant in the photo than in reality. Besides, the older blocks have some fairly intense colors like this so this will actually be fine in the overall project.

Meanwhile, the weekend was a wash, in several contexts. I pulled out a couple of my old quilts that  are really worn and started trying to repair them. Here is one:

a log cabin that's probably 35 years old and much loved. T When my aunts made this quilt, I think they used both 100% cottons and some blends..  There are many pieces like this and some much worse. In fact, I had to remove a couple of blocks that need to be replaced. This was hand quilted, so it was fairly easy to pick out the stitches and remove the badly deteriorated blocks. Here, I appliqued a piece over the one that is worn out. For the larger ones, I'll have to make new blocks and applique onto the quilt. The batting in those areas needs replacing, too. Re-quilting those areas will be challenging! I don't know if this is the "right" way to repair quilts or not. 

Here's the next and final block needed to complete the 20 something year old UFO that's been stashed for so long:

I may replace some of those flat flowers with ruched ones because I love the texture so much.

Creating More UFOs

This won't be a UFO for long:

Working on a deliberately scrappy baby quilt for my niece. I tried very hard not to put two like fabrics together but it was almost impossible. This will get a border and I want to do a scalloped edge. This is a special quilt for a special baby!

UFO Progress

Completed first of four additional applique blocks for the UFO I am finishing up for 2013. 

I love doing the dimensional applique, and I'm really glad I stuck with it for this quilt. Nothing else seemed to work for me.

Also: here are three little quilts for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Iniative. These may be the final three I get done before they shut down this year. Hopefully they will sell either online or at Houston.

I was trying to think of something else to do to the little patchwork on the left but my daughter said,  "leave it, Mom. Sometimes simple is best." So since I was tired to thinking about it, I took her advice.

I may get one or two more finished but I doubt it.I am putting all my sewing energy into completing as many UFOs as possible, I have a baby quilt to do, some stuff to get done by May for the Bassett Hound Rescue fundraiser (I don't have bassets but my sister in law does), and I need to do A LOT of garment sewing for myself and my sister in law. I have a huge pile of new fabric to work my way through. Not complaining - sewing is my therapy. I just wish I had more time to do more of it.

This week: Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell Thursday night at the Cobb Energy Center. I've been a devoted Emmylou Harris fan for 40 years or more - I bought her very first album and I have listened to few other artsts in recent years. This is the first time I've seen her in concert so I'm really excited.

Finishing Up A Challenge

I got involved in Michele's Mug Rug Swap because I haven't done a swap in a long time,  they're kind of fun, and I've had the urge to do a few mug rugs for gifts. But of course I realized yesterday that the deadline was looming and I'd better get busy. Working on these meant I didn't get my applique block finished for the UFO I'm working. 

DD#1 made this cute back out of a sweater she picked up at Good will.  I think it's cute.

Back to the Passover preparations. Already my back is killing me. 

I've moved my blogs to Bloglovin'. I hope you'll follow me.

Redirecting the UFO

Taking another look at the UFO I've determined to finish this year - the CQ blocks just would not come together for me. I decided to do four more appliques from Mimi Dietrich's book Baltimore Bouquets. I started the first block last night - a simple wreath in colors that coordinate with those I've already done.

These four appliques will go in the middle of each side with a block in between. Whether that will be plain or pieces or embroidered, I haven't decided yet.

I still have to make a quilt for my niece who is expecting in July. Of this year. 

A Haul from the Sewing Expo

I haven't had a chance to post about the great time my sister in law and I had at the Sewing Expo when it was in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. We made quite a haul:

To be honest, not all of that is from the show. I ordered some from Gorgeous Fabrics, but mostof what you see there was from Vogue Fabrics. They had a good selection this year and it was hard to control myself from going completely crazy.  

Obviously I have my work cut out for me but it's something I love to do, as long as it's for my family or myself. The last thing on earth I would ever do is sew for money. Been there, done that - once, and that was it.   I'd take in washing and ironing first.

Have a great week!

CQ2013 - New Directions

This quilt has become a challenge. The colors are different from those I normally use. Here I've put up some different fat quarters in those colors. I think they coordinate well but will they overwhelm the applique if I put them in CQ blocks?

Any thoughts?

CQ 2013

 Beginning CQ 2013 project using some very old UFO appliques. These are based on Mimi Dietrich's book Baltimore Beauties. These blocks have a lot of dimensional applique. The original intent was to do four blocks for each season.  The plan now, based on suggestions from my Tuesday Stitchers group, is - as you can see - to use 4 blocks for the center, add a border to make it 27" square. That will allow me to make 12 9" CQ blocks for the sides, top, and bottom and the remaining four appliqued blocks will become the corners.






This is one of the CQ blocks I've been working on. My concern is that it is too dark although I love the rich colors.

Suggestions and comments are welcome!

Valentine Day Pop-Up Card

What a terrific idea!

Beautiful Quilt

Wow, take a look at this beautiful quilt.

CQJP 2012- Finished

The Wednesday Quilters

In memory of my mother & her sisters:

Gladys Fields

Peggy Singley

Nell Miller

Emma Hughes

Polly Morris

Ella Mae Hawkins

The sisters met on Wednesdays at Gladys's house where she had her quilting frames set up on her back porch.  I quit working full time after my first daughter was born and Allison and I became regulars. A few years later Elizabeth came along. Two of my cousins had joined the group and it became an old fashioned sewing bee - quilting, sewing, embroidering - and lots of coffee and good things to eat and conversation. The gatherings continued until the sisters had to move from their homes of 50 or more years. They had lived in the neighborhood since the 1930's, and all but one sister built their homes there after they married. 

I have many very happy memories of those days and I'm happy to have this to pass on to my daughters to remember these good strong women.