Best husband!

My husband & I are spending the weekend in Seattle. He asked what I wanted to do. I said I was up for anything, but that I would like to visit a quilt shop. So he found one near where we were staying

It was one of the largest quilt shops I've ever been to. 

It was called the quilt barn. http://www.quiltbarn.com/about_us

Then while we were in pikes place I found another quilt shop

Under cover quilts!! http://www.undercoverquilts.com

I was quite excited!! I bought fabric at both places. 

Pressing board

With my new sewing room I had my ironing board in a different place.

I have had this since 2001 when I went to college. I recovered it in 2010, and it still has that fabric on it, but it's quite dingy.  Where I had put it was kind of behind my chair so I could turn around to use it.  But it was just slightly longer than the table I used.

(I put it right next to the purple drawers).  Since it was longer than the table, occasionally the chair would bump into it, and move the ironing board and often times knock over my iron!  I found a tutorial make your own pressing board, and I have seen many tutorials, but it was never necessary for me to use one.  Since I needed one now, I found a tutorial online.

I couldn't find the sound board that she talked about.  But found this pressed plywood, which is three layers of plywood with something between it.  So I sanded it.  My husband wanted me to use two types of sanding, a courser and finer ones.

I was in a hotel when I did this (glad I did since it was messy and big!) batting and top laid out.

 

Here it is laid out in my room!  yes I still use my tiny iron. 

 

Minnie LOVES it!! I love that she is able to sit there while I iron.  She's not in my way.  I can also fit a 12" block on it!! (I could barely do that on my other one).  I LOVE this so much!!!

Finished tops!

Top #1

 I think this picture shows the colors the best.

Top #2 this one I didn't take as many progress pictures because it was the last one I did and it came together pretty quick.

Top #3 this was one of my favorites of the 4, you can see so many different kinds of fabrics.

 This isn't the FULL top, but close enough.  I love how the star points turned out!

(and these are finish #6, #7, #8 & #9!!!)

I am linking to link a finish Friday!!! 

Teaser pictures!

Here are the 4 quilts laid out with the labels showing.

And I downloaded a new app that allows you to put pictures together.  And so I put the 4 quilts together in one picture.

Long arm part deux

Here are two pictures of me long arming one of the memory quilts.  I like the first shot because you can see the backing I chose.

 Here you can see the long arm.  Gosh I am so in love with those machines!

Quilting

My original goal had been to finish the four quilts before school started.  Well I wasn't able to do that. But I was pretty close!

Here is one quilt on the long arm.

I just did a meander.  You can kind of see it is here.

 And I outlined some of the designs.

Test block

I am making a quilt that I wanted to include this block (Star Glow) in.  But I wanted to make a test block, since this one is so intricate!  I am glad I did.  I don't know what I will be using this block for.  But I love the pattern!

Lake house

I know I posted about going to a lake cabin with my in-laws. I had to work in the memory quilts, so I brought them along, and was SO excited to sew out on the porch with a lake view.  

It was very cool, until the bugs started biting.  So I actually wasn't outside too long!

laying out blocks

This was the first quilt I started, because of the star points and borders.  It was tough to do at home because I needed room to lay it out.  I joined some Indiana quilters at a quilt shop in Greenwood (Indianapolis) and was able to use the large tables to lay it out.

 These were a little easier, but I still wanted to make sure I had enough.  It took a lot!!

 

This one didn't take as much, because I used the same squares as above.

Woohoo!!

How exciting! I entered a contest and won!! And it was a great give away!

Nann had posted her 10 quilty little secrets.  Then asked us to post some of ours in a comment.

I will post my 10 here.

1. I bind 100% by machine, I do do the mitered corners, they aren't always pretty (the corners)

2. I buy fabric at Jo-Ann's. BUT only if it's on sale. They do actually have some quality stuff.

3. I dislike paying full price, but will at quilt shops because I like to help local businesses.

4. If I find a pattern I like I will also try to recreate it. If you look at my turtle quilt, that is very similar (but not the same) as the ones that one of the quilting magazines came out with.

5. I never prewash.  I always use a shout color catcher when I do wash.

6. I buy fabric because I like it.  I have recently been trying to only buy it for a specific project.  But more so I try to decide if it's a light or a dark and how it would look in a scrappy quilt.

7. I use a mini iron on an ironing board my mom bought me when I went to college (13 years ago) I have recovered the ironing board.

8. I used to be a pinner, I would pin everything all the time, but as I have gotten more adept I don't pin unless I really really want to make sure things line up.

9. I sew over pins.  I have had a few bend, but really haven't had many other issues.

10. I have made quilts for everyone in my "immediate" family, but my sister has gotten the most she has received 3.  But she's the only one that asks for them.  Other than that I make what I like.

Memory quilts

I was commissioned by a friend to make memory quilts for her and her three girls. Her husband/their dad died in November of last year.  I of course said yes, this woman and I had been quite close at one point.  (moving is difficult)

I searched the internet for memory quilts, I knew I wanted four different quilts, and I had been given a variety of fabrics.  There were tee-shirts, jeans, suit coats, boxers, dress shirts and even some shoes! (which I managed to incorporate) I started a board on pinterest.

Here are the four quilts I drew inspiration from (each picture is a link to the original):

I have shared pictures of interfacing the fabrics.  There was a lot to interface. Then the cutting.

Design Wall monday

I have started sewing some of the rows together!  I am getting excited to finish! Now to find a backing!

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday.