Bow ties

I LOVE my bow ties!!!

They are so cute! So little!! I laid them out. There is 36 here. There are some duplicates but not many, but believe no triples.

I wasn't sure how I would like the purple on purple blocks, but I think they still pop.

I'm linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly pieced

I am also linking up with building block tuesday.

Block received

I actually have three blocks that I received.  The first is from Agnes who was my November partner.

The second is from Ida who is my January partner.  I told myself I couldn't open Ida's until I got her quilt block done! And since her block is done, I could finally open the letter!

 The third is from Debra. She was my partner in May. This was the original kitty she made me, but it got lost. And finally made it this way.

I just love how all my kitties are coming together! I guess I should think of something else, otherwise I will have a REALLY big quilt of kitties :) which is ok with me! I might take some and make a wall hanging!

Please feel free to join!

Fun blocks

This block was an interesting one! I chose it for a few reasons.  1) I loved the name (Joseph's coat, ie coat of many colors, I actually did this different than the pattern, the pattern used a few colors, I really wanted to make it look like Joseph's coat!) 2) it used triangles, which I am still working on using.  For the most part when I use triangles I do them as HSTs, and I could have done this for this block, but I thought I would try something different :)


I am quite proud of myself because I got most of the triangles to match up, I just have a few that didn't! I have some extra triangles, because when I made this, I tried to not put duplicates, and looking right now I only see two!

Getting into my sewing room has been difficult lately! I have two blocks for the swap I am in to finish (eeks! five days!) and I want to work more on my log cabins I have.  But school has been busy, and my husband and I have been traveling, which makes it hard to sew.

School project

A family friends' son was doing a project for school. Their son chose to do a quilt block. So they came to me for help. I brought some fabric over (that his grandma had given me!) After C picked out his fabrics, his mom noted that she had actually had some clothes made out of that fabric when she was younger!  How neat is that!

Here is the young man sewing it. I drew a straight line at 1/4" for him to have a straight line.

Here are all the rows put together, he is sewing the front to the back.  If we wouldn't have been hand sewing then I probably would have had him put some binding on it.

Here is the finished pillow!  The only thing I helped with, was the quilting (tacking) on the front side. Also instead of teaching him to do a slip stitch (this was his first project!) we just stitched on the front.  I think he did a WONDERFUL job!

Children of Israel

This block was interesting. No squares. I cut out all the pieces for this. I must admit I was quite worried. But it was a lot easier to do then I thought.

I used one of my mini design boards (which I shared here). Having the board helped me lay it out!

Like the block I posted last week my husband helped me choose the colors. He was spot on with the blue I think!

Log cabin

I have decided to make a log cabin quilt.  This one is going to be scrappy, but one side will be blacks and the other whites.  Of course this was all I could get done so far, because I don't have much black! 

Goals check-in

It's been about month since I posted my goals, so I thought I would check in to them (here).

1. Well I have posted in my blog 17 times since January.  So I think I might have this one in the bag ;)

2. I have three quilts started as gifts. my new string quilt So I need to decide the other 3 :)

3. I haven't tried a quilt pattern from a book, but I have tried some squares.  And I bought another book! (what was I thinking?!)

Garden of Eden

I've actually made this block before, but that was with half square triangles. This one I made a square in a square.

My husband helped me decide on the colors!  I think he did well with the blue!

Quilt cam

Bonnie Hunter does a quilt cam randomly at night (and occasionally on the weekends).  Tonight I was able to watch.  I like watching because I feel like I am sewing with someone else.  Since I don't have a lot of people to sew with.

Here is my set up.  I am working on a string quilt and the wonky log cabin.

Once I got a bunch done I moved tables to trim.  Minnie decided she wanted to watch quilt cam with me!

Here are two of my string blocks.  I have a few more finished but I didn't get the paper removed.

I am linking up to Cat patches NewUFO (my string quilt)

Wonky log cabin

This is going to be a christmas present, and I have shared a few pictures already.  But some of my blocks have gotten big enough that I was able to cut them 9.5 inches.

I have heard from some people that they used black sashing.  I know it's only three blocks, but I kind of like them butted up against each other.  I have thought about making some that were half and half. But we shall see what happens when I get more done.  Right now I have two of each color. Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, orange, purple, brown, black.  I might end up adding a "white" as one of the blocks.

I am linking up to Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

Football

I'm not a huge sports fan. But my husband & many of his friends are. Our pastor likes the (Chicago) Bears but his wife likes the (Indianapolis) Colts. So when I found two pieces of fleece at Joann's, one bears one colts I had to buy it! (Ok it was actually my husbands suggestion!)

I didn't use batting but to quilt it I stitched diagonal lines.

Local Quilt shop day

Today was local quilt shop day.  It is hosted by http://www.quiltshopday.com/.  They have asked bloggers to profile their local shops, why they are important and what the shop means to them.  If you would like to see the other bloggers that are involved you can find them here.  I know I am a little late to the party, but work has been crazy busy, I've been spending time with my husband and not had time to blog!

I wasn't able to go the shop today because it snowed (gotta love lake effect snow!).  But I am still going to talk about the shop that I love.  I was introduced to Needle & Thread in 2009.  I visited occasionally, mainly because it's a half an hour away.  I found out this year that they have a long arm to rent, and since then I have been going more recently.  I have wanted a long arm machine for years, but they are quite expensive, and I am so thankful to have the chance to rent one from Needle & Thread.

The ladies that work at Needle & Thread are so friendly and helpful, they will help me with any problems that I might be having, whether it's about thread color or talking about different techniques.  I am hoping to be able to sign up for one of their classes they have soon.

What's your favorite quilt shop like?!

Block swap - January

For the month of January my partner was Donna, at justduckeeoriginals.com.  She sent me this ADORABLE kitty!

The purples are wonderful!

She asked for dutchmans puzzle in blues with a white background.

I had a few extra batiks, so I decided to use those :)

It's not too late to join (even for the February swap!)  

Devils puzzle - fun blocks

This block is called devils puzzle. I really should have done it with flying geese, but I would rather do HSTs.

I am going to call these my fun blocks. Just blocks I've wanted to try.

I love how this one kind of looks like a pinwheel but also arrows!

And here is a picture of the back, I was able to get the baby pinwheel!

Bow ties

Well after sewing tiny squares on to slightly larger squares many many times I took some time to cut the excess and then ironed them all and paired them with their match.

So for now instead of sewing tiny squares to slightly larger squares, I'm sewing two squares together.

And since I am SO excited I decided to just throw some full bow tie blocks together.

I am linking up to Work in Progress Wednesday at freshly pieced!

I feel famous!

So I had someone that said they wanted to see some finished pictures of the quilts I have done on the long arm, because they had seen them on the website, well I thought they were talking about my jacobs ladder quilt, which is posted here on their long arm page.

They said no not that one.  It's the one on the front page!  I thought I had looked all over, but I missed it! 

I haven't been able to share pictures of these quilts yet, cause I have been busy with family at Christmas, and now school back is in session, but I didn't have school work to do this weekend, so I finished some things and working on some quilts that I am planning to give as gifts this year. 

Wonky log cabin

A few years ago after making my string X quilt, I posted in the yahoo group, stash busters asking about ideas to use up strings.

I received many good ideas, but I decided I would make wonky log cabin blocks. I am doing them by color.

You can tell which scraps I have less of ;) those blocks are quite smaller. I think I will make them 9" square.

Would you sash them?

I am linking up to Soscrappy's rainbow scrap challenge!

Block swap adventure

I went to the mail on Wednesday and look what I found waiting for me!

Cute little kitty!! I love the tail! and I am not sure if you can tell but it has buttons for eyes! Isn't that adorable?!

Block swap adventure!

I have talked about Block Swap Adventure a few times last year.  I joined in May or June.  And I have received some AWESOME blocks since I joined!  I have also tried out a few new blocks for my swap partners.  It's very easy to join.  If you're interested click the block (it's a link to the blog) and you will find the information needed to send an email to the moderator!





I have enjoyed being a member SO much! I have met some great quilters, I have also been introduced to some new quilt blocks that I definitely wouldn't have tried on my own!

I have posted blocks as I have received them, but I decided to take a picture of all the blocks I have together.

The one on the top left is my fat cats block.  In the bottom left that is my kitty Pepé. I think the only thing I am unsure about is going to be what to do for the sashing.  I have thought about a black.  cause another purple might be too much.  but we shall see what happens when I get a few more!

Fat cats!

Well I finally did it! I used my fat cats ruler!

This is my first block!  My ears aren't that even.

I had a little bit of a learning curve, similar to putting equilateral triangles together, I want to match up line for line.  But if you don't do it right, this happens:

One side lined up, the other didn't! I trimmed it a little bit, so it was ok. I am making a few others and playing with it still.  I have an idea for a wall hanging that wouldn't necessarily involve quilting but would be cute for a cat lover! And I think I might finally have a use for all the cat fabric I have been hoarding! I can use it for the kitty bodies!  We shall see if that is what I end up doing!