RESOLUTION CLUB

After finishing my sister's quilt, I completely neglected my blog.  I have LOTS of projects going on, but few are completed.  Time to buckle down and get some projects completed.  Easier said then done, right?  We all have so much going on in our lives.  I could list all of it, but you all know the list.

So what will I do to get those unfinished projects completed?  I joined a club at my many-times named, favorite shop, Piece By Piece called the "Resolution Club."  Joining fee is $10.  For that $10 you get one Saturday a month of uninterrupted open sewing at the shop, snacks, social time, and help and inspiration, if needed.  Upon submission of your fee, you must also submit a list of five projects to be completed by year's end.  COMPLETED.  The project, if a quilt, must be quilted and bound to be considered completed.  At the end of the year there will be a social where we will show off our finished projects and celebrate our accomplishments!! 

I sort of took the cheater's way out.  I have T-shirt quilts to complete for graduation gifts and put them on my list.  I also volunteered to do a T-shirt quilt for the 20th anniversary of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Scenic Shore 150 bike ride.  Tim does this ride every year and the quilt will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the charity. 

So, here's my list:

1.  Erin's T-shirt quilt
2.  Robyn's T-shirt quilt
3.  Anna's T-shirt quilt
4.  Leukemia & Lymphoma Society T-shirt quilt
5.  Morley S. Moose wall hanging

Ok, so the last one looks like it doesn't belong, right.  EXACTLY!!  I wanted to do something completely different from the other projects and something I could complete on my own without taking it to the quilter. 

I have the top of Erin's T-shirt quilt done.  Erin is a friend of a friend who wanted a t-shirt quilt made from her college sorority t-shirts sadly hanging out in a drawer. 

Just this morning this went off the the quilter, who informed me that there are 20 quilts ahead of this one.  This pattern is out of the You Did What??? With my T-Shirt!   Great book.  Lots of ideas and patterns.  I will be making the other three t-shirt quilts from the same book.

I hope to not neglect my blog so much . . . Until next time.

My Sister and I

My Sister and I

My sister, Dale Walker, is an artist.  I should restate . . . She is an amazing, talented and beautiful artist.  

This is a Pegasus she drew in 1984.  I'm sorry if my picture doesn't do it justice, but the detail and the creative flare she brings to her art amazes me.  She loves horses and I used to watch her draw when we were growing up and envy the beauty she could put on a piece of paper.  Even when we were little, I was always amazed at how she could even color better than I could.  Her Barbie coloring book was always way more beautiful than mine.

So, when Dale asked me to make something for her using the my art of quilting, I was proud, honored and very anxious to try to create something very beautiful for her.  I so wanted to impress my big sister.

Dale fell in love with the artist, Laurel Burch when I made her a small lap quilt.  When Dale and her husband, Charlie purchased a horse trailer with living quarters, she asked if I could make her a quilt using Laurel Burch fabric if she supplied the fabric.  YES!!  What quilter doesn't love the fabric being supplied and knowing exactly what your finished project will be used for? 

Soon Dale started shipping fabric.  And more fabric.  And more fabric.  And more.  I had enough fabric cover the State of Texas with a quilt!!  What fun this would be.  I took inventory of the miles of fabric Dale purchased and started looking around for a pattern I liked.  Nothing really jumped out at me.  She wanted the quilt to center around a specific panel she loved and I couldn't find any pattern that I liked to suit the panel.  There was only one solution and that was to come up with my own design.

I started with the panel as the center and decided to build out from there.  The horses need a pasture, so outside the panel is a border and a flying geese block because to me the horses looked as though they wanted to fly right off the fabric.  Then came the hard part.  Dale sent me fabric that wasn't just brights, but also fabrics that had subtle tones that I needed to work into the quilt.  I solved that problem by putting the olive green in with the bright purple flying geese.  I liked the progress, pinned it up on my design wall and waited for more inspiration.  Those horses spoke to me.

I had a beautiful large print that I felt needed to be sent on point.  It seemed to me that these horses were so beautiful that you would want to try to cage them, so the split rail block worked well.  I broke up the split rail because you realize something so beautiful can't be penned.  But something needed to stand guard as a Sentry to these horses. 

Beautiful embroidered horses to watch each side of the fence.  Blocks on the outside showing flying horses and a border of more brights.  I loved it.  I stood back and tried to decide whether I should pay my sister for all the fabric she sent or send her the quilt.  But I didn't feel like I was done.  Remember, Dale sent me this MOUNTAIN of fabric and I still had a foothill left.

So she got two throw pillows.  I had small scraps left over from the quilt and made prairie point pillows.  Didn't use much fabric there so . . .

Gotta have pillow shams for your quilt.  That used up quite a bit of fabric, but I still had more.  Not only did I have more, but I also had so many beautiful Laurel Burch embroidery designs that I hadn't used so . . .

Pillow cases.  Six different horses on each pillow case, although you only see 3 here.  Still had fabric.  I know what you're thinking and no I didn't make sheets!!

But I made a bag!!  I thought this would work good as an overnight bag or for whatever she would like to use it for. 

I decided that I would have the quilt appraised so that Dale could see that her fabric money was well spent.  Dancing Horses appraised at $2,200.  I packed everything and shipped it to California.  I was so sad that I couldn't see her open the box, but her repeated "Oh My God" told me she loved her quilt.  Enjoy Dale.  Love you.

 

American Quilt of Valor

AMERICAN QUILT OF VALOR

The Quilt of Valor of Foundation is a wonderful organization that provides handmade quilts to American servicemen and their families that have been touched by war.  You really must check out their website at qofv.org.  Make sure you go and check out all that this organization does for those in our military and their families.

During QFL (Quilting Football League) at my local quilt shop, Piece by Piece, we decided that our project this year would be to make a Quilt of Valor for this organization.  Kathy Schmidt, Brenda McFaul, Vicki Verbrick and I all pitched in to piece this quilt together with Marcus Fabrics American Valor Fabrics collection. 

The pattern for this quilt was downloaded from the Marcus Fabrics website.  In one evening, Kathy, Brenda and Vicki helped cut the fabric and we nearly got the top done.  A couple more hours of outside work, and it was complete.

Then off the the fabulous Julie Zimmer who quilted this with a gorgeous pantograph.  Our thanks to her and to Piece by Piece for donating the fabric for the backing.

If you have a moment, please go to the Quilt of Valor Foundation website.  If you sew or know someone who sews, please make a quilt for this wonderful organization.  It doesn't have to be fancy, just heartfelt.  If you don't sew, there are other ways to help or donate.

Thank you to all the ladies that pitched in to make this quilt.  I will keep you up to date when we find out who the recipient of the quilt is and more information should you wish to pitch in.

Over the Rainbow

When I was growing up, the Wizard of Oz was my very favorite movie.  I can remember gluing myself to the TV for the annual showing of the classic.  It seemed no matter how old I was or how many times I saw that movie, that witch scared the crap out of me.  I can probably recite all of Dorothy's lines.  "I'm Dorothy Gale, from Kansas."

So, when a local quilt shop went out of business about four years ago, I bought up all of the Quilting Treasures line of Wizard of Oz fabric they had.  They didn't have everything in the entire line, but it was quite a bit.  Approximately 2 or 3 different panels and about 12 yards of other coordinating fabrics.  I had hit the mother lode!! 

I brought home my treasure of childhood memories and put it all together in my big bin marked "kits" to make later.  Okay, it was much later.  I pulled out the fabric, looked it over and decided now was the time to do something with my stash.  I looked online for patterns as most collections come with patterns and found that I either didn't have one fabric or not another.  I could have hit myself with a broom.  So, the only thing to do was just wing it. 

I gathered the panels and cut the panel into the pictures that I definitely wanted in my quilt.  Then, I added some basic blocks that fit my theme, such as snails trail, nine patch walk, and Kansas trouble.  The quilt grew, and grew, and grew.  If I only had a brain, I would have thought it through more carefully.  Suddenly I had a queen-sized quilt. 

I put the large panel blocks that I had together in story order.  Added some sashing strips and borders and suddenly there was my movie.  I loved it.  The problem was I had fabric left over that I also loved and didn't know what to do with it.  It seemed silly to make a bag and not have it with the quilt.  I couldn't carry that huge quilt around with the bag.  Then, after that enormous project, I summoned my courage to make . . .

Pillow shams!! The shams do not match, but I felt this was part of my "wing it" theory.  I love how it turned out.  I so wanted to use the rest of the fabric because I didn't have the heart to part with it. 

It now lays in Annie's room (homage to AnnMarie) where I am quite sure that Copper will probably lay amongst its poppies and sleep. 

Now that I have quilted across her face, that witch doesn't seem quite so scary.  (Actually, she stopped be scary when I found out she was Cora in the Maxwell House commercials that were on TV in the 70's.)

There's No Place Like Home

By the way, if you haven't seen the movie in a while, give your self a treat and sit down and watch it.  It really is a wonderful classic.

UFO's

No, not the "Close Encouters of the Third Kind".  All my quilting friends know exactly what a UFO is . . . those UnFinished Objects.  How many are in your closet?  I'm not telling.  But, I did finish a couple from a quilting retreat I went to at Piece by Piece in FEBRUARY!!  Let's see . . . February, March -- yeah, seven months ago!!  I thought I should get them finished before starting two more projects at the retreat this weekend. 

TOO MANY SNAILS

Too Many Snails from the Hooked on Three Colors book was the first one I had done.  I love the look of this quilt and have never done the snail's trail block before.  I got that out of my system and probably won't make another snail's trail block again.  Why?  Trimming, trimming and more trimming.  Unless you mark each triangle you add perfectly to your block you have the inevitable trimming to make sure that this block stays square.  If you don't mind trimming, then by all means snail away!!  

This quilt is going to be set aside for a special friend for Christmas.  I'm not saying who in case my special friend reads this.  Could it be you????

MINUS ORANGE

Strange name for a quilt.  Let me explain.  This is a simple borgello quilt (sew strips of fabric together into rows; sew the bottom row to the top row, right sides together to make a tube; cut the tube into sections; use seam ripper to open tube and sew in order desired).  I had all my strips sewn together in sets and had cut all my sections.  I was happily sewing away when Kathy looked under the table and said "whose orange strip is this?"  Yes, it was mine.  Dropped it on the floor.  Didn't make it in the strip sets.  Didn't make it in the quilt.  Lots and lots of expletives.  More expletives.  Potty mouth quilter.  So, this quilt is actually 2 1/2 inches too small on all sides.  Kathy and Brenda love looking at this quilt as asking me, "Isn't something missing?"  I think I should give it to one of them for their birthday.  Smartypants.

Another quilt retreat weekend will hopefully yield two more projects.  Hopefully in less than 7 months.  I have a really, really good excuse for being behind. 

Find out what it is in a post soon to be called "My Sister and I".  I am very excited about this project, and will be happy to share it with you soon. 

Mom, could you please . . .

My son Brandon's girlfriend, Amarra, had a birthday on Friday.  On the Tuesday before her birthday (that's right, I said Tuesday), Brandon asked if it would be possible for me to make her a bag for her birthday.  Tuesday request . . . Friday birthday.  So I said sure!!

Then, as all you creative types and fashionistas know, what follows next is a laundry list of questions.  What's her favorite color?  Does she like a big bag or small?  Long strap or short?  Yadayadayada.  I told Brandon that I would leave a stack of patterns on my cutting mat and directed him to my stash closet.  He did tell me that Amarra's favorite color was blue, so I put a big post it so he could see the stack marked "light blues" and the stack marked "dark blues".  He was told to pick a pattern and a fabric and meet me at Piece by Piece after work. 

I found out two things about Brandon.  First of all, he has excellent taste.  I thought he would pick out a pattern for a trendy hipster bag or something similar.  Nope, not my Brandon.  He picked out one of the most expensive, most difficult and classiest looking bag in the pile of patterns.  Amy Butler's Sweet Harmony Handbag was his choice.  Good taste, right? 

The second thing I found out about Brandon was that he has expensive taste.  The fabric he chose out of my stash was one of the most beautiful and expensive blue fabrics that was in the pile.  You know, the one fabric that you keep setting aside and say to yourself, "I really have to make something special with that one day."  What's more special than making something for your son? 

Armed with a pattern and our focus fabric, we are standing in Piece by Piece to pick out a coordinating fabric and lining.  With the help of the fabulous Vicki and Lisa, mission accomplished in about two minutes.

Home after our shopping trip, I sat down to read the pattern as I had never made this bag before.  I discovered that it was not going to be difficult, just tedious.  Lots of cutting.  The pattern recommends two layers of fusible interfacing and two layers of fusible fleece.  I checked my supply of both and decided that one layer of each would be fine.  I just chose a heaver fusible interfacing for stability. 

After a total of three hours of cutting and three hours of sewing later, the bag was finished on Friday morning.  Whew!  It was beautiful.

The bag has two wonderful, big outside pockets.  Inside one of the pockets, I put a cell phone pocket.  No girl wants to go fishing around in her bag for her cell phone.  It must be handy.

Inside is two large spaces and of course, a zippered pocket. 

Brandon saw the bag and smiled.  A result worth the fabric, time, and effort.  He was happy with the bag and I even got a "Wow".  He met Amarra and her family for dinner for her birthday.  Brandon gave her the bag and I got a text saying that everyone loved the bag.  Brandon was kind enough to take a picture and send it to me.  Judging by her smile, I think Amarra must love the bag, too.

Happy Birthday, Tim . . . and Thank You

I am in the process of designing and constructing a quilt for my sister, so I have nothing new to report.  I have been working on a few UFOs when I come to a creative block.  I will keep you posted and show some pictures.

So, I will take this opportunity to give a nod to my husband, Tim.  Tim is very supportive of my quilting hobby (more like obsession).  As I am supportive of his biking hobby (also more like obsession).  He doesn't really complain when I come home with an enormous bag of new fabric, as the reverse is true when he needs new biking gear.  I go to quilt retreats.  Tim goes on rides.  Long, long rides.  He has a 150 mile ride for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society coming up in just a couple of weeks.

Recently Tim, turned 50.  (By the way, I am much, much, much younger than Tim.  That's the story I'm going with anyway.)  Brandon and I threw him a 50th Birthday party.  It turned out to be a little larger than expected, and we all had great fun.  We requested that the invitees not bring gifts as we knew Tim would rather enjoy the day with people he cares about than getting more "stuff".  However, he did get one gift from Brandon, which I would like to share with you.

If you have 8 minutes, please enjoy this video that Brandon made for his father for his 50th Birthday.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house.  Those who know Tim know that there is nothing more important in Tim's life than Brandon.  So, for Tim this is the best gift he has ever gotten . . . ever.

So, I post here and now, Happy Birthday and thank you to my husband Tim, for our beautiful son, for our many adventures, and for all he does.