Hoffman Challenge Quilts

This year I did not want to pull my hair out over a quilt design for the Hoffman Challenge. I decided to stick with a simple block idea and just make it big.  I designed a block on EQ7 and here is the result. I handed the quilt off to Patty Butcher at Katydids, Inc. to do the quilting for me on this one, and all I can say is WOW to the quilting she did.  Thank you Patty!!!

This will be called "Old Mesilla Magic" based on memories visiting a little town in the Southwest USA.

I used very little Hoffman Challenge fabric in the quilt (above), so I had lots of fabric left over. I chopped it up using the One Block Wonder technique, making small hexies out of 60 degree triangles. I embellished with a few silk flowers and trimmed the outside edge with hand woven ribbon. So this year I have a second entry. I quilted this one myself.

This one is called "Hexifun".

Two More AAQI Quilts

My quilt guild had an ugly fat quarter exchange and we were challenged to make at least one block from the ugly fat quarter we received. Okay, I admit my fat quarter was really ugly, but if I chopped it up I could do something with it. I fussy cut out the southwestern looking strips and created a couple of small quilts for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

I don't know why this picture is elongating. These quilts are square!  Whatever. You get the idea.

Free Motion Quilting Fingertip Gels

I was on a mission in Office Depot, when I spotted these Micro Gel Grips, and stopped dead in my tracks. These would be perfect for free motion quilting!  I'm a happy customer of the Machingers gloves, but sometimes my hands sweat.  These lightweight soft gel fingertips are the perfect solution for summer days when I'm quilting.

AAQI Auction Purchases - Karen K Stone & Ricky Tims

AAQI anticipates meeting its $1,000,000 fundraising goal sometime in 2013. I'm amazed at how quilters have made such a difference in raising funds for Alzheimer's research.  There is an Alzheimer's exhibit that has traveled the country, which will end this year. The quilted panels from that exhibit are being auctioned off as part of the fund raising effort.

I'm pleased to report that I have won auctions on two of those panels, with the funds going to support Alzheimers research. I'm giving some careful thought as to what to do with these panels once I receive them later this fall. I sure wish I could get them autographed by the quilters!

Karen K Stone quilted this first panel (front and back shown)



Front - quilted by Karen K Stone

Back - quilted by Karen K Stone

 

Ricky Tims quilted this second panel (front and back shown)

Front - quilted by Ricky Tims

Back - quilted by Ricky Tims

Spin Around New York

In February I took a class by Gayle Wallace at the Flying Needles Quilt Show and Retreat, in Destin, FL.  The pattern is called Spin Around New York. I loved this class because Gayle already had kits cut and ready to sew. Thanks Gayle for a fun class.

Here is my black and white pieced wall hanging.  Next comes the quilting.

Quilted Tablecloth

I'm getting to know my new Bernina. The perfect project was the tablecloth I've been wanting to make since last fall.  It gave me the opportunity to try some meandering stitching with the new machine.  I'm loving the machine and had some fun stitching the names of my family into the tablecloth. It should be entertaining when the grandkids come, to see them hunt for their names.

Bernina 750 - Dressed Up

It's time for a new sewing machine. My Bernina 440 was such a good machine, but I've put a lot of stitches on it, and repairs have become too expensive to keep her any longer.  I've purchased a Bernina 750 and dressed it up with vinyl decals from Dali Decals.  These decals peel right off when you are ready to remove them. No adhesives.

Free Spirit

This is my latest completed project that I'm calling Free Spirit.  Most of the fabric used is Free Spirit by Moda, but the recipient of this quilt is just a little free spirit herself.  She is in Phi Mu Sorority and one of their symbols is the quatrefoil.  I designed the quatrefoil pattern on EQ7 and used turned edge applique for those blocks. The front of the quilt seemed nice, but I really wanted to piece the back as well and give it a more scrappy look.
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If you've done the jelly roll race, this quilt will make sense to you.  I used jelly roll strips but I added a 1 1/2" X 2 1/2" solid block at the beginning of each strip.  After sewing the strips to the desired length, and working in sets of 10 strips, I cut off 20 1/2" off alternating ends of the strip sets and rotated that big block . I thought that would break up the monotany of the strips. 


Lousy pics. But Fun Quilt!!!!



Cottage by Michael Miller

I've been in a BOM project for months. As usual, I got myself several months behind. So the last few days I've been catching up.  This is Cottage, using Michael Miller fabrics. I've modified my quilt top, electing to eliminate a couple of blocks that used a very dark red/burgundy fabric. I wanted an all red/white quilt. Reducing those two blocks also makes the size perfect for a wallhanging.

There are two more months in the project, so there will be two more borders applied. The borders are the main reason I decided to do this quilt. Can't wait for the last two months!

I swear those seams are straight! It's just hanging wobbly on the design wall.

The Quilt Show Puzzle of my quilt Celebration

I received a couple of e-mails from members of The Quilt Show online. Both e-mails had to do with my quilt Celebration.  One person said she had just finished the puzzle of my quilt.  How neat! The Quilt Show created and posted a puzzle of my quilt on their website!  Love It!  http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/blog.php/puzzle/1

Blue Horse Quilt Update 11/27/12

Interesting project. Adding background and borders to the 'blue horse' has been trial and error. I constructed 4 French Braid borders only to discover they took away from the focal point....the horse. I decided a simple piano key border would be better. 

Well, here is the final product, completely quilted. Loved working with this pattern and playing with the fabric colors to get the right effect. These pics show the true colors.

 

The pattern is "Dakota" by BJ Designs. http://www.bjdesignsandpatterns.com/Animals/Dakota.html

 

 



Quilt For Sale Through AAQI

Support Alzheimer's research by purchasing a small wall quilt ( 9" X 12" or smaller) through the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI).  My quilt "A Hui Hou" is for sale at this time.
http://www.alzquilts.org/11999.html

The Blue Horse Quilts

One of my grandsons asked me to make him a quilt with a blue horse. I've been sitting on that request for over a year. Found a pattern for it over a year ago but just haven't been inspired to start it. Meanwhile my hair dresser asked if I would make her a decorative throw quilt......a blue horse! What's with blue horses anyway?????

I've gotten my quilting inspiration back and ready to start the blue horses.  I'm starting with the one for my hairdresser. She wants pinks and teals. All I've done so far is apply the heat and bond to the cut out pieces and ironed them down. I still have to design a quilt with this as the applique center.I'll cut off all the white backing fabric and applique around the edges.

Fall Wallhanging

I just love those panels you can buy and make up as quilts or wall hangings. I have a metal front door to my house, so I purchased a magnetic towel holder to hang doorhangings on my front door. My quilted doorhangings are protected from weather by the glass outer door. 

I take those panels and free motion quilt them, bind them, and hang.  So easy and the perfect size.  Here's my fall door hanging I just finished.

Safari Quilt from "Yellow Brick Road" pattern

Another little boy is expected in January. Jenna, my twin friend, is expecting little Ezra so that means a quilt!  I wanted to make a quilt large enough to last a few years, through the toddler years. I didn't want it too babyish. I used the Yellow Brick Road pattern, an old favorite of mine, and selected animal prints. Love the look and it's almost twin size.


Closeup at corner & border

Cure Alzheimer's

Friday September 21st is Alzheimer's Action Day. Wear purple to show your support for the cure. And if you are a quilter, please consider making and donating a small quilt to AAQI to raise funds for Alzheimer's research.

Alzheimer's Quilt #4

Tomorrow I'll mail my 4th Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative donation quilt. This one is called A Hui Hou which is Hawaiian for 'till we meet again'. This one is dedicated to an uncle who lived many years with Alzheimer's.

Safari Quilt

A couple of years ago I made both my grandsons "Indiana Jones" quilts. They still love those quilts dragging them in the car on trips, watching TV on the couch, and sleeping under them. A dear friend is having her first son in January (I'm hoping for my birthday-Jan 17th) and I thought a safari quilt would be something that would carry over for a few years, rather than a traditional baby quilt.

The fabrics have been purchased and I have a sit-n-sew for three days staring Friday. It's the perfect time to make this simple quilt. I'll be using the pattern "Yellow Brick Road". Here are my fabrics.

Kitchen Makeover Update

It's hard to believe August is almost gone.  Where did the summer go? I've been so busy getting the kitchen updated and the pergola built, that I haven't gotten much sewing accomplished.  But my kitchen is finally rid of that awful grape clustered wallpaper and redecorated in a nice taupe with splashes of red. I've never decorated in red before and I'm finding it so fun. Here are a few pictures.




It's been fun taking down wallpaper, painting, installing new floors, and redecorating in new colors. But now it's time to get back to quilting!

Kitchen Makeover

No sewing going on for a while. The kitchen is my new project and it's makeover is well underway.  The new flooring was installed Monday/Tuesday and I really like it.  But at the last minute we decided to strip the wallpaper, before the flooring was installed.  That decision was made on Fri night, before the new floor was to be installed on Monday.  It was impossible to get all the wallpaper down (made even more difficult withe walls that were not primed), so I decided to strip the lower 24".  Here it is a week later, and I just finished getting all the wallpaper down.  What a job!  Never again!!!!!!!  Now I'll need a sheet rock person and painter. I've tortured myself enough; I'm turning it over to the professionals.  Pictures coming when makeover is complete.