Beyond the Cherry Trees!

I believe the hardest part of any project is just starting. 
I finally got around to starting my Cherry Tree Quilt. It's called Beyond the Cherry Trees  by Sentimental Stitches.  
I have been collecting the patterns since the very beginning and really love this quilt.

I spent way too  much time trying to decide on a background fabric and then the other day I found this white fabric in my stash.  I bought it on clearance a few years back because it had a few spots on it.  I had so much of it I was able to cut around the spots----but 

once I started stitching on this background I didn't like it because it had too many little white leaves on top of the fabric and since this is a large quilt I decided to change.

I ordered some Kona cotton and really like it a lot better.

This is the first block.

There is also a Beyond the Cherry Tree blog where you can see all the great work everyone is doing on this quilt.
Looking back I am glad I did not check out the individual blocks too closely before starting.  I mostly just looked at the whole quilt and really liked it.  I think some of these blocks are going to prove to be a little difficult for me......I don't mind circles and there are lots of circles.....but all those little fingers and tiny outer curves in some of the blocks are going to prove to be a problem and I see lots of them.
Do any of you have any tips?
.

Florabunda Final Three

At last I have finished the final three blocks of the Florabunda Quilt.  There is still a large center block to do but I am putting it aside for the moment to work on other projects.
Erin at One Piece at a Time is starting another BOM.  If you like applique you should check it out.

Quilt Woes

I previously posted about this quilt and it's problems a while back.
Well, this is a sad enough by itself but the real problem is I just remembered I made my Liberated Amish quilt from the same black fabric.

I believe this fabric might have been from the 80s.  I had a whole bolt of it. Needless to say the rest of the bolt went in the trash.

One thing for sure I will  give black fabric a real good test before I use any of it again.

I think I will see if I can quilt NO WORDS and just use it as a wall hanging once in a while.  With a big label on the back to never ever wash it.

I wouldn't bother but this is the first Challenge I ever entered and my first Liberated Quilt.  I hate to lose it.

Bah Humbug!

I joined in on the fun over at UnRuly Quilting. A group blog for working on UnRuly Quilting projects and most especially UnRuly Letters started by Tonya Ricucci .  

She posted a challenge to make the letters Bah Humbug.  They will be for a Christmas quilt she is going to put together.

Well, I gave it a go.  I am not too sure about all this black.  

I was very limited on bug fabric but was able to  find a couple of  5" squares with ladybugs I could use. 

I wish someone would tell me why you don't see mistakes while you are sewing --  only when you step back and take a picture.

My last two letters are from the same fabric.  Did not really want to do that.

I love all the creative letters some of the girls are making.  Haven't figured out how to do those yet.

Happy New Year!

I received this from someone and laughed so much I just had to pass it on.



                            IT'S BEEN A ROUGH YEAR, BUT I MADE IT!

Wishing You and Yours a healthy and happy 2011!

I Joined GO-Ville

I really tried to win a GO on the blog giveaway's but no luck -  so I asked for one for Christmas.
Christmas afternoon while everyone was watching football I took it out to  see if I could figure out how to use it.

One of the extra dies I ordered is the Apple Core so I decided to make a scrappy Christmas apple core quilt.
After all it was Christmas.
Well,  the cutting was a lot of fun and I just kept cutting those apple cores until I ran out of scraps.

 All I can say is thank goodness I ran out of scraps!
The cutting may be easy and fun but sewing all those curves are not.

I tried pinning them together and didn't like sewing over all those pins - so I got out my trusty Elmer's school glue and tried gluing them together at the ends and centers.
I quickly got tired of that and went back to the pins because I think it was quicker.

Not one to give up I kept pinning and sewing and glueing and sewing.
I now have this great apple core quilt which I really like.
I am going to do a curved binding since I like sewing curves so much..

T-Shirt Quilt Ready for Christmas

Whew! I just finished the T-shirt quilt for my Husband's Christmas present.  I have been working on it off and on for a while.  Kept putting it aside thinking I had lots of time - only working on it when he wasn't at home.  I had planned on giving it to him in November for his Birthday but missed that deadline.

 I found this cute panel and fabric----- thought it would be perfect as a back.

A little history about my Husbands Airplane.. It's a World war II Bi-plane manufactured in 1943.

He has had it for several years and we have taken lot's of trips together in it. 

Last September when he was taking off for Galesburg, IL he had a little mishap as you can see.
Not to worry He wasn't hurt at all and is now busy rebuilding it.  Hopes to be finished by September so he can make the trip to Galesburg.

Design Wall Monday

I decided to put a little post on the Design wall Monday site Patchwork Times hosted by Judy Laquidara.

I have been working on Lollypop Trees by Kim McLean for a few months.

I finished nine of my Lollypop blocks and was really going strong until along came Thanksgiving, A trip out of town and now Christmas.  I hope to get back to it soon because I really love this quilt.  

Merry Christmas everyone.

Christmas Tree Skirt

I finished making my Daughter's Christmas Tree Skirt a couple of weeks ago but gave it to her without taking any pictures.
She sent me some pictures yesterday so I could post about it.  I am glad I forgot because she takes great pictures.

I used this pattern from Silver Thimble Quilt Co.   You  are supposed to us a 10 degree ruler to cut the slices but since I didn't have one I borrowed a 9 degree ruler from a friend.  Just  had to cut a few more slices.

I Asked Them to Stop!

Growing that is...Sometime I wish they could stay little forever.

                                        These are my beautiful Grandchildren.

Chloe is four and Garrett is twelve.

                                                      Lillian just turned one this month.

Time passes so quickly.  I know I am a little bit partial but don't they look cute with Santa?

Another Amazon Visit!

My friendly UPS man came today with more books.

Tonya Ricucci's first book Word Play Quilts arrived.  I have been looking forward to getting this book because I really like her quilts.  If you aren't familiar with Tonya's work you should check out her blog Lazy Gal Quilting.  Lots of great work there.

 And of course to get free shipping at Amazon you have to spend $25.00 - so I also got Stack the Deck Revisited by Karla Alexander.  Looked interesting.  Sometime I buy books just to dream and never get around to making any quilts in them.  Is there anyone else out there like me?

Help Needed!

A few Months back I made this quilt for my son-in-law.  He is a huge University of Georgia Bulldog fan.  The first time it was washed the black binding and inner border just shredded.  I guess the black fabric was rotten and I didn't notice.   Now replacing the binding is no problem but what in the world am I going to do about that inner border?

The quilt is machine quilted and I just don't know if it would work to just sew another piece of border fabric over the shredded one or not.  Any suggestions from all you quilters out there?

Christmas quilt

I finally finished my Christmas quilt for my bed.  

It's a Turning Twenty -  king sized or a turning 42.  

Looks a little puffy since I have a down comforter under it.

The fabrics are by Moda -  Figgy Pudding and Fruit Cake.

I bought them last year when they went on sale...not the traditional Christmas colors....  In fact my Husband didn't even know it was a christmas quilt maybe it's the brown pillows.
I really like how it turned out and hate to take it off the bed so soon.

Intown Sweet Divinity Give-Away

A couple of weeks ago  Intown Quilters in Atlanta had a give-away on their blog.

They wanted to know who your favorite designer was.

Of course my favorite designer at the moment is Kim McLean the maker of all the wonderful applique' patterns I have been doing.

I entered and was lucky enough to win this beautiful 

fat quarter pack by Riley Blake.

Thanks Sara!

Christmas Quilt Show

I decided to enter the virtual quilt show of Christmas quilts that SewCalGal is hosting. 

I started looking for Christmas quilts that I had made and realized I really haven't done all that many.

 This quilt is called 3-D Rail Fence and I did it when I was a member of Strip Club.  
It's a very simple quilt.  One where the fabric makes the quilt.  
The reds are much redder and the blacks blacker than they appear in the photo.

The  next little quilt is from an old book -  Scrap Quilting Made Easy.  

Sometime you find the best things in old out of print books.

It's called Scrap Bag Snail's Trail and is only 23x23.

The next one is not really a quilt it's a table topper made of wool.

It's called Seven Santa's from the pattern  All Through the Night.

I really enjoy appliqueing with wool nothing to turn under.

That's my entry for the Quilt Show.  You should check out SewCalGal's blog and go on the virtual quilt show. There are lot's of quilts to inspire you and get you in the  Christmas spirit.

Quilt for A Friend

A Friend gave me this fabric several years ago to use as I choose.
I decided to make her a quilt with it.
These are her colors and she had already cut some of the 2.5" strips.  She is a weaver not a quilter and I don't know what she had planned to do with the fabric but I guess she changed her mind.
The strips have been hanging in my sewing room all these years,  Everyday I would look at them and think of my friend.  I finally found a pattern that looks like weaving.  Now all I have to do is make the label.
I don't usually put labels on my quilts - VBG - but this one has to have one.
I hope she likes it.

Lollypop Trees

I have been working away on my Lollypop Trees and have managed to finish six blocks.
I like the way they are turning out although sometime I think I spend too much time stressing over not having the exact fabric.

I am using the freezer paper on top method without marking on the fabric. 
I like this method but I wish I could figure out a way to see the fabrics on the block before I sew them down.
I think it would help make my fabric choices easier.
I am always surprised when I peel off the paper.


I have other things I need to do  before Christmas....so I guess I will have to slow down on this one for a while.
In January I make so many plans for the coming year and when November rolls around I find I haven't followed through on too many of them.
I wonder if anyone else is like that or is it just me or do I really think I can accomplish so much.

Lolly Pop Trees Started

This is my latest project.
 It's designed by Kim McLean and called
Lollypop Trees. 

I think it is just beautiful.  

I have completed two of the blocks so far.  

The pieces are quite large and so it goes rather quickly.  

I think the hardest part of this quilt is picking the right fabrics. 

                                                                                                                                                                            

Almost all the fabrics in this quilt are by Kaffe Fassett.  

I really like his fabrics they are so bright and colorful.

I think this is going to be a fun quilt.

A Little Knitting, A Little Spinning, A Little Quilting

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted on my Blog..Life you know gets in the way sometime.

I have been doing a few things  with my time.

First, I knit a little hat  for Lillian.  This is a free pattern from The Knitting Siren.  It's called the Papallona Earflap Hat.

She lives way up in freezing Virginia so I can use some of my washable wool which is too warm for the South.

                                                                                                                                                                            One day  I finished spinning some yarn.
I have soooo much fiber I need to spin.














Then I finally finished my ninth Florabunda Block.  Only three more to go.  Each block has a sawtooth border.  Not looking forward to that.

Hearts and Flowers finally finished!

I finally put the last border on my Hearts and Flowers quilt.  This has been a rather fast journey.  I started this quilt on August the 28th and completed the top yesterday October the 8th.
The quilting will be another story since I don't seem to get that done too quickly.  I think the piecing is my favorite part.
I am debating with myself now-- trying to decide-- if I should take the border on the right off and turn  it around.
I didn't notice  how different it looks until I saw it in the picture.

I now need to get busy on some of my other projects...things I hoped to have finished by Christmas but are not looking so good since I became involved in all this applique'.