Already Thinking....

I'm getting excited about the new year and what I have planned. I have joined a paper piecing quilt along. I love the pattern. I am going to be working on my daughter and son-in-laws overdue wedding quilt. I am going to make a baby blanket for my niece in Virginia. Finish my sisters quilt that we worked on in Connecticut. And finish three UFO's that I have been working on in the past year. These are all the projects that I can remember I need to do! 

Check out this quilt along with Amy Ellis. The pattern is very cool. If you don't want to make the small ones she is working on enlarging them. I want to make 100 of these little stars and make a dent in my stash. Well, try to make a dent in my stash.

Tomorrow is shop with Daughter and sew with the MQG ladies for 4 hours.

Have a happy!

Merry Christmas

The holiday season is upon us again. No big tree for the first time ever. I came home from Connecticut and by the time I could get it up it would be time to take it down. Last year I didn't get the tree down until April! My son-in-law was ready to built an outdoor storage where he would cut a large hole in the living room wall, put the tree on rollers and roll it into it's own storage area fully decorated. It was a joke at the time.... We do have little teeny trees.

Tree for 2012

 It plugs into the USB port of your computer. I have this one next to my computer. It lights up when I turn my computer on.

Tree for 2012

This is Husbands tree by his computer. This one changes colors. It is tiny.

I worked on my MQG exchange today. I still have more to do to complete this project. I want to share but I'm too afraid my partner will see.

The Mini Club Holiday party is tomorrow night. I will see my big girl twins and I am so excited.

Have a great holiday, and if time allows, quilt happy.

Finally Finished

I was going to wait until I got a picture of the baby girl twins on their quilts but I will post it when I get it. I have been busy working Shop Hop. Great fun. I have never talked so much in two days, ever! Thanks again to Zany Quilter for quilting these. Check out the close up photos here.

Monica's Quilt Nov. 2012

Nicole"s Quilt Nov. 2012

Snapped these photos just as the wind was picking up. Mom wanted orange and yellow for the babies and the Timeless Treasures Pink Lemonade strips were perfect. For someone who has pattern issues this came together without a hitch. For me, that's saying something!

Back and binding Pink Lemonade Nov. 2012

I love the backs and binding. 

On my list right now are two more baby quilts, my daughters wedding quilt which we will be working on together. I am really looking forward to that. Wait till you see the pattern. My sisters quilt she designed, MQG challenge quilt and the Christmas exchange for MQG. The toaster quilt that is half finished, The Kaffe fabric one that is half finished and a class that I am taking on Friday, the fabric has to be cut and ready. These are the only the ones I can remember! Oh and my handwork hexies in 1" and 3/8".

Until next time... quilt happy.

http://zanyquilter.blogspot.com/2012/10/baby-quilts.html

Modern Quilt Guild Challenge

Our last challenge for this year for the Modern Quilt Guild is to use all Bonnie and Camille fabrics and has to be bigger than 20" X 20'. It has to be quilted and bound. It is due the 29th of this month. Here is where I am with this project.

MQG B&C Challenge Nov. 2012

Tomorrow is my 12 hour sewing gig so I should make great headway on this piece. I think I know where I'm going with this pile so I just need to do it.

I am washing all the baby quilts as I type this and I am so excited to post and distribute these cuties. I have to admit there are two that I haven't even started. Bobby and Riley aren't very old yet so I still have some time.

See you again on Wednesday. Until then...happy quilting.

Caddy Pad

My Hawaii friend is here for her annual trip and we have been busy, busy, busy, shopping and sewing! We made iron caddies for those times we have to take our irons to sew-ins and retreats. They open into an ironing surface with a heat resistant fabric inside. It is the perfect solution for taking a warm iron home without iceing it down first!

Shar has to have her bling so you know which one is hers.

 Iron Caddy - October 2012

I have been working very hard on my numerous baby quilts. Thanks to Zany Quilter, she has enabled me to go from quilt tops to binding. She quilted all four that I had finished and did a beautiful job. I was putting off quilting them on my Juki as they are all large and very intimidating to an inexperienced quilter. Thank you again Zany Quilter. Check out her work here.I will post pictures when I get the binding complete. The twin boys in Hawaii just may get them before their first birthdays. Good thing the end of the year is near as I have a total of six baby quilts to make for this year. Two sets of twins. There must be something in the water! None of them grandchildren but that's okay. I still have two that I haven't even started yet. 

Yesterday Shar went with me to our monthly sew-in with the Modern Quilt Guild girls. They made her feel so welcome she thinks she wants to join! Good  company, good food, lots done. A good time was had by all.

Until next time. Happy quilting.

On to Something New

After finishing my bags I got busy on my orange challenge for the Modern Quilt Guild due last week. It needed to be a finished project so I made a doll size quilt using 1 1/2"  Thangles. I love using Thangles because you can sew with your brain in the off position and it still turns out! 

Why is this photo not straight you ask? My sewing rooms are so trashed I could hardly make it to my design wall. I feel lucky to get this post out.

Orange Challenge MQG  June 2012

I picked up a new baby kitty last week from a parking lot and took it home, much to my husbands dismay. It has been living in our bedroom since we have two other cats. I will be taking her to my Dad's house as he is in the market for a kitty and she is a sweetie. I thought it was a Ragdoll but with further research I found out she is a Turkish Van. Loves water and her coat is like an angora rabbit. 

June 2012

I have been trying to get some sewing done but with a baby kitty in my sewing room little gets accomplished. 

I have been working on my many baby quilts I need to get finished. Two babies are here already and three to go, well four if you count my son's friends baby. I am very excited about the little girl twins due next door as they are going to need some help. Even though the husbands Mom is coming for three months I hope to be able to pitch in to help.

It is July already. I have so many sewing projects on my list. Until next time, sew often and sew happy!

Pick Up Sticks Top Finished

This quilt was too big for my design wall so thanks to Husband and no thanks to the slight breeze, I got the best picture I could at the time. I love the border. The black lines seemed to be too stark and in your face until I added the border. It helped pull everything together. I don't usually do borders but this one sure worked.

Pick Up Sticks   Feb. 2012

I'm getting packed up for our Modern Quilt Guild retreat in Utah. So excited for our first annual event. 

Happy quilting!

My Pillow

Here is the pillow I received from Jan last night at our meeting. She does not quilt so she does her infamous hand stitching. It is so beautiful and these photos don't do it justice but I did my best.

MQG pillow from Jan 2011

All the pillows were so inspiring. The difference in everyone's ideas and executions were amazing.

MQG  mt pillow from Jan detail

Thanks again Jan, I love it.


I was checking some of the blogs I follow and ran across this quilters poem. It is worth checking it out.


I'm finding that other quilt bloggers are reviewing their 2011 accomplishments. Well I'm not going to do that, maybe next year. I have to learn how to do the mosaic photos first. I call my projects finished when the top is done. It really isn't until it has been quilted but since Mike retired early I'm going to have to get a job to pay to have them quilted. Until then I just stack them up!


See you next year!

Modern Quilt Guild Meeting

What a fun meeting. I am finally able to post about what I have been sewing on. We had a pillow exchange for the holiday season. Everyone picked out a fat quarter and gave it to the person that picked their name. Any special instructions were noted on the paper like colors, size etc. Zany Quilter is who I drew and we enjoy each others work so she was easy for me. Here is the pillow I made for her based on one of the fabrics in the pillow.

MQG Pillow Exchange 2011 for Zany Quilter

She wanted one of those 'long' ones so after redesigning numerous times I came up with this. It was fun to make and I am pleased with how it turned out. I put a zipper in it so it can be taken on and off for washing.

Zany Quilter pillow detail

I was a little concerned about the quilting because after about 6 inches it seemed a bit stiff. By the time I quilted the whole pillow it wasn't and I was relieved. I am so insecure about quilting my projects. I am afraid I will ruin my quilt with the quilting if I decide I don't like it.


Tomorrow I will post about the wonderful pillow I received. I want daylight to take photos because it is very detailed and deserves close ups. 


May the new year be filled with lots of fabric therapy and fun projects.

MQG Block Party

I purchased this fabric long after it was popular and I have been waiting for the right quilt for it. After I take all the white background fabrics out and add the fat quarters I bought I think there is plenty of variety to do the project I have in mind. Now all I have to do is figure out the easiest way to do this block. The way I figure out how to do it is probably not the way the experienced ladies in our group would do it!

from little things by Sarah Fielke

I think I have figured out how to do my block exchange block. It is different than any of the patterns I have seen because there isn't just one fabric going up the middle with white on the sides. Mine has white on the sides but the seam in the middle 'marries' two completely different strips. More of a scrappy look. 

MQG Block Exchange

I asked Cola at Made by Cola if she knew of any directions for this quilt and she directed me to Elizabeth's tutorial at Don't Call Me Betsy. She shows books but it is the same idea. I will be able to get some directions together in case someone is not familiar with this block.

Going to Fort Collins to see my son and DIL. Keep the machines busy until I return. 

Hand Applique Project

Cleaning up my studio I came across some old projects that I am interested in finishing. You know how you can spend so much time on a project you put it away and never want to see it again? Well that was the case with this one. These are hand dyed fabrics in the colors I love. I don't remember the pattern I used.


The question now is, do I put a sashing between the blocks and frame or just frame?

Applique Flowers

My method of applique is different than most. After making a few small Hawaiian style pieces I learned a way to help me be more accurate in following the pattern.

Flower applique detail

Our Farmers Wife group meets again on Tuesday, which is always fun. The MQG group met last week and we are doing a pillow exchange for our December meeting. My partner wants modern and funky. That is right up my alley. 

Until next time, happy sewing.

Lots of Fun

I made this for my sister for her birthday. She is a warm color person that likes browns, tans and greens. Anyone that knows me knows I don't have browns or tans in my stash. I did find this combination that I thought might go with her colors. 

Jaclyn 10/2011

I spent yesterday with someone from my homeroom in high school I haven't even laid eyes on in 40 years. She comes to town every year to see her brother, son, sew and take a class or two. Since our 40th high school class reunion was just held in August (I didn't attend due to my health issues at the time.) she had found me on facebook and saw my quilts. She quilts too.

Shar Yano-west 10/26/2011

We didn't hang together in high school but realized how much we had in common including bright fabric. How cool is that? I made her one of my signature mug rugs to take home. Now I have someone to visit on my trips to Hawaii that quilts.  Always fun to make a new friend and one that sews is a real gift. Thanks Shar for the wonderful day.    

Modern quilt guild meeting tonight. Yea!

Happy quilting!