Showing posts with label Pirate Quilt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pirate Quilt. Show all posts

1/31/11

Texanese Quilt Done and More Winter Fun!

"Texanese" Quilt

Boot Block

Texas block

Prickly Pear block (the original Yellow Rose of TX)

Longhorn block

Back of "Texanese" Quilt











At last the "Texanese" (Texas themed with Asian fabrics) is done, delivered and Japan-bound! Photos are above..enjoy! For some reason this quilt was a tough assignment and I wasn't altogether pleased with during the designing, piecing, quilting process, however, it turned out okay...I think! My customer seemed very happy and excited about it...so I will consider it a success. (BTW...I used Fusi Boo fusible batting on this wall hanging...my favorite fusible batting!) You might notice that I used smaller Snowball blocks in this wallhanging!! Now onto the next project!!

There are several quilts in my sewing room that need quilting, so I may take some time to just work on them...after I finish another baby quilt for a friend of mine...a little late, as her son was born in December!! Oops! Oh well, as long as he gets it before he is college bound...right?! :) I also have quilts rolling around in my head which I need to produce so they can free up space in my brain. Ah....and then there is the Pirate Quilt which needs finishing...so much more work to do for me!!

When I was hand sewing the binding on the Texanese quilt (I always do my hand sewing in front of the TV), I saw a fascinating show on PBS called "b organic" and I was instantly hooked. Their website is http://borganic.net/ and they have projects, how-to videos and all sorts of things. Check out the website and let me know what you think!! The episode I caught was how to repurpose old sweaters, and how to make garden chaps...I know!...I was really excited!! Talk about sewing green...this show is a must see for all of you that love to sew green! Plus, the hostess of the show was sewing on an industrial Singer very much like the one I use!! So you see, this show has all kinds of things that got me excited! I plan on trying some of the projects from the show, so I will keep you posted.

Oh...another one of my projects is to make a soft doll and doll clothes for my GBaby Lily. I have everything I need to get started, so hopefully I can post photos soon. I have never made soft dolls before, but I am intrigued by how to make them and how they look...so many different kinds with so many different looks!

It has been a while since I have done embroidery and I am thinking the doll project will help me get back into embroidery. I have been missing it. Again...all sorts of projects in my sewing room that require embroidery!!

The weather has been really nice the past few days, but it looks like we are in for another freezing spell for the rest of the week...maybe even snow! I am not a fan of the cold or snow, but I like the fact that it is the best quilting weather!!

That's it for now! What are you working on this winter? Have you finished any quilts in 2011?? Post comments to me with the links where your quilt or embroidery projects reside!! I love to look at your work!!

Happy Sewing and Quilting!

GBaby Lily dressed to party!!


8/2/10

Summer Sewing Projects

Baaaa...just thinking of landscapes!

Hi Everyone and Happy Summer!

I know it's been a while since my last post, but I am hoping to keep up on a more regular basis. Some things that have been happening lately: My Mom had a heart attack and surgery...she is fine now; our granddaughter took her first steps and has 7 teeth now (!!); hubby and I celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary; and I got my first issue of my subscription to Irish Quilting (http://www.irishquilting.ie/Irish_Quilting/home.html)!! Yep, that about covers it!

What are your summer sewing projects? I finished a quilt top, basted the quilt and actually started quilting! Received orders for 2 more quilts and if I hurry I plan on entering the Keepsake Quilting (www.keepsakequilting.com) challenge that ends this month! The challenge is a landscape challenge, and since I really love doing landscapes I thought this was perfect! I have the fabric and the idea...now for the execution and timely shipment!! (That will be my REAL challenge!)

The really HOT part of the summer is here now...and when I say hot, what I mean is 100+ degrees! Today, for example, is 106 degrees here!!! Short of frying an egg on the sidewalk, there is not much that can be done outdoors in this kind of heat...so, I try to stay indoors and sew or just sit quietly and try not to make myself any hotter! It is tough to think about quilting in this kind of heat, much less actually sit under a quilt and work on it!! But, quilt I must! I have an embroidery project in mind, plus I am still working on the last applique block for the Pirate Quilt!

Recently, I have been going through my old quilt books and magazines and trying to weed out the ones that are either duplicates (yep, I tend to buy the same thing twice sometimes) or ones that I know I will never use. This is quite a tedious process since I have to look through everything and then I get interested in something and forget that I am "weeding out". Does anyone else seem to have the same problem?? How do you deal with all of the magazines and books you have on a certain topic like quilting, embroidery, sewing, etc? I would love to hear your ideas! Post your comments.

We have been keeping our granddaughter some this summer and it is amazing to watch her grow and learn. Our kids are all grown up now, so we had forgotten just how amazing babies are to watch and help them learn...the whole world is new to them and everything is so wonderful. To be able to see the world through a child's eyes again is truly awesome and inspiring. We just love the experience...although, keeping her always reminds me that I am no longer in my 20s and Nana has to rest up after a day or two with GBaby!! Hahahaha...that's why child rearing is for the young, not just the young at heart!!

Well, back downstairs where the A/C is working and it's cooler!!

Happy Sewing & Quilting!

6/26/10

Purple Quilt Photos and More...


Well, we have had a busy couple of weeks! We have been babysitting our GBaby Lily quite a bit, and she is so entertaining to watch!! She is crawling and pulling up, so I imagine she will be walking before we know it. We had some friends from Austin come stay with us last night and it was really good to see them...they are expecting a baby boy in December...yes, another baby quilt will be forthcoming for that big event!

Ah yes...Purple Quilt Photos...and here they are!! This was a fun quilt to make...love making pinwheels! I have a few extra pinwheel blocks, so I will have to work them into an "odd patch" quilt (you know...a quilt where you just throw in all of your leftover blocks and make it work!)

This past week I got back to applequeing on my Pirate Quilt...which has been sorely neglected these past months. I am on the final block...the Pirate himself...and am getting pretty excited about how he is turning out. Not sure exactly when the quilt itself will be finished...slowly I quilt...stitch by stitch...!!

Working on a commission quilt now, but so hot in the sewing room most days it is difficult to work on due to the "sweat" factor! It is currently getting up to 100 degrees outside and about 90 degrees in my sewing room! I would have to get up at 0-dark-thirty and sew in order to be cool in the sewing room! Oh well...somehow I always manage to get quilts made during the summer months...heat or not!! How many of you quilt during the summer? How many of you switch to other craft or sewing projects during the summer? Just curious.

BTW...I have a 1937 Singer Featherweight 221 that I am putting up for sale on EBay next week...if you have an interest in it, please post a comment and I will send you more photos. The going price is $275 + S&H. (See photo at the top of this post) The machine works great!

Have a great weekend and Happy Quilting and Sewing!! :)

P.S. -- Here is a little something to make you smile!!





2/8/10

Pirate Quilt Update


It's late, but I thought I would give you a long awaited update on the Pirate Quilt. The photos above show the last 3 blocks -- skull and cross bones, Kracken, and the Pirate. (Please note; these blocks need ironing). And as you can see, the Pirate only has a head, scarf, hat and arm at this point, so I have quite a bit of work ahead of me. This week though, I have the baby quilt to work on, so Mr. Pirate won't be getting another arm, face or clothes this week! The Kracken block replaces the block on the quilt pattern of the black widow spider and web (not sure what a spider has to do with pirates!). I made up the block myself, and with the material that I chose, thought it turned out quite well.

I made a trip to Hancock Fabrics today and got some neat things on clearance. Of course, I just went over to find some muslin (can you really have too much muslin on hand?!), and naturally I picked up a few other things I just couldn't resist! One of my finds was a couple of yards of cute fabric -- $3.95 a yard -- that will make a cute baby outfit for my little gbaby, and hopefully have some left over for quilting! Yes, the fabriholic in me definitely came out today! My advice to you sewers and quilters is that if you can find fabric for $2 or $3 a yard...get at least a couple of yards of it...especially if you really like it. I have kicked myself before for not buying fabric that I really liked at such a great price! (I know...!!)

The weather here is cold and dreary, and frankly, I am just a bit tired of it. On the other hand, it is great quilting weather! I have washed and dried all of the fabric for the baby quilt...we'll call it the Nautical Quilt (hint: it has a nautical theme)...so tomorrow I will spend the day ironing fabric and cutting some test blocks for it. Hubby reminded me tonight that I should cut test blocks just to see how everything will come together. I admit that on a previous quilt I failed to do that and pieced the whole top together...didn't like it, scrapped it and pieced another whole top! Whew...talk about a whole lot of extra work and wasted time! Yes, I see great value in test blocks now! Live and learn...

Thank you to my new blog followers! I hope I can entertain, instruct and inform you about sewing, quilting, embroidery and applique! Thank you for your comments too! Keep them coming!

Good night to all...and Happy Sewing and Quilting!