My First Quilt Finish of 2011 - Farmhouse Magic

I really worked hard on this one! Here is a picture showing the borders, binding and how the back looks of "Farmhouse Magic"



I enjoyed Big Brother's assistance for the Free Motion Quilting.



I also enjoyed having a warm quilt to work under while watching basketball on Saturday and the Super Bowl on Sunday with my hubby. Its always a happy moment when I make that last stitch on the back of the quilt when sewing down the binding. I usually excitedly and loudly say, "I AM FINISHED", at which time my hubby cheers.

Christmas 2011 Sewing

AND..........



A GREAT JOINT VENTURE!

Every year I "plan" to sew some Christmas presents and every year I end up with ... not much done.

This year I'm hoping that I will be inspired by the Sewn With Grace Blog and the Handmade by Heidi Blog to make at least one gift each month all year.

The third Monday of each Month, Sewn with Grace will feature a different Christmas gift idea.

I think a great idea would be if I dedicated my "Friday Night Sew In" projects to Christmas, 2011!

Just one more way to be consistent in 2011.

A Southern Girl Can Never have too much Pink!

Thanks to my extra hour today, I was able to finish this baby girl quilt, label and all. I enjoy making this pattern very much and will definitely use it as my "go to" baby quilt pattern when I need a baby shower gift and don't have a lot of time. There are so many color combinations that can be used and it turns out beautifully.

I need to give credit where credit is due. Thank you Crazy Mom Quilts! The pattern can be found HERE.

Little Miss Lily Marie Progress

Sometimes you just have to keep going and keep your goal in mind. I am determined to finish the 2 projects I have been working on this week, no matter what.

Last night I finished quilting "Little Miss Lily Marie", but not without mishaps! Twice when quilting near the edge the excess backing fabric was turned under and got caught in the stitches. After very carefully removing the stitches, thankfully I was able to make it look ok. Then I discovered I was almost out of white thread, but made it right down to the last quilting stitch. I kept stopping to fill the bobbin, trying not to use up all the thread on the spool.



One bright spot in the quilting of this quilt is that my thread didn't break a single time! That is a first and I'm not sure what, if anything, I did differently. I have quilted quilts when the thread broke constantly.

I am trying to branch out into new machine quilting patterns. I love the basic meander stitch I have been doing and have practiced it enough to produce decent results. I thought for this little girl's quilt a looping meander stitch would give it a fun, whimsical touch. The jury is still out on whether or not I really like the way it turned out, but what's done, is done!



After finishing quilting the quilt, my attention then turned to the binding. I wasn't happy with the fabric I originally planned to use, so I looked through my "pink" fabrics and found another one that I thought would look nice. Of course, there wasn't "quite" enough of this one to go all the way around the quilt.

SO.... a visit to the fabric store is in order today to purchase white thread and enough fabric for the binding.

Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2010 - My First Real Quilt

Be sure to visit AMY'S CREATIVE SIDE for literally hundreds of quilts and their stories, in the Blogger's Quilt Festival for the Fall of 2010.

The quilt I am showcaseing is very special to me!

In 1998 I made my first "real" quilt for my daughter. She had just left home for college and I wanted to make something special for her.



I had always dreamed of making quilts and quilt making was a part of my soul, even before I actually made one.

My first memories of this quilt obsession was when I was about 10. I collected squares of fabric in a box, but never made the quilt. I Don't know what ever happened to that box of squares.

In the early 1980s I ordered Georgia Bonesteel's Lap Quilting book through the mail. I would sit and study this book for hours. I didn't have a quilt frame, so lap quilting was the answer!

So my first real quilt was a Sampler Quilt made from the patterns in this book. The anchor fabric was a "cat" print in blues, browns, and beiges. My daughter liked cats and the color blue a lot when she was young.

Here are close ups of a few of the blocks:

GRANDMOTHER'S FAN



MONKEY WRENCH



PINWHEEL AND CARD TRICKS



CRAZY PATCH



LITTLE DUTCH GIRL/SUNBONNET SUE



SAILS IN THE SUNSET



HOUSE ON THE HILL



THE BACK OF THE QUILT



Not shown is the top right hand block which is a friendship block. In the center is a square that I cross stitched my daughter's name, the date and my name, with love, of course.

A Quilt For My Sister

I finally finished binding this quilt and also made the label tonight. This will be a gift for my sister.





I wonder what Summer Quilt Project I will tackle next year? I think making one block a day is a great way to get a project done.

My Quick Quilts Quick Pic

My December/January Quick Quilts came yesterday.



Without a thought I flipped it open to this page! What a surprise!



I will receive 2 of the issues of the magazine the picture appeared in and a free quilt batting from the Warm Company, but not sure when it will come.