Bella's quilt finished!

I promised Bella I would get it done, and I did!  I found a piece of backing fabric just the right size from my "I am never going to use that in a quilt" pile.  I loaded it all on Priscilla, and quilted away.  Then I trimmed it and got out the minkee, with great anxiety.  I have heard stories of just how difficult this can be to work with in a larger piece.  I spread the quilted piece and the minkee on the dining room table.

I took my time and carefully pinned it all around the edges.  I am sure I used more pins than I needed, but I really wanted this to work.  I pinned right sides together - quilt top to minkee.  Then, I took this very heavy piece to Betty Bernina.  Together, we sewed and pulled, pulled and sewed until we only had on opening at the bottom to turn it.  I back sewed at each corner to give them extra strength.  After I clipped the corners, I turned the quilt, sewed the opening closed, and put in eight small ties to keep the minkee where it needed to be.  Then I took it over to Bella's house.

She couldn't wait to get it on her bed with all her stuffed friends and her baby dolls.  I fit just right, and she was a very happy girl.  Hard to get a good photo with her bouncing with joy.  I am not fooling myself at all about her liking the fabric or pattern, even though she picked them out.  It was the minkee she fell in love with, 100%.

After I got home, I worked more on my October/November challenge at Modern 8 Create.

Currently, it is 40" x 18".  It makes a very nice wall hanging.  I will leave it up for a couple of days before I decide if it is finished or not.  Sure wish you could see the dark rich purple that is not black.

Tomorrow, I have more projects to work on.  What are you doing this weekend?

Joyful quilting, everyone.



Estate sale finds

I love estate sales!  I went to this sale because I saw a photo of this Santa on the estate sale site.  I collect Santas and haven't had a new one in a couple of years.  I arrived early, and he was just waiting for me.  $4.00

Then, there were these very sweet dolls.  The larger one is about 15" tall with the smallest being about 4" tall.  These beauties cost $7.00.

I wandered into a room with shirts and sweaters on a table, but before I could start looking for 100% cotton shirts, my eye caught something that looked like a quilt coming out of a corner of a basket.  Woohoo!  It was a quilt.



I pulled it out, unfolded it, and started looking for labels saying it was made in China.  Not only was there no label, but there were no places that looked like a label had been cut off.  As I started looking at it, I could see it was hand quilted.  I am not sure where it came from, but it is in very good condition, and fits the big bed nicely.  Are you sitting down?  $8.00.

I also picked up about five yards of fabrics, mostly red, for $4.00.  I haven't taken a photo of that yet.  All in all, a very good estate sale for me.

After I came home, I worked more on the BOM quilt.  Then I built more blocks for the Jacobs Ladder.

I have four more to go if I want it 60" x 60".  I may add another row to make it 60" by 70".  I have just enough florals to do that.  It will be the biggest quilt I have had on my design wall.  I am not going to use a border, I don't think.  I am going to piece the binding out of what is left of the florals.  I will have used every last inch of the Kona Aloe.  I am loving this quilt.

For some reason, the aloe shows up much stronger in the photos than it does in real life. 

Have you been watching all the new fabrics that have been introduced at Market?  I have fallen in love with the newest Fig Tree by Moda, Butterscotch and Roses.  What are you drooling over?

Until tomorrow, joyful quilting, everyone.

11-1-11

Good afternoon.  I find that there is a dilemma about not having photos to post of quilty things, even when I work in the studio all day.  The problem is that the only thing I am working on right now that I can share is the Jacob's Ladder quilt.  I am not sure you want to see any more of those.  I am going to try and work on projects I can show while I am working on Christmas gifts and surprise challenges.  In the meantime, I will share some of the photos I have taken that I think are fun.  The top photo is a curious African Crowned Crane. 

Isn't she a cutie?  This is an alpaca.  Both these animals were found at the Cougar Mountain Zoo and Wildlife Park.  Bella and I made a recent visit there with the Greats (my aunt and uncle).  They have some interesting animals there, including a good size reindeer herd.

Of course, I had to sneak in photos of today's JL blocks.

One important thing I did today was talk to Bella's other quilting grandmother, Diane, about what kind of things we could make for our family members this year that they would appreciate and that wouldn't break us.  We came up with mug rugs, place mats, a gun cleaning kit carrying bag for the hunters, and bags.  We are going to exchange 15" mini red and white quilts.  I have already started on the design for hers.  What kinds of things are you making this year for gifts?

I have guild meeting this evening.  Only three more meetings this year as president.  Next year I will be vice president and in charge of programs.  That will be a different kind of challenge.  Tonight is a working meeting.  I am taking some hand quilting.

Until Friday, joyful quilting everyone.

 

Two new Jacob's Ladder blocks

Loving these florals!

I am getting closer to having two tops complete, the JL and the BOM.  I also need to finish Hokule'a, the Christmas challenge, and some Christmas gifts.  That doesn't include the hand quilting I need to finish.  Isn't life fun when you have projects to look forward to?

Joyful quilting, everyone.