Fiddlesticks and Humility

Prayer Shawls and Comfort quilts

2013-06-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

Always take precedence over other projects. Why? Because they are NEEDED. Circumstances may vary. Loss, Cancer, extreme life difficulties--whatever the reason they come first for me. This one came out gorgeous, and I surely hope it give the recipient comfort. I will let the recipient decide whether or not to be public. (There is a label on the back which is why you can only see part of the back--but it is the same all-over print)

The Fabric line is actually called The Healing Tree from Frond Design Studios--its a wonderful line. The teal and brown are not from the line, but the panel, green and backing are.

I made this childs comfort quilt for a kit display for my Easy 7 pattern. The kits (limited #) will be available at Sew-n-Such in Reno.

And of course, at least on of the cats must provide quality control, this time it is Sushi doing the honor.

I also made new curtains for our game room as I found the perfect material with an all-over dice print. you can see them on my main web site: Game Room Curtains. It is used mostly for Warhammer 40K, but it is not exactly exclusively for that. Fir those interested-I usually play Orks.

I found this colorful run that is from Blank Fabrics that I decided to make into a Take Five from The Teachers Pet, for a yet to be scheduled class. It is the WIP I am working on now.

Mod Nine Patch Quilt

2013-05-30T07:18:00.001-07:00

Mod Nine Patch Quilt --another to add to my to do list....

Batik BOM top done....

2013-05-18T16:21:00.001-07:00

Flat as it gets with 2 cat helpers, as much of it as I can fit in the pic w/o a ladder.

This is one of the few times I followed the directions, next time I make it I will change some things.

The fabrics for the blocks were chosen by The Quilt House, as part of their BOM program (yeah the one I am doing 2 of this year) The pattern is "Close to My Heart"--I had collected the pattern in a FabShopHop but never made it.

The rest I chose with some help of my friend Tina. We are doing these BOM's together. As we have to travel to a different city, we make it a girls day out, with fast food breakfast, a nice lunch, and sometimes other shops along the way to and from <GASP> ha ha

We are good friends and help each other into more trouble that we keep ourselves out of--all fabric related of course...but that is what quilty friends are for--right?

Maybe I am a little crazy?

2013-05-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have started 2 new BOM, because I could not decide which color way, so I am doing both a black n brights and a cream n blue. These are the first two blocks:

I am assembling the top from the last one:

But got sidetracked making a skirt for my granddaughter and her friend Wocket (I have a soft book for my grandson, I am just deciding if I wan't to embellish before I put it together):

The "simple" 8 gore twirly skirt, gave me some fits, so I needed some helpers:

On one of my Online Quilting communities, there was a questioned posed about "dirty little quilting secrets" -mine; that I often only finger press with a bamboo presser my Grammy lacquered a good 40+ years ago:

So, I need to finish the Batik BOM top, make some pillow covers and valances, and 2 prayer shawls....more pics to come as I progress.

Blessed....

2013-05-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

Now bear with me, I have many things I have been blessed with. A great Husband of almost 37 years, 2 wonderful kids, 2 awesome grand kids, good friends, and the list would be sooo very long you would tire of it....but it is LONG. I finished this BOW quilt top yesterday, and it is now in the queue to be quilted. I am going to start on the sashing for the Batik BOM next.

This morning I woke early. My granddaughter who spent the night with us is still sleeping, so I decided to spend some time working on the hand quilting of the last quilt top that my Grammy made, while enjoying a quiet house and coffee. Just me and the cats.

As I was into the rhythm of the stitch, I realized again, just how much I have to be thankful to my Grammy for. She was a widow that kept a plumbing shop after her husband died, when it was "expected" that women would sell such a business. I would go to the shop with her sometime. In those days --tile and counter top samples were little chips about 3" X 3" I'm guessing from memory, on a bead chain. I got the old ones to play with.

My Grammy as some of my previous post have said, started me sewing when I was very little. But she taught me so much more. She taught me to have faith, to be humble, to be helpful, to give even if it meant you do without. To do what it takes to take care of your family. To be resilient, to face adversity, to know that the hard times won't last; although an 18 month stretch of unemployment has been quite the test of this faith, and one that I am quite ready to have over with-- but as Grammy would say, it will be what it will be....

She was able in the days before the internet (gasp), when interstate phone calls were still VERY expensive and usually done on a Sunday afternoon once a month (yes, really), and we wrote letters, that went by mail. From California (where my Dad was stationed in various places until he retired to Winnemucca, Nevada, except his 2 tours to Vietnam) it took about 2 1/2 weeks to get a letter to and back from Grammy. If I was having a problem with something, I could explain it to her, and she would send me back instructions to try and fix the problem. She was usually able to diagnose and send me the fix-it recipe the first time...and we didn't send pictures either very often, they were still expensive too...you know, you had to buy film, and then it had to get processed--and there was no such thing as 1 hour developing...

I am blessed that I can hand quilt still, it allows for a great depth of thought sometimes, pure sanity at others. I teach as many as I can, but I am working on my freehand machine quilting skills as there are some art quilts in me wanting to get out. I have seen marking on some of the fabrics as I quilt, that let me know she made a day dress from this floral material (the only time my Grandmother wore pants was to go fishing and to pick asparagus. Both of which we did in the Wabash River). She lived in Terre Haute, Indiana, and she did take me to fish and pick asparagus along the muddy Mississippi a couple of times (my dad was stationed in St Louis at the time.) I still love fried fish for breakfast.

My Grandmother was an amazing woman. I hope she is pleased with the woman that I have become.

Mystery Quilt top done

2013-04-24T10:58:00.001-07:00

Yes its a Jelly roll quilt :-) With one added fabric. My daughter (and a few of my other students) decided she didn't want to cut background fabric, so just used another Jelly Roll. This was a Moda that I had in my stash, so not sure the collection name...

If it looks familiar, I used the leftovers to make my first Quiltsmart Mondo bag

I was also able to finish the last Batik BOM, next to work on Sashings and borders, Fabric-check...it was part of a girls day trip while looking for the best venue for a retreat that my friend Tina and I are going to do probably in late October at Lake Tahoe.

And below, I was able to get the last 4 blocks of the week done..now to sashings and borders.../hmm...I see a theme here...

Looks like I am going to do more Cutting, cutting, cutting...

Below is a great cause:

The wall hangings are done!

2013-04-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

And after finishing these, I caught up on my BOW project (yeah, we been getting more than one a week, and a new one this morning)--7 done--5 to go...

And, I LOVE this block!

The bright leaves are "The Healing Tree" by Melissa Marie Collins-Frond Design Studios--I may have to buy some more of this! The Emerald green is Plaster of Paris-also by Frond Design Studio, the center is a Jinny Beyer.

Cutting Scrap n stuff....

2013-04-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

Do you cut your scrap? I didn't used to, but took a couple of scrap therapy classes and now I do. I am woefully behind, but little by little....

This is my Fat Quarter Pack from Windham Fabrics for being the winner of Day 15 of the First Ladies contest, it hasn't told me what it wants to be yet...Thanks again Jennifer Varon for getting them out so timely!

Here they are in a little more glory, they are telling me very traditional right now...but that does not mean that is how they will end up.....

To the right is a spring wall hanging from Quiltmaker Magazine #150, hoping to finish it tomorrow. Will depend on our weather, we are forecasted thunderstorms which often translates to power-outs.

I am also making a rainy day wall hanging with an umbrella on it called April Showers by Roberta Elliot.

I am also behind on my BOW project. I have blocks 5 & 6 cut, 5 partially sewn and got #7 this morning....

My Spring Splash

2013-03-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is Spring Splash by McCall's. The construction was fairly simple, an abbreviated construction was in my previous blog "Spring Wall hanging." This was my first serious attempt at a larger free motion quilting project, since I have been hand quilting for well over 40 years , one forgets how "painful" & " not the prettiest stitches" feels...

But as with all things I know that practice makes perfect, so, I will keep practicing :-) It looks just fine hanging over my fireplace.

And below is my last BOW, got the next one today, have a class tonight so probably won't get it done until Sat....but then, one never knows...

Wishing you and your Family a Blessed Easter!

National Quilting Day Project....

2013-03-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

But I had to wait to show it until my recipient (my daughter) got it; and my helpful four-legged friends would let me take a picture without attacking it. Like leaves..they just can't resist a running jump into anything I want to take a picture of.

I used a Block Party Studios Fruit of the Spirit Kit because it matched the colors I wanted. I love their panels and use them very often.

Of course unless they are acting like angels:

And my block of the week--finally. This was one of those blocks that just gave me fits. No particular reason. It did, I am glad its done--and yes it required frogging...

We have been very busy with family birthdays and Easter coming on way too quick...

And the first day of spring, we have wind, not the promised rain, we need some water :-( Droughts are no fun, especially in the desert...

Mondo Bag...It really is!

2013-03-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a (well 2) Quiltsmart Mondo Bags. I had seen several and decided they would be good for lugging stuff back and forth to class....but oh how much it holds. This first one s done from the leftover Jellyroll of a lap/baby sized mystery quilt. (can't show the quilt yet because the class is not finished-wouldn't want to spoil the surprise for the students)

So you can make a baby quilt and a diaper bag from the Mondo bag by getting just a bit more (1.25 yards) of backing :-)

Quiltsamrt products make hard things easy. The Mondo bag is full of Quiltsmart projects anxiously waiting their turn.

The printed interfacing looks like this:

For the Mondo (and Midi) bag you need lots of these cut from your Jelly Roll Strips

You lay them out and iron them on the interfacing--don't forget to use your non-stick pressing sheet!

Sew some seams, folding along the printed lines

Clip according to the directions and press seams according to the arrows (if you do not you will wish you had)

Then you sew the panels together, make the straps, line and:

this is the next one ready to assemble

Besides actual sewing/quilting , a friend and I are working on getting a Quilting retreat together at Lake Tahoe. What is your favorite part of a retreat?

Spring Wall Hanging......

2013-03-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

It was next in the top project bucket (yes I have more than one) of cut projects from my cutting spree.

First to sew strip sets for easy 9 patch blocks

Trim up the strip set

And then do more cutting--

Then you have more smaller strips to make the nine-patches from

Then you sew the nine patches together for what will become a border

After you iron them of course

Now we move on to half square triangles--Love my gypsy cutter

And wallla!

They are supposed to be like the one on the right not the one below--time for the frog stitch :-/

Now add some more pieces--and iron some more

And then you have the center below

And top finished below--It hasn't let me know how it wants to be quilted yet....so I will move on to some bags while it decides...

St Patrick's Day

2013-03-04T07:49:00.001-08:00

And my first real foray into freehand machine quilting. Cheated a bit, straight lines and echos...but one has to start somewhere. I have machine quilted with the walking foot, but it is well, limiting.

This is a new block of the week quilt-front of the block. I have been on kind of a Batik tear, so I decided to do a few projects a little more on the traditional side.The prints are Hoffman's except one, the light green is a Northcott. The background is a Michael Miller's Vanilla Painter's Canvas--I liked it so much I bought a whole bolt and decided this was the project to cut into the bolt for.

And by request, the back of a block...like it when they are pretty :-) Makes the quilting easier.

And this is block 12 of the batik block of the month. Get the last block first Saturday next month, and then it will be time to decide how to set them...do I use the directions...or do it my own way....bets????

I will have a spring wall hanging soon to share with you. We got some rain yesterday, rain and snow forecast later in the week, and though I am not a snow lover, I will take it since we are way behind in our snow-pack and looking at another drought year if we don't get some serious water soon :-(

Children's Handkerchiefs...

2013-02-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

I thought it funny that as I was sewing on these children's handkerchiefs that there was a debate on Facebook regarding the sanitary/unsanitaryness of them. Old fashioned, yes, serviceable yes, cute yes..to use or not--personal preference.

Personal take--

Whatever brand of Kleenex-its paper and it makes your nose sore. It tears.

Kids do not carry around boxes of Kleenex and commonly loose the little packages, and tear the Kleenex trying to get it out.

Kleenex with lotions and antimicrobial stuff is just more chemicals people don't need exposure to.

A handkerchief is better than a sleeve or shirt, the toy, etc.

And around the house nice (small children's/baby washrags are pretty soft too, but bigger kids don't like to use "baby" stuff.

100% cotton, prewashed, cut at 10" to finish at approximately 8.5", Juvenile prints, animal prints,spots, Micky Mouse, Tiger, Goofy...anything kid likes is usable.

Did you know that the finished size of a Woman's handkerchief is generally considered to be 8" (if scalloped measured at the inside arc), A mans is generally 12, thought many men prefer 14".

Progress on the AQS Modern Mystery Quilt

2013-02-22T22:25:00.000-08:00

So one of my helpers saw me bring out fabric. She knows I am getting ready to take a picture and is getting ready for pouncing the quilt pieces:

These are my inset half-circle, circle again strips. I am glad I got a bit behind and did some steps out of order, as I am using mostly scraps, I may have cut up the pieces I needed to make the half circles. I could have pieced the half circles if need be..but I am glad I did them all in one piece. I am still not a fan of sewing them, I like how they turned out, but...

The pink in this picture washes out in the picture, its a bit light, but I wasn't takin' it back out!

Now to go back and do the step I skipped :-)

Thinking....

2013-02-21T07:13:00.001-08:00

Dangerous I know. I have been very busy with real life stuff, you know, the stuff that gets in the way of quilting :-) So I have only made a little progress on hand quilting this quilt:

This is the last quilt top my Grammy made. It is slow quilting. She backed it with a sheet, and I am sure part of the top is sheet also. Tough quilting they are! I am not sure what it is batted with, it does not feel 100% cotton.

What I am thinking about is how to label this quilt. My Grammy made the quilt top sometime in the late 1980's or maybe early 1990's. For awhile it was too overwhelming to work on, because I still miss her soooo much.

The other thing I hope is that the pencil, she stenciled with washes out well. It is probably an old fashioned real leaded one (she owned a plumbing shop for a long time after my Grandpa died (I never met him), so she had LOTS of pencils..I know she added borax to most of her wash so maybe that will do the trick.anyway...any suggestions on how to label it are appreciated.

I also have to decide how to bind it. My bolt of white doesn't really match the majority of the white on the top (the whites are not all quite the same), but since there is some variation maybe it doesn't matter...or maybe I should put a colored binding on? Yeah, still thinking....

Grandson's tool bag..

2013-02-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Funky little Monkeys on the outside and bouncing balls on the lining. These bags make up super quick, they are Quiltsmart Smart Bags, They come in a fun pack with interfacing to make 2 bags, or you can buy panels off a bolt, 2 bags to a panel (so you don't have to pay for the instructions over and over again. In Reno, Sierra Sewing carries a pretty good selection and can special order anything you need.

Below are the tools inside. he played with a set here, his cousin showed him how to use them-his favorite is the hammer. She uses all of them to "fix" everything around the place. I love my Grandchildren-- and am very happy I live in the same town with them....

To the right is the Birthday boy with my Mom n Dad, handsome fella

The Hugs N Kisses Blog Hop was lots of fun, I enjoyed all your comments and was happy to share a fun project. I will have to do another blog hop soon. Below is part of a mystery project...

Its going to be very pretty when it is done. I still have other things to make from my cutting spree, and I will reveal more of the mystery as it comes along..yes, this part is done with a Jelly roll, and as a couple of my students (my daughter being the first) figured out you can do the project with 2 jelly rolls and 4 extra strips--anything that saves cutting I am game for...

Hugs N Kisses Blog Hop...

2013-02-14T20:22:00.002-08:00

It's the 15th somewhere..so here we go. Welcome to everyone visiting today for the Hugs and Kisses Blog hop, along with my friends who visit me regularly. Thank you to Madame Samm and Jane for organizing this and allowing me to participate in this, my first ever Blog Hop. Hugs and Kisses to you both!!

Today's other stops:

Why Knot Kwilt

NitaDances

Sew Darn Quilt

Quilt-N-Queen

Fiddlesticks and Humility (you are here)

Stitchin Therapy

Moose Stash Quilting

Gypsy Dreamer Quilts

Color My World

Sew We Quilt

So after I got the email from Jane that I was "in," I decided to use the leftover fabrics from my class Valentines quilt . Here is kind of the step by step evolution of "Hearts on a String". It was a close call getting all the hand quilting done in time to bind, wash dry and and hang….

In my cutting spree I cut 5" squares, 2.5" squares, some 2" (i think) strip, some 4" strips and some 1.5" inch strips--because I had lots of ideas but hadn't settled on anything yet..and packed them up in a project bag until the idea was kinda set

Having made hearts before I knew I needed HST--and yes I mark mine--and some snowballed pieces; at least in the manner I was going to construct them-I know there are a gazillion different ways to do it, but...this is what I choose this time around.

So on I continued, the pattern just kinda evolved, what I ended up with, which I love; is not what I started out envisioning.

This is when I decided to try the string option on for size..I would not have been happy froggin it (rip-it rip-it) ....so I am happy to have liked what I got. not everything I tried was as successful...

I loved this first string...

So of course I added another..

And then another--Then since I had decided to hand quilt this, I knew I needed to stop there if there was any hope of having it done in time...

So in the hoop it went:

Out of the hoop and ready for binding...

And remember I said that this was made from leftovers..well I had leftover binding too..and I had kinda measured.... thought there was enough...

good thing I had more leftovers...

Bound, washed, dried and hanging over my fireplace :-)

Hope you enjoyed the trip, I had a lot of fun. Make sure you check out the rest of the neat projects on today's hopping.

And it is bound and in use!

2013-02-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

But the flannel does not feed through my Simplicity Bias Tape Machine :-( So the old fashioned way of iron had to be used. So I had a big pile of binding (the machine nicely rolls it on a spool for you)

And now it lives on the couch with the rest, until I change them out the next time. My granddaughter will be glad to find a new tent making quilt on her next visit!

Yes, you guessed, these are my two angelic helper/inspectors...pretending they are not looking for their next prey... Sushi is the tiger strip (mostly Siamese--very talkative), Lilo is the gray n white (she is also part Siamese and has some very subtle stripes)

I was able to finish my block of the month block from last weekend..I have also been working on my blog hop project--you will get to See Friday. The quilting is going smoothly.

And these monkeys and balls are going to be part of a Birthday present for my Grandson--he's going to be 1! :-)

But I must be off to quilt on the blog hop project, it will need to be bound and washed so I can get a good picture before Friday.

And I have no idea why some of my text has a white background, and nothing I do seems to change it. Gremlins in the page I guess...

And the cats won....

2013-02-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

So yeah, my last post I said the backing was on the floor undisturbed by the cats at that point, yes you all knew:

It is all basted together now, hopefully will bind it tonight or tomorrow.

Due to a visit from the stomach flu I did not get to go to girls day, but my girlfriend Tina picked up my BOM for me--I got it cut...

I did get the project top for the HUGS AND KISSES BLOG HOP - done, can't decide how to quilt it. I don't usually have a problem deciding, but this one is throwing me a bit...still have a few days to chew on it. You can see a few pieces of it on the pressing board above, that's all you get until the 15th.

I did take time out to make a Quiltsmart cell phone bag--and yes an I phone 5 fits!!

no, that's not the I phone 5 in it, I am taking the picture with it :-)

And I'm sewin'...

2013-02-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

Cutting spree is done. I have completed the first quilt top and am getting ready to go sandwich and tie it (as soon as I finish this post). I am partial to flannel quilts being tied, how about you? At any rate, previous steps can be seen on my website main-page. Hopefully it will get bound on Sunday, tomorrow is a girls day trip to Gardenerville (Nevada) for a Tellustration BOM at the Quilt House, just a few more to go. Hopefully will get that block done Sunday afternoon as well..we'll see.

This is the Charming Fractions by Mountainpeek Creations-designed by Kari Nichols. I actually did a throw size this time instead of a King! My Granddaughter needs more tent quilts (yeah right--good excuse though-right?), she misses the uber King Row x row Christmas quilt.

Now, off to work on sandwiching an tying while the cats are sleeping, or hiding; they can see the quilt & batting, backing is on the floor already (at this moment-undisturbed-and yes I am knocking on wood)..more pics when its done.

I took a time out from cutting....

2013-01-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

But first to share a smile. This reminds me of my Grammy--I walk by it several times a day, but some days I am sure she reaches out and hugs me, because it makes me stop and hold it:

and yes, the mouse is sitting at a "Mice" branded treadle :-)

Now the reason I took time out from cutting was to finish the housewarming gift: The theme is red and leopard. It is the "Take Four" pattern by Something Sew Fine Quilt Design. I made them double sided instead of plain on the back. Same colors, different arrangement.

There was a questioned posed on Facebook, on the smallest scraps people use. I said 1.5" x 1.5", in case I am every crazy enough to do another double Irish chain postage stamp style....

I cut squares 1.5, 2, 2.5,3, 3.5, 4, 4.5,5, 6,8 and 10". Long strips I put with selvages on a scrap ball for rag rugs.

Since I am cutting, I am cutting scrap at the same time..I am woefully behind on this :-/ I will finish cutting the last two project tonight or tomorrow, class this afternoon. Then I don't "think:" I will need to cut anything for awhile project wise, unless I need an unexpected gift. :-)

And, I am still cutting...

2013-01-20T08:26:00.002-08:00

The machine is home from being serviced; however, I needed a house warming gift and I entered THE HUGS AND KISSES BLOG HOP - sewwequilt.com

So now I need to design and cut a project: Create anything that has hearts, hugs, kisses,
anything in REDS and PINKS. I think I will uise the leftovers (yeah I'll probably add more others too) from This valentines day quilt--made from the Fab-Five pattern

Now back to the cutting/design board...

STILL cutting...

2013-01-18T08:25:00.001-08:00

My Celtic Crystals is ALL cut--what a chore. Cutting is my least favorite part of quilting/sewing followed by basting. As I was cutting it came to me that this pattern would probably look very nice in 30's reproduction fabrics, or in blacks and browns for a man cave piece.

All of it

All tucked away in her project basket

There is A LOT of cutting

But it is nice to have done. Two more projects to cut and its time to start sewing on the freshly serviced machine. :-)

There will be some other projects to cut before these are all done, but the cutting marathon is about over.

And yes, I have some projects that were already cut;but their priority in the making order has been revised...that happens from time to time.

Cutting, cutting, and more cutting...

2013-01-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

This is a picture for the rant I posted last night--really..if one manufacturer can get them on the bolt straight and even they all can IF they want to. It is much faster to be able to whack both selvages at the same time (yes I save my selvages).

And when you are cutting a bunch of projects, time savings is important. Fabric 'misering' is always important-yes I even cut 1" square "scraps"; not sure I'll do another postage stamp...but just in case...

Left is a flannel quilt--think its name is Fractions or some such. I will look for the name and designer for the finished picture-right now it's buried in a project basket.

To the right is a Jelly roll mystery quilt; no other pics till my classes complete it. :-)

To the left is a spring fling throw, topper, or maybe I'll add borders and make it a lap quilt..haven't decided yet . It's a McCalls pattern

To the right is a wall hanging, it will be gifted. Hand printer panel by Block Party Studios. I love their panels. i use them often in prayer shawls and comfort quilts.

To the left is a new tool I got Saturday from TenSistersHandicraft by Carmen Geddes--a piping ruler! I'ts awesome. And that sneaky little face is my "helper" sushi.