Tag Archive | Patriotic

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Oct24

Special day for our family.  My mom is having a birthday and if anyone is the center of an extended family – it is her.  She does everything and has always done everything.  She’s a social butterfly and attentive wife, mother and grandmother.  Now that I’m writing this post, I wish I had a good picture of her to include…. darn.  My parents also celebrated their 50th anniversary this year.

I thought I would do a post today to accomplish two things at the same time.  1)  Honor my mom’s birthday and showcase the prior quilted items I have made in the past for her, and 2) update more items to my Quilt History page.

First up is a bed runner I made for her.  I think it was a Christmas gift for 2011.  NO LABEL!!! !@#$@#$!  I guess I can still make one and attach it.

The colors go great with her neutral toned bedding.  The fabric is Park Avenue by 3 Sisters and I got the pattern from the book “Bed Runners using Precut Fabrics” by Kathy Brown.  My mother is also a retired English teacher, so I need to comment that I know I should underline book titles, but I don’t have that option in my free WordPress application.

I gave her the coordinated fabric covered buttons as an option, but she decided to leave them off.  They would have gone in the center of each “flower” block.

Moms Bed Runner 4

This is on her actual bed. 

Moms Bed Runner 3

 

Moms Bed Runner 1

I was under a time crunch and I wasn’t confident enough to do the quilting myself yet, so I just gave her the quilt top with the backing/binding material in her gift.  She had it quilted locally and the woman selected a dove/bird motif as the pattern.

Moms Bed Runner 5

The next one to show you is a table topper I made her on July 4th, 2012.  I started this project when I got home one night from work and stayed up all night to finish it, and free motion quilt it myself!  I did the binding by hand and completed the label applique on the drive to her house that next morning.

It is called Ozark Star and the pattern is by Fons & Porter.  They did a segment on their show one day on this project and I really liked it.  Since it was 4th of July, I found some great fabrics I had in my stash by Anna Griffin called Fleur Rogue along with a random charm pack and yardage that was also patriotic looking. 

 

Ozark Star Center

Nora loves her hair clips.  Not just for hair apparently!

Ozark Star with Nora

I even threw some fast embroidery on the label to try and spice it up.  I think this backing fabric was a juvenile print called “Rescue 911” if I recall correctly.

Ozark Star label

Another table runner that I made was documented extensively on my blog already … it was the quilt along I did with Pam Buda called “Forget Me Not”.  Here’s the finished quilt runner, but you can click on my tags to the right and see all the posts relating to this quilt.

I gave this to my Mom on her birthday last year, 2012.

FMN Quilt

I still love this quilt and the details I put into it.  Like the wooden forget-me-not flower button.

FMN Border Closeup

 

Finally… I have tried and tried to remember if this was my FIRST quilt or my SECOND.  The other option is a king size Christmas log cabin quilt which I haven’t shown you yet.  But… I think this might be the second.  I didn’t label it, so there you go.  LABEL YOUR QUILTS!

Complete unknown fabrics from Hancock Fabric and WalMart.

Christmas Tree Wall Hanging 1

 

So – HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!  I reserve the right to whip up another quilted gift for you tonight… 🙂

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Jennifer

Very productive weekend!

Jan28

Oh my, I have so much to share that I can actually spread it across a few posts this week. 

The first item up for discussion is that my Stars and Stripes quilt is back from the quilter!  Yippee!

Before picture:

MIL Stars and Stripes Flimsy Finish!

MIL Stars and Stripes Flimsy Finish!

I selected LiMa Sews to do the longarm quilting.  I had been following her blog for awhile (link here to Elvy Crafts blog), and recently she announced her quilting services.  I believe she and her husband are doing this in partnership, which is great!  I picked the obvious choice of pantograph for the quilt (Stars and Loops) and sent it off to Linh to get her going.

Quick turnaround and the quilting is beautiful!  Perfect job.  And the return package was just as nice too…

MIL Quilt Returned

Tied up in a perfect navy ribbon and packaged in a brown paper wrap inside the box, with my extra backing strips neatly folded and tucked within. 

 

MIL Quilt Returned 2

Cute as can be!  Here is the link to her website for the longarm services. 

LiMa Sews

It feels really good to get a quilt top converted into a quilt, for sure.  I even got the binding strips done and clipped onto the quilt for sewing this week.  Once that is done, I’ll take some final pictures outside on a good sunny day and post them.  Hopefully I can capture the quilting design well in the pictures.

Sneak peak for tomorrow…  Avalon strips!  I opened my new jelly roll in record time!

Avalon Strips

Happy Monday!  Thanks for stopping by today!

Jennifer

 

A late Friday finish and other WIP

Oct7

Lovely weekend, much better weather today than Saturday.  Perfect weather actually – about to take the kids for a walk in the neighborhood.  We enjoyed a pumpkin patch yesterday, along with a hay ride, chicken wire maze, pony ride, pony cart rides, petting animals and picking out some pumpkins.

Here’s my late Friday night finish, hence the poor photograph quality…

MIL Stars and Stripes Flimsy Finish!

I have located the perfect backing fabric, but it won’t arrive for a couple more days – so I can move on to something else!  Yippee!

I persisted on my Away From Home Block 1 and actually completed one of the two women applique figures.  It was tedious, I won’t lie.  I’m looking forward to the pieced blocks which will start on Week 4.  I just got Week 2 yesterday, which are the two birds and scrolly looking heart figure above the factory.  Week 3 will be the two trees…

Here’s my personal model, Nora, showing my progress on Block 1.

Nora holding Block 1 WIP

And a little closer image…

Hope you have a great week… I’ll link up to BOM Rehab tomorrow!  See you there!

Jennifer

Happy October and Welcome Cooler Weather!

Oct1

Beautiful day to start off October.  I left the house this morning and the car was showing 61 degrees outside.  Perfect!

Two updates … first, I cut out the pieces I needed for the corner units of the MIL Stars and Stripes quilt.  All that is left is to assemble them and add in the two borders.

Stars and Stripes Corner Units Cut Out

Second, I made a LOT of progress on my Away From Home BOM.  This is all part of Block 1.  I feel so good about it, I’m going to link up to Sinta’s BOM Rehab for today and show it off.  I realized that I am very happy with my decision to machine applique instead of needle turn these pieces.  I may do needle turn on the women figures due to their complexity, but who knows?  I really like how this turned out.

Away From Home Block 1 Applique WIP

Here’s a closeup of the different pieces and you can see where I am sewing just inside the edge of the fabric.  I think this is acceptable – yes?  It should hold fine in a wash – yes?

Block 1 Machine Applique Closeup

So, here’s the plan now.  I’m taking a break from this particular block and going to open up my Mill Girls BOM for which I have blocks 1 and 2 already.  These are pieced blocks, so I hope they go quickly.  I have been waiting a long time to start this quilt.  I think it will be beautiful!

Mill Girls Quilt by Nancy Rink

Happy quilting this week!

Jennifer

Friday Progress Report

Sep28

 I got Stewart to hold up my MIL quilt to show the center portion that is now completed.  I will probably go ahead and add the borders and try to quilt it myself before Christmas, since her birthday is this weekend and there’s no way it will happen before our next trip to see her.

MIL Stars and Stripes – Center Portion

What do you think?  It will look better with the borders.  Right now, it looks a little too much like a flag for me.

Finished up my Tapestry yo yo charm pack so I now have 38 made for the Yoyoville quilt.  I didn’t use the two cream colored squares, because that will likely be my background fabric for the quilt.

Finally, I decided to bite the bullet and face my fear of applique and get moving on my Away From Home BOM…  This is still part of Block 1.  I used the starch and freezer paper method as described in Joanna’s books and newsletters.  It is pretty easy to do, so I don’t know why I can’t remember that.  Here are some snap shots of my factory roof and chimneys.  I had collected little vintage eye bath cups for my Dad (he’s an Optometrist) and managed to keep one for myself and it turns out it is PERFECT for holding my spray starch for this method.

Starch Applique Tools with Rooftop Section done

Roof with Freezer Paper backing and pressed

Rooftop with Paper Removed

Block 1 Applique Template Layout Diagram

Fabric Only layout on Diagram

I can do this!  Of course, these are all very straight and clear cut.  I’ll do the moon and sun next and then have to tackle those two women figures with all the itty bitty pieces.  But no need to worry about it now.  Have a wonderful weekend!Jennifer

Busy, busy, busy!

Sep11

Lots of WIP and more started since last post.  I don’t know what I’m thinking … but I hope I’ll have this breakthrough moment when, after working a little bit on all of my projects each week, I’ll have several completed at once!

Here’s a look at what’s on my work surfaces right now:

 

1)  10 Little Things Baby Quilt – ready to pin baste and FMQ (free motion quilt)

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2)  Birdie Stitches Quilt – As of today, I have 9 blocks completed and one in progress.  I haven’t decided on the setting for this quilt yet.Image

3)  Forget Me Not Sew Along (hosted by Pam Buda).  This is where I am today.  We have the instructions for two more blocks as of last Friday, but I haven’t gotten to them yet.  Goal is to get those done before this Friday, when the last two block instructions will be provided.  I can do this!

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4)  The ever present quilt for Nora.  I finished putting on the inner border, but I need to cut out and piece the last border and get it attached.  Then it will be ready for quilting!

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5)  Away From Home BOM – just starting this in September.  The first few blocks will be all applique, which is new for me.  Going very slowly to try and make it look as good as possible.  So far, only half way through the reverse applique step of the mill factory rectangle with all the windows.

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6)  Other works in process… lots going on in this picture:

My MIL quilt – Stars and Stripes.  Almost done with the inner blocks and will piece them together, then just a couple of borders with four cornerstone star blocks.  I would say it has gone really fast, but I don’t sit down long enough at one time and work on it to get it done.  Hoping it might be possible to do it by the end of the month before we visit again.

The October Birdie Stitch block is shown here in process.

The latest Forget Me Not instructions are printed out and ready for cutting the fabric.

My nano needs to be charged and connected to speakers again that went missing (wonder who?)…

Coupon that came in the mail from Jo Ann’s Fabric.  I’m sure I’ll have a use for it soon.  Need some matching applique thread for the Away From Home BOM.

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So – that’s it!  I’ll show more details of each as they are near completion.  Have a great week!

Jennifer

Midweek Update

Aug22

Slow going this week.  I’m getting close to knocking out all of the curved pieced blocks for the MIL quilt.  Only 10 more out of 38 to be sewn.  Trying to think of a way to spice up the ‘star’ blocks in the flag portion of the quilt.  They seem a little plain to me right now.  Maybe I’ll substitute this pattern (see pic below) for the center of the Ohio star and it will make it ‘sparkle’ a little more.  Change out the cream for the green corners though and of course red for the center star shape. 

This is Block 3 of Pam Buda’s sew a-long project.  She published two more patterns for 5″ pieced blocks on Friday.  I have one done and the other is cut out and ready to sew.

Forget Me Not Sew-A-Long Block #3

Here are the first three blocks together, and in the picture you can also see my stack of completed pie/crust blocks.

Progress Report for 8-22-2012

Gotta get back to work.  Have a great day!

Jennifer

Friday is here! But started off like a Monday…

Aug17
Friday’s are generally good in most respects.  Last day of the work week, excitement builds towards a full day of potential sleeping in and doing fun things at home.  Kids get to do show-n-tell at school today.  Nora will be displaying her “Doc McStuffins” doctor bag (show on Disney Jr) and Oliver is taking a tool box full of Legos again for the third straight week.  They look forward to Friday all week for this.  I guess they must be allowed to play with the toys some too.
 

After I listed my Fall projects yesterday, I had forgotten about a new quilt I have planned for my MIL.  I have always wanted to make her a patriotic type quilt, but I had not found the right pattern.  Until the new Fons & Porter magazine came out and it features a pattern by Mark Lipinski (see bottom left hand corner of cover). 

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I really like it and the fabric that he used.  However, the article didn’t say what the fabric collection was – but I happened to remember seeing one of them in a show that I had recorded and still on my DVR.  The show was an episode of Love of Quilting on PBS, and guest starred Jo Morton doing a bunch of triangles.  So … I rewatched the episode and learned it was from her Hurrah fabric line.  Online web search ensued and I found the fabrics I needed for the quilt.  They arrived yesterday!

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So, no need to let it sit – let’s start cutting!

I was able to get all of the background squares cut for the red stripe portion.  Then I had to make templates for the pie/crust shapes.  I wanted to test out one block at least to see how my ability to machine piece a curved seam would go.  I think it turned out well.  I may make my future blocks a little more scant on the 1/4″ seam allowance and they should be perfect.

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This will be a kind of ‘drunkards path’ pattern, which I have never made.  The magazine labeled this pattern as “Challenging”.  I take that as a challenge I guess!  Wish me luck!

The Monday part of today was that Stewart got new tires yesterday afternoon on his car, but this morning one of them was completely flat.  We start off our mornings here around 85 degrees and what feels like at least 70% humidity.  But he changed out his tire with the spare … and guess what?  The spare was flat too! 

“What the !@#$@#!%!!” (his words, not mine).

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He had a presentation to get to early this morning, so he took my car and I dealt with the flats.  Called up the tire center and they dispatched someone out to repair and load on the new tire again.   And he aired back up the spare as well.  He said the tire just had a small leak at the stem valve.  Whatever.  It was suppose to be new, but I guess it can happen.  Anyway – I wasn’t that much later to work than normal, so no big deal.

Hope all of you have a great Friday and relaxing weekend!

Jennifer