Friday, October 11, 2013

Busy, Productive Week.

I look back over the week and amaze myself on what I have accomplished.  I guess when there is a deadline (baby due), I really get motivated. 
 
I got both hounds tooth quilts quilted and bound.
 
I made my daughter roman shades for the baby's room.
 
She still is going to make yellow and white chevron valances to put over the shades; and here is a peek at the adorable tree behind the crib.
 
 
 
Then, last night I finished quilting the "life cycle" quilt and put the binding on it tonight.
 
 
 
(a little tongue in cheek humor)
I should mention, this quilt is a "version" of the Moda Bake Shop quilt.
 
I still have a few loose threads that need to be sewn in, but I can finally say that I am ready for this baby to be born and my getting my daughter's shades up today should put her mind at ease so that she can finally say the room is ready for the baby, too. 
 
ok...tap...tap....tap
 
 
 
 
 


Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Sneak peek.....

Just took #4 off the long arm and this one is another one for the new baby who should be here any day (or minute!). 
 
 
If life works out right, I hope to get the binding on this one tomorrow night.  That's all I hope for.  If I have to hand stitch it down while waiting in the hospital, that will be alright with me. 


Sunday, October 6, 2013

Pays to be Square......

I told you on my last post that the second quilt I had done on my long arm gave me some trouble because it was more of a parallelogram rather than square.  Well, I used it for practice so that when I did this quilt for my daughter's soon to be born baby boy, it would turn out better. 
 
It was loaded a couple nights ago. 
 
 
....but I couldn't get to it until today.
 
It worked up so much easier being square.  LOL....I highly recommend it. :D
 
Again, I used the popcorn panto with So Fine thread in a medium gray.
 
 
I even had the time to put the binding on tonight.
 
 
So here is the finished quilt.
 
 
It feels so good when something works out well; and I am proud enough of this one to give it as a gift. 
 
Next....I am not sure if it will be the other baby quilt that I have for her or the Fancy That quilt that will be for me. We'll see which one wins out. 
 

Friday, October 4, 2013

Wonky = Not too bad

I need practice on the long arm and the best advice I have received is not to work on anything that I am emotional involved with.  Well, that is pretty hard because after making a quilt top, you are usually pretty emotionally attached to that quilt.
 
 
So, I took the baby blue hounds tooth which was for some reason pretty wonky.
 
 
I don't know if you can tell in this photo, but rather than square it is more of a parallelogram.  I thought I did good by reversing my direction of sewing with each row, but for some reason (maybe all the bias edges) it just wouldn't square up.  I even soaked it in water in hopes of stretching it  and getting it back to square.  All that did was make it wrinkled and difficult to iron out (bias again).
 
So, today I put it on the long arm.
 
 
Just because I knew this was only going to be a practice piece, I still wanted to do the best that I could, so I tried squaring it up on the long arm.  I did the "popcorn" panto on it and all went pretty well.
 
 
 
It's quilted....maybe not perfectly, but it certainly was a good effort and I did manage to square it up more than it was and without any puckers, too.
 
Well, I couldn't stop there.......
 
 
I had to bind it, too, tonight.  Now it is done and a little bit more in the correct shape.  It still has a bit of a "twist" to it, but some baby is going still love it. 
 
Anyways, I have three more quilts that are lined up for the long arm.  The next one is on  Millie Faye right now.
 
 
This hounds tooth is much more square because when I put it together, I put it in blocks rather than rows.  That seemed to help when piecing the top. 
 
This one is for the new little grandson that will be born.....soon, very soon,......like maybe within a week or so. 
 
So, you know where I will be tomorrow morning. 
 


Michigan quilters, take note

  Come see us at our first Quilter's to Quilter's sale.   Don't know what that is?  Well, it will be 28 quilters/vendors selling...