Design Wall Monday

I'm back with another design wall Monday.  Yeah!  I still haven't taken a photo of a completed quilt.  Maybe I'll take it to work this week to get that done.  However, I did make the remainder of my drunkard's path blocks and have the quilt top completed.  Now I need to add a few borders.  This pattern is from JayBirdQuilts. Mine is a little different as I added setting triangles all around and of course the borders I'll add at some point.

I finally decided to make a few Christmas gifts.  I made Wonder Wallets by www.LazyGirlDesigns.com about three or four years ago for friends and family.  Last year they started asking for replacements but I didn't get around to making them.  This weekend I made twenty.  They went really fast and would have been faster if  I'd made them all from the same fabric.  I had to constantly change threads to match the wallet and/or Velcro colors. Maybe I'll make a few more if I get a chance.

That's it for me.  To see more, visit Patchwork Times.
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A few more finishes

Okay, I forgot to take a final photo of this quilt.  It's a charity quilt for hospital use in the preemie ward.  They need basic quilts that can be washed a lot.  I used my Asian themed charm packs for this one.

I quilted the African Inspired Card Trick quilt.  It was one of the scrap quilting club projects.  The pattern is from All People Quilt. 

Instant Karma was made for a great niece who wanted an orange, pink and purple quilt.  Weird color combination but it does reduce the family quilts I need to make.  It should be less than ten now; I need to check the list.

Made the small tumbler changing pad/quilt for my step-daughter.  She's have a baby in February but the shower was today. Of course the tumblers were cut from my Accuquilt die cutter.  If you need a tutorial, visit my tutorial tab.

And the final quilt in this post is Jitter Buzz, a retreat project I started in February 2009.  I sometimes think of it as the quilt from hell as the directions were not correct when I was piecing the top.  I'm just glad that it's done and I really like it.

Don't forget that tomorrow is the last day to enter the drawing.  See previous post for instructions.  Also, I have one more quilt I completed but need to clip a few threads and sew the label.

-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

What I've been doing; 2 Finishes, Give Away

I've been missing in action. My life kind of spun out of control.  What have I been doing?  The very brief version:  In September we had our guild's quilt show, in October I went to NYC and in November I helped coordinate a major line dance party.  I wasn't able to work on anymore Quiltmaker's 100 blocks so I didn't complete the goal to get them all done in a year.  I'll make another post about my NY trip, but here are two finishes.

I did a major happy dance when I completed my dear Jane quilt I call Scrappy Jane.  Hey, that officially makes me a Janiac! The fabrics are only used once per block or triangle; no repeating once the unit was completed.  I enjoyed the process of making the blocks and triangles, having fun with the challenging piecing.  What I did not like was binding the darn thing!  I'm glad it's done and I'm so happy that it does have scallops.  My next scallop quilt will most definitely be smaller. I started out hand quiting, then took it to a local church group to do some hand quilting; it still needs more quilting in the triangles but for now, I'm putting it aside.  Oh yeah, it won 2nd place in the quilt show in Bed Size Quilts category.

Here is another finish, cathedral stars, but I named mine Crystal Stars.  I didn't think I'd ever get through making all the units. Another one I'm glad to get off my to do list.

I have some other quilts I've completed but don't have photos of yet.  Let's see, two baby quilts, a quilt I made for a family member and at two more. So, don't go away too long as I promise to be back soon with more eye candy.

I noticed that while I was gone that I now have 100 followers.  If you are a follower and leave a message, I'll enter you into a drawing.  I have been cutting my batik quarter yards into strips.  I'm sending  15 batik strips 2.5" wide to the lucky winner.  You have until Sunday at 8:00 p.m. to enter.

Have a great day everybody!

-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

Design Wall Monday

My neighborhood was affected by the severe weather that hit the St. Louis area this weekend.  I was fortunate that my family and I did not suffer damages to our homes.  Most of us lost power from Friday evening through Sunday.  As I look at the damages to the metropolitan area, we are very fortunate that no fatalities occurred.  God definitely protected many, many people.

I did make one of my QM challenge blocks but will upload it later this week with additional blocks.  Scrap quilting club was canceled Saturday due to the weather so no pictures this month.  This is the start of our project due next month.  I only need 35 starter blocks but sewed everything I had in a bag of strings given to me by Doris at our last quilt guild meeting.  This is the result one person's trash being someone else treasure.

Since I had no power, a friend invited me over to sew and I quickly and graciously accepted.  I quilted the Black, White and "Red" All Over quilt for my retiring supervisor.  This will be her last week on the job.  Not sure how I feel about the next batch of changes affecting my department in the next few months.  Everyone hired or that I've worked with, having had close working relationships, have retired.  I'm having a woo is me kind of moment right now. I just need look over the quilt to clip strings and check quilting tension before handing it over as the binding is also done.

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Type-u-later,

http://www.teaquilts.com

Charmed I'm Sure

My quilt guild had a charm quilt challenge this month and last Thursday was the big reveal.  There is nothing super fancy about my quilt but I didn't want to see another one on the line so I kept it a secret.  Here is my charm tumbler quilt I titled Charmed, I'm Sure.  It has 202 different fabrics including the backing and label. 

My first plan was to scatter the charms and piece how they landed.  For some reason that did not appeal to me so I went to plan B.  I decided to make frames with the tumblers (by the way cut 3.5" with my GO! cutter) by separating the light and medium/dark values.  I also had fun throwing in novelty fabrics.  I just love looking at this quilt.  It tied for 2nd place in the challenge.  NOTE: Quilt was hung upside down on the line.

Here are some other charm quilts that members made.  I forgot to write down the names of the makers.  If you are members of the guild and have correct information, please let me know.

Drew Benage
3rd place

 Doris McCall

 Debbie - tied 1st ?

Norma Silk
Tied 2nd
over 400 1.5" .5" rectangles

Judy Kooi

Connie Barnett
Tied 1st place

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Type-u-later,

http://www.teaquilts.com

Doily and Clock Finishes

I was secret quilter to Lenore and she was kind to take and send me photos of the hand made gifts I gave her over the weekend.

I can't remember the designer of the doily machine embroidery design.  This is an Ace Points free standing lace design names something like Valentine Rose Hearts.  There about 10-12 different designs.  I made four separate hearts on the embroidery machine and then zigzag stitched them together.

The clock stitching is from Adorable Affordable Designs called Thread & Spool Clock Design.  I could have changed the wording but it was appropriate for the clock so I left it in.  The clock was my first and took way more time than it should have.  I ran into problems after problems and though it's not perfect, I was determined to finish it for the gift giving event.

Thanks Lenore for the photos and it was so much fun being your secret quilter at retreat!

-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

Noveau Riche - 2nd Finish for 2011

I started Noveau Riche on my birthday last year, July 28th.  I fell in love with the quilt and my friend purchased the kit for my birthday gift.  I'm glad I finally got it quilted, especially before my next birthday LOL.

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Type-u-later,

http://www.teaquilts.com

1st Finish

I finished Hot and Cold, a quilt top I made in May 2008.  This quilt is wonky string blocks made with hot colors in one set of block and cool colors in the alternate blocks.  I'd started quilting it the Fall of 2010, having half of it completed.  For some reason, I set it aside and never got back to it until now.  The quilting is free flowing wonky lines to keep with the theme.  I used two different threads while quilting to coordinate with the blocks.  I found the perfect binding fabric in my stash that I cut on the bias.  These are not the best pictures of this quilt; it a little too large to photograph inside at home.  I'll try to get a better photo at work later this week.

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Type-u-later,

http://www.teaquilts.com