Couple of more finishes for the year.

I'm adding two more finishes for the year to report for the works in progress challenge.  I have two banners I hope to get done tonight if possible or definitely tomorrow.

This first quilt is called Marbles and is for my nephew.  I made this top in May 2008 and it just sat there without a border.  It was supposed to go to someone else and when that fell through, I had not interest in working on it.  Then, I pulled it out and realizing that it was almost twin size that it would be perfect for a family quilt.  I now have 4 of 6 quilts that will go to this family.  Need one more for a great niece and a great nephew.

This one I started as a mystery quilt in a yahoo group in 2006 and finally decided to get it off the UFO list.  It's quilted on my home sewing machine and it took me almost a week to get it completed.  The colors are a lot richer making for a nice autumn quilt.

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

Quilts to Share

I have a few quilts to share.  I've been quilting on my DSM and got some projects off my UFO list before year end.

The American Friendship Round Robin was organized through Teas Snowman Swap Group in 2005.  I made the center based on pattern Stars and Stripes by Shannon Williams.  I then sent it to Yveline Mignot in Florida.  She made the flag panel into a stamp by adding white border.  She then appliqued all those half circles and the final black border.  It was then mailed to Barbara Foster in Missouri who added the applique stars and hearts and the blue spacer border.  It then went to Annette Hester in North Carolina who added the "God bless America, Land of the free" spacer and the rail fence border.  However, adding the eagles made it truely American.  It was then returned to me in Missouri and I just had to add something more to reflect the USA theme.  I made 50 friendship stars and put each state's two-letter abbreviation in the center.  In the spacers on the sides, the fabric has USA  tossed about in various text sizes.  This one quilted up nicely and I am anxiously awaiting for Saturday so I can show it to my small quilting guild that meets monthly in each others homes.

This quilt is for a 2nd cousin.  The coloring in photo is horrible because the fabrics are really pretty.  This quilt was made from the Wicked Easy Quilt pattern that was free on the internet a few years back.  Its twin size and just something for her to take when spending the night with friends.

I've taught the Exploding Star class a few times and this quilt started as my class sample.  I thought I was through teaching my final star class in June so I completed the top.  However, a few months later, I got a contract to teach this class in April 2010 (I know, that how it works.)  So, I'm making a new class sample quilt (actually two as I'm creating an expanded version of the pattern) so my UFOs grew here instead of decreasing.

That's it for now.  Hopefully I can get some projects completed before the month is out.

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

Baby Quilt

I'm not a huge fan of fabrics that typically make up baby quilts, unless of course you add them into a scrap quilt. My friend's step-daughter had a baby last Tuesday when she was unexpected induced. I thought I had more time to make a quilt, but it quickly ran out. I made this quilt in a couple of days for the new baby boy. I picked the star fabric at a LQS last month and then picked the two coordinating prints to go with it. Not your typical baby quilt, but it will do.  Quilt is 40" square...

I have been quilting like mad. I have a quilt for a second cousin made, just need to sew two sides of the label. Ive also quilted the American Friendship Round Robin quilt. I'm working on hand sewing the binding and label. In addition, I have quilted a mini exploding star quilt I'm calling Star Explosion. So come back as I'll be posting pictures of these quilts this week.
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Type-u-later,
Tea in MO
http://www.teaquilts.com

Finish for November

I just realized that today is the last day of the month and I didn't have any finishes.  So, I finished "Frosty the Star Man" a few minutes ago.  His body is made completely in the hoop on the embroidery machine.  I just needed to make yo-yos and scarf.  I used 1/8" ribbon for his shoe laces and sequins and beads in the yo-yo centers.  This is too cute.  He could have also been a pillow.

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

My Weekend and Correcting a Seam in Quilt Top

I'm on a roll!  Did not post for three weeks, now I have 3 posts in a week.  I had a productive quilt weekend.  I attended local quilt shop BOM then had an actual sewing quilt guild meeting all on Saturday. 

Sunday I decided that my scatter brain syndrome was actually caused by having 30+ quilt tops that need to be quilted.  A large portion of those are bed size quilts.  So, I decided to organize them to send some out for professional long arm machine quilting.  Of course, the tops I wanted quilted were not the ones I made backs for in August.  So, I sat down and made backs for the remaining 8 tops.  Then I contacted 3 long armers and have 7 quilts I will distribute between them.  I dropped off 3 yesterday, another 2 tomorrow, and 2 more next Tuesday.  Now I feel a little better.  This stint even caused me to put a quilt I had already basted in my sewing chair where I cannot ignore it.  So, it's either sewing on the quilt or no sewing at all.

As I was working on a back for this quilt top that I pieced in April 2006.  I noticed something very strange.  Do you see it?

I have no idea how the blue strips got in the pink area.  I didn't do it...did I.  I thought that was very funny as I have this quilt posted on my website ( http://teaquilts.com/more_wips.htm ) and didn't notice it when I took the photo years ago.

My first thought was to leave it in the quilt as is.  But that small amount of obsessive compulsive behavior that resides in me wouldn't let it be.  I then went looking for the fabric I used for the stars but found I do not have any more in my stash.

Then I thought, if I remember correctly, I have one or two left over strings from piecing this quilt and the star points were already sewn on the strings.  So, I went to my stash of strings left over from strip piecing, you know the stuff that a lot of people trash.  Oh my, I have an excellent memory.  After only a few minutes of looking, this is what I found. 

So I made a hole in my quilt top like this.

And filled it in and now my quilt top looks like this -

Now I'll never be convinced to throw my scraps and extra pieced strips away.  This one paid off big time!

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Type-u-later,

Tea in MO

http://www.teaquilts.com

I won!!

Well, I sort of won by a designer's kindness.  Let me explain.  Quiltmaker has a new magazine now on the stands,

I partiicipated in a blog hop last week, trying to be the lucky winner of above mentioned magazine.  The designers are great, the blocks are wonderful.  I just received it in the mail and just performed a quick page flip.  The blocks are all new original designs.  I'm going to have fun with this.  I was not one of the fortunate hoppers to win outright, but Joni Pike of Sew Special Designs (designed block #7 on page 15) e-mailed the participants to let them know who won her drawing.  I appreciated her letting us know who won, so I let her know.  And then because I was the only one to do so, I won a magazine.  That's not why I thanked her, but it does shows that a little kindness really does bring great rewards.  I love the magazine and now I'm off to read it!

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Type-u-later,

Tea in MO

http://www.teaquilts.com

Progress Report

I've done so much in the last few weeks, but none of it included finishing any quilts.  Since I can't remember all the events that occurred, I thought I'd show some of the projects that I've worked on.

Topsy Turvy Nine Patch.  I still need to add three more rows.  I just got tired to making half-square rectangles.  Very graphic design that depicts movement.  This pattern is by Judy Laquidara.

Friends & Fellows by Jessica Smith.  My quilt group is working on this mystery.  It's due at our December meeting.  Still need to add the 3 borders suggested by the pattern.  I really, really didn't want to at this is just a gigantic quilt! (Not really, just feels that way - its about 87" square when done.)

The Mock Log Cabin was a project we started for those who stayed overnight during the quilt show.  As you can see, I haven't done much more.

I worked a bit more on my Scarecrow project, but ran out of black scraps that would work with this design.  I decided to wait to complete it until I get more appropriate black scraps instead of out right cutting them from stash.

Then I realized my scrap box is out of control again.  I had my scraps sorted by color.  However, a crafter in one of my clubs gave me some scraps and then with everything I've been working on the last 6 months have just created two boxes of scraps that are not sorted.  To make it worse, I can't sort them into my current system as it is just too much.  So, I decided to make a few mock blocks of patterns that I can cut the scraps for.  This is the first one, Pinwheels on Parade, by Pat Speth in More Nickel Quilts.

Emerald Forest from Batiks...Inspired by Bali will be an excellent way to use my batik scraps.  I'm using my Accu Go Cutter to cut the strips.  Will be all colors when completed.

For this one, I pulled green and blue 2.5" strips.  Then decided to add a few red ones to pop it every now and then.

I have 3 more projects that are not listed here (didn't take enough pictures) and another 2 that are for challenge projects that I can't show. 

The SITP quilt I'm working on is a few steps farther.  I have 3 rows pieced; just got tired of the darn thing.  Go figure...

As you can see, I can't seem to get focused on any one thing to get it done.  My mind is so scattered lately.  I'm trying to decrease items on my UFO list but I keep adding stuff.  I give up for the moment.  I'm going with the flow if that's what currently making me happy!

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Type-u-later,

Tea in MO

http://www.teaquilts.com

SITP Update

I've been busy, just not sure where all the time went.  I have worked on my Shakespeare in the Park quilt.  I have all the 12" blocks completed and am working on the 6" star blocks.  I have 10 of the 40 needed sewn.  My goal is to get the top pieces before putting it away.  I just do not like putting projects away with a lot of piecing left needing done.  Here's what is looks like so far:

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

Retreat at a Quilt Shop

Saturday me and three friends stayed the night in a quilt shop.  The quilt shop is a 3 floor home with a basement.  The first floor is the quilt shop and the basement holds some fabrics, kitchen and classroom.  We sewed in the classroom and we each had a table to ourselves.  The second floor had 3 bedrooms with two twin beds in each and a full bath.  The 3rd floor is her storage area but she also had a bed up there to have bed turnings.  She took us up there and showed us at least 30 quilts.  This is our second year during this.  The best part is that we get to shop in the middle of the night and you don't have to worry about missing items you left at home.

I worked on my Shakespeare in the Park quilt which is designed by Judy Martin in The Creative Pattern Book.  Here is my photo.  I made 16 rising star blocks and 4 snail's trail blocks.  I am assembling line piecing the other 21 snail's trail blocks and have them half done.  It was a successful weekend.  Now I have to put all the stuff away.

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

The Abbey Bag

I've been very busy, just haven't had time to post.  Let's see, I've added to my Works in Progress by adding a number of quilts:  Treasure Hunt (twin size made for quilt show vendor shop hop), Treasure Hunt (crib size from leftovers after deciding to make previous quilt smaller), Trip Around the Scrap Basket (crib size to teach at quilt retreat February 2010), Trip Around the Scrap Basket (twin size after deciding the previous one was too small :o), Shakespeare in the Park, Log Cabin Variation (quilt show Friday night security project), and miniature for guild challenge due in January (don't have a name yet). 

So, because of all the started WIPs and having nothing completed for a few weeks, I decided to make this pincushion last night.  The pattern is "The Abbey Bag" but right now I can't tell you what company made it.  It went together very well and it's pretty.  I like that it has a pocket inside so that I can put my seam ripper in it at quilt-a-ways.

Oh, I did enter two quilts into the Quintessential Quilt show hosted by Circle in the Square guild.  Both of my entries were accepted into the juried show and I won honorable mention (3rd place) on Round Robin in the traditional bed quilt category.

That's it for me, what about you?

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