Final Audition

The final audition has been made for Loving Hearts. I decided on a red plaid for the backing. I've also decided the statement of Loving Hearts will be a thank you to all the people who volunteer their time and talents for others. They are the true Loving Hearts in our society. I'll start quilting today, I'm anxious to see how this little quilt develops.

Confused

Recently I've discovered a great website called Quilter Blogs, the site features and highlights blogs by quilter's for all over the globe. I am now on their list and in return I want to place a link on my blog listings. I've been working on this for an hour with no success. I'm sure it is quite easy, but not for this beginner. I'm taking a break now and I'll try to tackle it a little later. On a lighter note!!!! I found this wonderful little basket block in my collection---not sure what I'm going to do with the block, I'll come back to that later too. If you want to see other quilter's blogs, check out http://www.quilterblogs.com/ and I'll keep trying to add it to my sidebar. I'd rather be quilting.

Changes

Loving Hearts is changing. It always amazes me how little bits of color or a placement of fabric can alter a piece. I'm thinking more changes may still be in the future of this little quilt.

Hearts are Growing

Loving Hearts has been on my mind all morning. The little quilt needs more. I'm not sure what at this point, so I made a collection of heart related fabrics and embellishments from my collection. I was surprised, I didn't realize I had so many hearts around me. Thoughts continue and the fabric audition has begun. This little quilt may have a new look by tomorrow.

Windy City Get-a-way

Just returned from a wonderful Chicago Get-a-way. Bill and I left Sunday on Amtrak, bound for Downtown Chicago. If you haven't ridden a train lately, check it out. Both of us agreed it had changed greatly since our days of riding when we were young (many decades ago). While in Chicago taxi cabs and feet were are means of travel. Cab rides in Chicago are interesting. After window shopping on the Magnificent Mile, we enjoyed dinner at Timothy O'Toole's. Great little pub/sports bar, with an"old Chicago" feel.



Monday was our day for museums. Harry Potter Exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry and then on to Shedd Aquarium. Harry Potter was a great display of the movie props and wardrobe. It amazed me how different things look up close, compared to the movies. Set designers work wonders. Shedd Aquarium was wonderful as always, I especially liked the coral reef area and a very active River Otter. We headed home on Tuesday.

The trip, of course, included a quilting project. I started "loving hearts", a little 9-patch mini quilt. This mini quilt 's base is a vintage 9-patch that had been hand pieced. The 9-patch came from a box of fabric I bought at a farm auction. To it I appliqued hearts from homespun fabric I had made and machine appliqued on to a 4 x 4 inch square. I cut apart the square and appliqued the hearts I needed for this project.

I located a oak leaf print from my vintage scrap fabric collection to add as an accent in the 9-patch. Still under construction.

Dream Fan

I made this little hand quilted message mat from one vintage fan quilt block, added the simple message and binding. Great little mat for that morning hot drink , as a pot holder or a reminder to dream.

Completed

The black and white check is a new addition, it helps to break up all the green.

My day opened up and I was able to quilt more than I thought and completed the Psalm 148 Mini Quilt. I'm pleased with the outcome, the metallic thread was a real challenge. Speaking of a challenge, my other challenge is this blog. I keep trying new things and features (as I figure them out). I guess it's a blog under construction. I'm sure by next week I'll be settled into my "blog look".

Under Construction

I've started this mini message quilt a few weeks ago. It is moving slowly to completion, because I experimented with this mini. First, I tried a color altering technique with the sun and bleach. On the plaid fabric I splattered bleach and let it dry in the sun. It was fun and I like the look. Second, I used tea dyed used dryer sheet behind the Psalm quote and third gold metallic thread for quilting. The metallic thread is what is slowing me down. Tip: When using metallic for hand quilting use small lengths of thread as it has the tendency to tangle and many times the gold will strip away from the thread leaving you with a knot and no metallic. If you take your time I think you will like the look. Gives things that little sparkle.

More Patchwork

A sample of some of the patchwork quilts I've collected over the years. I've been sorting my collection and have now placed some for sale in my etsy shop. Check out familypatchworks at www.etsy.com. etsy is a wonderful website to locate handmade and vintage items.

What's My Name

This wonderful quilt was purchased at a farm auction in St. Charles County, Missouri. The quilt has never been used and I just loved the colors and quality workmanship. But, what's it name? I've looked in many books, so far no luck. If anyone has an idea of this block's name, I would welcome the input.

What

Just Waiting

Over the years I have purchased many antique quilt blocks at local tag sales and auctions. I use the wonderful quilt blocks in mini and message quilts. Antique 9-Patch blocks made from used clothes are my favorites and I was lucky to get 15 at an auction outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Fabric type can always help date the block, but I always wonder who made them and what was the plan that was never completed?

These great little 6" stars were found in a bottom of a box of fabric from a rural auction in Central Missouri buy.

Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks, made from feedsacks. All of these blocks and a few more are just waiting to be quilted and enjoyed. I better get busy.

Dawn is Breaking

I've been thinking about starting a blog for months and this morning, as dawn is breaking in Missouri I decided to give it a try. I thought how timely, dawn is not only breaking outside but also on my career as a blogger.
This blog is about---quilts and quilting---I come from a family of hand quilters, applique and embroidery loving people. I seem to always have a stitching project to work on. I've made the large quilts for family and friends. The latest large quilt I've completed was a Christmas present for my son. You can tell he's a baseball fan. This quilt was a challenge, since my son is older, I didn't want a little boy look. So I purchased some vintage baseball logo fabric from an eBay vendor and created the block by cutting the logo and ball diamond from the vintage fabric and appliqueing it on the pinstripe. The quilt is machine quilted with swirls and stars. The backing and binding is an off white.

I love working with vintage fabric and use it in my quilts as much as possible. I think Green. Thinking green is not a new thing for quilters. Over the decades of quilting, quilters have been using and reusing, quilts for batting, clothes for blocks and patches.