Psalm 37

This weekend proved to be busier than I had intended. My plan was to complete at least two mini quilts, but time got away from me and I was only able to complete one. But, this one mini had a big message. Psalm 37 is only 6" x 7 1/4", it's machine pieced and quilted. My post today is going to be little too. I am planning a lunch for a group of friends---girls day out. Wishing you a fun Monday--Happy Quilting!

Summer Harvest

Corn Patchwork is a mini made for an vintage yellow patchwork block and the country novelty print I've used in the past for a few of my little quilts. This one was quick and easy as everything is machine stitched and the edging is raw edge zig zag stitch. Corn Patchwork measures 8 x 10 inches.
Radishes is another patchwork variation with a little check binding. It measures 7 1/2 x 11 inches. These little quilts were fun to make. Wishing you a wonderful weekend and Happy Quilting!!

Mother Nature and Cabbage

I was so anxious to get back to blogging after our trip to Baltimore, but those thoughts were quickly changed on the afternoon of Thursday, August 12. Our area of Missouri was pounded with server thunderstorms and it seemed that the lightening was centered over our house. As I was preparing dinner for 8 the storm hit its peak. Two guests had arrived and hubby was in the garage ready to see how all the new landscaping was doing in this downpour of rain and heavy wind, when a bolt of lightening hit one of our large trees about 16 feet from the corner of the house. You can imagine the sound as the tree exploded. Tree debris was everywhere.

It was great dinner conversation and three of our guests had never experienced a thunderstorm like a Missouri thunderstorm, so they had their phones and cameras out taking pictures to show their friends on the east coast.
The tree is quickly dying and will be removed this fall. The lights went out is one section of the house, but hubby quickly corrected that with the circuit breaker, but is wasn't until later that we realized that our computer was not able to receive the Internet. Thirteen days later and a few calls to our telephone company---we are now on line. I stayed busy doing some much needed chores around the house, I'd rather be blogging and completed a AAQI quilt.

I named this one Cabbage. It's a combination of novelty prints, machine pieced and machine quilted. I have three more planned from the same print. The quilt measures 8 1/2 by 10 inches and will be mailed to AAQI the first of September.

As an update, the August AAQI Auction is over and my quilt Single Thought sold for $100.00. My thanks to the winning bidder for helping find a cure. Happy Quilting!

We're Back

We have returned from our working/vacation to Baltimore. Baltimore was great. We stayed downtown across from the Convention Center where my hubby and I participated in the National Sports Collector's Convention. The show hours were such that we were able to enjoy a baseball game and the Orioles won. Walks by the harbor and a great dinner at G & M. We even made a trip to Delaware for an evening. Not only did my hubby sell baseball memorabilia, I sold two small quilts, one I called Baseball Crazy and the other Around the World Americana. Both were lap quilts I had made years ago. You can see Baseball Crazy in the photo on the shelf on the right---I didn't take photos of the quilts like I usually do. I don't know what I was thinking. Anyway, staying with my mission of my quilts doing good for someone, both quilts were going to be gifts to people in need. Baseball Crazy was going to a Ronald McDonald Auction and Around the World Americana was going to a woman who is very ill. I was truly pleased. Have a wonderful Wednesday and Happy Quilting.

Day Lily Delight

Completed a little mini for AAQI this weekend. I call it Day Lily Delight. The little quilt has some patchwork, raw edge applique, cooper metallic thread and free motion quilting. I'm still in the learning process on the free motion quilting technique. I have two more mini quilts ready for binding that I have used the free motion technique and my question is how to solve tension problems. Seems to be different than what I use when straight sewing. In fact, I think the tension works better when I free motion quilt with the feed dogs up???? Of course, some of this could be my old bottom of the line sewing machine. I'm not totally satisfied with what the quilting looks like, but I will tackle that later in the month. I'll be taking a little break from quilting and blogging this week. We are leaving for a working/vacation in Baltimore, Maryland. This will be our first time to Baltimore and even though we'll be working our booth at the National Sports Collectors Convention we plan to take in a baseball game, a little shopping and some of the fine eating we hear is available in Baltimore. Happy Quilting!!

Lunch with Mom

We are so fascinated with our home's woodsy setting that we are always taking peeks out our sun room windows to the feeding station at the edge of the woods. Yesterday was no exception. The feeding station was supplied with cracked corn and sun flower seeds. That menu must have been the blue plate special for deer. The large female that we usually see every day decided to bring the family. She brought her two fawns. They still have their spots and were so adorable. I couldn't resist taking a few pictures.

Later in the evening we noticed the Mom was eating alone and another large female approached the feeding station for a bite. That didn't go well---Mom chased her away---Reserved Table. Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Quilting!!

Wordless Wednesday

In My Garden

Crossroads Quilters, my quilt guild, has issued the summer challenge. The rules are few, just a theme---In My Garden. Members can make what ever we would like and we'll share our projects with everyone at our September meeting. I just finished my mini abstract design. Another AAQI quilt using batik fabrics, raw edge piecing and metallic threads. This is my first try at free motion quilting and using metallic threads in my machine. I had fun making this little quilt and I love how the colors "pop" against the black. The little quilt measures 7 1/2 x 9 3/4 inches.

???New Look???

I'm not sure what happened to my original template---but it is gone! So I'm exploring new looks. Your opinion would be greatly welcomed. I'm exploring the nature look right now---though I still like the dots.

The AAQI August auction begins on the 1st. My quilt Single Thought is in the August Auction check it out and all the others available.

Save the Rain Forest, Save Mankind

Long name for a mini quilt, but a message that needs remembering. After seeing a documentary on the Rain Forests and how they are being mismanaged, I decided to make a little quilt to keep the message alive. I started with a little tufted heart and added fabric that reminded of the living plants and animals in the forests that helps mankind survive. From medications to exotic animals the Rain Forests is important to our well being. Maybe even the cure for Altzheimer's is waiting to be found in the Rain Forests. Save the Rain Forest, Save Mankind measures approximately 7 3/4 x 11 inches. It has been machine pieced and machine quilted. The tufting and embroidery was completed with the use of "magic thread" --- a fun black and white thread from Jude. Happy Quilting!

Teach Old Hands New Tricks

You never think it will happen to you----but it does. Life is ever changing and the key word is adjust. Adjust is what I'm having to do. After years of doing what ever I wanted----something called arthritis is beginning to become a challange and making me reevaluate how I do things. For a couple of months now I have noticed pains in my hands---what could it be???? One trip to the doctor's office and I soon found out arthritis is setting in. Hand quilting is becoming more difficult. I still hand quilt, but only once a week instead of daily. I must adjust. I have decided to teach my self how to machine quilt---oh I can sew a straight stitch, but now I think it's time to learn something a little more fancy. This group of quilts is my first attempt with free motion quilting.

I'm finding it fun and I know things will get better the more I practice. The remainder of my 2010 donation of 25 AAQI quilts will all be machine quilted as I try my hand at more and more free motion quilting. Adjust and Grow That's my new motto.

Purple Safari

I did it!!! With the help of my collection of ideas and two days of a quiet household, I was able to design 25 miniature quilt tops for AAQI. Now, the tops are not ready to ship and some will get additional fabrics, embroidery, charms etc. But, for the most part the ideas are together and I'll be completing them throughout the remainder of the year.

Purple Safari is the first of the group to be finished. The patchwork was part of a fabric exchange at a recent quilting guild meeting. I belong to the Crossroad Quilters. We are a very casual group that meets once a month. We share projects, ideas and most importantly just enjoy each other company. Back to Purple Safari, I added a few additional fabrics and a raw edging with black embroidery floss to complete this little 7 x 7 3/4 inch quilt. I have discovered something with my marathon 2 days of quilt top making. I noticed that I had ideas popping in my head faster than I could sew. And, I now enjoy the fact that I can go to my sewing room, pick up a little quilt top and have fun just completing it. I'm going to remember this in the future. Have a great Monday and Happy Quilting.

Ideas

Ideas--Where do they come from? How do you collect them? I'm searching for ideas!!! I have just mailed my July AAQI quilts off to Ami Simms, I have 25 more quilts to make to complete my goal of 52 this year. I first said I would complete 52 quilts by September, but life interfered with my quilting and I had to take a step back and readjust my goal. Yesterday, I spent most of the day in my sewing room---searching my accumulation of ideas and fabrics for 25 more quilt top ideas. I was successful thanks to my idea collection. I was able to come up with 15 little quilt tops. I painted some, stamped some, fused some, and machine pieced some. My ideas are stored in a few different places, some day I should organize them into one place. But, for now it is working. My Idea Box is stocked full of vintage quilt blocks, sketches, magazine pages, fabric and laces.
My Journals---one of them is always with me. The little pink journal was the first and is about full, the tapestry was my journal I carried while I was working or traveling. The rust colored journal is my present day journal. All are stocked full of drawings and ideas as they come to me in my everyday activities. I've also added a camera to my purse---it's so easy to snap a quick photo of an idea and then I jot a line or two in my journal of my impressions.
Notice a napkin can even work in a pinch. Have a wonderful weekend and keep an open mind for new quilting ideas.

New York Beauty

Found this antique New York Beauty at a country auction near my home. The quilt is in near perfect condition and has been hand quilted. This is a keeper, perfect for Christmas display.