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christmas quilts

Well I got 4 quilts completed for Christmas this year! I think that is a record for me.
I am attaching pics of all four of them. I really think pat Sloan's UFO blog really helped me to get focused to get projects completed. I am still working on quilting one for my son, a little late for Christmas but maybe a new years present??
I think i still need to do an inventory of my BOM's that have turned into kits at this point. I have a lot of applique BOM (Kits) and I am thinking about fusing several of them instead of doing everything by hand so I can get some more quilts finished.
The fishing quilt in the pic I quilted on my mid arm machine, the first large quilt i have done, it is rough but practice makes perfect right?
back to the sewing machine,
happy stitching!

It's a quilty christmas

First quilt for Christmas given this weekend. Made this cuddle quilt for my niece Katy. I loved the bright colors and animal prints! I hope she enjoys it.


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applique blocks done!!

Busy Busy holiday season parties every weekend! Met with my quilting small group yesterday and we had a really fun christmas party and sewing time. I got two of my applique blocks finished yesterday.
I have finished three quilts for christmas presents and have two more to finish and not enough days to get the work done!
Here are pics of the blocks I finished yesterday since I cant post pics of the quilts. I love the holiday season!

One UFO completed

Well i started with Pat Sloan's UFO tips, check out her blog.
Pat is giving tips every tuesday and thursday on how to bust your UFO's and turn them into finished quilts.
Picture of my first UFO finished is attached, it felt good to say one thing is done and ready for christmas to give away!
I decided to focus on projects that i wanted to give as christmas presents this year, so I can go into 2011 feeling a sense of accomplishment! I am putting binding on a second UFO right now that will be another christmas present and working on a scrappy quilt from the Jelly roll book. I will share a picture of it when I get the top together.
I also need to find time to work with my mid-arm machine, i have taken my quilts to long armers to be done.
I am excited about being able to quilt my own but need the time to practice, practice, practice!
Have a great week,
Jan

davids quilt top finished

Here is the other quilt top I finished at retreat, this one is the one I designed in EQ7

Land of the UFO's

Hello from a rangers fan!!
Wanted to let you know about Pat Sloan's UFO busting tips she has out on her blog right now.
I am doing the process.. step one was easy, making a list (although a bit shameful for me!) of all your UFO's.
I will not tell you exactly how many UFO's I have but it is over 25 and less than 50 so I definitely need some help.
Here is the link if you would like to check it out.
http://patsloan.typepad.com/pat_sloans_corner/12-ufo-buster-tips/

I have actually passed one project I had "outgrown" to my daughter and she is loving it where I had no desire to finish this quilt!
So one down many more to go.. I am putting binding on a quilt for a christmas present right now and hope to have it finished this weekend. Then I have another one quilted that just needs binding so 2 simple things and 2 UFO's off my list!!
I also ordered some backing fabric so I can get 2 more tops off to the quilter to hopefully (keep my fingers crossed) get them done for christmas. Four to give away would be a record for me!
Back to the game!!

Quilt retreat fall 2010 pics

My buddies!!

Quilt retreat fall 2010

Well the last day of quilt retreat is here. Too much fun sewing with my friends for the last three days!! I have finished two quilt tops and have started finished a third. It has been a lot of fun and can't wait for the next one in feb. I got the quilt I designed finished it is so exciting to me to have an original design actually work.

Ready to go on 3 day quilt retreat

I have been very busy getting ready to go on quilt retreat next weekend.
Three days of peace and quiet (except for the hum of sewing machines)!
I have four projects I am taking but mostly I want to get the top finished of the quilt i have designed.
I also have the civil war quilt for my daughter ready to put together, cut 392 1 1/2 in squares today ...
that is a LOT!!
I am also planning to go to quilt festival in Houston this year, missed it the last couple of years but am not
going to miss it this year.
Will post pics from retreat next weekend...

My sewing buddies

Sometimes I wonder how I get any sewing done with all the "help" around me! The cat is bobcat and he often sits on the back of my chair as I sew to get closer to the birds! He is such a rascal.


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First two blocks done!!

Thought I would share a picture of the first two blocks I have done for my hubbies quilt. I have all the log cabins cut and will be sewing a lot more this weekend. I hope to have all the blocks pieced before my retreat that starts Oct first. I cant wait to see this quilt come together.


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Color palate for quilt

Hello I finished buying fabric today for the quilt I designed! ( see previous post). I cant wait to get started on this one. It was so hard to work the rest of the day with this beautiful fabric saying come play!!!
Unfortunately I have a teleconference tonight so cutting may have to wait till tomorrow. Will post a pic when I get the first block finished.
Happy sewing


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My first quilt design with EQ7

What a happy day! I designed my first quilt with EQ7.
I took a class last weekend and all i have to say is WOW!!
Time just absolutely flies when i am playing in this program.
The whole basis of the design of this quilt was two panels I bought, one has the serentiy prayer and one is 1 Cor 13- love is patient love is kind etc..
My hubby wanted me to design a quilt around them.. so I did.
The 2 beige solid blocks in the design are where the panels will go.
I have about half of the fabric i need and envision a trip to a local quilt shop in the near future to pick up the rest. This quilt will be done in batiks and I will post a pic of the progress along the way. I cant wait to get started on this one!!!

finished baby quilt!!

Hi all
I have been quiet on here because I have been working on a baby quilt for a friend and actually finished it prior to the shower! It is simple but cute and I quilted this one myself, which I don't do very often, need a long arm but hubby calls that a want. I am very excited to take a class on EQ7 on Saturday. I already have an original design in mind and some fabric to make the quilt.
I also have 2 other quilts back from the quilter to put the binding on, need to get busy sewing!

New quilting software arrived today

Great day with UPS!! I love when the brown truck comes bearing gifts.
I got EQ7 in the mail today. I am installing it on my laptop as i write.
I hade EQ5 but did not use it much... I am going to take a class on the software at a local quilt shop. I am hoping this will get me the basics so I can really use it to design a few quilts. I have a panel that my hubby wants me to design a king size quilt around. THe manual for EQ7 is 272 pages, I am a techie person but i flip through the manual and see blah blah blah. I learn much more efficiently by someone showing me the ropes so to speak. Do any of you have EQ products and if so how much do you use them???

Its gadget Friday

I got so excited when I saw this gadget. I found it at an embroidery shop! It is a lighted seam ripper. I have had it a couple of weeks and unfortunately have used it reverse sewing many times ( yes I make mistakes ). I will call the shop and get the brand as a helpful someone in my house three the packaging away. Really looking forward to some great sewing tomorrow as my daughter is working and my hubby and son are going to a gun show. Yea me time! Will post pics of what I get accomplished.



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My featherweight has a name!!

Hello
I have decided on a name for my featherweight...LIZA...
She sews like a dream!! I got my 1/4 in foot for her yesterday in the mail-talk about a great mail day. I sewed with her for a while last night. My family commented she was so quiet. It was so much fun it was hard to go to work today. I am attaching a picture of my first quilt block Liza and I sewed together!
Posting about a new gadget I bought tomorrow so stay tuned...

My new sewing machine

I am so excited!! Went to Jefferson tx for the weekend to relax with my hubby. Went to a lot of antique stores. Walked out of one with my first singer 221 featherweight machine. I can't wait to sew with it. It runs well needs a touch of cleaning and oiling.


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I am back to quilting!

Hi all
sorry I have not been on here in about six weeks. Life got in the way of my quilting. After 8 weeks off work for surgery I had to go back to my job!
Good news is I am somewhat caught up with work and spent a lot of time sewing this weekend. I only have 2 more applique blocks to finish all the blocks for this civil war quilt my daughter picked out in 2004~! Talk about a UFO!!
I will probably put the top together at retreat in October. Will post a picutre when it is finished. I was pretty impressed to get all these blocks sewn over about 3 days!

Tote bag is finished

I am so excited that I decided to tackle another UFO in my stash!!
I finished the tote bag tonight, after 2 trips to Joannes to buy cording and buttons that could be covered. Covering the buttons was much easier than I thought it would be. The hardest part of this whole bag was turning the handles right side out. If anyone knows an easy way to turn tubes of fabric please let me know! I think the finished product is just beautiful! The lining is fabric covered with vinyl. I had never utilized this kind of product before but it was easy to machine stitch through.
Cant wait to carry this one shopping at quilt shop tomorrow.
Have a great weekend and sew away!

Making of a tote bag

My friend Julie gave me this kit years ago (you don't want to know how long honestly).
I would definitely categorize this as another UFO! I have never made a tote bag before but thought why not when I pulled this out yesterday.
So far I have one of the outside panels completed. I have not used decorative stitching with my sewing machine much before but I loved using it on this project.
It was fun to look at all the stitches I did not realize I had and play with them.
I am thinking a crazy quilt is in my future somewhere.
My sweet hubby is going to take me to the quilt shop later today since I still can not drive after my surgery. More time to sew sew sew.
Have a great saturday!

I love Circleeze

I do a lot of applique and absolutely do not like to applique circles because for me they end up square. I used Circleeze on this block and the berries look much better and round! I may actually get this quilt pieced together prior to the end of the year. I think the rest of tonight I am going to work on my grandma's flower garden and try to get one more block done. Next weekend I am taking an intermediate hand quilting class. I have not taken a quilting class in a few years and I am very excited about it and hope to learn some new tips.

Im back....

Hi all
I have not posted on here for greater than a week because I was in the hospital.
Back at home now getting better and four more weeks of sewing time yeah!!!
I finished another applique block last night pictured here. Starting the next one today. I have five more of these to go for this UFO from 2004. I hope to have the top together after I go to quilting retreat this fall. The next block has lots of berries so I am breaking out the circleze to do this next block. Appliquing tiny circles is intimidating for me!
Have a great day and get some stitching time in today!

Saturday is always sew day!

Hello
I have spent some of my day working on my grandma's flower garden quilt. I am loving hand piecing this one! I started this quilt by using the traditional paper piecing method. Then I went to the dallas quilt show and discovered stamps by Kate. She has all kinds of stamps for traditional quilts including hexagons and diamonds. I am switching to the stamps, much faster and easier in my humble opinion! I have spent some of this afternoon taking out the paper pieces of the blocks I have completed. I guess kind of reverse sewing :-). I have about 13 more I have to put the row of white hexagons around and I have about 7 blocks totally completed. I am hoping to have 25 (if not more) completed by the end of the year.
Any day sewing is a good day for me!
Jan

Fabulous Friday Obsession

Hello
I love trying out new notions or tools for quilting. I have a new applique needle that I just love. It is strong-really doesn't bend and is very sharp.
It is the Tulip applique needles. These are made in japan. The eye is small on these needles but I have not had a problem threading when using my silk thread.
I also use my clover threader on these and have no problems. These needles really slide through fabric like butter. I am going to start a batik applique quilt in July. I have heard that batiks are difficult to hand applique but I do not think it will be an issue with these needles. Thanks to my quilting sister Karen for letting me know about these. I ordered them from Karen Kay Buckley's website which is
www.karenkaybuckley.com . If you give these a try let me know what you think of them. I hope you have lots of time to sew this weekend!

Hello World!!

Hello everyone
My name is Jan and I am an obsessed quilter. I am completely addicted to my hobby and especially Block of the Months! I love going to the mailbox and finding anything quilting related in there it just makes my day. I would love it if I had enough money to ensure something quilting related came every day of the month. I am also a gadget/notion addict. Yes I have quilting apps on my I phone. I will post pictures of projects I am working on. I am hoping to get through several of my UFO's (Unfinished projects) this year. Attached is a pic of an applique block i finished today for a quilt I started in 2004. As I said lots of UFO's. Would love to hear from you and what you are working on!
Have a blessed day,
Jan