Working on this

This is the next piece for Peg’s challenge that I’m working on. It’s not too late for any of you to sign up for the challenge. There is 5 weeks left and it is amazing what can be accomplished in that time. If you finish just one item, you are the winner, in any case.

I'm hand quilting this wall hanging. Do you see the zip bag with all my threads? I always wax my threads first and now put them in this bag (one of my kitty cats loves to chew on my threads and I have to put them all away now).

For hand quilting, I also use two thimbles and a tip off of a latex glove (for washing dishes, etc.) for grabbing my needle to pull it through the layers of the quilt.

Have a great day!

Snow Blossoms

Well ….. here it is ….. finally finished! Looking back through my blog journal, there have been 6 previous posts about this queen-size quilt. It has been a long, drawn out process to finish this UFO. Nonetheless, I’m thrilled with the way it turned out.

Why is it called ‘Snow Blossoms’? Well, the appliqué looks like flowers and I used the Snowball block.
Here is a close-up of the hand quilting on the back.

Now, there are only 4 items to finish for Peg’s Finish 5 challenge. Yeah!

Have a great day ….. I know I am! :o)

A bit further along …

Here is what my ‘wee peek’ (June 10 post) turned into. I bought a pack of flower buttons to use elsewhere; instead they seem to look at home on this quilt. The buttons are just pinned on and will be sewn onto the quilt when the quilting is all done.

This is one of the contenders for the FINISH 5 challenge and I think it will be done well in time.

Have a great day!

Finish 5 Challenge

I've joined Peg’s challenge to complete 5 UFO’s by the end of July. If you want to join in, visit Peg and leave her a comment and she will add you to the list. Challenges are good for the soul and to help clear out some of our starts!

These are what I will try to finish for the challenge.

This quilt is #5 of the challenge. It’s been slow going; but I picked up some speed during our cool spring and this quilt will finally be finished and you will see it soon.

Have a great day!

Sewing the blocks

My Lover’s Knot is all sewn together …except for the dreaded borders, which always seems to stall me.

To keep my blocks in order once they were removed off my design wall, a plan was needed or I would surely go insane because they were so scrappy.

Working with a small section at a time, the blocks were pinned onto a sheet of rigid insulation (2’ x 4’). Each time, a photo was taken of the groupings and then when the blocks were sewn into groups of 4 they were pinned back onto the design wall and each time, I had to look at my photo to make sure they were placed back in the correct spot.

I forgot to do this with one grouping and had a heck of a time trying to figure out their layout.

Later, the blocks of 4 were sewn into rows …… and sew on. :o)

Have a great day!

A wee peek

I'm working on something new. Looks pretty boring, eh? Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that there will be some appliqué in them there blocks.

I have been playing around with different methods for finishing these mini quilts. For this quilt, what you see is just the top and batting. No backing yet. In the rectangular blocks, there is stipple quilting in the background (the brown bias strips were flipped out of the way when the stippling was being done). Why am I doing it this way ….. I don’t know ….. it’s because I just like playing around with different ideas.

I’m working on the appliqué pieces which are being sewn on top of the stipple quilting. Once they are all done, then the backing will be added on and the finishing quilting will take place.

Once again, I am combining machine and hand quilting on the same quilt.

Have a great day!

Raining Ducks

I thought that this quilt would be appropriate to show today …… yes, it is raining ducks. 5 Little Duckies is the name of the pattern and so perfect for a little one.

Our weather is cool again. We have been having the worst spring so far that I can remember. We have had only a few days of really nice sunshine and warm temperatures and then we are pulling on sweaters for warmth once again

So, to give me a lift, I’m going to have another cup of peach tea. The postman was early delivering mail this morning and in my mailbox was an envelope from Connie. She sent me some tea bags of the most delightful peach flavour. Thank you, Connie! I definitely will have to find a source for this tea. It is so refreshing.

Have a great day!

Pattern source: Quiltmaker Magazine, November/December 2001 issue