WOW! What a "handsom" fellow he is! I love needle turn but sometimes I just don't have the patience.

Quiltmaker 101, I feel the same as you do about my UFOs. I just HAVE to get them out of the way. I'm sick of looking at all of those boxes that are labeled with different unfinished projects. I even have boxes with the makings of quilts or projects that have not been started. I have the fabric, pattern, etc. ready to begin. Somehow I push new things ahead and never get to the ones that are waiting.

Today, I received a call from the sewing machine shop saying that my machine is ready (Janome MC 4000). It must not have been too bad. She said that it would be $48.65. woohoo.

Now the only thing standing in the way is the contract job that I have with the school board (testing) starts tomorrow and will go all of next week. Then the next week is a wedding cake and groom's cake. Maybe the first two weeks of February will be for quilting. Another wedding cake for the last week in Feb. Well, mayyyyybeeeee March. :roll:

I need to quit my "jobs" so that I can devote all of my time to sewing. (Then I won't be able to buy very much fabric. :? ) Whatever!!! :lol:

I haven't even been downstairs since I last posted that I had organized some of my scraps down there, that alone touched any of the UFO's I mentioned previously.
But I did get an order of fabrics in from Rossville Quilts. so I have been fondling my new stash, some/most of these are planned for the URR or the pioneer block quilt I plan to work on this year (you noticed I did not say finish...lol).

One more thing my neighbor's birthday is shortly after mine next month and I would like to make something for her, but am not sure what. I don't want it to be anything big or elaborate, just something that says I'm thinking of you on your day and something I can easily cut out and sew in a weekend.
Any ideas? or pattern suggestions? I was thinking maybe a table runner or something. I know her favorite color is red.
thanks in advance for any suggestions
Muriel
aka: AkAngel

Hi Muriel, What day is your B-day next month? Mine is the 20th. Anything you do for your friend she will love!

Hi Janstar,
My bday is the 9th, and my friend's the 19th.
Muriel

Mary L. your picture is gorgeous!!!!! It knocked my socks off - just beautiful!

Thank you everyone for your compliments on my quilt for my husband. I will post more picture's, as I get further along. I truly do love these brown colors together.

Hey Muriel. A table runner sounds great. I also like some of those little 12 x 12s that were made around Christmas. I think they were called candle mats. Those could be made non-seasonal for those who put out candles year-round. My best friend has a huge Tabasco (chili peppers) collection, so I made a table runner using Tabasco fabrics and other reds and golds. She loved it and uses it often.

well, since we are going to keep this thread going as a motivator for 09, I want to post at least once a week so I can keep up with my own progress.
I can't say I have finished anything yet, but I have done a lot of stuff. I am working on a princess quilt for one of my five year old granddaughters and i had to take blocks apart to square them up. there are nine and i have squared three and the other three are ready to be tweaked also. This is just one of many things i have done.
I have lots of projects that are sewing and not mainly quilting, but the quilts call to me more, that is why i had to find a way to get disciplined. I am going to make a priority list today or tomorrow.

Good job quiltincrazy! I made a list too and I'm hoping to start tackling it this weekend!

I really want to finish my Dad's quilt this weekend. Just a lap quilt, 60x60, although I'm thinking of making the borders just a little bigger as he is 5'10" and stretches out in the recliner for his naps. I've finished the first row, half the second and half the third. :?

My next UFO is the flying geese quilt that I was commissioned in August. It is a necessity I finish it next week. :oops:

I have one more block on my Row Robin. I had it finished but when I went to square up the blocks, one was seriously wonky. :evil: Now I'm deciding whether to make another block or try resewing this one. I've taken it apart but haven't made up my mind. :?:

If I get these 3 finished by the end of the month, I'll be very happy. :D

I finished the first project on my list. Gramma's Sampler top is done. I'm hoping to get it into my little frame today and start quilting. Will be alternating a couple new projects and a quilt for my ds as well.

Here is the link that goes with the sampler. I didn't want to post all the pics in the sister thread since I already posted them some where else. The finished top pic is on the bottom of page 5, the 9 individual blocks and the stories behind them are on the first 4 pages.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/14807.page

Melissa, your 'Gramma's Sampler' is totally awesome!! What a great job you did. I love everything about it...the colors, the blocks you chose, their placement, the journey you took us all on while you made it, everything. Your grandmother will simply adore it! We're so proud of you!!! :D

Thanks Noreaster. While this was my quickest top together to date, (4 weeks from purchase of fabric to finish of top or 2 weeks from first stitch to last), it was one of the hardest. I've been putting block names aside for different samplers for a while...but then she fell and this whole thing started.

I've got about 4 weeks until I have to deliver...which is why I'm trying to get it basted and in the frame this weekend.

Thanks for the comments all about the gift for my neighbors birthday.
As it so happened I ran into the lady that taught my BOM class and a couple others I've taken and she told me the class schedule was out for Feb.
I was asking her what it included and she was telling me. She mentioned the table runner of the month, I asked her if she had done Jan's yet and why and she said no. Believe it or not she couldn't remember what pattern Jan.. was but she suggested maybe I'd like the one they did in Dec.(she doesn't mind repeating it even if others are doing another pattern) It uses a focus fabric in the center or the squares. I remember seeing it when I was out there last month and it being very pretty.
She says it looks complicated but can be done in an afternoon class and it only uses 3 fabrics. So I think I am going to go with that one. I was suppose to call her tonight when I got home and get the yardage requirements but got busy so will call her tomorrow.
I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Dag gone you girls have wore me out! :-) Our son left Monday and now I'm just taking a deep breath to reminis about our visit.......that's what I've done for 3 days and may do it tomarrow too.....:-) please forgive the spelling head is in the clouds....

Melissa,
Your Grandma's Sampler turned out lovely, she will be tickled.
She might at times forget you made it for her, but then when she reads your love letters it will be fresh and new every time and she'll be blessed all over again.
You should be proud.
Muriel

Melissa,
Your Grandma's Sampler turned out lovely, she will be tickled.
She might at times forget you made it for her, but then when she reads your love letters it will be fresh and new every time and she'll be blessed all over again.
You should be proud.
Muriel

...love letters for those with alzheimer's etc., what a wonderful idea!
Melissa, everytime I think of the different posts on your gramma's sampler i think of her running her fingers over the blocks feeling the love. I miss my grandma, think I will call her today. She has had a profound impact on my life too, as did my little grandma, (she was 4'8"!)
Little ws 98 when she passed and gma N. is 93!

I need to put something here for self motivation:
So I am making my first bed quilt for my grandbaby, (she is five, but still my baby, been there with her since day 1 and we are very close.)
She has seen blocks of the quilt and was here two days ago and asked me to work on it. (that'll get your stuff in gear, lol)
I have posted that I had to square up my blocks as I am still learning. I would have liked to have taken a class, but 1- there aren't any around here, and 2- I have chronic health problems that interfere with everything, so it wouldn't have worked out very well anyway. So I guess with a lot of books, magazines and good ppl here, I am almost self taught.
In order to get all the blocks the same I had to trim off some of them and there went some beautiful points...yes, I know I could have just added to the smaller ones, but I had already cut my borders and did not want to have to 'piece' them to make them bigger...I'm learning as I go...I really love the colors and the combination and she is so excited, but I wanted it to be as perfect as my love for her. I won't stop, but instead of "My Princess Quilt", think it should be called "My Grandma loves me and made me a Wonky quilt", actually about to bust out laughing at that. I feel better now. I framed these princess panels and it was just hard for me to have to go back and "fix". The next one will be better and the next one after that even more, but I think the quilt police are in our heads!!! I'm gonna have to run them out of there. thanks for giving me a place to get this out. C

Thank you for such a lovely compliment.

I have learned that my gramma can do no wrong...at least when I was 5. SO....I doubt she'll know it's wonky. All that will matter is her Grandma made something for her.

I often have issues getting my blocks squared up to. I haven't been able to really peruse some rulers, but I understand that square rulers are made just to square up blocks. They come in different sizes which is where my dilemma starts. I don't want a bunch of rulers because I barely have room for the two I have. But I would like to find a nice universal ruler that has enough lines on it that I could square up just about anything.

melissa,
well, don't know if what I did, (after the fact), will help you, but you never know. (btw, was just in there putting her pieces of top on flannel board and really don't like the 'wonky' pink border) so reading your reply, i have tears in my eyes, it's not that i have to be perfect, just better than that...

anyway, to try to 'square up' blocks, I used some freezer paper and probably learned this on here, wish i had done it first...made squares and did all the markings with a pen (asterick...8 lines) so i could see the lines after i pressed it onto the back of my blocks. If i had been putting the same borders on all nine blocks it wouldn't have been so confusing, but i did a princess block with borders, then a patchwork block w/ no border, then another princess....math had my head spinning! Should have paper pieced the whole center...didn't exactly know how then. :roll:
I'm so thankful for your reply bc i have put a lot of time into this quilt already and can't wait to surprise her. I had to use a certain color pink and had just barely enough.
i'll get it figured out. I know me, gonna be taking out some of last night's stitching. It's glaringly off and with all that is right with it, don't want those borders spoiling the whole thing. gonna rethink those outer border sizes. anyway, i am being a chatty kathy, off to quiltland, lol. C

My number one project this year is to get a quilt made for my son. He is the only one I have not made one for in this large family....it keeps growing with friends adopting me (for a quilt ya think)? So he is top on the list, B'day is in August he will be 40. Perfect time I think. He is a Washington Redskin fan and collects wolves. I have found a wolf fabric for the front and a Washington Redskin fabric for the back. Killing 2 birds with one stone! Have several thoughts in my head for the front. Once this is done need to quilt about 10 quilt tops...most for charity.
Connie

I completely forgot one of the quilts that was on my to-do list for the year. I promised a friend over the summer that I would fix (redo) a baby quilt for her 6 year old that has fallen apart. The mom volunteered to purchase the fabric, which I let her do, and she wants to help cut and press. She doesn't quilt herself, but she understands the process of hand made arts and really appreciates that I would want to help her.

I told her after I finished quilting my Gramma's quilt, I would fix the baby quilt. I think only one or 2 of the nine patch blocks are salvageable...but she knows it won't be done in one day with help or without. I'm glad it's only 9 patches so I don't have to try to recreate anything more complicated.

well, I said I wanted to post at least once a week to keep myself going. I have been working sloooowly on grandbaby's princess quilt and have had a lot of trouble.
This has been very disconcerting bc I am a pretty reasonable seamstress. I couldn't understand why some parts turned out great, but 'squaring' up my blocks has been really difficult. I know what the problem is now: newbie's you might want to take note, bc I wish I had known to be careful of this before.
I designed this quilt. The centers of four of the blocks are pre-printed panel blocks. I finally realized today after having to trim blocks some more, cutting off some of my best work, that in the very beginning when pressing the centers and first borders around them...I USED STEAM AND STRETCH THEM CATTYWHOMPUS! Everybody is always talking about steam, but if you read the quilting magazines, the experts reccommend using it for fusible but press, (DO NOT IRON BACK AND FORTH) ...I repeat....press your block with a dry iron.
If you are really good and can use steam, I applaud you. If your starting out and want to learn precision instead of frustration, don't use steam unless you WANT to stretch your blocks to make them fit.
I probably should be very discouraged with this quilt and there was a time i would have compulsively just about made the whole thing over. i feel good about knowing that I can accept it the way it is and the next one will be better. I hope to get the last two blocks on tomorrow and then I can work on the striped border for them. It's technically my fault that i have had all this trouble, bc I must have stretched those panels and then couldn't get things squared no matter what i did, but knowing this, let's me know It's not that I can't quilt half way decent. I am looking forward to a new project though.
Got another five year old granddaughter and hers needs to be finished, so it will probably be next. quilt and learn, quilt and learn....

I am now quilting the final borders on my Dad's birthday quilt. I have finished my row on the Christmas Row Robin and sent it to quilter #2. I have finished the top of the flying geese quilt and will quilt/or tie it as soon as I finish Dad's. I received the IRR Round 3 and will buy the fabric this weekend at the Hancock's sale. I am piecing the blue/yellow/white sassy 16 for me and DH. I am still in the planning stages for a 1 yr old's first bd quilt, but it is due by May so I have to start in February sometime. I am also doing the CT BOM Quilt With Us thingie. Will post pics of everything later in the week.

Quiltncrazy...you are making good progress. A wise quilter once said that quilter's don't make mistakes, they just change their design midstream. I learned a lot from my first few....kept things in perspective for me. Again, your DGD will love it.

Purplemem....you are a sewing fool aren't you?? Great progress on our dad's and the Row Robin. You are moving right along. Your dad's, The round, and the sassy 16 I'm sure will go by quickly.

I have 1 more block, the Grandmother's Fan to quilt and then Gramma's quilt will be ready. Unfortunately, my husband was laid off last week and it's put our trip on hold indefinitely. I'm trying to figure out if I should just send it in the post and have my aunt take a pic of her with it, or if I should just wait until my next trip out there. We shall see.

I have to get some measurements off of my friend's kid's quilt so I can start making the 9 patches to replace the ones that are completely destroyed.

Have a great week...and I'm sure we'll all stay in stitches.

melissa wrote:
Quiltncrazy...you are making good progress. A wise quilter once said that quilter's don't make mistakes, they just change their design midstream. I learned a lot from my first few....kept things in perspective for me. Again, your DGD will love it.

As i wrote on another post, I am so excited. Melissa, what you said here about quilters changing their design midstream must have been a premonition, lol! I was inspired to, (haven't done it yet) put on a wavy green vine and then applique flowers to not only strengthen the 'skinny' outline borders, but to camoflage mistakes. I got last two blocks on today and two of eight borders, and did the machine stitching on applique block in center. That is probably the most I have gotten done in one day. My legs and feet are swollen but I am so happy. Now I just gotta go shopping bc I want to get a green as close to the one in the blocs as I can, or I might use a jumbo rick rack. Don't think that will be wide enough. Input from this board has opened up new possibilities...yippee...you must be psychic, lol! :wink:

I know where you're coming from with the swollen legs and feet. I have a big issue with that. Here's what I find helps. I wear my tennis shoes that lace up tight. (Even when I'm in my jammies on "jammie day." -- It's not a pretty sight. :oops: ) I also do the same when I'm standing with my cake decorating. And it really helps. Don't know why, but the feet don't swell and get all tingly. (As my GGD said once, "my feet are all SPARKLY." :lol: )

GailG wrote:
know where you're coming from with the swollen legs and feet. I have a big issue with that. Here's what I find helps. I wear my tennis shoes that lace up tight. (Even when I'm in my jammies on "jammie day." -- It's not a pretty sight. ) I also do the same when I'm standing with my cake decorating. And it really helps. Don't know why, but the feet don't swell and get all tingly. (As my GGD said once, "my feet are all SPARKLY." )

I never would have thought of that. If I wear those nylon knee hi's (as i do under long dresses for church) I swell a lot, so I avoid anything snug or tight. I'll have to give this a try. THANKS!!! :D

I finished the top for DS's quilt today. Since it was on my resolution list to get this top done, I did post pics in the sister thread. It felt great to get that done.

Now onto the next item on the list!!

ok, here's my list of accomplishments for January 09:
*reorganized entire sewing room...threw out many odd items I had kept for sewing or crafting (I am proud of that, and I will brag)
*finished an apron for my daughter
*mended w/appliques I made...granddaughter's jeans
*made a pillow for my bed with some upholstery fab and large snaps for washing cover
*got shelf in sewing room fixed...but that's not really my accomplishment...it's hubby's
**made a, geesh-louise gone blank! (lol, wrote blanket! 1st time) - flannel, board to put up my blocks etc. ??? I know I know what that's called
*started and in the middle of granddaughter #2's princess quilt
*started #2 another overnight-at-nana's - bag
*purchased some pastels for a backing and more :oops:
*made many new quilting friends online!!! :D

good grief! Lol, melissa, (mpeters), I called you Jim'sGem on another post. married you off to someone else. (Not as big a faux pas as I posted yesterday though.:oops:)

After recently moving and downsizing our living area and my sewing area, I plan to organize the barn/shed I have for my sewing room. I just have to be patient for warmer days. After that, watch out I have more ideas than I can shake a yard stick at.

alright Deara! :D
on days like today that I couldn't possibly sew,
my #2 grandbaby out of 4, is here...
so i had to play tea party, Bingo, watch dvd's, make a house of of card and kiddie tables...she loooved that, of course I have to make every animal in the toy box talk...
well, I just come and go on here...will be back to my machine in a few days. her mama is on the mend.
every post where somebody is accomplishing stuff just helps keep me going. So y'all please post, post, post what you are doing. It's inspiring! and don't forget to put your pics on, "What's next in pictures". :D

The same with me. Sewing is out of the question right now. Maybe in March. Got the wedding cake and the groom's cake done last week. Now I have to rev up for another one on the 28th of this month. This week, I'm reorganizing the closet that houses all of my "cake stuff." What a mess it was. I'm having a hard time getting all the stuff back into the closet. (Does that mean that I need to throw some of it away?????)

Keeping up with the posts of those who ARE sewing keeps me interested and is an incentive for me to get going as soon as I can. So all you quilters keep on stitching and posting. You're a wonderful bunch. :lol:

quiltncrazy you enjoy those grandbabies for me. Mine are too far away and I just get to interact through the computer which I am hugely thankful for but just enjoy every minute and thanks for sharing.

Quiltcrazy....I know I have been tired lately, but I didn't realize I was so tired that you called me Jim's Gem. I missed it somewhere....maybe Jim's Gem caught it and looked at her computer all funny.

I had no idea you did it.

The friend of mine has volunteered to "help" me get her kids quilt together. At first I wasn't sure what kind of "help" a non quilter could give...well, I've decided I will take her help for sure.

I dumped all of my smaller cuts of apholstery fabric on the table and she went through and picked 72 pieces for 8 blocks. She needed one more, (and she was organizing it while going through it too as I just had it in the bag) and I put a block together so I can contribute a bit more than thread and time. I've had this apholstery fabric forever so I'm not charging her for it. She's purchasing the backing and binding...oh and batting too. And she's been giving me peptalks while she helps me organize stuff by color. I'm colorblind so it's great having someone who can "see" to help out.

Now, I need to make sure all the pieces are washed and get to piecing!

you know I had forgotten that you said the other day that you were "tonal" blind...I am too!!!
My mom used to think I was messing around when she sent me after something and I kept saying I couldn't find it. Then I saw an eye doctor.
My boyfriend who became my husband (of 31 years now), used to make fun of me when he would say, "Did you see that __ colored car?" and I would say no.
Then I had kids and they would say, "no, mom, that shirt is __, your color blind remember?"
I guess ppl wonder how we can quilt. For me, I use "true" lights, put things up against white-white and go ask other ppl. Somehow I manage. I don't know if I don't see what other ppl see, or our brains interpret stuff differently. Does that make sense?
...and I like pastels as well as iridescents. we'll see what reaction I get when i get some quilts made and post pics.
anyway, I thought that was interesting that we both have that problem, but we love to do something that's all about color. :D

My hardest thing is to differenciate the reds. Red red and dark red, okay I know those. But peach, coral, pink, orange and any color variation of those and I have no clue. I was really worried about having 2 pinks in Gramma's sampler. I'm so glad a friend went with me because she said one was orange and one was pink. What are the odds!

My kids make fun of me all the time. It's the slight variations I have a hard time with. The blue greens are kinda hard to, but green is my favorite color...so it's more the bluey greens I have a hard time with.

My eye doctor must be silly. He swears I am not color blind as my red and green are fine. He also said that it's usually men who are color blind. Well...I can see red and I can see green, but that doesn't mean I can see anything else!! lol

I, too, am a female who is color blind. All the males in my family are red/green color blind. The females are orange/brown color blind. I flunked the test (again :D ) just last week. (It is a little more sophisticated than the red/green test).

Your eye doctor is ill-informed. Red/green is the dominate color blind gene but orange/brown is the recessive, if a family gene pool has both genes than any variation will show up.

I also have friends check my colors, but I see tones better than they do and values better. Color blindness is a very strong trait in Native American families.

my problems, (I guess, since everything looks good to me, but I have been tested),must be with shades of the lighter greens and yellows and the lighter blues and purples.
The first clue when being tested, (I was 10), were those tests with dots. I don't know what they are called, but I couldn't see anything but dots, nothing in particular. Then they said there was a picture or number or something.
I have seen some and was able to make out a difference in some of the dots, but not a whole picture.
My dad is color blind and I think his is the red and greens. nobody else in family that I know of. I would not have ever known, simply bc you don't know you don't see something exactly the way it looks to you.
To me, I don't feel like I have a problem at all. well, sometimes in fabric stores I ask the clerks about two or three bolts and get them to confirm or whatever. hmmm, hope this doesn't have anything to do with kids reactions to some gifts in past. i don't think so. I think the colors were fine, the sewing was good, maybe they thought the design was 'old'.
oh well, they seem to think and I agree, I have improved immensely. Learning all about quilting and studying books about values, tones, etc. has given me a more refined, or varied taste. Is that an oxymoron? Even if it is, that's me! :lol: