Everytime I read about your mom's quilt it reminds me of my first quilt. It was a lap quilt for my mom in a nursing home. I did get it done, and she did get to enjoy it for awhile. She was so proud of it (she was a sewer, but never made a quilt). After she passed, I got the quilt back and put it away in her cedar chest (she called it a hope chest).....I'm going to bring it out and use it. The idea of you making her quilt is a wonderful idea. I hope it brings you much comfort and memories......

LOL! my 9" blocks turned out to be 10". good for me. less to do. i have done 15 of them and i've come to the end of the road. the scraps have given out at the same time that i have. when i add a 2-color border, the wallhanging will be 48 x 64. exactly the right size. will post when it's finished (at last).

this just doesn't 't want to get done! and i refuse to finish another project until it is.

Yes Blahel, make your Mom's quilt and YOU use it. It will bring you much comfort.

And as for your son's quilt, take as long as you need to take to make it. He will have it when he has it. :lol:

I thought I'd come in and post a bit about the things on my list I'm working on.

I did start to remake the top of my friend's daughter's quilt. I will post before and after pics when it's done. I'm keeping the same pattern, but the fabrics on the top will be completely different. I'm going to try to get the same color sashing as what's on their now and use the same backing as it's in great condition.

I'm tossing around ideas in my head about DS's quilt. The top is finished, but I'll be adding borders before I make the sandwich. I'm trying to decide if I want to machine quilt it (straight line, I don't meander well), hand quilt it using stencils, or tie tack it. I just have no idea.

I got a little fabric earlier in the week to start my next DS's quilt. He's 7 and loves Thomas the Train so he's getting it in a D9P pattern. Will purchase coordinating fabrics and post pics when I have them all together.

How are your 2009 lists coming along? I can't believe I'm getting so much done!

Melissa

well I did very well for Jan. 09, now we are up to Feb. 11, 09.

Because my youngest daughter had to be hospitalized, their granny, their daddy, who has some health issues, and myself, nana,...I come with my own bag of stuff, but did pretty good thru this. We all had to take turns with babies.
I got just a bit of work done on princess quilt.
I re-organized sewing room again, bc dh let me order a new machine yesterday! I am keeping the old one, so had to make some room. I am going to hop back and forth between these machines, and when it's time for a tune-up on one, (which is probably soon), I'll have the other.
It takes my dealer a while to get done with machines and i just can't stand the withdrawal, but wanted to upgrade anyway.
I picked fabrics from stash for gbaby #4's quilt. haven't decided on a name yet. It will be a crazy quilt w/ motifs. funny, I had book and idea and fabrics and then someone posted one. I loved hers.
These fabrics are a bit bright as there is some glitter in border fabric. I would have rathered there wasn't. Just not into glitter, but the colors were so pretty, I went with it anyway.
That's pretty much all I have gotten done quilt wise in past week, but very satisfied with myself, bc i have been very busy.
Daughter is home, baby took off and walked that very day! I have a new machine coming and around a couple more appt.s I am getting a new wind in my sails for my projects. Onward and upward!!! :wink:

Even though I can't be working on quilts these days (and won't be until March) I am trying to stay in the "quilting mode" until the time arrives. Today I "stumbled" onto the box that contained the remaining fabric samples from my dear deceased cousin. I had made a quilt with some of the samples and finished it in January. (It was my "oldest" UFO.) Anyway, I put the pieces out where I could work on them during the day between tasks. What I did was cut the pieces in 6" blocks, and two- or three-inch strips. The rest was put in a pile of "strings." Don't know what I'll be doing with them, but they'll be closer to becoming a quilt since they are all cut. I can cut the 6" blocks into 3' squares or diagonally cut them into triangles, etc. Any ideas????????

Have been under the weather and saw the Dr. yesterday. The meds have put me into slow motion. Took a walk in the cool air tonight. Feeling better already.

Gail,
I don't know exactly what size the blocks were, but you could make them any size you want. There is a pattern called, "Birds in the Air". that has a triangle for 1/2 of the block and smaller triangles for other half.
Your could use strips on that half, instead of the smaller triangles.
Just sew different colored strips together and then cut a triangle from that piece to fit 1/2 of the block. Hugs to you, hope you feel better. Meds are a two sided coin, aren't they?

You guys are doing great. Life happens, we can't quilt 24/7!

This is the first time I've ever gotten so much done so quickly. I made 1 quilt that overlapped two years, a lap size that took me from May 2007-January 2008, and 1 disappearing 9 patch. I've gotten one full quilt and one top done already this year. I never get that much done with anything. If I don't have time to sew another seam all year, I'll still have a lot accomplished.

Thanks. I've already made one block of "Birds in the Air." I think it was for the URR quilt. That would work well with these prints. I'd need to find a good neutral to serve as the background that would pull all of the different fabrics together. I will definitely give that a try. Thanks again.

Gail,
Just in case you do decide to go with this pattern, I found it in my book:
Encyclopedia of Classic Quilt Patterns by Leisure Arts.
101 All Time Favorites
anyway, if you have not seen this quilt, it's quite beautiful. Quilter is Mary Ann Keathley. She appliqued ten birds randomly over center of quilt. Her blocks were 7 1/2" x 7 1/2".
finished Quilt size: 72 1/2" x 87 1/2"

I worked for about 2 1/2 hours, monday on princess quilt. Putting ribbon on for sashing instead of an appliqued vine I had considered. Had an appt. yesterday...not feeling up to par today at all, so have another one tomorrow. but I did get some adds to the stash yesterday. about a dozen and a half, 6" cuts and some cotton threads. Usually fabs I buy go to existing bundles, have to admit, these are for a new, future project, (blush)...but I was so good. I could have easily bought way more. Think the lady cutting my fabric thought, is that all you want? I'll have some leftover for appliques, after that project. Actually, just remembered, this is not a new project. These are going with existing reds. alright.
I got a new machine and haven't been up to doing more than setting it up, and reading book for now. I'll get some medicine tomorrow and maybe Friday or Saturday, I'll be on skates again...with training wheels of course, lol!

quiltincrazy...I sure hope you feel better soon....feeling bad is crummy. I hope you get the answers you need to.

Well...I took the fabric that was going to make 81 squares for the 9 9patch blocks I need to fix the friends daughters quilt, washed/dried/pressed it and many of the pieces we were going to use for 2 blocks, were barely big enough for one. So....yesterday we went through all the fabric again. We pulled out more and made piles of 9 different pieces that way, if any shrank too much, we weren't depending on them for 2 pieces. Washed/dried/pressed them and labeled each square with a piece of paper telling me what block and what piece so they won't get confused. Hoping to have that project done by the end of the weekend after next...March 1, just to be safe. I can't believe it's March already! I have finished some projects, but it seems like I am not really making a dent in my list!

Had to add an emergency project to my 2009 list. A dear friend's wife was diagnosed with cancer. I'm making a ton of yoyo's to decorate some cancer caps. Her surgery is Monday with chemo a/o radiation in the days following. I want her to have her caps in time. I have all of them marked, now to cut and finish. I even have plans for the scraps for those....but only at the end of my list.

That ribbon sure sounds like a good addition to her quilt. I'm sure she'll love it!!

melissa, sorry to hear about your friends wife. seems last couple of years, we hear of a new cancer case often. I will add her to my p's.
i know your looking forward to finishing this quilt so you can move on.
I know your enjoying the process with your friend though.
I can't believe it's almost march either! I've got four grandbaby quilts I would like to do this year, but got other projects in mind too. I guess i am going to have to make them my priority. The other three should go easier than the current one. I've learned a lot of don'ts on this one.
The biggest being don't start out to learn something new, thinking that a pattern is not all that important.
As long as i keep on keeping on, I know that at the end of this year, I am going to be satisfied. This thread has definitely been a big help to me. I may not make dozens of things, but I don't just come to a complete halt either. I think I am learning to let myself enjoy it all more, and that's the important part. :)

well, as usual, this was a busy week, with 3 appt.s and grandbaby here some of the time.
well, I caved. I got the ribbon on the four princess panels, but I was just going so slow on the whole thing cause I am not as enthused about the look as i was at first. It's not bad, I just finally decided to start a beginner project that I thought might help me come back to this fresher. Now the problem is, I haven't had a dryer in weeks, and started cutting quilt out and need to wash/dry most of the fabrics. Maybe I can use my daughters dryer over the weekend.
I actually cut the main fabric pieces before I realized there is almost a certainty that it wasn't washed/dried yet. Decided I can't take a chance on drying the cut pieces, so I will probably wash/dry the pieced blocks and then re-measure them and pray! If they aren't 20 or 21" whatever books says, I will see if they are all the same. live, quilt and learn.....again. (sigh)...but, I never completely give up. :)

I got so much accomplished the other day on friend's 9-patch quilt! I'm so excited. It took me most of the afternoon. I have to make 9 9-patch blocks. So I started with 81 pieces of fabric that the mom and I picked. But it's all decorator fabric so it was going to shrink like mad. So I washed it twice to get all the shrinkage out. That's a long story by itself as we had picked fabric and washed the first time and many of the pieces were then too small to make 2 little block pieces with. FRUSTRATING, so we went through all the fabric again looking for other pieces that would work well.

I pinned them together in block sections and washed. I cut all the pieces down the other day. I only did it one block at a time. Once I pressed, I cut them down to 3 1/2" and then I pinned a label on each piece: "block 1 piece 1, block 1 piece 2, etc." Time consuming to do it that way, but I know it will save me time and aggravation later.

Now I'm ready to piece, but have been really busy, today being no exception...maybe a little later.

When I made my Gramma's quilt, I picked blocks with special meanings, but also 7 of them were VERY simple. I bit off more than I can chew with a different project and quilting became work. If you work on something simpler, you'll be back in the swing of things before no time quiltcrazy!

Have a great weekend!

u have a great weekend too, melissa! :D

Been cutting out a patterned quilt. It is a beginner's pattern, but I sure do love the fabrics. If I do a good job, it will be a pretty quilt.
I can only stand in one place and keep bending for so long, cause of fibro. so I have five of eight fabrics cut. Some of them have 96 pieces. My hand only slipped twice and just guessing I have cut at least 200 pieces so far, so I feel good about that. One of them was minor, so I marked the seam allowance. Just an edge cut, so I'll skinny the seam a tiny bit, and good to go.
I did some mending, and made some dish rags out of dish towels.
This quilt will go a bit faster once I'm done cutting, so I can sit down. I said I wouldn't put pink roses on our bed, but then I thought, why not? I can always make a masculine themed quilt and change them out. I don't think my hubby will mind. We take spread off anyway. If I don't, he pushes it, till its on floor, and a hazard for me...yikes!
Till next time, happy creating! :D

200 pieces a BEGINNER quilt??? Yikes, that's a lot.

I too have been thinking about different quilts to put on our bed. I have yet to make one and keep it for our bed, but I'm sure I'll make one eventually. I just inherited some really cool, funky fabric. As I was pulling it out of the box, one particular psychedelic FQ fell out of my hand and he said "oh no....I can see all that fabrics that will be on my bed soon." He knows me too well!!

Here is the thread for the most recent project. Cross another one off the list as the friend's daughter's quilt is finished, presented, and photographed! http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/17125.page

Onto my D9P's! I will admit, I hit a sale today and got some lightening McQueen fabric to use instead of the original racecars. I'm trying to learn something new with each project. The quilt I just finished taught me that no matter how pretty satin binding is and no matter how good it feels, it is a royal PAIN to put on!! I'm going to experiment on the Lightening McQueen D9P cutting on the length of the fabric instead of the width. We shall see.

Wow...this thread was a great idea. It sure is keeping me on track!

Melissa

melissa, I didn't even realize how many pieces there were to this quilt until I was typing about it. I am not intimidated though, because a lot of them are 'framing' for star blocks. I have done some pinwheels for the princess quilt so points don't scare me at all.
Starting this quilt has helped my feelings toward the other project. I just needed a breather. I know when this one is finished I will be ready to go back to the other one. Besides, I have the princess quilt on my design board looking at me every day, saying Crystal sure is going to love me when you get me finished.
I love the blocks that you made for your friends little girl. I think what you did with both quilts was an excellent idea.
I know how attached kids can be. I once gave some stuff to a friend to put in a yard sale. I was trying to clean up a bit bc we were moving. One item was a patchwork dog that sat on the foot of my little girls bed.
I mentioned the move to the friend and she gave me the dog back and told me to put it on her bed once we were moved.
She was right. It helped the transition a lot, bc she had familiar things in her new room.
By having her old blankie and a new one, esp. with the newer prints, this little girl will be able to eventually 'trade up'. If I was her mom, I would put this new one where she could see it, so she will become used to it, too.
I'm happy for you, that you got another project finished. It encourages me too. I may be slow, but I feel like I keep moving forward. As long as I do that, whatever is done by end of year is going to let me know I did what I could.
This thread was an excellent idea. At the end of 09, I am going to be able to refer to it and see all that I have accomplished. We visit all over the board, but all this will be in one place. If a lot of ppl don't want to post here, that's ok. Whatever works for each one. I for one am finding it very helpful. :D

I'm finding this really helpful also.

I'm still working on "Roses for Mama" after finishing Dad's "Music of Love" quilt. I'll be finished this month with Mama's. Next is one for my dh and myself, I have more than half the blocks finished for that one.

I have a baby quilt due in May, then the rest are Christmas presents for '09. So far, I'm on schedule. Thanks for the thread. It helps keep me on track. :lol:

Purplemem, after seeing your Dad's quilt, I can' wait to see your mom's. Yes, I think it's about time we all made one for ourselves. We work hard at this. I think having my own quilt to look at every day will inspire me to get to my daughters and Sil's, after grandbabies of course.
i have a couple baby dresses that I really want to finish sometime soon. They were started for older sister and now will go to baby sister. That's ok, older sister has had many things made for her.
I have some Christmas things I need to get done too. All in good time, thanks for the reply purplemem, it spurs me on. :D

Well, the baby of the house (almost 5) has been sick since last week...so I haven't been able to work much on the D9P's as I want them to be a surprise. So.....today while his highness was sleeping I cut out all but 2 sets of the strips for the 3 quilts. I have the side and center strip sets for the 9 patches cut out, now I'm working on 2 of the three focus fabrics. One of them, I'm trying with cutting the length of fabric instead of the width....darn stripes. The other two, the print doesn't matter which way you go. But, I didn't want to give the surprise away. I'll work on them some more this week.

I did get the label for Gramma's quilt ready. I've color catched the thing to where it's not going to bleed anymore. Now I really need to get the letters printed out and sent with the quilt!

M

melissa, sorry your little one has been sick, but you sure do make good use of little pieces of time. It seems like I use to be better at doing that, but then, being younger I felt like it more. I look back and I did a lot of sewing for my kids. Are these D9P's for your kids? sounds like, with the Cars fabric.
I know what you mean about the satin. i have some very silky-like material for a dress. Only reason I was brave or dumb, we'll see...enough to get it, was bc of my new machine. When I tried out the Janome at the store, I sewed on satins, cottons, denims, you name it, all without changing thread, needle or anything. I was so impressed. When I get around to doing the dress, I will use stabilizer and hope it goes alright. My machine has a gauge to adjust to weight of fabric. I have a pretty embroidered fabric for the jacket that goes over it. Makes me want to go cut it out, now, but I still have some of the tulip/rose quilt waiting. I cut for several hours earlier. I had to re-measure some of it, and trim just a tad, but better right the first time, right?
I can't wait to finish this quilt. My daughter is going to be so surprised at how nice, (I hope), this is going to turn out. It looks a like the one in the book is how I know...but she was there, when I bought fabric and boy, did she think it was bright. I love it. Purples, lavenders, pinks, lime and spring greens, and a light yellow. scrumptious! :D

Yes, these are for my kids. The biggest boy still at home is 7 almost 8. He's finally outgrown all his toddler quilts. He has autism and LOVES Thomas the train. There is no train as good as Thomas. So, his is Thomas, with a solid red and solid yellow to go with it. My 6 year old will be 7 soon and seems to be growing just as fast. He's not as tall as the older one, but I know he will be soon. His is Lightening McQueen with black and white check fabric and the same yellow for the center squares. The baby can't just go without a quilt if his brothers are also getting one. His is the same yellow as the other two, and the same red as the big one's. His focus fabric is Curious George with fire stuff, hydrants, fire trucks, flames, fire helmet etc. I hoped to have them done by Easter, but his sick time and the decision to make them when they weren't here or were asleep, has slowed me down a great deal. Now I'm shooting for graduation time when I'll have one going into 3rd, one into 2nd and the youngest into Kindergarten...sounds like a good rite of passage time to me!

sounds like a better timetable to me too. wow, what a loving mom you are. they sound sweet. I know, they're boys, but I had a bunch of brothers. Three younger than me, and I had a ball with them. I was a mini mom type. well, hoping we both get a lot done this week, if not a lot, hope what we do turns out well! :D

i'm back. Been waiting on a surge protector that is being replaced. I may have to call them back, or ups. Haven't seen any notices. anyway, had to bring mine from sewing room in here for pc. I could take it back and forth, but too much monkey business, and I just been using my time to cut fabrics.
I am almost ready to get going on roses and tulips quilt.
One really great thing i have been doing, that is helping me a lot, is, I have about 3 or 4 kitchen timers, for the holidays. Took one in sewing room and you'd be surprised how fast you'll get back in there, if you are on a timer. I don't get sidetracked as much, when I have to go out, and it really gives me a mental lift, every time I have to reset it for another hour. happy creating, everybody :D

What a great idea. Will have to keep track of that one in my someday sewing room. At the moment, my sewing room is my dining room when I can haul everything out.

Finally got all children healthy and rashfree (don't ask)....so after 2 full school weeks of a sick child, one school hoilday, and one child with a rash for one school day I finally got all the little buggers OUT of the house. Had a chance to work on them yesterday....but not today. RRRGGG....will start again on Monday when they go back. I only had an hour to work yesterday, but I got a lot of progress done in one hour. On two of the days that the 4 year old was sick, I got all the strips cut one day and all the coordinating strips sewn together the second day. Didn't pull ANY focus fabrics out until yesterday when they were not here. Happy with the progress...just wish life wouldn't get in the way sometimes.

ADDITION TO MY 2009 LIST: have been wanting to finish the quilt I've had in the floor frame forever. Having issues with the floor frame (it's bigger than my room) so I pulled it out of the frame only to find out someone (person who "helped" put the quilt in the frame) hacked off 18 precious inches of my backing. SO....hoping to have the backing pieced and quilting done by the end of this year. Anniversary gift to my aunt for her 30th to my uncle which will be next year.

omgoodness, melissa, did your quilting frame cut into your fabric?
I thought for a while that I wanted a frame, but we live in a small house. I decided instead to do the machine quilting in sections. I know I can't physically do a whole bed quilt all at once, on a machine, and I want my stitches to blend into my backings as much as possible.
Good to hear that your kids are getting better, and mom is getting a little time to herself. I look back and don't know how I made all those clothes and curtains, etc. when I had three kids home, but a lot of it, was when they were bigger than yours. got to get to bed, but I'm going to keep using my timer and see what I can get done this week. :D

Nope...the frame didn't cut my backing off. I had a quilting friend of mine swear up and down I had way too much fabric on there and she hacked it all off. I thought she was right up until I pulled it out of the frame and about had a heart attack.

I cried, literally, when I looked at it. It'll be okay though....I've got some of the same fabric coming to me from a different friend. They still belong to my quilt club down in OK, so the roll of fabric is still there. I'm just adding another seam and I'm going to keep going!

I don't blame you for your reaction. I am a very forgiving person, but there are some things that can hurt me deeply...yeah, guess I am the sensitive type, artiste'...but most of the time, I need some closure on things.
Somebody deliberately cutting one of my projects, just bc they thought it was wrong...I don't know what I would do, but sooner or later I would have to acknowledge it or it would eat me up.
This is why nobody can go in my sewing room without me. Too much money and too much sentimentality in there. Besides, I might be working on a surprise, or just don't want something seen before it's finished. Sorry to be so opinionated on your situation, I just feel for you. If it were me, I'd at least have to let her see me get the fabric, or see the finished quilt, so the opportunity to feel guilty was there. I believe we should feel guilty when we have wronged someone. It's character building. Glad your were able to salvage what was left.
I've had ppl convince me of things too, and then later found out, I was right all along, so I really believe in gut feelings now. I tell hubby sometimes, "If I end up being wrong - let me. I have that right." He doesn't argue after that. hugs, C

My mom uses the kitchen timer all the time. Sometimes it'll go off and there's nothing on the stove or in the oven. I'll ask, What's the timer for?" and she'll reply: Oh I needed to remember to........ :lol: She uses it to help her memory. I use lists. :? She's almost 92. Much better memory that mine.

I am sure, that I must be the one that keeps the Post it company in business. If not, I certainly am keeping many ppl employed there, lol.
I use timer to remind me to go back out to washing machine, and I wear a stopwatch 24/7 for meds and to get up in morning. Much nicer than an alarm clock. I also, set stopwatch when I am getting dressed for an appt. It makes me aware of time better.
I have to have many at holiday time, or I would burn everything. works great. My grandbaby knows when my stopwatch goes off, "nana, it's time for your medsin"...her baby sister thinks it's a teether. good thing it's waterproof and when it goes off, I get the biggest smiles. :D

oh, how cute. I have a bunch of timers everywhere too, but it's more to help my son keep track of the time he has left to finish a task...getting dressed, brushing teeth, one page of homework, things like that.

I had to do this with my youngest daughter. Now she is married...late for everything! :wink:

well, I had a good week. I am working on some blocks for a project, and more cutting on another, got some things for stash, and took something off a blanket that going to used for batting for yet, another project. Hope to get two of these done this week.
I went back to dr. and got some good news. Going to granddaughters, (oh, I may have to tear up, she's six this week...not a baby anymore!), birthday party in a bit.
So I am feeling more productive and my brother brought over some different speakers last night...and whaddya know, they worked. I have sound and can watch quilting videos now! got to run. ttfn! :D

woohoo on the speakers :lol:

How many grandchildren do you have? Is the 6-yr-old the only one? If so, you'll find out that there's more to come for those tears. Save them for the big stuff. I used to cry when I'd go for grandparents' day at school. Now that was just when I walk through their classrooms. When they sang, that brought on the big stuff. :lol: Enjoy the 6-yr-old.

well, hoping that if I make a big deal over her turning six, that bigger things won't happen, unless they are happy ones, lol!
I have four granddaughters, 1 year, 20 months, five and now six.
One daughter can keep going, but hope she doesn't. Her two are adorable and they don't need another one.
Middle daughter has p.c.o.s. and we are not sure about what will happen there. She is 30 in a few months. I am hoping that they can have one.
Oldest daughter is smart like me, and had her two and quit. Hers are adorable also, and a handful, lol.
So, I feel fat and sassy. Got my tummy full while ago, and now I'm just talking g'ma talk, like I ain't got another thing to do. I do, but I'm saving up my energy to sew, sew, sew tomorrow. Get in the zone after churdh and lunch and put the pedal to the metal. Thanks for giving me, yet another chance to brag on my girls :wink: :D

Those are such cute ages. That 6-yr-old will be growing so fast you won't know what hit. Enjoy them.

Hopefully, we'll have lots of opportunities to brag about our little ones (and grown up ones)

Well...this week, I did manage to sew all my strips sets for the D9P's together. Now to cross cut and make my 9 patches.

Also, some dear friends convinced me not to throw away a different project of mine. So I rebasted it and am continuing to hand quilt on it one or two hours a night. I'm really moving on this sucker!

I have even less time to sew now that I'm also job hunting. The boys have their spring break coming up the first full week in April, so I'll be losing some time there too....maybe I can work on a different project that week.

mpeters, love your avatar. Tell us about it.

Job hunting? Sounds like fun.