Binding Sweet Thimbles

I love to finish the binding on a quilt... more than just finishing the quilt, it seems to add another design element whether you contrast or blend the fabrics!  This binding matches the majority of the quilt backing for these Sweet Thimbles.

Though I have the best of intentions for labeling my quilts, I frequently do not get around to it.  This is my first quilt to add these personalized twill labels with my name! 

Happy Pineapple Christmas!

I recently quilted this happy Pineapple Christmas quilt for a friend.  The pattern is from the Positively Pineapple book, using the Pineapple Ruler.  She followed the pattern in the book with 2" logs and striking applique! 
The quilting is loops and holly in the center, since the fabrics are so busy it didn't need much!  The outer border is stippling.

   

Spring Cleaning

I see on other blogs where quilters are cleaning their sewing rooms and end up with a tidy work area in a day or so.  This is my idea of cleaning the sewing room... I find fabrics that really should be a quilt instead of a bag or box of scraps and sew them together!  Here are two from this weekend.

The blue and yellow Rail Fence blocks are 3" square.  It will probably add a few more rows as there are still fabrics in the blue/yellow drawer and a border or two. 

The patriotic fabrics are left after the Patriotic Thimbles and Patriotic Pineapple (still on the "design bed") and while they are OK fabrics, they aren't really Best quilt fabrics.  Most are left from quilting projects with my students at school from several years ago.  The Patriotic string quilt is scrappy through and through- the base fabric 6" squares used fabric a friend gave me that are just too boring to use on the outside, the back from the same friend who was cleaning HER sewing room, and the batting was four different pieces left from other projects (and not very tidily pieced together).  Anyway, now they are perfectly usable. 

I must confess there is much more to clean and tidy up but I'm on a mission now and need the room to be more baby friendly so I'll keep sewing/cleaning!

On another note, we had supper at my son's house this weekend.  My daughter in law had her Dolly Madison quilt hanging for spring (a birthday present last year).  What fun to see it again!

Sweet Thimbles update

The sweet Thimbles quilt from the Too Good To Cut challenge is now quilted!  The outer borders are a small stippling pattern and the inner thimbles are an all over feather and curls design.  I am very pleased with how the quilting has turned out!  The only "Aaugh!" moment came when I realized that the back was 1/2" shorter than the quilt top.  Luckily my daughter in law gave me enough fabric to extend the back and now the quilt is all complete and waiting for the binding!

Of course, now I still have a small box of fabrics so I will begin again and create something that coordinates but has a different feel!

Still Crazy After all these Years

Several teacher friends and I got together several years ago to create stack and whack crazy quilts.  It was fun to see the ways fabrics changed depending on their companion fabrics.  About a month ago one of these friends completed her top.  She rediscovered the old blocks, added new fabrics and new blocks to create this queen sized quilt. 

 I added the machine quilting and binding this week.  I quilted stippling over the majority of the quilt, but each block had one special section that was quilted with a feather or fern or leaf. 

The most fun was taking the quilt to school to show it to my friend when the quilting was finished.  As I unfurled the quilt the children (and teacher!) said "Oh!"  It was priceless!  I believe that it is important that children see adults learning and trying new things.  They were so proud of her!

Here's a photo of the full quilt.

2010 Dallas Quilt Show!

Dallas Quilt Show

Becky & I went to the Dallas Quilt Show for inspiration and came back ready to start new projects! Here are some of the quilts I loved!

The theme for the show was Log Cabin Odyssey. Guild members did an excellent job interpreting the theme!  There were traditional log cabin quilts in a variety of settings, log cabin pineapples in many colors and sizes, and a couple of fun bright wonky house quilts to shake things up!  Inspiration for everyone!

A Sweet Million

This sweet Million Squares quilt is for my first Grandaughter who lives far from Nana.  The quilting is an all over pattern of hearts and curls done freehand. 

I love the way you can arrange the diagonals in these quilts to draw your attention to create the squares!  A great way to use lots of fabrics that are happy together!

Bright Dolly!

While visiting with my cousin we were looking for ideas to create a new quilt.  She said "I don't have anything that goes together".  Ah ha!  A challenge.  We pulled these happy colors together from her stash and grounded them with black and white.  We love the quote from Freddy & Gwen "It gives the eye a place to rest"... which is funniest when you see the quilts they are referring to that are anything BUT restful!  

 

We love the Collaborative Quilting book!  My cousin had checked it out from the library and we stitched up several parts from the book's patterns.  Needless to say we each purchased the book and the sequel.  The fun thing about the sequel was that when we both got our copies we looked through the book while on the phone with each other... "I love the quilt on page 76!... Wow, love the colors on page 60...We can do that!"

This quilt is quite a change from the sweet Dolly Madison for Abigail!

Abigail Pending...

Miss Abigail (who is now days overdue!) will hopefully enjoy resting on this yellow, red and blue Dolly Madison star quilt.  While I was most excited about the tiny triangles in this pattern from All People Quilt... Mommy and Daddy were elated to see her name on the back of the quilt! 

The quilting on the center stars is all over feathers, a graceful and dainty look on the buttery yellow. 

Anxiously waiting to meet little Abigail!

Play Ball!

Another baby quilt finish!  Baby Davis' room is decorated with baseball- a favorite of Daddy Brandon. We're all counting down until April! 

Lucky baby Davis also received this happy baseball quilt from his expectant grandmother!  This is only her second quilt and she did an excellent job! It is quilted with loops all over.

New Baby Hudson!

This happy quilt was created for a sweet friend who is expecting baby Hudson to arrive soon! 

It is quilted with red thread with loops and sunshines.  I hope this becomes a favorite quilt for playing with Mommy and Daddy in the floor, exploring the bright primary colors and happy faces!

Katie's HSU Quilt

A t-shirt quilt for Katie, a Hardin Simmons 2009 graduate.  I believe the story is that when she graduated from high school her mother intended to make a t-shirt quilt from her HS shirts but didn't... so she was especially anxious/ excited/ hopeful she would get a college quilt.  All that is left to complete is the binding (purple polka dot).  Happy Graduation, Katie!

(Quilt back... The purple is actually a bright purple polka dot)

In addition to the shirts that hold special meaning to Katie, I included pieced words (HSU and Katie) on the quilt inspired by Tonya's alphabet.

Happy Graduation!  Go Cowboys!