Hatch and Windows - Take 2...

My first finish of the year is a QOV top.  The pattern is Mystery 26 from the Yahoo Group Mystery Quilts 4 Military.  This is the second quilt I've made using this pattern.  The first one I ended up giving my parents for Christmas and I made this one as a replacement to donate.

Hatch and Windows - Take 2

This was the first version I made (that my parents now own)...

Hatch and Windows (Original Version)

To be honest, I really like the colors in both versions.  I'm also quilting a red, white and blue one that a friend made and it's beautiful as well.  I think I just really like the pattern.  It's basically made up of 2 blocks...

Blocks for Hatch and Windows Quilts

For the new quilt, I just went with a simple set of borders, because I didn't have enough of the background fabric to make the diamond border in the original.  I think it looks fine both ways though.

Simple border treatment

I'm going to try to get this quilted quickly so we can get them in to the hands of soldiers as soon as possible.  I have to finish quilting the RWB version first though.

Sam has been putting on a little winter weight lately and I've had to restrict her food some.  Can you see how happy she is about it?

Here's hoping the scales are treating you a little better than her!

Until later...

The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

Proverbs 11:24 (Msg)

Better late than never...

When I was putting together my yearly review of the things I quilted, I realized that I never shared pictures of my finished Baltimore Halloween top.  I'm surprised I let that slip by considering I've been appliqueing it for over 3 years!  I'm going to guess I was planning to immediately quilt it and thought I'd share pictures once it was completely finished.  But as often happens, plans change and the top is sitting off in a pile still waiting it's turn.

Baltimore Halloween Quilt Top

The pattern is Baltimore Halloween by P3 Designs.  (I also have her Baltimore Christmas pattern, but haven't started on it yet!)  I did this one using hand applique.

It was hard to get a good picture of this quilt because there are so many little pieces to each applique block.  If you're interested, I shared close up pictures of the individual blocks here and here.  And here's a picture of the bats in the outer border.  I probably spent close to 100 hours appliqueing all of them.

I really am hopeful that I'll have it quilted by Halloween this year.  Then again, I say that every year!

This is just a funny picture I took of Sam recently.  For some reason, she was really interested in the camera!

Until later...

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. 

Proverbs 15:1 (NLT)

Hatch and Windows...

Like most years, I worked on a couple of projects for Christmas.  Although to be honest, my list was much shorter than usual.  The biggest one is a quilt for my parents called Hatch and Windows.  (The lump in the picture is actually my cat Jack hiding underneath.)

Hatch and Windows Quilt

I actually finished this top back in August and it was supposed to by a QOV donation quilt.  (The pattern was Mystery 26 from the Yahoo Group Mystery Quilts 4 Military.)   However, my mom fell in love with it and kept petitioning me to give it to them.  After all, my father is a veteran and was injured while serving.

So I decided to give this one to them for Christmas and make a replacement one for QOV to donate.  I quilted this version using the Square Spirals pantograph by Keryn Emmerson.

Square Spiral Pantograph

I also used a bunch of the extra 4-patches from the quilt to make a label for the back...

Label for the back of the quilt

I managed to finish the binding just two days before Christmas!  They were pretty surprised when they opened it and I know they'll enjoy it and get good use out of it.  It will actually be the quit my Dad uses while watching TV.

I've also made good progress on the replacement quilt and have all the components units made.  Hopefully I'll have the top completed in another day or two.  I'm doing this one in blues and browns...

Block Units for Replacement Quilt

So the stats for this quilt are:

• Size: 63" x 75"
• Fabrics: Batiks from my stash
• Batting: Warm & White
• Thread: Aurifil (piecing), Superior Thread So Fine (quilting)
• Pattern: Mystery 26 (Hatch and Windows) from the Yahoo Group Mystery Quilts 4 Military
• Quilting: Square Spiral pantograph by Keryn Emmerson (32 passes and 5 bobbins)
• Started: January 2012
• Completed: December 2012
• Recipient: Dad and Mom

Here's someone who thoroughly enjoyed Christmas -particularly the Christmas Tree!  She slept under it, played under it and ate a great deal of it.  As Mr. Quilting Bug put it, we had a very festive litter box in December.  Unfortunately, she also threw up a great deal of it.  She wasn't smart enough to figure out that eating it made her sick and she kept going back for more...

Sam under the Christmas Tree (aka dinner)

Until later...

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” 

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

E is for Elf...

and F is for Fir.  I've now finished the 5th block for the Snowmen A to ZZZZ quilt.  This was one of several double size ones.

Before starting a block, I always look at it to see what I think the most time consuming part will be and that's what I start with.  Is anyone else like that?  On this block, I thought it was going to be the elf and that the fir would go pretty quickly.  I was wrong!

E is for Elf

Although the branch was pretty mindless stitching, it took such a long time!  Back and forth, back and forth. Ughh.  I began to wonder if I would ever finish with it.  But I did!

F is for Fir

Now I really have to put this aside and work on a few other things.  I've got a binding to hand sew down and then I've got to start appliqueing some bats.  Hopefully it won't be too long before I get back to these though.  For the most part, I find the embroidery to be very relaxing (just not these branches).

I've been spending a little more time in my sewing room lately and Sam has been keeping me company.  Here she is getting cozy with my sewing machine...

Sam rubbing on my sewing machine

Until later...

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. 

1 Thessalonians 1:2 (NLT)

Sew-in results...

This past Wednesday, my quilt bee came over for an all day sew in.  Everyone brought their machines and worked on their own projects.  I started sewing the blocks for a quilt for my Grandpa.  I started with this Berry Bliss Bali Pop.

Berry Bliss Bali Pop

This is such an easy quilt to make that in just over 4 hours, I managed to make all 40 blocks for the quilt center.

20 light, 20 dark blocks for the quilt center

After another hour or so today, I laid out the blocks and sewed them together.  There are very few seams to match up, so everything goes together lickety split.

Rows laid out and ready to be sewn together

Hopefully tomorrow I can sew the rows together and have the center completed.  Before adding the borders, I want to applique my Grandpa's name and DOB on them.  He's living in a nursing home right now and I've been warned about problems with theft.  I'm hoping that having his name prominently displayed might dissuade someone from walking off with it, but I know that it's still a possibility.  My Grandpa is also suffering from dementia and could end up just giving it away.  He has a tendency to do that.  But I'm making this quilt for him, knowing all those things could happen and I'm OK with that.  I just want him to know that I love him and was thinking of him when I made it.  And to be honest, it's also why I chose a simpler pattern (although one I still really enjoy making).

Our animals are a mixed bag when it comes to company coming over.  A couple of the cats will hide away until the last guest leaves, while Jack and Sam love to interact with them.  On Wednesday, Sam made herself at home in the middle of Susan's sewing.  Fortunately, Susan has several furbabies of her own (including her own Sam) and didn't mind the intrusion.

Sam lying on Susan's sewing stuff

I think we all had a fun and productive day!

Until later...

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. 

John 13:35 (NLT)

Forts...

Note:  I'm still working on quilting the cobblestones, but will share progress pics when I'm done with them.

Did you ever build a fort in your house when you were a child?  Arranging all the available chairs around the room and draping sheets and blankets across them.  I'd crawl under and pretend that it was my very own house and I was in charge.  (I was always a little bit bossy.)

This weekend Mr. Quilting Bug and I went down to Lowe's to buy a new chest freezer.  While we were trying to unpack and set it up, we threw the big box it came in off to the side.  It was only a matter of seconds before the cats laid claim to it.

After seeing how much fun they were having with it, we decided to leave it for them to play with.  Mr. Quilting Bug even cut a hole in the front for the cats to enter.  He had to enlarge it after the first time David went sliding from across the room into it and got stuck in the hole.  (He's such a large boy!)

The cat's new fort

Since then, they've been taking turns hiding in it and attacking passers by.  They've also found it's a great place for a nap, especially when it was placed directly over a heating vent.  And they're having a great time hanging out on top of it...

Jack on the box (pun intended)

I don't think it'll be too long before David falls through it though...

David on the fort

Sam has also found that it makes a great bridge, allowing her to get to the high calorie cat food that has been out of reach.

Sam hanging out on the fort

That brings me to a question.  Why is it that the 3 cats who are not on a diet insist on eating the expensive prescription low calorie food, while the only one it's prescribed for spends all her time trying to get to the fattening stuff?  It's like they're trying to mess with me.

In any case, I think we'll leave the fort up for a few more days.  I'm sure the novelty will wear off quickly enough!  Or David will break it...

No pictures of Moses in or on the fort.  She's a bit too refined for that.

Until later...

If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 

Ecc. 4:10 (NLT)

Stash Report Week #3 & 4...

January 22 - February 4, 2012

Not much change this week.  Most recently I finished the top for La Maison.  I used 2.5 yards for this little quilt.

La Maison Quilt Top

I had really hoped to have it quilted by now, but several things have gotten in the way.  Most notably, I came up with what I now realize is an insane quilting plan that will literally take me forever.  OK, that's a slight exaggeration.  I thought that quilting a stone walkway in the cream sashing would set off the 'garden' part of the quilt.  My intention is to do this in the center of the quilt as well as each corner.  I started with one of the corners...

Quilting a cobblestone path

The quilting isn't particularly challenging, just very, very time consuming.  It took me 45 minutes to do the first block - which is only about 6" big.

One corner down, 3 more to go

It's exactly the look I was going for, so I know once I'm done, I'll be so pleased I spent the extra time on it.  Until then, I'll probably dream about quilting stones in my dreams.  So far, I've finished all of the corners and am now working on the center.

Backside of the quilt

I also have big plans for the rest of the quilting.  I just need to make sure I have enough energy after finishing this portion to continue working on it.  Realistically I don't expect to finish this one for several weeks now.

I sure hope Mr. Quilting Bug lets me hang it in the sun room when I'm done!  That's the only place in the house where it could possibly go and I don't want to fold this one away in a closet after this much effort.  It will easily take me more than twice as long to quilt it as it did to piece it, but I keep reminding myself that it will be worth it!

So...
Purchased-this-week: 0 yards
Used-this-week: 2.5 yards
Purchased-to-date: 4.75 yards
Used-to-date: 16.25 yards
Net used: 11.5 yards

As usual, Sam has been keeping me company while I'm quilting.  She's such a good egg.

Sam napping in the sewing room

Until later...

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” 

Proverbs 21:5 (ESV)

Blessed sunshine...

It's been unseasonably warm here in North Carolina this winter.  Today's temperatures were almost 60 degrees and we should hit 70 by Wednesday.  The pets have been taking advantage of the bright spots of sunshine in the house to do some sunbathing (aka napping).

Sam in the sun room.

Jack in the sun room.

David in the living room.
(It's hard to tell, but he's also in a spot of sunshine.)

Gabriel in the bedroom.

Moses is the only one who didn't follow along.  She'd much rather have her privacy than bask in the sun.  She loves napping behind this little pillow.

Moses in the bedroom.

I hope your enjoying some nice weather wherever you are!

Until later...

“You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” 

Psalm 16:11 (NLT)

And it's done!

This is such an exciting finish for me and technically it's not even done!  I've finally put the last stitch in my Winter Wonderland quilt top.  Last I left it, I needed to make 34 HST units.  I cut all of the fabrics I needed, but before sewing them I decided I needed to organize the remaining fabrics first.

Leftover fabrics from Winter Wonderland

Don't they look so pretty bundled together?  I probably have enough to make another small quilt with them and I have just the one in mind.  After cleaning my mess up, I got down to the business of making those HST's.  I used triangle paper to make the 3" finished units and they went together lickity split!

Sewing the HST's

It was only after I starting cutting them apart that I realized I had made twice as many as I needed.  Duh!  But as you'll see later, I managed to find a use for a lot of them.  Here are all 64 blocks...

Final blocks needed for this quilt

Now I could start assembling the borders.  There are 34 blocks in the borders as well as the HST's.  I'm so glad I labeled each block as I made it with it's placement.  Otherwise, it would have taken me forever to figure out where they went.

Assembling the borders

Everything fit together so well with this one.  That isn't always the case.  It didn't take too long to finish assembling it.  This quilt is 64" x 71".  Looking back through my previous posts, I think I started working on it in early September 2010.  So has definitely taken a while, but I think it was totally worth all the time and effort!

Winter Wonderland Quilt Top

One of my goals is to get it quilted before another year passes.  I have no idea how to quilt it yet, but am open to suggestions?

Closeup of the stitching

As for some of the leftover HST's, I was able to use them in the label.  I also had an extra embroidered block that I put in the middle...

Label for Winter Wonderland

The label finishes at 15" square, so it's a large one.  Once I have the quilt quilted, I'll add all the information to the block.  I've already made the binding for this quilt as well, so all I need to do is find a backing fabric.

Sam kept me company while I finished this one up.  She's probably my best sewing companion as she's content to take a nap while I work.  Doesn't she perfectly match the quilt she's lying on?

I love her many poses...

Until later...

Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. 

Proverbs 3:6 (NLT)