Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Stitching, Stitching, Stitching...

...but not too much on TWQ - boo hoo. What with garden to prepare/plant, seedlings to start, cattle to move, calves to mark, nanny goats to check as kidding is soon to start, Border Collies to work, cooking, cleaning, KEEPING GRACEN twice a week (woo hoo!!), all my other stitching projects took precedence over TWQ. But it is back on the front burner and I make time every day to hand quilt - my favorite kind of stitching, though it takes longer!

So here's my other stitching projects - some finishes and some WIPs:

1. I finished the flimsy for my Christmas Sampler Quilt - I call it "Joys of Christmas". It is 88" square and will fit a full bed nicely. Now, I need your input - how to quilt it? I would love to hear every opinion out there!





2. I made another "Spring has Sprung" small quilt. I made four 8" blocks this time instead of nine 6" blocks. This is for a door prize for guild. So many of the ladies liked it and one asked if I would donate the first one as a door prize, I decided to make another - just for them.



3. I'm all caught up on BB Grandmother's Choice blocks!! I've pictured the pieced blocks, but I also pieced an equal amount of chain blocks, too!



4. I've finished two more Stadium quilts for my booth at the market. The black/gold/white one is all FMQ!!! I'm really pleased with the "snail tails" in the diagonal blocks! I just straight line cross hatched the maroon/gray/white one.




5. Lyn, my dil, asked me to make a quilt for her for her mom's birthday. She ordered the fabric on-line, and shipped it to me. I knew she wanted a chevron pattern, so I thought, no problem. But when I opened the box I went - WOW how am I (Ms. traditional fabric girl going to every put these together!!!) But with the help from Mikkie, we laid it out and I think it turned out very well! Lyn loved it (she wondered the same thing when she first saw the fabric, too!! LOL) and she is sure that her mom with love it too! So fun to make something outside your comfort zone! I just FMQed a meander as I felt like the fabric needed to tell the story!



6. Susan over at Starwood Quilter is hosting a Quilter's book club. I'm doing redwork blocks to represent the books and I finished the first two. "The Persian Pickle Club" was our first book, and I didn't know that a Persian Pickle was a Paisley! Did you? Well, I found a pretty Paisley sketch on google images and used it for my first block. The second book - "A Single Thread" by Marie Bostwick, talks about friends helping to mend broken hearts - so I created a broken heart being stitched back  together with a "single thread"!! I'm having fun with this, as it is relaxing to embroider small blocks (9") while I'm watching TV with Mike!


7. My leaders/enders project are 3" nine patches for another Christmas Quilt.


8. Have you seen Ruth's finished CWR quilt? Well, it is absolutely wonderful!!! She quilted "hooked" wreaths in her setting blocks, and I was so inspired by her and her tutorial, that I practiced! I'm thinking about doing the same for the setting blocks on "Joys of Christmas". What do you think?



Hope this finds each of you doing well!!



17 comments:

Nancy said...

Wow, you have been busy creating some beautiful quilts. Nice job!

regan said...

I'm so amazed! With all those chores on the ranch, how in the world do you ever find time to quilt....and you are flying on those projects, too! They are all so beautiful!

JoAnne said...

I'm quite inspired. All of that and your work, too! Goodness. The Christmas quilt is so pretty. I love that it is mostly red and green. As for the quilting, my only suggestion would be some curving lines to juxtapose against the straight line piecing. The chevron quilt is so pretty! I love pushing myself out of my comfort zone--it makes me grow as a quilter. Finally, I love the book, The Persian Pickle Club and all of Sandra Dallas's book are great, too.

Aunt 'Reen said...

It amazes me how many wonderful projects you accomplish while "working the farm"!
LOVE your Christmas Sampler and that Chevron quilt is super cheerful! All of your projects are fabulous!

Rhonda M said...

Wow, I am tired just reading all the things you have going on! Life on a farm (ranch in your case) sure does not seem laid back. Your Christmas top is gorgeous!!! You could do a stitch in the ditch, but hand quilting would sure be lovely on this. All your other quilts are wonderful, as well.

Blessings!

Janet O. said...

Your Christmas quilt is Wonderful!! Love the setting. Definitely has a festive feel!
I'm glad you kept your original Spring has Sprung. Sometimes we need to keep something we love. We give enough away to justify a keep. I think.
Your BB GC blocks are lovely sporting their many shades of purple.
So many wonderful projects, Doniene, but what drops my jaw is your quilting. You just seem to be catching on so quickly! Great job! I loved Ruth's quilt, too, but have yet to attempt the feathered wreaths. Look at you go!!

Teresa in Music City said...

Well!!! I'm out of breath! What wonderful projects and such fun to read about each one! How cool to be stitching blocks for the books you are reading :*) I absolutely love the Chevron quilt - have been thinking I may need to make one of those soon. If I can find time :*) And your Christmas Sampler is simply amazing!!! So many wonderful blocks!

Dawn said...

Your Christmas quilt is stunning!!
What a lucky guild to have Spring Has Sprung, it is lovely.
Pretty impressive you are caught up on the quilt-along.
It will be worth it in the end.
So good to see the stadium quilts are going - great quilting.
The Chevron quilt is very special - and I think a fun choice of fabrics.
Hope your garden does well, just reading all your chares made me tired!

Lyn said...

Love the chevron quilt! Can't wait to give it to my mom!

Ruth said...

You sure seem to get a lot of quilts finished! And your feathered wreathes are awesome! Do you have a long arm quilting machine or do you use your domestic sewing machine? As for your Christmas quilt, I really don't know. I think an over all design would be good. I'm just thinking that because doing something in each block would take forever as those blocks look small.

Vickie said...

I too am amazed at all you've been able to finish! Great job Girlfriend ! Are you bringing the quilts to guild ? I hope ! there will be lots of good opinions about how to quilt your Christmas quilt in that room ! LOL See you Tuesday !

Carrie P. said...

WOWEE! You sure have been busy! I love your Christmas quilt and I think that quilt design would be perfect on the setting blocks. Not sure about the rest but I am sure you will come up with something great.
Oh, you did a great job putting the Chevron quilt together. So, so pretty!

Maureen said...

Didn't you just recently start machine quilting!?! Your hooked wreaths are fabulous and will look wonderful on your Christmas quilt. How do you have time to do everything? You certainly are a productive quilter given all the other things you do. Glad TWQ is on the front burner!

Lori said...

As usual, a post full of quilty loveliness!! Personally I think the sampler quilt is so busy you are best to leave fancy quilting for a quilt you really want to showcase the quilting. Will it be seen that much in this quilt? I think everyone who sees it will be admiring the little array of lovely blocks.
The zigzag quilt turned out really great! I'm sure it will be treasured.

Sarah said...

Busy busy! I love your Christmas sampler. I'm always drawn to green and red quilts. Maybe quilt in the borders a small stipple to make the sample blocks pop? The chevron quilt turned out really nice too.

La Tea Dah said...

I am inspired --- and a little overwhelmed --- by all your beautiful quilts!

DreamNT said...

Great design! Thanks for sharing.









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