BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS

Beginnings and endings to share with you.  First of all the endings.

"Let It Snow" is complete.  All the noses stitched, embroidery done, and snaps added for the mouths and noses of the snowmen faces.  And machine quilted.  The pattern is by Farmhouse Threads.  Below is a picture of the backing.  I had several 2 1/2 inch strips left over from the line of fabrics used for the quilt top.  I sewed several together and created the backing.

Next are the three doll quilts from the same Kathleen Tracy pattern that I shared pictures of the tops in the last post.

I have completed the eagle wall hanging top as far as I am taking it.  The pattern is from a 2008 quilt magazine pattern by Karen Witt.  I decided that my piece was big enough as it is now and chose to leave off the next round of the medallion and the final border print.  I don't know when it will get quilted.

I finished the "Bible" block of Noah's Ark that I was working on.

And finally is a ship block that I made as a test for a new quilt.  The pattern is in an older Red Wagon Designs book called "Collections".  I made freezer paper templates for several of the block parts so I could rotary cut around them and save a little bit of time.  The block went together fine but I really had to pay attention to what parts went where.  Two of the sails utilize the same templates.  The other two are different.  One of those other two is very similar to the two identical ones.

A rainy day here and good for stitching which I will be doing more of this evening.  Stop back soon.

Karen

WORKS IN PROGRESS

I am having trouble sticking to one project and taking it to completion.  I will share with you what I have been working on.

I made this nice house block and now can not remember what quilt pattern it is part of.  When I figure that out, I can work on the project again.  I must have inadvertantly put the book away that the pattern is in.

The log house is from a Joined at the Hip pattern.  I need to make three more and then some other parts.

The eagle is from a magazine pattern though I simplified the eagle into less pieces.  The center was not laying flat once I added the pieced triangle round.  I set the project aside as I was not in the mood at that time to unsew.  It got placed in a container along with fabrics for the project and forgotten.  I came across the meallion this past week. and took time to unsew, trim the first border, and resew the triangles back on.  I am not sure if I am going to add more piecing, a plain border, or just quilt and bind.

The snowman quilt has progressed to the embroidery being done, noses stitched, and black snaps added for eyes on all and mouths on some.  It still needs quilting.

I made three quilt tops yesterday using a pattern from Kathleen Tracy's "American Doll Quilts".  The first two use a pastoral print of children given to me by my good friend, Jean M.  She made a needle case using one of the pieces and shared two of the sections of fabric for me to make one.  The fabric pieces fell behind one of my fabric cubes.  I just recently discovered them.  Instead of making a needle case, I remembered the doll quilt pattern and chose to make that.  Here is the first one and the second one is below. 

I used two different fabrics on the second little quilt top but it has much the same look.


The first two quilts went together so fast, I decided to sew another quilt.  Most of this top is made from one of the Williamsburg lines of fabric.

I am working on block number five of  "The Bible Quilt".  One star needs stitched down and then the embroidered words need to be added.  The bird is from an older Debbie Mum fabric that was different elements of Noah's Ark.  I thought it was fitting to use for the bird in this Noah's Ark block.

I hope you enjoyed the photos of what I hae been working on.  Come back soon and hopefully I will have made some progress on projects.

Karen

COLD DAYS

No, not cold here.  It is hot!  But my new project is cold.  I finished a wool runner yesterday with snowman heads.  I used a pattern called "Cold Days" by Lynda Hall.  It is in the first issue of "Primitive Quilts and Projects".

It was a quick runner to make and easy to do with wool.  It is about six inches by thirty-five inches.  It could be used on a mantle or a table.  I have another snowman project close to being finished too and will share that later this week.  It is the wall hanging I was working on that you can see in my previous post.

I was given a Hinterberg quilting frame.

I have wanted to try a hand quilting frame for years.  What better way than on a good one.  I am used to quilting with a lap hoop that you can turn and you can't do that with a big floor frame.  I will have a learning curve to use this.  If this does not work for me, I will donate it to the church thrift store.  Right now the rollers are not in the correct position but that is easily fixed.

I checked the Hinterberg website.  They used to have different models of frames that you could purchase.  Now there is only one complete frame version or a kit you can purchase.  And I can't find a video on how to use the frame.  They used to have a video.  I have no instructions so I will have to try to figure it out on my own.  I don't even know anyone who has used a floor frame.

Back to my projects.  Have a great day!

Karen

CHRISTMAS SEW-ALONG PART 1

Here we go again with the Christmas Sew-Along.  I am working on a previously started project of snowmen faces.  The pattern I am using is "Let It Snow".  This is where the project was at the end of January.

Since then, the project has been in a basket.  I had forgotten that there was embroidered words to do, the wool noses needed hand stitching, and the eyes and mouths needed buttons and snaps attached..  I had planned on machine quilting the piece this weekend.  Instead, I started the embroidery yesterday.  The noses are stitched.  This is a picture of the progress made.

I have one of the longer sides to stitch the words and then the embroidery will be done.  I want to get the buttons and snaps added for the eyes and mouths so that they look more like a snowman's head.  The fabric I used is from the Fruitcake line.  It has a grunge look to it which I like.

I will be back later today to share progress.

NATIVITY COMPLETE

The Nativity quilt I worked on during a Saturday Christmas Sew-Along earlier this year is now complete.

I spent the last week hand quilting this piece. You can see it before quilting on this post.  I outlined each applique with quilting.  Then did a Baptist Fan quilting design in all the other spaces.  I could have done straight line stitching and it would probably been just as effective.  The fan design shows on the border but in the background stripe and plaid areas, it does not show much at all.  But it is quilted and bound and ready to display for the holiday season.

The pattern is called "Nativity" and is by Cheri Saffiote-Payne.  I have many of Cheri's patterns. I should count how many I have already made and how many are still waiting.   I like her naive style.

I also have been doing a little embroidery this week but am not ready to share the project yet.  And I have a big stack of Jo Morton fabrics pulled from stash.  I am trying to decide on a scrappy quilt design to use them. I need blacks, purples, and pinks from her lines.  I do have a couple pieces of black but long ago used the purples & purples and pinks that I had.  A fortune teller might see some online shopping in my future.

Back to my stitching.

Karen