I Guess It Skips a Generation

Once upon a time, I tried to get my daughter Teresa involved with quilting.  She actually started a Yo-Yo quilt once but only got about 40 done before she decided it wasn't for her.   Since then I have tried, in vain, to get her to try again but she just doesn't have the desire.
 

So, you can imagine my joy when my grand-daughter, Lillian, showed interest in sewing.  Now, truth be told her interest started and continues to be in fashion and for quite some time, with Project Runway for inspiration, she has been designing fashion for her dolls and stuffed animals out of just about everything... paper, fabric, and even toilet paper.  She loves drawing out her fashion, too.  This is one of her designs- It was drawn on a napkin while we waited to be served in a local restaurant.

 

Last December Lillian turned 9 years old and so I decided it was time to initiate her into the sewing world.  While designing and making clothing is not my forte, I could show her a thing or two about quilting.  So, with that thought in mind I bought her and my daughter-in-law, Natalie, each a sewing machine for Christmas.  (Why not get them both hooked, right?)

 



Well, life took over for a while and Lillian and I, both, were busy... me, with traveling and her, with Volleyball, choir and school but we finally had our first lesson!  We talked about being safe and the basics of threading a machine and bobbin and then off she went.  Our first lesson was all about sewing a straight seam.  We used a striped fabric to practice on.

 

Fierce Concentration

 

 

Working hard at staying on the lines

 

Looking Good!

                              

She worked on the entire strip of fabric and really loved it!  I'm so excited to have another quilter in my family!  It's comforting to know that there will be someone who will understand the work and love that goes into making a quilt long after I'm gone.  Now, I need to get Natalie started :-)
 

I'm still hard at work on Roll, Roll Cotton Boll but I took a short break to work on another small project and I am happy to report that it can be added to the 2014 FINISHED! page. 

 

This is the Small Duffle from "Easy to Make Totes with Zippers".  It took a little longer than I thought it would to put it together because 1) I quilted the fabrics myself and 2) the instructions confused me just a little.  It's one of those instruction sets that is constantly referring you to other pages of instructions.  You know... 'Make straps referring to directions for "Large Yellow Duffle" on page 14.' and 'Review instructions for setting zipper on inside front cover".  I understand that by using this method of instruction writing it saves paper and therefore holds costs down BUT I personally would rather pay a dollar or two more than waste an hour or two flipping back and forth through the pages.  It gets confusing after a while!

 

In any case, I have to say that I LOVE the finished project!  I used stash fabrics, batting remnants and a zipper I had on hand to do this project.  I plan to use it for carrying quilting tools to retreats and while traveling so I used this ruler/quilty fabric.  I should have paid better attention to fabric direction...It would have been better if I had cut the body the other way.  Oh Well, Live and Learn right?

 
 

Front Pocket View

 

 

Front Pocket and Side Pocket View
(Both sides have pockets.  Back does not but could be easily added.)

 

On the way home from Phoenix, AZ, we stopped at Bernina Sewing And Design in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  I neglected to take any photos but I didn't walk out empty handed!  For some reason, I have become obsessed with these organizers/bags/totes and they had a great one made up as a shop sample and I HAD to have it.  I bought the pattern...no fabric.  I had several combos of fabric picked out but I put them all back knowing that I have SOMETHING that I can use to make this wonderful tote.  I did buy the hardware and the mesh the pattern calls for since I knew I did not have those things at home but I left the fabrics on the bolts...  I can't decide if I'm happy or sad about that :-| 

 

 

In any case, I know that getting another bit of my fabric off the stash shelf and into something useful and beautiful will make up for any sadness caused by not buying "new".   In fact, I'm looking forward to diving into my stash...gives a whole new meaning to "Shopping at Home".

 

Until next time- May your iron be hot and your rotary blade sharp!

 

Irene

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First 2014 Completes!

Hurrah!  I am so excited!  Here they are!  The first quilts completed this year!

 

Let's start with my small victory...

 

These have been quilted and ready to be bound for about a year and a half! 

Binding is not my favorite thing to do and unfortunately every quilt ends with BINDING!

 

Well, once again, my hubby and I hit the road for an impromptu vacation in Phoenix, Az. and so this became my travel project.  I made 8 of these little quilts.  I've been binding them as I need them and the rest of them sit on my longarm waiting their turn.  Well, I'm tired of having them hanging around and the word of the year is FINISH, so I finished!  I'm so excited to have them done.

 

Another little victory...

 

 

 

 

I love this little tool tote. 

 It was one of those things where I bought the fabrics,

zippers and pattern and then just let it sit there.  Well, here it is.. DONE!

 

And my BIG Victory....

 

 

Scrappy Bargello...DONE!!! 

 

I started this quilt at Bonnie's class in Plano TX. at Fabric Fanatics. 

 I hadn't planned on taking this class but when the class ended up with an opening I jumped on the chance to get in!  Since this was a last minute thing, I didn't bring any fabric for this project. 

 Lucky for me Fabric Fanatics sells precut 2½" strips of Batiks. 

 Now, Batiks are not usually my first choice of fabrics but, "When in Rome....", right?

 

 

   I brought it along with me so that I could get the binding done.  Now, picture this... me and my sweet mother-in-law, Carnell, riding around Sun City West, in a golf cart,

looking for photo spots!

 

I found several locations and couldn't choose just one so here they all are!

 

I love trees... Have you noticed that?

 

And the Bougainvillea is blooming and beautiful! 

And the light really shows the quilting here.

I used a pantograph called Twine to quilt my Scrappy Bargello.

You can find Scrappy Bargello in Bonnie's book,

Scraps and Shirttails. 

You can order a signed copy from Bonnie, herself by clicking here.

 

While on our golf cart tour of the area we saw this neat cactus.

 

 

When it blooms, the blossom only lasts one day and then it's done for the year!

 

It's a pretty flower, isn't?

 

 

I'm still plugging along on Roll Roll Cotton Boll and a few others and hopefully, they will join Scrappy Bargello on the 2014 FINISHED! list very soon. 

 

I better get to it!

 

Remember, the word of the year...FINISH!

 

 

Happy Quilting!

 

Irene

 

Retreat Treat!

I love going on quilt retreats.  To my way of thinking, there is little better than being in a room with a bunch of ladies with the common goal of finishing... finishing quilts that have been started and put away, finishing the quilts that you just started at the retreat.  And retreats let you devote yourself 100% to the tasks at hand.  No need to clean up after each quilt session and meals are prepared and served by someone else.  Better yet, there's no dinner dishes to concern yourself with and no guilt that they are sitting in the sink. 

I had the pleasure of joining the New Braunfels Area Quilt Guild at their retreat at picturesque Summers Mill Retreat and Conference Center in Belton, Texas.  Summers Mill has several types of accommodations and offers walking trails, scenic views, lovely grounds and well kept lodging. 
And every where you look is a photo opportunity!

The Rutherford House

 

The Hillside and Texas Dining Room

 

Inside the Hillside Dining Room

 

Chapel in the Woods

Lone Star Cabin

 

I love this old oak tree! 

 

And look at this fence!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 How clever is that???

 

And look at this....

 

This quilt is hanging in the dining room.  Each of the ladies here, along with a few that are not pictured contributed a block to this wonderful quilt that depicts the bicycle fence.  Each was told to use whatever fabrics they wanted to use.

 

Here is my roommate and friend Meliza.  I met Meliza in Plano, Texas when Bonnie Hunter taught at Fabric Fanatics.  We became great friends and decided to be roomies for this retreat.   In this picture she is busy at work on one of  3 or 4 of  her Bonnie Hunter designed quilts that she's working on.

 

Everyone working hard!

 

 

As for me, I brought along Roll Roll Cotton Boll (another Bonnie Hunter Design). 

 

 

 

String Blocks

 

String Blocks cut in half

to make these blocks...

 

 

Fun!

 

I have about 20 more string blocks to do.  And then there's the 600 half-square triangles to do!

Oh well, one step at a time, right?

Of course you aren't going to make 70 blocks and not have a boo-boo...

 

Yikes!  I hate it when that happens.

 

 

Carefully removing the upside down piece.

 

Sewing it back in place. 

 Loretta Lynn (my tan Featherweight) accompanied me on this retreat.

 

 

Ahhhh.  All better!

 

I'm so glad that I was able to see it BEFORE I had the whole quilt together. 

I cannot wait to see this one all done!

Until next time!

Irene

Bonnie and Alex and Ricky! Oh My!

Bonnie with my Yorkies
(Top to Bottom) Riley, Katie and Murphy

So, spending a day (or five) with Bonnie K. Hunter in her workshops is wonderful.  Having her stay in my home was so much more!  I had a chance to get to know her and watch her process of keeping the 'Quiltville' ball rolling and I have to tell you it is quite a sight to behold.  

Sunday we sewed... Bonnie had a deadline looming for a submission to one of the magazines to which she contributes.  She needed a new block design and so armed with pencil and paper off she went!  

 

Within a couple of hours she had designed, cut (from my scrap bins!) and sewn together her latest creation. I was so impressed.  She makes it all look so easy!  And it was a wonderful block!  I'm so excited to see it on the glossy pages of the printed magazine and know that it was designed in my house, cut from my scrap bins, and sewn on my Singer 301, Danika (named after the female race car driver because she sews so fast!).  

 

But the BIG day was Monday.  On Monday, we got in the
car and headed to the studio of a local fiber artist who was lending her studio space to 'The Quilt Show', an internet broadcast staring Alex Anderson and Ricky Timms.  And there I was, acting as Bonnie's assistant and having the time of my life!  It was a quilter's trifecta!  

Although admitting to nerves, Bonnie did a great job keeping her cool while taping the interview segment with Alex and Ricky and then doing the demo section.  It was a bit intimidating with camera, lighting and sound equipment everywhere but Bonnie handled it like a pro... must be all that experience on Quilt-Cam! 

 

 

It took all afternoon to film what will probably be less than hour of broadcast time but I can't wait to see it. 



Talking with the Director

 

 



The monitor where Bonnie and Alex
 could see what was filming 



 



Bonnie and Alex while filming

 

 



Bonnie and Alex giving me
a photo op!



Set up for the interview segment
 with Bonnie's quilts in the background



Bonnie with Ricky filming the demo

 

 

Talking the demo segment through

 

It was such a great 4 days but all good things must come to an end and so with great reluctance, on Tuesday, I dropped Bonnie off at the airport to return to her 'hubster' and home in North Carolina.  I did, however, FINALLY get my head together and took a 'selfie' of me, Bonnie and my dog, Murphy.

I learned a lot from Bonnie; in her workshop and watching her work and getting to know her.  I'm proud to call her a mentor and friend.

 

Until next time-

May your seams be ¼ inch and your bobbins full!
 

Irene