Tag Archives: quilts sewing

Jan7

Quilting Survives The Holidays

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Quilting Survives The Holidays

Or, maybe I should say, “the quilter survived the holidays” and is back to a more normal workday.  The latest quilt off the table belongs to Roberta A.  She is a big fan of K. Fassett patterns and fabrics.  I really love these fabrics she used in this great quilt!

DSC_0003 (1)

I did throw in a Quilts of Valor quilt.  It turned out really well with a rather heavy patriotic design by Nancy Haacke.  I used royal blue Glide thread on the top with a matching bottom line on the bottom.  I love working with the red/white/blue color scheme!

Close up of quilting
Great QOV Pattern

It is the 7th day of the 365 Challenge for one block per day.  Actually, since this challenge originated in Australia, it is the eight day of the challenge.  So far so good, maybe not one per day but I am caught up with the blocks so far.  I was concerned about the color values but a black/white picture of the finished quilt shows that the border we are working on is very dark and the value comes into effect when put next to the light colored blocks.  The blocks, although 3″ square, are really simple!  Go to http://www.365challenge.com.au if you are interested in joining the fun.  She also has a facebook page.  Here are the simple blocks we’ve constructed up until now.  You can see what I mean by the values.  I choose browns and DSC_0004 (1)creams since my stash is overflowing there.  We shall see…..

Happy Quilting….Karen

 

 

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Feb13

Thursday Tool Time

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Well, its Thursday and my favorite ripper shows up this week.  The Havel ripper is the best ever!  I found this out the very hard way, ripping the quilting from an entire quilt, worse yet, made from Kaffe Fassett fabric.  If any of you have tried ripping this fabric you know how hard it is to rip without damaging the fabric.  I have tried this type of ripper before but never really gave it a chance.  There is a bit of a learning curve, try it and stick with it.  You will not regret your efforts.  I bought at least 10 different rippers ranging from the normal ripper we use up to these “instruments of destruction!  Even that tiny tiny point is so sharp that it will cut a thread with just the bare bit of pressure – BUT NOT THE FABRIC!  The Havel Ripper won hands down (and it even comes with extra blades!)

Havel Ripper

Now, here are a few pictures of my completed Celtic Mystery quilt.  Still have binding to go though.  I spread it on the bed, not the greatest lighting but will show you the pattern a little better I think.  Again, kudos to Bonnie Hunter!

The rest of todays efforts went to embroidering a bunch of fleece throws for my daughter’s dance team – GO GOLDDUSTERS!

Goldduster's Fleece Throws

Goldduster’s Fleece Throws

Quilt happy

Karen

Apr3

Another landscape – retreat coming!

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Well, getting ready for a great guild retreat next Monday thru Thursday – can’t wait.  I will be teaching a quick free half-day class on this super easy way to do a landscape quilt.  Being so close to the Gulf of Mexico I thought it would be fun to do a beach scene, and, I had to add one of the Lorelei beach ladies to my scene.  My studio bathroom is decorated with them so guess where my little quilt will eventually end up.  The quilt needs to be quilted yet, and, of course bound, but it’s moving right along.

Sexy Lady at the beach!

Paula and her quiltWell, if the above picture is titled “Sexy Lady at the Beach”  it stands to reason that this one should be called “Sexy Paula With Her Quilt!  It is so much fun to deliver a quilt and see the big smile!!!  Good job Paula!

Off to the Coastal Prairie Guild meeting tonight to learn all about broderie Perse…should be interesting.  Always fun to see so many quilters in one space having a great time.

Until later..BE HAPPY

Karen

Mar27

Mug Rugs are Fantastic!

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mug rugs receivedCarol K
I received my mug rugs and have so enjoyed looking at them. I used the owl rug under my morning coffee this morning…what fun. They were made by my new friend, Elaine Rowe or Colorado. She not only does wonderful quilt projects but she is a papercrafter as well. I received a set of hand-made note cards complete with the cutest picture of various styles of high heels…can’t wait to use them! Thanks so much to Elaine.

This really pretty 1600’s quilt belongs to Carol K. who is making it for a wedding present. I quilted it with an Ann Bright pattern with the word Love scrolled all over the quilt with different fonts…great for a casual wedding quilt to drape over the sofa. The quilt was long enough that we quilted the entire thing and Carol plans on making throw pillows to match.

Having a great time today experimenting with a landscape quilt. I need a quick quilt to send up to Kansas for a fabric challenge…this is turning out nicely. Will post a pic as soon as it is more together. Fun though. Never done one of these before!

Meanwhile…BE HAPPY! Karen

Mar20

My favorite EVERYTHING cleaner!

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greased lightningBefore I forget this for the 100th time, wanted to let everyone know about “Greased Lightning”.  I have been using it for years for everything.  I keep it in my quilt studio all the time.  It will remove grease spots from fabric and it doesn’t leave a water spot.  It’s great for spots on your laundry and just about everything.  I discovered it many years ago and it has sometimes been hard to find.  I went into Lowe’s yesterday for some brush cleaner and, lo and behold, on the endcap, was a large display of Greased Lightning.  This big container only costs a little over $7….  No connection with the company, just appreciate how many binds it has gotten me out of.

BE HAPPY…Karen

Mar18

Keeping Me Busy!

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I have been working on customer quilts and have a few pictures to show. The first “pile” of yellow dog toysis left over strips of fleece that I braided into pull toys for dogs.  I will give them to family dogs and take the rest to the shelter.  They were just the selvage edges that I cut off before finishing the edges of the blankets for a dance team.  The second picture is a delightful wall hanging, meant to hang on a high wall in a stairwell.  Joyce did a great job of designing this.  The last is a quilt made by Mary.  It has the cutest embroidered blocks.    Back to work for today.  I have a king size quilt on the long arm, 102″ x 96″

BE HAPPY…Karen

Joyce Wall hanging in progressMary A overall qult pic

Mar15

WORKSHOP PROJECT ALMOST DONE!

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Drunkards Path close up

Drunkards Path quilt

This quilt top came from a workshop with Ebony Love and the Coastal Prairie Quilt Guild of Missouri City, Texas. We had the opportunity to work with Ebony and cut out Drunkard’s Path quilt blocks on an Accuquilt Studio machine supplied by Quilters Cottage in Richmond, Tx. It was a lot of fun and I was determined not to let all of the pieces sit in their little zip lock bags as usual. Sew….here is my version of a happy quilt made entirely with Drunkard’s Path blocks. The curved piecing went smoothly and it was great fun arranging, and re-arranging the blocks on my design wall. This will eventually be quilted and become a new table covering for my kitchen table. Bright colors remind me of Spring and Summer approaching.

Mar12

FREE QUILT PATTERN AND SUPER-COOL EGG!!!

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Easter egg free log cabin pattern hanging quilt

Isn’t this just the cutest Easter Egg. Haven’t seen any instructions for it but I sure would love to see how it’s made. Looks like the fold and pin method used for Christmas ornaments – I need to learn how to do that as well! Another bucket list item, But…I sure do love it.

I love log cabin quilts and think this one is spectacular. It is a FREE download project of Maria Umhey’s “Stripes & Stars”. The Quilter Magazine is one of my favorites, take a look. Here is the url for dowloading the free pattern. http://www.thequiltermag.com/onlineproject/index.shtml Wouldn’t this be great in patriotic colors for a very special military person!!!

The last picture is one of my quilt that I won hanging on my wall. Not a good picture since the entry in not large and very difficult to get a picture. What I was aiming for was to show you how perfectly level this quilt is hanging with the Hang-It Dang-It system. Can’t get over how great that was!

Off to Quilting Bee…

BE HAPPY…Karen

Mar11

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quilt hanger

This is the neatest, easiest way to hang a quilt I’ve ever seen.  Too bad I’ve had it in my house for close to two years and never used it.  I wanted to hang my surprise win quilt in my entry way and, of course, had no one to help.  This took about two minutes.  I found a stud and put a nail in the wall.  YES, one nail.  The small rod fits into the pocket and a small magnetic clamp with a nail hole in it clamps, by it’s magnet, thru the quilt and onto the rod.  Just centered it on the rod.  One Nail…it is perfectly level and fantastic!  I highly recommend these things and they are guaranteed for life and they come in various sizes.  www.hangitdangit.com    Again, WOW.  This is one happy customer!

Meanwhile I sure hope everyone had a great and safe day.  I’m still adjusting to the time change.  Did you know that there are 8% more accidents and 10% more heart attacks on the day after a time change?  Maybe we need to rethink the need.

Cleaned my studio today.  Way too many UFO’s!  Oh well…the life of a quilter!

BE HAPPY….Karen

Mar10

Scrap Quilting is an Experience! / Bonnie Hunter is Fantastic!

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bonnie hunter tulip time block

Had a really great time last week at Bonnie Hunter’s workshop in Cypress, Texas. She is the most down to earth, friendly teacher!! What an experience. She will be speaking at the Coastal Prairie Guild in Missouri City, Texas next February. Yeah, I know, way to long to wait. Bonnie is an avid collector of vintage machines as well as a scrap quilt gal. She has a great scrap saving system and you can read about it on her website, http://www.quiltville.com Lots and lots of free patterns as well.

I am not a scrap person and was really unsure about “scraping”. I did her Easy Street mystery over the holidays and had such fun with it that I have attempted to get into scrap mode. Wow, that’s harder than you would think for a non “scraper”. You would not believe the pieces she was confiscating from the trash bin at the workshop! Look on her site for her little bitty “ruler” that has tiny holes in it so that you can check any machine you are sewing on to make sure you have an accurate 1/4 inch seam. I bought one, but it is so tiny I’m not sure I got home with it. I may have to buy another ($3). I highly recommend getting yourself one. So Cool!  The block is my first of many for Bonnie’s Tulip Time quilt.  It is in her new book “String Fling”.

Until Later
BE HAPPY…Karen