Country Haven

It's been so long since I've posted any finishes, that I've got many to share.  Today, I thought I'd start with Country Haven, a quilt I finished using the Little House on the Prairie line of fabric from Andover.

Somehow, I cannot find a photo of the entire quilt - it's already out for display at Jackman's Fabrics.  The weather must have been terrible if I don't have a picture of a quilt outside on the line, but you get the idea.

One of the best things about Country Haven is the corner treatment - nothing to match up...just end the bias vine with a nice big strip block.  And, I actually really loved doing this appliqué!  Jackman's really pushes me to expand my education by learning new techniques for display, and appliqué is one of those things that I generally shy away from!  On this quilt I used a stitch and turn technique using a thin double sided fusible webbing.  I also got to use bias bars for the first time - so fun and easy!

The pattern was a fun take on a Irish chain pieced log cabin style - so cool!  I finished it all up with a big cheerful feather pantograph in a thread matching the green border to pull it all together.

Country Haven

Designer:  Kim Diehl (Simple Appeal)

Size: 76x76"

Featured Fabric Line: Little House on the Prairie (Andover)
Panto:  Bountiful Feathers (Hermione Agee)
Quilting Thread:  Glide (Key Lime)

Disclosure: I received supplies to make this project from Jackman's Fabrics in Fairview Heights, IL.  The quilt will be hung as a shop sample in their store to promote sale of both the pattern and fabric lines.  In exchange, the quilt will be returned to me and becomes my property at the end of the promotion.  They did not require me to write a positive review of any of the products.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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I'm Back!!!!

I'm back!  I didn't mean to take such a long break from blogging, but life happens...
I had all intentions of getting back to posting - in fact at the end of every month, I told myself, "at the beginning of next month, I'm going to begin blogging again," and finally it worked!

This year, the guilds that I belong to elected amazing activities people!  There are so many projects going on that it's hard to keep up (but I'm managing for the most part) - not to mention the interesting programs and fun instructional workshops being planned!  I thought that for my first post back, I'd give a few details on what I'm working on for guilds over the next few month:

Heartland Quilter's Guild:

• Veteran's Star Block collection (for a charity sew for Wounded Warriors) - these are great blocks to make a a group projects since the star points are far from the edge of the block, therefore, if some of the blocks collected are just "a little bit off," no points will be lost in the top assembly process!

Veteran's Star Block Wounded Warrior Quilt

• Hopscotch Block collection (for a charity sew for Soldier Babies/Children's/Preemie Quilts) - another fun and simple block that is great for a group project!

Hopscotch Block Baby Quilt

• Hobo Quilt blocks BOM - a few months ago, Debra Henninger, author of Hobo Quilts, gave a presentation to our guild about hobo history and the symbolism of the blocks in her quilts.  So many people purchased books that night that the projects chair decided to challenge us to actually use it (you know, instead of letting is collect dust on the shelf).  We are tasked to complete 5 blocks each month (and they are so addictive that I've already made blocks 1-16...sshhh.....).  I'm using old worn flannel shirt parts (super starched to reduce stretch) and background scraps/FQs that I would use in my civil war quilts - shopping the stash for this quilt!

Hobo Quilt (blocks 1-5)

• Chairman's Challenge: "In My Garden" - no idea where I'm going with this theme yet (not really sure if I'm going to participate in this one - time will tell, it's still a very long time off). 

Ties, Needles & Threads Crafter's Guild:

• Spin-The-Wheel challenge - this was a really fun idea!  Each guild member had the chance to spin a big wheel for an assigned project (zippered item, finished quilts block, mug rug, purse, placemat, pin cushion, etc.).  Once everyone had their challenge project, a twist was thrown in...each person had to draw the name of another guild member from a basket and make the project for that person!  Mine's all done - but I can't show you yet...it's not due until October and I want to surprise my buddy!  TOP SECRET!

• UFO challenge - another fun idea!  Pay $1/UFO (up to 5 UFOs) into the pot.  For each UFO finished, you get a chance to win the pot!  The UFOs are to be completely finished (to include quilting, binding and label) by January 2017.  Mine are all done as of last month!  Woohoo!  I'll show them to you over the next few weeks:
1. Buttermilk Basin BOM
2. 4-Patch Revisited
3. Bargello Americana
4. Granny Square Bonus Quilt
5. Elizabeth's Prairie Garden (PWSC)

• Look Kevin, I Can Do Scrappy! BOM - a mystery quilt originally designed by Ann McNew of Attic Threads.  We're doing it as a 6-month step-by-step block of the month program.  So far, I've chosen a jelly roll I'm going to begin with (that's not saying much - but this month is all cutting directions - I'll get there).

• President's Challenge: "I Like Stars" - I've got a couple ideas swimming around for this challenge.  Not sure which one I'll actually commit to, though (I've got time - it's not due until next spring).

Well, that about sums up my guild's projects, but we have so many fun programs and workshops coming up (and past) that I'd like to participate in, too, that it's going to be a very quilty year!  Who can resist jumping in on things like Pineapple Plaid w/Mickey Depre (this month!), Pineapple Nine Patch from Geometric Gems (a few months ago - not started yet), and Road to St. Louis (last year - not started yet)???

I'd love to hear what fun things your guild is doing or some of the most memorable things you've done in the past!  If you don't belong to a guild or sewing group, what projects are you feeling excited about working on?  Leave me a comment below and let me know!

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Purple Flowers

Purple Flowers is kind of an exciting finish!  I had this top hanging on the "to-be-quilted" rack for several months.  It was gifted to me by my good friend, Angela, with the request that I quilt it and donate it to someone who might appreciate it.  To be honest...when I first opened it up, it didn't look that appealing.  I wasn't sure how to tackle it, but now, I really like it and I think it came out really cute!

I used a simple tone on tone neutral floral print for the backing and my daughter quilted it with a nice big rose vine panto in a neutral thread.  This was her first time following a pantograph on the longarm and she did great!  Another lady offered to bind it for us and we chose a solid plum binding to make those plum squares in the quilt pop (and also to make them look like they really belong with those grape purples).  I can't believe it, but I'm happy to say the Purple Flowers quilt came out pretty darn good and was a fun group effort!

We've decided to donate Purple Flowers to a local woman who is currently battling pancreatic cancer.  I'm told that plum is the ribbon color for her illness, so it seemed fitting.  I hope it brings her some comfort as she continues her treatments.

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February Goal

I am dedicating my studio time this month to finishing up Country Haven, a Kim Diehl design (pattern found in the book Simple Appeal) that I'm working up in Andover's new Little House on the Prairie fabric line.

The log cabin-style center section and the strippy border cornerstones are all sewn together.  Next thing to tackle is the applique border.  All of the applique shapes (vines, leaves, and berries) are all prepped and ready to be sewn on now.  I've been playing around with tensions for using nylon threads to machine applique, but I'm having a lot of difficulty.  The clear YLI thread is working pretty well so far, but it wasn't available in smoke at my LQS so I picked up a spool of Mettler nylon --- ugh --- I cannot get my poor machine to stop eating the Mettler!!!  grr.....

If you have any suggestions for dealing with nylon thread for invisible applique, I'm all ears!  I'm using a thin-ish needle (70/10) with a zigzag stitch length & width set at 1.0.  My tension for YLI is best set at 2.5 (normal 40wt. cotton is 3.0).

Q1 (Jan-Mar 2016) Finish Along Goals:

1. Crumb Along (Jo's Country Junction)
2. Strippy Spools (M*QC)
3. 4-Patch Revisited (Bonnie Hunter)
4. Spools (Bonnie Hunter)
5. Purple Flowers
6. Lunch Box Social (Kim Diehl)
7. Country Haven (Kim Diehl)
8. Buttermilk Basin BOM 2015
9. That 70s Quilt Re-Do
10. Rustic Stars (Wounded Warrior Quilt)

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Wounded Warrior Quilts

I finished up a couple more quilts for the Wounded Warriors this month.  I really love taking these down to Ft. Leonard Wood a couple of times a year to honor some of these local heroes!!!

The Rustic Stars quilt above was cut out at the same time I was making the quilt for my husband's aunt around Thanksgiving!  She got her's for Christmas and I finally had enough time to stitch these blocks together to make this one for donation.

The blocks in this blue/white quilt were given to my daughter when she was making donation quilts as a Girl Scout years ago.  I did have to make just one more to get a nice even number, but the donator was kind enough to include a copy of the block directions, so she must have anticipated that we would need more.  For some reason, these blocks just never made it to the top of the pile...until now!

The blocks reminded me of airplane propellers, so this border/backing fabric seemed like the perfect thing to bring the whole quilt together. The logo is kind of reminiscent of the Air Force, but the hubby suspects they are drawn to model aircraft that were old army planes (before the Air Force became it's own military branch).  Huh, who knew?

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Design Wall 1/25/16

I am so excited to be working on this amazing project for display at Jackman's Fabrics!

This is the beginnings of "Country Haven," a gorgeous pattern found in Kim Diehl's book Simple Appeal.  I'm working it up in Andover's Little House on the Prairie fabrics and I think it's coming together beautifully!

Here's where I'm stopping tonight.  Tomorrow, I've got a morning guild meeting to attend, but I'm hoping that I'll have the center section's piecing completed by tomorrow night.  I'm anxious to begin the applique and I'm going to try using Kim's "invisible machine applique" technique for the first time!

I'm still a novice when it come to applique and I've decided to just follow the suggested directions for the next few patterns I attempt.  I figure that way I'll be exposed to several methods and eventually I can choose which techniques work best for me (or at least which I can accomplish with the least amount of stress, hehe).

 I'm open to suggestions...and would really love to know...what techniques work well for you?

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Baby Quilts!!!

We've been making baby quilts again!  Most of them are being donated to Soldier Babies, for young or lower enlisted families and single soldiers just to show them our support.  Often these families are far away from home and family and we just want to help welcome their little ones into the world!

Margie

Margie made this quilt, a sweet little scrappy, random charm quilt.  She also quilted it with criss-crossing diagonals on her sewing machine.

Kathy

Kathy made this quilt that will be perfect for a little boy or girl (though it will probably go to a boy since we are always in need of boy quilts).  She began with the circus panel and added the blue border and then the charm pieced outer border.  Kathy passed it on to me to quilt with just some wandering loops and bind with that red polka dot!

2 baby boy quilts

I made these last two after my daughter asked me to make a baby quilt for a friend of a friend who has invited her to stay with them while she is apartment hunting in D.C.  I just love a churn dash and once I finished the first one, I whipped up the second one out of the leftover fabrics that I already had out in my studio...why put it away...use it up!  The quilt on the left with the white background is headed to D.C. for the friend's baby and the one on the right will be donated for a Soldier Baby!

I used this striped backing for both quilts and at the bottom is the label for my daughter's friend's baby quilt.  At the top right, written on the stripe fabric is our typical labeling for baby donation quilts..."Welcome to the World, Little One!"


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Lunch Box Social

I've always loved Kim Diehl's designs and fabric coordination choices.  She's so great at that rich, scrappy, traditional look.  I think just about every quilt from her book Simple Appeal has been on my bucket list since I purchased it, so when I was offered the opportunity to make something up with the new Little House on the Prairie line of fabrics by Andover, I immediately thought they would be perfect for a Kim Diehl quilt!

Yep, perfect fabrics!  Bright colors mixed with muted muddy fabrics equals country traditional!

Quilted with a cotton thread following a panto called "Fancy," a design with a daisy and rooster motif.  Fun!  Ha!

Lunch Box Social

Pattern:  Lunch Box Social (from Simple Appeal)

Designer:  Kim Diehl

Size: 39 1/2 x 39 1/2"

Featured Fabric Line: Little House of the Prairie (Andover)
Panto:  Fancy (Dave hudson)
Quilting Thread:  Madeira Aero Quilt 

Disclosure: I received supplies to make this project from Jackman's Fabrics in Fairview Heights, IL.  The quilt will be hung as a shop sample in their store to promote sale of both the pattern and fabric lines.  In exchange, the quilt will be returned to me and becomes my property at the end of the promotion.  They did not require me to write a positive review of any of the products.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Scrappy Works in Progress

I guess since I tried to relax for the end of 2015 (once all of my deadlines were met and Christmas was celebrated), I'm making up for  time not spent in the sewing studio :)  Since it's a Scraptastic Tuesday, I thought I'd share what's going on here today!

Farmer's Wife Blocks #1-12

My first 12 blocks of Farmer's Wife remain on my design wall.  I've been kinda following the color scheme suggested by the photos in the book and using as many scraps from my Civil War prints scrap basket as I can.  No print repeats or FQs cut into, so far, but that will probably change eventually.  For now, I'll just keep making a block or two, here and there, until I get them finished.  This project has no deadline and I'm in no hurry to get it done.

Literally, just out from under the needle is this quilt top for a Wounded Warrior.  I cut a bunch of extra pieces when I was making Rustic Stars for my husband's aunt hoping that I would find time to whip up an extra quilt for charity.  While my daughter has been training on the longarm, I've been piecing away on this top.  I think I've decided on the blue/white/gold stripe for binding and now I've got to go pick up some fabric to back it with!

Lots of quilts in the queue for quilting (4 for Wounded Warriors and one of daughter's)...back to work...

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January & Q1 Goals

Q1 (Jan-Mar 2016) Finish Along Goals:

1. Crumb Along (Jo's Country Junction)
2. Strippy Spools (M*QC)
3. 4-Patch Revisited (Bonnie Hunter)
4. Spools (Bonnie Hunter)
5. Purple Flowers
6. Lunch Box Social (Kim Diehl)
7. Country Haven (Kim Diehl)
8. Buttermilk Basin BOM 2015
9. That 70s Quilt Re-Do
10. Rustic Stars (Wounded Warrior Quilt)

Buttermilk Basin BOM 2015

Strippy Spools

Country Haven

Lunch Box Social

Crumb Along

4-Patch Revisited

That 70s Quilt!

Rustic Stars - Wounded Warrior Quilt

Spools

Purple Flowers

January Goals:

1.  finish Purple Flowers - on the frame about halfway quilted.

2.  finish Lunch Box Social - just needs the binding tacked down now...should be finished tonight!

3.  finish Rustic Stars - working on star points and block assembly.

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2015 Quilt Year Summary

Just for fun (and my own accountability), here's a summary of the quilty (and a single crochet) goodness I created in 2015!  It's been a good year for getting some UFOs done as well as lots of new projects!  Check them out...

13 Quilts made just for me in 2015!

Women of the Bible

Ye Olde Schoolhouse (PWSC j4g1)

Bath House Blues (PWSC j4g2)

Lozenges

Labor Day Madness

Spooky Pinwheel Parade

Grand Illusion

Pinwheel

Ring Around The Hexies

Desert Sky

Visions of Nylabones - Baylee's Puppy Quilt

Treat Dreams - Suki's Dog Quilt

Elizabeth's Prairie Garden (PWSC j3g3)

7 Quilts made for display at Jackman's Fabrics in Fairview Heights, IL!

Carpenter's Star

Rising Sun

Sunflower Trio

Farm Girl Sampler

Farm Girl Fun

Trimming the Tree

Great Granny Squared

3 Gifted Quilts in 2015!

Rustic Stars

Dream Big & Compose Your Concerto

1 Crocheted Afghan finished in 2015!

Leaping Stripes (Crochet)

13 Charity Quilts finished in 2015!
(by myself and/or the Pedal Pushers of the STL Metro Area)

Charming Stars - donated to Wounded Warriors

Silent Auction Table Project

Well, that feels like a pretty productive year!  I'll shoot for a few more personal charity quilts next year (I only donated 2, myself, but I helped with piecing, quilting and binding several of the group projects).  I'd also like to knock a few more off of the ol' UFO list!

A Lovely Year of Finishes posts of 2015:
January Goal - Finish
February Goal - Finish
March Goal - Finish
April Goal - Finish
May Goal - Finish
June Goal - no finish
July Goal - Finish
August - no posts
September Goal - Finish
October Goal - Finish
November Goal - Finish
December - no posts

I'm sad to see A Lovely Year of Finishes coming to an end, but I still enjoy making monthly goals -- and meting the goals is even better!  I'll continue goal setting in 2016...motivation, man, motivation!

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