Tag: craft

Practice the quilting with Hard Candy

So, I do not like my actual quilting, ever.  So, I decided that I would work on practicing this while at the same time, hoping to create a few gifts.  Well, while I believe that I will keep this one for myself (quilting is hideous), I did manage to learn a few things.  Slow down……  That is a big issue for me.  I totally need to slow down.

Until you get much better, use thread that is not so noticeable.  Duh.  The thread I used on this, was so pretty on the spool, orange/yellow/brown.  However, it is so noticeable on the piece that every little mistake (and there are tons) shows up, and I see every one of them.

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I actually like the back of this quilt better than the front.  Probably because the awful quilting is less noticeable.  I also liked the fat quarter that I used.  Never knew what exactly what to do with it, but this sort of worked.  You can tell that it was not quite big enough, but it still looks ok.

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So, my geometry skills also suck.  Weird thing about that is that I am a math/science person all the way.  The only math I did not like was Geometry, which is totally weird because I love quilting and it is geometry.  I did not have enough acorn Fabric to make enough pieces at the full length.  So, I figured that I would just shorten them a bit and make a smaller topper.  Well, that would have made total sense if you shortened the correct end.  Duh, again.  I shortened the small end, which just made the hole in the middle bigger.  So, besides practicing my quilting, I need to brush up on my Geometry and maybe give back that MBA to the university.

 

More Rock Candy practice to come.

 

Happy Sewing

 

Happy Quilting

Monnie’s Treasures

Monnie was my grandmother. She was one of my favorite people. She taught me how to sew. They lived in Dearborn Michigan and we went to visit them a lot. I loved going there. They had a wonderful house (that I still dream about to this day) and always had everything a kid could want (mostly candy and a fridge full of Pop).

Monnie used to get fabric samples from Blair’s Clothing. They were little swatches maybe 1” x 2” to try and get you to buy their clothes. She saved them for me. I would sit at her sewing machine and sew all these little pieces of fabric together in one big long strip. I think this might have been the beginning of my quilting habit, even though I didn’t realize it.

Monnie was an excellent seamstress. When I went to Kindergarten, she made all my clothes. I remember when her and Grandad brought them down to our house and I had to try them all on. Funny, I remember not wanting to. I wish I had some of those clothes today. They would mean so much. But, I will have to settle for one of her quilts.

When I look at this quilt, I am not often sure what I am looking at. Sometimes I see Cubes, sometimes I see stars in the design. This was a quilt that was used every day. It was used at her house and then somehow wound up at our house and my mother used it. I have several of Monnie’s quilts. Monnie was Uncle Donald’s sister(See my post about Uncle Donald’s quilt) , so quilting is a family thing.

Funny thing,  about many of Monnie’s quilts was that a piece of a sheet was sewn across the bottom, so you could tuck it in at the base of the bed. I am pretty sure that this was the cause of my sheet tucking obsession. I must have the sheets tucked in at the bottom. I can’t stand if a foot comes out. Maybe this is a family thing too.

I love the quilt. I find it beautiful, but mostly because she made it. I hold her responsible for my quilting/sewing obsession. Thank you Monnie. I miss you dearly.
Happy Quilting

Happy Sewing

Treasure your Family

Weird Table Topper

So, this was an experiment because I have never made anything round. I used a sample fabric pack of odd fabrics. There is a store in Amish country that sells the samples they get. I love these to make small pieces. Anyway, this is one of those sample fabrics. I just wanted to see how hard it was to piece something round and bind it. I don’t think I really like the fabrics all together, but maybe I can save it for Easter.
Well, it wasn’t that hard. I like to make small pieces to give away at holidays/birthdays. I have three sisters. Funny thing about that, I didn’t realize that they even liked my quilted stuff. Then, when my mother died, all of the quilts and table toppers I had made for her disappeared. So, I am guessing that someone must have liked them.

I also plan on practicing my quilting with these. Maybe I can manage to do something other than meandering. This pattern was in an issue of Block by the Missouri Star Quilt Company. There example was red and white for holidays, which was quite lovely.
I have already cut out fabric for a few more of these, so expect to see them.

Happy Quilting

Happy Sewing

Uncle Donald’s Quilt – Yes, he made it.

My Great Uncle Donald and Aunt Helen lived on a farm in Ohio. My sister Karen and I loved to go there. The county pound was on their property and we would go play with the dogs and beg my Dad to take one home every time. I remember my Dad letting my sister drive. She was about 12. IT was a place you could do things that you normally didn’t get to do at home. We would spend hours walking on their white fence to see how far we could get without falling off. Some of my fondest memories as a child.

Well, Uncle Donald was one of nine children. He was the only boy. As Aunt Helen told me when she gave me this quilt. He didn’t have a choice. All the sisters were quilting, so if he wanted something to do, he had to join in. It is funny I have quilts form my grandmother and it wasn’t until I got Uncle Donald’s quilt that I realized how much they all meant. I now had visions of my grandmother, her sisters and Uncle Donald all sitting around quilting. I am not sure that is how it happened, but I like to think about it that way.

Uncle Donald made a beautiful quilt. I will always treasure it. I miss him, Aunt Helen and Monnie (my grandmother).
Happy Sewing
Happy Quilting
Treasure your family

Red, White and Blue from the Quilting Widow

In celebration of the fourth, my star spangled baby quilt. I actually made this 12 years ago. It as made from scraps from a charity quilt I made for a local high school. I had the cutest picture of my daughter at about 4 months old laying on the quilt in a little patriotic outfit. I wish I could find that photo and compare it to her now. I did make her hold the quilt, since it was hers. I put it in the cedar chest for that someday when she has a baby of her own (better be a long time from now).

Happy Sewing.
Happy Quilting.
Happy 4th of July.

Practice the quilting, practice the quilting

As i have mentioned in the past, I fear the quilting… Everyone tells me that it is all about practice, so that is what I am doing. I just get frustrated because I want to do all the beautiful stuff I see and I can’t. Jeez I hope I will get there. I don’t really like this piece much, but I really made it to hang on the front door. I have pieced one other that I am finishing and will show it soon after I get the dreaded quilting done. I like it a lot more because it has a few of my embroidered pieces in it. Someday I will get it right.

Happy Sewing. Happy Quilting.

Embroidered Baby Bibs for my future GrandKid?

So, While I was going through boxes of sewing supplies, fabric etc… I came across these baby bibs. I believe I made them over 20 years ago. I had no children and I was not even thinking about getting married.

Ever since my older sisters had kids and I became an Aunt, I loved making things for babies and kids. My sister Karen’s kids had the greatest Halloween costumes. I made my nephew a dinosaur once. The tail was so long and big he had to tie a roller-skate to it so he did not drag a hole in it. I made my niece Minnie mouse and a belly dancer costume. My daughter has also had a butterfly and a witch costume (with a fancy witch gown). I don’t do much costume making these days, but spend lots of time on quilts and other crafty things.

I remember making these bibs. I used Kona cotton and traced the design with a pencil while I had them taped to the sliding glass door of my single girl condo. Oh the memories. I will put these away for that Grandchild I hope to meet one day.

Happy Sewing.

A Quilt for my Grandchild…. Wait I don’t have one….

So, 4 weeks before my 40th birthday, my daughter Haley was born. I remember my sister telling me how awesome it will be when I go sign her up for kindergarten and I am old enough to be the other kid’s parents. Funny, but not funny. So, I am a 52 year old with a 12 year old daughter….. Oddly, I was told I could never have children and “surprise”. She is the love of my life, even when she tries me, which happens daily.

One of the many things I love to do is make quilts, especially baby quilts. I make them for friends that are having babies, nieces and nephews etc. I make others also, but for some reason, baby things are appealing to me.

So, if my daughter waits as long as I do to have children, I might not get to meet them. Sad. However, I want to make sure they have a quilt from their grandmother. I have made so many for others. Just sort of like my grandkid insurance. This is the first one I made for my future grandchild. My daughter (AKA future grandchilds parent) is holding the quilt.

I actually started the quilt when Haley was a baby. I love Red and it just appealed to me for some reason. I believe that the pattern was in a Better Homes and Garden quilt book. I should look it up. When I went back and looked at the quilt, I noted my signature mistake. By Signature mistake, I mean that there always is at least one in every quilt I make. There is a piece that is sideways. Maybe I should make that my signature. Make at least one thing sort of goofy.