Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Give-a-way Winner

After a trip to Indiana to see my new grand daughter, Joy . . .


. . . . it is time to draw for the winner of the prize. Thanks to all who visited and posted a comment. The comments were informative and fun, although not quite as funny as the puns on Applique Addict. Check back because I plan to blog about fixes and help for some of the challenges posted.

The winner is . . . . (drum roll) . . . . Nancy Sue. Congratulations! She will be receiving both Skillbuilder Studio videos.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Quilt for a Friend

Jamie is 33 years old and undergoing breast cancer treatment. My friend, Ann (Victoria Rose Quilts) and I were talking and she said she would like to make a quilt for Jamie. I told Ann that if she pieced it, I would quilt it and then it could be from both of us. She pieced it and gave it to me. I looked at the quilt for a few days and then jumped in, still uncertain how I would quilt all the elements. I knew that an edge to edge design would not do it justice, especially with the needle turned applique center. I quilted it on the long arm since my sewing machine was in for service.

I began by stitching in the ditch and then I quilted the parallel lines in the large triangles in the broken pinwheel blocks. Next I decided to freehand leaves and flowers in the flower print triangles and squares. I wanted something different in the adjoining triangles so I free handed a leafy feather.
I stitched a meandering leaf fill in the large corner triangle realizing that it wouldn't show with the busy print.  However, it does show on the plainer back.
That left me with the white small triangles and the applique middle square. Generally we try to quilt the same density on the whole quilt but I decided to do a smaller fill pattern and I like how it looks, especially how it pops the applique.

Finally, I quilted an alternating leaf around the border. Quilting really does make the quilt! I will now return the quilt to Ann for binding and then we will deliver it to Jamie to show our love and support.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Giveaway with Applique Addict

January is a great time for a give-a-way contest! I am teaming with my friend, Margie "Applique Addict", who is having a terrible pun contest on her blog. If you post a pun on appliqueaddict.blogspot.com you are eligible for a prize and if you answer the question on my blog, you are eligible for an additional prize. The prize from my blog is Skillbuilder Studio Vol. I Introduction to Machine Quilting and Skillbuilder Studio Vol. II Feather FUNdamentals, a $38.00 value!

All you have to do to enter is post your answer to one of the following questions: What is your worst free motion quilting (FMQ) disaster? . . .  or . . . . What is your greatest FMQ challenge?

BONUS-If you sign up as a follower you get two chances to win! We will announce the winners on January 25th.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Instant Light Table

Today when I was trying to transfer a design to a quilt top I came up with a new way to use what I already own.  I tipped four bread pans upside down, placed a large piece of glass on top and then slid two "under the cabinet" lights between the glass and the counter. I instantly had a nice, large light table!

Several years ago I purchased the glass to use as a light table by removing the leaf from a table and putting a lamp underneath. My local glass guy cut a thick, used piece of glass the size I needed and beveled the edges so they were not sharp. It was only $15.00. I was excited until I discovered the lamp underneath concentrated light in only one area and the table extenders blocked the light. I rarely used it but I'm glad I safely stored it underneath the sofa.

I taped the pattern to the glass.
The lights are 18" flourescent "Lights of America" brand
and are available at Walmart for about $7.00. 
The design is clearly visible!




Thursday, January 5, 2012

Quilting in my "Workshop" with Helpers

Another holiday activity was in my "workshop" making Jared's quilt. He decided he wanted an Angry Bird quilt so I took him to the quilt store to show him there isn't Angry Bird fabric. I thought we were safe but then he saw some candy cane fabric and wanted a quilt made out of that. We suggested a pillow case or a project apron but he wanted a candy cane quilt and said "nothing will change my mind." We walked over to the boy fabric and when he saw trains he said, "Okay, trains will change my mind."  I let Jared and Nicole "help" quilt when I was almost finished with the border.


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Taking Apart the Computer

When we get together it is always a challenge to find something interesting and fun for our grandsons to do. I knew the perfect activity when I replaced our dying computer a few weeks ago. The boys started taking it apart and then their dads (my sons) joined in and explained what everything is, what it does, and how it works. Dan is a physicist and Russell works for Intel where the CPU is made so they actually know what they are talking about. My daughter and another grandson took apart the monitor and Dan explained how it worked as well. The boys, girls, and their grandma were fascinated. When the four year old suggested that we take apart my new computer we moved on to another activity!




Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Matching Aprons

This picture is my grand daughter, Natalie, her doll, and her mother, Andrea, wearing the aprons I made them for Christmas. My friend, Shar Bruns, from Kwik Sew gave me this darling pattern last summer at Bernina University. Natalie received her look alike doll for her birthday in September so I couldn't resist sewing the aprons for Christmas.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Peggie from Pennsylvania asked: What size do you cut for the table runner?  

Go to the Free Patterns and click on the caption under the table runner picture.  The pattern and directions will pop up in a printable PDF format.  The following yardage is listed on the pattern:

Small
10 - 12 inches of  theme print, width of fabric
18 inches of a coordinating print, width of fabric
Medium
12 inches theme print, width of fabric
24 inches coordinating print, width of fabric
Large
12 inches theme print 57 inches wide
24 inches coordinating print 57 inches wide