Thursday, December 31, 2015

Christmas 2015 Quilt


March 28 In the midst of packing the RV to leave Texas I thought I better get started on Christmas 2015 Quilt.  So with the thought of being on the road.. not knowing how long  we might stay rolling I drafted with plain old #2 pencil onto plain humble  white muslin and got it basted on the large work table at the park.  A perfect beginning.


... and  as Tim drove down the road with springy Texas wild flowers  coloring the ditches.. I stitched.



We took the long way home with time in San Antonio fixit shop, Dallas Ft worth to see a friend. The over and up to see other people  near Elpaso.. before  heading north to Kansas City... lots of stitching.. lots of scenery...





Almost as soon as we  got home I messed up my foot and was in the hospital twice.. nutz.. so  along with a bucket of ice under the quilt frame  progress was made quilting.



 I really slowed down after July Hospital stay for belly.. We did no Rving.. and NO  stitching for  couple months.



The frame got pushed away while garden season was happening.  It also got pushed aside the few times we had grandkids and family time.


Finally  October came.. and a bit of cold in the air.. and the realization that I better getRdone !



Traditional WholeCloth quilts are done in white thread on white fabric..  Im trying something new with colored threads this year.. Its NOT embroidery but does have bit  of color.  We'll see what the Fair Judges think of  this come summer...








 The binding was finished Dec 15 for the Family Party Dec 18..
.................peek back next week for the rest of the story..................xo



The rest of the story .....Nancy wasn't able to attend the big Family Party....sooo knowing where she would be for Christmas day...I mailed this quilt to Nancy's son in TX on Tuesday Dec 22 ! I have been pacing fussing, praying, mumbling , trying to stay busy, trying not to harassed Alex and Tim while they sorted this by phone. The PO claimed to have left it Dec 23 at correct address.. Promised time was Dec 24 th,,, so where was it ????? Finally a week after it was due on Dec 29-30 it's located and then sent over night PO back to Iowa... Somehow Over night became 4 more days.. For it to arrive Monday Jan 4..... We will call it well traveled !  and blessed that it wasn't totally lost ! Its finally where it's suppose to be..... Merry Christmas Nancy !

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

2015 was a productive year

 

 I helped Jade make couple quilts for the kids.
  They both  received them at Christmas.
  This is the  Christmas 2015 quilt. Designed in March while still in TX, hand stitched all year since !




 These were made while in TX , Finished since we got home on the long arm machine..  A learning curve ! Then shipped back to the Tip O Tx park for the various Good Deeds the sewing groups there do.


The following  are tops that I didn't get finished before the end of the  year and were then sent with out the batting to a  mission in Poland.. A woman there finishes them.




 
The 7 above were sent to  Poland.


while on the Facebook  I saw a pic of a guy cutting  salesman samples and silly me asked what they did  with the leftovers,, the cut offs. The reply was they donate them to  some  quilter ladies. ......well Hey ! Im a quilter lady !..


 

 
  The Hoffman Company sent me a very nice bundle of their end cuts. They were then cut, sewn, and quilted  into 3 quilts.  What fun to work with all those colors.


   Teaching Jade to quilt I had to make the same pattern and keep a step ahead of her!





 so Leighton and Remy lucked out with new quilts too.


 The Hoffman Fabric package.


 From a pattern found online. I used up a ton of yellow scrap complimented with a dark forest green.. Think the pattern was called 'garnet trace'.




 This was inspired by several precut bundles of 5" sq batiks...Aaron recvd this for Christmas.
 a child size quilt done with 1 1/5" strips from the bin.. gifted to a new great nephew.

 Created from a bundle of 10" squares with doodley butterfly quilting.. a learning curve LOLLL
 .. on going progress on the Christmas 2015 whole cloth hand quilting.
   From the  leftovers box,, bunches and bunches of  bright triangles and a border print picked up in Paducah Ky. Raelle recvd this for Christmas.

   Several years ago when I was selling on EBay,, They gave me hell and pulled this batch of blocks from the listings,, I had it listed as Dick and Jane... that was an oops!  Those blocks have sat in the closet since 03?? and now called to me to be newest Grandsons quilt.. He recvd it for Christmas.
 from a busy  nautical motif print found in Paducah and  combined with various red, blue , tan to grow into a  quilt for Scott, in their sunroom.

Shell and Scott recvd this for Christmas.


Also from the pattern Garnet Trace.. done in many pale blues and chocolate brown. This grew into a good sized quilt and was gifted to a family friend a proud soldier.

                                                  the back.




 From a bundle of precut 5' squares purchased back in 06 while still attending PO school in Okla.. this one has bloomed into a nice size quilt to be gifted to Larry at Christmas.


 a picture of the ladies at the No IA fair picking over  /judging on Loris quilt



One of the first I tried to quit on the big long arm. It is made from a floral panel yardage found in Paducah.



Linda and I spruced up the basement with My Sunshine found in flee market while in TX.


  My rendition of an Equilateral triangle quilt I saw on a shop wall in  Kansas city. Later sent to Tx park ladies for Good Deeds.





 a kid size bright quilt stitched on the long arm this spring,, getting little braver.....





Pink Shopping totes with some bright fabric Shell found that matches her purse.


 a bargello made in Tx,  quilted when we got home in April.


 Tequila Sunrise quilt getting stitched on the long arm...Debbie won the family drawing for this at Christmas.


 I had fun making this fall colored  braid quilt while in Tx. It is a great use for a large sack  of scrappy colors.
         ..gifted to a local soldier.


  My time in Tx was spent with lots and lots of sewing time. I brought home 27 quilt tops in April!!
 I took down 3 large bins of fabric.. and came home with just as much in different boxes...
 made in Tx, later quilted  here and sent back to the Tx ladies
 This one made in TX and later sent to Poland.


 all 3 above stars were sent to Poland.
  In January a good friend sent me a bundle of  pretty batiks with the request to DO something different.... I did.

  I drafted and paper pieced this pointy star.
 on the old trusty well used 301 singer.

     both the above  Carpenter stars were later sent to Poland.


  How does your Garden Grow?? mine grew in mini batiks in Feb/ March with the spring like temps.. I still need to quilt this.


  the draft and construction done in puzzle size pieces of Nancy's challenge... mind boggling !


from floral panels found in Paducah.. gifted to Linda for Christmas.






much of the sewing for soldiers done at the Tip O Tx park is done with fabric precut for us and kitted up. I think I did 3 of these while there.


 both the above were donated to the various sewing groups at the park.. sewing for kids, sewing for Ronald McDonald house, sewing for soldiers, and an orphanage.
 Larry's quilt as  the top was done.
Remy's quilt, assembled really fast as she arrived before the rest of us were ready ! 3 lbs and a fighter.. Doing wonderfully now.

 This bright top was donated to one of the Good Deed groups at the park.


  a purple braid  top was done.



 a blue braid  top was done.


 Henrys quilt  top was done.



 Loris quilt before mailing at Christmas 2014.


                          sent to Poland.
 ............ slightly different one sent to TX.

One of the many pre kitted quilt tops made for Ronald McDonald house in TX,, I think I did 6 of these while there.


skinny 1.5" strips .. later  gifted to grand nephew.


 Quikkie top of random  Bricks done up for Good Deeds in TX.


 Special request Bargello done up for  Chicago person..... nuff said....





  both the above were from a Quiltville free pattern and donated to the Good Deeds at RV park.
 a braid quilt assembled at home right before we left for TX.

The new longarm machine  ! I was searching for a treadle... loll... and came with this instead.. Yaeeee.. hopefully More and Bigger Better things will come  from my GoodDeed project I started in 06.
 Tim set it up 2 weeks before we left for TX... and it sat there just waiting for me to bring ALL these tops  home.


the tally: 3 auction, 6 soldier, 3 personal soldiers, 11 family, 7 sent to Poland, 6 sent back to Tx. 12 donated while still in TX.
 .,......................Now lets see what 2016 accomplishes !