Charity Quilts and.........

At www.maryquilts.com I found the quick strippie quilt that Mary likes to use for charity quilts. I think I've found a new favorite too! This goes together in a hurry, doesn't take a lot of fabric and looks great when done. So, I've gone through my stash, pulled out the fabrics for children and have cut many of these and have all but 2 of them put together. I particularly like the brights - they are so cute IMHO. They will go to Project Linus as soon as I get them quilted and bound.

And...last week I purchased a used Gammill long-arm for doing all my quilting. The machine was located about an hour from the cottage, 4 hours from home so getting it home was a bit dicey between snow storms, but we managed OK. It is now set up in the basement. I could have set it up in Chris's room (he has moved to the city) but my Mother's instinct said 'no'...and when he was home, Anne told me he said "I think I'm losing my room to Mom's sewing". Those home ties are still there so for now, I'm OK in the basement. It is finished and bright with lots of room.

We're going back to the lake for a week while Jim works on inside electrical and plumbing. I'll go to quilt club, Lolly's in Shipshewana, go to a long-arm class offered at a nearby shop and try to get some sewing done as well. And, I will try to curb my enthusiasm for getting home to take a spin on the machine. Excited? Yesssss!!

Another One Bites the Dust!

As with everyone, New Year's seems to evoke plans to be better, eat better and live a more productive life. With quilters, it seems that we all have the pie-in-the-sky belief that we will finish all of our UFOz, have our fabrics organized and all our scraps made into quilts. Well......I'm working on the UFOz. The rest of it won't happen so we'll put them to bed. At one point I had a basket of 3" squares and they eventually got sewn together in the 'leaders and enders' method. I found a pattern by Mimi Dietrich where 4 patches were sewn together on point and then some applique added. I finally got the top done today. The applique is shown in a picture of the pillow turn at the top of the quilt. Each of the bottom corners has the same applique. It finished rather large and going outside to hang it up so I can take a picture isn't on my list of cold day activities!! :>) I think it will look good on some bed at the cottage....maybe mine!

Jim loved his puzzle quilt for Christmas. He got a terrible cold and spent two nights under it in his chair. (then I got the same thing and sat under it as well - cozy!). Drew's Mom came for his T-Shirt quilt and became quite teary. She reported that her husband, who is still dealing with his grief, loved it and wraps up in it each evening. Matt's T-shirt quilt was also loved. His Dad reported that whenever Matt comes home with his new dog, Buddy, he brings his quilt with him! Too funny! Matt came to thank me in person and altho I said I wouldn't take anything for making it, he gave me a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant gift certificate. Giving these at Christmastime made me feel good!

Now, on to the next UFO on the list. It is the quilt I call Bee Trees. The Baltimore needs to be done but I keep hiding my head in the sand on that one.....but I promised to be done by retreat time in May. Hmmmmmmm guess I should get busy!!

Done done!

My part on the quilt for our quilt group is finished!! Yippee! Now I can go to some of my things that have been calling me! The applique took 3 complete books on tape plus about 1/3 of another for a total of 36 hours. Then there was the time for adding borders which had to be taken off twice and the final connection of the corner applique. I love the pineapple pattern and even bought fabric to make one, but after working with the bias edges, I'll probably put it to the bottom of my list. Once this one is quilted and bound I think it will be very lovely! Maybe I'll win the raffle!!