Panels up for adoption

This past September I attended the AQS show in Des Moines.  Usually when I attend this show I am very disciplined.  I have my favorite vendors and I go with a list......best laid plans. 

This year I had Iowa Comfort on the brain so fabric called to me.  I happened across a vendor that had nothing but cut out panels I assume the end of the bolt......and the price for the panels were right!  Somehow I walked away from the booth with 6 panels.  Now I could blame my two quilting friends for helping me, but I'll accept that they didn't tie my arm behind my back and force me, they just kept showing me the cutest panels....thanks Andrea and Peg!

Anyhoo by themselves they are not a quilt top, they need a little love and attention and someone creative to make them special.  These are meant to be for a small child.  A blankie for a child under the age of  say 7, something just for them.  Right now I do not have the time to give them attention, so I'm putting them up for adoption.  All I ask is that you take the panel, be creative and then return it to me for quilting.  You don't have to supply backing or batting, just whatever you need to complete the top. 

Over the next six days I will post pictures of the panels, let me know if you would like to adopt it.

Until my next post......

Fabric Donation!

Take a look at what I picked up at the De Soto Library a couple of weeks ago!

Some one was very generous.  And I truly am very grateful for the donation. 

This fabric is going to make several warm quilts for the center.  These quilts will be constructed the same way a Tshirt quilt would be made.  The fabric blocks will be stabilized and then the blocks will be sashed and a border will be placed all the way around the body of the quilt.

I am going to bring this fabric with me to the first community sew day.  IF there is someone who would like to help the project but doesn't sew.  This fabric will need to be cut into squares and I will have iron on stabilizer available.  I promise if you would like to help the group we can find a way to make it happen.  Please think about joining us on January 28th.

Until my next post........



Iowa Comfort Quilt #3

The quilt is off the longarm and trimmed.  This morning Penny picked it back up and is going to get the binding sewn down.  YEAH! Another one will be complete with help of all my good friends.

I find it is very interesting how our paths connect.  Dian is a lady who lives less than two miles from me.  I first was introduced to her when we both worked on a quilt as a fundraiser for the De Soto Library two years ago, we are both in a sewing group together, and as life would have it be both bought new longarms about the same time, so we were in the APQS class together. 

I frequent the APQS forum daily ( GREAT TIPS out there for any of you that are looking for a resource!) and when I post I have a link to this blog under my name.  Dian saw one of my posts and checked out my blog, she volunteered to make the label for this quilt.  In addition she happened to call this morning while Penny was here to say that she had a label made that she would like me to take a look at.  Dian made a truly special label (wish I had taken a photo before it left) Penny took it with her and when the quilt comes back it will truly be ready for delivery!  LOVE it when it all works out.

Penny is also sharing info about this group with other quilting circles....and news of the group is spreading!  I think that 2012 is going to be a great year and we are going to accomplish wonderful things as a group.

Until my next post.........

Community Sew Day

This day is set.

I have the Adel Library reserved for our first community sew day on Saturday January 28th.  We have the room from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

I will have 7 kits available to be worked on.  These kits are already cut and just waiting to be sewn together,  and I'm thinking that more than one person can be working on one kit.

One kit is called Lasagna by Teri Atkinson.  Pretty purple florals with splashes of green

I have 2 jelly roll race kits- okay you will have to string them together, but after that it is only 30 minutes to get the top together.

I'll have 3 kits similar to Comfort quilt #1.  That would be the autumn looking one.  One will be from the brown squares you all have been sending. BTW I have enough of that fabric now. One will be in a cream and rose color scheme, and one will be in a blue and white color scheme.

The last kit that I have is called the "guy quilt" that was featured on Adel Quilting and Dry Goods web site.  It is going to be done in reds,blacks whites and cream fabric.

I will also have some fabric there to make 9 patch blocks.

Please think about joining us for either the whole or part of the day.It should be a day of fun and friendship.  Remember even if you don't sew you can still help with ironing , cutting fabric or just providing your friendship.

Until my next post.......

Todays Plan

I am getting ready to go in and load IQ#3 better known as "Wish upon a Star" on the longarm this morning.  Hopefully I will still feel well enough to be able to do some of the quilting on it today.

Then I am going to continue to work on my kit.  I decided that it really wouldn't be very nice to send this particular kit and ask someone to work on it.  It was 450 two and half inch white squares, and 450 scrappy 2.5 x 5 rectangles....not quite as fast as most of the kits will be.  I'm glad that I kept it now because it has morphed into a completely different kit.  I just really didn't like what I had originally planned once I saw it laid out, the fabrics were fighting each other.  So I had to tone it down some with some white sashing.  I've taken pictures along the way, I'll post the journey once the top is done.

Until my next post........

Happy New Year!

So how are you all today?  I hope that this post finds you all in good health and cheer.

Did you do the party thing last night or do you have some other tradition in your family?  Last night hubby and I revived a tradition from when the boys were young.  We rented a movie, and ate snacks.  I'm going age myself here.....but I gotta say that I like not having to actually leave the house to rent a movie.  When the boys were small I had to drive to Des Moines, find the movies (hope they had the ones I wanted) and then drive back to Des Moines to return them the day after.  Much nicer to just have to click a button and have the movie on the TV.  Hubby and I were sound a sleep when the new year came in, the only noise maker going off in my house was the sound of my snoring. LOL

Do you do the resolution thing?  I have two this year.  First one is to try to only do the things that will bring me joy.  Luckily for me quilting is at the top of that list. 

The second resolution is really for my hubby, I'm going to try to keep my fabric contained to storage areas.  You see I started out with what use to be the master bedroom, then I branched out to the bedroom next door as kind of an office, then I took over the closet and built in cabinets in the bedroom that we use the treadmill in.  I have a rolling case that houses my second domestic sewing machine in the living room and I have a table set up downstairs (that's were we really live) that has a large cutting board on it so I can cut fabric at night while listening to TV.  So today I will at least go around and pick up after myself, who knows how long it will last.  Of course that is the beauty of New Years resolutions isn't it.   I tell him all the time that he really is lucky because I don't really have what most quilters would call a stash.  I have scraps.  And I have bookmarked a couple of sites to prove it to him.

We are going to have lots of things going on this month, so there will be several post each week. (maybe that should be my third resolution)  So make sure check in.

I hope that the New Year brings you and your family health and happiness.

Until my next post.......

Iowa Comfort # 3

Here is quilt # 3.  Penny W pieced this beauty for the project.  The green batik fabric came from Deb G. all the way from Georgia.  The white fabric was from both Penny's and mine personal stash.  I just love this quilt, so simple yet so beautiful.  I hope to have it quilted yet this week.  Of course that means I'll need to get the label made for it.  Penny my brain has turned to mush.....please remind me what we named this quilt! LOL  I'm going to say that its because I have been sick that my brain is working right, okay so that might not be exactly true.....but it is my story and I am sticking to it.

Here is a close up of one block.  Such a simple design.  We used the same block through out the quilt, we just alternated the fabric placement for contrast.  Simply stunning.

Well until my next post........... thanks for all of your support!

So Sorry!

It has been a while since I have been able to post.  Part of it was the holidays, but the biggest part was that I caught a nasty virus.  I have spent most of this week in bed.  I think today is going to be a better day....or at least I hope so.

Lets see where to start.  The first two quilts did get delivered to the center before Christmas.  The morning that I delivered them there was a lot going on so I didn't get to have a conversation with the staff.  I could tell that they had more pressing things that needed to be completed that morning, and it appeared to me that it was fairly urgent.  Hopefully next time I deliver quilts I'll be able to get to know them better.

Penny White has brought back the quilt that she pieced.  She took that really pretty batik green fabric that was donated by Deb G. home along with some white and made a beautiful quilt. I had hoped to have it quilted by now.......but that virus had other plans for me.

The De Soto Library called me about ten days ago and told me I needed to come and pick up fabric.  When I got there I had three grocery sacks of fabric to bring home.  Most of it is coordinating fabric, and I think we should be able to get several quilts out of it.

I promise not to be AWOL again for so long, and to get picks up of the new quilt and fabric donation really soon.

Until my next post.........

the labels are on

Yesterday I spent the afternoon setting up my embroidery machine to make labels.  Oh how I hate to do that! 

I thought it would be so nice to have a machine that could do both the embroidery and straight stitch .....NOT!  I find it is a hassle to have to set it up, attach it to the computer, change all the settings every time I want a label.  A good friend of mine told me that I need to just use this machine for the embroidery, and go buy another machine, a smaller and lighter machine for open sew and community sew days.  I wonder if I actually did that, would I make my labels any quicker? But I 'm off topic...

I made three labels yesterday afternoon, one for my sons quilt, and one for each of the Iowa Comfort quilts.  While making the label for the first Iowa Comfort quilt, I ran out of thread.....made it to the very last line that documented when the quilt was made.  Actually had Nov. stitched and then I ran out of thread (did I mention I hate making labels?)  So I found the closest thread I could find to the original  color and finished the label.   Well we will just say that the label will have to be unique with two thread choices in it.

Last night while sitting in front of the TV, I stitched labels on the quilts.  I must have been really tired while doing it because I stuck my finger about 5 times!  Not to worry, I did manage to keep from bleeding on the quilts.

Since the labels are attached, the quilts are ready to be delivered.  This morning, after my morning walk and shower, I plan to deliver them.  I'm hoping that they will brighten someones day.

Until my next post......

And here they are

Here are the first two quilts going to the center this week. (as soon as I get the labels stitched on them)

Thank you Jan for piecing and binding the first one.

The second one was made from my scraps last year, and had not found a home yet.  Obviously it was meant to go to the center.

I have more donation fabric to show you all, but that will wait for another post.

My cats are telling me that they want fed.

Until my next post......