Shirley Anne’s Heart

DEAR JANE

So far I have made six blocks for my Dear Jane Quilt…..but when you consider that I am making TWO DEAR JANE QUILTS at once I have made twelve blocks.  The RED AND WHITE Dear Jane represents my PRACTICE blocks.  I make the red and white blocks first before I make the REAL blocks in the civil war repro fabrics.  The IRONY of it all is that my RED AND WHITE BLOCKS always turn out to look better than the real deal.  I can’t really figure out why either……..maybe I will get better with time.  This is my first attempt at needle turn applique and I am woefully “UNSKILLED” at this….I can’t believe I am even putting pictures up! 

First is A-7 Dad’s Plaids

And second is E-1 Aunt Exie’s Phlox.  I love the names of the blocks.

Quilter’s Corners Quilt

To cheer myself up and convince myself that I am not a total QUILTING DORK - I made the July Block of the Quilter’s Corners Block of the Month Quilt.  Whew, that made me feel better!

And since I needed A LOT of CHEERING UP after those Dear Jane blocks, I made my second July BOM a different way…..

 I don’t like to follow directions so I just had to make my second block MY OWN WAY….LOL.

AUGUST LOG CABIN ONLINE EXCHANGE BLOCKS

And since I needed to be SERIOUSLY cheered up after making those DEAR JANE blocks I made my 12 AUGUST blocks for the online decentralized log cabin block online swap exchange. 

I felt much better!

HEAT BUDDIES - HEAT SWEET

Yesterday I made my mother’s birthday present - it took me ALL DAY.  I used her favorite color - orange - and I think she will like it.  I used 8 layers of fabric and stuffed it with rice and cinnamon.  So all she has to do is stick it in the microwave - and voila - a Heat Sweet!

The 8 layers include 4 layers of 100% cotton - 2 layers of cotton batting and 2 layers of cotton t-shirt material.  That should be ample protection from HOT RICE! 

Her second HEAT SWEET HEAT BUDDY is LARGER - and it is pieced and channel quilted - it is actually a quilt disguised as a HEAT BUDDY ( the quilting is probably why it took me all day to make these two!) 

 I had to make TWO because I figured she might want to share with my daddy.

The back is exactly like the front.

OH DEAR - my mother reads my blog - so there goes the birthday surprise.  Oh well, she is a good actress, she can just PRETEND to be surprised on her birthday July 30!

Tags: Dear Jane Quilt, Decentralized LOG CABIN, Heat Buddy, Quilt Block Exchange, Quilted Pillow, Quilts Completed in 2008, Quilts in Progress by drsao
1 Comment »

Today I attended my first Country Piecemakers Quilt Guild Meeting - in fact it was my first GUILD MEETING EVER….a milestone event.  I had a wonderful time and everyone was so nice.

I made it to Powhatan without getting lost - so right away I knew it was going to be a great day.  And indeed, the day just kept getting better and better!  I had NO IDEA I would be treated to a mid morning feast - as well as lunch (hosted by the HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE.)   It was absolutely WONDERFUL.

Lo and behold - one of the SCRAPPY SISTERS was the President.  I already knew Sara (who is FAMOUS for her long arm quilting cottage) but this is the first time that I had met her sister Nancy!

Everyone in the guild has made a SUNBONNET SUE quilt block to represent who they are……here are a couple of close ups.  Now the new kids, (Linda and me) need to make one!  (We also get to make a fancy fabric name tag - I need to get my brain in gear!)

I wish that I could have taken pictures of all of the SHOW AND TELL PROJECTS (that was really a lot of fun)…..I did get a couple of pics of the NIC (NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE) Quilts - some little babies are going to be very cozy.

Isn’t this a wonderful wall hanging?

and I love this one that Nancy made!

This was my LUCKY DAY because not only did I get to join the guild (there are now 39 members and the membership is temporarily closed at 40 because of space in the meeting room) but I also got to register for the GUILD’s QUILT RETREAT in Massanetta Springs, October 2- 5.  I am so excited - I even have a roommate - Karen!  It gets better - Karen even said that she would drive - and for someone who is majorly geographically challenged this was a major cause for celebration. 

After the guild meeting, Patsy taught us how to make a MELONS AND CURVES QUILT.

Look at Patsy’s quilt with crystals - wow, my grandmothers would have never believed that you could put iron-on crystals right on your quilt!  :)  I think that I just might have to try this!  They iron on and stay on. 

It was really a lot of fun to make these blocks and the curves were not as difficult as I had imagined.  Here are my four blocks that I made today - and I am trying to decide WHICH way to set them together….any votes?  Decisions decisions!

Before we left, Catherine had a surprise…….now this SUPPOSEDLY is the TRUTH (everyone says it is true) - she has NEVER made a quilt before - she has woven fabric - see her holding her work of art…..

and I BELIEVE that she made this block out of her PAPER LUNCH NAPKIN—

BUT SHE HAS NEVER MADE A QUILT!

However she IS GOING TO MAKE HER FIRST ONE - A MELONS AND CURVES KING-SIZED QUILT…..this is her making her big announcement!

And notice the notebook that she is holding - made from jelly-roll strips (I think.)  Every member has one - and I got one today as my new member gift!  It is so nice!

After I left the Guild Meeting I actually did get lost (TWICE) - but that is OK because I got to see the HISTORICAL POWHATAN COURTHOUSE (and yes I took a picture but when I downloaded it, it had a fatal error!)  And there was also a FATAL DOWNLOAD ERROR on a picture of the HOLLYWOOD CHURCH and the beautiful country side (I figured I might as well enjoy myself while I was lost! I only wish my unplanned detour pictures would have downloaded onto my website - they are cute pictures because I can SEE them on my camera!) 

Once I got back on the right road I found the POWHATAN ANTIQUE STORE.  I was thrilled because there was no one in the car to tell me that I couldn’t stop - SO I STOPPED!  Antiques are high up toward the top on my LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS!

And I didn’t leave without a very cute angel rag doll and some “country boxes!”

My husband loves ships and lighthouses - and so I found his Christmas - or birthday present - three framed lighthouse pictures at the antique shop.  (Can you believe the luck of this poor man to have his birthday fall on DEC. 26?)  I love the frames that the lighthouses are in too.  I am sure that he will like them - and I don’t have to worry about him seeing these pictures because DH doesn’t even KNOW that I have a blog!  :)  SHHH! 

THIS WHOLE DAY IS A GOOD THING! 

When I got home my DH had made FROM SCRATCH CORNBREAD - yum -

and I found a squishy in the mail - a log cabin block from my decentralized online LOG CABIN BLOCK SWAP friend from Missouri!  In July we made COURTHOUSE STEP BLOCKS to exchange.  This is really a lot of fun for me to get squishies in the mail!  (I also like to get presents in the mail from QVC - but that is another story!)

Since this has been a VERY GOOD DAY - I think I will go look on E-BAY for a P. Buckley Moss print.  Ever since I saw my friend Marla’s MOSS ART COLLECTION I can’t stop thinking about it.  So I just said, “SELF, that is what you are giving yourself for your birthday!”  Just out of curiousity, does anyone else do this?  I give myself a birthday, Christmas, AND a Mother’s Day present!  It makes me smile!

Tags: Antiques, Country Piecemakers, Decentralized LOG CABIN, July 08, Melons and Curves Quilt, Quilt Block Exchange by drsao
No Comments »

I got lots done today in my quilty world (even despite the fact that my cats were extremely helpful!)  Don’t cats just LOVE to be in the middle of quilting projects!!!

LOG CABIN - COURTHOUSE STEPS ONLINE SWAP BLOCKS

I am in an online block exchange - a monthly decentalized log cabin swap - and for July our block is COURTHOUSE STEPS with a red center…..so I finished my 12 blocks today!  It always feels good to get something accomplished ahead of time……

….and this was no small feat given that I had to share my cutting mat with my feline friend, Cuddles TINKERBELLE….she not only lounged on my cutting mat but she also decided to chew up a pen (that is better than eating pins, which she has also tried to do!)

FRED’S QUILT - WINDMILLS AT NIGHT - FIRST IDEA

My younger brother, Fred, finally told me what colors that he wanted for his quilt.  He chose browns, greys and blues - so I got together some fabric and after looking through MILLIONS of pattern books and online patterns, I found a pattern that I decided would be perfect -  from the QUILTS OF THIMBLECREEK series - Windmills at Night by Donna Heppler.

I have learned to make a sample block (rather than to cut material for an entire quilt) and so I carefully cut and labeled enough PARTS for one block….again with the help of my kitties who decided to nap on my cutting mat! (When I MOVED my cutting mat to the floor - the cats MOVED WITH ME - making this ONE BLOCK took a long time! :))

Another reason that it took so long was that there were several ERRORS in the pattern…..there was an insert in the front of the book with corrections - but I didn’t think to look for an error notice….  So I had to figure out the correct cutting instructions on my own (thankfully I did it right - a real miracle!  :):))  And TA DA….here is the first (and last WINDMILL BLOCK.)  I actuallly LOVE THIS BLOCK but it was challenging to get all of the points going in the right direction (and for someone who is spatially challenged this would have ended up on my LIST OF NOT SO FAVORITE THINGS.  Thankfully my brother doesn’t read my blog, because if he saw this block he would probably like it…..:)

FRED’S QUILT - BOXY STARS - SECOND IDEA

 I wanted to make Bonnie K. Hunter’s BOXY STARS QUILT with the online group starting July 1st - and so I said, ‘SELF, why not make it with Fred’s colors!”  And so I made a BOXY STAR BLOCK - and I really like it…..SO FRED’S BOXY STARS  is a GO!  I love making these blocks.

I made the next block using some blue material from my nephew, Joey’s undershorts.  He is 16 and he would probably be less than thrilled to know this tidbit of INFO was being made public - TEE HEE.  Joey is Fred’s son - so I thought that it would be great fun to include this block in his quilt.

I enjoyed making these stars so much - that I made three today!

EGG MONEY QUILT

I am taking a six-month class (taught by Susan) at THE QUILTERS CORNER starting July 20 - we are making one of Eleanor Burns’ Egg Money Quilts.  It is going to be a great class - lots of fun.  I am going to use 30’s repro fabric……and I had lots of fun selecting the fabrics today…….here they are! 

BINDING

My intention was to cut binding for another quilt tonight too - the quilt is back from Val (my long arm quilter) at A NEEDLE RUNS THROUGH IT - and since I was on such a roll, I decided to do that too….but alas, Cuddles decided to sit on the material…….maybe when I finish writing on my blog, she will have moved on!