Quilt Entry #4

My last quilt entry was my first blog entry.  It's my precious Double Wedding Ring - 30's style.  You can go back to my first post to see it.  I don't know how to make those fancy links yet -- I will practice soon.

Our quilt show was lovely.  It was exciting to see my wonderful quilts in the show.  There weren't any ribbons in the picture for me this year but I learned a lot from the judges' feedback.

Quilt Show 2010 Entries -- #3

This is another of my FAVORITE quilts.  It has special sentimental value and my husband said it will never leave our home.  Our daughter, Laurie, loves to abscond with quilts.  This quilt is "Pretty Dresses".  I used to make pretty dresses for Emily and Laurie until they went into first grade.  I saved fabric scraps to make a quilt out of them one day.  Well, one day finally came in 2008 when I found this pattern.  It's from the book, Quilting with my Sister by Barbara Brandenburg and Teri Christopherson.  I've made several of their patterns and they are well written and designed.  Here is a close up of a couple of the dresses.

This fabric was used in a blouse Emily wore with a red courderoy jumper she wore for her kindergarten school picture.  She looked adorable in it!

This daisy fabric was used in a sundress I made Laurie.  The border daisy fabric is one of my favorite fabrics ever.  I used it to make Laurie a dress that had a big daisy on the waist and ties in back.

Here is the label.  It's amazing after all these years I remembered what I used every  one of these fabrics to make.  So, it's on the label!

I hope this is a quilt my girls "fight over" someday and will always be filled with cherished

memories for my family.

Quilt Show 2010 Entries -- #2

This is another of my most amazing accomplishments in the world of quilting -- a Lonestar!

This was made using Jan Krentz's book, Lonestar Quilts and Beyond.  Her method is fabulous!  By blocking each point, almost all my seams matched up.  I want to make another LoneStar one day, but a much larger quilt.  It is extremely challenging, but I think it is a lovely quilt.  And I will do it again someday.

Quilt Show 2010 Entries -- #1

Our quilt show was fabulous this weekend.  There were over 300 entries and it was so much fun seeing all the "eye candy".  The vendors were great too but I was a good girl.  I only bought one pattern.  After all, I have over 25 projects to finish right now.  I am really trying hard to get them done and not start more new things!

This was one of my entries.  I made it during Jan Krentz's Hunters Star class at Empty Spools Seminars in Asilomar.  I was the only student that decided to make a watercolor Hunters Star.   I made it for my husband and its inspiration was a photograph he took while out hiking one day.  It's on my label.

Here's another photo of the label.

I did the quilting myself and really need to add to it.  This hangs in his office under the framed photograph.  It does get a lot of attention in his office building.  There are frequent visitors to see the quilt!

Second Quilt Entry

This was my second quilt show entry.  I made it for my daughter, Laurie's high school graduation.  I took a 5 day class from Mary Lou Weidman at Empty Spools (http://www.emptyspoolsseminars.com/) to learn to make her style of storybook quilts.  It was an exciting workshop and this was all designed (with her help) by me.  You draw your pattern on an 8 1/2 X 11" page and take it to Kinko's to have it blown up to the actual size.  You make your "Hoochy Mama" border blocks first, audition your center, then add the center using hand applique.  There is so much joy in this quilt.  My husband and friends helped me with the design.  I won a 2nd place ribbon for this!

My First Quilt Entry

This is the first quilt I entered in a show here.  This was a fun quilt I made my daughter, Emily, for her high school graduation.

I could not find a clear picture of the totally finished quilt, so here is the top.  Emily loved (and still loves) purses and I thought this was a fun, funky pattern for a teenager.  I added lots of embellishments to it after the quilting was done.  It made me so happy to see this hanging at the show.  It was not worthy of any ribbons but I did have a couple of quilters ask me for the pattern information so they could find it to make daughters and granddaughters a quilt.  That's better than a ribbon if you ask me!  I was someone's quilt inspiration.

Quilt Show

Our guild's Quilt Show is in two weeks and I decided to enter four quilts this year.  I will show them to you after the show -- I will say you've seen one of them already.  It is a big decision to enter a quilt and put your work out there for judging.  I've done it two other times and have one 2nd place ribbon.  My decision isn't based on whether I can win though.  It's the joy I felt making particular quilts that I want to share with others.

My daughter, Laurie, was the first in our family to enter a quilt in a show.  We took a mother-daughter class together when she was in fifth grade.  She was great at making triangles -- before the triangle rulers came out and revolutionized triangles!  Her quilt was not judge, just shown.  I was so proud to see it in the show.

The name of the quilt is "Memories of Laura" based on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I think it is quite an accomplishment for a 10 year old (and her mom)!

Some Works in Progress

It's been a busy week and it seems I didn't find time to grab the camera to take some blog pictures.  I've been working on some embroidery and I thought you might like to see some of it.  They are definitely still works in progress!

This is an adorable Snow Angel I finished.  Here is the piece with the borders on it:

It's a small wall hanging.  I need to piece the backing, machine quilt it and then do some beading on the snowflakes.  It should be lovely and I'll be sure to post the finished piece.

This is another embroidery piece that needs finish work.  My friend, Loretta, sent me the pattern and floss last year as part of my huge birthday gift.

I just hand washed it and it's drying.  I can't decide if I'll frame it, make it a small wall hanging or frame it.  I used this pattern to teach some of my sewing group to embroider.  It has all the basic stitches in it:  backstitch, daisy stitch, satin stitch and french knots.

I should be back in a couple of days with some news.  I need to find all my saved photos, the program just denied me access!  So my husband will have to help tomorrow!

It's March!

My the year is flying.  It's March 1 -- which is also my birthday.  I grew up outside of Chicago where March always came in like a lion.   I always wanted to have my birthday when it went out like a lamb (like my dear friend, Sue).  I always loved the adorable spring lambs.  One birthday, my grandma made me a sweet lamb birthday cake.  It's still my favorite birthday cake ever.

We had a wonder  birthday luncheon yesterday for my sister and I (her birthday was last week).  Tonight my darling daughter, Laurie, is making me a surprise birthday dinner.  I'm waiting to open many of the cards and gifts that arrived from dear friends after dinner.

Happy March!  Spring is on its way. 

 I can't wait to make some fun spring/Easter cards and try some

 machine embroidery to make some dishtowels.