2015 Goals!!

     In 2015 I am going to be more realistic then 2014.  And I am going to try to knock out things off my 2014 list!!!

     The month of January 2014 threw a ax in my plans for 2014 and put a halt to any plans I had to accomplish my goal.  As I look at the list I feel I did really well considering my year.   

     As I think about and plan for my goals for 2015,  I know I will be moving so I am going to try and be realistic.  In my realism I know I will need to finish as many of my projects from 2014 and earlier as I can.   I have tons of projects either started, cut or planned.  I decided that I am going to make this the year of finishing!  

     The year starts out with Project Quilt.  Each year I have used the goal of using the fabric I have to complete all of the challenges.  I plan this year to try and know some goals off my list with the challenges also. 

     Here is my list:

1. Scrappy Quilt around the World

2. String Quilt

3. Crab Quilt 

4. Jean Scrap Quilt

5. I spy boy quilt

6. I spy girl quilt

7. Christmas I spy quilt

8. Christmas tree quilt

9. Civil War quilt

10. Batik quilt

11. 2 inch quilt

12. Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2013

13. Feed Sack quilt

14. Autism Quilt

15. Crown Royal Quilt

16. Herbie scrap quilt- Shawn 

17. Bejeweled quilt

18. All Project quilts

19. Yenter Star quilt

20. Anna tshirt quilt

21. Brad wedding quilt

22. Tree skirt

23. Ahhhh Quilt

     My goals for January are too finish 2 project quilt quilts,  finish 2 projects for the quilting by hand challenge and to finish and bind my Camo table runner. 

Well here is 2015!!!  I am hoping it will be a wonderful year for all!!!!

Country Girl Quilt

     I have never met Torie,  but have heard stories about her for the last 8 years.  Her mother Debbie, works with me at the hospital.  She was recently diagnosed with Cancer.  My firsts thought was how young she is.  My boys are her age.  It could just as easily be one of them. 

     I asked her mom her favorite colors and she told me, pink, camo or Aqua.  That made for such an easy quilt color combination.  I just finished one for a friends niece in the same colors.  I had a few scraps left in different pinks and Aquas. I also had some Camo on hand.  Though it is not the best material to quilt with I knew in Country girl fashion Torie would be ok if her quilt wasn't perfect. 

     The same day I heard Torie had cancer I saw a photo of a basic diamond quilt pattern.  It had a rotation of shades in color.  I knew this would be an easy quilt for me to replicate. 

     I started with 10 inch squares that I sewed into 2 half triangle blocks.  I squared them up into 9 1/2 in blocks.  I then laid them out to make 6 diamonds.  I decided that the quilt needed 2 borders.  I made the first of 3 inch aqua strips and the second of 4 inch pink.   I really wanted to bind this quilt in camo, but the fabric was too thick.  I decided that I would use the remaining aqua I had left and made a scrappy rotation of color in the binding. 

     I backed this quilt in another Aqua material I had a large amount of by sewing 2 sections together.  I then did basic quilting by stitching a 1/2 inch from all seams on either side. 

    Torie has a long road ahead of her and I know that she will use this to help others in the future.  I have a feeling that she will be one of those that will not just fight the battle but she will put that fight into helping others!!!! We are cheering for you Torie!!!

I Think Pink!

     Last month was breast cancer awareness month.  Breast Cancer keeps creeping in my life.  I feel like friend after friend keeps gets the diagnosis.  And friend after friend has faught the fight.   And they have all won but one,  Cindy.  We celebrated the anniversary of her death last month.  

     So a breast cancer conversation is common for my house especially after a commercial.  As I drove home from school with my youngest last month, my youngest says to me, "Don't worry Moma,  if you get breast cancer, I will take care of you".  I smiled and told him thanks.  Not knowing that in a few I would be driving to work to find out some  bad news.  My friend Emily told me she had breast cancer.  Those words made my head spin.

 

     As of now all of my friends with breast cancer were older then me.  But Emily was my same age. She was in my 8th and 9th grade class.  The thought of how it always happens to the good person hit.  The the thought of how it really could be me.   The fears of uncertainty. 

     Emily is the coworker who you could always depend on to smile.  The one I always know could count on.  I can't let her get down and I will do what I can to prevent it. So in the spirits of Terry,  it's quilt time!  If you know me, I believe a blanket can provide you a hug.  On your lowest day it can wrap you in love, just as your mom did when you were a baby. 

     I saw this Riley Blake fabric a year ago and had to have it.  I knew one day I would need to make the quilt I saw a pattern for that matched the fabric. http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/media/uploads/Free_Quilting_Projects/2013/RBD_thinkpink.pdf.  I have not done this type of appliqué, but if you know me, I am going to try it!!!   This quilt is amazing(or the appliqué pattern is)!!!!

     I did not follow the quilt instructions because I did not have yardage of each fabric.  But I did have a fat quarter pack and some yardage.  So I cut 6 inch squares of each and made 2 strips.  I added that in with the 4 fabrics I had yardage of.  I did not have an antique white,  so I used a white on white.  I then cut strips of a gray that I used to border the white and the quilt.  

     I FMQ it with a pale pink. My machine kept snagging the bottom thread, but I kept on.  I had to finish for today.  I did the Appliqué process.  I think I did alright for the first time.  The letters were a long tedious process but I finished!  I might look at other appliqué processes for the future.    I bound the quilt in the gray.  The backing is little pink flowers on white.    I left off the quilt tag.  For no reason but I couldn't decide what to put.  Yes, Terry did not know what to say.    

     This is one of my favorite quilts!!! I love the colors and what it represents!!  A cure, survival!!  I photographed it on the hospital grounds. In the healing garden.  I know that Emily will heal from this and become a better person from it.  God hands is all challenges.  It's the lesson we take from it that matters!!!   

     The hospital has formed team Emily!!! Here is last nights Cheering crew.  We love you Emily!! 

     And of course here is Emily.  Today she is getting her first chemo treatment.  And today we all declare her a Survivor!

P.S.  Emily, if you read this,  I left it in front of Jeanine's Aroma therapy devices.  Thought you might need the destressing smell of Work! Lol!!

    

Happy Birthday Karen Orvin!!!

   

  Both of my boys were in Karen Orvins 1st grade class.  To this day, one of their favorite teachers is Karen Orvin.   They called her Aunt Karen, but she is really not kin to them.  She was married to their cousin who passed away when Waylon was in her class.  But she has law at looked after my boys and made sure they succeeded in school.  My boys have a love for her that I could never explain.    

     Karen approached me a few years ago about making memory quilts for her family.  I at first told her no,  I was not confident enough to do it myself.  But a little over a year ago I told her I would take the challenge on.  At that time and a few times after she told me she wanted a quilt with the most different tops in it!! As I was cutting I decided what quilt would be hers!  It took me the longest time to cut apart all the shirts and pants.  I decided as I was cutting that I would leave the front pockets in the panels and make a pocket quilt.  

     All I could think was how awesome it would be to have a quilt where she could still reach her hands in the pockets that Herbie did.  The same place I saw him reach many times.  I just think it's neat to know that she can share that connection with him.  

     So here is the pocket quilt.  I squared up all the panels.  I put all the panels in order from longest to shortest. I decided on a width and sewed the sorts together to make up that with.  If there was an extra section needed to make it equal, I  used a shirt panel without a pocket. I made 3 rows.  This made the quilt dimensions are about 54x70. 

     I backed it with the same Carolina fabric I used on the others and black.  I stipples a swirl pattern to quilt it.  I  quilted around all the pockets to leave them open.   I then bound it with Carolina fabric. 

     I placed a special message on the back of the quilt using one of his shirt sleeves.  I did not sew this on too neatly. I am hoping this unravels a little and makes soft edges.  One of the looks I like!

     I left this quilt on Karen's porch this morning for her birthday.  I take photos of my quilts in special places usually to those I am making them for.  Herbie called his home his Ponderosa.   I drive home from work in Charleston in the rain.   When I got to Karen's house it stopped raining.   It was like someone knew that I needed to take these photos.   In my family we call rain, tears from heaven.  Today is is one of those days that I think it's evidence to be true.  

     I left the quilt like this in the rocking chair.  I hope Karen loves it as much as much I did making it.  

Pinwheel Camo Table Runner

     On to another bag of scraps!   Back in July my Project Quilt finish left some Camo and matching solid triangles.  I decided that this would be my last Mini Quilt finish of the month!

     I decided on a pinwheel pattern.  I matched each camo triangle with a solid.   I needed 4 of each solid.  I made 3 pinwheels matched the camo.  I used the   EZ angle ruler to square up each sewn triangle.  I then sewed the new squares into Pinwheels!  

     I laid the pinwheels out and felt the top needed something else.  I decided to sash out the blocks.   I added camo between each block and on the outside as a border.  

    I quilted it by doing a basic stitch a 1/2 inch from each sean.  I backed it with basic black and bound it with the cordinating brown fabric.   

     Another bag of scraps done!! Here's to a year of using up my stash!!!

     

My First Finished Paper Piecing Object!

     Early this year I won a contest at my favorite fabric store,  Hillbilly Quilt Shop.  What I won was a bunch of scraps!  Not what most would see as a prize, but for me it was!!   The prize I won was prebasted paper piecing pieces.  They were made of my favorite fabric,  Jason Yenter Deco.  Tonya the owner knows I love the fabric and these were her leftovers.   I decided that they would be the perfect thing to finish as part of my Project Quilt Mini Quilt Challenge this month. 

     The triangles were already sewn together in sets of 3, to form 1/2 Hexies. I played with the pieces and thought hard about adding more and came up with putting the diamonds on the outside of the 3 Hexies sewn together.  These pieces are all hand sewn together. 

     I still wasn't sure of the design, so I sent a picture to the design Wiz, Tonya.  She came up with adding the triangles to the ends.  And between my son and Tonya, they decided on the Blue fabric.  Which after I finished it, I loved it!!!

     I was going to make a mini quilt and decided against it when Tonya gave me the suggestion of making a pillow cover.  I have never made a quilted pillow cover, so the idea excited me!!  

     I then auditioned different fabrics for the back and again, my design wiz picked the yellow!

     I made a quilt sandwich with the yellow material and batting and practiced quilting on it.  I tried another new design.  It is a peacock feather kind of look.  A loop inside of a loop.  Once I got the feeing of ot this was an easy design to do.  I only now need to figure out how I will do this on a big piece. 

     I squared the piece of quilted material to make a 16 inch square.  I hand sewned the finished paper piecing on.  Then I sewed an envelope back on too the back to finish the pillow.  For the backing I chose the same blue as the triangles!

     This is my first ever completely finished paper piecing object!   I have decided to mail it back to it's origin to go into Tonya's new quilt shop in Cameron, Missouri.  She was the person who started my love of English Paper Piecing, so it makes so much sense for me to send my first finish too her!  

Herringbone Scrap Runner

     Back in May I finished a quilt for my sister of colors that were chosen off a grid using your Birthdate, a a Project Quilt Chsllenge.  I had a bag of leftover scraps that I decided too use as my third project for the Project Quilt Challenge of a Mini Quilt this month.  My goal is 4!  Here is the original quilt. 

     Most of the scraps are the end pieces of the WOF that I made square out of.  I don't what blog I saw this tutorial on, but I saw one where you sew strips together, then turn the ruler too an angle and cut square out of the strips. 

     It did not take me long to sew the strips into one very long strip.   The next challenge was cutting the squares.  I turned the ruler too where there was 4 inches inside the strip.   I tried to make the points go straight up and down.  I then cut till I couldn't cut anymore. It made 12 squares.  

     I turned the blocks too angle where the it looked sort of like a herringbone pattern. I lined it up into 2 rows and sewed them together to make a rectangle runner.  I then added a small border to it.  

     I had a lot of leftover triangles from this.  I then sewed those into rectangles and squared the rectangles into 3 1/2 inch lengths.  I used those for the back.   I also added in an extra strip of fabric and a few leftover squares.  This made for a busy, interesting back, but all scraps. 

     I decided to quilt it by outlining all the borders and blocks with a straight line.  I then wanted to practice FMQ.  I decided to try pebbling in a few spaces.  I did it on plain fabrics in the squares.  I have never done pebbling but will try it again.  It was a process that you have to get use to, but I think turned out good for my first try!!

     I then used the last strips of the floral print to bind it.   It's a small table runner.  I am hoping to get a good collections of items together to make Christmas this year easier!