Freedom From Cancer

    It's time for another project quilt post!! As most of you know I am motivated each month to make a new quilt to match a challenge given.  This month theme was freedom.  The same day it was posted my good friend Cindy was diagnosed with Terminal Cancer.  This was her second cancer diagnosis.  

    It made me think what if the world was free from cancer.  What if she had the freedom to live on without this disease. So my theme for my quilt was set.  

     I knew I wanted to make a quilt big enough to comfort my special friend in the time to come.  She is such a sweet coworker and a comfort to all.  The person who is always optimistic and makes sure she puts a smile on everyone's face.  The person who has made it threw all the challenges of her life and taught others lessons.  She is so creative.  She can crochet or knit anything.  Just a genuine friend. 

     I actually cut out squares for a different breast cancer quilt over a year ago. So I used up those squares plus all of my pink fabric from my scap pile that I could make 3 inch squares out of.  The only downfalls were that I was camping while I made it and my little sewing machine does not have a 1/4 inch foot and I ran out of white cotton and had to use some cotton poly blend. And when you iron with that it warps... So needless to say there is some unevenness in the quilt.  It was just another lesson learned. I did the quilt in a basic 16 patch.  I wanted to use the variety of fabric because Cundy liked the old fashion scrappy looking theme.  I actually finished my quilt up early in the month and quilted it when we stayed home. I did a bunch of loops all over the quilt.  I did this because of the breast cancer theme ribbon loops.  The backing is a flowered pattern that I picked up a lot of some time back. I bound it in a pink fabric from the quilt and machine bind it with a loop pattern. The first quilt I have finished really early. 

     My goal was to post a picture of Cindy and the quilt on here, but her sister took her on a trip this week. So another outdoor quilt picture.  Taken in another SC cloudy day. It has done nothing but rain all summer.  When Cindy gets back this weekend I will post one with her!

Here it is!  Thanks to Persimon Dreams Blog for the motivation!!!!

  

Free Motion Quilting with a Super Slider

     I know it's been a while since I wrote but it's now time for me to get into high gear and start again. One of my goals for this blog was to write reviews on items. 

     So today I will talk about the Supreme Super Slider. It is a mat that designed to stick on your Machine and allow you to FMQ easier.  I have a Janome Horizon 7700.  It has a very large throat and is a wonderful machine for FMQ.  There is a lot of surface though for the quilt to drag on.  I will agree that is does allow the quilt to move easily and reduces tension.  I finished the entire quilt without back pain.  I know I am a younger quilter, but I do get tension between my shoulder blades.   I usually can not finish anything more then a small project in one sitting.  But today I finished a decent size throw (that I will tell you about later this week) in a few hours with only a few interruptions.   I definetly would recommend others purchase the super slider. It made my day so much easier!  I wish I had it earlier with other quilts!  I purchased mine from Hillbilly Handiworks blog.  Request one from her and I promise she will beat anyone's price!!!

     Stay tuned this week will try to do a whirlwind of catch-up posts!!!

Happy 4th!!!!!

I haven't been quilting much lately,  been doing a lot of sewing of other things and when I say a lot,  I mean a lot!!  I have been on a dress and crib set spree.  But I did start a new quilt for a friend.  This will be my quilt for Project quilt for the month!
     So today I wanted to say a special thanks fot those in the military or the vetrans out there!! We would not be a free country if it was not for each of you.  Thank you and your families!!!  Today is usually a lake day for my family,  But the weather stinks so its a sewing and cleaning day for me.  Or really a fabric washing and ironing day. I did accomplish recovering a rocking chair and 2 dresses. I also baked some banana muffins (or shall I say over baked). Here are the dresses. Hope to be writing a bunch more and sewing in the days to come!!

Celebrating my boys Sweet 16!!!

Today my oldest son Wade turned 16. Sweet 16 as they call it. But to tell you the truth, boys this age are not that sweet:(but that's another story)! So we had a nice party at the lake and it poured down rain. And did I say pour!!! But we had so much fun under the picnic shelter.
He got to see the man he was named after for the 1st time in years and spend some special time with family and friends!!!then he just had to be the redneck he is and go muffing.... Oh boy what do I have to look forward to...
I made another brickwork looking table runner. Ot matched his kinda music themed party. This was after the party and after it got a little messy but had to share it with you along with a few other Birthday pictures!!

Happy Birthday Wade!!!! I am soooo proud of you!!!

A Bunch of 1st and a Big Happy Birthday!!!

I follow the Persimon Dreams Blog. As part of Project Quilt she hosts a monthly quilt challenge. In the challenge you complete a project monthly that is part of the theme. This has really made me step out of the box.
This quilt is inspired by my son. He is a talented musician. The Bass is his school/church instrument of choice. Today is also his 16th birthday. We are having him an old fashion music pickin party. There is nothing more exciting or touching fir me then to hear my boys play music. In the theme of this I decided to make him a Bass themed wall hanging.
Here is where the 1st start. This is a Foundation paper pieced project. My 1st ever. Not perfect but I think it looks good!! Decided 1/2 way threw that I might not do anymore. This type of paper piecing may not be my thing. It is my first small quilt wall Hanging. I usually love the gift of a quilt to lay under. This is the 1st quilt I have done a tag/area on my quilt where I have wrote something to commemorate the date. I have wrote a few things on binding but that is it. My younger son liked it so well that I think I will do more messages. This is also the 1st item I have ever hand sewn the binding on. I know what your thinking, but I am always in to much of a hurry. Guess I might try it again. Like doing it to small projects. And my last 1st. I have never done texture or thread painting. I have never sewn objects on my quilt. On this quilt the strings are metallic gold thread. I had to go over it several times to be the thickness I desired. I also did the key hole on it in Metallic Black. I also went over that several times. Next time might try another thread. This was very fine thread and did not show up well. For the Tuning Keys are beads that I pulled out of my stash.
The pattern is really a Cello pattern I found at whimsandfancies.com. Just to try my luck again at not such a big thing, I might try the music note she has free there. Hope to post later today about his Party!!

WIP Wednesday

So I am on vacation from work and life. I have this crazy sinus thing going on, so all is not going as planned. So My plan was to sew and clean. And sewing I have done. But not much cleaning!!! One of my goals was to get my precut pile cleaned out. Over time I have cut out several items and placed them in a pile. I keep saying I am going to get to them but we all know what happens.... I was able to finish 5 skirts that you will see below. These skirts were either upcyled jeans or made out of my leftovers from dresses. I made 4 camo dresses, 3 T-shirt dresses and sewed together some leftover squares for a camo quilt. Oh and one Sunflower wreath(picture of that in a future post)!!! I feel really accomplished in the craft world, but not as much in the house:(. I did make muffins, do laundry and fixed beef stew though. So tomorrow you know what's top priority after the vet!
Goal for the next week is to make a crib set, 3 dresses and 4 more wreaths, ohhh and my project for Project Quilt!!

Rocket Quilt

Another end of the month and day to post my Project Quilt project. And in routine for me I am trying to make them all full size and use fabric I already have. I keep pushing myself and finish at the last moment each month. And have again with this one.  So much that I forgot to post it.  See on the 31st I finished late then worked all night.  I was going to take pictures of it in the morning but the multitude of things happened.  I got off work late, I got some really bad news and then I got some really good news.  My sisters had twins!!!!!  A whirlwind of a day.  They are in NICU now but I am hoping to hold them when I go there Friday.
     Now back to the quilt, I had the top done for a few days, but with work and other things I just can't get to it.  So last minute me spent every minute sewing.  On to explaining the quilt: I have had this rocket fabric for at least a year. When I saw the colors for the Spring Pantone, I went to my fabric collection and this is what I saw first. I pondered all month about what to do and saw this tube quilt tutorial. I played around with this on a table runner and decided that I would use it for this. I then did some math figuring and decided to try to use the line on my 9 1/2 inch square. This worked perfect if I sewed two 3 3/4 inch pieces together then a 7 inch. It made 9 1/2 inch squares. I used 4 different colored fabrics and a white.   It was really easy to put together.  But for some reason when I put the border on te quilt the fabric seemed to stretch and it turned out lumpy.  I decided to quilt it that way anyway due to time. Then as I was FMQ the thread kept acting up.  And I learned I dont do straight lines well FMQ. Will try another way next time. I did a really neat xxxx pattern on the binding. Will try this again. It looks really secure. On the back I took a piece of rocket fabric, cut it in half and placed a piece of the stripe material in the center. I love how it allows for more of the big rockets to show.

This quilt will be given to Mr Johnny Hoffman. He was my husbands neighbor for most of his childhood. He spends a lot of time with my younger son Waylon and is like a grandfather to him. His hobby is rockets and he teaches a lot of youth and young adults the science behind it! So over a year ago when I first saw the rocket fabric I knew I had to get it for him. I think this will be his fathers day present!!