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Patriotic Stars and Christmas Stars 

Have any of you seen this? 



Well, the Tree of Life quilt in my last post had been on my design wall for so long that after taking it down and finishing the borders, the room seemed strange without it. What goes on the wall now? I wish I could show you, but it is a gift for someone who reads this, so I won't be showing it until after Christmas (and she knows who she is). I will say that it is a quick pattern and I am loving the result. I will probably make another one in the future.
I spent much of last night cutting out more blocks for John'aLee. I was going to make one a week, but like Freda, once I had the fabrics out to make one, I figured I would cut them all. Once they are cut it is hard to not just get them sewn up. Tonight I made another one. I really like to try and make each star unique. Gets the creative juices flowing. I have five more blocks cut and hope to have them all in the mail by the end of the month.
In the meantime I am also working on a Christmas quilt for the family room. After digging up the entire strawberry bed this afternoon and separating plants and replanting, my back was really talking to me. So this evening I sat on a heating pad, deconstructing shirts, while watching the world series game. Apologies to my friends in Texas, but I have a SIL from St. Louis, so we have been cheering on the Cardinals, and what a night they had!
Anyway, back to the shirts. I am planning on making Bonnie Hunter's Smokey Mountain Stars, but I want to only use red and green plaid shirts, along with the tan background color. My dilemma is this, should I make the centers of the stars one color and the points another? Should I make some all red stars and some all green stars? Or should I let the red and green fall randomly? This is Bonnie's quilt below (which I love), but if I am just using two colors besides the background, I can't decide if I should control the placement of the color more, or just let the chips fall where they may. Do you have an opinion (you know you do)? Please share--I love brainstorming--even via blogs!
This is uncharacteristically short for me, but the heating pad calls.
Until next time, from the little mountain valley where the sagebrush grows,
Janet O.
Posted by Janet O. at 1:21 AM 22 comments: Labels: blocks for John'aLee at The Scrappy Appleyard, Bonnie Hunter, Smoky Mountain Stars
 


Winners and other stuff!

First off, I want to let you know who won the Lynn Roddy Brown books. Congrats to Nancy, a no reply blogger, who won Simple Strategies for Scrap Quilts. Nancy, I need you to email your snail mail address to me so I can mail the book to you. Congrats also to Yvette, who won the Block Swap book. Thanks to all who participated! I hope the winners enjoy those books as much as I do!
I finally have another flimsy completed.I cut this out months ago using one of Lori Smith's Fit to Frame patterns. The inner, pieced border gave me fits. I made it according to the pattern, I thought,  and it didn't fit--it was way too long on every side. Luckily I had only sewn 1 1/2 sides together when I realized the problem. I have no clue what went wrong. I checked my measurements with the pattern and I had cut things right. Anyway, I ended up making 1 1/2" HSTs to create the border instead of the method the pattern used. I have coveted the sample of this they have in a LQS every time I go in, so I decided I needed to just make one. I don't think I will frame it. I want to hand quilt it and bind it and put it on a wall somewhere, but I am trying to decide if I want to add another brown border to the outer edge. This is my first real mini quilt and I have to say that all of you out there blogging about how a mini quilt gives you a quick finish should come give me lessons. This did not go together quickly for me. But I will be making more. I love the result!

Another fun thing in the "little" department (or maybe I should say "tiny") is the foundation paper pieced jewelry made by Julie at Me and My Stitches. Some of you may recall that I won her giveaway a while back, and I chose a flag pin. Well, I finally got around to ordering more. I intended to order some traditional blocks, but when I saw the pumpkin and stained glass heart I was through looking. Aren't they fun? Julie says she is going to be putting more on her website (which you can access by clicking the header photo on her blog) soon. You can get pins, pendants, earrings, and scissor fobs. I like a seasonal pin on my jacket or coat lapel, so these are all pins.

One more thing, if you are not already aware. John'aLee has moved the deadline for 8" or 12" (finished measurement) patriotic star blocks to go into 5 quilts she is making for her daughter (whose fiancee was killed in Afghanistan just before they were to be married), the soldier's mother, two brothers and best friend, who was with him when he was killed. If you were hesitant to help because of the deadline, she has extended it to the end of November to try and collect all of the blocks she needs. You can go to her blog, The Scrappy Appleyard, for more info. I've already sent my blocks, but I am going to try and join Freda at The Adventures of the Empress of the Universe in  making one more each week until the last week of November, so we can each send her a few more.

I had more to share but it is late, so I'll save it for another post.

Posted by Janet O. at 3:37 AM 27 comments: Labels: blocks for John'aLee at The Scrappy Appleyard, Giveaway winners, Lori Smith, Me and My Stitches jewelry, mini quilt


More books to give away!!

Want more scrap quilt ideas? You've come to the right place. Recently we met here for the purpose of a giveaway of Lynn Roddy Brown's latest book, Patchwork-Play Quilts. You may recall that at the end of the post I shared these photos of Lynn's previous books. After that giveaway, Lynn generously offered to send me copies of her first two books to be given away. So Scrap Quilters, here we go again!! To be entered you don't have to be a follower or post this on your blog, just leave a comment below. The books will be given away separately, so your comment will give you two chances to win. The RNG will choose a winner for each book. If you would like to be entered twice I will add your name a second time if you do post a link to this page and let me know that you have done so. If by some rare chance the same name comes up for both books, I will give that individual their choice of which book they would like and I will redraw for the other one.
The first book, Simple Strategies for Scrap Quilts, is a great place to start if you have never made a scrap quilt, but have been wanting to try. Lynn includes chapters on "Understanding Scrap Quilts", "Collecting Fabric", "Quiltmaking Basics", "Designing with Scrap Blocks", and "Finishing the Quilt". I love this statement from Lynn in the chapter "Understanding Scrap Quilts";

"Scrap quilts look great from a distance and are full of surprises when you get up close. I hate bed making, but when there's a scrap quilt on the bed, I can find joy in all the colors, textures, and patterns as I go through the drudgery."
There are kernels of quilting wisdom and knowledge in every section of this book. I wanted to include more of it, but I'm covering two books here, so I can't get very detailed or this will take forever. All of the quilts in this book are within the "beginner to intermediate" range. Most of them are surrounded by two straight borders, a narrow one and a wide one, though now and then a quilt will break that mold. All of the quilts are visually appealing. Enough said, let's look at some pictures!!
That gives you a taste of the sixteen quilts within the pages of this book. All of the patterns offer clear, full color illustrations to go along with the concise instructions.
Let's move on to "Simple Strategies for Block Swap Quilts." I admit that I was hesitant to buy this, based on the title. I have never participated in a block swap and am not sure if I ever will. But once I looked inside the cover I was sold. There are so many wonderful scrap quilts here, with the patterns to make them from scratch, in case you are like me and don't have blocks from a swap.
Lynn offers this insight into why she loves swaps (she belongs to two swap groups), "The blocks I receive in trades are one step up from my fabric stash. They are a head start on a quilt, waiting there for me when and if I am inspired to use them."
Along with the sections on understanding scrap quilts and designing with blocks (which are not just lifted from the previous book, there is new stuff here), there is a section on how to organize and conduct a block swap. If you are looking for a project for a guild, or want to start a swap group, this section contains valuable helps. Lynn also discusses the "controlled" approach to scrap quilting versus the "just go for it" method. You will probably be able to define your style after reading this and trying your hand at a scrap quilt.
Many of the 15 patterns include alternative layouts for the block involved. Several patterns have tips to use if conducting a swap for that specific block.
Now let's see some of the treats in this book.
That about covers it. I just want to add that no give away copies of books were harmed in this post. All photos were taken from my own well-marked, tabbed copies of these books. If you win you will receive a pristine, "spine never cracked", autographed copy!
So leave those comments and if you want to be in the drawing twice you can blog about this and post a link. You have until 10:00 p.m. Saturday, MDT. I will post the winner later that night and ship the books out Monday! Good Luck!!
Until next time, from the little mountain valley where it looked like the mountains were on fire last night, Posted by Janet O. at 10:04 PM 69 comments: Labels: give away, Lynn Roddy Brown, scrap quilts


A Plethora of Pumpkins! Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere! Look at this pumpkin patch on my dining room table. Last year I was responsible for table decorations for a dinner at church. I already had 6 or 8 of these pumpkins. I had been gifted a few and found a couple more at local thrift stores. I thought if I could just make a few more I could incorporate those pumpkins with some resin and glass pumpkins I had in my fall decorations and I would be set. I looked online for a tutorial and settled on the one found here. I experimented  and decided on some changes. Instead of yarn, I used a few strands of embroidery floss--easier to match the pumpkins, since I already have most of the DMC floss colors. Also, I found that the very long doll maker needles worked much better than the ones in the tutorial, especially when making the really big pumpkins. One of the pumpkins that had been given to me had a leaf on it. I liked that look, so I made them for most of my pumpkins. Also, one I bought at a thrift store had a curly tendril made from a wire covered with green paper. I experimented with some different forms of green wire and think I will add more tendrils to these with green florist wire.

I caution you--be careful about clicking that link. Making these became addictive. I even made another 6 not shown, that I divided between my daughters. DH would look at me surrounded by fabric, floss, fluffy stuffing, and long needles night after night and just shake his head. "I thought you were just going to make a few," he said. I replied that when I got out the resin and glass pumpkins I realized that they just didn't go with the look of these fabric pumpkins. "It would only bother you," he answered, knowingly. And he was probably right, but it would bother me enough that if I could do something about it, I would. Can you say "obsessive compulsive"?

Yesterday was day two of my machine quilting class. I admit that I hadn't practiced during the week as I should have. We were shown lots of flowers, hearts and swirly designs and then given free time to practice designs of our choosing. I figured at this time of year I would be needing pumpkins and leaves for something, so I practiced them on one of my "sandwiches". I am proud to say I am now getting the stems ON the pumpkins (most of the time) and those leaves were really leaves, not just attempts at hearts that looked more like leaves. I'm not ready to put my skills (and I use the term loosely) to anything "official", but I am seeing improvement. I'll use the pumpkin theme of this post as an excuse for not showing you my attempts at flowers. : ) While putting out the fall decor I came across this table runner, hutch pad and table topper made with a fun pumpkin fabric I found in a thrift store and pieces from my scraps (the reds aren't really pink, as they seem in the photos). I had hurriedly hand quilted them a couple of years ago. I was new to table runners and I should have used a much thinner bat (or, as my DH's Aunt does, just flannel). They also need more quilting, but aren't the pumpkins in the fabric cute? As I was leaving for the grocery store at dusk this evening I caught sight of the new snow on the mountains west of us and I had to grab the camera for a shot. It seems way too recently that I was taking shots of late spring snows on these mountains. Where does the time go? As I was taking that shot I had a visitor. I'm not sure if this is Billy or Otis, but he belongs to my BIL, and lives in the pasture right behind our house.

Until next time, may all your pumpkins be great!
Posted by Janet O. at 11:31 PM 21 comments: Labels: fall table runner, pumpkins, snow on the mountains


T-Shirt Finale! My oldest son's college graduation t-shirt quilt is finally done! My long arm quilter said she wouldn't be sad if she never had to do another t-shirt quilt. So I guess I really need to practice my FMQ skills so when my youngest son graduates I can quilt his myself.
I used at least 40 t-shirts in this quilt and I still had a laundry basket full of shirts leftover. This son doesn't know the meaning of the term "over-involved". His brother seems to be following in his footsteps, so I know there is another one in my future.
Those of you who have made one of these know how much work they can be--much more than I expected. You have to stabilize the fabrics and figure out a layout using the different sizes of designs. I complicated things by piecing and bordering blocks, and then fussy cutting the sashing to keep it from adding to the busyness of the already busy quilt.
I actually bound this one myself and it is such a relief to have it finished.
Until next time, from the little mountain valley where fall has finally arrived,
Posted by Janet O. at 11:20 AM 21 comments: 


Need a giggle? Check out my lovely machine quilting on this muslin "sandwich" from my very first free motion quilting class. How pathetic is this? We did our little sample block the last 15-20 minutes of a two hour class, after learning all about the best tools to use and what settings on your machine are helpful, and where to find sources for ideas and inspiration, how to prepare the quilt and guide the fabric, etc. When we got to the actual free motion stuff we were supposed to give ourselves permission to"play" and try out some of the simple things she had demonstrated--circles, stars, hearts, pumpkins. (I think I lost my permission slip!) If you can detect a pumpkin in there you are my new best friend! I felt I did better at stars than the other things--no need for smooth, round curves on those. When I was trying the hearts, I couldn't seem to get back out of that center point well, so I pretended that I was trying to make leaves all along, not hearts.
As I looked around the class at those working near me I saw that some people really could get the stems attached to their pumpkins, and their hearts didn't look like leaves! I also began to understand all the fuss at the beginning of class about the Bernina machines with the "stitch regulator".
I haven't given up hope yet. There is still another class this week, and then there is a three-part class in November I am considering (depending on whether or not I HAVE given up hope by then). But this is obviously something that I don't take to naturally. Time will tell whether I take to it at all.

Enough of that. On a more serious note, I finally got my star blocks finished to send to John'aLee. The block to the far right had some issues. Even on Barbara Brackman's blog there is some uncertainty
about the cutting instructions. I did lose some points in the stitching, so now I understand why there was a question about cutting measurements. I did switch out the center fabric on that block, too.
Now to get these off in the mail.

That is all for tonight.
Posted by Janet O. at 8:13 PM 22 comments: Labels: Free motion quilting, star blocks for Johna'Lee Inspiring Viewing
