Signature Quilt

Here is my brother opening his quilt that I made for him for his retirement from the Navy. I think he likes it. All the family signed the center of the stars.

Home from Vacation

We are home from vacation. We went to Florida where the weather was warmer than in Wisconsin but a little on the chilly side for Florida. But when you think about it even at 50 that is much warmer than below freezing at home! We went down for my brother's retirement from the Navy after a 26 yr career. This picture is of my family and my Brother and his wife. We combined this family visit with some family fun. We had a good time visiting different museum's and a few beaches. One morning my youngest son and I were in our winter coats on the beach collecting shells. And that was a Gulf of Mexico beach. My family and I are sandwiched between my brother (in uniform) and my sister in-law.

I came home with a stretched sewing machine for my quilting frame. I bought the WOW IV machine that has an 18" arm. I am going to have to modify my carriage on my frame slightly to get the full 18" but I put a practice piece on the frame already. I want to do one more practice piece before I put a real quilt on but I may just put a baby quilt for donation on and give it a whirl. As long as I make sure to check the stitches when I get started I should be okay.

I also now have DSL and am loving it! I can't believe how long I sufferred with that slow dial up. Now I will have tons of extra time for quilting! Good thing too as I have lots of projects that I would like to get done.

Mystery Revealed

Here is the New Years Day mystery quilt top finished. The quilting is not done as that will have to wait until after vacation. I already entered it into a quilt show in February so I will have to get it done when I get back. I used fabric out of my stash so it is not the colors I would liked to have used but I did not want to go shopping. My bedroom is purple so it will go well on my bed as I think I will save this one for myself.

Sewing Room

These are pictures of my newly reorganized sewing/computer room. I spent pretty much all Saturday afternoon moving everything around. I have my computer desk on one end of the room and the cutting table/book shelf on the opposite wall. My room is fairly small so it still looks quite messy even though I know where everything is. Except I was making some pantograph's for my machine quilting frame and I can't seem to locate the rolls right now. I know they are somewhere but just can't remember what I did with them. I will find them eventually. My 9 year old son was watching me tracing stencils and he wanted to help so he is working on one for me. He is doing a good job also. I am going to finish up my last two borders on the New Years Eve Mystery and then will post a picture of it. We are leaving for vacation this Friday and then when we get back I have two quilts to finish quilting because I signed them up to be in a quilt show in February. I know I may regret committing myself but I really wanted to participate in the quilt show.

New Year's Day Mystery Quilt

I am going to participate in the New Year's day mystery quilt on planet patchwork this year. I really enjoy online mystery quilts and have not been able to participate in quite awhile due to my schedule at work. They mystery is posted here:

http://planetpatchwork.com/Case126/Case126Part1.htm

These are the fabrics I have chosen for this mystery. They are not pink but I am hoping that won't matter in the final quilt. Is anyone else out there going to participate in the mystery quilt?

The med. fabric is actually a lavender but is looking more blue in the picture.

Bev, what do you think about the choice of fabric?

I start my new shorter hours at work next week. I will be able to be home when my youngest gets off the school bus so the teenager does not have to babysit anymore. They are still more hours than I really want but I am going to give it a shot and see how it works out. I have vacation in two weeks and will be headed to Florida with the family. I guess I can figure out whether I want to keep the job after vacation. What I would really like would be to quit and stay home and quilt!

Split 9 patch top

I finished wrapping all the christmas presents today so took the opportunity to do some sewing today. I am currently offering a block challenge on two charity quilting yahoo groups I am on and I have started getting some blocks in the mail. This quilt was put together using some of the blocks. I got the idea from this blog http://snippetsofaquilter.blogspot.com/2007/10/charm-square-quilt.html

It looked like an easy block for others to do and I like the look of the scrappy quilt. We decided to make the middle block red for some consistency.

I have to work tomorrow morning until noon. We like to stay home for Holiday's so we are not going anywhere for Christmas other than church at 4pm.

Merry Christmas everyone!

"Quilts from Heaven"

This is an early Christmas present from a friend at church. She wrote in her note that she thought of me when she saw this book. She is not a quilter but knows that I quilt alot!

The book is is called "Quilts from heaven" and is by Lucinda Secrest McDowell. There is a poem in the beginning of the book that I would like to share.

Pieces of My Quilt

If quilts could talk

I'd like to think I'd hear just what they'd say,

"I'll hold you close within my oflds and wipe your tears away.

I'll keep you warm and give you strength to face another day."

If quilts could talk...

If quilts could sing

I'd like to think I'd recognize each tune,

The lullaby or funeral dirge or wedding march in June.

Both sweet and haunting melodies I'd listen to them croon.

If quilts could sing...

If quilts could write

I'd like to think I'd read the workds they'd pen,

Of life and love and motherhood, of mystery without end.

And, oh, the drama they could share of everywhere they'd been.

If quilts could write....

If quilts could pray,

I'd like to think I'd feel each heartfelt prayer

Of thankfulness or great concern for those within their care:

Petitions to a loving God--the One who's always there.

If quilts could pray....

The quilt of my own life

Finds voice to talk, sing, write, and pray,

As it weaves a hundred stories in its own eclectic way.

And with each stitch of grace and hope my legacy is built:

All fragments finally made a whole...

the pieces of my quilt.

I have not read the book yet but I am looking forward to reading it in my free time. Work has been crazy lately and it will be nice when the holiday's are over and I can relax again.

Dresden Quilt finished

The dresden plate quilt for my friend is finished! I am giving it to her at work tomorrow. This was ayear long project with two quilts with these blocks and two other tops that I put together so she could tie them. It feels good to have them done.

I have been researching upgrading my sewing machine on my b-line frame. I have looked at the Voyager 17, HQ16 and the funquilter by Nolting. I would like an 18" machine and have also been looking at the Nolting 18". It would be nice to get a real long arm but they cost so much money that my husband is not liking that option. I really want to practice my quilting stitches and was playing with feathers the other day. I think I need to put together some quick panel baby quilts and start practicing more freehand quilting. I guess after the holidays.

Orphans in the Ukraine

Here are some pictures from a missionary in the Ukraine giving out quilts to the kids at the orphanage. Look how small their beds are! Last year our church Awana club did a clothing drive for clothes for the kids and I had some quilts on hand that I donated for the cause. I did not make all the quilts but did make some of them. The green quilt in two of the pictures was a quilt I made with an elementary school class. They colored in the quilt squares and I sewed them into quilts. I have been doing that for four years now and will also do it again this year. The kids really enjoy helping and I enjoy working with them. It is so much fun to see pictures of the kids enjoying there quilts. I am working on the opportunity to continue supporting these orphanages in the Ukraine. I am learning they have so little over there. There are about 150,000 orphans in the Ukraine and those are the ones actually living in homes and not on the streets. It is quite overwhelming the needs others have in other countries, including our own. I just want to help in any way that I can even though it is small.

I am going back to PT work after the New Year and am excited about that. I will have more time at home to tend to the family needs and so will be able to devote more time to my quilting!

PILE OF QUILTS!

I am getting the quilts packed up for the Ukraine. These are all the quilts on my bed (I missed about 7 of them as they were hiding in plain sight in my sewing room).

The total count ended up at 40 for the orphanages. That is 40 children that will be loved through quilts! This project has been going since January 2007. I will be seeing the missionary this Friday as she will be speaking at a ladies Christmas dinner. I am looking forward to hearing what has been happening over the last year for her.

It was snowing today and has been a quiet evening at home after dinner. The boys have actually been fairly quiet for a change. I was able to spend time reading lots of blogs to see what other quilters have been up to. Lots of great projects with wonderful pictures. My life has been so work centered lately that I need to do something else on my off time instead of agonizing over work related stress. It feels good to be in the sewing room again and getting some quilting done.

I don't know if anyone out there is reading my posts but I do enjoy reading everyone else's blog's as I do not get to socialize with quilters much anymore.