Awana Grand Prix car's

Well here is my finished car for the Awana Grand Prix race on Sunday. The painted car is my son's (3rd grader) and the kind of quilted car is mine. I used some fabric scraps that I rec'd from someone (sorry can't remember who sent it to me) Purple just happens to be one of my favorite colors and of course I love to quilt! My son spent alot of time painting his car and is very pleased with how it looks. Our race is this Sunday so I will let you know if either of us wins!

Fabric Panel

I went to a quilt guild meeting yesterday. A guild that I am considering joining. They have meetings on Saturday mornings and now that I don't work Saturday's anymore this may work. I do belong to a guild but this guild has alot of members and it seems to have some younger members. Anyway I did some shopping while I was out. I saw this panel and decided I had to buy it. I have no idea what I am going to do with it but I am thinking I may just make it into a lap quilt for myself somehow. I like the colors and of course what it says just sings to my chocolate heart!

I retaught myself how to knit yesterday also. I have tried knitting in the past but could not coordinate my hands to work with the long knitting needles and always ended up getting my stitches too tight on my needles. I watched a video on how to knit online and I am starting with a prayer shawl. We will see how far I get before I have to rip it out. I have started and stopped only about two times and luckily I was only a few rows into it when I hap to start over.

Janet

New Job and progress...

Well I started my new job last Friday as a Church secretary PT. It is going great and any hesitation I had about the job is gone. I am doing alot of computer work producing bulletins, monthly newsletters and power point presentations among alot of other miscellaneous clerical duties. My official title is "Communications Secretary". This picture is what I have been working on for the last week or so. I may have mentioned that I rec'd 644 blocks of the disappearing 9 patch block. I have 8 tops completed with one of those being completely finished. These will all be donated to Wrap Them in Love organization which donates to orphanages overseas. You could check them out here http://www.wraptheminlove.org if you want to see a fabulous quilt gallery and see what they do.

I have started collecting clothes for a missionary who serves in the Ukraine. We are collecting clothing for the orphanages she works in over there. Last year she did this clothing drive in five different churches and she ended up collecting 600 LBS of clothing. This year I told her I would help ship the boxes to her in the Ukraine. It will be lots of work, but God willing, many orphans will be blessed with new to them clothes! I guess in the Ukraine clothing is very cheaply made and what is available is very expensive. I will let you know know everything goes.

Janet

Awana Grand Prix race car...

My son attends Awana club that holds an annual Grand Prix. This is similar to Cub Scouts pinewood derby cars. Anyway they have an open class where adults can make and race these little cars. I will be making a car this year again and I have decided that I want to make a quilt block and glue it down to the car. Now I just need to find a pattern that would work well. I have lots of scraps and could just do a scrap block and cut it to the proper size to attach to the car. We don't have the cars yet so I am not sure what size it is exactly but it is rectangle. I would guess it is only about 1 1/2 inches wide by about 7 inches long. Here are some cars from previous years.

So if anyone has any idea's on a quilt block that would look great on a car please let me know!

Library Mystery Quilt

I am participating in a mystery quilt with our local library. These are my fabric choices. The quilt will finish at 70 X 84. I am thinking about doing a second one with christmas fabrics. I have holiday fabric in my stash that really needs to be used up. We are getting two clues a month and are suppose to be finished by April 29th where we will all meet at the library to show off our creations.

Below are the fabrics I am thinking about using for the second quilt. I could always shoot for getting two done in the time allowed but my concern is that it is taking on too much.

I start my new job as PT church secretary on Friday working 28 hrs a week. I have been home yesterday and today with my youngest son who is sick. They did not like it at my old job calling in but it can't be helped. I am not sending my son to school running a fever and trying to fight off a chest cold.

Small Arm Quilting setup

Here is a copy of my quilt setup. I own the B-line quilting frame which is set up at 10ft and just recently purchased the WOW IV stretched Singer 201 while on vacation. I have completed one quilt top and some practice pieces on the new machine to date. I have owned the frame for three years now. I used to use the Babylock Quilters Professional Choice sewing machine which has a 9" throat. I am keeping that sewing machine to use when I want to quilt smaller quilts off the frame. Right now I have the mystery quilt that needs to be quilted by Thursday to put in my guild's quilt show. I am struggling however as there is tons of open space and I don't know what design to use. I am not good with quilting under pressure!

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.