Blogger's Quilt Festival

 I thought I'd enter my baby quilt in the Blogger's Quilt Festival put on by Amy's Creative Side. Nothing like waiting til the last minute.

I made this Owl baby quilt in June. It is 54" x 45". I know that is a little big for a baby quilt but I like things on the bigger side.

I found these machune embroidery applique owls at Designs by JuJu and just couldn't resist them.

This was the second quilt I made using the owls. The 1st one had a plain border.

I think the pinwheels really made this one pop.

 I quilted it on my longarm quilter.  I am having a blast with my quilter. Just wish I had gotten one years ago. My husband tried to get me one but I always said I didn't have the room.

I made room and it is well worth it.



I decided to round the corners and use a multi colored binding to give it the finishing touches.

This has turned out to be one of my favorite quilts.

Visit all the other quilters sharing their quilts at the Blogger's Quilt Festival and don't forget to go vote for your favorite

I'm #606

Blogger’s Quilt Festival Stats

Finished quilt measures : 45″x 54″

Special techniques used : machine embroidery applique, machine quilted, etc.

Quilted by : Margaret Thompson

Best Category : Applique Quilt, Home Machine Quilted, Baby Quilt

New Addition

I hate it when I don't get anything accomplished over the weekend.

I spent Saturday runing the roads and cleaning my filthy house. I hate cleaning but do like it when it is.

Yesterday I did get in a little quilting, made a huge pot of gumbo and washed cloths.

Now I'm back at work wondering what happened to my weekend.

I did these carousels a few weeks ago. I got the design and couldn't wait to try them out.

I know I should have waited but I just had to see what they would look like.

Cain't wait to get all of them done.

I did get my sewing machine back from the shop the other day and it is so nice having it back where it belongs. Amazing when we get used to something and nothing else will do.

I am totally spoiled even though my embroidery machine will do everything my sewing machine does.

Anyway when I got my machine back the bulb was blown, so I went to JoAnn's yesterday to see about getting a new one. No go - they didn't have one. I figured I would have to order one and then I saw Lowe's  next door so I figured why not - they had some so I bought 2.

The kicker is Home Depot probably had them too and they are practially in my back yard - JoAnns was 25 minutes away. Live and learn

I thought I would show off my new puppy.

Female long hair chihuahua. Her parents were on the small side so I doubt if she will weigh more than 5 lbs - and that will probably be pushing it.

My grandson named her Sugar

Completed Suit

I've been so busy lately trying to finish up this suit. It seemed like something would come up every time I tried to get a little work done.

What was really bad was my customer gave me the fabric around the first of the year and I told her that I wouldn't be able to make it til around June --- and I lost the fabric somewhere in the sewing room.

As well as forgetting about making it.

She asked about it while my hand was hurt and I used that as an excuse (bad I know). Then I made a mad dash to clean up the sewing room looking for the fabric.

As with most things, I put it somewhere where I would know where it was --- and forgot.

Long story short I found the fabric and have grumbled the entire time I've been working on it. I wasn't crazy about the fabric or pattern. But YEAH it's done.

Now I'm hoping to get the Dresden plate finished this weekend  ---  wishful thinking.

I'M FEATURED

I was contacted about a month ago to be a feature on Craft Corners Best of the Web and of course I thought that was awesome. Why would I say no? I don't understand why they picked my blog - it's so average.

Then they asked me to send in a picture and write a short paragraph. Writing is definately not my strong suit but I did. I compiled my favorite quilts for the photo. I had 2 others on there but it looked too crowded so I took them off.

Anyway I did my best and the feature is posted.

Thank you Craft Corners

Mardi Gras

Unfortunately I haven't gotten much work done lately so I thought I'd put some more pics of some embroidery I've done.

This is the start of some pieces for a Mardi Gras quilt that I'm making.

I fell in love with these faces.

 I still need to trim threads.

I had my husband tear off the stabilizer. Have to keep the boy productive.

I still have a few more to go. I thought I'd use a couple of those fans as well. And I have some fleur de les designs I can use.

I did manage to get the suit I'm working on almost done. If I hadn't helped a friend move on Saturday I probably would have finished it.

I did get in a little quilting on the Dresden Plate quilt. I need to get that finished in order to get some other projects done before Christmas.

All my Fans

I haven't been able to get as much quilting work done lately - been spending alot of my time doing alterations, funerals and grandbabies.

So I moved my sewing machine by my embroidery machine so I could get twice the work done.

Nothing like multi-tasking

Good thing my chair has rollers. I sew until I need to change thread and I roll over to get a different color thread and roll back to the machine.

I'm not the most organized person in the world but I do keep my embroidery thread in order.

I saw a design set for fans somewhere on the net and I didn't get it then and I have been looking ever since.

I did find this one and I really like it but you know how it is when you get something in your head.

I'm still looking.

If I keep going like this it will take forever to get these made into quilts.

I have 3 more designs that I've been working on and quite a few more that I want to do.

Just not enough time.

As you can tell I have been overloaded with alterations

I should have gotten an embroidery machine years ago. I'm having so much fun with it.

Sneak Peek

Want a peek at what I'm up to right now?

I put my Dresden Plate in the frame last week and had to figure out how I wanted to quilt it.

I thought of a few different ways and this is the one I stuck with.

Then I needed to figure out what thread I wanted to use.

So many decissions.

I thought about matching thread to each color but I really don't like having to change thread so much.

So I picked a varigated.

That works for me and it doesn't take away from the plates.

At least I don't think so.

The backing is burgandy. I can't wait to see what that will look like.

Should have the results in a few weeks. I can't seem to get to it as often as I would like.

Christmas in October

I have a friend that works in the fabric section at Walmart and she called and said she had these 4 totes and 1 bag of fabric for me..

I almost left work right then but I managed to make the day (it was hard though)

It felt like Christmas

 I stacked the totes in the living room floor and started going through them immediately.

I started out trying to keep it organized but got a little side tracked.

I ended up filling 1 tote back up with fabric I didn't really want and ended up with the piles below.

There was alot of greens and yellows which I don't have enough of (now I do) and alot of fabric that I can use on baby quilts.

The worst part was having to find a place to put it all.

For now I just stacked them on the floor of the sewing room.

I keep telling my husband that I need a bigger house - - - He hasn't gone for that one.

Red Snappers

Ever since I got my longarm quilter I have been trying to figure out a better way to load my quiilts.

I started with pinning. That was a pain - literally. I usually stuck my fingers at least once and it seamed like it took forever.

Then I tried using velcro. I sewed one side to the leaders and the other to each end of the backing and one end to the top. That meant when I finished quilting I had to rip all that off.

When I finish quilting I didn't like taking the time to do all that ripping.

So I thought I would try Ranae Haddadin's Red Snappers

A casing is sewn to the leaders and a flexible rod is inserted in each for the quilt top and backs.

The clamp pieces are then snapped down to hold the fabric in place.

It eliminates the need for pins, staples, Velcro, zippers or basting.

I loaded my first quilt with them last night and the process was so much easier and I'm sure that when I finish it will be so much nicer not having to do all that ripping.

This rod and clamp system is available to fit 10' , 12'  and 14' quilting frames.  

Red Snappers are developed with Clip-n-Seal a patent pending design.

ladybugs

I can't believe I finally got something done.

 I put the borders on the ladybug quilt over the weekend. Unfortunately that's all I got done.

I had all intentions of locking myself in the house and playing in the sewing rooms. But one thing after another got in the way. So I'm very happy to have got this much done. Now it needs quilting.