Rags N Quilts

Archive for November, 2007

Lots of good today! First of all, I got this great postcard on the mail from Michelle Wyman, part of our MQR exchange. The sentiment is so perfect: and don’t you love the texture of the red fabric?!!!

So far the 2 I have received from this exchange have been very cool! This is such a fun venture! I am so glad I decided to ‘play’.

Then, I finished embroidering the 10 shirts for my husband’s sailboat racing crew…that he had to have by this Sunday’s race (right in the middle of my Christmas and show season rush…LOL) Aren’t I a good wife??? OK, don’t strain yourself laughing! Anyway, it’s another finish on my list…yeah!!! And, finally….just a peak at the infamous raffle quilt. I’m getting close!!!

So, I’m in a better mood today, (and I thank you all for your support) and feeling quite productive. And soon a completed picture of this quilt. But tomorrow, a new picture of my beautiful baby rags! They are getting so big!

I received an e-mail today from someone who has obviously read at least parts of my blog, but never commented. But felt compelled to send me an e-mail calling me to task for an earlier post.

The post of issue, was the quilters’ horoscope from Nov. 9th. I clearly stated at the beginning of that post that it had been sent to me, AND I provided at the end of that post the link for the sender. But my e-mailer apparently felt that was not sufficient. And the overall tone, was that I was trying to pass someone else’s work off as my own. That s the one thing that I NEVER do.

This person did provide the original author’s name and site, which I will pass along to all of you.

The original author was Pauline Rogers an Australian quilt shop owner and tutor. According to my e-mailer, she also raises money for breast cancer. Sounds like a wonderful person.

So to Pauline Rogers, thank you for the quilters’ horoscope. Sorry for the belated credit.

The other question this raises : ….. is stating something that you are sharing is not your own work, but sharing it anyway with the best information you have OK??

Or do we simply refuse to share anything we have come upon that is not our own work, even if we note that it is not ours, for fear that if we cannot correctly identify the original creator we have caused some horrible harm?

I will remove the post in question tomorrow.

First of all, I’m sorry if you thought you were going to see it. It’s not done. Though I am making good progress. It is 103″ square (almost). It is a combination of piecing and applique. So first I had to SID all of it. That took a while, but is so worth it. It makes a huge difference in the final look.

Next, I stitched all the motifs….in the borders, blocks and the center medallion.

I am now in the final stages of stitching the detail work in the appliques…probably another day, and maybe a little more.

Then I’ll be ready to stitch the background fillers and finally the embellishments.

So, hopefully in a couple more days it’ll be done.

Stayed tuned…I think it’ll be worth it!

My first postcard of our new MQR exchange! The theme is black, white and 1 color. This one is from Vicki . It is already hanging on the door of my sewing room! And I have a design planned and my color. SO as soon as I finish the raffle quilt I’ll get right on it!! Yes, I know the Dec 15th deadline…I’ll make that EASY!!

OK, as promised, the pictures of my challenge quilt. I’m now whipping the binding down.
It is all raw edge applique. The challenge fabrics were all but the background and the second leaf (the green one). The light isn’t great, but the background is a mottled brown. Hey, Mary…you should like that! This top leaf is yellow.

This one is green…my fabric, not one of the challenge fabrics.

This one is rust.

And this one is red. I added the little “flying geese to use the 2 fabrics I didn’t like. I also used them on the sleeve and as a frame around my label.
I used polyquilter “harvest” thread and quilted around the applique and simple swirls in the background. I used matching thread to stitch the detail in the leaves. Then I used Jones Tones bead glue to fix tiny glass seed beads down the center of each leaf. This stuff is great! It holds well, is easy to use and is washable after 7-10 days curing time! After 24 hours, I could not dislodge any of the beads even with rigorous scraping with my fingernails! I can see lots of uses for this stuff! Oh, and I used Quilters’ Dream “Dream Puff” batting. I love that batting! Do you see how the leaves really pop? Like they were trapuntoed. But they were not. Just tamping down the background gives that effect with this batting.

And this is the back. Is it my best work??? NO. Is it nice? Yes. Main thing, it is DONE! And done is good!

Now I’m back to working on the guild’s raffle quilt!

Have a great and safe Thanksgiving!

Well no picture tonight, but I did complete my brown bag challenge quilt today (except for binding & sleeve). Maybe tomorrow I’ll get some photos taken.

Other than going to the market to do my Thanksgiving shopping, that was my day.

Pretty lame blog day…….

First of all today I received my gift of fabric from Randi. 5 one yard cuts…they are all beautiful! I won the drawing on her blog; amazing ’cause I never win anything! These fabrics are gorgeous, and perfect as I am doing fall stuff! Thanks, Randi!!

Today I went to the veteran’s home with a couple guild members to distribute quilts to the new residents. WE go twice a year, and it is an amazing experience!

The home is like no other I’ve ever seen! Clean. caring and full of activity from the community.

Actually a good place!

And that pretty much filled my day.

Tomorrow it’s back to quilting.

I feel like I’ve been picked up by a tornado! Everything is going so fast. Especially time. Today is my youngest granddaughter Fiona’s First birthday! In the photo below she is helping Mom clean out the pumpkin ‘guts’ so Dad could carve it on Halloween. Looks like she thinks it’s kinda of gross!

I am furiously finishing up Christmas work. And today I did. This is my friend Connie’s fractured diamonds quilt. It is pieced on a fabric foundation, and she pressed all the seams open, but the intersections were still very thick. I had a hell of a time! I raised the hopping foot, but when I got it high enough to get over those seams, the stitches weren’t good, so I put it back. 2 broken needles and timing the machine finally made me change the quilting plan! This is the result. Not my preference, but it worked. The quilt looks nice, and it’s DONE! And done is GOOD!

I am almost finished the prep work on my guilds’ raffle quilt and it will be ready to load tomorrow. BUT, I first have to do my brown bag challenge quilt!! What? It’s due already??? It can’t have been a year already!!!

And, I have to get it AND the raffle quilt quilted before I leave for Virginia on Dec. 5th. And shirts embroidered for Don’s sailboat racing crew by the Dec 2nd race, and postcards made for my next 2 swaps, and the list goes on……

And Mid-Altantic and MQS are coming up fast…got to work on those entries too!

Oh well, who needs sleep anyway!

Finished this Christmas sampler today for a client who is teaching this at a LQS. The light was fading when I finished, so some of the photos are on the dark side, but you can still see the quilting detail.

Blogger was selective in letting me upload photos tonight, so you can’t see the outer red border, it had Holly leaves quilted too, like the sashing, only larger.

It was fun, and now its done! And I am on schedule, … and that’s a big thing! The next one is loaded, and tomorrow, I’m off and running again!

I’m glad you all are enjoying the quilters’ horoscope. It amazes me how close these things are. Though I guess you can read anything into them. Fun though.

I’m slaving away, no photos yet, maybe tomorrow. Got to finish this quilt, and move on to the next one tomorrow. No rest for the weary…lol!

Did get a neat phone call this weekend though from my son…Fiona, my youngest granddaughter is now walking on her own! I’ll be going to see them and the rest of the family in early December. I can hardly wait!

Slim pickin’s today on my blog….sorry!