Churn Dash blocks

I'm making a baby quilt, with Churn Dash blocks.  I actually pieced enough blocks to make 3 baby quilts.  I figured that I'd have 2 spare tops, just in case. 

I purchased the background fabric, but, all the other fabrics are from my stash.  I had enough of most of the colors left over from my son's wedding quilt.  I did have to dig for some extra yellow and orange. 

baby quilt top

I have a friend who is due, with her first baby, in October.  She wants gender neutral colors.  I think this qualifies.  There are 2 shades of each color, for variety.

I had all the blocks made when the tornadoes came thru our area, again, on Monday night.  Hubby and I decided that I needed a quilt for Quilts of Compassion instead of 2 baby quilts, just sitting around.  I used the extra 24 blocks to make this twin size quilt top.

twin size quilt top

I'm not a machine quilter, but, I can get away with some straight line quilting.  I found a red in my stash that I will use for backing (more gender neutral colors).  I'll try to get the backing pieced later today, and see about getting it quilted in the next week (I hate basting).  

I tried to delay writing this post, since they delivery people were supposed to be here, installing my new dishwasher.  I finally started the post, hoping that they would show up quickly that way (didn't happen).   They are now over an hour late showing up.  The dishwasher was supposed to be installed on Tuesday morning, but, our shut off valve didn't work, so, we got to call out a plumber.  Hopefully, I'll have a new dishwasher shortly. 

Boxes & blocks

I have been busy, but, I couldn't show what I was working on.  I made 3 fabric boxes as gifts.  I gave them all away yesterday, so, I can show them now.

First, I made a box to hold a friends glasses, etc.  Her birthday is today, but, we celebrated at church, yesterday. 

fabric box

 This piece of fabric was on the 'freebie' table at quilt guild earlier this month.  I knew just what to do with it.  Bobbie wears glasses, and loves wild animal prints. 

box, opened

Hubby asked for a fabric box, using some of the camping theme fabrics I used for his camp pillowcases.  I made him 2 different fabric boxes.  One closes with velcro, the other one closes with snaps. 

corners, showing closures

both fabric boxes

top and bottom of boxes

I hadn't made these before, but, they were easy.  I have a couple of them that I've gotten at sales, etc, so, I just changed up the closures, since mine are closed with ribbons.  Hubby didn't like the ribbons.  Now hubby has one for beside his bed, and another one for camping.  I'll be making more of these.  I already have some fabric pulled.

I have been busy making Churn Dash blocks for some baby quilts, too. 

36 churn dash blocks

stitching churn dash blocks

I finished the last seam on all 36 blocks last night, but, I haven't loaded the picture yet.  I still have to square them up (the un-fun part). 

What have you been working on?  Blogland has been pretty quiet lately. 

Quilt Show!

Every year, the Quilters Dozen have a quilt show in the Little White Schoolhouse, during Prairie Fest.  It is a small quilt show, since it is in a one room schoolhouse.  The Quilters Dozen is a group of ladies who hand quilt.  They do let other locals in the quilt show.  I always stop in to see the show, before heading out to drive the Barbershop chorus float in the parade (hubby sings barbershop).

Here are some of the quilts that caught my eye.  I didn't keep track of who made each quilt, sorry (I was in a hurry).  I love that some of these quilts are new, and some are family quilts.

The next two quilts have been featured on my blog, way back in 2011. 

This is the Quilters Dozen's raffle quilt.  Since I didn't receive a call, I'm assuming that I didn't win it (as usual).  Oh well.

2015 raffle quilt

The Quilters Dozen always has a quilt set up for the ladies to work on.  They take turns working on each others quilts.  This is the quilt they had set up.

current project

This is always a fun quilt show.  I know several of the ladies in this group.

The parade went well, but, since I was driving, I couldn't take any pictures. 

Hope everyone is having a great Father's Day!  This is how we've celebrated Father's Day for many years now.  We finish by eating a late lunch at Red Robin.  It was a good day.

Slow Stitching Sunday

My large quilt guild is having a member challenge for our next quilt show, in March 2016.  This one is an easy challenge, I think.  We had to draw a pattern block (out of the hat), and use that block in our quilt.  The block can be as large or small as we want, in the mini quilt, but, the maximum size of the mini quilt is 20" square.  We can also embellish our quilts any way we want to.  Not sure if I'll embellish mine or not.  I can't think of how to embellish it. 

I drew 'Free Trade' as my quilt block. http://www.patchworksquare.com/mf/free-trade-quilt-block.pdf

I tried to cut and paste the block, but, it isn't working. 

I redrafted this block, to a 16" block.  I added borders, to bring it up to 20".  I actually made it a bit larger, and marked the 20" square on the top of the quilt.  It is easier to put it in the plastic frame, if I have a bit 'extra' fabric and backing added.  Since I didn't have any 'money' fabric, I decided to (finally) use some of my sewing themed fabrics for this block. Here is what I made.

Free Trade quilt block, with borders

I know that many others will use a tiny block in an art type quilt, but, that just isn't my style.  I went for straight forward and simple.  I won't win, but, I don't care.  It's fun just to participate.  

I pieced this on my 1959 Singer Spartan (192K) hand crank (of course), and decided to hand quilt it.  I doubt that any of the other challenge quilts will be hand quilted, since very few in this guild hand quilt.  The top is marked, and basted, ready to start the quilting.

quilting marks shown

up close of the fabrics used

backing fabric

My needles are all threaded, and, as soon as I post this, I'll head upstairs, and start hand quilting this. 

Hope you are also going to have a great 'Slow Stitching Sunday'!

Busy! Busy!

I v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y started taking over my youngest son's room, as my sewing room, back in August 2013.  My son didn't want me to pack up his stuff, and, he wanted me to leave his closet, and all his stuff in the closet.  He was supposed to pack things up when he came home that Christmas.  Best intentions........  Yep, he didn't pack things up that Christmas.  This is what his closet looked like back in August 2013.

Connor's closet, back in August 2013

Back then, you could still get into that closet, but, as time passed, more and more stuff was added to that closet, until you could barely get thru the door.  Well, my youngest son just got married last month.  Also, he's been living in Alaska for 1 1/2 years now, so, he's not coming back (and he won't be around to pack up his stuff, either).  I've been packing the stuff in his room for a while now, little by little (still some stuff left to pack).  Last weekend, I started pulling everything out of the closet.  I've packed some of it, taken some of it (including the chair) to Goodwill (3 loads so far), but, lots of it is piled in the guest bedroom, still, waiting to be packed away. 

On Monday, I bought 3 new bookcases, and assembled them.   Most of my fabric is stored in plastic buckets, in the basement.  I've forgotten most of what I have, since I never see it down there.  I've been folding fabric, over comic book boards, for 3 days now.

3 small stacks of folded fabric (about 60 pieces)

This is what I've been folding the fabric onto.  You can get it at your local comic book store.

I've used almost 2 full packages of this, since Wednesday (100 boards per pkg). 

I've been folding fabrics, as they came home, for about a year now, and putting it in the bookshelves in my sewing room. Here is a picture of one of the bookshelves in the sewing room.

folded fabrics in the sewing room

This is the closet NOW.

2 shorter bookshelves

larger bookshelf

There is another bookshelf, under the window in the closet, too.  I'll move lots of the 'non-fabric' items out of the bookshelves in the sewing room (books, magazines, vintage sewing machine parts, etc) to the lower shelves of all the bookcases, and, start filling the spaces with fabric.

I'm only folding pieces that are 1 yard or larger.  I'm not messing with smaller pieces yet.  Until I get the larger pieces stored, I don't know where I can put the smaller pieces.  I'm also collecting pieces that I plan on passing on to other people that will use it.  I'm really bad about not using my scraps, so, I've already started a large pile of scraps for the Quilts of Valor group.  Several of the ladies LOVE scraps. 

I designed a baby quilt this week, and pulled most of the fabrics for it, but, other than some hand stitching, and Quilts of Valor on Tuesday, I've not been sewing at all since early May.  Maybe I'll get back to some stitching soon.  Till then, I'm getting my fill of petting fabric.