A Finish and an Oops!

First, I finished my 2023 Pride of the Prairie Challenge quilt.  Here are the rules: 

Details for the 2023 Quilt Show Quilt Challenge

The Quilt Challenge will be one of Imagination and inspiration. 

Pick a significant moment or event in your life that has stood out to you.  It can be anything!  The birth of a child, your first kiss, first date, learning to drive, your wedding day, a marriage proposal, a memorable 4th of July or Holiday, etc.  

Well, I had already started a toilet paper quilt (made one for my inlaws back in 2020), so I figured that I could use the one I was making for myself in the challenge.  

Covid Toilet Paper Shortage quilt

Done!

I started straight line quilting on Emmalynn's Compass quilt.  Well, as I was quilting, I saw a spot on the yellow.  As I continued quilting, more spots appeared.  Oh no!

spots on the yellow parts

As I was finishing the quilting on the Tinkerbell quilt for the Villa Rosa blog hop, the walking foot started squeaking, so, when I was done, I decided to add a drop of oil to the walking foot (and carefully wiped the walking foot down afterwards).  Evidently, using the walking foot really distributed the old oil & grease all thru the walking foot. Well, I promptly took the walking foot off and cleaned it again.  Oh my!  This is the napkin that I used to clean the walking foot.

napkin after cleaning the walking foot

I wiped until I didn't see any black marks (then wiped more, just in case).  I can't clean the spots on the quilt until I'm finished quilting and binding the quilt.  Oh well.  Hopefully the oil/grease will come out with some Dawn.  On a positive note, the walking foot doesn't squeak anymore.

I'm still figuring out how I am going to quilt all the different parts of this quilt.  

If you haven't already entered the giveaways on the last blog post, you still have time.   Prize registration closes Sunday, January 29th, 2023.  

Remember, I must have an email address in order for you to be registered!!!!  Lots of people have left comments, but they are no-reply, and can't be entered for any of the prizes.  If you have commented on the last blog post, go back and check to see if you are entered (I commented under every comment that is no-reply).  If you can't comment (Blogger is being a pain), then send me an email, and I will enter you.  If you don't get an email back from me within 24 hours, you are NOT entered (no-reply).  I reply to EVERY comment that I get.  Comments matter to me!

Villa Rosa Designs Fast & Fun Blog Hop & Giveaway!

Hello,

Today is my turn in the Villa Rosa Designs Fast & Fun blog hop. I'm also having a giveaway on my blog, not just the sponsor giveaways.

I was asked to participate by Trisha.  I'd participated in a blog hop for her book 'I Love Precut Quilts' back in 2017.  I enjoyed that blog hop, and thought that this blog hop would be fun, too.  

I'm a quilter, thrift store junkie and collector of vintage sewing machines.  I also do most of my sewing on vintage sewing machines (mainly hand cranks and my Featherweight).

We were given 5 different patterns to choose from for this blog hop.

You can purchase a set of these 5 patterns HERE.  Villa Rosa is also giving away sets of these patterns on each blog that is participating.

I chose to make the Hillside Charm quilt since I had a panel sitting around that I hadn't gotten around to using, that I could trim to size.  I also had all the other fabrics in my stash.  We've had so much rain and gray skies since I finished this, that I had to take photos of the quilt at my large quilt guild's meeting a few days ago (large gym with lousy lights, but a great carpeted wall to pin the quilt to).

Tinkerbell

The directions on the pattern were easy to follow.  I did change up one thing.  It called for 9 different fabrics for the 5" squares, but I had collected 10 different fabrics, and went ahead and used all 10 fabrics.  I'm sure the extra squares that I cut will be used in another project.  Using the 'extra' fabric made it so that I could arrange my fabrics in 'order', not random (I'm an order type of gal).  

I did minimum quilting on this, and I'll finish the center quilting by hand at a later date (I'm not good at free motion quilting, and I want to outline Tinkerbell and the letters TINK, along with some of the hearts).  I did add a nice flange binding to the quilt using the same pale aqua in Tinkerbell's wings.

flange binding

I also added one of my labels on the back of the quilt.

I had some Tinkerbell flannel fabric, but not enough to cover the borders, so I added some yellow to finish the backing. 

back of quilt

Yesterday, I was given another panel that would be great for this pattern.  I may be pulling more fabrics and making this quilt again using this new panel.

panel for another quilt

I also have ideas for the other 4 patterns, that I'll make in the future.

Villa Rosa Designs and their sponsors are having giveaways. 

Everyone is eligible to win prizes. Please note that winners outside the USA will receive a digital set of the 2023 Blog Hop Rose Card pattern collection.

There are several opportunities for you to win prizes during the blog hop:

1. Individual bloggers may be hosting giveaways on their blogs for you to win. Please visit these bloggers to find out about their giveaways and how to register.
2. Villa Rosa Designs is giving away a 2023 Blog Hop Rose Card pattern collection on each participating blog.
3. Sponsor prizes have been donated by our lovely Sponsors, above, and even from some of the bloggers, too! These prizes are divided into 2 different categories —
   • Grand Prize Boxes (of which there are 2) are filled with tons of quilting goodies including books, fabric, precuts, notions, patterns, and more.
   • Individual Prizes (each blogger will select 3 winners on their blog) which may be books, patterns, fat quarter bundles, 5″ squares, 2 1/2″ strips, 10″ squares, notions, and more.

WOW! That’s a lot of prizes if you do the math.

Sponsors

Here are the most generous sponsors:

Moda Fabrics

Hoffman International Fabrics

Timeless Treasures

Creative Grids

The Gypsy Quilter

Electric Quilt Company

Banyan Batiks by Northcott

Benartex Designer Fabrics

Quilts of Valor

Annie's Publishing

So, how do you win?

Hop from blog to blog from January 19th through January 26th and register for prizes at each blog. The more participating blogs you visit and register at, the more chances you have to win prizes! It’s really that easy, I promise.

Winners will be selected randomly. Each blogger will select 2 names to go into the Grand Prize Box drawing and 2 winners will be selected randomly to win. Each blogger will also randomly select 3 winners for the Sponsored Individual Prizes.

Prize registration closes Sunday, January 29, 2023.

Winners will be announced the beginning of February 2023. Prizes will be shipped in February 2023.

No purchase is necessary to participate in the Blog Hop or to win prizes.

Here is our Blog Hop Schedule:

01/19/23 Thursday	Villa Rosa Quilts
01/20/23 Friday	From Bolt to Beauty Kathleen McMusing Jaftex Companies
01/21/23 Saturday	Pieceful Thoughts Little Penguin Quilts
01/22/23 Sunday	Quilt with a View mmmquilts
01/23/23 Monday	Cheryl’s Teapots 2 Quilting - ME! Devoted Quilter Quilts of Valor Foundation
01/24/23 Tuesday	Needle and Foot Am I Shouting Yet? Electric Quilt
01/25/23 Wednesday	The Crafty Quilter Jo’s Country Junction Keepsake Quilting Stitchin At Home
01/26/23 Thursday	Villa Rosa Quilts — Blog Hop Wrap Up

Ok.  I mentioned a Giveaway.  I'm also including a prize for those who enter on my blog.  I'd like it if you followed my blog, but that isn't required.  I'm giving away a Stash 'n Store (USA entries only, please, for the Stash 'n Store).

To enter, please let me know if you have a vintage sewing machine, and if you do, do you sew on it? 

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS 

SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN!

I can't contact no-reply bloggers

If you don't get a reply from me to your comment, then, I can't contact you.  I reply to every blog post comment that has an email address.

Prize registration closes Sunday, January 29, 2023.

Emmalynn's Compass

I finished Emmalynn's Compass quilt top.  I renamed it from Peregrine's Compass, to Emmalynn's Compass since it will be for my newest granddaughter, who will be born in a little over a week.

Now to get it basted and quilted.  I'll be straight line quilting this one (I don't do free motion quilting).  I already have some quilting ideas for it.  I entered this in my large quilt guild's quilt show. I entered a total of 9 things in the quilt show.  Not everything is finished, so I have lots to do in the next few weeks.  I stitched the binding on the front of both of my family reunion quilts (only one will be in the show) earlier today.  I'd never gotten around to putting the binding on the quilts since the reunion kept getting cancelled.  I also need to sew the binding on my king sized Autumn Chains quilt.  I have one other quilt that needs to be finished, too.  For the guild challenge, we are supposed to make a quilt about something significant in our life.  Well, I'd already started a Toilet Paper quilt (and made one for my in-laws) at the beginning of Covid, when my in-laws couldn't find any toilet paper. I figured that the whole world shutting down for Covid counted as something significant.  I'm almost finished with the hand quilting.  It will be easy to finish it.

Since the guild's last quilt show was cancelled due to the Covid shutdown (literally 2 days before the show), I'm entering quilts that I had entered in that quilt show.  The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings quilt that I made 2 of for my 1st grandson, the String Star quilt from Kevin the Quilter's class, My Crazy Ladies quilt, and My Featherweight quilt that was the challenge for the quilt show that got cancelled. I also entered the Harry Potter Castle Quilt that I made for my 2nd grandson (I also made 2 of this quilt, since my grandkids live in Alaska, and I can't get the quilts back for quilt shows).

Don't forget to come back on Monday, when it's my day on the Villa Rosa Design's blog hop.  LOTS of prizes for this blog hop, including one on my blog.  

Compass Quilt Update

I've been working on the Compass quilt from the last blog post.  All the 'parts' are done, I just need to tear the paper off the paper pieced parts, and start sewing the parts together.  These are all of the paper pieced parts.

paper pieced parts

Here it is with the non-paper pieced parts (excluding the final border).

all the parts

I'm really liking this so far.  I'm kind of wishing that I'd made two of these like I normally do, since I'm planning on this for my newest granddaughter, who will be born on my 60th birthday, in a few weeks.  If it all goes together nicely, I may have to make another one. 

Now to start tearing all the paper off the back of the paper pieced parts.  What are you working on this week?

Some Stitching & an Upcoming Blog Hop

I've never shown the blocks I finished while we were in Alaska.  I finished 2 of the Angels Among Us blocks (August & September) except for the buttons, which I stitched on when we got back home.  I've started the October block, but I haven't had much time to stitch on it.

August block

September block

I also made another block for the Women of the Bible quilt.  This is the block for Esther.  It is 15 inches square.  I've now made 6 of the 40 blocks.

Esther block

Squirrel!!!!!  On January 4th, I found a quilt I wanted to make.  It is from AQS.  I found it in the Member's Only section, but it was originally in the May 2019 issue of their magazine.  It is called Peregrine's Compass.

photo of their version

I pulled fabric from my stash (gotta use it up), but I didn't like the light blue I had, and I wanted a light gray for the background.  I switched it to primary colors.  This is my center section so far.  I'm almost finished stitching the parts for both of the flying geese sections, too.

not stitched together yet

I figured that it would be easier to trim it into the circle shape AFTER I sew these parts together.  I'm not looking forward to sewing the curves, but I should be able to do it.

I'll be participating in a blog hop for Villa Rosa Designs.  My day is Monday, January 23rd.  I'll be having a giveaway, too.

I can't show you the quilt I've made, but the top is done, and I've started quilting it.  

Christmas Quilty Gifts and Fun!

 We spent 2 weeks in Alaska over Christmas with our youngest son and his family.  Anchorage received a little over 4 feet of snow the week before we arrived.

our son's grill on his deck, you can just see the railing over the top of the snow

hubby & grandkids trying to get to the playhouse

middle grandchild trying to shovel the path

our son and granddaughter on the deck (trying to shovel it)

hubby & youngest grandson is peeking out the playhouse

We were lucky with our travel. Other than a 3 hour delay taking off due to frozen water pipes on the plane, we missed all the weather travel woes that happened a few days after we left.

The night we arrived was the last night for the Christmas Extravaganza at our son's church.  There was a snow maze (with 6 foot tall walls of snow), crafts & activities, and lots of fun.  They also had a room with sets to take photos. 

youngest grandson

granddaughter and oldest grandson

all of us (yes, our daughter in law is pregnant with our 4th grandchild)

We had fun making memories and seeing the landscape around Anchorage.

3 generations reading together

granddaughter having fun with her fabric chalkboard

grandkids

on the way to Girdwood

on the way to Girdwood (outside of Anchorage)

My daughter in law made me something special for Christmas.  She changed the color of the machine to purple in honor of my purple Featherweight.

embroider from my daughter in law

My daughter in law took me to 3 different quilt shops while I was there (a 4th shop was closed ;().

I found some great things to buy at the different quilt shops.

all my goodies from the quilt shops

some fun fabrics (FQ's & half yards)

yard or larger fabrics

multi yardage and more ric-rac for the I Spy quilt I'm working on

12 Days of Christmas book panel (my granddaughter kept trying to sing this song the whole time we were there)

silicone oven mitt pattern and extra blank

silicone trivet blank (I think I can figure this one out myself)

bag pattern, frame and zippers for it

this bag is supposed to fit a Featherweight

When I got home, there were more goodies waiting for me.  First, I'd ordered more labels from France.  I'm almost out of the first 100 labels that I ordered a few years ago. 

200 labels

I also received a gift that came all the way from The Netherlands.  It is a Singercraft Guide. This will be fun to learn how to use. (the link above shows how to use the Singercraft Guide).

Singercraft Guide

up close of the Singercraft Guide

I also had some fun, quilty gifts from a friend.

pot holder & scissor keeper (with ruler)

hot pads

for wiping your hands while cooking

The last I'd seen, since another friend received one last summer and she loves hers.  She doesn't wear an apron, but she loves the towels, so that she can wipe her hands while cooking.  

I also ordered myself some quilty socks.  I got these socks at Sockologie.

quilty socks

This post is already long, so I'll post later showing what I stitched over Christmas and this week.

I will be participating in a blog hop later this month.  I've pulled my fabrics for my project before Christmas.  Now to get started on it.  I'll be having a giveaway with the blog hop.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year's!