A Finish, Exchange Blocks, Some New Things....

I haven't had a chance to post about my latest finish.  I made a quilt for our youngest nieces high school graduation.  We delivered it to Albuquerque a little over a week ago, while we were there to attend another nieces wedding.

Ashley and her quilt

Here is a picture of the bride and her bridal party.  I didn't get a picture with the groom.

part of the wedding party

When I got home, there was an envelope waiting for me.  My Treadle On group had another block exchange, using our treadles or hand crank sewing machines.

These are the blocks I sent.  I used some of my sewing themed fabrics.  I sent 4 sets of blocks, using 3 different machines to make the blocks.

my blocks

I received 32 blocks from 18 cities in 14 states.  19 different people made these blocks on 24 different machines. 

Treadle On Spring 2016 TOBE blocks received

Also waiting for me when we got home from the wedding was my new June Taylor Shape Cut ruler.  I already had a much smaller June Taylor Shape Cut ruler, that I'd used for cutting the fringe on fleece blankets, years ago.  I'd never used the ruler for anything else, until Jocelyn at Happy Cottage Quilter started talking about how great her Shape Cut ruler is.  I finally pulled mine out, and used it to cut lots of 2" squares for my Happily Scrappily Irish quilt, AFTER I'd used a friends Go cutter.  OH MY!!!  The Shape Cut ruler was so much easier and quicker!!!!!

new June Taylor Shape Cut Pro ruler

both Shape Cut rulers together

Another friend has the Shape Cut Pro, and it cuts 2.5" strips on full width fabric, folded in half.  After using the little Shape Cut ruler, I just had to have the larger one, too.  I used it to cut the sashing strips for my Tulip Fields quilt.  My Tulip Fields strips are 3.5", and it was easy to line it up with this ruler.  It didn't take me very long to cut all my strips.

sashing strips for Tulip Fields quilt

On Tuesday, after I took Bonnie a machine to use while she was in town, I stopped at a few thrift stores.  I hit the jackpot for quilting DVD's.  Only one of these quilting DVD's has been opened.  I'll try to get them all watched over the next few months.  Not sure if I even have the books that go with the DVD's.

quilting DVD's

I've been stitching away on my Happily Scrappily Irish quilt.  I've gotten lots done, so far. 

6 rows completed

There are only 12 rows in this quilt (11 blocks per row).  I'm working on the last 20 patchwork blocks.  This quilt top will soon be finished!

Of course, I can't sew alone.  My little dog insists on being with me.  She even has a bed under one of my machines.

Katie, my sewing supervisor (taking a nap)

Of course the large dog also thinks he needs to supervise, but, he isn't allowed in my sewing room (he takes up all the extra space).  Instead, he lays at the top of the stairs, where he can keep an eye on me, and make sure no one comes up and bothers me.

Ratchet, blocking the stairs

It's nice to have 'helpers' but, I wish they'd keep their fur off my fabric ;)

Working on Ashley's Quilt

Another one of our nieces will be graduating this Spring.  I've been working on her quilt.  When I last posted about it, I guess I didn't make myself clear, and some people thought that I drew up this pattern.  Nope, I purchased a pattern, then re-drew it to fit my needs, as I frequently do.

This is the pattern I chose to make the quilt with.  I saw a sample at a local quilt shop back in early November.   I loved the sample, and figured that I could use the pattern.

Cosmic Jewels Revisited pattern

This pattern tells you how to make 4 different size quilts (wall, lap, queen, king), but, none of the sizes are what I need, since I need a twin size quilt, for a dorm bed.  I figured if I made the wall size and made it twice, I could turn it into a twin size quilt.  I re-drafted it (making the blocks slightly larger than the wall size blocks in the pattern).  Since it takes 8 different colors, besides the background, I needed to see what colors would look nice next to each other.  This is what I came up with.

my re-drafted version of the pattern

There is a great guide in the pattern, to help with the placement of each color.  They give you a grey guide, with numbers for the colors (1 thru 8).

great placement guide

I made a photocopy of this page, and used markers, so that I could put my colors in the correct places.

colored in placement guide

I finished the center of this quilt last night.

center of the twin size quilt top

When I purchased the pattern, I found a great border fabric.  I purchased the border fabric, then found the solids for the center of the quilt. 

I need to figure out which way I want to turn the border fabric now, so that I can add the borders.

top to bottom

side to side

Isn't that a great border fabric?  My sister-in-law told me bold and bright.  This is surely bold and bright! 

I've already made 2 pillowcases to go with this quilt.  My niece got one pillowcase for Christmas (not knowing anything about the quilt), and will get the other pillowcase when she gets the quilt.

can you guess which pillowcases go with this quilt?

I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to get this one quilted, or, if I'm going to quilt it myself, with straight lines. 

Check back with me on Tuesday for a 'Celebrate International Craft Month' blog hop, hosted by Darlene at Quilt Shop Gal.

A Few Things

My Birthday was last week, so, I've gotten a few fun things.

I have a Secret Sister at church.  I think she knows me well, can you tell?

sewing themed candle base (battery operated candle)

not only does it have 'sewing' items, but, it even has a boot, since I'm a born & bred Texan

this was the sticker on the card

Another friend also gave me some cool stuff.

coloring book and colored pencils

this card reminds me of my sewing room

She also gave me a cool, zipper bag, that is in the picture with the jelly roll strips that I won at Inchworm Fabrics.  Thanks Jeanette!

zipper bag (gift), and jelly rolls I won

Back in September, I found a sewing machine table.  At the time, I wasn't sure what machine it would fit.  I've since found out that it is a Singer 401 table, but, it will fit a Singer 301 short bed machine.  Both my Singer 301's are long bed machines (I do have a Singer 401, but, I haven't stitched much on it).  Well, a lady with a Singer 301 short bed machine traded beds with me (they just screw on and off).  She has the table for the Singer 301 long bed, and there was a gap, since her short bed didn't quite fit.  Well, now we are both happy.

Singer 301 with it's new short bed

We knew that the colors would probably be a bit 'off' but, that doesn't bother either of us.  Now I can use my table!  I was hoping that my new Featherweight would also fit in this table, but, I found out that the Featherweight is slightly wider than a Singer 301 or 401, so, it doesn't fit :(

Featherweight sits 'on' the table, not 'in' the table, oh well

I guess I'll just have to keep looking for a Featherweight table:)  I did get myself something for the Featherweight.  I've burned my hand 5 times now, on the light on the Featherweight.  I'm not used to machines with lights, and, this machine is shorter than my other machines, so, I keep hitting the light (Ouch)!  I found a LED bulb for Featherweights at Nova's Featherweights.  It shipped quickly.  Sorry that the picture is blurry.

new LED bulb

This bulb gets warm, but not HOT.  MUCH better!

I have been doing some stitching.  I've made lots and lots of half square triangles.

HST's

I'm making this pattern. 

top half of twin sized quilt (bottom will be the same as the top)

This is how far I've gotten so far today.

top corner(s) of pattern

I still have lots of stitching to go on this one.  It's for my nieces graduation, in the spring.