Some finishes and some Apps

Wow, I haven't posted in almost a month.  I have been busy these past few weeks. 

First, I gave up trying to finish the board game quilts for this year's Christmas presents.  There was too much hand work, and I never would have gotten them finished in time.  Too much stress.  I'll finish them in the next few months, and they will be ready for next year instead. 

I am still working on one last Christmas present, but it should be finished either today or Christmas eve.  I'll show it when it's done.

I did get 2 quilts finished!  Both of the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings quilts are done. 

Smaller LOTR/The Hobbit quilt

I made labels for both quilts, telling what the blocks are.

label

The last block on the label is for the 13th block, which is on the back of each quilt.  Don't worry, 13 is a lucky number for our family.

13th block on the back of the quilt

This quilt is now in Alaska with my grandson (who it was made for).

I also finished the larger LOTR/The Hobbit quilt.  This quilt will stay with me for a while, so that I can put it in my quilt guild's quilt show in March 2020.

Larger (2nd) LOTR/The Hobbit quilt

I made some fabric books for my grandkids.  These were fun to make. 

I wanted to share a couple of phone apps with you.  The first one I found out about earlier this morning.  As you know, I collect vintage sewing machines.  I'm always finding machines in thrift stores, etc, but can't check any info on them until I get home, and check my serial number book.  Well, a gentleman made an app using the Singer serial numbers.  If you enter the serial number, his app will tell you what model the machine is, what year, and how many machines of that model were made in that serial number run.  It does NOT tell you where the machine was made, but I have that info in my book at home.  I know I'll use this app a lot.  This app can be found in your Google Play app store.

The second app is one that you may know about already.  The Robert Kaufman Quilting Calculator app.  I use this app all of the time.  It's a great way to figure out how much binding you need.  It also tells you how much fabric you need for a batting/backing. Pieces to yardage, border yardage, square in a square, set-in corner triangles, etc.  This app can be found in almost any of your phone's app stores.

Merry Christmas to Everyone! 

Thanksgiving and Stitching, etc.

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.  It was just hubby, our oldest son and me for Thanksgiving.  We still ate well.

our Thanksgiving feast

I've been busy stitching even though I don't have much to show to prove it.

The ladies ministry at church hosts an ornament exchange each December.  The lady in charge of decorating decided that we needed matching table runners as part of the decorations for the tables and I was drafted to make them.  She provided the white fabric with the gold ornaments, another lady provided the batting and I provided the red with silver snowflakes fabric for the reverse side.  Thank goodness she just wanted solid fabric on each side.  I did some simple stitching with my walking foot.  Here are the six finished table runners (showing both sides).

red on one side and white on the other side

A special friend offered to quilt both of the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings quilts for me.  I made labels for both quilts, including a separate label that lists the names of the blocks, in order, including the 'extra' block on the back of each quilt.  Both of these quilts have the binding stitched to the front of the quilts.  Now I just need to stitch the labels onto the back along with the binding.

both quilts with the labels listing the blocks

I finished almost all of the hand stitching for the board games (no photos, sorry).  Now to finish the last parts by machine, then stitch the parts together. 

I'm also doing some hand quilting on the 2nd Fat Cats quilt.  I made both quilt tops back in 2011.  A friend asked me to make one for her, and I finished that quilt in 2011.  The 2nd quilt top was made when I made the first quilt top, but I never finished it.  It will be finished before Christmas and gifted. 

Fat Cats quilt (being hand quilted)

Back in September I found a roll top desk at Goodwill.  The roll top desk is MUCH larger than the computer desk that I'd been using for the past 20 years.  We had to take everything out of the computer room and completely re-arrange everything to make it fit.  It took longer than expected to re-organize everything (one of the reasons I haven't had much stitching to show since early September).  I took everything off the walls (mainly hubby's ball cap collection) and we've finally hung some of my quilts in the computer room.  I still have space for a couple more wall hangings.

roll top desk with barn quilt and String Star above it

Elephant quilt to the right

Crazy quilt by the printers

Hubby also hung my wooden scissors above the door frame.  You can see our Christmas tree (lights but no ornaments yet) and our Alaskan Malamute, Ratchet.

wooden scissors

Now to get back to stitching!

Catching Up

I had a pin cushion exchange with my Treadle On group.  Here is what I got from Stephanie.

Owl pin cushion and mini pin cushion

needle keeper

needle keeper

zipper bag

Thanks Stephanie for the lovely goodies.  I've used the Owl pin cushion several times already.

I finished both of the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings quilt tops.  These are for our new grandson, Korin.  The first one is HUGE for a baby quilt (54"x72").  Korin will get to use it on his big boy bed one day.

Lord of the Rings/ The Hobbit quilt top

I'd already made the sashings for both quilts, but, since the first quilt was so large, I decided to cut the sashings down.  The second quilt finishes at 44x59.  Perfect for another wall hanging for the babies room.

2nd top with thinner sashing

This photo shows the difference in sizes (one top on top of the other top).

both quilt tops

I have no clue when these will be quilted, since they really need to be long arm quilted.  I can't free motion quilt, and I don't think straight line quilting will look very good on either of these tops. 

With all the flip corner sashings on both of these quilts, I ended up with a stack of 96 bonus half square triangles.  I'm getting a good sized collection of bonus HST's from different projects.

96 bonus HST's

I did finally finish the 3 baby quilts I designed back in June.  A friend asked me to make a baby quilt for her niece, who was having a baby girl.  It has pink minkee on the back.

first baby quilt

The second quilt is for a young lady who used to be in our Venturing Crew several years ago.  She just had a baby girl.  I decided to use faux piping binding for her quilt, and made the piping larger than I normally do.  I love how it turned out. I just taught this technique (again) to my little quilt guild. (I promise the pink isn't nearly as bright as the photo shows).

2nd baby quilt

faux piping binding with larger flange

The last quilt is for our grandbaby, Korin.  Since his Hobbit/LOTR quilt will be a wall hanging (at least the smaller one will), he needs something that can be thrown on the floor and used.  I added his name to the edge of the binding.

Korin's quilt

Korin Josiah

I decided that Korin needed a satin/flannel blanket, since his big sister has one.   I made two of them.  Korin will get the Spiderman blanket and the 2nd one (Winnie the Pooh) will be used as a baby gift in the future. 

satin/flannel blankets

Way back on August 20th (the day Korin was born), I finished the last of the Vintage Miniature Sewing Machine blocks. 

Muller 15 toy sewing  machine

I'm really missing my embroidery each day. 


A friend gave me a lovely vintage quilt top a couple of weeks ago.  I don't know what the block is called.  If you do, please let me know.  The top is in great shape.

top Carrie gave me

I'm sorry I haven't commented on any of your blogs.  I'm almost a month behind on my blog reading.  I've been really busy, and will stay that way until October.  Our oldest son will be coming home from Alaska (where he has spent the summer with his younger brother, his wife and our grandkids).  Our inlaws are coming for a visit (yipee) and I also have another Lyon's Farm Fall Festival coming up (booth/demo of vintage sewing machines).

If  you are near the western suburbs of Chicago, come visit me at the Lyon's Farm Festival the last weekend of Sept.  Info at this link.

Final 2 Hobbit/LOTR blocks done

I've finished the last two Hobbit/LOTR blocks for the baby quilt(s).  The color in the photos doesn't show up well.

Legolas' bow

both of Legolas' bows

Grey Havens

both Grey Havens

Grey Havens is the ship that Bilbo, Frodo and the elves sail away on at the end of Lord of the Rings. 

I've decided on how to 'frame' the blocks and now I'm trying to figure out the setting.  I have 2 different settings below.  I'm trying to put the blocks 'in order' from The Hobbit thru Lord of the Rings.

Setting #1

Setting #2

I'm leaning towards setting #2.  Any suggestions???

On Monday night I taught faux piping binding to my little quilt guild.  I've taught this before (several years ago) but we have several new members that wanted me to teach it again.  Well, I realized on Sunday afternoon that I don't have anything that I've used faux piping binding on.  It's all be given away.  Oops!  Well, back in January I taught a class at church on mug rugs.  I still had some of the mug rug kits leftover, and 3 of them had faux piping binding in the kits.  I'd stitched up the mug rugs a few months ago, but hadn't put the binding on yet.  I quickly added the binding on all three mug rugs.

2 mug rugs with faux piping binding

My Oops! turned into 3 more finishes. 

Now to start cutting the sashing for the Hobbit/LOTR blocks.  My new grandson is due TODAY, so I'm behind.  Oh well, we expect him to be late, too. 

RSC19 & Other Finishes

I decided to finish my pink RSC19 blocks on my Featherweight.  The block I'm making each month is called Cut Glass.

pink RSC19 blocks

I also turned the 4 pineapple blocks into pin cushions.  One of these is for the Treadle On pin cushion exchange. 

4 pin cushions

Yesterday I finished block #11 of the Vintage Sewing Machine blocks. I only have one more block to finish.  I was really hoping to find the other Ella & Skysie sewing machine design called 'Antique Sewing Machines', but I'm not having any luck.  These patterns are out of print.

Vintage Miniature Sewing Machines block #11

The block above is of a Singer 20 chain stitch machine.  I have one in my collection.

1950's Singer 20

I also finished another LOTR/Hobbit set of blocks, Lord of the Eagles.

Lord of the Eagles block

both blocks together

I only have 2 of these LOTR/Hobbit blocks left to make. 


PS:  For those of you who have been praying for us, hubby started his new job Monday.  It's been a long 9.5 months, but God has provided all along the way.  

A few quick finishes

I finished the Vintage Miniature Sewing Machine block that I was working on during Slow Stitching Sunday. 

block #10

I'm at least 3/4ths of the way thru block #11 already.  I'm trying to find another Ella & Skysie pattern 'Antique Sewing Machines', to compliment these blocks, but I can't find anywhere to purchase the pattern.  Ella & Skysie don't publish their patterns anymore, and most places are out of stock.  If you know of where I can find the pattern, please let me know. 

AQS is having a cute quilt along, Scoops & Cones.  They released the instructions for the Ice Cream Cone block early and I made a couple of paper pieced cones.

AQS's paper pieced pattern

my 2 ice cream cones

You can also make this quilt using traditional piecing methods. I made these 2 cones as leaders and enders while I worked on the next LOTR/Hobbit blocks.  I'm thinking that I can use some of these ice cream cone blocks to go with my Chocolate 9 Patch blocks from the Treadle On exchange from last year. 

I finished my other leader and ender blocks while I finished the latest LOTR/Hobbit blocks.

pineapple blocks

JRRT block

both JRRT blocks

These blocks went together really quickly.  Now to figure out which block I'll make next.