Postcards

This year I am making postcards for the grand-kids for their birthday's. I didn't start until the March birthday so will go until March 2017.
When I got back to Texas from our 7 week 'vacation' in Idaho I sat down at my machine to sew the first post card and my machine IS NOT WORKING! I took it to the repair shop yesterday. Although I thought this through, I thought, my extra machines are ALL in Idaho. (I have about 4 that work well and a treadle that works, and 2 OLD ones that I haven't tried to sew on.)I also packed and moved ALL my interfacing, wonder under... I need that to do the postcards. Luckily a friend loaned me a machine and I went to Joann's and bought a yard of interfacing, enough for 30 postcards. One down 11 to go...I need to get them made up through July since I think it will take a long time to get my sewing area up and working.

I've ironed some strips to the interfacing...waiting for some sewing time.

moving...a struggle that continues....

I have not fallen off the edge of the earth. Just in Idaho. Lots of snow!  I have high altitude sickness and struggle to function. I did find and visit a quilt shop and a knit shop. I started and finished a hat this week. Have 3 more planned.  The sons lost their hats. ..also husband. Young granddaughter hasn't received one yet. ..so now I'm not bored while I try to get used to the altitude. Didn't bring my computer on this trip so I won't do many posts.

so busy..

Here is a collection of postcards that my parents have received;

I do not know why I did 2 m's, bad record keeping I guess. I love the B but it doesn't quite go with the others....Maybe I'll make another one. ..In the future. My life is just a bit chaotic right now. I need to say that the work of Kathleen Loomis inspired me to start these postcards, her and a whole bunch of narrow scraps of fabric. I'm not an artist but I enjoyed doing these letters..  Maybe the whole alphabet should be my next goal....

Christmas is almost here and I have managed to put up/out 8 Christmas quilts and a wreath on the front door. But that was removed since we had the door repainted....I did an extra lot of decorating last year so this year the nothing decorated balances out...Doesn't seem to bother anyone but me.

I'm still here

I have quit long arming until we are settled in our new place; probably 6 months. Maybe I'll get this blogging re-figured out. Meanwhile I was able to get a photo and reduce it so I can put it here.

This was a fun, easy quilt my friend Lisa made. I quilted our favorite paisley design on it. It was beautiful. Lisa's quilts are always beautiful and well made. A winning combination.

edit;
When I looked at this post the picture did not show up, however, when I clicked on it anyway I could see it...

A Quilt I have quilted...

This is just a test to see if my resizing worked...Although it is true I quilted this quilt;

All crosshatching. Those squares? They are not quite square. A friend's grandmother pieced...some of the navy blocks, Lisa decided to finish the quilt and added the lighter blue blocks then re-sewed many of the navy ones. It turned out fabulous.  Now I wonder what a green and white quilt done the same way would look, or how about 2 shades of pink?

Postcards for October

I've done 2 more October postcards;

Initially the postcard on the left was to be oriented the long way, so I put the blue sky as it is......but I decided that cat worked better vertical. I had to go dig through my collar and cuff scraps to get the pumpkin.

 

Life has been crazy busy but I may still have blogged if I could get an easy resizer tool for windows 10...I got a new computer and am learning how to use it. Everything seems to be different....maybe it's an improvement but it just seems wrong now.

 

Many things are happening in our life but that will be another blog post....

 

 

postcards continued

Yes, I still send postcards, not everyday lately but several times a week. Summer was just so busy this year. This is the latest.

 

Will I ever run out of narrow little bits of shirt fabric? 

Julie's quilt

I really did stay busy this summer. Too busy sometimes. I was asked, very sweetly, to quilt a quilt for our only granddaughter. She had been given a vintage top, it only needed a simple panto....HA!
Unfortunately it was stained so they washed it before sending it to me. Oh dear, parts shrank way more than other parts, and no, I didn't take a before picture. I decided to take it apart and resew it. After it was apart I decided it would be easier to replace the fabric. Luckily for me I couldn't get 2 shades of turquoise so I got to eliminate the 4-patches in the corner stones and simplify the quilt.

 Here is my eq7 version of the original. The applique blocks are not very accurate, but they are tulips, there are 3 of them in each block, and they are bright colors.
This is the computer version of what I changed it to:

I think I improved it. Softened the colors somewhat and eliminated the 4-patch (I couldn't find 2 shades of turquoise.) Then I HAD to custom quilt it.

This still has the markings on it but I outlined the tulips then did a double square in the background and a simple meander.

 I used a large plate to trace a partial circle, then I used a cup and a can to trace different size circles in an arc in the border. I quilted an apple blossom in each small circle, the did a simple meander in the background. The bottom of the quilt got her name; Julie Grace.

My son designed the name on the computer in 5 inch high letters. I glued them to freezer paper and cut them out. After ironing them on the border I traced around each letter, then removed the freezer paper. Then I quilted around each letter twice, added some flowers and meandering and finished;

Here you can see the backing fabric and one of the 2 pillowcases I made her.
I LOVED the way it turned out!

Nativity? Nativity to be...

My sister decided to make 4 of her children Nativity scenes for Christmas this year. She has been working all year on this project. In May I helped her a bit (if you call ripping out what she had done and telling her to do it over help) and then in June she gave me the 4 grounds and  the 4 skies. I put them together and quilted them for her. Now she will paint figures onto pellon and velcro them to the backgrounds. I may or may not see the finished product for years. But here are the backgrounds:

Swirls for wind currents on the sky and map contour lines on the ground.

More swirls on the sky and McTavishing on the ground.

Giant stars on the sky and giant roses on the ground.

Les exuberant swirls on the sky and more contours on the ground...I think I added some grass and flowers too.

These were fun to do. I tried sewing the backgrounds together and quilting the tops with one mounting....ended up undoing the backgrounds and doing them separately. I can't remember exactly why but it was easier to do them apart.

100 things a quilter should do....

I found a list of 100 things a quilter do before she dies. I decided to make my own list.

1. Make a quilt, any size. Otherwise you are not a quilter...many.
2. Make a miniature quilt.Several, accuracy is so important here. Here is one.
3. Make a King size quilt! I've got one started here, and I've quilted many.
4. Make an easy pattern; 9-patch or rail fence. Done several, this is one of my favorites.
5. Make a log cabin or 3. Did one as a very beginner quilter, here, tough block.
6. Hand quilt ONE, at least. Really I did, some were miniature, one was not.
7. Machine quilt one so you know if you like it or not. Done hundred's, on my domestic and long arm.
8. Use a walking foot. Makes quilting straight lines on the domestic possible.
9. Do some free motion quilting.So fun. Domestic here. Long arm here.
10. Bind a quilt. Not my favorite past time, but I don't let them linger unbound either.
11. Pillowcase a quilt. Hate it, Did one in my 20's, that was fine. Now? NEVER!
12. Donate a quilt. Many, my favorite: here.
13. Work on a donation quilt. Many times.
14. Sell tickets to a donation quilt. Every year..really do not like to, I've bought lots too..
15. Put a bias binding on. My first quilt had bias binding, cause I thought that was the way it was supposed to be done...now only if the stripe needs to be diagonal.
16. Bind an odd shaped edge quilt. My daughter-in-laws hexagon, here. NEVER again.
17. Do prairie points. Never done this, really not crazy about it or I would have. :)
18. Hand finish a binding. Many, many times.
19. Machine finish a binding. Many, many times, baby quilts usually and kid's quilts.
20. Add piping to a binding. Yes, once for sure...maybe twice., memory fog!
21. Applique a block. Done a few, they are not in quilt yet.
22. Hand piece a block. Done a few, they are not in a quilt yet.
23. Redraft a block pattern to a different size.All the time, now I use eq7.
24. Do a yo-yo, or 100 yo-yo's. I've done a few, and taught others...but not crazy about them...until I see them in an OLD quilt, then they are amazing.
25. Try English Paper Piecing. The FIRST quilt I ever started....
26. Try paper piecing. I find it tedious but the blacks can be amazing.
27. Exchange a set of blocks with a group of friends. I find this so FUN! Lots.
28. MAKE that set of blocks into something. I've done MANY, have MANY to do.
29. Wash a quilt. Lots of times.
30. Take a washed quilt that bled and rescue it. Here
31. Attend quilt Festival in Houston! Almost every year since 1979, pretty sure I would not have if I hadn't lived so close.
32. Look at the QUILTS at festival. I am amazed at the women that go and JUST shop.
33. Read quilt magazines, at the library or your home.I no longer read them, but as a beginner I loved them.
34. Check out a quilt book from the library.I have read all the quilt books in the 3 libraries I have lived near in the last 35 years.
35. Buy your own quilt book. Years ago my Mother told me it was okay to buy something I was passionate about occasionally once a month. Luckily I did not buy a book a month or I'd have way more than I do...30 years x 12 = a ton of books!  
36. If you use your book WRITE in it about your quilt. I particularly enjoy rereading the books I took notes in, like I did in college. They are yours, you can write in them. Date the quilts you make, write down who you gave them to, or who helped you make them.
37. Organize your books.I used to have them arranged by topic and all the same author together, now I have them arranged by color. Silly but I enjoy looking at them.
38. Donate a quilt book to the library.When I was getting ready to move the last time I donated a box of quilting books to our library.
39. Make a label. I have been making labels for years, I 've made all the labels for my Mother's quilts also, imagine my surprise when I find several quilts that are unlabeled. I don't think they are finished until they are labelled.
40. Make a different label. I have counted cross-stitched labels, computer printed labels, hand embroidery labels, painted labels and inked labels. My favorite is to have a friend with an embroidery machine make the labels for me.
41. Keep making labels until ALL your quilts are labeled. I'm working on this.
42. Make a label for the quilt your Grandma made. Done, see #40.
43. Make a rod pocket to hang a quilt. Done. So much easier if done when the binding is being made.
44. Make a pillowcase to store your quilt in. I've recently realized that making 2 is a good idea...if they actually use the pillowcase it will wear out way before the quilt will.
45. Make a pillow out of a lone block.  Sometimes you don't want to make a whole quilt and a pillow will be just fine. I have several I get out at Christmas.
46. Keep a journal about your quilt making experience. Since I often have more than one quilt in the works it helps if I take notes, I have a notebook of just my exchange quilts.
47. Take pictures of your quilts.I keep them in a file on the computer now but my notebook has many pictures.
48. Hostess a speaker for your guild. I've gotten to do this 3 times now and it is really fun. Not picking them up at the airport but the talking to them.
49. Join a guild. There are 4 close enough for me to join, the one I'm most active in is the farthest away, but I was the most comfortable there. I attended 2 for a long time but now it is once a month, which was great when I had kids at home. I may get more involved now.
50. Be an officer in your guild. It is hardly fair that the same 10 people do the bulk of the work in a guild. Be the new blood and take an easier job, become friends with these women that share your passion.
51. Go on a quilt retreat. I've done this, but if I have an extra $300  I want to spend it visiting my grandkids.
52. Take a class from a speaker with your guild members. These classes are cheap AND the ladies are nice and share your passion so it is FUN. My goal this year was to take EVERY workshop that wasn't on Sunday and learn something new. So much fun. New friends are made when you spend time with them.
53. Go to a small local quilt show. These are so much fun, easy to see EVERY quilt.
54. Go to a small local quilt show while on vacation. The Denver Capitol Quilt show is great and the one they have in Springville, Utah is worth going to.
55. Figure out how to use yellow in your quilt.The first time I did this I thought it was a FAIL but my mother honestly loves that quilt; so I gave it to her. Since then I have done it to the point that I liked it too.
56. Discover the color wheel. I've read 2 books about this.
57. Make a quilt using the color wheel. I'm working on an analogous quilt now.
58. Understand the weaving process, warp and weft.
59. Learn which direction of your fabric stretches. 
60. Ease in to make your points match.
61. Do a Y seam.
62. Do it again.
63. Follow a blogger about quilting.
64. Follow a Instagram quilter. I did for awhile, found I'd rather just have family on instagram.
65. Learn the math! If you forget, there are lots of references available.
66. Design your own quilt, be creative.
67. Do it the old way with graph paper.
68. Do it the new way on the computer.
69. Combine 2 blocks in quilt.
70. Teach someone else to piece a quilt.
71. Teach someone else how to quilt a quilt.
72. Teach a child to quilt.
73. Make a play thing for a child using your quilting skills.
74. Make a bag.
75. Quilt a bag. I've quilted about 4 bags.
76. Display a quilt in your home. Many many quilts are displayed in my home.
77. Make a piece of clothing. I made vests and skirts....now nothing in my wardrobe is quilted.
78. Write directions on how to make a block. Did this for the guild...
79. Finish a quilt that has languished for YEARS on the back burner.
80. Make a quilted item for a gift.
81. Make something for your kitchen using your skills.
82. Organize your fabric.
83. Donate some fabric to an organization that will use it.
84. Use a ruler you bought.
85. Use another one or give it away.
86. Use a rotary cutter
87. Replace the blade in your rotary cutter.
88. Use scissors to cut out a block.
89. Use templates to cut out a block.
90. Test your markers.
91. Try out a new kind of marker.
92. Organize your sewing things.
93. Check ergonomic ways of improving your posture or the height of your table.
94. Learn some exercises to give your body relief after long stints of sewing.
95. Put a water bottle near your sewing and drink it.
96. Save your tiny scraps for a heavy pillow for heart patients.
97. Dye some fabric to use in your quilt.
98. Use someone else's hand dyed fabric.
99. Use solids in your quilt (or prints if you only do solids.)
100. Clean and oil your machine

Can you tell I accidentally hit publish instead of save... don't even have 100 on here yet...I'm going to edit it occasionally over the next few days and change things a bit...
This is really a difficult post...everytime I change the color, it flips to the wrong place....I can't stand to work on it for very long at a time.

Fall

It is almost fall, if you don't have a quilt done for fall you still have time if you do nothing else. My Mother had her fall quilts out when I visited 2 weeks ago. She loved one of my quilts...this one;

So she improved it and created this:

Appliqued pumpkins, brown instead of black and hand quilted. I love it. In person it kind of glows.
One year when she was visiting I taught her how to do half square triangles and we made leaf blocks.
Here are my maple leaf blocks, I was holding out for time to make more;

And here are hers;

a maple leaf table topper, hand quilted with squirrels and FINISHED! It looked so nice on her table that I want table toppers now.

Empty nest

It's hard to believe that after 37 years my youngest is out of the house! We took him to BYU-Provo last week. On our way we stopped to visit a son in Rigby, Idaho..... Now we are getting ready to move to Rigby! We are purchasing a house across the street from 3 of our grand-kids.
So the purge begins.....

A smaller home than we have now, but we want to retire near grandkids.
It has a full basement and a large room that my longarm AND my sewing will fit into. I have been  Quilter Upstairs; I will become The Quilter Downstairs. Those 2 windows at the bottom of the front of the house are to my studio. I can't wait until Spring!

snowman quilt

Sometimes I get a quilt to do that is just plain FUN to quilt. This snowman sampler/exchange was one of them.

 This is one of the first ones I quilted. Isn't that a lovely snowman?

I love this. Really gives me incentive to get some of MY sets of blocks together.

The back is minky, so this quilt will be quite snuggly on the couch every winter.

Swimming

I LOVE HAVING A SWIMMING POOL! It was fabulous when we had all the kids at home and it is fabulous when the grand-kids visit. And it is fabulous when I can get in and exercise by myself.
Just sitting near it is cooling. Not that I can stand to sit near it for long.

 Even the 2 month old enjoyed it.

 Noodles make it even more fun.

This squirt gun was too much for him to handle but he played with it anyway.

They brought this 'blob' from Colorado and it was a BIG hit after Uncle Andrew blew it up for them.

S'mores

I noticed that my 7 year old grandson wanted to experiment with s'mores this year so while they were here we made s'mores twice.

 The red pillar candles came in use to roast the marshmallows over. Took awhile but it was too hot outside. The first night was pretty standard, we just had miniature marshmallows to use. The second night I'd found some 'nutter butter' cookies to use instead of the graham crackers. 

Here you can see the wafer cookies under the chocolate, we only had enough cookies for open face s'mores, or cookie underneath and graham on top.

Fun and delicious. I also bought Reese's Peanut butter cups. A whole bag. Cannot find them. Still looking. oh well, something to experiment with for the next time we are together!

college, ready?

This week we did an exercise in getting ready for college....and How much money will he need for groceries? We made a list....not really we went to the grocery store and wandered around. This is what we decided he needed for a weeks worth of food;
3 large potatoes
5 cans of soup
2 cans green beans
1 bag of carrots
8 apples
pizza cheese
1 small bag of pancake mix
1 dozen eggs
1 bowl oriental soup

to be used from home;
1 jar spaghetti sauce
flour and sugar, yeast (for bread)
and flour tortillas

This is what we figured he cold fix from that;
homemade bread
camel eye
baked potatoe
hash browns
pancakes
pizza
spaghetti
scrambeled eggs
french toast

Not sure this kid is going to keep himself alive when he leaves home.

any ideas?

sleeping bags

Two of our grandson's live in sunny California so when Mom and Dad want to go backpacking they do not want to pack 4lb sleeping bags that are too big and too warm for their boys. Grandma to the rescue....I made these in about 2 hours, matching pillows also.

60 inches of polar fleece folded in half stitched across the bottom and up 2/3rds. I had to add red for the red boy to like it so then I added blue to the blue boys also. The handle on the pillow is attached to the pillow; then the pillow case needed a hole for the handle to come through.

EASY PEASY....now to find out if they are loved and used....

Graduation!

Child #6! Graduated. Empty nest syndrome countdown! Andrew graduated with a 3.9 GPA and is going to attend BYU Provo in the fall.


Graduation speakers were short and had a good message. I got some knitting in since we had to be there 90 minutes early. After graduation he wanted to go to a Japanese restaurant so we googled it and chose one. Oishii. It happened to be happy hour and so we got to try 10 items on their happy hour list. The best? The fried banana! It was fun.

 Yesterday marked the first day of his real job. He is working for Source Web Solutions in Friendswood, TX. He (and we) are so excited for this opportunity for him to use his geekhood to monetary advantage!

sewing with grandkids....

I got to visit my daughter many miles away when she had her fourth boy! Everyone is doing great and I am back home.Grandchild #9 was born May 12, 2015.

This almost 2 year old fell in love with his new brother! So fun to see, so scary for Mom to have him want to hold him all. the. time.
I found one activity the older boys loved, sewing;

And what did they sew? The perfect project....We cut mom's old dish towels down to rags and folded them in thirds then the boy's got to choose a decorative stitch to hold the layers together with:

I know, not much to look at but the boys loved it! We used up odd bits of thread in the bobbins and maybe... the boys will enjoy using the rags they made for cleaning! We can only hope. They WANTED to use them as washcloths.
I had a great time and even managed to go to a thrift store where I found a couple of purple men's shirts that I needed for my current project. (The five year old informed me that men did not wear purple shirts....)

I was able to show him that they did.
I've been home a week so I should actually get something finished soon.....

potholders.....remodeled

My daughter had some sad looking potholders. ....I remodeled her 3 sad looking ones to these happy ones.
I think they are pretty great and so does Liz.
This is my first post using my cell phone
Takes some getting used to.