Gone Fishing...

I posted in an earlier post that my one real quilting goal this year is to make more charity quilts... at least one for every quilt I make as a gift or too keep.  I have chosen, for now, to make quilts for the Quilts for Kids Organization. (You can find their link and other info in my earlier post. )

This weekend I finished up my 2nd Quilts for Kids quilt for 2013 with the help of my hubby who took care of the binding for me. :-)

Quilt for Kids often runs short on quilts for teen boys, so this one was made with a young man in mind.  When I was digging through my novelty fabrics for inspiration, I found some fish fabric scraps I got when I bought a box of scraps some time ago. I knew they would be perfect for a teen boy's quilt.  Also, fishing has a special place in my heart and life.  My father was an avid fisherman and I was in a boat from the time I was just a few months old.  So this one is in memory of my sweet daddy.

Gone Fishing....

I have prayed for the boy who will receive this quilt... that he knows the Lord, that he feels God's presence and comfort. My dad knew the Lord.. loved Him.. felt His presence throughout his life and especially while battling cancer... and while I miss him even after 16 years, I know that God answered our prayers by giving him the ultimate healing.

I took time this weekend to clean out my huge box of novelty fabric and straighten them up.  I have focus fabrics pulled for 4 more charity quilts. I have decided on a pattern for 2 of them and have pulled fabrics from the scrap boxes to work with them. We have boxes here where we cut up scraps into 2.5" - 6" squares as well as 2.5" strips.  Takes time to do, but so worth it when it comes time to pull for a project!

Be watching for more Quilts for Kids' quilts soon!

Wiggly-Giggly

I have made quilting goals for the year in the past and rarely do they all get met. So this year I am keeping things simple. I know of 3 baby quilts that will be made this year.. one is done and waiting to be bound.  I have one other quilt I plan to make this year... cannot tell what it is here since it is a surprise.  Other than that.. no set plans except.. I really want to do more charity quilts this year. I love making quilts and giving them away and I especially love sending them to organizations that use them to bring comfort and love to others.  My goal is for every quilt I make to give as a gift or keep, I will make a charity quilt. 

So far in 2013, we have made (finished) a wall-hanging and made a baby quilt. So that means 2 charity quilts are needed. No problem!

I whipped 2 tops up a couple of weeks ago and have one quilted, bound and ready to mail.  Both will go to Quilts for Kids  I love this organization ... love quilts going to kids in the hospital to comfort them.  You can request quilt kits from them and will receive fabric for the top and a pattern. You provide the backing and batting. I did that a few years ago for my first Quilts for Kids quilt.  Since then, I have just used their guidelines (found at the site) and made them from my stash.  

NOTE -- there are very specific size requirements. These are small quilts and go together quickly!  No excuse not to whip a few up.  Truly one could be made.. start to finish.. in a day by most any quilter.  There are also requirements concerning fabric (new, washed, 100% cotton) and quilting (tight so the quilt will hold up to use and washing).  

This first one is for a girl.. any age really.. I read that they needed quilts for teen boys, so I was pulling fabric for a boy quilt (which is next to my machine ready to be quilted) and while pulling 5" charms, I kept seeing these fun bright ones left over from some other kid quilts. So I pulled enough for a girl quilt too.  

I used the disappearing 9 patch pattern. It is soo fast and so cute... can be laid out in a number of ways. I have a lot of 5" charms, so I can get started quickly on one of these.  I will probably make some with other patterns as the year goes on. That is one of the fun things.. you can try out new patterns as you create something to bless a child.  

You can name your quilt and register it here: Downy Touch of Comfort  Then include the name and your first name with your quilt. Quilts for Kids sews a special label on every quilt, even if you add a label at home.  They can link up your quilt via the name so you can see who got it.  You can also read stories and see photos of the quilts and kids at the Downy site for inspiration.

This really is a great way to use the gift God has given to brighten someone's life!

So here is my first charity quilt of the year.. Wiggly Giggly...

The boy one will be posted soon and no doubt there will be more on the blog in the months to come. I already have ideas for 2 or 3 more!

Belle

2 more tops done...time to sandwich!

Finished up 2 more tops this week.  The House Wallhanging...

I love, love, love the final border fabric. It looks soo good!

And the other charity quilt I am working on... this one is for a girl.

So now it is sandwich time!  These 2 plus the circus themed quilt (also charity) and a scrappy top of hubby's that has been waiting patiently in the linen closet.

I hate sandwiching.. but it is a necessary step for turning tops into  quilts.

"Belle"

Catching Up in Blogville -- Part 4 ... All Caught Up!

One quilt got completed over the past 2 months. I made the top earlier in March and the Mad Quilter (a.k.a. my sweet hubby) quilted it and finished it, binding and all. He is a keeper! :-)  This is a graduation gift for a sweet girl in our church.  She will be getting it as soon as she gets home from FL!  Cannot wait to see how she likes it.

I finished up a top for Friendship House in New Orleans (a transitional shelter for women).  I saw a picture of this quilt online, but had no idea the pattern... so I winged it!  I think it turned out well. I love the final border... I really love pieced borders!  

And as I mentioned in Part 2 of Catching Up in Blogville, I put together some baby quilt tops.. which will soon be quilted. This one is the most unbaby quilt I think I have made... and I love it!  My daughter has friends expecting baby #1.. a boy (lots of boys this year!). She asked me to make something using warm earthy tones. I pulled greens and golds and browns and I found a big scrap of fabric that has frogs all over it. I really love this fabric. She saw it and said "Use that!" So I added more colors that coordinated with the froggy print.  Here is the result:

And here is a close up of some of the frog fabric:

The last baby quilt top I made this weekend.  Another couple in our church expecting baby #1 and yes, another boy.  I was digging through the stash and came across some cowboy fabric I had used in another baby quilt. I really love this fabric.  An idea formed in my mind and off I went.  I love braids... have made a number of braided borders, but I have never used them in a quilt this way. I like it:

That little red strip defining the braids looks great to me, but it was not the easiest thing to add. Soooo small! But worth it, I think.

Here is a close up of the inspiration fabric:

One more thing. All 4 of these were made from fabric in the stash.. no purchases necessary!  I love it! I am doing my best to use from the stash and save some money!

And now I am finally caught up in Blogville!

"Belle"

Catching Up in Blogville -- Part 1

I cannot believe I have not blogged in 2 months!  Good Grief!  I knew it had been a while, but had no idea how big a while.  Lots of quilting and sewing has been happening here... so on with the catch up... buckle up, it is going to be a long multi-post ride!

JJ Sews...

JJ is my son's girlfriend. She is a sweetie and loves to craft. I have posted some of her creations before.   She made a really cute pillow earlier this year with a tree and leaves. She decided to make a small companion pillow with just leaves... turned out so cute. We found this great sage green polka dot fabric in the stash for the background:

She also decided to make herself a mug rug.  Very basic one, but very cute. Love the fabrics she chose... again, from the stash:

And because she did so well and loved making her mug rug, she decided to make one for her mom for Mother's Day.  Her mom's loves Scotties like I love Dachies and my friend, Rhonda, loves Corgis. (There is just something about those small dogs with big attitudes! )  I remembered there was a bit of Scottie fabric buried among the novelty fabrics, so we went digging and found it. JJ added a few others and voila!  A darling mug rug that was a big hit with her mom!

The Mad Quilter a.k.a my sweet husband....

Hubs has been busy over the past 2 months also. Not so much being the mad quilter (although he did quilt one for me... you will see it later). He has been whipping up quilt tops that will soon be quilts to give away (many to a women's transitional shelter).  Here are his most recent creations:

All the fabric used in these tops came from our stash. I love that!

Part 2 (and 3?) coming later. 

"Belle"

Quilts for Kids

I participated in the Quilts for Kids Program recently... you may have seen this promoted through Downy as Touch of Comfort. I made 2 quilts. 1 from a kit they sent... Nuts & Robolts.. and the other from my stash ... Butterflies, Bonnets & Blooms. Both were quick and easy and now are packaged up and ready to find a home with a special boy and girl!

"Belle"

Happy National Quilting Day!!!

Today is the first day of Spring and we are actually enjoying Spring weather. Temps in the 70s... lots of sunshine and breezes... low humidity (a real treat!)... it is wonderful! I do know others in the US are dealing with snow and cold temps! Sorry!

Today is also National Quilting Day and I felt honor bound to participate! So... the borders have been added to my repro quilt....

These blocks are from a block lottery a quilt group I belong to (online) held last year. I was so excited to win and I am even more excited that the top is done. Cannot wait until it is quilted and bound! It is lovely!

I also whipped to

gether my 2nd top for Quilts for Kids. This one came from my stash. I had some disappearing 9 patch blocks left over from another project. I whipped up a few more and put them together to make this top... along with 2 borders.

Then I remembered this cute fabric that I have had for a while in my stash. It is perfect for the backing

and there is just enough of it!

I will get batting soon (after payday!) and these will be sandwiched and quilted... along with the 1st Quilts for Kids quilt.

No more quilting for me today... I have to finish up some work on Beth Moore's

Breaking Free before Bible Study on Tuesday! So that is the afternoon task.

It has been a grand National Quilting Day! Hope you've been doing something quilty!

"Belle"

Robotic Fun

I was able to whip up the top for the www.QuiltsForKids.org quilt in 2 afternoons (about 2 hours total), I think it turned out really cute and will be a fun cheery print for some little fella. I love the fabric I received in my quilt kit. I will get some batting later this week and get it sandwiched and quilted soon. I have to include a name for the quilt on my label. Any ideas?

When I signed up for this, the information I read encouraged the quilter to make a 2nd quilt from their own stash if they could. Tonight I found some leftover Disappearing 9 Patch blocks that I made for a little girl's quilt. I need a few more and I will have enough to make another quilt. So I will be able to send 2 quilts back.

I really do want to encourage quilters to check out the Quilts for Kids site and consider participating in this program. It is a great way to use your talent to minister to someone else. Please note they require all piecing and quilting be done by machine, so if you only hand quilt then this program will not work for you.

"Belle"

Quilts for Kids & Froggy Coins

I recently read about the Touch of Comfort Quilt Program being sponsored by Downy. These quilts are given to children with terminal or critical illnesses (in hospitals) and children in shelters. To participate, you can go to http://www.quiltsforkids.org/ I went and requested a kit last week and today one arrived. I have all the fabric I need to make a quilt, already cut and with a pattern included! Check this out:

I have 4 weeks to get the quilt completed and back to the organization. All that I have to contribute is thread, batting and a bit of time.. and in return a child somewhere gets a quilt that lets him or her know someone somewhere is thinking of them and cares.

I did a bit of sewing this evening. Got the Froggy Coin quilt done for my friends' son. Later this week I will get some batting....and get everything sandwiched and ready to quilt. I think it turned out very cute. Here is the overall quilt:

And here is a close up to show some of the Froggy fabric I used:

Happy Quilting! "Belle"

Playing with Scraps....

I saw a quilt in a magazine or catalog recently that was really cute and immediately the wheels started turning and I began adapting it idea to what I have on hand. I participate in a monthly 5" charm swap, so I always have plenty of those... and I also cut a lot of 2 1/2" strips for projects, so I have a lot of those in my scrap bin. I came up with a neat and easy to piece block. I will use these to create 2 more tops for charity quilts.

Here are some laid out together...

And her are some more with an added strip that will create a "faux" sashing when sewn together...

We like bright colors here... can you tell? :)

Hubby's Been Busy!

My quilty hubby has been sewing up a storm over the past few weeks. We have already broken our "you must finish one of the tops already made before starting a new one" rule.... no surprise there! We have many, many tops which are begging to be quilted!

Here are 2 tops he whipped up from scraps for the Buried Treasures Ministry....

another "coin" quilt...

and this is an original pattern that he worked out using my 5" charms and some 2 1/2" rectangles and squares. I love it!

And lastly is today's foray into creativity... again playing with 5" charms and 2 1/2" squares... this is the block he has created... it is an 18" block... (he likes big blocks and big quilts!)...

Whole Lot of Quilting Going On...

Last weekend DH (who also quilts) and I pulled out all the completed tops that were waiting patiently to be quilted. We made a nice list with each quilt top on it... the size...recipient or purpose... and then noted if we had batting, backing, label... it is so nice to be organized! There is now a list on the side of my blog of pre-2009 tops ready to be quilted (including 2 we made this past week!) This will be a year of tying up loose ends.. getting these tops quilted and to their rightful owners. It will also be a year full of quilting! There is a wonderful local charity that God has knit my heart to called Buried Treasures (the link is down below all the lists on this page). The plan is to make a slew of quilts (12 - 15) for them by next Christmas. 2 of our pre-2009 tops will go in the pile and one of the 2 tops made this past week is for them. I am excited about this project. Quilting is fun, but it is so much better for me when I am giving them to others and I love that God has shown me how to use this as a ministry.



So about those 2 quilt tops pieced at the tail end of 2008... DH has been off work since Dec 22 (vacation time) and I have been swamped! I do finances for a small church part-time, but the end of the year is my craziest and busiest time. Add to that our kids went off with the church youth group to the Mountains of TN this week and DH has had a lot of alone time. He has wasted none of it! He grabbed scraps and created a scrappy version of a Chinese Coin quilt.. he calls it Bear Coins because of the novelty fabric he used for the border.





This picture doesn't do it justice, but there will be another pix soon. We sandwiched this one yesterday and he has already started quilting it! I bet he has it totally finished by tomorrow.. binding and all!
























I also tossed together a top at year's end... a baby quilt. A friend's dd is expecting her first child.. a little girl, Allison, due in January. I have been wanting to try the Disappearing Nine Patch (http://quiltsatcs.blogspot.com/2007/04/disappearing-9-patch-tutorial.html) and this seemed the perfect project for it. I am pleased with the results. I need to get some backing fabric and once Baby Allison arrives I will make up a label and get it quilted and on its way.


We also sandwiched one of our pre-2009 tops yesterday. My Mile-a-Minute top (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBq7eJCcz4yt2-r8qdGr2kkyGhc7iYBgwn8zKJAL-GpamT53voC1zgYXVzAxlt1Z-6IrGi9cEXsNqWlUuoGlydLYiUXu6qx9ToNcUQkhPHxzd83cwmUYjZz-fjkNZGfKKYJVuyYqpfXYis/s1600-h/mile+a+minute+top.jpg) I loved making this and thought I would keep it for me. But I have decided someone else will love it more.. so it will be going in with the Buried Treasures quilts. I will start quilting on it today. I am NOT as quick as DH, so it will be a while before I am done.


We have a rule for 2009... at least until we are caught up with the unquilted tops... for each new top you make, you have to finish a quilt before you can start a new one! We will see how long that lasts! LOL!

Happy Quilty New Year! Consider using the talent and gift and love of quilting God has given you to touch another life.. other lives.. there are many quilt charities online.. and you can look around your own part of the world. There are charities like Buried Treasures.. and there are individuals.. a friend with cancer.. someone grieving.. someone lonely.. wrap them in a quilt of love!




"Belle"