Strippy Quilt

I copied this pattern 'My favorite quick donation quilt' by Mary Johnson online and not sure where. It is one of those things you see and know you would like to do and place in a stack 'until'. I visited Marden's recently...'all Maine girls know where that is'...you can get great fabric...great prices....if you hit it right and know your material...so bought 1 yard each of focus fabric...tone on tone and an accent piece. A lady ahead of me was purchasing these and I simply said 1 yd each...easy purchase...no struggle....don't you love it.. Below is a close up...it was fun to do....I bought some tiger prints at our local quilt show and will do some for my twin grandsons (10 years old) and make matching pillow cases...they are something they do not have to be careful with.
I have 6 tops ready to be quilted..just purchased a Quilters Cruise Control for a short-arm and practicing some different designs...practice makes perfect...Right!!

Pattern is:
1 yard of a focus fabric - cut 5 strips 6.5 inches by WOF
3/4 yard of tone on tone - cut 6 strips 3 inches by WOF
(1 yard if you use this fabric for binding)
1/2 yard of accent fabric - cut 10 strips 1.5 inches by WOF
(1 yard if you use this fabric for binding)

• Assemble as shown in the picture above - please note that the top and bottom strips do not have accent strips sewn on the outside edges of the quilt
• If focus fabric is directional, pay attention as you sew sections together.
• Quilt size is approximately 41 x 56.

This is the basic instructions but you can add to them ...change width etc...lots of options.

If you choose to make one have fun and it is so quick. My friend Sue has made some also and you can check her blog out...

http://northwindsquilting.blogspot.com/2008/07/bug-strippy-2.html

Star BOM #1

Well it is midnight here in Maine and I have conquered the #1 Block of the Month that Judy Laquidara is posting. Realized after I took picture I did not take it straight on but my points are there. I had never worked with 1/16 of an inch before...I think this is going to stretch me a little....most everything is on 'bias' .....but I will conquer...Also was not sure about the colors I chose but I think it will give it punch when done... thanks Judy for the challenge.

It is Monday August 11 and I decided that I did not like the background I had chosen as it was too directional ....so I purchased the same light gray but with a different dynamic to it...I also used 'Mary Ellen's Best Press' The clear starch alternative on the bias pieces and had a much easier time doing this second one...I used the same center and the green I had used previously.. I think I am finally pleased with it...

Heavenly Sunshine II in process

I Quilt Because:

I love the big laugh I get when

people ask me why I cut big

pieces of fabric into little

pieces and then sew it back

into a big piece.

The truth is only us quilters understand the process and the reward it brings. Here is 'Heavenly Sunshine II' top finished. This is for my niece who lost her mom, Tracy, last year. I had made 'Heavenly Sunshine' and the older niece will have that. It is not exactly the same but I did use blue and yellow's and gave it a similar look. I was fortunate enough to find the same material as the first one for the back. If you scroll down through you can find the first one I did. This is my design I used on both quilts;.

Hurrying does not pay!!

This morning I was up at 5:45 a.m. and I thought 'it's a good time to sneak upstairs to my studio and sew for a little while'...I wanted to finish the top to 'Heavenly Sunshine' and so decided to do a little bit before I went to work....well, I finished a couple of strips and put it on my design wall and it was askew....well, lo and behold I had forgotten to set my 1/4" on the correct setting. It was ever so slight but it sure made a difference...well, that was wasted time and I got my seam ripper out and began to take it out and finished it when I got home and have finally got back to the point I had reached this morning or 'thought' I had reached. Valuable lesson: SLOW DOWN!!! Check all the settings before proceeding. I always tell people that are moving fast to stop, sit down and get a cup of tea, and relax....need to listen to my own advice.

Yucca Plant Named

Thanks to Beth ....my flower has been named...It is a Yucca plant....see info below...copied from encyclopedia...I was given a bunch of them and this is the only one that survived (in my last post)...you do not see many around...there is one in Gardiner that I have enjoyed watching and produces many spikes although this year there is none for some reason.

The yuccas comprise the genus Yucca of 40-50 species of perennials, shrubs, and trees in the agave family Agavaceae, notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal clusters of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North America, Central America, and the West Indies.
Yuccas have a very specialized pollination system, being pollinated by the yucca moth; the insect purposefully transfers the pollen from the stamens of one plant to the stigma of another, and at the same time lays an egg in the flower; the moth larva then eats some of the developing seeds, but far from all.
Yuccas are widely grown as ornamental plants in gardens. Many yuccas also bear edible parts, including fruits, seeds, flowers, flowering stems, and more rarely roots, but use of these is sufficiently limited that references to yucca as food more often than not stem from confusion with the similarly spelled but botanically unrelated yuca.
Dried yucca has the lowest ignition temperature of any wood, making it desirable for fire-starting.
The "yucca flower" is the state flower of New Mexico. No species name is given in the citation.

Flowers

I added these today, Sunday- 20th...they are fuller and also you can see the full plant. It is being held up by stakes because it is so tall.
My husband said come and see...4 beautiful blossoms...

Can you Name it? I have been watching this plant and in one day, Friday, 18th..this is what happened. The blossoms were there all of a sudden...It is so pretty....I thought someone said it was a Yucca plant. But not sure of spelling or if that is right. I did try to find it online but was unsuccessful and I should have take a picture of the bottom so you could see. Maybe someone can tell me... It was pouring rain and I was afraid it would not stay so went out and took this and captured the rain drops...how amazing is that!!

We, in Maine, are getting ready for the Maine Quilt Show to be held in Augusta July 24-27 by the Pine Tree Quilters Guild. Today was the day that quilts were dropped off at several points all over the state that will be displayed at the show. I was blessed to be part of a team of gals receiving 50 beautiful quilts. They are checked in and made sure they have a 4" sleeve on the back and in a cloth bag, and that there is no damage or straight pins and they are then marked. And the wonderful part is seeing the work close up that women and young girls have put into them. We have some awesome artisans. I will be posting pictures after the show.

Pillow & Flowers

This was my project last night. I decided I needed some more color in my living room. I had a red and gold covering that I did not like. So I went shopping in Waterville at the Yardgoods Center. They carry hundreds of bolts of material. I went armed with my curtain and a bouquet of tulips to match. I found exactly what I wanted. I bought the main fabric and a complimentary one to use for the sides and back. I covered the chair on Saturday and by midnight last night I had the two pillows covered and hand stitched at the opening and on my couch. I am pleased with the result. I really am enjoying the display of flowers this year. My son and daughter-in-law gave me this hibiscus plant for Mother's day. I brought it home and the flowers kept dropping off. I thought that was the end of it. House flowers and I do not do well together. I put it on the porch and began to water every day and lo and behold the buds started forming. I decided to add it to an outside pot and these are the beautiful flowers appearing. The buds only last 1-2 days but they are loaded.
Isn't this a beauty!!!
Life is fast paced but the beauty of a flower can slow one down and allow us to give thought if we will just take that moment of time.

BOM - Judy L

I am participating in the BOM with Judy L. Today I finally chose the fabrics that I will be using. This is probably the weakest part of my quilting. I am not good at choosing and I can always change something if I find it does not work...I have never participated online so am excited about it...thanks Judy for offering this..

Christmas in July Group Pics

Christmas in July finally arrived yesterday, as nine of us came to Casey Quilters with sewing machines, projects and food in tow at 10:00 a.m. Each one of us had an agenda. Some of us were working on the Poinsettia Pot Wall Quilt from the book ' A cozy Quilted Christmas by Kim Schaefer. It is 29 1/2" x 36 1/2" wall hanging. While others had Christmas projects they were working on. Following is a picture of the pattern we were doing.

Kay is our hostess who opens her home to us twice a month just to get together and quilt, knit or we can just hang out and read etc. We meet from 2-7 approx. and have pot luck 'supper' as we call it here in Maine. We always eat well!!

Kay with her center section of the hanging. She used light fusible and a satin machine stitch done in gold...Very Pretty!!
Janice who was working on a table runner. Following is the layout. It is always exciting as you see it come together. Nice job!!!
Group Pic....now remember we came 'as we are' comfy and relaxed!!!
Barb, who is a fellow blogger, working on a project that she is hoping to finish....looking good!!!Sue who is working on a Christmas project for her son....background is scrappy ...made of 3" squares in off whites....Very nice!!!!!!

Chris is our knitter and always has something in hand that she is doing to donate. She is working on a hat...she is so skilled and a blessing to so many....Sherry who is working on this beautiful red and white quilt. The center was all hand work and these are the blocks that will surround it....it is so pretty.....she did about 18 blocks and never iron pressed but just used her finger and they came out perfect every time...a Kay England technique that Barb learned at a workshop she attended recently. Of course, we were trying it and it was amazing. After years of sewing, then pressing and then back to the machine...what a time saver....you will be hearing more about it on our blogs.....
Pam who was also working on a Christmas project but I did not have my camera ready before she left..but I did get a pic of this beautiful quilt she has been working on for a long time...each block represents a different month and she has done extensive handwork embellishing it plus using the blanket stitch mainly. She is donating it to a worthy cause. Whoever gets it will be blessed and will have fun searching out each picture as they are unique. Sherry did the machine quilting.
Close up of the one that most represented Maine. You can see the technique Sherry used quilting the border. It looks like stones....Beautiful!!

Laura who is doing a satin stitch around each poinsettia in gold....she figures she can do one a week as it does take a long time.....and of course, she has other projects that fit into that time schedule. It is stunning!!!And lastly, this is mine.....I finished the scrappy outside strips first and then the Courthouse Steps (which is a variation of the Log Cabin block). I use parchment paper to make a pattern(shown) and then place this on top of material to place my pieces. It works a lot easier and is more accurate for me than drawing directly on my material. Our day started at 10:00 a.m. and we finished around 7:00 p.m. It was a great day for all of us and we felt like we accomplished a lot. Thank you Kay for opening your home....it is always such a relaxing time.

Christmas in July Project

Trust you all had a wonderful 4Th of July. My husband and I took friends to Sarah's restaurant in Wiscasset, one of my favorite places. It is across the street from 'Red's' which is famous across the country for their seafood. They have lobster rolls that are delicious. They are on a bun and about 1 1/4 lb. of pure meat served with butter or mayonnaise...around $15.00...Umm good!!!!!

I looked out my back window this morning and perched on a birdhouse was this bluebird. We have a pair this year that are staying close by. We also saw a turkey with 12 baby chicks that found its way on our lawn on Wednesday and of course, I did not have my camera ready. We had a woodchuck with at least 3 babies and they scattered so fast I could not believe what I was seeing. And this morning my husband saw 3 deer standing in the field he had mowed and baled this week. God's creatures how awesome! It is always a delight to see them meandering around in the back of our 35 acres behind the house. Friday's schedule is a workshop 'Christmas in July' Workshop with one of my groups that meet throughout the summer. The project is called Poinsettia Pot Wall Quilt. I will be using greens/reds etc. to make a wall hanging with a potted poinsettia in the center and framed by Courthouse step blocks and scrappy square side borders. I was going to pull from my stash but could not resist all the new selections at the quilt shop. Need to get going and get it cut out.

Season's of Life are short. Enjoy today!!!

Heavenly Sunshine on the board-Haying

On my design wall is what I am working on for a niece in memory of her mom who lost her battle to cancer last year. I had made one called 'Heavenly Sunshine' for her but there are two daughters and I wanted them to each have one in yellow and blues with a touch of green as those were her favorite colors.There will be white panels of needle turn appliqued flowers that I have designed to fill in the spaces. The older will have her mom's and the younger will have Heavenly Sunshine II. I am still working on placement etc. I use my camera and it will show darks and lights very well and helps me to arrange effectively. This is the loose drawing of my flowers I will use for panels.
Life goes on at my house...I have been trying to clean my quilt studio, It has taken me awhile because of some physical challenges. You never know what you have until you put order to it. I finally have all my yardage 1 yd and over marked and all fat quarters and pieces color coded. Below is my main cupboard, and of course, I have other bins with projects waiting to be done. I am not good from pulling from my stash and need to improve in that area. Oh but isn't it fun to shop for new material. There is always room for more.
I tried to move this pic to the top but it would not budge. My hubby is a farmer, he has had cows since he was 14 and I tell him it is in his blood. As a young woman I said, "I would never marry a farmer", but never use never, it is my little joke and we laugh about it. And I tell him I fell in love and then found out he had cows but I did not smell the 'special aroma' on him. And 50 years later here we are and it has been one of the richest life's especially watching our 2 boys farming with their dad. He is retired and can enjoy 'his girls' as he calls them. Haying has been very slow this year because of the weather and this is the first field that was finished and it was such a beautiful sight I could not resist this shot even though the sun overshadowed the bales. Of course, there is a stray bale, always one in the crowd. It reminds me of my friend, Sherry who calls herself a rebel in quilting as she is always readjusting a pattern and making it her own. And quite nicely I might add.

Punch Needle Embroidery

This is my newest venture. Last summer at the Maine Quilt show I purchased a kit to do punch needle embroidery. It has been sitting because I got stuck and did not know where to go. A couple of friends took a class a few week ago and they showed me 'how to'. I am hooked ...it was so much fun.. this is my 1st one and I used some left over binding to edge it and plan to frame it.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS!
Home is where you can hang your hat!

Home is where you can be yourself!

Home is where you make the rules!

Home is where you can make others feel accepted and loved!

Home is where you can Laugh, Love and Live!

Janome Sewing Desk

I had worked off an old desk and decided it was time to invest in this wonderful cabinet from Tony's in Biddeford. http://www.tonyssewingmachine.com/sewing-cabinets/
This fits my Janome 6500 and I had a perfect nitch for it. It also has a drop down leaf on the back that will make it double its size that I can use when doing a large quilt. I put wheels with locks on it so I can roll it out but also will keep it stationary when using. I put a 6 inch board across on the middle brace so I could store some things (not pictured as it was an after thought).

Black/White Sampler - Roses

How beautiful the flowers are this year. This is the old fashioned rose bush that is at least 75 years old. It gives off the most wonderful fragrance. I am reminded of the the scripture 'the Rose of Sharon' that speaks of the Lord.

This is a close up of the Rose which is so intricately made.This is one of my first peonies.
My appreciation of the beauty of a garden comes as a memory of my dad who worked a few years as a gardener. And of course, our family always had a vegetable garden and he spent many hours planting, weeding, hoeing etc. I remember picking beans and my mother canning in my younger years.

Have not done much quilting this week as my machine needs a minor adjustment. I also have worked off an old desk for years and it is time for me to purchase a table for my Janome. Tony's in Biddeford custom builds them, so will pick up mine on Monday. My studio needs a complete overhaul. I am a saver and I need to do some serious throwing.

I did add a red border to my black/white quilt (pictured in my last post). My husband thought it needed to be a little bigger, after following his suggestion I am pleased with the result.

God smiles when we praise and thank Him...

And then an amazing thing happens....

When we give God enjoyment,

our hearts are filled with JOY!

quote by Rick Warren

Black/White Sampler+ Tacoma

Wednesday was our last meeting for the year. We had potluck and this is the group in attendance. L-R First Row...Beth, President who has served us well this year and is always thinking of new challenges for us, Arlene our 90 year old who looks wonderful is a delight and has done a lot of hand quilting for the group over the years, Maggie, Treasurer who is a marvel with all her quilting, Carol who joined us this last year, her husband pastors the church we meet in. She has made some unique things. Back row ..Pauline who has won 'best of show' with one of her quilts and adds beautiful embroidery to her quilts, Judy, who retired and has joined us, always has something to show that she is working on. Donna, VP owns an ice cream shop but still finds time to do unique quilting, Bea, who bakes the best pies that the group has enjoyed has made some adorable quilts this year for her family, Bev, who is quiet but does beautiful work and Rayna who always has something in her hands, knitting etc. These are all gifted ladies in their own right. The nice part is that we are all at different levels skillfully, different personalities and we have melded together in a special way this year and we have learn so much from each other. Missing is Lori, Andrea and myself.

This was a Sampler project that Beth challenged us with. We got a pattern twice a month and chose our own colors. A sampler teaches you some of those techniques you avoid and so it becomes a learning process. I started out with black and white. People kept saying it needed color...I decided to just start adding red and yellow. I got so excited about the material I had found that I just kept going. It just has to be quilted now. It is our summer project to complete.It will be fun to see all the different ones at our first meeting in September.

The word fellowship has lost most of its biblical meaning "Fellowship" now usually refers to casual conversation, socializing, food and fun..Real fellowship is experiencing LIFE together.

Colorful Waves

In 2006 I took a workshop sponsored by Maine-ly Sewing in Nobleboro and Freddie Moran was the teacher. She has very unique philosophies about quilting and of course, we laughed a lot. Taken from her book "Collaborative Quilting" we did a quilt called Freddy Dot.com 70x70. It is done in circles and pictured on Page 85. But I wanted to do something outside my box. So of course I put my own twist on it. Recently, dealing with a physical challenge I found time to sneak in some quilting and finish the tops of some UFO's (unfinished objects). See Below-
I shopped for DOT material everywhere I went and each center is different. It is sometimes difficult to do repetition for me and the remaining 15-20 blocks I would do one each day until conquered. I used black for a sharp look for framing and also decided to give it some movement
Closeup.