Bloggers Quilt Festival (Jar Quilt)

Amy over at Amy's Creative Side is putting on the Bloggers Festival again.  This is a fun way to see a lot of beautiful quilts without leaving the comfort of your easy chair.

I decided to participate again and chose a quilt I finished ten years ago.  I've been noticing a lot of people are doing "jar quilts" again and wanted to show mine made way back then.  I even left one jar "open" with a fly trying to get in it.

When this pattern first came out, everyone on the internet jumped on the idea of swapping jar blocks.  I was in a group that decided to do FOOD instead of bugs.  This was in 1998, I finished it in 2001 and it hung in my kitchen for quite a while.

It was so much fun and I was lucky enough to get blocks from the Netherlands, Australia, Norway and many places across the United States.  I decided to put labels on my jars and put everyone's names and email addresses on them, just like they were real canning jars on a shelf.  (It's doubtful any of the addresses are still current, I know mine isn't!)   It was a real conversation starter!

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to list the names on the quilt.  Maybe some of your are still out there and might like to see your block made into my quilt. (And if you are, please let me know!)  Here they are:

Bonnie Preslar, Beverly Burris, Peggy Raley, Judith Brainerd, Jean Fajimoto, Lyn Sethna, Wendy Harrison, Barbara Morris, Patsy Brown, Dixie Reed, 
Laurel McDaniel, Eileen, Chrysanne Demirel, Karen Dent, Lucy Radatz, Synnova Vanar, Susan Leise, Nataya Segerink and Patsy Hasenfratz.  (Thank you all.)

Everyone enjoys the back of the quilt too.  It was a huge jar full of Hershey candy bars and my label was on the jar lid.

Be sure to check out all the quilts here.

Enjoying the week in Texas with GRANDkids!! (Sewing, too!)

This week my daughter and son-in-law are on a fun trip and Nana volunteered to come stay with Jake and Paige.  I am really enjoying them so much.  Jake is always on the computer as you can see. 

 Paige sometimes teases him as she goes by.  He always gets even though!  With an eight year old and a ten year old--something is always going on between them.  Paige showed me the neatest experiment she learned in science class.

Put a little milk in a bowl, then add a drop of four food colorings.  Take a cotton swap with a little dishwashing soap on the tip and dab in colors.  The soap reacts to the fat in the milk.  It really is pretty cool.

I tried to insert a video clip but didn't have success, but the process is neat!

While the kids are in school, I have been sewing and shopping.  On Monday, I made it to "Quilt Country", one of my favorite quilt stores.  I'm like a kid in a candy store there.  So much to see, patternwise and FABRIC!!!  I only bought one yard of fabric for a specific purpose, so I was happy about that.  But you just have to visit those favorite stores just to keep you

aware of what's out there, right??

I had brought my little Janome and a couple of projects to sew on.  One being--Nickel Bricks, a great way to use up scraps.

It's mindless sewing, something I can stop and start at any time, so it's perfect to do here.  I'm determined to diminish that stash!!

Oh, can't forget this!  Julie treated me for Mother's Day!  She gave me a massage, a manicure and my FIRST pedicure.  Oh, I like that pedi!  I even had them paint a little design on my big toes.  I'd show you, but I emailed a pic to my husband and he responded--"those cute little sausages look pretty".  So a photo online is not gonna happen!!  But NOW I can say I've had a pedicure and up with my granddaughters now!  Thanks, Julie and Tom!!

 

Paper pieced table runner done, well almost

Since last week, I paperpieced the remaing squares for the blocks, keeping in mind the different colors and trying to match blocks a little better.

After rearranging the squares in the blocks, I came up with this.  I like it so much better than the other one I showed you before. You can see the yellow, blue, pink and kind of purple blocks and they don't look so "discombobulated".

My daughter tells me I need to improve on my picture taking and use the outside light.  Looks like I still need her help!!  Draping on something would help too.  I should have pressed a little better also.  Somewhere online, there are tips for this and I'm going to find them!!

I did just want to show you the color difference and remind everyone that those beautiful batiks that have lots of different colors can be problematic in some blocks.   The center square had to be "matched" also.  Now, I have to figure out how to quilt it, but there is no hurry for that.  The goal was to get the top pieced before the guild meeting.  Woohoo!

Pincushions!

Look what I received in the mail this morning!! 

My little BLUE BIRD of Happiness.  It makes me smile everytime I look at it.  You can't see them, but there are some very cute pins with button heads on them.  Thank you so much, Sandra!  It's so sweet.  And that candy egg will be gone this afternoon!

I don't think I've shown you the pincushions I made.  Here they are.  Hope they are liked.  I included the fingercushions too.  They come with warnings though.  REMEMBER to insert your pins from the side NOT the top.  lol

Paper Piecing Class

Saturday our guild had a paper piecing class.  We have several new members and this was something they wanted to try.  I had done some of this years ago, but not recently so I was ready for a refresher too.

Our teacher from another guild, Ellamay, was great.

She has done a lot of paper piecing, including taking classes from Cynthia England.  So talented!!  We wanted the basics, so she chose this for us to do.  The enrollment started with 12.  We had 15 wanting to take it, so she said go ahead and open it to 20.  When we told our guild that, we had 22--sooo, my friend and I helped with the class and didn't get to sew.

Here is Nita with her finished squares, read to sew together.  So pretty!   I didn't get any other photos of the finished blocks, but be assured there were some pretty ones.

Today, I started sewing on mine.  So accurate!  I had forgotten how nice and sharp paperpiecing can be.  However, the batik I chose for my "flower" has several different colors and patterns and when cut up I am not happy with it.

I think what I may do is go ahead and make all the squares for the runner and see if I can position the same colored batiks together for each block.  In other words, don't sew the squares to make the blocks YET.   Any other ideas out there??

I can't wait to see all the finished runners at our guild meeting!

The Royal Wedding--So Majestic!

I just finished watching "the wedding"!  No, I didn't get up to watch it, but I did record it.  So I got up, fixed me a cup of tea (I do that very often, not just for the occasion) and watched the history that had been made.

When Kate and her father started down the aisle, it took my breath away.   Beautiful setting and so magical.

Everything was perfect--how do they do that??  I know really-- rehearsal, money and more money!  The people attending the wedding looked smashing.  I loved the hats the ladies wore.  Well, most of them.  A few of them were really down right hideous, at least to me.  I wish I could wear hats but you have to feel like you own them, and I don't. The British do that very well.

Kate's dress was beautiful.  Very classic that will look good in the years to come.  Not like Diana's that to me is very dated.  Beautiful at the time though.  One of my favorite moments was when William and Harry were at the altar and Harry looked back to see her.  I'd love to know what he said to his brother.  I'm sure William was dying to look too!   What a shame their mother couldn't have been there.

I can't wait to hear what my granddaughters think of the wedding.  They love to play with their Barbies and Disney princesses.  And this was definitely the wedding of the century--a grand affair.  Something for them to dream about!

Easter was wonderful even though it was rainy!!

It was a good weekend even though the weather could have been better!

The Texas kids came in Saturday and the others came shortly afterwards.  You just can't keep those cousins apart!  (I love that.  I hope they're always close!)  Anyway, the afternoon was spent dyeing eggs and then we went to the lake and Julie who has a nice camera and taking classes on digital photography, took photos of our trike and new trailer. 

As you can see Jake is no where to be found.  I guess 10 year old boys are past the thrill of dyeing eggs.

I had made journal covers for the girls for little Easter gifts.  All three of them love writing notes and drawing so I thought it would be perfect.  They took them to the lake, see.......

The covers fit the composition books you can buy at Wal-Mart.  I should have taken a photo of the inside.  There's a sectional area for three pencils.  I want to make myself one sometime soon.  Here's how cute they turned out.  

I got Jake a new tacklebox and some fishing items.  He loves fishing and can sit there FOREVER!!!  He decided to leave the box here so he'll have his own stuff here when he visits.  I did ask him if he was disappointed he didn't get a journal--he said, "Yeah, right, Nana!"

He did bring six, yes, SIX nerf guns to play with.  We had a nerf war in the backyard.  Fun, even though we were picking up the ammo forever.

Oh, and Paige, got her first pedicure.

Zebra designs!  She told me that she had thought a pedicure was where you took your "pets" to get their nails done.  We all got a laugh out of that remark.  She told Kayley, her cousin, that she was a little scared  when she saw all the "tools" the manicurist used on her feet.  She's only 8 1/2 and had her first pedicure.  Guess what, I've never had one.  

My kitchen sink decided to clog COMPLETELY on Saturday evening, so we moved Easter dinner at Stacey's (DD2).   She has a big home and since it was raining, the egg hunt had to be inside and she has a huge grand room.  All the aunts and uncles came and we had a feast.  I'd post a pic of that but, Julie took those pictures and she hasn't shared yet.

The last few years, we started adding coins in addition to candy to the plastic eggs and the kids really enjoy that.  They always have to see who came up with the most $$$.  And my newest grand neice, Sloane, who is 9 months old, got to participate too.  She didn't know quite what was going on, but she will learn!!

Isn't she a doll!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter too!

Blocks from charm squares!

Last year our guild exchanged charm squares to enhance our stashes. The idea was to use them in charm quilts, or maybe use them in some scrap quilts (which I love). They could also add to those lovely charm packs they had but couldn't decide how to use. 

Several members had mentioned they have done nothing with their charms so I came up with an idea to use them.  Each month I am going to design a block using  5" squares, some with specific colors.   The members will make one and bring it to guild the following month.  For every one they bring they will get a ticket to win all the blocks. 

Hopefully, the members will learn a new block, use their charms, and maybe get lucky enough to win all of them.  If they don't win, they may want to make more blocks, using their own colors and make their own quilt.

I'm calling it "LUCKY CHARM LOTTO".  I'll be posting the block here too, each month.  Maybe some of you will be interested.

Here's the first one:
The Disappearing Nine Patch

Five 5” squares of blue fabrics (all different)

Four 5” squares of white fabric (the same fabric)


Make a nine patch block. 

Cut in half vertically and horizontally

Re-arrange in the following pattern and sew.


Here is what my blocks looked like:

You can put the blocks together in different ways to achieve different looks.

 
I'm hoping that all the different blues will look okay together.  Time will tell.   I'll try to remember to take a pic of all them at the guild meeting next month and post it!

Great Quilt Class ONLINE and it's FREE!

During my surfing of quilt sites I've found Rebecca from Australia of Chasing Cottons!  She has started a Quilt Class 101 online and it is so thorough.  Nothing has been left out.  She's doing it for 12 weeks, a little (?) at a time.  We all know there is so much to learn in the joy of quilting.  It has started but you can join anytime. 

Chasing Cottons

I have been quilting for many years, but I believe that all of us can learn something  from one another.  Everytime I get together with my friends, real and online, I add to my education of quilting and I for one love to see the different ways people do things in the journey of making quilts.   Thanks for sharing Rebecca!

Here are some great giveaways!!

Don't you love giveaways?!  Here's some you have to check out.  Their sites are wonderful too!


Want it, Need it, Quilt! is giving away 12 beautiful fat quarters!  Ends the end of April!

Leona's Quilt Adventure has several different goodies in her giveaway!  Ends on April 22, 2011.

P.S. I Quilt is giving a wonderful FQ bundle.  Ends this Friday, April 15, 2011.

Oops-Lah 's prizes are a layer cake, jelly roll and Bali Pops!  I want those Pops!!  Ends May 9, 2011.

Arden's Nest has a wonderful tutorial and giving away 1/2 yard cuts of fabric.  Ends April 16, 2011

Cotton Blossom Farms is giving away 12 fat quarters.  Ends April 16, 2011.

Bluebird's Wing is giving away a bunch of prizes.  Ends April 17, 2011.

Kool Beenz has a FQ bundle to giveaway.  Ends April 15, 2011.

Quilted Journeys also is giving away a FQ bundle.  Ends April 15, 2011.

SewCalGal has a quilt kit and a $25 gift certificate to AccuQuilt.  Ends April 17, 2011.

Fort Worth Fabric Studio has fabric bundle and a purse insert pattern.  Ends April 17, 2011.

Burgundy Buttons has some lovely patterns as prizes.  Ends April 15, 2011.

Sunshower Quilts giving 10 die cut butterflies for applique.  Ends April 17, 2011.

Just Plain Laine is giving an AccuQuilt Die.  Ends April 17, 2011.



Okay, I need to take a break.  It takes a while to get all these sites down and checked out!  Enjoy browsing and I hope you win something!

Santa Sack Swap

Cheryl over at "Gone Stitchin" is having the coolest swap.  It's a six month committment but sounds like it's going to be really fun.  Starting in July you make a bag and send some goodies WRAPPED UP in it.  Each month you send another goodie or two WRAPPED UP.  The idea is that you have six months of presents to open up in December from your partner.

Loads of fun and lots of surprises, just up my alley!  Come join the fun. 

Pincushion Swap!

Okay, it may just be the four of us, if you all still want to exchange pincushions,  OR we could each make three and send them to each other!  I could use three new ones!!
 
This is what I thought we could do--

1.  Leave a comment and tell me for sure you want to swap and if you want to make more than one.
2.  Your choice of any cute pincushion pattern or one you design yourself
3.  Mail date May 2, 2011 to partner/partners
4.  Send me your email and physical address -- firstos@sbcglobal.net
5.  Signups until next Monday--April 11, 2011!

Pretty simple!  Let's do it!  And if anyone else wants to join, let me know.