Doll quilts finished

I reached my August goal - hurray!

I have finished Dots for Dolly, my circle dots doll quilt.  It was fun to quilt - probably because I did both hand-quilting and machine quilting on this small quilt.

Here is a view of the front side-by-side with the back.  These photos were taken during the hand quilting stage.  I so enjoyed making this little quilt.


I also made two monster-lizard pencil pouches.  This is a free pattern available from my friend Liz.  Click here to see the directions and pattern on her blog Fat Chick Quilts, http://www.fatchickquilts.com/.

I made the striped one first in a workshop Liz gave to our Houston Modern Quilt Guild and immediately knew that I had to make one for my friend Chela and her little man grandson Isaac.

 These are the three doll quilts that I made especially for Chela... well, specifically for her son's daughters and their American Girl dolls.  I hope they love these doll quilts as much as I do.

These two monster pencil pouches reminds me of chatty lizards and you can see the quilting of the circle dot quilt underneath them.


This completes my August goal in A Lovely Year of Finishes too.  Click here to find out more about this monthly "can you finish it?" challenge being run by Melissa at Sew BitterSweet Designs (http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/) or Shanna at Fiber of All Sorts  (http://fiberofallsorts.blogspot.com/).

I am Linky #66  in the Goal posting for August (click here to see all that posted goals) and I am Linky #57 in the Finishes posting for August (click here for all who posted finishes) 

August goal for finishing.....

 

Time to declare my goal for the month of August in the A Lovely Year of Finishes ongoing motivational challenge.  This month my goal is to finish doll quilts that I've promised to a friend for

her granddaughters.  They are started but I've stalled out and need to get going again to get them completed and delivered.

The one that is the farthest from completion is nicknamed "Dots for Dolly".

I had fun appliqueing the dots onto the background but how in the world shall I quilt this?

Maybe I will try some big-stitch hand quilting .... in straight lines or in spiraling circles or both?

I also hope to finish this bargello quilt-let which I blogged about here.  Originally meant to be the third doll quilt, it ended up being too small for the requested size, which is probably why I've been stalled on finishing these three quilt tops.  Since this one is too small for the doll quilt, I think it will become a quilted pocket-sleeve for my cellphone (which is a larger size than I've had before).

Join me in the Lovely Year of Finishes fun and set a goal to finish some project you have.  Click here to see who else has set a goal in this month's challenge.  You can find me at linky #66.


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Summer fun

Have you heard of the Row by Row Experience yet?  It is the fun reason that quilters are taking to the road this summer.  It is the easiest Shop Hop yet.  It is addictive and I confess, I am hooked!

Quilt shops across the United States of America and Canada too (and possibly other countries too?) have designed their own unique 9" x 36" pattern for a row in a quilt with a theme of "water" -- this is Row by Row in a nutshell.  Shoppers are invited to step foot into the participating quilt shops (over 2,000 this summer) to pick up their free pattern directions.  Many of the quilt shops are also selling fabric kits as well as pins and fabric labels featuring a unique license plate. 

When I first heard of this, I thought oh how cute but was not really interested in joining this craze.  Although I did pick up my first pattern and kit when I popped into CJ's Quilt Shop on my first visit to this shop.  On the family road trip, I convinced my crew to stop at two shops in Greensboro, North Carolina and I picked up two more rows (and one more kit).

Here is my progress on these first three rows.  Top down they are from "Calla Lily Quilts" in Greensboro, NC, CJ's Quilt Shop in Richmond, TX and my favorite (and the only one totally complete as I post this) is from Studio Stitch also in Greensboro, NC and also a Bernina store.
The frog row was their kit with the pieces all precision cut with iron-on adhesive already on each piece.  The  three little ducks are fussy cut and framed by a blue check then appliqued on the waterdrops background (two umbrellas are being stitched on).  I did alter this a bit.  Then the bottom rows of batik fish was made from all my fabrics and was the most fun to stitch.

It's official.  I am hooked!  Since returning home from our road trip, I have since collected more patterns by visiting a few of the local shops .... and I'm recruiting family and friends to visit quilt shops near them to collect the patterns for me.  And I browse the Facebook pages for the various states (here's the Texas FB page) and the Row by Row Experience website, http://www.rowbyrowexperience.com/,  and images shared on InstaGram.  I am having fun!

Here are a few more favorite rows and finished quilts ... just to share the fun!

 

These bottles are an original design by Johanna Masko for a quilt shop, "The Workroom" in Toronto, Canada (on InstaGram as "_theworkroom").  Follow Johanna on her blog: johannamaskoquilts.blogspot.ca or in IG as "jmaskoquilts."

 

The above quilt is made with the rows by the five Pacific Fabric stores, each store has one of the rows available to their shoppers who visit each location in person.  I love it - don't you?  The stores from the top-down are: SODO, Bellevue, Everett, Bremerton and Northgate.

This photo from Instagram shows the two choices for rows that the Quilt Company in Aalison Park, PA designed for the 2015 Row by Row Experience.  I think the watercolors are my favorite, though the watermelon slices are also appealing. 

These four Sunbonnet Sues make up the row offered by A Great Notion Sewing Supply Ltd. in Canada.  Their kit includes 44 different fabrics - oh my!

This is one of my favorite completed quilts. It is by Loide Wasmund (IG: lwasmund),  a Texas quilter.  My favorite row is the four quilty-friends -- something different is reflected back from their sunglasses!  I also am tickled by the five bowl of fish!  I'm busy figuring out where each of these rows originated and whether I can get there during the Row-by-Row times .... or if I should just try drafting my own version of the rows I like.  Once I started thinking about drafting my own patterns, I then started thinking "why keep the stores in a long-skinny format, 9"x39"?  why not alter that size too?"  Stay tuned as I try to figure out what I am going to do and watch as I do it!

I love that the theme of "Water" has inspired so many in such different ways.  I want to collect and make more of these rows (or draft my version of the row).  Clearly this is my newest addiction!  What's yours?

Torah portion completed

I am thrilled to announce that I have completed my cross-stitch Torah portion for the Torah Stitch By Stitch project and have sent it off to Canada .... hopefully I will receive word soon that it has been received.

My four verses tell the story of Joseph's return to Egypt after he had traveled to bury his father in the land of Canaan and about his brothers reaction to their father's death. The English and Hebrew are on my first post (here) about this project.

 Genesis 50: 14-17

I added the borders on the three sides - an option.  I look forward to seeing the entire piece assembled and on display.

For the curious - here is a view of the back of my piece.  Is it almost has interesting as the front?  Sylvia, my mother-in-law, was always more interested in admiring the backs of my projects than the actual project.  So I share this one in her memory -- may her memory be a blessing.

For more information on how to participate in the international project (recreating the entire Torah in cross-stitch, four verses at a time), or just for updates as to how it is going, follow the website: 

http://torahstitchbystitch.temmagentles.com/

This completes my July goal in A Lovely Year of Finishes too.  Click here to find out more about this monthly "can you finish it?" challenge being run by Melissa at Sew BitterSweet Designs (http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/) or Shanna at Fiber of All Sorts  (http://fiberofallsorts.blogspot.com/).

I am Linky #20 in the Goal posting for July (click here to see all that posted goals) and I am Linky #28 in the Finishes posting for July (click here for all who posted finishes)

Love a challenge

The most recent challenge that I've signed up for is the 2015 Michael Miller Glitz Challenge offered to members of the Modern Quilt Guild.

This is the packet that I received,

2 fat eighths of the four prints shown.  

Now I must dream up a quilt to make using these fabrics or others from the Michael Miller Glitz line.  I can use any Michael Miller Cotton Couture solids on the front of the quilt and any Michael Miller fabrics for the binding and back. 

I learned ages ago that I tend to finish challenges -- especially when there are external deadlines set.  This quilt must be finished and entered in the QuiltCon by November 30, 2015.

Oh how I do love a challenge.

Blanket stitch

The second stitch for Take a Stitch Tuesday is the Buttonhole stitch, also known as the Blanket stitch.  This is the first embroidery stitch that I learned -- when I was a Brownie Girl Scout, we made "sit-upons" using 2 squares of red checkered  flannel-backed vinyl, with folded newspapers for batting.  We stitched these squared together using the Blanket stitch.  I believe I may still have my sit-upon tucked away somewhere .....  We did the same project the next year, but upgraded to a foam cushion in the middle, replacing the newspapers.  The trusty blanket stitch was used again, too.

This week, I used the blanket stitch to outline a simple amoeba flower shape as a nod to the use of the blanket stitch for applique work in traditional quilting.

Join us on Facebook (FB) with our "TAST - Take a Stitch Tuesday" which is an open group.  Sharon Boggon, of Pin Tangle fame, posts a new embroidery stitch every Tuesday (it often appears usually on Monday nights - as she is posting from Australia) and includes many eye-candy inspiring samples as well as links to more "how-to" steps for each TAST Stitch-of-the-Week.

Click here to see those posts or click here to see my "Buttonhole" sampler I made back in January 2012.

Sneak at the next stitch: It is the Feather stitch!  click here for more on the feather stitch

More favorites from the Joy of Quilts show

The Quilt Guild of Greater Houston held its bi-annual quilt show this past week-end and here are a few more favorites that were in this amazing show.... starting with one of my own, Mmm, Pot Pie.

Mmm, Pot Pie (a Michael Miller challenge) by Cathy Winter, quilted by Pam Biswas

Mmm, Pot Pie was made specifically for a Michael Miller Challenge given to the Modern Quilt Guild.  Sadly, my quilt was rejected and never displayed at QuiltCon in Austin earlier this year.  How exciting that it won a 3rd place ribbon in the Small Wall Quilt category at the Joy of Quilts show!  Click here and here to see earlier posts about this quilt or click here to go to Pam's website.

Spring Landscape by Jo Sweet

My friend Jo stitches amazing photographic pieces, though the image is entirely rendered with thread and small bits of fabric.  They are often inspired by photographs she or her husband have taken.  This tiny quilt was easily the smallest quilt in the show, except possibly for the miniature quilt category.  Jo states "Every spring the earth presents a lovely gift to Texans.  All manner of wildflowers take their turn embellishing the land, but the bluebonnets truly enchant."  I totally agree with you, Jo!

The next quilt is in keeping with the Texas theme....

Boot Scootin' Boogie detail view of boots

Boot Scootin' Boogie by Suzanne Purvis, quilted by Jane Plisga

I first saw this pattern on display at Quilt 'n Sew Studio in Katy and learned that it was featured in the Sept/Oct 2000 issue of the Fons and Porter magazine (click here to purchase).  The pattern is called Boot Scootin' Boogie, and is on my "quilt bucket list".  I fear that this list only grows lately -- might be time for me to get busy and sew sew sew.

Making a basket quilt has been on my quilt bucket list for years. Now I can check 'basket quilt' off of my quilt-bucket list.  Below is my Red Summer Baskets quilt which is the only one of the four quilts I entered in this show that did not win a ribbon.  Regardless, this is my all time favorite quilt and lives proudly on my living room wall.  After reading the judges' comments, I understand why they did not like my awesome quilt (also quilted by Pam Biswas), and I disagree, but that's OK.  It is what makes entering quilts shows so challenging and fun as you cannot predict what the judges will love or not love.  I know that I love my Red Summer Baskets and I will not fret over the judges' opinions.  Click here and here to learn more about its making.

On display to the left of my quilt are two quilts: City Living by Pam Tedeschi, which won an Honorable Mention in the category of Pieced Wallhanging Small, and The Bottom of My Spool Drawer by Susan Pain.  I served as the Co-Chair of Daytime Programming of QGGH with Susan Pain seven or eight years ago.  We had a blast working together.  The other fun thing to note - making a spools quilt is on my quilt bucket list, as is making a city horizon of my own.

Brody's Bots and Aiden's 'Droids both by Susan Pain

Can you guess that these two quilts are for young brothers, who happen to be Susan's grandchildren?  These quilts are fun and playful and perfect for her grandsons.  Nice job, Susan.

Nathan's Quilt by Ellen Brodsky Gaber

This Astros quilt is the first quilt Ellen ever made.  It uses many of her son's Astros t-shirts and was a labor of love.  Ellen states that her son "is passionate about baseball and loyal to his home team."  This describes one of my sons perfectly and I am not surprised that he loves Nathan's Quilt.  It looks like I will be making a quilt from my son's Astros t-shirts .... one day.

Zen Batik by Suzanne Purvis

Suzanne's was inspired to make this quilt using a jelly roll and a few more pieces of batiks after seeing a post on Pinterest.  I love this look, and the simplicity appeals as well -- may have to make one of these too.

The photo below shows a close-up view of a beautifully embroidered quilt, a hexie quilt!

Second Chances by Rhonda Dort, detail

Second Chances by Rhonda Dort

This quilt, Second Chances, is another by the talented Rhonda Dort.

Second Chances by Rhonda Dort, 2nd detail

This quilt is named Second Chances because Rhonda has given a second chance to life, or as shes states: She is "giving life to old, stained, tattered and torn vintage linens, buttons and ribbons.  Each hexagon is heavily hand embellished.... created with what might have ordinarily been unusable vitage pieces, easily discarded."  This is a design and execution of Rhonda's own creation.  A lovely creation it is too.  Good job Rhonda!

Cascading Blooms by Suzanne Purvis and Cotton Pickin' Bee, quilted by Linda Beiswanger

I love the modern take on traditional hexagonal flowers in this quilt.  They look like they are cascading down from the heavens above.  Lovely job to the Cotton Pickin' Bee!

Anwyn's Quilt a.k.a. Rainbows by Fran Urquhart, quilted by Jane Plisga

Let's end this post with one last Modern Traditional quilt, and one also using hexagons.  Jane made this quilt for her granddaughter, Anwyn, after her granddaughter saw the pattern in the Spring 2014 issue of Modern Patchwork.  The only alteration Jane made was to add more colored circles than were shown in the original pattern.  The colors reflect those found in a rainbow and stand out nicely against the mixed neutral, stormy grays of the background.