Three more things off my UFO list!

The top 2 photos are a colorwash triple irish chain that I started over 10 years ago. The pattern called for 3" squares so naturally I had to do it in 1.5" squares! I finally finished it today! The next photo is Christmas Kitty Kats. The same pattern as the other Kitty quilt but all done in Christmas prints and colors.

This quilt is called Christmas in July. It is all done in non Christmas Prints in red, green and ivory. The idea was to have a Christmas Quilt that could be used all year long if you wanted to. As you can see all the kitties love them too. My UFO list is still pretty long but I plan on keep sewing until they are all completed. Now I am working on a scrappy HST quilt and a Barbie Quilt and a Blue and Ivory Quilt and a Pink and Ivory quilt.

Nasty Flu Pretty quilts!

 

I got the flu last weekend and for the first three days my head was so stuffed up I couldn't breathe well except while I was sitting at my sewing machine. I don't know why this happens but it is probably because sewing relaxes me so much I stopped stressing about my stuffy nose. So I started piecing UFO's that have been stacked near or on my sewing machine for several months. This one is called Bold and Bright and is from an internet swap I was a part of. About half the blocks I made and the other half were from swappers all over the world. As you can see the kitties love the bright colors too and it was impossible to get a picture without kitties.

Was going to use a 2" lattice but didn't like the way it looked so I cut the strips in half and it turned out the perfect way to frame each block. The otter border was going to be a bright pink floral but my cat stole it and ran away with it and then brought me back this purple 60s reproduction print with mod flowers in all the colors in the quilt. I am so glad my cats join in the quilting process because he was so right and I would have had to take the pink off. So I will save the pink border for another quilt. I have about 30 UFOs that I want to get finished this year. I am trying to do them with only the fabric I have on hand. I got 3 quilts pieced while I was having trouble breathing but I can't find the corner blocks I made for the outside border of one of them. The cats steal fabric if they like it. Here is a photo of the second quilt top I finished while I was having trouble breathing.

This quilt is called Kitty Kat and is an adaptation of Janet Kime's pattern Plaid Cats from her book The Cat's Meow. I have one of these done in Christmas prints too but I can't find the outer scrappy border I made for it. I can't even blame the cats for it this time. It got packed away somewhere years ago which is why I never pieced the top together. But I'll find it or make a different border and then I will post the picture of the 2 other tops I made while my head was stuffy. I am now at the point where I have been sleeping a lot because I didn't get much sleep while I was coughing and had a stuffy head. I am doing much better now and I still plan of sewing lots more of my UFO's together so I will keep posting them.

Happy 2011!

I decided to start 2011 by using up my stash of UFO's and orphan blocks to make tiny quilts to go with the kittens to their forever homes. One has found a home and took one of the quilts before I got the photos taken but I will make sure that doesn't happen again. I want them each to have a small doll quilt to take so they will have something that smells like this home to keep them company while they adjust to their new home. Its tough letting them go but this house is way too small for 13 cats. They have started fighting and that's when its time to find them forever homes where they all can get the love and attention that they deserve.

These are the 3 little girls that are left laying on a folder quilt in a window. They are Barbie, Rockette, and Eclipse. Barbie got her name because her foot pads are pink and she is black and white which is the classic Barbie colors. She also naps in a basket of pink, black and white Barbie blocks from a swap. I will be making her quilt this weekend out of left over blocks from the swap. That way she will have a quilt that will smell familiar.
I will try to post pictures as I get the kittens quilts done and also the pictures of the lap robes for our local VA hospital that I am using up left overs on. I've got to reduce my stash and I think that is a very good way to get it done. I will also try to post more often now that we are finding forever homes for the kittens. Right now all my extra money is going to cat food and litter. You wouldn't believe how much 13 cats go through in a week!

Instructions for Reusable tote

As promised a step by step instructions for these tote/grocery bags.
First I cut 2-20" squares of medium weight cotton twill fabric. I use the heavier cotton because it stands up to more use than the quilting weight cotton. Sometimes I just cut a piece of fabric 20X40 so that I can eliminaste one of the seams.

Second I cut 2 straps of twill strapping. I get mine from www.countrybrookdesign.com they have a variety of colors and designs.

Then the sewing starts. I start by folding over 1/4th inch of the bag top and stitching that down.

Now fold that over to seal the raw edges and stitch across again.

Now you are going to attach the straps. I make my straps 2 yards long because I like to be able to hang the bags on the back of my wheelchair. You can always tie a knot to make them shorter but it is impossible to make short straps long! I fold the bag so I can measure where I want to attach the straps. I divide the width into thirds and mark with pins or a marker.

Then I open the fabric again and start sewing a strap centered over my markers. I sew up one side and then sew back and forth a few times across the top of the strap and then sew down the other side of the strap.

Now you want to make sure your strap doesn't have any twists in it then center the other end on your second mark and sew this strap just like the first side. Now turn the bag over and repeat that with the second strap. I always mark both straps while the fabric is folded because I want the straps to be in the same position on both sides.

Now you want to close up any open side seams and then sew up the bottom too.

Now you can leave it this way or you can pinch a pleat into the bottom. I center the seams on the side and sew a pleat up 3" across to make a 3" bottom in the tote. This is not necessary but it makes it much easier to carry bulky items in the totes. Now turn it right side out and you have a great gift for anyone who likes to be green!

And yes I do 99% of my sewing on a machine that is older than me! It is a 1942 Singer that I bought from the estate of a seamstress and I truly love it. It is set into a cabinet that is blonde which I don't like but I am never not sewing something so no time to refinish the cabinet in something more to my taste.
Happy stitching! Next I will post photos of my bowtie blocks.

Its Freezing!

Sissy is modeling a teddy bear tree skirt I made in the early 80s that I am looking for an adoptive home for. The pieced side is red and green Christmas prints with a red ruffle with teddy bears on it. The reverse is a teddy bear winter fun print and the teddy bear ruffle is complete on this side as well.

I have spent the day sewing bowtie blocks and I'm going to go to bed now because the heater will be dropping and it's ten below outside so I'm going to get in the bed where it is warm. Its so cold I bet all 13 kitties will be sleeping on the heated bed with us tonight which means we won't be able to move all night! LOL We are definitely going to have a white Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends.

I'm sewing & its snowing

I am sitting at my sewing machine sewing some bowtie blocks I found in the sewing machine drawer. Its been snowing since Sunday night here and it doesn't show signs of stopping. I love to watch it snow so I opened the curtain and I watch the white stuff getting deeper and deeper. Since its too deep to take my wheelchair out in I get to stay home and sew! I will post pictures of the snow and the bowties when it is light outside and the 6.5" blocks are completed. I think I have enough for 2 lap robes that I will back with some john deere flannel and then take them down to the VA hospital near my home. I hope to deliver 6 laprobes just after Thanksgiving. 2 tops are made two are half sewed and 2 are cut and ready to piece. It shouldn't be a problem if the kittens don't eat them before I get them quilted.

Here is a photo that is too adorable to not post.

Decorating the Tree?

I put the Christmas tree together and started decorating it but all the kittens in the house started trying to help. They wanted to play with the ornaments and bead garland and it was so much fun watching them that I just kept redoing what they kept undoing.We have always had cats so most of my ornaments are shatterproof but nothing is kitten proof!

These blocks are much brighter than the photo suggests. I am setting them with black kona solid sashing. The the outside border is going to be a bright pink floral. I hope to have it basted and ready to quilt by Christmas.

I am also working on trying to get this top together. It is called Christmas in July because the colors are Christmas Red, Green, and Beige/Gold but the patterns are not Christmas at all. Most are floral with a few being paisley. I won't hand quilt this quilt because I want a good sturdy throw that can be used all year. I will machine quilt it or send it out for machine quilting. I think I will have several left over blocks so I might make a table runner too!

I am sewing the blocks for this pattern as well. (I never work on just 1 project at a time) This tree will be a wall hanging that I will decorate with antique buttons and charms I have been collecting for many years. I have all the ivory background blocks finished and most of the green ones are finished as well. The past 2 years I have made an extra block each time I sewed a block and added it to the stack. As soon as I get the drunkard's path blocks finished I will start putting the whole thing together. I doubt that I will get it done in time for this Christmas because the kittens are too much help but maybe next year! The idea is to have a tree whether I feel like decorating one or not.

I have a couple of free items to give away to my blog followers. One is a desk top calendar of my custom designed quilts the other is a box of scraps from my stash clean out. If you follow my blog just email me your snail mail address to ladyqwiller@yahoo.com  with "FREEBEE" in the subject line and I will put your name in the drawing. I will do the drawing on December 1 and the packages will go out the same day!