Oh, My Goodness!

I have inherited a quilting machine from my late sister, Faith. She asked me several times about taking it when she not able to use it but I was unsure but finally decided I wanted to learn to use it and get some of my stack of quilt tops finished.

I am really excited about us learning how to use it . With my HD's help we will get it going and hope to work together on the quilting.

Thanks to Faith's husband, Fred for giving us her machine and all the work gathering things up to send. We will really enjoy it! Also thanks go to my sister Barbara & brother-in- law, John for bringing it to us.

HD and I were so excited that we stayed up 'til 10:30 pm putting it together and checking it out. Now the fun starts - practice, practice, practice.

My HD said my little sister is probably looking down from heaven, laughing at us trying to set it up but I think she is smiling too, knowing that her machine will be used.

It is a Nolting SMS 24 with Intellistitch and a 12 foot table and is really nice.

Leftovers Pieces

Using leftovers from my Shoebox Treasure's Log Cabin quilt, I made these two blocks and will make pillows from them.

 I also had two leftover Best Friend boy blocks so I made two girl blocks to make up this one for a wall hanging.  I still need to add a flower in one boys hand to balance out the fishing pole in the other one's hand and keep the girls happy! :0)

Shoebox Treasure Log Cabin Quilt Top

I finished this quilt top using the fabrics from the shoebox and adding my own teal fabric for some contrast in the border and a separation point between the log cabin blocks and the border. Teal is my favorite color so I tend to use it often in my quilts.

NOTE: I hate doing Mitered corners!
Did I mention I hate Mitered corners? I have a mental block about them and always have to look at directions for them and still have fits with them. They are very pretty WHEN they turn out right.

Two of the corners don't look too bad. The designs came together pretty well but the other two did not do as well. I won't show them. Did I mention I hate Mitered corners?

I am not a perfectionist and prefer to look at the beauty of the log cabin rather than worry about a border corner design not lining up. I really like the colors in this top.

My First Quilt Guild Meeting.

This week I attended my first meeting of the Quilter's Guild of Parker County in Weatherford and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks go to my friend Pat for taking me and introducing me to lots of quilters. I took a stack of quilt magazines for their "free" table and have donated a box of quilting books that they will use for their auction.

There was a good crowd there and a full meeting. They had visiting, of course, installation of new officers, show and tell and a speaker.

  Lynn Roddy Brown was a terrific speaker and her subject was: “Scrap Quilts from Block Swaps”.  For the past nine years, she has been a member of a bee that trades blocks for scrap quilts.  She loves scrap quilts because it gives her the opportunity to use many different fabrics.

Kiss The Cook . . .

It was time to cook meat on the grill again. My HD does a super job cooking out there. He cooked 35 chicken breasts and 33 pork chops. We did the pork a little different this time, bought a pork loin and sliced it into chops. The seasoning is just right and the oil coating keeps the meat nice and moist.

Chicken 

Pork Chops

Pork Chops

We really like cooking the meat up like this. We put it into the freezer, packaged for single meals.  Just pull it out, zap it, add a salad or veggies and it is ready in no time. Keeps you from eating out quite as much too!

Check Out The Green Bag Lady

This is great!!! She gives away fabric goodies....

http://greenbaglady.blogspot.com/2011/02/lunch-bagorganic-11-freebie-4.html

This time up to ten can win. Don't forget to select your favorite Harmony Art fabric. There are so many pretty patterns but I like the 10 Flowers best.

What is it??

I don't know whether it is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder  or Quilter's UFO (Unfinished Object) Disease. There has to be something that keeps me from finishing projects, yet starting new ones.

Just look at the stack of quilt tops that need to be sandwiched and quilted!

Then there's the stack that HAVE been sandwiched and ready to quilt.

Then there are the quilt tops I am now working on - I'll never get them all done but I WILL HAVE FUN!

Added another row and lattice, after this pix was taken.

And that doesn't count my "shoebox treasures" either!

I know I should work to finish some but have so many ideas floating around in my head for new things to try. I love using up scraps to make things.

I love doing the quilt tops but am so slow about putting them together and quilting them. The small ones are not too bad to quilt on a home sewing machine but I struggle with the larger ones.

Two peas in a pod . . .

Faith and I had many things in common. Sewing, quilting, collecting beautiful fabric and we liked a lot of the same patterns.

She made a “Best Friend's” small quilt for the silent auction at our Cousins family reunion in 2008 and I had the winning bid on it. It features six pieced girl blocks. In going through the “Shoebox Treasures”, I found another six hand pieced girl blocks.

About the same time she made the reunion quilt, I ran across the “Best Friends” boy pattern in one of my quilt magazines and put together six blocks. I put them away and forgot about them until I came across Faith's blocks. I will put the boys and girls together in a quilt or two and post when finished.

Shoe Box Treasures!

I have been going back through the huge amount of sewing things my sister, Faith, left to me. I am so amazed with the complete quilt pieces so carefully cut and placed in shoe boxes and plastic totes. 

Each containing a complete beautiful quilt (one with borders in the box too) when assembled. Placed in the box with a sample of the block and pieces in the order to be constructed! It makes putting them together so very easy and fast. It is truly a gift of love for any quilter. 

I am not familiar with some of the pattern designs but will try to put a name with each block as I figure it out. 

I don't know if these were all Faith's or from someone else's collected stash. Looking at the beautiful color combinations, I suspect several were indeed Faith's since she had such a nice flair for blending colors.

One box just had miscellaneous cut pieces. It will be fun laying them out onto blocks to see what pattens come about. There are all sizes of squares, triangles and strips of many fabrics. I have always made my quilts up as I go, never figuring out how much fabric or cutting all the pieces up front. They have always worked out but after seeing with what ease the shoebox treasures are coming together, I may start doing mine a bit different!

I will be posting more of these treasures as I finish them, remembering Faith with every stitch.