Finishing UFOs…..woot woot!

I made a promise to myself that after the first of the year, I would finish projects that were half started and almost done…or else. I’ve kept that promise and am very happy with the results, many projects are completely done! I even allowed myself to start a new project last week.

Amish with a Twist is ready to quilt….last I knew my sister Wendy was going to take this one. I’ve tried to make a quilt for each one of my sisters, and Wendy is the only one who hasn’t got her quilt yet. I’m really at a loss as to how I’m going to quilt this one…I may need some help from my friend Kelly Kreft….

‘Grand Illusion’ Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt, pieced, quilted and bound…started this one the first of December and it’s completely done….I’m very proud of that. I changed it up a bit, but it’s pretty close to what Bonnie Hunter suggested. This is a very large square quilt.

And another quilt that I finally quilted and bound…My 2011 Calendar quilt, this is so much fun for me to just look at…It has a different strip of fabric for every day of the 2011 year, whatever I happened to be working on that day was the strip I sewed on to this quilt. I did the applique flowers  and embroidery since they were in some quilts I did that year too….I think I’m going to be doing this again in 2016. My grandson Walker is helping me hold up the quilt.

 

Block #5 in my Wool BOM from Primitive Gatherings….I love this quilt!

I’m still doing a bit of crocheting too…I have a grandson on the way so I’ll have to start making some boy hats as well.

A flannel baby blanket that a friend wanted for a baby gift, I really need to get busy and make a few of these to have on hand….I usually do, but right now it’s pretty slim pickings. I have a stack of flannel literally at least 3 feet high, so that’s not the problem.

This is the new project I’m working on….coloring and embroidery…what a fun combination! I love the scripture verses too…don’t know who will want this one, but I’m sure someone will, and then again I might want to keep this one for myself.

This is the border for my mom’s Civil War quilt she started before she went in the nursing home…she asked me to finish it…Not my favorite quilt, but I will eventually get the job done. Mom had done the center of the quilt and I finished the 4 corners…I wish she were still alive…she would love to see the progress I’ve made on this quilt. Now to make 68 of the Hovering Hawk blocks for the borders…Lots of half square triangles…I WILL FINISH THIS!

My haul from the quilt store this week….75% off! What a find….got enough for 5 quilt backs…This puts a smile on my face.

Happy Quilting

Kris

Sewing puts me in my Happy Place!

I love to sew…quilt….crochet and all of that good stuff. Going into my sewing room and sitting at my sewing machine puts me in my Happy Place, it puts a big smile on my face and I can forget about everything but what I’m working on. Truly a day doesn’t go by that I don’t sew for at least 30 minutes…usually at least a couple of hours. It really is my therapy!

This is my Prairie Rose BOM that I finally finished…I did more ripping on this quilt than I have on everything else put together in the last two years….If it could go wrong it did! But I prevailed and got it done….now to get it quilted!

Mitered corners and I haven’t always gotten along so well…I’ve been able to do them but with much frustration and confusion. I finally found a tutorial from Riley Blake and she had a guest on that showed what worked best for her…they were cut before they were attached to the quilt. It just all made sense to me and so I tried it with very good results…it’s definitely worth watching.

One more thing to cross off my to-do list…Kyle’s t-shirt quilt is now done and ready to quilt. My mom had started this before she went in the nursing home and when we were cleaning out her house we found it…my sister Val asked me if I would get it done and of course I said yes…So a year later it’s completed! Only took 5 days to do it…but it was the getting started part that was so hard. Mom  only cut out about 5 t-shirts, so I made the whole quilt. It finishes at 86 x 98.

Getting started quilting my Bonnie Hunter ‘Grand Illusion’ Mystery quilt….It’s very big too! This is not a quilt I ever would have done by just seeing it in a book, not really my color choice either, but I love what Bonnie Hunter does and I thought this would be a good year to get started doing her Mystery Quilt and I jumped right in. I changed the outside border up a bit which I like much better….I’m happy with the over all results and will be doing her Mystery Quilt again next year.

All quilted and on a bed….have to add the binding yet…will use the turquoise colored sashing strip for that.

And here is what I did in the border….I’m learning, but I’m finding it just takes lots of practice.

I’m ready for block 5 in this wool quilt from Lisa Bonjean which is a 14 month BOM….fun fun fun!

This is a baby quilt I quilted for my masseuse…she and I are trading,  quilting for massages! I didn’t figure I could go wrong with that! I also sewed the binding on for her.

My 2011 calendar quilt is done now too….just need to bind it! So as you can see I’ve been very busy the past few weeks. I’ve also crocheted around 60 infinity scarves since the first of January…I guess you could call me an over achiever! I love doing hand work…..Which actually is an understatement. 

Happy Quilting!

Kris

Wonky Log Cabin/Crocheted Hats

I’ve been working so much the past few weeks that my sewing has had to take a back seat….I hate that, but with Wayne being home with a broken ankle, I guess it’s a good thing that I’m able to work as much as I have.

I’ve got all of the retro flower blocks done for two baby quilts, just need to sew them together and add the border and the names….One is spoken for and the other one will just be ready when the next girl baby is born…

I’ve also started on those wedding gifts I spoke of on my last blog….actually one is a birthday gift and the other two will be wedding gifts….these are made from scraps of flannel…which I got a bunch of from my mom’s stash before she died.

And above is the start of the light colored version and below is the start of the darker colored one….

And here is the one I made for Karmon and Clint last fall….these are very fast to make, and don’t require too much skill at all….this would be excellent for a beginning  quilter.

And I’m crocheting on my breaks at work and in the evening when I get home….been selling quite a few of my hats, so I thought I’d better replenish my supply! I just need to decide which of the ear flap hats will be for girls and add the flowers to them.

Happy Quilting!

Kris

I’m sewing and loving every minute of it!

I’m on vacation this week and I’ve been in my sewing room 10 hours every day….It’s been wonderful! I finished my Vintage Tins quilt….and have started a new B.O.M. called: Prairie Rose with fabric designed by Jo Morton. I also dug out my Farmer’s Wife Pony Club Quilt blocks and have started in on those….I’m over the halfway point now, I think the reason I enjoy doing these blocks is that anything goes. I’m using all kinds of fabric scraps and just having a fun time deciding what to use for each block…some I’m not so happy with the colors choices once they’re done, but I’m not changing any of them. I think once they are in the quilt, it will all look good together. I think I’ll end up sashing it in black. I’m still crocheting in the evenings before I go to bed…I’ll be sending about 50 hats to my sister in Iowa so she can sell them  in her store.

I love my vintage tins quilt…instead of using all black, cream and white, I threw in some red and golds….I am very happy with how it turned out. That was a lot of embroidery too!

These are the first three blocks of my Prairie Rose BOM….I love the fabric…it reminds me a little of civil war fabrics and I’m in a  love relationship with civil war fabrics right  now! As soon as I walk in a fabric store they start calling my name.

These are the latest blocks I’ve made for my FWPC quilt….there will be 90 of them and they are 8 1/2” unfinished. I think I’ve gotten 50 of them made now….

Have a wonderful day! and Happy Quilting

Kris

Crocheting Baby Hats….I’m obsessed!

Well, I’ve been on the baby hat crocheting band wagon for about 6 weeks now….Who would have thought?

About 6-7 weeks ago I got very sick and ended up having the old fashioned Influenza A virus…I could hardly do anything but sit in my chair and sleep…believe it or not I didn’t miss any work and I really should have. I went to work with a fever for a whole week and then thank the Lord I had the next week off for vacation. I coughed for almost 5 weeks and just couldn’t get going, which started the whole hat crocheting thing….what else is there to do when all you want to do is sit in a chair? My mom also was in the hospital for over 3 weeks and the last week she was there I would bring my crocheting along, it was, and is therapy for me. My mom passed away two weeks ago, but she sure enjoyed looking at all of the hats I had done. My mama loved to look at all of the projects I was working on….it made her happy to see them, and I loved showing her! I inherited my ‘busy’ work project making from her. I love you so much mama and I really do miss you.

I will start sewing again soon, I can feel the urges coming back ! But for now here are some pictures of my grandbabies, 6 month old  Emersyn and 3yr old Walker.

I have probably made over 50 hats this past 6 weeks….I’m not exaggerating either…My sister Barb is selling them in her store in Iowa…they are selling pretty well too.

I have the day off today, and I’m not sure what I’ll do…maybe clean the house a little, sew a little, or crochet a little! We will have to see.

Happy Quilting…and Crocheting!

Kris

Small projects

I’ve gotten the binding done on my primitive table runner…the free motion quilting is very primitive also! I just happened to be doing the free motion quilting during the Nebraska/Northwestern game and my quilting most definitely reflects that! GBR!

And here is a table runner of jars that needs to be quilted…I had fun doing this one, it’s fast and very easy…I think I’ll bind it in red.

And here is the first granny square afghan that I’ve completed……these granny squares came from an uncle’s girlfriend…and that’s all I know! Whoever she was she wasn’t the best at crocheting!  I’m trying to make do and overall the afghan looks pretty good. I have enough squares to make at least another one. Since these are at least 25 years old,  I’m having to be real careful because some of the yarn is falling apart…..Ugh! This one is for my sister Val! Merry Christmas to you….

I’m headed to St. Joe this weekend to see my granddaughter…and I’m hoping to find all kinds of bargains if I get a chance to go shopping while I’m there.

Happy quilting, Kris

I’ve been busy!

I’ve been busy making small items such as table runners, scarves, wall hangings etc.etc.etc….and I’ve been enjoying every minute of it! Been using scraps and haven’t had to buy anything for these projects. I have a couple of drawers of yarn that I bought when it was on sale and I’ve been having fun looking through that to decide what to put together for a new scarf! I’m working on a green one now….and almost have a black one done too.

I made another penny wool table runner but used a black background. I like it! I’m sure I’ll put one of these on the auction at our Christmas get-together.

This is the latest table runner I’m working on….It’s from the magazine Primitive Quilts and Projects Winter 2012. The above penny wool table runner is out of the same magazine only the Spring 2013 Issue. I love this magazine! It’s more like a book and it’s only $10….It’s well worth the price for all of the projects you get in each issue. They are available at most quilt shops, and I’m thinking I might subscribe….I’d save quite a bit of money if I did this.

And here is a close up of the wool applique part….I’m not done yet, but it’s coming along pretty fast.

My third block in the Evelyn’s album BOM….This is a fun and fast one….

And another project that I started about 15 years ago….My uncle gave me several bags of crocheted granny squares that came from who knows where, and I started putting them together with some black yarn, this is almost done and I’d like to finish it and start putting another one together. It’s kind of fun and interesting to see….the granny squares are all different colors and you can tell that whoever made them used tons of left-over yarn or whatever they had on hand. I think this one was promised to my sister Val many years ago, and she might finally get it this winter!

Happy Quilting…and Knitting and Crocheting!

Kris