A Fish Quilt Due in January

We are expecting our sixth grandchild in January. The nursery is to be decorated with fish, so I decided a Fish Quilt was in order. I found the main fabric by Hoffman, I want to use, but still haven't decided on a quilt pattern. I am considering a Tumbler pattern but I am just not sure. Later this week I will have to go into the quilt shop and find some wonderfully bright co-ordinating fabrics. Does anyone have pattern ideas that would be cute for a new baby boy's fish quilt?

My Thread Catcher

I have been using a brown paper lunch bag, taped to my tabletop, to catch all of those threads that get clipped and snipped. That was okay for a little while, but then I saw a cute little thread catcher at the quilt shop and I knew I had to have one! A friend found a pattern and made a copy for me and supplied me with clean sand.

Today was the day to make my thread catcher...no more brown paper bags for me!

It was quite simple. I got some practice quilting in a cross hatch pattern (practice is ALWAYS good).

I had bought the fabric in Pigeon Forge, Tn. in March at a Quilt Fest. It's the perfect fabric for my thread catcher!

It's weighted with sand....which I must confess....I didn't think sand would stay in the fabric. I used very small stitches and reinforced with a zigzag stitch to ensure I would not have sand all over my sewing machine! The added bonus I hear, is the weight can be used as a pin cushion and the sand will help keep your pins sharp!

Time to start looking for tomorrow's project!

Fairies

A quilter in our guild made a beautiful fairy quilt with lots of applique! I was so impressed with the applique and quilting, not to mention the fairies. Fay Seale was kind enough to let me share her fairy quilt with all of you.

Applique is a skill I have not yet learned, but can't wait till I do! The pictures of this adorable fairy quilt does not do it any justice!

Thank you, Fay, for letting me share your beautiful work!

Organization

I have been trying to organize my quilting space lately. Much easier said than done! Progress has been made, but there is still sooooo much more to be done.
It would help considerably if I wasn't trying to work out of my dining room. Have you ever noticed how dining rooms are not quilting friendly? I am in desperate need of my own space!! Yesterday, my husband and I went "studio" shopping again. I am beginning to think this isn't going to happen before the snow flies. Even if it does, the need for organization is imperative. Everything scattered across the dining room is just not conducive to creativity or productivity.
I now have a my fabric all in one place, an accurate account of my thread, patterns gathered together and various other notions and supplies at the very least condensed. Still a mess, but it's a bit more of an organized mess!

A Place to Quilt

In the past week, I have made 2 Monkey Business bags, practiced some Free Motion Quilting and sewed a curtain for a friend. My space is limited and very unorganized! My husband and I are planning on building or purchasing a shed to turn into my Quilting Cottage so I will have a space of my own that I can organize and create! I found a ready made shed with a front porch 12' x 20'....keeping in mind I will need to add on when I get a long arm quilter, hehehe someday! It would work comfortably....it has 3 windows and a door with a window, 2 lofts for plenty of stash storage and plenty of room for sewing table, cutting table and cubbies for supplies. The building will be wired,
insulated, finished walls and floor, heat/AC, dehumidifier and set up as my quilting / sewing space!

My stepdad has drawn a few plans to help us estimate the cost of building my quilt cottage from scratch. He has also suggested several place on our property as likely locations. I will have to admit, his suggestions and reasoning behind them were definitely better than where I had planned on putting the building.

Yesterday, my husband and I were at the hardware store and I found a book on building your own shed. It included lots of wonderful pictures for garden sheds, barns, tool sheds, garages and "STUDIO'S". Lot's of comparison shopping to do!

I hope this project is started soon! My husband is hoping to have it ready to go before the snow flies, that may be a little over zealous. Keep your fingers crossed!

Hershey...mmmmmm

More gorgeous quilts from Hershey, PA. Someday I hope to have a quilt to enter into a show...practice, practice, practice!

I'm just in awe of the wonderful quilts and the artists that made them!

More Hershey!

Here's a few more quilts from the show!

This is a close up of the quilt below.

I love them all! There is more to come....

Quilt Odyssey...Hershey, PA.

What an awesome show! Gorgeous quilts (we were not allowed to photograph the Antique Quilts), 80+ vendors and wonderful people from all over the country! Quilt Odyssey was held at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, PA. It's a good thing I was only spending the day and not staying through Sunday or I would have spent a fortune.

Hershey Lodge and Convention Center

They had the most BEAUTIFUL flowers EVERYWHERE!

I bought a raffle ticket for the quilt above...wish me luck!

"Fire and Ice" by Claudia Pfeil...Congratulations!

This quilt is just as gorgeous on the back as it is on the front!

The three pictures above relate to the same quilt. Read the sign in the middle. Absolutely amazing! The talent at the Quilt Odyssey was unbelievable!

I am now at home...totally exhausted! More pictures to come...tomorrow!

Great Week Planned!

Today has been busy and lots of fun! Stopped by the local quilt shop...I needed zippers for fall themed "Monkey Business" bags (see post "Monkey Business" below). Also picked up more dragonfly fabric. A dear friend requested that I make her a Monkey Business Bag using the same fabric I used in the first one. That was quite a compliment coming from her...she has been a seamstress for years!  Three Monkey Business Bags are cut and ready to sew...hopefully I will have them put together tomorrow. These bags are so handy and will make great gifts! Pictures soon!

Later in the week I will be heading to Hershey, PA. to spend a day at Quilt Odyssey! Hopefully I will have lots of wonderful pictures to share! I've only been to one other show...in Pigeon Forge, Tn back in March. I LOVED it!

Free Motion Quilting Project

I found the Free Motion Quilting Project about a week ago and decided it was a wonderful way for me to learn how to Free Motion Quilt. Leah Day, has made a video for each design in the project. She is soooo inspirational! I went and bought some muslin and some pretty thread, made some block sandwiches and have gotten started! Leah Day makes it look so easy!....I will need to practice, practice, practice, before I post any pictures......I believe I am realllllly going to like this ongoing project!

Monkey Business Bag

Perfect bag, when you don't want or need a full sized purse! This little quilted bag measures approx. 9" x 5" and has an expandable 3" bottom so it will stand up. The strap is on a swivel hook which attaches to a D ring.

This quilted bag was fun to make! (it is also the bag I didn't think I had all the directions for...in the previous post) I am no longer afraid of ZIPPERS! I have always avoid everything that called for a zipper because I had no idea how to put them in. This quilted bag was my first attempt at putting in a zipper and it was a great success! Zippers aren't as scary as I thought!

Next little project is a coordinating quilted eyeglass case and quilted credit card/change purse.

Need to Read Directions

Last night I decided to start a little project. Just a small zippered quilted bag. I have had the  pattern, fabric, zipper, D ring and swivel hook for a little over a month now, so it was time! I cut out all the pieces and applied the fusible fleece. Figured such a small project would be wonderful for practicing Free Motion Quilting. Then as I read the directions, I realized I had pages 1 and 3....pages 2 and 4 were missing! I certainly do not know enough about sewing or the construction of a little bag, to continue without all the directions. This would also be the first attempt at putting in a zipper.

I sent out an email to the woman who gave me the pattern....hoping she still has the 2 other pages. After posting on several social networking sites, I received a message from a friend who asked if it was the same pattern she had used to make so many. YES it is....so hopefully I will get to finish this little project this weekend if I am able to meet up with Linda tomorrow. Otherwise it will have to wait till Monday and I will have to start another little project for the weekend!

Moral of this story: READ THE DIRECTIONS FIRST!

Tote Bag

This is my first completed quilt project! This tote measures approx. 14" x 14" x 4". It is a Whistlepig Creek Pattern. When I bought the fabrics, I had no idea what I would make with them....I just knew I had to have them!

I had tons of fun learning how to follow the directions (not one of my best skills), piecing it together and choosing a decorative stitch for the handle.

Pockets are a necessity, so in addition to the pockets the pattern called for on the inside, I also added 2 pockets on the outside, giving each one a little cuff and a button.

I am learning to Quilt (and blog)!

Trying to find my way around this blogging thing....definately more complicated than learning to quilt. I am usually pretty good with a computer, but it may take me a while to figure out how this blog program works! (and I thought learning to quilt was difficult!) Please be patient with me...I am a work in progress.