As promised - many times.... Grandma's Gift to me

I'm a quilter, and it's because of my Grandma Theresa. She quilted, so I come by my interests honestly.
These three are quilts she made for me. This green one is so much darker green. And you can see where I got my love of orange, too. As the story goes - Grandma sewed, and Grandpa cut out the fabrics. (I would have loved to see that in action. My Grandpa was a farmer with big hard working hands.) As I understand, he made the patterns, too. I like that they worked together... but maybe not on these three quilts. Grandpa passed on when I was only 5, and I got these as a shower gift - I was 20 then. (OMG - She didn't think they were enough of a gift, so she gave me some paper products as well.)
This one is a Nosegay - the pattern name. Names weren't given to quilts in those days, and there isn't a label on any of them either. (I think I'll add one.) Grandma always used satin blanket binding on all her quilts.

See how fearless she is... orange and pink together! I've always marveled at this orange and blue Grandmother's Flower Garden - all those hexies. It's a full size. Queen size was unknown to my Grandma. She passed early in 1974.

 You should have seen this quilt on my sunlit bed in the Music Room of my mansion turned apartment building in the 1970s. There was a beautiful and memorable glow even in the winter time.

(Our mansion was turned into an apartment building in the 20s or 30s so all the woodwork was crafted well, and elegantly. We owned it, because it only cost us $18,500 for 3 apartments and ours on the first floor - a really good investment. I wish we had kept it and stayed there in Superior, WI, but there were no jobs there at the time.)

And this one has many fabrics I recognize from either clothes or from fabrics she gave me to make quilts. I had no idea what to do with them. (An aside to Ashleigh: if that's your problem with the blue stack - let me know and we can do a Grandma Camp to start off.)

This one is tied, but the other two are quilted in a big stitch way. You can see some stains - but for 40 some years of use, they are in good shape for another 100 years or so. (I hope the inheritors are respectful and careful. Quilts aren't meant to be washed weekly.)

 

My Grandma embroidered, too and crocheted (my sister's inherited skill) and knitted. She went to Vocational School in her 60s and 70s and learned - get this - learned darning. I'd say she probably could have taught the class... she had decades of darning behind her at that point, but she also took cooking classes... and upholstery. There was no moss growing on this granny. She made quilts for all her family, and hemmed towels, made little decorative pillows, embroidered pillowcases and lots of other things donated to the Church Bazaars. She didn't watch TV except for the news, and she didn't have a computer. She also had a job... staying the night with an old lady who was only slightly older than she was, but had to have someone with her at night - said her  kids. Loved and admired my granny.

 

My Grandma Edna had a very different life. She kept house for an older gent so she did have room and board. She read the Bible in her spare time. Lots of people haven't got the wealth to be able to make things at all, let alone, for other people. I admired her calm... and as everyone else does, loved my granny.

 

Sew that's  the promise fulfilled. Have any of you got inherited quilts? We'd love to see them.

 

I'm very thankful for the Grandmas I had.  Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving... whenever it is. I'm making turkey and some trimmings - he doesn't like dressing, and I don't need those extra carbs. There will be cranberry juice, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a baked yam, as well.

 

Hugs,

Terri

 

 

Only 4 months late

I'm happy to say I have a Friday Finish! The H2H quilt I should have finished for June 1 is finally done and being sent today! Hurray!  Here is:

Being held up by the ever Handy Hubby (see the head, hands and feet?).

 Those little red things are paper pieced ladybugs. (Close ups farther down.)

 Above shows the quilting pattern I just invented!  I call it "Bumps in the Night". Just go along for a ways quilting in the ditch, and then wobble a few bumps. It made the quilting go along so much faster - why is that? Probably because I wasn't afraid that I'd make a mistake... I could just make it into a bump. Try it, you'll like it. It's just right for the Jelly Roll kind of quilt.

More of the bumps...

Here's one of the ladybugs... (long ago pattern out of QuiltMaker Magazine)

This is a shot of the binding, and the other bits of quilting. I tried to quilt every strip with a different quilting pattern, but I couldn't think of enough different patterns that I could do, so I ended up making wobbles down the middle until I "thunk" up the bumps.

The other two ladybugs. See another quilting pattern I tried, Zig Zag. Lots of shifting the quilt around, and in my condition quite difficult.

So the quilt is done and off to Happy Chemo for the H2H challenge 2014. (I really should start the 2015 now, they take me so long.) I did make my granddaughter's wedding quilt in between. Now I have another granddaughter who is engaged... Anyway, finally a Friday Finish to link up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Crazy Mom Quilts, and maybe even A Creative Princess (see her button in the sidebar).

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,

Terri

Purple Blocks

In honor of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I'm sharing some of my Grandgirl's Wedding Quilt blocks.
Purple is the color for April, and there are purple blocks in her quilt. She likes purple and green... well, she did at one time - that may have changed.
So here are some of the purple blocks on the design wall along with blocks of other colors.

To see what others have made go to so scrappy. There is a linky party going on there.

Have a great weekend!

Hugs,

Terri

Flimsy #2 for H2H

It's a Flimsy! A second flimsy for H2H. I'm good at getting to this point...(especially since I used blocks found in my stash!) the basting keeps me at bay... but not this time. The last few quilts I have pin basted, and that is lots more palatable than thread basting. (What's your favorite method?)

Here's the official portrait:

It isn't ironed yet, and I didn't stretch it out - thus the scalloped look at the bottom. Any ideas for quick quilting this one? I probably will just make diagonal lines through the blocks.

 

That's my Whoop Whoop! for this week. Come see me and other Whoop Whoops at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. She's having a giveaway today, too.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,

Terri

#8's 1st birthday present done!

Good thing, too... the party is tomorrow!

Here are the pics.

I used a very textured brown for the binding. Blocks are paper pieced and are 3.5" finished. 

Love this little alien along the outside.

And this angel is representative of his auntie who he will not meet until he, too, passes on.

 

And the back... yes, I quilted each square separately. (Please don't let me do that again!)

 

My grandson has 2 dogs, so this backing seems appropriate.  I just hope the quilt doesn't become the dogs' bed, it's a game, and because of that I put on a hanging sleeve so it can be hung in his room and played.

So this is my Friday Finish.... I've been working on it for longer than a year, so does that still count?

 

Linking up with the Whoop Whoop (Sarah) at Confessions of a Fabric Addict (see her button on the side bar) and listed at 116, I think, on Amanda's Crazy Mom Quilts.

 

Have a wonderful weekend. (I'm going to a birthday party tomorrow!!!!)

Hugs,

Terri

Half of the Jazzy Snowballs

So half are cut to size and hanging on the design wall. This arrangement will change as I finish up the cutting, but I am liking it so far.

Notice a new button on the side bar?  Friday the party starts. I'm going to show off my apple core quilt for the party.  If you love paper piecing too, you might like to join in. Try the button - see if it works. Let me know if it doesn't.

Hugs,

Terri

Ingredients assembled for next H2H

Some recently done, some leftovers from a Snowball quilt for Project Linus years ago. Next cutting to size 5" blocks will be set solid.
This is my favorite block to make. 5" jazzy print, 1 1/2" squares of black or white for the corners. Sew on the diagonal (reminds me of Diagon Alley) cut off the excess and press out. 90 of each ready for the design wall (after cutting to the right size).
Gonna get the hubby to help me put them up on the design wall. One white then blacks next to that. It's from a design in QuiltMaker about 10 years ago.
Showing off on the linky at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. See you there!

Hugs,

Terri

EOM and End of Harry Potter Paper Piece a Long

So that's it. End of the month of HP Paper Piece a Long...  I have a few other paper pieced items to show you...

I think both the birds and the potted plant are from QuiltMaker Magazine. I'd like to make myself a potted plant quilt to commemorate the little plants I give at Halloween, but you know how that goes. Who makes a quilt for themselves?

 

Today I'm working on a challenge piece for Fandom in Stitches. I don't know if anyone else is doing it. Jennifer only mentioned it once...(but then I don't read every word every time.) As I recall, you choose a pattern from one fandom and make it up so it works for another. It's due tomorrow, and I only have about 30% done.  Sooooo......

 

I'm off, like a dirty shirt!

 

Hugs,

Terri

Other paper pieced UFOs

Just a short one today to show you there are other paper piecing patterns other than Harry Potter ones.

Apple Cores, a UFO that will go with the block below, and two other blocks, one with green and the other with yellow backgrounds. I don't know how it will go together yet, but there will be a border on the outside that will name my favorite apples.

I like the pink best...blue is so cold. The pattern is from QuiltMaker.

This is 4 paper pieced White Bunnies. I made it for my Great Grand Niece who is now 3. She did get a grander one, but I don't have a picture of it... the bunnies are encircled by a white picket fence. This one was not given because as I was basting it I noticed that the white fabric allowed the light pink backing to show through. I didn't know how to solve that problem. I should have added  a panel of heavier white to the back, but I painted the bunnies on the back. Then I figured that the paint would flake or otherwise endanger baby. So I started from scratch and made a different quilt. What do I do now? Do you think if I washed it I could get the Acrylic paint off of it? I'd like to donate it to Project Linus. The bunny paper piecing pattern is from Quilters Cache, I think.

This is a pattern from QuiltMaker... designed by a hubby of a quilter for use by Project Linus. I started it with a future granddaughter or great granddaughter in mind. It has words quilted into the light colored print. The words are attributes I wish for my little grand not yet born. Love is in the center, and other words are Hope, Charity, Health, Wealth, Honesty, Joy, etc. (I printed out words and then increased the size, and sewed through the paper. The word Grace is featured in the picture below.

 

Can you see it on the right side of the V shape. I just loved that "fairy" print. The paper piecing is the half Log Cabin pieces... made the top so easy to do. Why isn't it finished, you ask. I'm wondering how to quilt the log cabin parts. I guess I could go around the strips... stitch in the ditch, but then there is the big green border needing quilting, too.

My Palm Leaves quilt is all paper pieced (see the current header of this blog). I have also made paper pieced snowmen, cardinals and doves as Christmas cards for my family, but I don't have any of them to show you. Don't think I even got a picture of any of them. I have made 3 quilts with paper pieced birds and one with flowers and butterflies on it that were all paper pieced... so you can get other patterns than Harry Potter.

Use my tutorial and try paper piecing. You will be glad you did.

Hugs,

Terri

The rest of the story... and some flowers.

Thank you for all your prayers for my Chrissy. She is in her own room now, and I talked with her last night, and she is very quiet, subdued by the pain meds, but doing really well - considering what they extracted.  Her spirits are high, and she is very thankful for all the prayers she has been getting. Now she rests in the hospital for at least a week. The first week is critical for the liver to rebuild. Her goal, she said, was to be able to walk to the bathroom herself, today. A lofty goal, I'd say. But I know she will get there.  Please keep her in your prayers, at least for a few more days....

Now my afore mentioned tutorial to put paper pieced blocks together. The first two blocks for my H2H quilt.

I left the backing papers on so I could

face them together - pretty side to pretty side, and pin through...

sorry about the fuzziness... pin through...straight through both ends, and the center... then with different pins - pin next to the through pins. Be careful not to distort the straightness of the straight through pins. Remove the straight through pins.

Now sew along the seam line to join the two blocks.

 Rip off the paper on the seam allowance only... you need the paper for the next block additions. Folding the paper at the stitches makes it easier to rip.

I use the seam ripper to help loosen the stubborn little pieces... careful not to rip out the stitches.

And Voila! Two as one. A successful marriage. (What is it when you add the next block? Hee Hee) This method assures that you will have the right amount of seam allowance, points are easy to match, etc. (Notice the ends of the seams do not... I never cut the 1/4 inch. I have a shaky hand, and sometimes ruin the 1/4.... now you know the secret!)

Not to change the subject or anything, but my tiny orchid blossomed!!!!! It has the most wonderful scent. Most orchids do not have a scent. I'm sorry that I can't tell you what kind it is.

 Earlier this week I drafted a paper piecing pattern for my friend, Sheila from Sew, Cook and Travel. I hope she shares her blocks today, so I can see what she did. You've gotta see her quilts! So colorful and cheery.

Here's what I did with the pattern. The whole quilt will be red, my "favorite color and it's tints and shades" for the Project Linus Open House at our leaders home in May. She usually sets us to some challenge for a quilt to show at the Open House. (This time there shouldn't be so many brown quilts... please!)

And finally, for you spring challenged, the snowdrops blooming in my front/side yard... under the birch trees. (I think the birch were planted to represent each of the family previous to us. One, sadly, has died now. There are still 6.)

So that concludes our visit, and the tutorial.  Hope all is well with you and yours. Which reminds me to beg you to continue to pray for my Chrissy. There are still miracles needed!

Hugs,

Terri