ALZHEIMERS ART QUILT INITIATIVE COMING TO A CLOSE

Since Ami Simms is discontinuing  the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative after December 30, 2013, the quilts on their web page are on sale for 75% off.  I purchased mine last week and am so happy with my choices.

April Showers
Marge Phillips
Vernon Hills, IL

The Beginning
Alene Fischer
Parma, ID

Italy, I Like It
Tove S.

Not-So-Scary Scarecrow
Marge Phillips
Vernon Hills, IL

Baby Blocks
Brenda Cloyd Kendrick
Cleveland, GA

All funds from the sales of these mini art quilts are donated for continued research for a cure of that awful disease, Alzheimer’s.   Ami started this charity following the death of her mother from Alzheimer's. Furthermore, my dear mother-in-law passed away last year after suffering several years with Alzheimer’s.  THIS DISEASE MUST BE STOPPED.

These donated mini-quilts are currently 75% off so now is a great time to buy.  Go HERE to look at the available quilts.  Surely you will see at least one you might like to own.  It is for a worthy cause.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

AN INTERNET QUILT SHOW

Taryn from Reproduction and Antique Quilt Lover is putting together a internet quilt show of doll or miniature quilts.  This is my entry named Navajo Blanket.



I made this 9" X 11" quilt several years ago for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative to raise funds for Alzheimer’s disease research.  It’s one of my husband’s favorites and he’s asked me more than once to make another.  Alas, I haven’t done it.  There are just too many other projects in my sewing room that need my attention.  I hope to make it again someday.

Be sure to to visit Taryn’s blog to see other mini and doll quilts.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

A TREASURE RISES FROM THE TRASH PILE

I’ve been in a blogger’s funk the past week so I decided to share with you this darling doll bed my mom found on the curb in a neighbor’s trash a few years ago.  She’s had it in storage until she heard that I was asking my Sweetie and his Dad to make me a little bed. 

This one needed a little TLC – some of the rails were loose and the bottom was missing.  Sweetie cleaned and fixed her right up.  Now she’s the home for some of my little doll quilts and a cloth doll that my aunt made for me in the 1980s.

If you want a good laugh, visit The Boomer Babes HERE on You Tube singing a medley of songs about aging using Beatles’ songs.  It’s a hoot!

Speaking of aging, both Sweetie and I got smartphones on Monday, replacing the old cell phones we’ve had for over 4 years.  Our old phones were so old that our contact lists could not be transferred to the new SIM card.    So we’ve been hunting and pecking and stumbling around on them trying to learn all the good stuff.  Very intimidating but kind of fun to learn something new.  Have to stay up for a challenge every once in a while.

Until next time,

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

PERMISSION GRANTED!

Guess what?  I received an email from my quilt history idol, Barbara Brackman, asking for permission to use photos of three of my blocks from the Civil War Quilt Flickr group in her upcoming book based on the Civil War Quilt blog quilt.  Can I just say – yes, yes, and yes!!!!  I signed the permission form and returned it to her just as quickly as I could.  What an honor!  And what a wonderful way to sell books!  I will buy one as soon as it’s available, of course.

I’ve been cutting out cornerstones for the sashing of the CW quilt, along with working on the second batch of the Just Takes 2 blocks, and pin-basting the 12 Days of Christmas quilt.  (Be sure to click on the 12 Days of Christmas link to see the Flickr group photos of all the different wonderful variations of the quilt made by others.)  I planned on doing the Free Motion Quilting Challenge as well but I haven’t even worked on the first lesson!  Maybe after some major practice, I can use the free-motion leaf motif from the first lesson on my 12 Days quilt.  We’ll see how well the practice goes first.

FLICKR.COM GROUP SET UP FOR 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS QUILT PHOTOS

With permission from Sheryl of Temecula Quilt Company, I set up a flickr group page for uploading photos of the 12 Days of Christmas quilts, in progress and finished.  To find the flickr.com group page, click HERE.  There were so many people discussing this little quilt on several of my Yahoo groups, I know that a flickr group page would be a great place to share our progress with others who are making it.  Some of the participants are making two!!!!

Another thing I wanted to share with you is a drawing depicting a quilter’s mind.  It is so very accurate in my case, and for some of you too I bet.

On the Friendship HST quilt project I’m working on, I have the two inner borders sewn on and only lack the outer border.  When that is done, I will post a picture of the finished top.

Until then, just keep on sewing and enjoying your “quilter’s brain.”

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS AND STEPHANIE PLUM

Although I am dealing with bronchitis or a very bad case of allergies, I managed to finish the top of the 12 Days of Christmas quilt.

 Since it is so small, I was able to sew on it a little while then rest, then sew some more, then lay down, then sew some more all in 15 to 20 minute intervals throughout the day. I will quilt it on my home sewing machine, but not until after I finish the sashing and binding of the Friendship HST quilt.

 I'm a huge Stephanie Plum fan - a series of books written by Janet Evanovich - and find this quote hilarious. It's just a taste of the wacky sense of humor Evanovich uses in her writing.

Janet Evanovich


A funny quote from the book High Five:  Grandma Mazur came to live with my parents several years ago when my grandpa Mazur went to the big poker game in the sky. My mother accepts this as a daughter's obligation. My father has taken to reading Guns & Ammo.
Looking forward to seeing the first Stephanie Plum movie named "One For the Money" coming soon - later this month I think.


Now I think I’ll take my achy body to bed.

PROJECTS PROGRESS IN 2012

This is the last block of Barbara Brackman’s Civil War Quilt Block of the Week project for 2011.  It’s #53 Union Shield.



I’ve auditioned several different sashing fabrics and border fabrics.  These are just a few of them:




I’ve decided on the solid blue sashing strips and the blue Civil War Chronicles border as seen in the first picture on the right.    I’ve got to buy more of the Centennial Solids blue to complete the sashing and have ordered additional CW Chronicles fabric for the border and binding.

On The Quilt Show friendship triangles quilt,  I tried several different fabrics as borders.





and I’ve decided on the second one with the floral outer border and that dark same blue for the inner border.  Fortunately I don’t have to buy any more fabric to finish this one so I will tackle finishing it first.

I’m also working on the Temecula Quilt Company’s 12 Days of Christmas quilt and we are to day 10.  Here are the last five 3 1/2” blocks I’ve finished.



Working with such small pieces of fabric – the nine patch pieces are all 1 1/4” square – can be a challenge.  To improve my accuracy, I slowed my sewing machine speed way down and I am pressing all the seams open.  I’m having so much fun!!!!! And so is Ranger,



Sleeping all day long in “his” dining room chair when his Papi (my Sweetie) isn’t using it.  He’s not living up to the “Rowdy” part of his name “Rowdy Ranger” much these days although every once in a while he’ll go crazy and zip around the house and out of his pet door to his screened-in patio like a cheetah.  Wish I had that much energy.

Oh well . . .

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS–THROUGH DAY 5 AND A 2012 QUILT CALENDAR

Along with some of my quilting friends from Jo’s Prairie Stitchers and Small Quilt Talk Yahoo groups, I am making the 3 inch finished quilt blocks being posted daily on Temecula Quilts blog.  Yesterday I made the first five days of mystery Christmas blocks.   The Temecula folks are using fabrics from the newest Judie Rothermel line I think, but I using my own scraps and fat quarters, limiting myself to creams, beiges, tans, browns, blacks, madder and just a tiny touch of medium blue.


I’m also auditioning fabrics to use as borders on both my Brackman Civil War block of the week quilt and my Friendship Triangles exchange quilt hosted by The Quilt Show earlier this year.  More about that later.
Guess what I just found out today!  I have two quilts featured in the About.com Quilting 2012 Calendar.   The first one is for the month of February:

February 2012 Quilting Calendar

Sponsored Link

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February 2012 Quilting Calendar
© Janet Wickell
Donna's quilt was sewn with alternating Capital T quilt blocks. Adjacent blocks are flipped in color value -- some have a light background and blocks 'next door' have a dark background. Use my Capital Ts quilt block pattern to make your own version.
Download the February 2012 Calendar PDF file.

The second is for December:

December 2012 Quilting Calendar

Sponsored Link

Quilt with nancy Learn to Sew, Quilt or Embroider with Easy Step-by-Step Instructionswww.nancysnotions.com
December 2012 Quilting Calendar
© Janet Wickell
December signifies a wide variety of people and events, and one person is Santa. This little quilt conveys his fun personality.
Download the December 2012 Calendar PDF file.

There are a lot of other wonderful quilts from others of the About.com Quilts internet community, so be sure to take a look at them HERE, and even download the pages to print your very own 2012 quilting calendar.

On that note, I think I’ll close for now.  I'm sew happy!

FALL SPLENDOR QUILTS

My Fall Splendor Quilt got 41 votes!  Thanks to all of you who helped.  The winners had many more votes but I'm very pleased with my result. 

Fall is in the air and this is a shameless request begging you to please vote for my quilt on QuiltingGallery.com.  The theme this time is “Fall Splendor.”  This is my entry, “Pumpkins for Sale”:



To vote, just click HERE.  The quilt entries are listed in alphabetical order so just scroll down to the last part of the page where the voting is done and click in the dot next to mine, PUMPKINS FOR SALE.    There are a lot of nice entries.  There is no huge prize, just fat quarter bundles of “Autumn Gatherings” from The Fat Quarter Shop, but wouldn’t it be nice to win!

Voting ends this Sunday at 11:59 p.m.  Enjoy looking at the wonderful fall-themed quilts.

FINITO!

Earlier last week, Infinite Crossroads was quilted, bound, labeled and hung on my dining room wall.  That is why the title of this blog entry is Finito!  (Italian for finished).  I’m not Italian.  Just would love to visit the country someday and I like the way finito sounds when said with gusto!
 


I pulled out several other quilts with red and white fabric featured to place on the quilt rack sitting below the hanging quilt to complete the theme,



and put a red, white, black and gold quilt on a corner wall on the other side of the china cabinet for good measure.



Please pardon the bright light flash on the top shelf of the china cabinet because it is backed with a mirror there.  Circumstances beyond the photographer’s control.

From these photos, you might guess/notice that my Sweetie and I are collectors of old things – like, Hall teapots, vintage linens, vintage/antique quilts, mercury glass, carnival glass, depression glass (clear and red Manhattan pattern here), a 1900s clock and 1930s Crosley combination radio/78 rpm record player (both in working order and both from his side of the family).  That is just one corner of one room in the house.  Believe me, there is much, much more.

Today I wanted to share my finished red & white quilt with you.  Later, I will post my next Brackman Civil War quilt block.  I did something a little different.  Until then, keep on stitching,

RED & WHITE QUILT UPDATE AND REMINDER

Before I get to my red and white quilt, I first want to remind you to jump down to the July 19th blog entry below and leave a comment to enter into the drawing for the book The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs.  The deadline to enter is midnight C.S.T. on Saturday, July 23rd.  A description of the book is also located on Tuesday’s blog entry FYI.

Now, on to the quilting on the red and white quilt.  For those of you who are just visiting in on my blog for the first time, I was inspired by the red and white quilts exhibit in New York City at the American Folk Art Museum this past spring.  You can watch videos of some of the 650 red and white quilts at this show on YouTube.com by clicking on the highlighted parts, Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Three here.    You will be amazed at some of the close ups of these quilts featured in the videos if you haven’t seen them already. But don’t forget to come back here to finish reading this blog!!!!

Immediately following that quilt show, I designed my own red and white quilt for a wall hanging after seeing photographs of those spectacular quilts at the exhibit.  In honor of the museum exhibit name, Infinite Variety:  Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts, I am naming my little quilt Infinite Crossroads.  I may put it in the guild quilt show this coming September.  We'll see.



I quilted all over in a 1” grid with my Janome sewing machine using a walking foot and invisible thread and am very happy with the results.  Now all I need to do is trim the edges, apply the binding and label, then wash and dry it before hanging it on my dining room wall.



As you can see here, some of the blue marking pen is not washed out yet.  I spritzed it with water from the only squirt bottle I could find and it was small . . . VERY small (see it in right center of the first photo above).   My fingers and thumbs got soooooo tired.  They are kind of sore today.

 I will keep spritzing, but I’m sure the rest of it will come out in the washing machine.  The washing and drying give a nice crinkly soft look and feel like an older quilt that I just love.  I’ll post another photo of it when finished.

Having fun in my sewing world,

WHAT DID I DO DURING THE LONG 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND?

Very little!  I can say that I finished block #27 of the Brackman quilt, the Irish Chain.



However, I think it needs more red so I may change out the center block.  We will see.

I also got the top finished on my red and white Crossroads/”T” quilt
.


You can’t tell but all the red fabric has a small white dot all over it and my white fabric is a mixture of various white with red accents found in my “Resource Center” (aka stash).  The top measures 33” X 41” at this time but may shrink a little after I grid quilt it on my home machine.

The rest of my long weekend was spent mostly on the couch in the den nursing a headache.
I missed the 4th of July parade . . .

My niece’s kids, Trinity & Hunter

Big, Loud Fire Truck

Terry’s Texas Rangers, Civil War Reenactors

Old Fellas Driving Old Tractors

Most Importantly, the Veterans

Sweetie went to the parade with my family and his Dad and took these photos before he dropped the camera and busted it.  A new camera is in our future.

He also went to the annual 4th of July family get-together at my Moms and brought me leftovers of pulled pork sandwiches, potatoes salad, and grape salad.  Wish I could have been there.

The strength of my allergy shots bumped up a notch, so I’m suffering a bit from that bodily assault from extra allergens.  I’ve been told I should see some improvement after the third month, but I’m just now starting my second month.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Hope everyone else had a wonderful weekend and got to sew a little.  A little sewing (and leftovers) were my only solace.

RED/WHITE CROSSROADS PROGRESS REPORT

Well, I made a few more Crossroad blocks then took another picture of the completed blocks up on my design board, making sure not to erase them again before I uploaded them on my computer.



You may notice the third block from the left on the top row with a different red fabric.  That was my test block.  I had planned to use that particular red fabric throughout, but once I figure yardage I discovered I didn’t have enough.  There was nothing else in my Fabric Resource Center (sometimes known as “stash”) that worked so I went to the quilt shop and tried to find comparable fabric but no luck.  I ended up buying enough of the red with white dots fabric for my complete project.  The white with red backgrounds are all out of my FRC (stash) and won’t have to be supplemented with another fabric shopping trip.  Darn it!  The background fabric makes the blocks more scrappy.

I have another 13 blocks to make it a 5 X 5 layout.   I’m glad I decided to go with the 6” finished blocks instead of the 4” ones.  The flying geese I’m making for the 6” blocks are small enough as it is.  They have to be trimmed to 2.5” X 1.5”.  My clumsy fingers don’t like itsy bitsy pieces.  It's more fun this way.



Sorry for the blurry picture, but you see what I mean?