QUILTER JAN

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Monday, January 31, 2011

Two Project Linus Quilts




2011 is going to be about tying up loose ends and finishing projects I have wanted to do and/or have started! So here are two quilts that fall in that category! The first one I called "Show Me the Money" because there are pictures of money on one the pieces of material----although you'll probably have to enlarge the picture to see it!

The second one reminded me of the commercial that shows the pig in the back seat of a car hanging out the window with his pinwheel---that's why I picked this name. I laugh everytime I see it!

Supposed to have a big ice storm and snow tomorrow and into Wednesday, so I've made sure I have lots of yarn and fabric (goodness, I'll never run through all that stash!!!) to work with through the storm!! Everyone that might be in a storm, please be careful!

We had a wonderful day on Saturday. BFF Debi and I drove to Ponder and met up with Brenda, Sally and Carol, plus Shannon (Debi's DD) and Kaye (Debi's cousin) to have a sewing day---what fun we had. We always have fun together and even manage to get some sewing done, along with the talking and laughter! It's about an hour and a half drive for Debi and I, but the time goes by so fast with all our talking!! Good way to catch up with everything!!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Pinwheels wheeeee!!!!!!



Love the look of these pinwheels and I have a dark purple to set them with. This will be another Project linus quilt and is a fun one to do. I have all the pinwheels made. My BFF gave me the 5" charm pack called Hoopla-------------------thanks so much Debi!


Also still working on the Quilt Barns quilt from Eleanor Burns---she writes such clear, concise patterns-----------they are nice to do, if you follow her directions precisely, you can't go wrong! Well, maybe I should hedge on that a bit---sometimes things go wrong for me, like sewing a piece in upside down, but that is fixable!


Are you in the Northeast and reading this?---My sympathies to you-------------I used to live in the snowbelt (lake effect snow) area of Indiana and I know snow. We are having really nice weather for the next few days-----------so they say and then a wintery mix is coming in, but unlike up north it will only stay a few days.


Let quilting help you make someone smile!


Jan

Friday, January 21, 2011

Two to Give and One to Keep







I'm giving two to Project Linus and keeping one for myself! The first picture shows the one I'm keeping myself, which is the Aunt Bea's Parlor pattern that I did once before in colored embroidery and this time I did it in redwork. I did it long and narrow to fit on a special wall----but when I went to hang it, lo and behold, it doesn't fit there---it's just a few inches too big! So in frustration, I folded it neatly and put it in the big basket of quilts that I have in my bedroom. And it does look nice there! Guess I should have measured more carefully!

The first one for Project Linus (second picture) I called "Mary, How Does Your Garden Grow?" You probably can't see the fabric very well unless you click on the picture to enlarge it, but there is a little girl tending her garden in one of the fabrics.

The second quilt of PL (third picture) is from the fabric line called "Baby Genius Grows Up." I really like this fabric line and have made one quilt from this fabric line once before. It is so bright and happy!

We're back in the deep freeze with our weather, so I'm crocheting another afghan with some really bright yarn this time. It has yellow, orange, blue, turquoise, hot pink, green and maybe other colors in it---need sunglasses to look at it. I'm hoping some child will like it. I'm thinking of trying some camo fabric---they even have it in pink! What's the consensus on that, fellow quilters and crocheters?

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Watercolor Afghan and Birdie Quilt Block




The first picture is from Little Miss Shabby's blog. This is a BOM and this is the first block. I just love that birdie. Several people are doing this one and everyone's is different---so fun to see what different people come up with!

This is another afghan that was made with the varigated yarn from Coats and Clark that was called "Watercolor", so that's what I named it. I does look like the quilts that are put together that way a little bit and it does look like water, I guess. Another fun one!

Our cold temps have gone away for a couple of days, but will be coming back. It is dreary outside---I remember my mother saying, "We'll have to make our own sunshine!" I used to think that was so silly, but now I sort of agree with the phrase. We can only make ourselves happy, can't we?

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Quilts and Afghan











Today I have 2 quilts and an afghan that I crocheted. The weather has been so cold here that it has been nice to curl up by the fire and crochet while watching TV! The yarn for this afghan was varigated and I like how it turned out--it is fun to use the varigated yarns and see what it turns out to be!

The next picture is the backing for the There's a Puppy on my Quilt which is in the third picture. It has kitties on it------so far they seem to be getting along pretty well---haven't heard any fighting yet!!!! This was quite a challenge to put together getting all the 9 patch blocks in the right place. The pattern is from Billie Lauder and was very well written.

The last quilt is from "Scrap Basket Surprise" and I named it Red Buzz Saws. It was fun to do, too. Maynard quilted that one with an over all star pattern. The quilting turned out very nice.

Everyone try to stay warm now!!!!!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!
Jan

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Churn Dash Top


Have been wanting to do a Churn Dash pattern for a long time and so I did! This is a gift that I got for Christmas from my youngest daughter. She drew my name in the Christmas drawing and gave me the money for the quilt shop (The Glass Thimble) and then took me there! She played "I Spy" with the grandgirls and they were SO good while I shopped and picked out these lovely Civil War Reproductions for this quilt. The pattern is called "Reproductions." The guys went to the camera store while we went to the quilt store, so everyone was happy, then we all went for ice cream, so the girls were happy, too!! All around a very nice afternoon in Columbus, Ohio!

Our weather has been so nice --- temps in the 60s during the day and cooling down at night, but an Artic Cold Front is due tomorrow and maybe even some snow will fall as will the temps---we have been spoiled!!!

I have been crocheting some afghans for Project Linus, too and if it gets cold, I can snuggle down with those! I am finding the nicest varigated yarns by Coats and Clark---they all make up differently---some even make stripes! Fun to see how each one makes up!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Monday, January 3, 2011

Three Project Linus Quilts to Start the New Year!











Off to a flying start in 2011 with 3 finished Project Linus quilts and a Star quilt for myself that hubby just finished quilting and I bound. Hard to tell what year to count them in because the quilt top was made last year , but the quilting was done this year, so that's when I counted them!
The Star quilt is one of my favorites and was quite a challenge for me, but I did it and I like the way it turned out. I have it hanging in the living room over the sofa.

The second one is from JulieK, a blogging friend---I quilted it and bound it. Isn't it pretty? Thanks so much, Julie! I called it "JulieK Red and White."

The next one is called "Flowers on Noah's Ark." I think it is a Yellow Brick Road.

The last one is called, "Baby Genius Grows Up," after the name of the fabric line.

There are 6 more in the pile to be quilted, so someday they will be done. Time to do some more quilts for me!!! For Christmas, I got fabric for a Church Dash using Civil War Reproductions from my daughter and a flag quilt using different quilt blocks in the stripes. Here is a picture from Keepsake Quilting.

Let quilting help you make someone smile!
Jan