"Tender Moments" Quilt

Quilted and bound---another finished quilt! The sayings on this quilt are very nice and I told my hubby that I was dedicating it to him. This is what it says: "Life is truly a precious gift, Made special with you here. Memories made to treasure, Tender moments held so dear. " That's what the middle says and then around it there are blocks with these sayings: "When you tell me that you love me." "When I see the joy in your eyes." When your arms hold me close." "When you reach for my hand." "When you look at me and smile." "When I feel you by my side." "When seeing me lights up your face." and "When you wipe away my tears." This one was a stash-buster---I used all fabrics from my stash, but I hardly made a dent in it---oh my!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Happy New Year everyone!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Second Music Block & Greetings!

Here is the second block for the Music quilt. Same idea, just different fabrics. Now to finish these blocks and sew the 2 blocks together and viola! the quilt top will be done.

Want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Remember that we are celebrating Christ's birthday. May God bless you real big in the New Year, too!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Music Quilt Block

This is the first block for my new music quilt. It is a kit is called "Hear the Music" and is from my favorite quilt store, Quilt Mercantile. They have a sample of the quilt at the store and it is lovely. Had a bit of trouble getting the 45 deg angle pieces cut the right length, but I got that fixed! These fabrics are from South Sea Imports and the fabric line is called Play Your Song. No affliation yada yada just like this quilt!!! I hope to hang it over my piano.

We are having lovely weather today here in Texas---temps is in the 60's. So different than you who are in the snowstorm. I can feel for you having been in many snowstorms myself when we lived up north.

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Strawberry Parfait

SOunds more lie a quilt name for summer instaead of for winter, doesn't it? But here it is---------another quilt for Project Linus----------almost need sunglasses for this one. I call it Strawberry Parfait. This one was made with my BFF Debi's pattern. Using a jelly roll, cut 10.5" strips of the 2.5" strips in the jelly roll and sew 5 of them together for each block. Sew them together in rows of 5 alternating each one. It is fast and easy and make a cute quilt! Good way to use those jelly rolls that have, but don't know what to do with them!!!! Thanks Debi!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Project Linus Again!

These quilts finish up my short pile of Project Linus quilts---these were the smaller ones that I can quilt on the Bernina sewing machine. We still have 6 more in the pile for the Little Gracie pro II and Maynard is working on those. Now I need to make some more tops and finish crocheting a baby blanket---I'm putting the ruffle edge on it now.

The names of these quilts are Snow Days and Four Flowers. The flowers were pieced except for the stems and leaves and were fun to do, except I only felt like doing one instead of the nine blocks that it called for---it made a good medallion! These were good scrap quilts, yet I don't see my stash going down by any amount! I'm running out of space in my cupboard!! Yet that doesn't seem to stop me from buying more---go figure!

I need to get busy and wrap Christmas presents, but keep putting it off for some reason---do you do that, too and wait until the last minute?

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

"Fish Tales" for Project Linus

Here are two more quilts for Project Linus---The first one is called "Fish Tales" and the second one is called "More Fish Tales." I hope two little fishermen will like them----I almost said two little boys------but girls like to fish, too! At least, I used to like to go fishing with my Dad when I was little! I have two more quilts to bind and I'm caught up again on my pile, but the pile of bigger ones is still here---we have one on the frame so that's good! The pile has shrunk down to six---not as bad as I thought!!!!

Are you finding that Christmas and holiday plans, etc. are taking away time from your quilting? I'm trying to work the quilting and crocheting around doing the Christmas cards---don't get me wrong, I like writing letters and I love getting them, but it seems like such a daunting task when there are so many to do all at one time!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Party Week-End!

What a week-end---three parties. We started off with the party for our Tuesday Sit and Sew. We played games and worked on our projects and ate soup and salad and cookies. What a fun time. We played Quilto (like Bingo) and Fat Quarter Left, Right and Center game. We had a wonderful Left, Right Story to mix up the gifts for the gift exchange. The gift I received is the first picture. Isn't it just wonderful?! I love it! It was made by Linda.

The second party was our Life Group (aka Sunday School) party which was a lovely pot luck dinner and Chinese white elephant gift exchange and there were some good white elephant gifts!!! Mine was a sushi set which I promptly gave away to a gal who said her son loved sushi---there you go---someone could actually use it!!!! We all spend the evening laughing! Laughter is good for the soul!

The third party was our DFW Gang party. We all met online on a forum---the forum is now called "The Quilting Bee." We get together quite often and this was our special Christmas Party! We played games and had door prizes, ate a light lunch and all in all had a great fun time being together! We played Fat Quarter Left, Right and Center and I was the lucky winner of 24 green Fat Quarters!!! Yippee!!! That's me and my loot in the second picture. In the third picture is Kitty and her pile of red Fat Quarters from the other game of Fat Quarter Left, Right and Center. She was a little more creative showing hers off!

We were so happy to have 2 wonderful guests at our party--Sheryl flew in from St. Louis to join us---she is a dear friend that has visited us before and it's always a joy to see her and catch up on visiting! Also joining us was applique pattern-maker Sindy Rodemayer of Fat Cat Patterns. What a dear lady---she was a surprise for Sheryl, who is our queen of applique. We had a great visit with her. Her charming daughter joined us, too. We had our party at Quilt Mercantile, which is my favorite quilt store. They were the most gracious hosts and stayed open longer for us to have our party---we do thank them!!!!

All in all a wonderful weekend, but now if you will excuse me, I think I need a nap!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

What an adventure!

It truly was an adventure---finding quilt shops in nice little towns and finding Fredericksburg with it's quaint little shops with all kinds of goodies! We shopped until I literally dropped, but it was so much fun! The picture shows some of the items we got---especially the fabrics-----one shop must have known we were coming because they were having a 40% off sale---now there was serious shopping done there! Can't show the rest of the things we got because they are presents and some of the people read this blog!!!! LOL!!!

While I looked around at the fabric, Maynard was busy matching up FQs for Project Linus quilts---he picked out some good ones---I have more that I couldn't fit in the picture even. I got a lovely kit (the brown with flowers fabric.) The little bouquet in a basket is from the Sandy Jenkins Embroidery Store. What a neat place Simply blew my mind away and I got to talk to her---what a neat lady. It is for a table runner, but I'm going to do it on a smaller piece and frame mine.

We also got to see our grandboys at the end of the week-end, so that made it a great trip all in all. They are growing up so fast! (seeing their Mom and Dad was nice, too!!!)

Now to get back to normal if there is such a thing! I have 3 Christmas parties this week-end---my list of things to do has a list!!! It will be lots of fun and I hope I can keep everything straight!!!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a very special day! This is my favorite holiday--no gifts to worry about and just a time of family gathering together and enjoying food, fun and fellowship!!!!!

I'm excited because Maynard and I will be taking a little trip about 6 hours away to a town called Fredericksburg where there are lots of little shops and we will be hitting lots of quilt shops along the way---I purchased a book of quilt shops and that is our guide!!! An added plus for him is a big woodworking show in Kerrville! So we both will get to see lots of what we enjoy ! Should be lots of fun! We'll even get to see the grandboys along the way home, so that will be an added joy! Life is good!!!!!

The quilt picture is one of a panel that a special friend gave each one of us in the DFW Gang a few months before she died. Her name was Jan, too. I made it into a wall hanging. It is very dear to my heart.

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Jelly Rose Quilt Top

Yesterday was a fun day--BFF Debi and I went for breakfast and then to my house to put the finishing plans on the DFW Gang Christmas Party--everything is coming together just fine!!! I can't wait--we will have games and prizes and food and lots of laughter and fun! Don't know if we will get much sewing done or not!!! Then we decided to go shopping at Quilt Mercantile--that was fun, too---I got a new kit for a music quilt---I'll be showing that soon as I get started on it!

The picture shows how I finished off the Jelly Rose medallion --I'm happy with the way it turned out! So it will go in the quilting pile now. Now to start some more Yellow Brick Roads and to quilt a few of the quilt tops that are in the pile so it doesn't get too big again!!!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Jelly Rose Quilt Block

"Jelly Rose" quilt block is one block I made over the last few days. There are supposed to be 8 more blocks, but I think one is all I have in me!!!! I'm trying to figure out how to finish it off and am thinking of railroad blocks or maybe just finishing it with the jelly roll strips going around and around in strippy fashion. Anybody got any ideas?

Barbara at Bejeweled Quilts is having a give-away to celebrate the grand opening of her niece's on-line store, Inch-Worm Fabrics. She has some beautiful fabric at her store and the give-away quilt is splendid! Check it all out! I'm not affiliated, just a blogging friend!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Two More---Project Linus

Here are two more for Project Linus and now I need to make some more tops and also wait for Maynard to get bit by the quilting bug again to quilt some more quilts!!!!! There are 6 more for PL to be done on the big machine.

The first one is called "Butterflies Are Free" and is a pattern from Terry Atkinson--she makes the most fun patterns! The second one is just like the one from yesterday---I had 1/2 yard cuts so made two Yellow Brick Roads--it's called "Flowers in Purple 2."

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Project Linus Quilts---Three More!

I hope you are not tired of seeing PL quilts---because here are three more that I am putting the finished pile and will deliver sometime soon to the drop off place. The first one is called "Flowers in Purple," and is a Yellow Brick Road pattern from Terry Atkinson, the second one is called "Police" (there are pictures on the fabric of everything to do with a police department including the police dog!) It is from a pattern called Wicked Easy. The third one is called "Happy Flowers." You almost need sunglasses to look at the last one--it really turned out bright! I have 3 more to quilt and bind and then I need to get busy and sew up some more tops!

I've been thinking about doing a couple more Log Cabins and I have some NASCAR fabric that some boy would probably like a quilt made from. Just need to get busy!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Three More Quilts Finished

Forgive me if I have shown these before in an "undone" state, but here they are now all finished! The first one is called Tessellating Stars and will go to Project Linus. This was a pattern I found online and was easy to do.

The second one is called Twisted Stars and is an Eleanor Burns pattern---I like her patterns because they are written so thoroughly and are easy to follow.

The third quilt is called Texas and is the only Texas quilt I have done. I've wanted to make one for quite awhile and finally found a pattern that I liked! The colors look faded, but I guess it's from the bright sunshine! We've had several days of that lately and more to come--has been really nice to have the sunshine!

Now I need to go searching for a new quilt to piece---I have the Written in Thread embroidery quilt I'm working on and the Project Linus ones that I work on, but need a new one to piece. Guess it's time to get the magazines and books out and go hunting--won't that be fun to do? I love looking over the old magazines for ideas!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Fall is here!

At the Pumpkin Patch is where you find us on a lovely Sunday afternoon with the grandboys and their Mom and Dad. Evan (6) and Nathan (just turned 3) each have a pumpkin in mind, but Nathan's eyes are bigger than his strength, I guess.

We spent a lovely week-end in Austin at the park for a birthday party for Nathan--the weather was perfect and we went on a safari and found "wild animals!" What fun! There were about 25 people sharing the afternoon so lots of laughs and good times!

I also put in a picture of the fabric I found on sale at one of the quilt shops we stopped at on our way to Austin---all for backings for Project Linus quilts!!! That seems to be what I run out of the quickest! All in all a great week-end!!!! Family and quilt store---what better combo!!!!!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Mini Star Quilt

Yesterday at Sit and Sew, I sewed down the binding on this mini quilt. It is made with the left over stars from the Fairfax County Fair quilt. It measures 17.5" x 22". I saw a picture of it in a magazine (no pattern) and made it from the picture. Not very easy to do and so it has a few mistakes in it and some things I would do differently!!! But I do like it! Now to find a little spot to hang it!

Also finished the first block on Written in Thread quilt. The directions are written in a strange way--instead of going block by block and giving the colors of each item in the block, it goes color by color and lists what is that color, so you have to look for the item in a long list of colors---I will be winging it a lot in this quilt, I think! Definitely out of my box!!!!!!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Mystery Quilt Finished!

Here is my mystery quilt from LQS --Quilt Mercantile-- all finished and ready to snuggle with this fall and winter! It was a good mystery because it came in a kit with the fabrics all pre -chosen for us---we had our pick of 3 different colorways and 2 different sizes. I like the way it turned out.


Also shown is the Tender Treasures quilt from a pattern from Australia--I finished it this morning. It's all scrappy and the fabrics all came from my stash with plenty left over---going to start on another scrappy quilt and I have the fabrics all pulled from my stash for that one, too. But the funny thing is--the stash doesn't seem to be getting any smaller---I've heard other quilters speak about this , too and wonder what the deal is!!!!


Then there's the "Let It Snow" quilt that I finished quilting and bound yesterday for Project Linus. So I feel like I got a lot done this week!!!!


Let quilting help you make someone smile!


Jan

Making a Birthday Celebration Last!!!!!!!

On last Saturday , the DFW Gang got together for a Sit and Sew at Sally's "house" in Ponder and among other things celebrated Shelly and my Birthdays! Mine isn't until later in the month and Shelly's was in September, but that didn't stop my friends----I love making a celebration last a long time---so much fun! We had a cupcake cake which was yummy courtesy of Debi and a song, of course. Above is a picture of all the wonderful things my friends got for me---wonderful fabric and all kinds of special goodies. Thank you one and all!!! We did get some sewing done, too!!!! Believe it or not!!!

Yesterday at Sit and Sew, I finished up the last embroidery block for the Tender Treasures (I think that's the name of the quilt, for some reason I never can think of the name!!!). Now to put the last big block together and sew the big blocks together and put the border on and I'll have another quilt top finished. That will feel good!! Always feels good to finish something, doesn't it?!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Butterfly Placemats

Our Life Group, aka Sunday School, at church, Lakepointe Baptist delivers Meals on Wheels as one of our mission projects. Since I'm not able to help deliver, I decided to make some placemats for the people we deliver to. Here is a picture of 4 of them--I'm going to make 16 ---that will be 14 for the people and 2 extras for good measure! My good friend, Debi gave me a bag of 5" squares and a lot of them were butterflies, so that and some plain squares are what I am using for the placemats. I love the way they are turning out. I figure even the men will like them! (I hope anyway!!!) LOL!!!

We are getting more rain here and flash flood warnings are out, sometimes seems like the ground can't hold anymore water!!!! The roses sure like it though--they are just blooming along!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Fairfax County Fair Quilt

This is the quilt called Fairfax County Fair --it was lots of fun to do---the stars were all fussy cut, not appliqued---yah!!!!!!! As long as you paid attention to what you were doing, it went together very well! Now I'm working on a little mini quilt that I saw in a magazine to use up some of those wonderful little stars.

We delivered some more quilts today for Project Linus--we take them to a LQS--Happiness Is.......................Quilting in McKinney, where they are picked up and taken somewhere to be distributed in the Dallas, Grayson, Collin and Rockwall Counties area. I had eleven in the pile to go this time. Now to get busy quilting some more!!!

It was a beautiful morning--sun was shining and not a cloud in the blue sky, but by 2:00 the skies had clouded over and the rain was moving in. Now it has been raining steady---looks like it will last all night, well, we can use the rain! I like to lay in bed at night and listen to the rain (as long as there's no thunder and lightning) because it seems so peaceful!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

It's a Beautiful Morning!

The sun is shining and it is a great day! I'm so glad to see the sun again after quite a few dark and rainy days!

Two more quilts are ready for Project Linus. The first one fits right in with today--it's called Sunny Days! And the second one is called Dune Buggies--hard to see but there are all kinds of dune buggies riding around in this one---I didn't know there were different kinds---I thought a dine buggy was just a dune buggy--learn something everyday!!!!

Getting ready to go to Sit and Sew day at the LQS---Quilt Mercantile--lots of new things coming in everyday and they already have us thinking about Christmas--in fact they had Christmas displays already set up in August! But you have to think ahead when you are quilting!!!!

Hope you have a great day, too!!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Going Camping Project Linus Quilts

Can't figure it out---my counter changed itself from 35,000+ down to 12,000+---I wonder how it did that? Oh well, I can watch it build itself back up again!!!!

The pictures show happy Camping 1 and 2--two quilts that I made for Project Linus in Dallas. They were fun to make using a lot of the same fabrics to highlight the inner panel, but in different ways! I used a khahi green to quilt them and it looks great, even if I do say so myself!

The rain let up for a couple of days and now it is back again with the gray skies to go with it---so I decided to work on something bright---Debi got me a Jelly Roll of bright colors, so today's the day to work on that---I have a cute pattern that I got at the Fort Worth show to do that in---it has some sunflowers in it---good cheery faces for a rainy day!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Where or When?

Maynard finished quilting a quilt and I bound the edges, but I have no recollection of making it---what is was for or the pattern!!! I must really be losing it! It's done in winter/Christmas colors and turned out very nicely! (Even if I do say so myself!) I'll send it to Project Linus, since they can use some bigger quilts now.


The other picture shows a Pink Log Cabin that we made for a co-worker of Maynard's who's baby is due on October 2nd. At least I can remember that one!!! HA! HA!


Saturday, four of the DFW Gang met up and did the Fort Worth Quilt Show---we had a wonderful time gabbing and looking at quilts and shopping. Found lots of things to buy, but I think Debi won the prize of buying the most---I think I came in second. I found some nice fabrics and a couple of cute patterns. Looking at the quilts was fun---so many beautiful ones to see, we were all tired by the end of the day, but it was a good tired!


Let quilting help you make someone smile!


Jan

Rain, Rain and More Rain!

We really need the rain and I shouldn't complain, but oh, it's getting me down all this rain and grey skies!!!! All I want to do is curl up with a book and then I fall asleep and take a nap and that doesn't get any sewing or quilting done, does it!!! I did tie off a fleece quilt and had to untie the corners because they were too tight and made a "bowl" at each corner!!! Learned the hard way!

And I am learning how to do a "toothbrush rug" the Aunt Philly way, but it also is turning up at the edges and making a bowl, but I keep turning it down and adding stitches and maybe it will flatten out, but nothing to show you pictures of yet.


Also am working on Christmas gifts for the Great DFW Gang Christmas Party that will be on the first Saturday of December---big plans for that!! But I can't show pictures of that either because someone will see them and there goes the surprise!!!!!


So I guess that it's---I'm still around and will show pictures when I get around to it!!!! -----Be a roundtoit---the world needs more roundtoits!!!!!


Let quilting help you make someone smile!


Jan

Three For Project Linus

Been a busy ten days and three more quilts done for Project Linus! I got more batting and so quilted these up and they are ready to go into the pile for delivery. Have several more to pin baste and quilt. Now I'm running out of backings, so will have to see about getting some more soon! Dear husband has been in China on a business trip for the last ten days and so I have sewed up a storm---time goes much faster when you are busy--right?! Got a lot of YBR tops done, but haven't even dented my pile of fat quarters that I have in piles of sixes in a basket ready to do---they seem instead to be multiplying!!!! Go figure!!

The first one is a panel quilt called "Little Blessings" and has such cute flowers and bugs on it. The second one is "Baby Bears" ---it has bears and blocks and things for babies and just looks soft like a baby quilt. The third one is called "Which Sport Will It Be?" The theme fabric has all kinds of sports balls on it and players in uniforms---even an umpire or referee.

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Twisted Star Quilt Top

I finished the Twisted Star quilt top and it was a challenge for me. It is set diagonally and you had to really pay attention as you sewed it together so that it "twisted" the correct way!!! A bit out of the box for me, but that's good to stretch a little every now and then. I'm happy with the way it turned out!!

The squares inside the "twist" are fussy cut and have little sayings in them like "HOME" and "The best things in life are not things."

Also I put up a picture of a little Project Linus flannel quilt that I finished this morning. It's called "Hey Diddle, Diddle" because the one fabric has that poem on it. It's nice and bright!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!


Jan

Finished Top for Tessellating Stars!

This is the finished top for Tessellating Stars. I'm very happy the way it turned out. Thanks JoAnn for the fabric!! Now just waiting for my bolt of batting to arrive so that I can quilt these quilts for Project Linus---my pile is starting to grow again, but that's all right, I'm having fun sewing up a storm of Yellow Brick Roads, too!

Want to try my hand at another project, but can't talk about it because they are for Christmas presents and someone might see!!!! Hope I can keep it a secret!!!!

Tomorrow Debi and I are meeting for breakfast and to do some shopping---getting ready for the Christmas party for the DFW gang--not too far away now and we are all abuzz with ideas! And of course, that means breakfast and shopping---right?! What fun!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Tessellating Stars--A Work in Progress

I have two rows done in a Tessellating Stars pattern quilt. It is a fun pattern to do--just the same mini block and 4 of them together for a big block! I've been chain piecing it and it is going together quite quickly! A gal at my Tuesday Sit and Sew (Frayed Edges) gave me the fabric and I think it works very well in this pattern---I really like the way it is turning out!

Today's weather surprised me when I looked at the thermometer at 7:30 this morning--it was 77 degrees---what a change that was from the 80's in the mornings and the 90's - 100's in the afternoons! So my dog and I celebrated by taking a short walk---sure felt good! I hope this is a sign that fall is near--September will be here next week already---school has started, so maybe we won't have but just a few more days of really hot weather!!!!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Tranquility Log Cabin Top

Here is the first of two Log Cabin Tranquility tops. This is the setting called Sunshine and Shadows. I like the simplicity of it because the focus is on the fabrics not so much the layout. I like this Tranquility line of fabrics---thanks to Debi for the Layer Cake of these fabrics!!!! I'm really liking Log Cabin blocks now that I've figured out a great way to make them where they turn out nicely even---this is the method where you cut your logs the finished size of the side of the block you will sew them too---did I make myself as clear as mud? It never worked for me to just sew a strip of fabric on and then cut it off because the block would just keep on growing. 1/16th of an inch does make a difference LOL!!!!! Now to sew up the second quilt top---I have 42 blocks left so the next one will similar to this one. Good thing I made some extra blocks out of a piece of remnant that I found at the quilt store!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Timeless Treasures Block Four

Here is Timeless Treasures Block 4 all finished. I have traced off Block 5 embrodieries and have that ready to work on tomorrow at Sit and Sew. There are nine blocks so I'm almost half way there! The "tender moment" is "When seeing me lights up your face."

Also there's a picture of a little Pansy and Doodlebug wool pincushion that I did. Trying out wool again in small doses. I had done a small wall hanging in wools with buttonhole stitch applique and just didn't care for it too much, but decided I wanted to try it again because the girls that are working on it at Sit and Sew just love it. It certainly is easy to do and it doesn't ravel much, but I'm riding the fence on this one!!!!! I have another little pincushion to do and I'll decide after that.

Today I'm also working on sewing together a couple of Log Cabin quilts for Project Linus. They each have 42 blocks. Debi had given me a "Layer Cake" of 10" squares of "Tranquility by Moda" and I used that for the logs, plus an off white for the blocks. They turned out pretty. I'm setting it in the Sunshine and Shadows pattern, where they all lay the same way. When I get them all together I'll post a picture!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

All Caught Up on Project Linus Quilts (For Now)!

Between yesterday and today, I quilted and bound (by machine) the last 7 Project Linus quilts and now I'm all caught up until I make some more tops!!!! But things will be on hold for awhile until I can order a roll of batting! I hope I can download that many pictures!!! So far so good!

The names are: Stars and Snoballs; Blue Scuba Frog; Yellow Scuba Frog; Dad's Afternoon Nap with a closeup of the theme fabric; Robots and Gears; Sunny Day; and Shimmery Blue (the blue fabric has a shiny blue alphabet on it.)

Now I think I'll go take a nap!!!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan