ABCs embroidered on wool felt

I love this top. i had done some applique with this wool felt and had lots left over. so decided to see how it held up with machine embroidery. it is luscious.

I got some number blocks in the corners, too. can't have alphabet without numbers. aren't they just the cutest designs.

I should have used a darker thread for the words on the frog block....but they show up ok in person.

I like the red and yellow striped sashing. i will use that for the binding also.

I like the designers choices for the animals representing the letters.

Q is for quail.

X is for X-ray fish. S is for Squirrel. hahahahaha  love them



V is for Vulture. this might be a 'country' quilt. we have quails and vultures out here.

When i did the first wool felt quilt i threw it in the washer and dryer and it survived very well. but those were smaller applique pieces. after quilting, this will also get thrown in washer and dryer...and we'll see how it works. if i quilt it densely i think it will be just fine. will let you know.

Nice and colorful and bright. some child will love it. hope to get it quilted sooner rather than...

Later

Red, white and blue top

I've been piecing a lot of stuff....just not a lot of quilting going on. the to-be-quilted cabinet is really getting full. i need a clone who can quilt them up as i piece them. hahahaha

Here is my latest....a red, white and blue top....

I started out making this of selvages. i didn't want to use the selvages with the white part on it.  

And i didn't want to use the selvages with a prominent pattern. trying for plainer fabrics.

Well, i never thought i would say i am running out of selvages, but i seem to be. so i improvised and used regular strips of fabrics. i have plenty of those to choose from, too. left over bits of binding and whatever. once i sewed the strip down, i just sewed again over the edge...so at first glance it looks like a selvage strip sewed down.  it's a 'make do' attitude.



But even then i got to a point where there were no more fabrics that i really wanted to use. i wanted to make about 20 more blocks and make this larger but it just wasn't happening. and i really didn't want to put it in a box, unfinished. so, i added some borders and called it done.

In my original design the half blue blocks were on the bottom...but since i couldn't make more blocks....they wound up on the side. i guess that is ok. you have to be flexible...right?

So, this top goes to live in the to-be-quilted cabinet for now. it MIGHT get quilted next year. i have a huge plan for next year. i'm going to do the UFO Challenge thing again in 2013...but my goal is 3 projects a month. yeah...ambitious...but i think doable if i stay on task. i recently pulled out kits that i have been holding that i want to make. .... 12 of those.

Then i pulled 12 boxes that have a top partially done.

Then i pulled 12 sets of embroidered blocks that need to be pieced into a top.

So, in 2013, each month i will piece a kit, set embroidered blocks into a top, and finish a UFO top. i don't know if they will all get quilted...probably not....but by the end of the year.....36 more tops could concievably be in the to-be-quilted cabinet. of course, those won't all fit. i might need another cabinet. LOL

I guess that means 2014 will be the year to quilt up about 50 quilts. hahahahahaha

Meet me in the funny farm...you know...the place with the padded walls. hahahahahahaa

Later

December UFO Challenge quilt(s)

The UFO Challenge has come to an end for 2012....run by Judy Laquidara...over on www.patchworktimes.com    if you don't know about Judy...you MUST check out her blog. she writes about quilts....she is an author of several quilt books....she writes about her family, her chickens, and lives in Texas.  she is a hoot....i guarantee a laugh in almost every post. she also gardens and cans and knits....i think she also sleeps. LOL

My December UFO Challenge was a box full of 2 1/2" strips. i cut them from every piece of fabric i had in the studio....about 15 to 18" long. i counted out 150 of them and pieced them into a 1600 inch quilt type top. that goes quickly and uses up a good amount of strips. here is the first one.

It was quilted with a freehand flower type thing.

Back was a lime green.

This has already gone to live with our mail carrier. she is retiring in a few months so this was her Christmas/retirement present. she seemed really pleased to get it. she says that she and her recliner will be very happy with it. LOL

I had lots of strips left over....so i made a second quilt with them. only this time i put little white squares between each strip.

I kind of like that. the strips weren't all the same length, so if the white squares got too close together, i just lopped off part of a strip and continued on. hahahaha

It's a good way to use up some scraps. when i quilted it i just did whatever. made a circle or a line and echoed that a bunch of times then did something else. it used a lot of thread but i like it.

Sort of a mindless meandering.

Now off to do a customer quilt. will show you...


Later

 

My Goodness....

Where have I been for the last 2 weeks?  hmmmm....i can't come up with a good excuse. LOL

I've been hopping here and there....

..only one more corner piece to put together then the Dear Jane quilt top is ready to be quilted. i'm going to (try) hand quilting this one. i've never done that before. am assembling supplies...thimble, thread, needles, batting, etc. watching online videos and talking to a fabulous hand quilter that i know to get pointers and tips. i have been doing a bit of practice. it's going to be slow....i figure a year. if i can get it done in 6 months i'll be much happier. there will be thousands of yards of SID quilting. pray for me. hahahaha

...I got the Safari Animals top put together. using wool felt and hand appliquing them down. they turned out cute. ... i think. right now i am thinking i will quilt trees in the backgrounds. might need to find some tree patterns....or stencils....or something. still thinking.

Here is the whole thing. the background is a orange/rust paisley fabric that i had. i used all but a small piece about 6x8". i had to work out the plan on graph paper to get all the blocks together.

You'd think my picture taking abilities would be improved...but apparantly not. there are 2 zebras. i stitched the stripes on him separately.

There were 4 different monkeys and 2 elephants.

This photo shows the background fabric the best. you can see the top of a giraffe...there are 4 of them. and 5 different birds...crane, parrot, ostrich, etc.

It's going into the to-be-quilted cabinet. i'm thinking it will be a monthly UFO Challenge top for next year...then i know it will get quilted in a year.

We got a fir tree pattern in quilt class....with a challenge for the Christmas party to piece the tree and embellish it. i got mine finished and got the binding on it, too. but i don't want to show it because i know some of my classmates look at my blog. so, i'll just give you a tease until after the party...then i'll show the rest.

I've dug out the monthly Santas again from PieceMakers and am hand stitching on that again in the evenings.

My embroidery machine has been busy. i am stitching out many, many blocks. i decided if i have all these embroidery CDs with designs....i better at least use them once. i probably have 20 sets of designs stitched our already....just awaiting their turn to become a quilt top....and eventually to be quilted.

These are....Daddy's helpers...cute little bears with various tools.

This is called On the Road Again...various vehicles...think vacations and road trips.

And i put this little top together for the vet in town. he can hang it on his wall and get a chuckle.

And i've quilted up a few customer quilts. i seem to be getting more from out of state.

Although it's not really cold here yet...no snow flying....we have spent the last couple weeks cutting wood and stacking it in the shed. the stacking part is my job and my shoulders know that i've been working.

Thursday i head out to the Duck...there is a dumpster being delivered on Friday....so that is dumpster day. i'm hoping this is the last one that i need. my sister is getting one also....so on Saturday...and possibly Sunday...we will be filling her dumpster with the remnants of her 3 car garage that we took down. my shoulders will probably be talking to me again.

Our new entertainment is auctions. here in town it's Monday night. we go and i tell myself i won't buy anything...but i usually come home with SOMETHING. LOL   and last Friday we found a newer and better auction.....only it's about 50 miles away. but it is better than the in town one and we will check them out again. it is cheap entertainment and kind of fun. i believe the one in town is more a get together and swap stories with the locals than any serious selling. .... plus you can pick up Frito Pie or a bowl of chili for a couple dollars for dinner. we country people know how to live. hahahahahaha

I am clearing out my studio and selling all my quilts. i even took down the ones hanging on the walls. the bins were full and they all have to go. i came up with 61 quilts to sell. plus 3 or 4 more small ones hanging on the walls that i didn't take down. so far i have sold 7....and put 7 more on consignment in a shop in town. would be nice if a couple sold there, too. i have an ad in the paper through Christmas and a sign outside the studio. In January what is left will go on Etsy. then i get to make all new things and start all over again. LOL   you didn't think i was quitting....did you?  that's not gonna happen.

OK...now you know everything going on around here. i'll try and come up with something more exciting.

Until then...i'll talk to you....

Later

More quilts for sale

Let's see if i can get blogger to work tonight long enough to show you some more pictures of quilts for sale at the studio. the studio is as clean as it has been in months. hahahaha  when you move stuff around you have to vacuum up the dust bunnies.

#41 .... Baby Squares...50x58"......$40

#32 ... Morphing Pinwheel....82x100"... $75

#24....Egyptian Take 5 .... 80x90" .... $50

#2....Halloween orange and black selvages...with machine embroidery....60x68 .... $150

#27... Neutral Jelly Roll.....72x74" ..... $50

#19...Laurel Burch tumblers....45x70" .... $40

#37...Postage Stamp Collection... with hanging sleeve....45x55" .... $50

That should give you an idea of what i have out there.....a bit of everything. all sizes and prices.  something for everyone....kids, grandmas and yourself.

See you soon.

Later

Quilts for Sale

I am making a clean sweep of the studio and selling all the quilts that i now have. tired of looking at them all the making new. Here are a few pics of some of the ones for sale. Come on down and check them out.

 #53...Frederick the Frog Prince...machine embroidery...50x72....$75

 #26...Blue and green tube quilt....74x90....$50

#14...Shadow Churn Dash....63x63...$40

#45...Nantucket Knots...Red, white and blue....66x82.....$60

#60...Sunburst...paper piecing...76x76....$150

#28...My Sister Jewel...applique, custom quilted...82x86....$300

#59....Color Blocks....Selvages....60x65....$75

#12...Word selvage quilt..says Put Some Selvages in Your Quilts...88x92...$300

#30...Hand embroidered hearts...with 2 pillowcases...98x98....$80

#33....Memoriam to Sarah...applique....86x86....$300

Those are just a few...will post more later

Questions....send me an email   brunerwoman@yahoo.com

November UFO Challenge

November's UFO Challenge quilt is done early...how about that? this was a pretty simple pattern...snowball blocks and 9 patch blocks. and i made the blocks bbiiiggg.  LOL  this was my 'pattern'...i drew it in EQ

This used up some blue and brown fabrics. it's a pretty good bed size.

Snowball blocks

And 9 patch blocks...how simple is that. then why did it set in a box as an UFO for months?  sigh!!

Borders of tan and more blue....binding yet another blue. i seem to have a lot of blue fabric.

Backing was plain muslin and i quilted it with my 'go-to' quick and easy maze board from Quiltazoid.

Just one more UFO Challenge quilt for this year...December. i've already started it....ssshhh...don't tell Judy. LOL  in fact, December's box of 2 1/2" strips has sooo many.....there will be 2 quilts.

Then it is time to start the UFO list for next year. dare i try for 2 each month?  mmmmm....maybe every other month could be 2. we'll see.....there are still lots of UFOs living in my studio. are you sure you didn't sneak some of your UFOs in with mine when i wasn't looking?  i might have to check on that....

Later