Grandma's Country Album I .. Robert Callaham

Yet another Robert Callaham pattern. the third, I think, ...and, the last, i hope. haha

I finished piecing this on February 23, 2014 and it finally came up in the quilting line. Most blocks are applique, with his signature hundreds of tiny squares for sashings. I quilted Xs in them this time.

I was about finishing up the border and thought....i better look to see if i missed anything. sure enough, there was a small block unquilted.  then i went back and looked again....and found another spot that i missed going around something.  let's look one more time....this time i added a bit more to something that i thought needed it.  ok..done...finished....if you see something i missed...i don't care. haha

All blocks had SID, with sometimes a line in a leaf or into a flower. 

I tried for different background stitching in each block

It started out at 70" square and became 69" .... or a bit smaller...at the end.

Back was a muslin

Don't look too close. i am not that particular any more about hitting the exact right spot. 

Top thread was Glide cork and bobbin was Bottom Line oatmeal

This was the first thing i got quilted in April. compared to March, i am quite the slacker this month. but i have been piecing tops like crazy....5 for the month so far. haha   But i did have to piece together the rest of my UFO challenge quilt for the month....and it's up next. hopefully, i can finish it by the end of the month.

A slow quilting start this month

Here it is....a week gone already in April....and i haven't finished quilting anything yet.  I have a quilt on the frame....and it will be another 2 or 3 days before i am finished with it....then i can start my April UFO challenge quilt. it's a quilt with lots of stars and lots of white spaces. gotta come up with a good plan.

But, i have been busy.....i've pieced a few things this month already.

Mitosis... i am eager to quilt this one....but it might not happen this month.

Manasses .... this is my UFO Challenge quilt for April....so it will get quilted next. i need a plan. it's the last quilt that my friend, Mary, designed for our class before she retired.

Signs of Spring .... i saw this somewhere....i think on MQR....and had to make one, too.

Birch Trees.... this came from a blog that i read occasionally. another one that i saw and had to make.

The mowing is starting....and the gardening is calling my name. so, there might not be much quilting this month.

Slices of Life

I got this one done a couple days ago...another March finish.....but the computer was out of commission so i couldn't show you.  It is made with yellow and brown selvages.

The selvages are sewn onto strips of muslin. I finished piecing it on February 24, 2015.

I was trying to quilt a ribbon like thing.....i kind of got it for a row or two....but couldn't really wrap my head around how to do it...so, i just gave up and did some curves. no sense getting a headache over it. haha

It is 76 x 88"  I did SID around the blue strips

The yellow pieces are sunny days of life...the brown pieces, days that are not so great. but, the yellow pieces far outweigh the brown. such is life... see, there is even a smiley face.

back is from the stash....more of the Christmas fabric from 2 years ago on sale at half off. I have lost count of how many backings i have made with it.

Thread was Glide Sienna for top and So FIne gold for bobbin

Every time i look in the to-be-quilted cabinet...there is another selvage quilt in there....they never end. you can just bury them with me ...ok?

March Challenge results

March was a very busy....and productive ... month.

.. My UFO #5 that Judy pulled was a pile of red selvage blocks. it became this.

.. My leather challenge was this...

.. Then I quilted one for my sister

.. Quilted another UFO out of the to-be-quilted cabinet ... an embroidery sampler

.. Embroidered vintage sewing blocks for my sister. there were 9 of them i think

..Another UFO out of the to-be-quilted cabinet was this blue and white called HSTeria IV

.. My friend, Vicki, shared a little laundry day quilt that she had made....so i had to try one, too. mine is appliqued with faux leather. It's 16" square and the little quilt on the line....also leather...can be removed.

.. Then, I made a quilt for my dog from some scraps I had.

.. Another one in the to-be-quilted cabinet is called Toss Up.  it is a quilt along from Australia.

.. I appliqued the block for March from Buttermilk Basin. this is the last of the Spring row.

.. And pieced the block for March from Ricky Tims

.. I did manage to piece another few blocks for the red and black leather quilt.

..  And, along with all that, i managed to start a few new things. haha    One simple quilt with 2 1/2" squares is called Mitosis.

.. Another new startup project is this background....that will have a mermaid in that empty space.

I think that is all. haha   I made myself tired....i need a nap.

I am still cutting up leather jackets and coats.....actually am down to just 3 more to do. got to get back into the leather quilting.

I had to take the embroidery machine in for some TLC and probably a couple of parts. So, there won't be any embroidery happening for a couple weeks. but, once it comes back home, look out.

Hope your March was productive.... if not.....there is always April.

Bring it on!

Toss Up ... from Australia

OK...more HSTs....don't say a word. haha   thank god for Thangles is all i can say.

This came about back in December of 2016.....in an Australian Quilt Along. The instructions were to make many, many HSTs.....then, the final instructions were to just piece them all together....willy nilly.  So, if you are looking for a pattern here, forget it.

My sad story is....this fabric line ... called He Loves Me....came out several years ago. I bought massive amounts of it because i loved it at the time. I mean, dozens and dozens of yards of it. ( I still have some left).  At the same time, I also bought 3 quilt patterns to make awesome quilts from this fabric. you know where this is going, right....i never made one. single. one. of. those. quilts.  sigh!!  the patterns are long gone to the thrift store... at least i didn't cut out pieces at the time. So, here i am, years later....using up these fabrics.

It is 52x60"

I just love this panto...by Karen Thompson, called Curvy Weave. I believe it was shared here by Kim. 

Back....same fabric line

Top thread was Glide gold...bobbin was a blue from Superior called Highlights. i had never used it before and it was great...no problems.

HSTeria IV ... blue and white

Back a couple years ago, VIcki Welsh did a HST challenge. I really don't like to piece HSTs...but i do like a good challenge.  this is my 4th HST quilt in this challenge....there might be more, i don't really remember.  a lot of Thangles were harmed in the making of these quilts. haha

It's been in the to-be-quilted cabinet since December 10, 2014.  it is 70" square....kinda.  haha

The blocks are churn dash, but sometimes are hard to distinguish. putting them together without sashing makes a different kind of pattern.

The back is a dark navy that i bought online from someone getting rid of stuff. There was yards and yards of it for a ridiculous price. there was fading where it was folded, but i just turned it over and used the other side....problem solved. gotta use up all that old stuff.

Threads used were Glide Sand for the top...it looks like gold to me. and So Fine Orchid for the bobbin. the backing is so dark, that the orchid looks like white on it.

Embroidery Sampler

This sampler has been in the to-be-quilted cabinet since February 20, 2016.... only a bit over a year. 

I don't know what I will do with it, but i like it.  i guess you could make a quilt of just one type block, in different color ways, depending on what you like or for a holiday. it is 45x55".

I like that seashell

You could make a child's quilt with the bear and hearts

A dog could get a bone quilt

The woodland creatures could make a guy quilt

The back was a piece of muslin. batting was warm and natural pieces left over from other quilts.

I am using up cones of thread. The top was done in Glide bright white. The bobbin used up 2 partial cones of off whites and some of a white...all in Bottom Line.  I don't like having cones of thread with just a bit on it. you're never sure if it is enough to finish a quilt, so i like these small quilts that i can use up those ends of cones.