A Year In Review....

Wow!  This has been some year! 

Cheery Dresden Plate...inspired by Sarah Fielke!!!  Love Dresden Plate Quilts...this one is hand appliqued (plate and center) and hand quilted with perle cotton...

Cog and Wheel....pattern by Denyse Schmidt....machine quilted circles....

 Cathedral Window Quilt....full size quilt....

Embroidered pillow...I love this little guy....

Molly's first embroidery....all of my pillow cases are now embroidered :).....I am a lucky girl!

Coin Quilt....straight line machine quilting...with pick stitching...

Hourglass Quilt....this one still needs to be quilted...I think that would help perk it up as well...hmmm....

Molly named this the Mariposa Quilt....

Wonky Log Cabin Quilt...completely hand quilted with perle cotton...

Molly's tea towel embroidery.... 

Single Girl by Denyse Schmidt....love this quilt!

Star Quilt...hand quilted....

Cathedral Window Pillow...

Stashbuster Quilt....from Material Obsession 2...hand quilted with perle cotton....

Zig-Zag Quilts for the twins...Far, Far Away fabric...hand quilted...

Baby Quilt from Scandinavian Stitches....machine quilted...

Scandinavian Stitches...

Pinwheel Quilt from Cloud 9 fabric....for baby shower tonight!!!

Those are the major projects....many other little ones in between....

For 2011...I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel for my current project...

And I have many more quilts I want to tackle....can't wait!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

Mary

    

Motivated!

As I mentioned in the last post, I am eagerly awaiting a new ruler so I can get cookin' on a quilt from Material Obsession 2. 

Finished the placemats and table runner....and they will soon be making their way to Japan!

And began hand quilting (with perle cotton, of course) one of the two Far,Far Away 2 quilts for the twins!  Love quilting on linen....so soothing.

Nothing like a new book and some new fabric to light a fire under your bum...huh? Wishing you all a productive day....

Mary  

Family

How lovely is a simply 9-patch block...this one was, purposely, done a little off center...

I simply fashioned a 9 -patch block and used a square ruler - placed at an angle - to recut and give this little ditty a bit of whimsy!

This windmill, also, got the same treatment...all liberated!  The old, old chair in the picture was made by hand by my grandfather...it is about 100 years old.  My grandfather was Scotch-Irish from Appalachia...I have a particular fondness for the Appalachian parts of our country and the culture.  We love old-timey music at our house...it blends the Irish and the American parts.  My grandfather's people settled in south-eastern Kentucky.  The chair is still in good shape, but I don't let anyone sit on it.  I love the patina....doesn't the weaving look like a quilt pattern?   I think so!

  This is a quilt from my family....I am not sure how old it is exactly, but it is rather tattered.  This section was replaced at some time...I love that it has this one very red block!

We have two big family events happening this weekend.  My sister's daughter is getting married and my husband's side of the family is having their annual reunion.  It is a big Irish shindig that lasts all weekend long!  It begins at the Irish Social Club - I guess they need the space for the Dugan, Murnane, King, and Murphy Clan! Yikes!  Then it continues as a smaller affair...just the Dugan's for the remainder of the weekend.  It should be fun!

Need to get busy on this house, though, we have g-ma spending the weekend!

Mary  

Mmmm...Mmmm....Good!

Yesterday, I had some good friends join me to share a little of this...

And lots of Quilty-Goodness!

 Amazing quilts!  And amazing friends!  Thanks for sharing :)

Last night I tinkered with a little patchwork change purse....kind of cute....I think

Hopefully, today I will be able to get back to work on some of my zig-zaggy quilting...

But, perhaps, after a quick trip with my sis to Anthropologie...whoo-hoo!

Have a great Sunday!

Mary 

Cathedral Window

Chain piecing always seems so satisfying...I feel like I have accomplished so much in such a little amount of time.

Chain piecing the squares that will hold the windows....

 

Adding the bright little window squares...

I must use this clear 1/4 inch foot for most of my sewing.  I sew on a Janome MC6600 and this foot comes with a guide for the 1/4 inch seam as well as a guide for "stitch in the ditch".  I always use it without the guides, but the markings are very evident and the clear foot makes for easier visibility

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This will become a pillow....and my middle daughter, Maggie, has already claimed it!

Molly....worked on a dresser scarf for g-ma...

 

Finally....

Today I received a lovely email from a student who had just finished the final touches on her daughter's quilt.  She sent along pictures of the beautiful quilt she made and a list of insights....things she discovered beyond the stitches while making this quilt.  She was so kind to allow me to share them in the blog...

        

::take it one stitch at a time (the task seems overwhelming if looking too far ahead)::

::i am a picker, not a rocker::

::best-press = best friend::

::hand-quilting is meditative::

::hand-quilting brings out some emotions (i had lots of time to think while quilting...did some soul-searching, both crying and smiling)::

::in each stitch is an intention, a hope, a wish, and dream for the recipient::

::respect for the pioneer woman that had to quilt for warmth, not just for fun::

::i heart pearl cotton:: ( i love the artsy style it adds to the quilt...my mother-in-law asked if they were basting stitches...some people get it and others never will!)

::an overwhelming sense of accomplishment::

::hand-made is always better::

::an amazing teacher can teach her student anything::

Beautiful sentiments and so well put.....thanks, Ev!

Mary 

This and That.....

It is so bloomin' hot in Ohio....way too hot to spend time outside, unless you are out early in the morning.  My poor much neglected garden needs some attention, but it is just going to have to wait.  I will stay in the AC and work on projects while Flanders keeps me company.....

Flanders appreciates the AC, too - can you tell?

I am pretty much committed to doing Zig-Zag quilts with the Far, Far Away fabric....quilts intended for the yet-to-be-born twins.  As I mentioned in the previous post...I am using half square triangles.  To include Rapunzel or the Owl and the Pussycat in the zig and zag right side up....I have been flipping my diagonal line for half of the squares.  That way I can choose squares that feature the characters right side up.

  

That probably seems fairly clear to most, but sometimes the simplest things are the most perplexing!

I have also spent some time straight line machine quilting.  My shoulder feels every stitch!

 

That's about it for today....time to figure out dinner and act like I am earning my keep around here!

Mary 

Eye Candy

Less than a week ago we had our final Coin Quilt class of this session.  I had such a great time (as always) with these women and I am so happy to be able to share their quilts!  I think you will find them amazing!
Enjoy......

Sam's quilt....she was working on the pick-stitching so her pic includes a quilt hoop :)

Next we have Michelle.....love the black and the guitar fabric!

Here is Gretchen's (Michelle's mom).....fresh white background...so pretty!

 

And last, but not least, Sara's quilt is in the stack....the bottom quilt and it is fabulous...with the fun bicycle print!

   

I just love these quilts and they are a terrific group of women!  ***Pat on the back for each***

Mary

PS - check out Sew To Speak for wonderful classes!