DUFFLE COSMETIC BAGS

This is what I was doing instead of making those baskets for the pinewood derby.... I wanted these to be bigger but...they sure are cute the way they are. This is a canvas material.

SECOND GINGER JAR COMPLETED

This was such a fun pattern, you might be seeing more of these. I once again used my walking foot for the "stitching in the ditch", my darning foot for the stippling on the sides. I did use different thread for the top and bottom threads while stippling. (I know, some of the bottom shows through) but...I didn't want turqoise thread on the bottom and it looks okay doing it this way.

DUFFLE BAG

My husband wanted me to make him a bag for his exercise clothes. I had told him that if he just shows me a bag I can make it....so he found this duffle bag at work and well...you see the finished product. I was going to do a tutorial but it was hard when I was in the creating/thinking stage. I will tell you that the diameter of the circles on each end was 10"(grabbed a bowl from the kitchen), the actual body was 31" x 22". I had a 22" zipper. I put the zipper on first. Then I put the straps on, sewed on with zipper open. Then the ends, just like putting in a sleeve...easy...real easy. I think it took me all of 2 hours and that is with the calculating and planning. I will say that you could go 30 inches on the length, I had to ease fabric in when putting the ends on. I tried to stuff the bag to make a nice picture but I didn't do so good...oh well...He is so happy with it and well...I guess I am too. I did this on Saturday.

PILLOWCASES

After I made the Ginger Jar below, I decided to make a pillow case to match, which is the last picture....but it was sooooo fun that I had to make more.
This one is for a little friend that will be turning 8.

Can you guess who this one is for?

This is the pillowcase for the Ginger Jar, didn't have enough of the red border. If you are interested in doing pillowcases you can go to "Stop Staring and Start Sewing"

ONE GINGER JAR QUILT FINISHED

If you remember when I showed you this quilt before it was quilted, how it waved alot. I thought about it and well....if you look at it now, very little waves if any. No, I did not use all of the wonderful advice I got, didn't want to rip out the border again (two times was enough). First, let me say that this is the first time that I have used the walking foot for my Bernina (was very nervous wasn't sure I could do it) but when seeing that Grandma Gadren quilt that is being given away and how the gal that quilted it did it on her sewing machine. Well...that got the wheels a turning (from Texas, I can say a turning), and me to thinking (I know, not good for me) and just told myself to plunge in and do it. I have never quilted in the ditch but after a while I got the hang of it. I love how it turned out. Then, to the border (long story), I decided that if I did a loose stippling and tried to bring in the fabric as I was stippling, that it just might work....and low and behold it did.
Now, I am afixin (another Texas word) to do the other Ginger jar. So excited and happy to learn a different way to quilt. My advice to any of you out there that want to stipple or use their walking foot....my advice is to just do it! No better way to learn than that. Oh...sometimes reading about how to do it is good too.

"QUILT OF VALOR"

My sister was talking about doing a quilt of Valor....I didn't know what it was for but assuming it was for our military men and women. It got me to thinking.....( I know, it hurts me to do that) but my son has a friend that has befriended me on facebook (now I consider him family). We have conversed often and so, I am doing a "Quilt of Valor" for him. I have already done one for my son. I am working on this between projects....hummmmmmmm


I have mixed up the material because I am working out of my stash, we don't have material like this here in Samoa. Didn't have enough of each material, so I decided to mix it up a bit, so when I run out of one fabric you will never know. When I go to the states (which will be soon) I will pick up material for the back and sashes.

IT IS NOT ABOUT THE QUILT GIVEAWAY.....IT IS ABOUT A QUILTER'S HEART

If you go to "Pieceful Afternoon", you will find a beautiful quilt giveway. It is a grandmother's garden....I snagged a picture but apparently it didn't want to be snagged. There is a story behind this giveaway and she tells it better than I do but it is about heart surgery for her husband. Go over there, read about it, comment and even donate if you want. After reading the story, you will find that it is not about the quilt but about your quilter's heart (which most of you have big ones).

That is why I am adding this table runner to the list of prizes. I emailed Joann about donating this table runner and she had said she had a small quilt donated as well and so I believe that we are just going to add these as other prizes, so there will not be just one winner. How fun is this? So scoot on over there and make a comment and a donation if you wish.

Sorry for the trouble earlier, having computer problems.

CHICKEN QUILT

I am also posting this on my family site, so if you go there, you will see it twice....sorry. This quilt is for my husband. I got the patterns from Fat Cat Patterns, she has some really awesome applique patterns and yes, I am working on that wedding quilt, just needed a break from it.

WEDDING QUILT

Now you can see first hand what I have been working on. Nothing has been ironed down yet but my back was hurting....whaaaaaa(I know, go cry somewhere else!!!). I have redone the leaves, flowers and stems....alot of wasted work but I think it was worth it...I have been working on this for quite a while. The wedding is April 25th...hummmmm nothing like getting down to the wire. It will allow me 8 pictures in the middle.



It is going to be late anyways, waiting for pictures and I want some wedding pictures...but it will be quilted and ready for when I get the pictures...yepeeee...so lets get busy!!

FOR THE CAT LOVERS OUT THERE!!

Do you think I ever got to that wedding quilt I need to make? If the answer was no, you are right. I have done some chicken squares for my husband chicken quilt, if you want to see them go to Quilters Corner. I worked on another quilt, to be shown at a later date. But no wedding quilt was ever touched....hummmm the reason being is...what you see below.


I went through alot of my fabric and found what you see above, which was a panel that you sew the back and front together and you have a cat to stuff. I was going to do that (easy).....but no....I got this idea....and it wouldn't let go.....so I made a pattern for myself and what you see below is what I came up with.

Now her baby has this cute little cat that has the fleece backing (I can't think if that is the right word for it...it will come later). There are things I would do different, but for a first go....I am not too disappointed. I also didn't take the picture at the right angle so it is, therefore, not a very good picture...but you get the just of it. I sandwiched the front and back and stippled them before stuffing. I like to do this so when you stuff it you don't have alot of bumps, especially when you use the left over batting from past quilting projects (doesn't that mean I went green)? Conserve where I can...besides, stuffing is hard to get here and it also makes the project more durable.

HERE IS A TOILETRY BAG

i forgot to take a before picture, but this is what it was after I tore my old bag apart. I used it as a pattern....

This is after.

I think the next one I make, I will put some interfacing in it to give it some firmness. I like this bag better because it is washable. The other one had a plastic liner and just made it hard to clean.

NOT ONE BUT.....

TWO

GINGER JARS BY Bea Yurkerwich from the October 2007 Issue of the"Quilters World" magazine.

I am not happy with the red...the border is too wavy...I even took it out and re did it....but I did notice, even as I was making the ginger jars that the red was stretchy....and even when I went to put the border on, something in my head was questioning it...oh well...I just may stipple it and see if the stippling won't take care of it. I really like the red border???
I thought this would be a great way to showcase the material that Missy over at the Quilted Pig sent me.

"Finding Nemo Quilt"

Finished.