Fruit Anyone?

I finished the Sideboard Bounty block from the Bountiful Life quilt.  It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed putting my own touches on that wonderful display of fruit.  There were some new fabric choices from the original, some design changes, but I am really please with the way it looks.  I think it will look fantastic in the finished quilt.  

Even though there were no vines or leaves in this one, there was still a fair amount of blue marking lines and basting glue used, especially on those grapes.

So.. I decided to take the plunge!

My recipe? A little warm water, some mild detergent, a drop of courage, and a deep breath.  Into the water for a soak.

I gently placed the wet block on a nice thick towel to dry, smoothing out most of the wrinkles.  Then I noticed it......

AAggghhh!! A small area of a raw edge showing.  Don't you just hate when that happens?  So as quilters we all know this is just another opportunity to find a creative solution.

And so.... nothing a small grape couldn't cover up.  Quite simple.  (sigh)

Now it's time to move onto.... what do you think these will be?

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Monkey Business.....

What is this you ask?  Monkeys of course!!!  

I took some time this week to start a baby quilt for a gal I work with and who also happens to be Karin's daughter.  She is having a baby boy in December and I thought I should get this adorable monkey quilt started.  

This is a cute pattern called Peekaboo Monkeys, from the book Quilting for Baby.

Jaime (the mom-to-be) has chosen monkeys as the theme of her nursery.

Remember this from a previous post?  The fabrics going into the washing machine. 

 I also found the perfect backing fabric with monkeys on it, of course.

I traced the pattern on fusible web, cut out the fused shapes and then build the monkey faces on my Applique Pressing Sheet.  This special non stick fabric sheet is coated with polylon.  Once all the pieces are in place, I can fuse the whole piece together.

Once you fuse together your design, you can then lift it off the sheet.  The fusible web will not stick to the sheet.  Easy-peasy!

Here are my three little monkey faces.  Eyelashes, mouths and noses will be added by machine later when I machine buttonhole stitch around all the shapes.

Here is the quilt pieced together... now I just need to buttonhole stitch round the monkeys and add the face details.  So cute!

Happy Stitching!

Deb

31.... and Counting!

Today is my husband's and my 31st wedding anniversary!  To commemorate this day I wanted to make a special Sweet Heart block to mark the occasion.  Earlier in the week I started to think what my Sweet Heart block should look like.  I tried several fabrics, etc and nothing seemed right.

I decided that something with our initials embroidered on it would fit the bill...  But of course I had not touched the embroidery piece on my Viking Designer SE since I bought it three and a half years ago!  (By the way - if you look closely at the wedding picture on the left, you will see a very plump Matron of Honor - she was seven months pregnant with her first child!)  

Getting back to the embroidery....  So I decided this was something I need to explore.  I attached the embroidery arm and after some time and trial and error, I was very pleased with the result!  Not bad for my first attempt at machine embroidery, right?  I chose a lavender batik because our wedding colors were periwinkle and pink.

Also earlier in the week, I had sewn together the next row of Sweet Hearts and was ready to add it to the quilt.  Don't pay attention to the fact that I have the row facing in the wrong direction, it ended up sewn on the quilt correctly!  And of course anytime you put anything on the floor.. it draws a kitty crowd.

Soon, the word was out and everyone wanted to get into the act.

Lucy decided this was hers... Maybe because of the heart shaped mark on her back. Or maybe she had heard about the fan mail Abby was receiving from my Pets On Quilts entry.  You can vote for Abby - #44!

So Happy Anniversary to my own sweetheart.  It is our special day!

Deb

A Quilters Get Together

This past Wednesday evening I invited a couple quilting girlfriends over for a get together.  We hadn't done this in quite awhile; far less than we used to. You know how life gets in the way... work, grandkids, crazy schedules, etc.  So it was great to spend the evening together relaxing and catching up with each other (even though I work with Karin - we don't always get to talk about quilting!).

The table was set for a pleasant evening on the deck.  I made this quilted table topper several years ago just for this purpose.  I love using quilts in my table settings.  This one is all batiks and is designed based on a quilt from the Edyta Sitar book, Hop To It!.

I called it Sangria. 

Of course quilters can never get together without show-n-tell!

 This is a Grumpy Ladybug quilt top that Marie put together.  It's adorable!

 She also showed us a really cute baby quilt she is making.  She would like to big stich hearts in those white blocks.  I think it would look great!  Go for it Marie!

She also made this table topper for her sister.  Pieced and needs to be quilted.  The colors are wonderful!  (I think Marie has been pretty busy!) Nice to be retired. : - )  Great job!

 Karin is a quilter and knitter.  And not just a knitter, but an exceptional knitter!  Here is a sweet little sweater she is making for a friend's new adopted baby.  So cute. 

And also this sweet little 'cocoon'.  This so cute for a newborn.  I love the varigated pink yard.  She does beautiful work!

Finally, we have the block I am currently working on, Sideboard Bounty for the Bountiful Life quilt.  It is coming along nicely and I am pleased with the changes I have made.  Almost done with this one!

It was a fun evening and I look forward to doing it again soon!

 

Happy Stitching!

 

Deb

Buzz...Buzz...Buzz.... Another UFO Flys Away!

I had an Aha Moment (a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension) a few weeks ago.  I was reading a blog where the quilter had just finished big stitching a quilt.... "easy to do..... fast.... nice result.... etc."  And then it hit me.  It was the perfect solution to a table runner I had started .... um... four years ago..??  (Yikes!)

This table runner has been pieced and basted together and set aside because I just couldn't decide how to quilt it.  You know how that goes....  The big stitch solution was perfect and I immediately pulled it from the UFO pile and grabbed the perle cotton I had on hand.  

It was fast, and it was fun!!!  And when I wasn't quilting it, Lucy thought it was the perfect hiding spot to nap.

It was done before I knew it and I added the binding.  Double fold binding that is hand stitched down on the back.  What a simple solution for this cute table runner.

The bumble bees were hand appliqued, the legs and antennas were machine buttonhole stitched.  It is based on a quilt, Honeybee, from the book Winter Rose, by Barbara Brandeburg.  After a quick wash, this will be ready to go on my kitchen island.  

However, Lucy looks disappointed that her hiding spot is gone. : - ) 

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Sideboard Bounty Block

This week I started my next block from A Bountiful Life.  This block is called Sideboard Bounty and I believe it does not appear in the Civil War Bride Quilt although it is in the original quilt, Bird of Paradise.  I wanted to take a short break from the stems and leaves and enjoy stitching this summer fruit.  This is not the next block in the order.... but who says they have to go in order!?

Here is the pattern and the start of my block.  I have changed some of the fruit from the pattern to give it more variety.

Here is the original pattern.  I have changed some of the oranges to peaches, plums, and a pear.  Not to mention those tiny bird feet.

It was after a trip to the grocery store yesterday that I decided to add the red plum and change the stems for the cherries.  At least I think they are cherries!  Large cherries or small apples!??

Next will be the birds and the butterflies.   I need to simplify those bird feet!  These birds are much smaller than those golden eagles.... of course.

Here is the photo from the A Bountiful Life book by Karen Mowery.  I thought it needed more variety in the fruit.  Hope I made the right choices!

Happy Stitching!

Deb