Green Fairy Quilts Giveaway

Ok, so Judy over at www.greenfairyquilts.blogspot.com is having a giveaway for a fat quarter bundle.  Her blog is great, and very inspiring, her quilting is really out of this world.  So, go check it out. 
Happy quilting, Marianne

Comment fixed.

I think I fixed the comment feature.  I thought I had gotten lucky considering all the buzz about blogger giving people fits.  I guess I didn't get so lucky.  Ugh.
Happy quilting, Marianne

I found another giveaway.

Head on over to www.sameliasmum.com she is giving away an Accuquilt Go Baby!  Hurry, hurry, hurry! 

New Post

I couldn't think of  a good title, so go with a generic one.  My brain is preoccupied with writing this post, and watching "So You Think You Can Dance".  I love the show, mainly because I really can't dance, not well, so I live vicariously through the ones who can. 
So, I actually have been busy with school, work, and of course quilting!  I purposely get up 3 hours before I have to be anywhere so I can get my sewing time in.  I have been steadily working on quilting the Trail Mix quilt that I showed in the last post.  I hope to have that done by this time next week, and I'll post a picture then.  I also finished this top:

Here I am squaring up the top to 15 1/2 inches. 

this red is what I chose for the border-it's a M'Liss fabric and I love it!

before borders

after inner border added

with the outer border added

I can't wait to quilt this!  I want to do all kinds of neat designs, etc,  deciding is so hard!
Since in my last post I mentioned the other quilt tops I had waiting to quilt, I decide to dig around, and take pictures of them, so here they are:

This Drunkard's Path I did not too long ago, with bias edging, I used a lot of scraps for this one!

A scrappy string top

Got this top at a guild meeting, they had several tops, but I fell in love with this one, I love the fabrics.

Sad thing is, I remember buying the fabric for this, but I don't remember hand piecing and appliqueing this!

I love the twist and turn of this one.

put together a bunch of blocks I won in the my guild's block drawings.

I copied the design from a picture of a quilt I just wanted to make.  My mom wants this when it's done.

this is a reproduction top of one I received from my aunt a couple of years ago.  When I got the original top in the mail, I cried right there.  The top is not in shape to be quilted, but I wanted to make one like it, so I matched the color as much as I could. 

the history behind this quilt is it is my independence quilt.  I made this when I was first splitting with my ex-husband 13 years ago, and it keep me sane at a time that I really needed it. I had 4 kids ages 3 months up to 6 years, so I needed to keep my sanity.  It was a cover quilt for Quilt Magazine.  I hand dyed the blue, yellow, and green fabrics. 

I have a tip for today.  On one of the yahoo groups I belong to, (I belong to about 6-7), someone mentioned going to Harbor Freight, and getting carpet cutting blades, they work just like rotary blades.  I went one day when I was in Melbourne for class, and they were on  sale for $1.49 for 2!  I bought just about every package they had! 

I love them!  I find they work just as well as the ones you buy at the quilt shop, just less expensive.  Some people think they get dull too quick, but I have a tendency to nick them on the rulers (I'm a klutz), so they don't last long enough to get dull.


Oh, and before I forget, here is a new picture of the little monster "aka" Hiro.  He starts puppy classes next week, we need to corral him a bit.  I love his ears though, they are the biggest things on him!

Shh! Watch out for the Quilt Police...

That's what I always used to think.  I used to think I had to do everything by the book, or it was wrong, and the "quilt police" would come. It's very hard to get over at times.  I pretty much have gotten past this point, but it came roaring back when I was quilting tonight.  I am quilting my Trail Mix quilt, using maxi lock multicolored thread, doing an allover teardrop design.  I was quilting along, but it wasn't looking right to me.  I kept thinking " these don't look even enough", or " the threads keep crossing, I'm going to have to take these stitches out".  But, I pushed those thoughts away.  So what if it isn't perfect?  So what if the threads cross sometimes, or they look more like feathers instead of teardrops?  There are no quilt police here, and this is MY QUILT!  I can quilt it however I want, and the imperfections are mine, and mine alone, and I dare anyone to find them.  (Please don't look). So, that's my rant for today.  I started thinking about all of this because of Leah Day's blog www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com.  She is doing 365 quilting designs, and they are really neat.  It's where I got the teardrop quilting design from.  I'm going to be trying out as many designs as I can.  Anyway,she was talking about how we all worry so much about things matching, and designs being perfect, instead of just having fun!  I quilt because I enjoy it, and it's fun for me.  
Here is what I had fun working on tonight: 

Can anyone spot the mistakes?  I can, but I also find it very organic, and free-flowing.  So, Trail Mix is on the frame, and hopefully I can get it done soon.  I wound 7 bobbins, and used 3 on the first 2 rows alone!  The inside will be quilted with the teardrop/feather shape, and I am doing a spiral/feather type design in the borders.  I will have to turn the quilt to do the side borders though, so I am basting the sides as I go.  I tried it once without doing so, and it was a nightmare to repin it to the leaders.  Lesson learned.  My goal this summer is to get as many of these quilt tops quilted as I can.  I have a large pile, some have been waiting patiently for years to get finished!  I know I am not the only one though, I saw a picture someone had posted of 75 tops she had waiting to be quilted!  She had just gotten a quilting system, and was trying to make a dent.  Wow!  
Well, I had better get going, tomorrow is a work day, but it's my Friday, so I just have to get through it.  It pays the bills (and buys me more fabric), so it's a necessity.  LOL.  
Lest I forget, here is a new pic of Mr. Hiro:

his eyes are blue in every picture, no clue why!

He is now a whopping 4.13 lbs!  Went and got his second set of shots on Tuesday, and was not a happy puppy!  Wailed like he was being tortured, then fell asleep in my daughter's arms on the way home.  He's just too cute for words.  We are working on the housetraining, it's taking some time, he's very stubborn!  Fits in fine in this household. 
Well, time to study for a while, then bed.  
Happy quilting, and don't dream of the dreaded QP! 
LOL, Marianne
 

Why I haven't been blogging lately and other things

So, I normally try to blog a couple of times a week, but I have been busy with this:

my little helper-likes to sit on my lap and watch the needle go up and down.  Now, if he could only iron LOL.

 And this:

My text book

 I am enrolled in the local college in the Survey and Anatomy course.  A condensed and very intense class because it's over the summer.  Leaves little time for other things, like quilting.  Between work, school and kids home, I am stretched a bit thin.  It's only for a year though, I am training to be a medical assistant, the heavy course load starts in August.  Looking forward to it though. 
I have though, been doing a few little things,  like coming up with a deadbar for my frame.  I get really tired of having to move the take up roller up every few passes.  So, here is what I came up with:

a couple scrap pieces of wood, a 3/4 inch pvc pipe with end caps, and some screws and I have a dead bar. 

on the frame

Here is a practice piece, I was trying out some new designs.  I also have been going through some old quilting books I have had for years, and this was one of the designs I updated for rotary cutting:

What do you think? I am thinking of making a whole quilt with these colors, I think I have enough of the fabric to do it. 
Well, off to lala land, gotta work tomorrow. 
Happy Quilting,
Marianne

Praying for storm victims

To all of those of you dealing with these horrible storm systems that have been occurring, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Marianne