Cute little block

Isn't this the cutest little block?

Anybody else remember the little iron on designs?  I first started doing those when I was about ten or so.  I loved to do fill in embroidery.  This, and the others are to follow are for my new little nephew, James Robert (due date of Feb. 14, 2013).  I am doing several blocks, and then try to figure out how to set them together.  Right now, I am having so much fun doing them.  It's just so relaxing.  Here is my next block:

Just have to figure out what colors to use for the butterflies. 
Hope everybody has a great day!
Happy quilting,
Marianne

Too much going on.

Yep, a lot going on in my house lately.  My school work is in full swing, and math is getting a bit harder than in the beginning.  So, I have been studying that a lot.  Math whiz, I am not. I have been sewing a bit.  I finally got the retirement quilt top done:

I had my mom and my son holding it sideways, it's kind of long.  I am doing a special label for it, when I get it done I will show it.  Have to wait on the label before I can quilt it.  I will try  to quilt it in the next couple of weeks.  I just thought of the fact that we have only about 8 weeks until Christmas.  Where did the time go? 
Happy Quilting,
Marianne

Still plodding along

I have been somewhat lax in my blogging lately.  With my math homework driving me crazy (who comes up with some of the problems to solve- 12 steps to come up with  the answer being 7?!!!), and work, I have been feeling somewhat stressed.  But, I have been doing some paper piecing to make a quilt for one of my managers at work.  She and I have worked together for about 5-6 years now, and she is retiring in December.  So, of course, I have to make a quilt.  I decided to make some simple, yet colorful blocks, 48 total, then put together in a design.  Here is the pieced block:

 Untrimmed block, pieced on a paper backgroung.

Here are the 4 rows laid out.  I will try to put them together tomorrow, or maybe tonight after I get off work.  I am thinking a solid color inner border, maybe a 1-2 inch width.  Then, a wider outer border maybe 5 or 6 inches.  I do know though, that I will be quilting feathers in the light blue star points. 
I love to quilt feathers. 
Well, I hope everyone has a great Friday.  I have to head off to work in a few minutes.  Oy, the things I do to earn money for fabric! :)
Happy quilting,
Marianne

My Bailey is here!

Yippee, I so love the UPS guy.  Look what he brought me yesterday:

Ok, so I was a little bit intimidated by all the parts in the box.  Luckily, Mary (who I bought it from), had everything set up, and a page of tips, all I really had to concentrate on was getting the wheels for the stitch regulator on properly. 
Before I could set this all up today though, I had to finish the quilt that was 3/4 of the way done off the frame.  I did it, but it was a major hassle!  I think the machine didn't want to go!  I had threads shredding, breaking, I kept running out of bobbin thread, and having to wind more, etc.  I got to the last 3 inches of quilting, and ran out of bobbin thread again!  But it did get done.

It's one of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilts, Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll.  It is so big, almost too big for my frame!  I had about 2 inches on each side to attach to my clamps for tension.  I used a soft gray thread, and an allover swirl design to quilt it.  I can't wait to put the binding on it, and use it on my bed.
So, this morning, I got up, and what did I do first thing:

Made a big cup of coffee, I was going to need it!

I then proceeded to take my Janome 1600P  with its stitch regulator off the frame.  It took a little while, there were wires everywhere. 

I then went ahead and got the Bailey on the frame, it really didn't take much time at all.  Like I wrote before, it was mainly making sure the wheels for the regulator were running smoothly. 

I used electrical tape to secure the button for the stitch regulator to the handle.  I am right handed, so it works great. 

Here's my first practice piece.  I love having the extra space!  I can do way bigger designs now.  I was having some issues with the bobbin not working right, but I oiled the shuttle, and loosened the bobbin case, and it works great now.  A lot of the tips and tricks I used for the Janome seem to work here too.  So far, so good.  I will do a couple more practice pieces, ( I want to try out some new quilting designs) before I load a proper quilt.  Plus, I need to get a new extension cord, mine won't work with this machine. 
Hope everyone has a great weekend (I'll be working and doing homework),
Happy quilting,
Marianne

Coming soon.

My Bailey will be here the day after tomorrow.  I guess I should finish the quilt on the frame if I want somewhere for it to go huh?  Thursday can't come soon enough...

I did it!

I bought a 15" Bailey mid arm quilting machine with a stitch regulator from Mary at www.MaryMansonquilts.com.  I am so excited!  Like a kid at Christmas! This will be the last gift from my dad, and I figure do it now, or I never will.  Got a good  deal, and best of all, I will be able to do bigger designs, including the feathers I love doing so much.  Really, by the end of a quilt, I have maybe 2-3 inches of quilting space left, and it's like quilting into a brick wall!
Well, gotta go,
Happy Quilting,
Marianne

I must be insane quilt update

I am still plugging away at Bonnie Hunter's Santa Fe Star quilt, aka " I must be insane" quilt.

 Here I am sewing onto my phone book paper pieces.

 This is the one tote I got my scraps from.  The more I pulled from the bottom, the bigger the pile got!  How does that happen?  LOL

The pile of pieces waiting to be trimmed down.

trimmed down pieces.

Here are some of the pieces sewn together to make up just 2 of the star pieces.

 That's how far I have come since yesterday.  I am going to try to work on some today, but I have to get my math done today for my class.  I tell you, math is not my forte, but I am muddling through.  Now history, I love.  No real problems there.  And in case you thought school and quilting were all  I do, I have also been doing some of this:

Homemade pear butter in the crockpot (it was so good)

 Banana muffins and banana bread.  Still have a ton of frozen bananas in the freezer, so need to make some more.  They didn't last long.

I am also trying to get into making some clothes for myself.  I am one of those larger uptop ladies, and finding clothes to fit me is hard ( and expensive), and I am getting tired of t-shirts.  So, I am trying. 

 On a last note, I have an opportunity to buy a mid arm quilting machine for a very reasonable price, and sell my Janome 1600P.  Still trying to decide for sure if I should go for it or not.  It's a 15" Bailey with a stitch regulator.  It will just fit on my frame, and would give me lots more room to do bigger designs, as I am thinking of starting to do allover quilting for others.  Argh, decisions!

Well, happy quilting,
Marianne