2012 Quilting Accomplishments and True Confessions

As I prepare to go into 2013, I was taking some time this evening to see "where I am" in relationship to quilting. It's been a busy year! I am part of a scrap group at Jo Jo's Quilt Shop in Chesterfield, VA. In 2011, we started working on acknowledging our UFO's and completing them.

In 2011, I made my list of UFO's and I did work on some of them but I think it took a year to get over the shock of how many I had. I look back at the paperwork and I can tell I didn't get it all listed so my beginning numbers were not right - something like 45 UFO's and then I started 55 more projects in 2011 and finished 26 of them. I'm not saying those 2011 numbers are right at all! It was truly a shock to realize how unorganized I was!

So I enter 2012 with a better grasp on reality. I had 67 listed unfinished projects. I say listed because I think I still have some hiding from me. I added one to that list just this week that I will be quilting in early 2013. Of those, 40 are still not completed. I'll talk about that later. I started 55 projects in 2012 - interesting that the number for 2011 and 2012 are the same! The difference is I finished all but 5 of those projects in 2012. What a difference!

So as I enter 2013, I have 45 known UFO's. I think I will make an effort to post once a month how it is coming along. I don't expect to get my 45 UFO's to 0 in 2013.

A lot of the UFO's are tops that need to be quilted. I just don't have the funds to send my quilt tops out to be quilted by those wonderful long arm people. We have several talented people in the area that I would love to have do my quilts but funds are limited for that type of activity. I can spend $200 on batting and have enough to do my own quilts for a while. If I spent that same money on long armer's, I might get 2 larger quilts done or 1 king size. So the question to me in 2012 was what to do - stop sewing or learn to quilt on my Baby Lock Espire.

Not sewing is not an option so learn to quilt it was! I have a love / hate relationship with the quilting. I have ended the year with mostly a love relationship. Thanks to people like Leah Day and their wonderful lessons in quilting, I have improved on my skills. I will keep improving as I keep quilting. I take more risk and am quilting bigger and bigger quilts.

Bring on 2013!! Can't wait for the new projects from clubs I'm in and for what strikes my fancy to start on my own. I hope to share more with you as I go into the year.

Matilda Mae Moose

There was an uproar in the household. The boys - yes, all boys - found themselves in the presence of a G-I-R-L! And there was shock and amazement.

Matilda Mae Moose has joined the family! Isn't she beautiful!?! She was a wonderful gift from my quilty buddy, Celestia. I am in love with her - even if the boys are leary!

I gave them some time to get acquainted.

Then Big Daddy Moose said to come over with him and he'd protect her and show her the ropes! He's a good moose!

And, yes, the screaming rubber chicken does have on toenail polish. He's a silly boy!

Thanksgiving

As we begin this week of celebration of family, I hope we all find time to realize how lucky we are. We live in a country where we are free to explore our imaginations and speak our minds. We are free to worship any religion we desire. Our rights are intact.

I am thankful for God and Jesus, my family, my friends, my country, my job, my home, and - of course - my fabric! Okay the fabric was a bit tongue in cheek but I am fortunate to have the stash I do.

My prayer for the week is that no one is alone or goes hungry on the day that we celebrate with the bounty of our harvest - whether literal or just the harvest of the paycheck allow us to buy what we don't grow.

I hope there is time in this busy week for you all to sew a few seams or at least to pet some fabric.

God bless you all and here's to straight seams and beautiful quilts!

Jo's Lil Women Group at Jo Jo's Quilt Shop

We had a great group yesterday at our Jo's Lil Women group at Jo Jo's Quilt Shop in Chesterfield, VA. Many creative things flying around. I hope you enjoy this slide show!

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Finish It - 11-09

This is my one week quilt. I started this last Friday night to demo a technique at the Scrap Therapy group. It captivated me so I worked on it during the Wayward Girls and finished the top on Sunday. Layered it Monday but didn't quilt it until Wednesday. Cut and bound on Thursday and just finished whipping the binding to the back! It is from a Fons and Porter 2000 magazine. The pattern is Buzz Saw. I really like this quilt! All of the fabrics with the exception of the background are Jo Morton and all leftovers from other projects. The background is from a 2006 Thimbleberries line. I hope you enjoy it!

And poor Maggie! She leads such a tough life! I don't think she could be any further spoiled!

If you note the quilt on the back of the love seat - yes, it is Nov 9th but my Halloween quilt is still out - and you look at my posting for Scrap Therapy and see Judi's table runner, you will see they are the same pattern but couldn't look different! I really like her prairie points on her version. The pattern came from Missouri Star Quilt Company.

Wayward Girls -1

The Wayward Girls met as well - except for one of us. We missed Carol but she was on a quilt retreat. Can't wait to see what she completed there.
Mary - the wondrous leader of the group - finished her General's Wives top. It is absolutely gorgeous!

I'm so grateful that she hosts us in her beautiful home. I thought you might like to see the decoration in her quilting space. This woman is amazing!

As I sit here catching up on my posts, I was thinking that I should be able to produce better work with all of the quilters around me who do such gorgeous work. Then I was thinking - someone has to make their work look better! Might as well be me! Don't get me wrong, I love my quilts - warts and all!

Scrap Therapy - Nov 3

We had such a good time at Scrap Therapy at Jo Jo's Quilt Shop. The meeting was a week early because of retreats and other wonderful interrupts. This is one talented group of ladies!
Our fearless leader is Judi and she is such an inspiration! This is her wool work - and I had to give you a close up of Santa with his bunny slippers!

Such fun! Then she made a table runner.

Then Barbara showed off! Another very talented woman! Her work, like Judi's, is impeccable. Absolutely amazing!

Isn't their work spectacular!?!

Finish It Up Friday

It's been a productive week! One of these quilts was finished last week but I didn't post it so I get to do that this week. This is Somerset - started sometime before this year but I don't remember when. It was part of a Jo Morton group.

Then I finished quilting my third Merry Mayhem #134. I really like this pattern and love this quilt!

This is another pre-2012 quilt. It's from a Strip Club at Jo Jo's Quilt Shop in Chesterfield, VA. I didn't do machine quilting and just never did get this to a long-arm person. Now that I'm quilting myself, I have a lot of tops to finish!

This is not quilted but I get to claim finished for the top! It is a Debbie Caffrey pattern. We selected this for a group project in our Scrap Therapy group at Jo Jo's Quilt Shop!

Sewing with Friends

I think the best part of quilting for me is sewing with friends. One group I sew with is the Happy Quilters of Chesterfield. I really enjoy the ladies and they are so inspiring! We met last Saturday but I didn't get many pictures. Here is a half-square triangle quilt by Anne

And here is a center from Barbara.

Tomorrow - the Wayward Girls get together -minus Carol. Carol is on retreat having a good time!

Catching Up

I do not know how the time flies by so fast but it is! It's been almost a month since I've posted but I didn't mean for it to be! I've been really busy.

This is my Thimbleberries Mini-Twin Peaks. I didn't have a use for a table runner the size of the original pattern. So I did the center half-size and added simple borders. I really like it and it is now my keyboard quilt

And here is the extra project for October from Thimbleberries. Isn't that the cutest!?! The back as a slot for your hand so if you use enough of the thermo batting, you could use it as a pot holder. It's too cute - I think it just has to sit out.

Merry Mayhem #134 - my third! I just love the quilt and really like making it. Hopefully this one gets to stay home and be mine!
And - last of the posting for today -

A Halloween quilt made with Missouri Star Quilt Company's Stack and Wack project.
There's actually more quilts but isn't this enough for one post!

Charmalade Quilt - Another Moda Bake Shop Project to Love!

Charmalade Quilt

Latest Quilts

I've been hesitant to post a picture of this quilt but it is going to it's new home tomorrow so it can be shown now. This is a pattern called Edward and Bess. I just love this quilt. My good friend, Jean Heins, has a new grandbaby, Madelyn, and it is going to go live with her

This is the latest Jo's Little Women quilt - Framed. I just love the colors! Other than the setting squares, this was made totally from scraps.

And this is an older quilt, Lincoln's Platform from Remembering Adelia. I finally quilted it. Don't you love that border fabric? I love fabric with words on it.

And the last one, some additional leftovers made into a little quilt I simply call Sticks. It wouldn't lean up against the wagonwheel on its own so that's hubby's helping hand.

Colonial Williamsburg 09-2012

Make a digital scrapbooking design

Enjoy these pictures from Colonial Willamsburg. We did not have a lot of time so we only strolled down the main street. We did have lunch at DoG Pub. The food was good but we had a piece of apple pie between the 4 of us! It was wonderful and we didn't finish it. It was HUGE!
The "we" mentioned above is my brother, Larry Bruce and his lovely wife, Donna, my DH, Troy and me! Bruce and Donna are up from Texas and it has been so nice to have them here!

From Moda Bake Shop . .

From Moda Bake Shop, this gorgeous quilt! It was too nice not to share. I really love this one.

Happy Quilters Sewing Day

We had a wonderful time today - 13 of us - sewing and talking and laughing. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

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Monthly Mini Quilts

I have been participating in a quilt of the month run by Fons and Porter for the last year. It is over (sometimes I think finally!) and I just love the little quilts. The quilts all measure 12 1/2" square and have just been so cute! Here are the last of them - so sweet for the summer.

June Vegetables

July Sailboat

August Ice Cream

And - here is Mary's wonderful Halloween quilt - sooo cute!!

If only everything in life was as cute as these! And as easy to make! Just a few hours from start to finish. Love them!

August is for Quilting!

I'm so excited! I can finally sew and quilt again. Toes have healed enough. I had a wonderful day with 2/3 of the Wayward Girls. We really missed Carol but she was on retreat. Can't imagine why she would give up a day with us just to go on retreat but whatever! LOL

While I don't have any pictures to post - camera is hiding from me - Mary made the C-U-T-E-S-T pumpkin. It's a 12" x 12" quilt and absolutely adorable. I'll post a picture as soon as the camera feels like coming out of hiding. I finished a challenge quilt but cannot post a picture until after Saturday because it is not supposed to be known who did what. I can tell you I'm happy with the quilt but sad with my quilting. I did not do a good job on this one. I wanted to hand quilt it but I didn't get it put together in time. I am the queen of procrastination! So, I quilted it on my machine and apparently, taking 6 weeks off from quilting makes you do silly things! Too late to do anything else. And the quilt is finished - which is the goal! I'll do better next time!

To all, God bless you! I hope you have a wonderful day and please remember to giggle at least a little each day.

Happy Anniversary to Us!!

Today is my "official" 29th anniversary with DH, Troy. Our marriage and anniversary celebrations is a cute story. When hubby and I were engaged, we planned to be married on Sept 17, 1983. We wanted to move into some newer apartments - both of us lived in one bedroom apts and needed to combine everything. There was a 6 month waiting list. The apartment management called and said they had an apartment available in July and could not guarantee they would have another in September. My parents do believe in people living together without being married. I wonder if they still feel that way? I'll have to ask! So, we had a very private ceremony on July 15, 1983 - just DH, me, a Justice of the Peace, his wife and about 8 baby raccoon that lived with them. My parents knew but no one else did. I bought a lace dress on sale and the baby raccoons seemed to love climbing it!

We had already paid for a lot of the church wedding we were planning in September and it was my husband's first marriage - not for me and a much longer story. So we decided to have the September wedding anyway. The preacher was fine with what we decided. Most of our family had no idea until a few years back we had done this. Results: we get to celebrate our marriage twice a year!

Twas Like Thunder . .

It's been a really good day! This was a day from 10 to 4 at the best quilt shop in the Richmond area - Jo Jo's Quilt Shop in Chesterfield VA. We started out with the Cotton Club block of the month.

We get the finishing kit next month! I'm so excited. I am almost up to date - should be at the end of the week.

Then we moved into Jo Morton's Group 11. We have the best leader - Mary Hickory. She is so talented and you can just tell she loves quilting and leading the group. We had a really good crowd - just a couple of the regulars missing - like Joy and Tammy (we missed you). The quilt due this time was Raspberry Swirl. Such a pretty quilt. But since the toes are still not ready to sew, I just made a hot pad. Oh well!

Then we moved into a sew day. I'm working on a baby quilt for a good friend at work who is having a grand baby. I am afraid the baby will be here before I'm done but I am making good process. There is hope! I'd post a picture but I don't want to spoil the surprise

I did get to leave my finished quilt for a wounded veteran. This is Merry Meyhem #134. It's my second one. I have not yet made one and kept it for myself so there is one more in the works!!

Anyway - thunder! WOW We had a LOT of rain and thunder while we were meeting. We need the rain and I LOVE LOVE LOVE thunder so I'm not fussing. I just knew chicken dog Maggie needs a lap when it thunders - it just terrifies her! So hubby had to have her in his lap. Nothing like an 85 pound lap dog!

Then it is the evening with DH - what a nice day!