Weekly Finish #4-#5: More Quilts For Kids - TGIFF

 

Here is the completed quilt for Touch of Comfort Quilts for Kids. This is the last one of the 3 kits. I quilted it with FMQ on my short-arm Mega Quilter and used an all-over hearts and loops design. It's not perfect but it gets the job done. I used a fluffy polyester batting which gives it a textured look.  The quilt measures 36" x 41" and I'm pretty happy with it.  I hope the recipient will be happy with it too.

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I also finished DD's quilt which was a WIP in my previous post. DD made 2 similar quilt tops over five years ago for her two girls, who are now young women.  And she thought the prints with jungle animals and butterflies was too juvenile for them and told me to donate the quilts to a kids' charity.  But now that this one is finished, I think we should hang on to them and maybe someday DGDs will have their own little girls who would love the quilt.

The top is a simple design of 5 x 8 rows of alternating squares that finish at 7-1/2 inches.  I quilted it with FMQ on my Mega Quilter and tried to be a little fancy with an all-over design of flowers and loops.  I think the quilting at the bottom is a bit better than the one at the top. Seems that practice does make perfect.  Okay, maybe not perfect but better :)

The quilt measures 51" x 65", and I used a natural cotton batting with a twin-size sheet for the backing.

I am SO happy to get these tops completed into quilts and am feeling a nice sense of accomplishment.  I have a few more tops to quilt and am now motivated to get them done.

Linking up to Alycia Quilts Finished or Not Finished Friday and Confessions of a Fabric Addict and TGIFF Friday Finish with Laura at Slice of Pi Quilts.

That's it for now, so until next time ...

Happy Quilting

WIP Work In Progress: More Quilts for Kids

 

This is another flimsy that has been around for a few years. DD made this top for one of her daughters and brought it over to me 5 years ago.  Well, we put it away thinking we'd get to it sooner or later, and here it is WAY later! Finally got it quilted and I should have it completed by Friday.

And this is the last of the 3 kits for Downy Touch of Comfort Quilts for Kids that I posted about here.  Back in February -- before the pandemic really hit -- I spent a couple of weekends with my niece Lisa and helped her make her first quilt.  She was so excited to finish it and I figured this baby quilt kit would be perfect for her next project.  I was supposed to return to help her but our quilting-together time was put on hold by the pandemic.

After I finished the other two kits last month, I wanted to finish this one too and return these quilts after all these years. So I drove to her house and retrieved the kit.  (Yes, we kept our social distance and wore our masks.)  She showed me that she had sewn the blocks and attempted to put the quilt together.  But, to her dismay, the blocks didn't quite fit as they should. Once back home, I took the blocks apart and realized the only way they'd fit together was by using a scant 1/4 inch seam.  This top is now finished and the quilt will be completed by Friday.

This should have been an easy-peasy quilt for a beginner but it turned out to be a little bit more complicated.  But it was a good teaching opportunity and my niece has now started her own quilting notebook to keep track of any tips or words of wisdom.

Until next time ...

Remember, the best things in life are quilted!

Weekly Finish #3-#4: Two More Quilts For Kids - TGIFF

Yay!  Two more finished quilts for Quilts For Kids.

This pattern is Warm Wishes which was first introduced by Quiltmaker magazine in 2000 as the quilt for Project Linus Make-a-Blanket Day (you can see all of the free patterns here). For a free pattern that will show you how to make 4 crib-size Warm Wishes quilts using one queen-size batting, click here. 

I bought the Halloween print fabric years ago and it's from South Sea Imports.  The green print has the dogs in costumes and the purple fabric has bears also in costumes.  I think these prints are stinking cute!

The backing is also a Halloween print called Skelanimals from David Textiles.  I found this print last October at M & L Fabrics. They had tons of Halloween fabric and I stocked up.  Aren't these "skelanimals" adorable?

These quilts measure 36" x 47" and I quilted them on my short arm Mega Quilter on the Inspira frame.  I had not used my short-arm for several years so it took me a bit to get back into the swing of things.  The quilting is not perfect but hopefully, I'll get better with practice.

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Here is my stack of 11 flimsies from at least 2010 which I blogged about here.

And here is the same stack today (minus 4 that were gifted) ... 10 years later!  I can't believe it's taken so long but better late than never LOL!  Just glad they're all done and ready to be donated.

 

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DH bought this for me in 2005 when we attended the Los Angeles County Fair, and I can't believe it's already been 15 years!

When I first got it, I set it up with the smaller size in the extra bedroom aka sewing room but I quickly realized that I needed the full size.  And that set-up worked great for many years.  

But in 2015 DD and DGDs came to stay with me and I had to move it out of that bedroom.  I had no other place for it except the formal dining room and that's where it remains.

DD and DGDs no longer live with me and I have my sewing room back but with my new cutting station, I have no room for the Mega Quilter.

My cutting station is made from two IKEA bookshelves with cubbies and drawers for all my "stuff".  It's attached to the wall for stability and it works great for me.  Thank you to DH, again, for putting this together for me and all his help.

Linking up to Alycia Quilts Finished or Not Finished Friday and Confessions of a Fabric Addict and TGIFF Friday Finish with Lisa in Port Hope.

That's it for now, so until next time ...

Happy Quilting

Weekly Finish #1-#2: First Quilts of 2020

It's hard to believe that more than half the year is gone.  In spite of everything going on, time just zipped by and before I knew it July was upon us.  

I decided it was time to get back to my quilting, and here are my first two quilt finishes of 2020 - the start of a new decade of quilting.

I posted about these kits from Quilts for Kids here.  And, after all these years, they are FINALLY completed and ready for shipping. Yea!  I have one more kit to do so that's my next project, and I can't wait to get started on it.

Because these quilts will get a lot of use and washing, they need to be well quilted. I quilted these on my regular short-arm sewing machine and decided to try my hand at free-motion quilting.  They are not perfect but they are made with love.  That's two down and many more to go!  

Quilting makes me happy and it keeps my anxiety down during these difficult times.  So until next time...

Happy Quilting

Cronavirus, Please Go Away and Never Return

Well, another month has come and gone ... and we're still dealing with this COVID19 virus.  I'm no longer making face masks; and instead of quilting, I have been working on housekeeping projects.

One of those projects has been listing my eBay inventory death-pile.  For once I was happy for that death-pile since the thrift stores are closed.  I can keep my eBay store well-stocked.  And, with folks at home and stores closed, online sales have been flying off the shelves. 

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Then, in April, when the virus was on a rampage and everything closed down, it became evident that DS#2 was not returning to his old employer.  He started applying for employment; and at one time, it seemed that he would be going to NYC.  But by the end of April, they started to get things under control and his assignment there fell through.

Finally, in mid-May, he was hired by the state of California to work at a temporary facility set up for COVID19 patients.  Because of the nature of his assignment, he stays in a residential facility so he does not come home and risk infecting us.

I am proud of him and pray that he and all health care workers stay safe.

Until next time, be smart and be safe!

COVID 19 Face Masks

A lot has happened since my last post in February.  I previously posted that DS#1 left for Vietnam.  And, at the time, we were barely aware of a deadly virus hitting some Asian countries but we were still naive about how this virus would wreak havoc on our lives.

By the end of last month, the virus had become a pandemic and a national emergency.  We are now on lockdown and face masks are now mandatory for everyone.  N95 masks are very limited and are for use by health care workers who are directly in contact with COVID19 patients.  So, there is a huge need for face masks and folks are now making their own.  

Social media has tons of information on making masks; and after some research, I found a pattern and YouTube video that showed how to make these fast and easy face masks. These are my first two samples, and I think they came out pretty good.  

DS#2 is an EMT but the company he worked for provided services to county fairs, concerts, convention centers, and Little League games.  With the lockdown, these events were canceled.  So he has been home and the two of us are sheltered-at-home all day.  I decided to put him to work making masks.😊

This stack doesn't look like much, but we cut enough fabric to make about 200 masks.  Now to get busy sewing!  

Stay home and be safe.  But if you have to go out, please wear a face mask.  Your loved ones will be grateful.

A New Quilter in the Family

Last year my niece Lisa expressed an interest in learning how to quilt.  Of course, I was excited to have another quilter in the family, someone I can share my love of quilting.  She loves to crochet and has created some beautiful afghans so I know she has the creative gene.

Her birthday was 2 weeks ago and she asked for quilting lessons as her gift. So I spent this past weekend at her home and we had our own "quilting retreat".  I provided all the supplies and equipment, including a simple Singer machine I gifted her.  The picture above is her finished top.

This was a great accomplishment since she had not touched a sewing machine since she was 7 years old.  It was such a very long time ago that she didn't remember much.  She was a quick learner and I am so proud of her.  Of course, I am thrilled to spend this time with her.

UPDATE 3/9/20:  I spent the past Friday and Saturday with my niece again and taught her how to quilt her top.  Then showed her how to hand sew the binding.  When I left, she was finishing it up.  I am thrilled to see that she has finished her first quilt and she is one happy quilter!

Well, that's it for now.  Until next time ...

Happy Quilting

WIP Work In Progress: Just Because Scrap Quilt

I just love scrappy quilts!  When I saw this "Just Because" scrappy quilt pattern in the Fons & Porter Scrap Quilts (Spring 2015) magazine, I knew I had to make it.  

Even though I haven't finished my Dr. Seuss quilt, I jumped right into working on this scrappy quilt. I've already made about 20 blocks and they are so much fun to make.

The magazine pattern shows a queen size which requires 255 blocks.  But it also has directions for a smaller throw-size quilt which takes only 80 blocks.  

My original plan is to make the throw-size quilt, but I love making these blocks and may go for the queen size.  I just hope my quilt looks as good and colorful as the one in the magazine.  Until next time ...

Remember, the best things in life are quilted!

A New Adventure

This past Valentine's Day, Friday, February 14, DS#1 left for Vietnam for a few months.  I am excited for him but sad to see him leave and sure do miss him. His visa is for 3 months but he's not sure what he'll do when that time comes.  Sigh...he's following his heart and I am happy for him.

We're aware of a deadly virus hitting some Asian countries.  For a week before his trip, DS#1 had been on a mission to find N95 masks but these were as hard to find as a needle in a haystack.  Fortunately, a good friend gave him a box of masks to take. 

DS#1 and I waiting in line for customs.  I managed to quickly take this picture before he had time to react.

Maybe we'll visit with him in a month or two.  That would be a great adventure for us. 

UPDATE 4/20/20: DS#1 is still in Vietnam and he is doing just fine.  And, no we did not go visit because of this darn pandemic.  His Visa has been extended and he is working for a US company via telecommuting.  As much as we miss him, his dad and I are relieved he is there.  He sent a message that Vietnam has not had any deaths.  Nor have they had any new COVID-19 cases in 5 days and will be opening up soon.  

Thrift Thursday: Vintage Churn Dash Quilt Top & Snail Trail Quilt

Aside from quilting, one of the things I enjoy doing is sourcing for my eBay business.  I found this vintage quilt top on one of my sourcing trips to the Goodwill outlet.

It's obviously damaged and very poorly constructed, but I just couldn't leave it behind.  It cost about $2 so I brought it home.

I'm guessing it's from the 1950s and was machine pieced, but the seams are huge and there are puckers throughout.  Obviously, pieces were cut by hand without the benefit of the tools we have today.

Who was the maker?  Was she elderly who struggled with the piecing?  Or was she a young girl just learning how to quilt?  They obviously used whatever scraps they had one hand.

And, what is the story with the burnt hole?  Was it caused by a cigarette?  Or was it burned by an iron?  Oh, the stories this quilt top could tell if it could only speak!

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I found this small vintage Snail Trail quilt on another sourcing trip to the thrift store outlet.  

It is also obviously damaged but it didn't cost more than $2. I think it's machine-pieced but it is hand quilted. Someone put some effort into making this cutie so I had to bring it home.

I didn't make an effort to remove the stain lest I damage it any more.

 I just fold it on a chair and you can't even see the stain.

It always makes me sad to see these precious textiles end up at the thrift store, or worst, the outlet clearance center, even if they are damaged.  Someone lovingly made these quilts and someone else didn't appreciate it enough to care for and keep it.  That's okay because I'm here to rescue and give them a new life.

Remember, the best things in life are quilted!