Keyhole Quilt

I made this quilt using a jelly roll and some yardage I purchased last year during Missouri Star Quilt Company's black Friday sale. Coincidentally, I used MSQC's pattern called Keyhole from one of their magazines to make the quilt top.

The pattern requires a jelly roll and a little over 1 yard of fabric for the borders so it sure was a perfect match. The fabric is from Sweetwater's Authentic collection and the modern fabric goes well with the modern pattern.

I quilted this using a pantograph called Bauhaus Baby. It adds another modern element to the quilt. I used a slate gray variegated thread to make the stitches show.

My daughter loves the colors in the quilt. Green is her favorite. I think I will have to wrap this up and make it a Christmas gift for her.

Puppy Love Quilt

I completed the Puppy Love quilt using some backing fabric that provides an added surprise.

At the last Quilts for Kids meeting, I rummaged through a bin full of green fabrics that were donated to our group. I came across a large piece of Winnie the Pooh fabric and realized the color values were the same as the fabrics used for the quilt top. The theme many not have been the same, but the colors sure looked good together.

The Winnie the Pooh fabric wasn't quite wide enough to cover the back of the quilt so I added a strip of green Kona solid to complete the backing piece.

I used a pantograph called Soho to quilt this and some bright variegated thread.

Once I finished quilting and binding the quilt, I realized what a nice surprise it would be for a child to find the back just as interesting as the front. It sure has a happy feel all the way around.

Our Place in History

There are things that happen during our lifetime that become significantly part of history. For instance, I remember exactly where I was when the planes hit the twin towers on September 11, 2001 and when the space shuttle crashed after take off in 1986. I remember where I was when President Barack Obama was sworn in during his inauguration. I even remember watching President Kennedy's funeral procession during. I was only 5 then, but the image of the horse-drawn flag bearing casket going down a street is vividly implanted in my mind. And it's not because of any photos I've seen over the years, it's the actual image coming out of our black and white console television in my parents' living room that are also part of the memory.

Today I am watching President Bush's funeral. It's one of those occasions that seem important to watch, to mark where I was when it happened. So here I am in the place where I get the most comfort, at home in my sewing room.

Repurposed Curtain Packaging

When I purchased new curtains they came in these individual vinyl zip-pouches. I set them aside wondering if I could repurpose them since they were so well constructed.

Today it occurred to me that they would make really nice project bags. I've seen tutorials on Pinterest to make them with some fabric, vinyl and a zipper. I figured why make them when I can use these.

I removed the labels and cardboard that held the curtain panel and peeled off the label from the outside of the packaging. It sure is a lot of waste just to sell a curtain panel.

I used the little pocket inside the package to hold the pattern for the project and put the cut pieces inside. Now I have a project ready to take with me to open sew! I have a bunch of these packages so I will prep more projects and use them to carry with me.

A few of the packages have some sticky stuff left on after peeling off the label so I will put some stickers over those spots and make the project bags even cuter.

The Santa Hustle - Milwaukee

I whipped up this little Christmas-themed zipper pouch yesterday. I needed a place to put my cell phone, car key, and drivers' license. I wanted a pouch to hang around my neck because I participated in the Santa Hustle.

The Santa Hustle is a 5K run along Lake Michigan. It's a fun event where they hand out cookies and candy canes along the route. The issue with the run is that it was supposed to rain all morning then it would turn to snow in the afternoon. Another issue was that since it was on the lake, it was bound to be windier and colder than inland.

And it was cold and overcast. I made the pouch with a waterproof vinyl pocket to keep my cell phone dry. The zipper pocket held my inhaler - something I always need when I run in the cold and my drivers' license. The fob held my car key nicely. I wore the pouch around my neck and tucked it into my sweatshirt for extra security. No one could see how cute it was by I knew - ha!

Here we are before the race. You can see how overcast it was and trust me, it was chilly. I ran the race and I was the second one of my group to cross the finish line. Not bad for being the oldest in the group! After the race we headed to the Harley-Davidson Museum's restaurant, Motor and enjoyed some bloody Marys and a nice lunch. I had a great time.

What's on the design board?

For a month with a holiday, I am surprised by how much I've accomplished. Last month I cleaned out my sewing room and found some UFOs. I put them all in one place where I can get a handle on them. I've completed a few things but still have some more to do.

The beige plaid patchwork will become a nice quilt for a man that will be donated to the local VA hospital when it's done. I have some nice deer print that will make a great backing for it once the top's done.

The triangle Christmas piece will be a pillow cover (I think). Or maybe a table topper. I just don't know yet. My plan is to experiment with some ruler work on it when I quilt it.

The granny square blocks were made using a tutorial from Quilty Love's blog. The instructions can be found here. I made all 30 blocks and I am in the process of squaring them up. Then I will have to find room on the design wall to get them all in a nice order. I used a jelly roll of the fabric called Sweet Marion by April Rosenthal. I bought the jelly roll at the Madison Quilt show in September from Missouri Star Quilt Company's booth. I can't believe I remembered all that. I think it's a sign that I am getting more organized. Ha!

I thought I would throw in what's on my longarmer...this is a quilt that will be a Christmas gift for my daughter. I think I have plenty of time to complete it. However tonight I have a Christmas party to attend and a surprise birthday party. I volunteered to make a dish to serve for both parties so I did the smart thing, I made a quadruple batch of funeral potatoes and separated them into two crock pots. I am ready! If this is a sign of things to come, I might not have much time to quilt this. Ha ha!

Christmas Holiday Pillow Covers

I made a few Christmas holiday-themed pillow covers this week.

For the Christmas tree pillow cover I used a tutorial from A Quilting Life's blog. The link to the tutorial is here. The thing you need to know about the tutorial is that the instructions are incorrect. For the background it says this: Cut (2) rectangles 2 1/2″ x 4 2/4″.
I should have recognized the sign that something was up when it read four and two-fourths. The correct cut is 4 3/4" not 4 2/4". The image she has on her blog is correct but the instructions are where is issue can be found. And of course I cut the wrong size first, luckily I had enough fabric to cut another piece correctly.

I free-motion quilted the pillow tops and used a cute red and white striped fabric for the binding on one and a red print with snowflakes for the other. The backing fabrics are cute Christmas prints from Joanns.

The 4-patch pillow cover was made using charm squares cut into 4 2 and a half-inch squares with 1 and a half-inch strips between the 4-patch blocks. They went together quickly and I like the results.

They sure brighten up my dark brown sofa.

Cat Quilt

I completed the last of the 4 quilts for Mary this afternoon. It was the largest of the 4 so it took me the longest to quilt. I used a medium blue thread to quilt this and it blended in well on the front of the top. The backing was a darker blue and I like how the medium blue shows. You can really see the quilting.

With the Thanksgiving holiday smack in the middle of working on these, I was concerned that I would struggle to get them finished but it turned out to be less stressful than I anticipated. This quilt is a Christmas gift for Mary's sister so I wanted to make sure she had enough time to sew the binding on and finish it. I hope she is happy with the results.