My First Piecing

Thirty-four years ago, I pieced my first quilt - and this is it.  It was a crib quilt for my first grandchild who was born that August and who is now expecting her first child this August.  My daughter washed it and brought it over last night so that I can tuck it in the box with the little wallhanging. 

It always amazes me what there was in the way of fabric back in the mid to late 70's.  Quilter's dots, small calicoes, solids, gingham checks - not much zing for sure.  However, there were still very pretty quilts being made.  For this one, I had some cardboard templates and a ballpoint pen that I traced with.  That was a lot of tracing and cutting with the scissors.  How much easier and more accurate the rotary cutter and mat have made prep work.  I am also amazed that I matched my points pretty well. 

The center of the little quilt - Trip Around the World.  Actually the colors are holding up quite well.  This was one of the quilts that I took to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, to be quilted.  The lady who did the quilting did a lovely job.  Later on I did a red one (a picture is on the side bar) and had it quilted there, also. 

I think this little Steiff bear from Germany that I have had for some time is going to go along for the ride in the box with the quilt and wallhanging and move into the nursery in Colorado and be there to welcome the new little baby.  (Click to enlarge)

Back to My Hexies

Figruing out the layout of the strips for the hexagon quilt.  Either four or five floral strips separated by plain ones for pretty quilting.  Here I have tucked strips of color on each side of the flowers and like the way that looks.  Each strip could be a single fabric or it could have multiple  pieces - will try both.  I hand appliqued the first hexie down but have since done two with blind stitch machine applique using monofiliment thread.  Much, much faster and hard to tell which is which.  Being in my 80's, I think I am going for the "fast"!!
(Click to enlarge)

The Little Fur Family, etc.

Home Sweet Home!  This is the dwelling of  "The Little Fur Family" that was a very favorite book of my seven plus months pregnant oldest granddaughter, Norah.  The wallhanging I have been working on is now complete and ready to be on its way to Colorado to be hung in the nursery of the little fellow that is due on my birthday.

Some trees in the woods behind their home.  There is a brown thread hanging on the left tree that makes me want to pick it off - but, unless I wanted to reshoot the picture, that, of course is not doable.  My quilting is not the best, but I think it gets the idea across. 

Here's the little guy running past his front door.  I just drew the face on with the micron pens - not too good but not too bad.  The baby will love him, I am sure.

Here is Chad, the happy daddy, refinishing a rocker and with an antique dresser belonging to my husband's mother ready to be stained - both being part of the nursery where the baby will sleep and where the wallhanging will hang.

And here is Norah, our happy, pregnant mommy, and Lacey, the happy doggie, awaiting the arrival of a little fellow on or about August 21st. 
 

It will be here before we know it!  (Click to enlarge)

Thinking Hexies

The little wallhanging for the baby is almost all done - just the binding, sleeve and label which I should get done tomorrow.   We have our sit and sew day and that is what I will sit and sew on.   After that, I will post it's final picture.  In the meantime, I have done a little bit on something that has been waiting in the wings - my hexagon flowers.  I found this yummy background batik that features very soft green dots and went through my stash to find greens for leaves and vines.

This is the quilt that I am loosely working from.  It's the Nancy Page Magic Vine quilt from back in maybe the 1930's.   Will do the panels with flowers and leaves and then a blank strip for quilting.  At least, that's the idea at the moment.  I would like to make this a bed size quilt and a strippie quilt is a good one for that.  There is a pattern for this quilt at http://sentimentalstitches.net/free-stuff/block-of-the-month-quilt-designs/nancy-page-club/nancy-page-club-magic-vine-quilt/   along with a lot of other free patterns for old quilts.  It's a fun place to visit.   The blocks in the above quilt are 6 x 6 - I am making mine 6 x 11 and sewing them together after the leaves and vines have been buttonhole appliqued down.  Right now, I am planning to hand applique the hexie flowers.  (Click to enlarge)

All Figured Out and Ready to Sandwich

Ready to be made into the quilt sandwich and then be quilted.  Probably getting tired to seeing this little thing, but I have been so preoccupied with it these past several days.  Promise no more until quilting is done.  The top window in the tree may get changed or get lost - jury is out on that one yet.  I did the mitered corners and am feeling pretty good about that - don't do those very often but they sure look good with fabric like this.  Hope I don't break my arm patting myself on the back!!

Here is the little bear close up.  Not perfect by any means but he does look kind of like a bear.  I did a little coloring with crayon on his face and am just going to leave it like that. 

Looks like a cozy little home for the Little Fur Family.  Am anxious to start quilting it and hope I don't screw it up!!   (Click to enlarge)

OMG, What Kind of a Mother Am I?

Fifty-eight years ago today, we had a  birthday party for this sweet little two year old girl who has now turned 60.   Can you imagine I forgot to put up a birthday post for my daughter?   I didn't forget her birthday - just didn't do a post.  Oh, me, oh, my, the mind is starting to go!  Here she is with the whole family, except for my brother who was in the air force at the time.  Sherry is in her new wagon between daddy and (a pregnant) mommy.  In back is my sister, Jo, her two grandmas - Ray's mom and mine, her grandpa who always had gum for "Sherry's mouth",  her great grandmother, Maggie Pearce, whose was 82 that same
day, and her great aunt Leah, my mom's sister.

Here she is with her brother, Bill, and his 57 Chevie when we lived in Newton, Kansas, in the very early 1970's,   

Here is a cute picture of Sher showing off her new fingernails she had done in Portland before Molly's wedding last summer.  This summer she and Barclay will be grandparents for the first time.  Their girls are scattered all over but they are still such a close family.  Molly in Portland, Norah now in Denver and that Hannah way over there in Mozambique.  She will be coming back for a visit at Christmas and that will be wonderful.  She will need to meet her new little nephew!

The entire family last summer at Molly and Doug's wedding.
So, my dear daughter, the day isn't over so I did get this in on your actual birthday.  Just want you to know I am so very glad we had you - you are quite a woman!   I am very proud of you and love you so much.  Many more happy birthdays to you, Sher.  God bless!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

The flowers I planted several weeks ago are coming along nicely.  Notice the really old mailbox I have hanging on the fence - remember those?   I love old pieces like that.

The big pot I planted - it's really pretty.  Notice the little green plants growing at the edge of the patio in the rocks.  Those are the moonflower plants coming up from seeds of the plant that came up from seeds last year.  I am going to pot some of them and share them with my neighbor and also my daughter.  They are getting big enough to pot now. 

Just love this pretty blue lobelia growing in a hanging planter at the side of the house.  Usually don't have much luck with this sweet little plant - maybe this year will be different.

A closer look at some of the flowers in the big pot.  I'm a softie for blue flowers!  Aren't these pretty?  And the little petunias are wonderful.   (Click to enlarge)

It's Coming Along

I think I have finally pretty much figured this little thing out.  It's been a wrestling match trying to do the background forest. Love the tree and even the little bear is okay.  He still needs a hand and his face. 
The tree needs part of the porch and a third window up high - however, it may get just a hole there. 
As for the forest, I was trying to put too much in it and it looks much better simple - at least I think so.  I'm not very good at doing something like this without a pattern even though I had Bill's drawing to follow.  I have just laid some of the release paper down as clouds and think they look pretty good and gives some interest in the sky.  Will cut and fuse some clouds and add them.   Next will be figuring out a border.  I will straight stitch around all the pieces and try and do some nice quilting to set the piece off.   (Click to enlarge)

A Project for a Little Fellow's Room

Much earlier in Norah's pregnancy, we talked about a wallhanging for the new little member of our familywho is due in August (on my 83rd birthday) and Norah talked about one of her favorite books as a little girl - The Little Fur Family.  She ordered one and had it sent to me as she wants to do the baby's room around that little story.  What a sweet little book it is.  I read her a lot of books, but don't recall ever reading that one.  We had a lot of Little Golden Books at our house from when our kids were little and those were what we read to the girls.  That and "Go Dog Go" which had been "illustrated" in part with funny pictures and sayings courtesy of Bill, our son, when he was young.  Have to admit there were some funny little drawings and messages he put in that book.

I digress.  The above picture is what I am working from and also it was drawn out by the same artist, Bill, who did Go Dog Go.  He drew me a full size pattern which makes it much easier.  Will use a combination of the above picture and



  

this one.  Using batiks so that I can do raw edge applique.  Some of my batiks I am not too happy with but overall, I think it will be fine.  I had envisioned something different for the sky but after searching through my stash and the three sources of fabrics here in town this is the best I can do.  I do love it with the browns.

Keep in mind this is just laid out and in process.  Will be doing trees on each side of the big tree and the little bear will probably go in the right hand corner someplace.



I reduced the size of the bear that Bill had drawn.  Will be able to tell more as I get more pieces laid out.  The little windows, doors and steps will make a big difference.  Should I put some clouds in the sky?   I guess you just keep cutting and trying and it will fall in place.  At first I was kind of leary of this, but I am actually excited about it now. 

(Click to enlarge) 

Coming Along with the Posey Tabletopper

Nine of the blocks finished now.  I have considered just adding a border of some kind, but I think I am going to go ahead and make the additional seven blocks and just have it borderless.  The applique doesn't take all that long to do and I think it will be really pretty when it's quilted.  I am pretty much "eyeballing" the pieces as I fuse them to the background. 

If you would like to make something from this pattern that came from an old quilt magazine (probably Quilt), here it is for you to right click and save as.  It  would be very easy to change the shape of the leaves.  I made the flower all one piece and added a circle for the center.  My blocks are 8 inches finished, but they could be any size.  I think a very large block would make a gorgeous all over quilt for a bed - batiks would be smashing.   (Click to enlarge) 

Finishing the Applique on the Last Block

The final block for this little wallhanging - working on the twisting vine now so lots of stops and starts.  

All nine of the blocks laid out on the bed.  

Look what I found at Kroger today!!  Another mandevilla!  And it was only $10.00 - there had to be a mistake.  The girl told me they were $15.00 but when she rang it up it came up $10.00.  By golly, I'll take it and enjoy it all summer. 

Pretty, pretty color.  I'm tickled pink!!!  (Click to enlarge)