Anticipation of a loving surprise! (Time in a bottle) "Stitch n Time"

My girlfriends and I meet once a month now at our church with sewing machines in tow and spend the day together creating the most awesome designs with our scraps. Wind of our get-together times has blown our excitement out to others and they've begun joining us with their quilting, sewing, crocheting, and whatever else is in their project bags. We call our times together "Sew & Share" and welcome anyone who is free on the first Friday of each month to spend their day catching "our bug". We have so many project dreams, stashes of fabric, and projects started and being finished.
Well, just recently, an elderly lady friend heard of our love for quilting and gave us her stash. She sadly admits her days for much sewing has past and told us to have fun with all her scraps! Excitedly, we browsed through her bins, and awed over all the different fabrics, commenting and wondering what projects were made and who received the treasures. As we admired the fabrics, they were falling into piles we thought would look good together. Once in awhile, one of us held up a piece and suggested a project. Then, someone suggested that we make a pot holder or two in thanks for the stash.
The potholder idea sounded small to us in comparison to the piles, especially considering the hours we would enjoy creating with the piles of color. So, after some discussion, we began to put pieces in pairs as possibilities of triangle squares. We envisioned a big colorful "Memory THANK YOU Quilt" for our dear friend and bantered back and forth on how we could keep it a surprise.
We began immediately. Measuring and cutting, starting with squares, a few straight seams, diagonal cutting, pressing seams, and twisting cut triangles resulting in 64 hourglass squares.
One beautiful piece with a garden theme was chosen to be our center focus. We added borders to make it measure a 24" square. Oh! Of course, we held up our growing project for all to admire as we progressed in our work, and each time, we became more and more pleased with our choices of her scraps. As the squares took shape, the colors became outstandingly bright and going together nicely. In our choice of a perfect center, we added a white muslin top margin where we could embroider our group's name and the year. Then I bordered both the center and white embroidered part with red fabric used in the little squares and then a narrow piece of very navy blue to frame the center and make it jump.

Once we had the center done, we began to lay out our 5.5 hourglass squares to make a rainbow of color. As the rows were placed and pleasing to the eyes, three of us took the squares, trying to remember how they were placed, and sewed them together in long strips, making our rows of delectable design. Piece by piece the quilt front took form.
Oh! Of course, we held up our growing project for all to admire as we progressed in our work, and each time, we became more and more pleased with our choices of her scraps. As the rows were added, the colors became outstandingly bright and fit together nicely.
At the end of our Friday "Sew & Share" time, we had the quilt front completed and ready to quilt. How excited we were as we held it up and admired our finished product!
The front was done and ready to be made into a warm, comfy quilt.
We anticipate the best part is still to come. We can hardly wait to watch our dear sweet elderly friend open her gift, and place it over her lap. We want the joy of remembering all her past projects to fill her mind and bring back the beautiful times of loving memories.
The batting and backing is being added this month. We hope to finish our loving project and have it ready to surprise our dear friend. Maybe it will work into a tea party with our guest of honor unwrapping our hearts of love, and we'll cry
"We love you, Maxine! Happy Surprise! Here is your stash of fabrics!"

Pillowcases

Wow...the month flew by as the snowflakes frequently dropped from the sky, and yet, the grass is green and the forsythia are in full bloom. The daffodils outline many homes, and the sound of joyful children can be heard again, and birds awaken me in the early hours! Yay...it is Spring!

I haven't blogged in quite some time because every free moment found me in front of my new sewing machine. I've had so much fun! I found the pillowcase tut on MSQC very helpful for quick birthday gifts and have quite a variety ready to give for special times of demonstrating love.              

Knowing Spring is a good time to spruce up the little apartment we include under our roof,  I made 2 pillowcases for my elderly Dad. Spring means BASEBALL...so to celebrate, these new pillowcases remind him that Spring promises
warmer weather. He loves baseball, so I was very happy to find this fabric full of baseballs and the other with baseball players on white with navy stripes. Adding a few stars and stripes for the trim and cuff made these cases patriotic.
With a "Where's the apple pie?" Dad chuckled!
He was so pleased at his new decor.

My elderly sister is a victim of a brain tumor,
which after several severe battles, left her needing assisted living quarters. She was released from the hospital and now resides in a cute little apartment. Through the winter months, we've been adding little touches of love to decorate her home. A gift of a patriotic quilt inspired me to find red, white and blue towels for her bathroom. A friend monogrammed these for a more personal touch. Then I quilted these place mats for her little table. She likes them better on the arms of her brand new red couch.

This week, I finished these pillowcases to lie on top of the quilt. I know she will be thrilled to get another package and I think she will like the stars and stripes! How I hope having a cheerful home hopefully encourages her to feel beautiful this Spring and remember to thank our God for each day.
March ends with birthdays in my family. On Sunday, we celebrated two local ones. Pillowcases allowed me to show my love in a cute way. My hubby and I shopped and guessed at fabric that we thought would please them. For my nephew, I decided an adult often longs for the peacefulness of childhood, and his love for dogs made me choose this fabric. I couldn't believe the color brown matched their bed covers perfectly. I was so happy!

Then it was time for a niece to open her gift.                                                                                     For her, I chose the beautiful hue of aqua with chocolate brown. The blue matches her eyes and I knew she loved chocolate. Everyone was shocked that I chose her college room colors. So, it was a great choice! How was I to know? 

I am also making white ones for wedding gifts with some beautiful fabrics needing a purpose. But that is another whole story!

A Newbie's first steps and moving on...

Original 4-sq blocks connected

I am so excited and pleased with my accomplishment. Although it may seem small to some, I cannot believe I was able to create these beautiful blocks! Last time I showed off my work, I placed the blades down and laid the center circle on top to show what I hoped would be my final design for my Dresden blades.
Happily now, I announce...I completed all 36 blocks! With the fabrics and the design that started me down the path of quilting with high hopes, determination, but also trepidation, I have nine 18" Dresden designed blocks in my favorite color combination. 
I began with the 'stack-n-whack' process of cutting with a Dresden ruler. One by one, I stitched all the blades by hand, making center points and then connecting them together in blocks of five on a 9.5 block of white. I made 36 of these blocks. I found I needed to square them before connecting 4 blocks together, making a complete bloom of blades in a circle. I breathed a sigh of relief when the blades made a smooth circle of points, evenly spaced, especially where I had to connect them.

border planned to outline blocks

I finished that task by basting a 1/4" seam around each center circle and hand-stitched them to the Dresden bloom. While watching the snow fall outside, I knotted the last stitch tightly in place!  

Then, I decided to border the squares in the garnet red fabric in order to connect all 9 into one large front.  I cut strips of 1 1/2 inches for this border, and last night, connected the blocks with my new Janome.

my seams match!

the borders crossed exactly square!

Probably it only matters to me, but real delight came as I examined every seam and crossing of border. Everything lined up perfectly and the entire front is square. Here's a couple of photos showing the white block seams matching and the matched crossing borders!

connecting all nine with border

Moving on to the sashing, I'm planning to be very creative and use all the remaining blade fabrics. I've been browsing magazine ideas and patterns, and been having fun imagining some different designs. That will just have to be another post. At least for a couple of days, I want to just enjoy these beautiful blossoms vividly popping off those white blocks outlined in such a dark border. I love the contrast!

So there's future baby steps involved to challenge this newbie to keep piecing and stitching , but the process is just that..."step by step"!
I do admit that I am finding this new path in textiles to be quite fun.

Come "hum" along...it's FNSI time!

Cracklin fires...snow packed skylights...cinnamon whiffs...a cup of hot tea...comfy jammies and the soft hum of my new sewing machine! Could you imagine anything making an evening even more wonderful?
'
Well...if you join me, that would be the best! So, here's your invitation! Put it in your planner (January 21) because...it's time, girls, for another FNSI! I can hardly wait to hear the quiet hum of my machine stitching along on all the projects I long to complete.
You see, I started keeping a journal of all the projects I want to try while I browse through old magazines, purchase fabrics, and even sort through my stash in hopes of organizing!  This journal is getting full of "dreams" and I need this once per month quiet evening just to accomplish something beautiful to the hum of my sewing machine.

So, for our special January Friday night sew-in, I've browsed and think I have what I want to work on that evening. I think I have enough free moments to plan out a design I've seen in a magazine, get the pieces cut and stacked, ready to make some of these popular MUG RUGS with my humming sewing machine. Have you seen these little rugs? Have you tried putting some together? Here's some sites that have energized me:

I absolutely love the MUG RUG project idea on Heidi's blog:
http://handmadebyheidi.blogspot.com/search/label/Sewing%20Projects
and on Lana's site:
http://itseamstobesew.blogspot.com/

Aren't these things cute for little gifts? What a great project for a cold January evening. So, I've planned my humming tune for my FNSI! Notes of happiness just fill my heart at the thought of hearing the hum of my new sewing machine.
So, this is what I hope to do: as I direct the fabrics at a 1/4 seam, I want to think and pray for the special ladies in my life. There are several who encourage my walk with God, wish me a wonderful week, and genuinely care for my well-being. I want these ladies to know how much I thank God for putting them in my life. With a little care, color, and creativity, I hope my Friday Night Sew-In finds great delight in making these little rugs for my dear friends.

So...what are you planning to do? Please consider joining the group for a warm evening of quilting, sewing, or any needle work you've wanted to work on! I'd love to know what you accomplish!

Please click on the link (FNSI) in my right column and sign up....and may you have a blessed and happy day humming a beautiful song in your heart!

New Avatar!

I don't know much about computer technology, and what does happen while I click often is a result of someone's kindness in helping me, directing me, or pointing me to the better path. That's what happened this morning! My new online friend, Blondie, always has such awesome graphics to welcome people on a forum, or greet friends in messages, and so on. I commented on how much I love these, and she helped me make an avatar for my own identity. It is so awesome! It so fits me!
I just know that she took the time to get to know me and probably read something about what I like on this blog! She saw in her search something about how I enjoy a cup of tea with a friend, and how I absolutely love to decorate anything I can with lace, and then, she picked the soft hues of pink that catches the softness of life I enjoy so much. Finally, she chose the rose, a flower I definitely enjoy in gardens and place on a decorated table while readying for tea time!
Well, here is what she chose for me!
Isn't it gorgeous?
And to add a wonderful finishing touch, she added my name!
Oh! Thank you, so much, Blondie! I absolutely love it!

A Kaleidoscope "splash" of lessons...

CUT: 10" BLOCKS of white on white, 7.5 BLADES of black & white designs, and 3.5 QUARTER CIRCLE with a splash of color. 
The Block Swap is about to begin with a deadline in February...and I've already started my part of the project. As a newbie at this quilting thing, I am learning so much by participating in a "community" set up by Missouri Star Quilt Shop website. Not only do I watch and follow all their tutorials, but the friendships online have helped me become better and better with this quilting thing.

ironing basket of blades

This Block Swap is no exception. I've learned vocabulary, just by conversations on the forum and by observing photos posted. I decided to put some up for others who might be a visual learner like me.

clip your corners causes seam to lie flat

Cutting the fabric takes precision, so I looked carefully at the members' cutting board photos. Pressing the fabric may be vital for precise cutting and no wrinkles, but also it helps the fabric stick together and not slip in cutting with a rotary blade. When I started out, I didn't know that the block, blade and 1/4 circle sizes were actual cutting directions, including 1/4" seams. Following these measurements and directions makes it possible to even have a block swap. The forum hostess stayed with me on each step, correcting my perceptions when needed and repeating the measurements often in threads of conversation. Even putting photos up for viewing really helped me, too!

I've always hated fat, clumpy corners which I think shows the seamstress was a little sloppy. Clipping also helps the seam lie flat, and to press the point squarely, it helps to give a crease down the center of the folded blade before turning. This gives you a line to center the point and keeps the measurement the same of each side of the blade and they all  match side by side! Nicely pressed seams make the fabric be the size it should be when completed also.
Then I learned to notice the blades cut at 7.5 inches will be 7.25 inches when sewn. I was confused on this point, but Sewbee and Patticakes corrected my first attempt and by answering questions in the forum, helped me see my mistakes.  I learned that it is important that everyone in the group do them all the exactly same way! Is that redundant? "exactly & same"? O well, emphasis is important, I guess.

quarter of a circle @ 3.5"

Then, when they say quarter circle cut, you are cutting a quarter of a complete circle. So, a 3.5" really means that had you cut a whole circle, it would be 7 inches! I found that if I basted a 1/4 seam around the arc of the circle, it is so easy to press it under along an accurate stitched line. This made a smooth arc lying flat with a constant curve.
Then there is the block - the back of the design you are making.  A 10" block of white on white makes it so pretty! We send raw edged block to the swap to be finished later by those who receive them! See,

measure the diagonal - blade centered

I'm learning because everyone keeps asking GOOD questions on the forum! I keep reading entries on the community thread and all the questions made me constantly check my work. Finally, one of the members took a photo of her sample block taken on a cutting board and I saw her actual measurements. I began to measure all my cuts according to her photo, and was so appreciative of that photo! I began taking my own photos for future references. I think it is fun to take photos for journaling later and keeping a record of my projects!
Here are some of the other photos I took. I noticed that the middle blade point should run along the diagonal of the entire block, and be centered. I could check it on every block, squarely placing the fan. This re-assured me I completed my blocks!
It was easy to sew the blades together and press them on the block, knowing how to center it and the quarter circle fit so well over it, also dividing exactly in half.
So, whew...finally, I can proudly say that my 5 blades fit my block and blocks are ready to send off when the block swap closes membership. Thank you so much to those who patiently worked with us via the forum and helped this newbie immensely!

1st finished block

So, finally, here is my "splash of color" block. When I found this fabric piece of bursts of color, as in fireworks, I just fell in love with the "popping of many colors. Most of the ladies chose a solid color, but the word "splash" of color made this vivid in my imagination.  I hope it works ok with everyone's block. Actually, I hope my blocks are enjoyed as much as my pleasure in putting them together. I have to admit that I am relieved that my pile is ready to label and pack up to send to the hostess. I know that my blocks are ready to join others in making a story of its own as it gives comfort and warmth.

If you've read this, and been encouraged to stretch out of your comfort box to do something new, I would love to know what you did and how did it turn out. Even as I eagerly await the blocks from this swap, I know that I will hold fond memories of all the lessons learned in the "Black & White with a 'Splash of Color' Block Swap". Thank you to those who suggested this project and for allowing me to be a part of your group. I really enjoyed making such a beautiful project and look forward to receiving ones from others for a project of my own.
Happy sewing and quilting...and oh, yes, don't forget the pressing and cutting!

Goodbye dear old friend

My old friend

The pages of my calendar turned a couple of times since I first began this post, but wow! I've been so busy reading the manual unpackaged with my new "tool for sewing"! Actually, it's my new "toy" to enhance hours of crafting joys!
In November, it became necessary to spend my own Christmas gift money because the mending pile was climbing so high, causing me to get lost just entering my craft room. It seemed like each family member needed this little hole mended, or this item hemmed, or a few tucks and darts here or there...and my old friend just couldn't revive enough to help me out.
I made several excursions to the closest sewing machine shop, overwhelmed with all the new possibilities. In a few shops, the prices were staggering, comparing themselves to the ticket on a used car! Decades had passed since I even considered replacing my childhood sewing machine and it was obvious a prosperous economy has influenced even this market! I spent shopping hours in awe over the new possibilities, listening to salesmen expound on the necessities of accessories and buttons, and watched as needles created awesome stitches. I read every brochure I could find, and researched the web for information. After many days of deliberation, I wearily set a price tag in my mind for what I actually needed and wanted, determined not to be swayed or overwhelmed by "bigger and better". Armed with 3 girlfriends and their advice, I marched into the Sewing Machine shop.

My new toy...oops, I mean "tool"! 

It was difficult not to be drawn to a higher price tags, but I knew what I needed and stood firm. I purchased a 3160QDC Janome to replace my aged New Home machine. Oh, yes...a couple of weeks later, 2 of the girlfriends purchased the same model, but I think they found an even better deal!  I hope we can spend time together, learning all the possibilities this little machine can create for us!

She's a beautiful machine & cabinet

Nostalgia still draws my heart to the dear old friend for simplicity and familiarity, but the parts are old and need to retire before I spend too much for repairs. Doesn't she sit in such a beautiful cabinet?
We've spent many hours together while making most of the clothes for my girls. But the time has come to stretch with electronic abilities and join new technology in a reasonable fashion and without too much debt inflicted. My SIL has offered to place her on Craig's list for me so, I'm hoping she finds a wonderful home.
Visions of quilting projects now invade my dreams as I read the manual on my Janome. This little machine has so many beautiful stitches that will be useful and fun. So far, I love the new stretch stitch with double needles for many of the knit tee-shirts that needed mending. Matter of fact, I found mending a breeze with just a touch of a button!
As soon as the mending pile disappeared, I tackled some new pre-washed fabrics on my cutting table and created Christmas gifts for my sisters! It was so much fun to sew on my new Janome!
So, Happy New Year, dear blog friends.
May all your dreams be stitched in time and pleasure be found with your "friend" this year!