I Can't Believe it!

Hello!  :)

Yesterday I worked on my Vintage Holiday quilt some more. I managed to get the sashing and the borders done. Do you know what that means??? That means I have a finished quilt top!!!!   :)

I can't believe I finished it so quickly! I'm really happy with how it came out!  :)  It really came together pretty quick. I've never finished a quilt this fast before. This is my first Christmas quilt and will be for me and my family. As you can see by the picture I was sandwiching it together with the batting and backing. I actually have it all pinned and ready to quilt. I will be hand quilting this with some red and white perle cotton. It will take a little while though as today I've started working on another quilt. I'll share more about that another day. I do plan on having this finished in the next week or two though.  :)

Until next time . . .

I'm Still Here!

Hello!  :)

Yes I'm here! Really I am! I've been working hard too! The problem is that I can't or I'm not ready to show you what I've been doing yet. I figured I'd better stop in and let you know that I'm still alive and breathing so no one would worry.  ;)  Besides . . . I missed you!  :)

So what have I been up to? For the most part I've been working very hard hand quilting my "My Favorite Things" quilt.

Of course this isn't a new picture. I want to wait until I finish it to show it to you. I hope you will hang in there with me and be patient. I worked on it all last weekend as part of the

Even though it wasn't cross stitch it was LOTS of stitching!  ;)  I finished all the quilting on the blocks and the flowers between them that I started on last week. It took quite a while as there were many blocks and LOTS of stitches! Here's the picture I showed you last week of how I was stitching them . . .

I also managed to quilt all the strips between the rows yesterday. I actually ran out of white perle cotton and hand to run to JoAnn's and buy another ball of it. I couldn't believe I got it all done in one day!  :)  When I finish this post I'm going to start quilting the borders. I'm hoping to have them finished quickly. My plans are to finish them by tomorrow afternoon and put the binding on tomorrow night during the

It's always fun to sew together on Friday Night with people just like me all over the world! If you'd like to participate just go to http://handmadebyheidi.blogspot.com and sign up and sew.

So if my plans go as planned I'll have my quilt finished tomorrow night!!! I hope, I hope, I hope!!!! Keep your fingers crossed for me!  :)  I'm really loving this quilt and can't wait to be done. I have to admit that I've already been using it even though it's just a work in progress. Sometimes as I sit and stitch I get tired and take a little cat nap under it. It's so warm and cozy already!  :)

During the last week I've also been working on a few other things too. I had to sit down and put the finishing touches on my Fall Exchange piece for my Stitched With Love Exchange that went out Monday. I love the way it turned out. I can't show it to you though until I get the okay that everyone has received their gifts. I actually received my gift and goodies today! I love all of it! Of course I can't show it to you yet either.  :(

I also made up a couple of blocks for my monthly quilt block exchange. These blocks were for August and September (yes I was behind) and are the last of the year long exchange. They were sent off and should be arriving to my partners soon. After they're received I will be able to show them to you. I received my blocks from one partner but haven't from the other one yet.

If you're still with me thanks for hanging in there. Hopefully I'll be back soon with lots of pictures and things to share!

Until next time . . .

A Finish ~ Ort Report & Progress Finally!

Hello!  :)

Last week and over the weekend I got some stitching done. I actually finished stitching the piece I'm doing for my Fall Exchange but of course I can't show it to you. I'm hoping to get it made into a finished piece in the next few days. Especially since I need to have it mailed out by Monday.

After the exchange piece, I picked up the Poinsettia House again. Here's where I had left off last time . . .

Here it is all stitched up and ready to make up into the mini quilt I had planned for it.

Now I just need to pick out the fabrics to go with it and get 'er done.  :)  With all the stitching I've been doing my ort (old ratty threads) jar is getting full.

I wonder how full it will be by the end of the year. I'm posting it as part of the

Now to show you the progress I made. I finally got my act together and sandwiched my "My Favorite Things" quilt.

I kept putting it off and putting it off. The sandwiching is my least favorite part of the whole progress. I think it's because it's so big and hard to do in my small home. Here's a closer view and a sneak peek at the backing fabric.

I think the red gingham backing (a recycled sheet) really goes well with the quilt and looks fabulous!  :)  Now I just need to sit down and start quilting it. I'm using perle cotton and doing it by hand. I think doing it that way will really add to the quilt. I wasn't really sure how I wanted to quilt it and am just figuring it out as I go along. I did get a chance to sit down with it last night and begin. Here's how I'm quilting the blocks and pieced areas between them.

I decided to use red to stitch around each block. I'm using white to outline each shape. Then I'm using yellow, red, pink and blues to stitch flowers in some of the larger blocks in the pieced areas between the blocks. I'm really happy with how it's turning out so far. I've gotten the first row done already. Only four more to go... lol! My plan is to finish each row of blocks. Then the rows of strips and then the borders after that. I have a few ideas of how to quilt the strips and borders but haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do yet. It's kind of fun figuring it out as I go along. Thanks for visiting me!  :)

Until next time . . .

MIA

Hello!  :)

Yes that's me! MIA . . . missing in action . . . lol!  ;)  So sorry that I've been gone so long. I got consumed with the holidays and then my daughters and my birthday were after that. So much was going on and there was so much to do. I felt overwhelmed and was just trying to survive. I did make it through the holidays and the birthdays and am now trying to get back to a sense of normal (if it even exists).

When I last left you I had finished Jay's Hawaiian Getaway quilt and was about to give it to him for Christmas. Before I show you the finished quilt I need to show you the newest edition to my family.

Meet Doobie! He's a 3 year old Miniature Pinscher we rescued from our local shelter on December 30th. He's such a cutie!  :)

He's the mellowest dog I've ever seen! He loves to sleep. He was already house trained when we got him. He does like to run away when he gets loose though so we have to be careful when opening doors and keep him on a leash. We think he was abused by a man before as he's real cautious around men and a little timid. He's fitting in nicely though and we're all adjusting well. I love him to death! He loves to sleep on his back . . .

Isn't he a cutie?!!! Here's a funny picture I took when my daughter was here for the birthdays. He was wedged between her and the couch trying to sleep on his back. Kind of looks like he's smiling huh?

That's for letting me share my joy with you!  :)  On to the Hawaiian Getaway Quilt finish. Here it is . . .

I hand quilted it in navy on the squares and blue in the border. It's kind of hard to see.

Here's the full back . . .

and a better close-up of the quilting . . .

I really love how it turned out and he did too! I took some pictures of Jay with the quilt but my hunky dude hasn't given them to me yet (they're on his camera).

Jessica was bummed that her Peace and Love quilt wasn't finished before Christmas but understood. She asked if I could finish it by her birthday, January 6th and I said of course. With trying to get things back in order after Christmas I barely made the deadline, but I did make it. Her quilt had much more quilting on it than Jay's did. Here's a picture of her finished quilt (with Jay's cat testing it out).

I hand quilted it with green, pink, yellow, blue and purple on all the solid squares, around the flowers and in the borders.

Here's a picture of the back (sorry it's not a good pic).

I added one appliqued flower to the back of the quilt. Here's a close-up of it and the quilting.

I joined an I-Spy Charm Swap the other day. Lorelei from Midnight Maker is hosting it. She had lots of interest and opened a second group. Of course I'm doing both!  ;)  If you're interested in joining you can check it out by clicking here . . .

I ordered my two fabrics for the swap from Fabric.com. Here they are . . .

Can't wait to see all the fabrics!  :)

I'm hoping to clean up my neglected sewing space tomorrow and get some projects lined up to work on. I have a few that were started before Christmas and others that I want to get started on.

Hope your 2012 is going great for you! So far mine is!  :)

Until next time . . .

Merry Christmas Wishes to You!

Hello!  :)

Whew!!!! I've been soooo busy! This past week I've barely got any sleep. The hunky dude gets up for work at 3:15am and this week I've still been up working from the night before when he gets up. He couldn't believe it. Then I'd go to bed and get a few hours rest and get back to work. How in the world did I think I was going to complete two twin size quilts in only a few weeks. Especially being that these are only the 2nd and 3rd quilt tops I've completed and will be the 1st and 2nd that I've quilted and bound. I must be crazy dedicated. I have made some runners and mini quilts but nothing larger. I wish this guy could have worked some magic and got them all done for me.  ;)

But alas . . . no such luck! Remember Jay's quilt . . . the Hawaiian Getaway?

Well I've been working non-stop hand-quilting it (for the first time ever!). I finally got it done and then had to get it trimmed and put the binding on. I managed to finish it on the morning of the 22nd. Yea!!!!! I really loved how it turned out. I will have to show you the pictures next week as Jay is sitting close to me as I write this and I don't want him to see it yet.

What about the Peace and Love quilt?

It's pin basted and . . . that's it! I failed! There was no way I could get it done. I decided on the 21st that I wasn't going to make it. You see Jay and Jess were going to arrive at noon on the 23rd. And I had put everything on hold trying to get these quilts done. I hadn't finished decorating yet. I hadn't finished shopping yet. Then there was all the wrapping. I was so far behind! After the Hawaiian quilt was finished I finished up my Christmas shopping. When I arrived home I relinquished the decorating to my son Peter who was eager to put his own touch on things. It was hard for me as I always have to control things like that (yes I'm a control freak . . . I'll admit it!) He actually did a great job and was so proud of himself. He is 16 and autistic. It gave me joy to watch him.  :)  I will share some of my favorite items with you next week.

I stayed up late again and got all the gifts wrapped and ready to go. I wrapped up Jess' quilt, pins and all. She will get to see it and then I'll need her to leave it behind so I can finish it up. I hope she understands. A funny thing happened today. I was talking with her and she asked me to make her a quilt. She described what she wanted and it was as though she had already seen what I had made. It sounds like it's perfect and that she'll love it! I hope so!  :)

After I wrapped all the presents. I left them piled up so Peter could put them around the tree the next morning. When he saw the pile he was so excited and happily placed them around the tree.  :)

Now we're ready for the other two members of our family to arrive and start our Christmas 2011 celebration. Jay and Jess arrived at noon today. We visited and baked and watched Christmas movies. Tomorrow we go to my dad's house to celebrate with him and my sister and her family. Then Christmas morning we will open gifts, have a big breakfast and have to say good-bye to Jay and Jess once again. It's great having them here with us and I will miss them when they go back home.  :(

Hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful Christmas together!  :)

Until next time . . .

Friday Night Sew-In Results!

Hello!  :)

I had a very successful Friday Night Sew-In last night! I hope you did too! Before I show you what I did I want to share some awesomeness with you! I checked my email this morning and it turns out that I won another giveaway! Must be my lucky month!  :)  Kathy from "It's Only Natural" was having a giveaway as part of Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day 2011. I won 3 fabulous prizes! Here they are . . .

The first is a group of 6 fat quarters of Dream On by Urban Chicks of Moda! So Yummy!  :)

The second is a Charm Pack of Cape Ann of Oliver + S! So Adorable!  :)

And the third is a Charm Pack of Soiree by Lilla Tueller of Moda! Lovely!  :)  I can't wait to see them all in person! I'm such a lucky girl! Merry Christmas to me!  :)

Do you remember me telling you that I'm making quilts for my two older kids for Christmas? I finished Jay's quilt top the other day and showed it to you here. I started Jessie's quilt on Wednesday. She loves bright lime green. She also loves the whole 60's & 70's vibe. So that is my theme for her . . . lime green with vintage sheets from the 60's & 70's and peace and love. I'm going to call it "Remembering Peace & Love".  :)  Here are the fabrics I'm using for the quilt, all cut and ready to go. All the fabrics are sheets.

I'm not following a pattern for this one. I made a rough drawing of the quilt before I started but then basically made it up as I went along. I laid out all the squares to figure out the placement. There are going to be flowers appliqued to the green squares.

Then I numbered them and stacked them.

I didn't take pictures of the next few steps (bad blogger!). I traced and cut out flowers and centers from the same sheets I used for the blocks. I then ironed them onto the green squares.

On Thursday I machine zig-zag stitched around the flowers and centers. I am going to be hand-quilting this quilt but I went ahead and used the machine to stitch around the flowers to save time.

At this point I had to lay them all out again to figure out placement of the flower squares. It would have been much easier if I had done the flowers first and figured out the placement all at once instead of twice but I didn't think of that until I it was too late.  :(

Once the placement was set I numbered the green squares again and stacked all of them up ready for sewing.

I forgot to take pictures (again) of the next few steps. I sewed all the blocks together then laid the quilt out. There was a problem . . . it was way too small! I would be adding borders but they would have had to be really big borders and that just wouldn't do. I was really frustrated! I was trying to get this done quickly and it just wasn't working out. It would have been much easier (and quicker) if I had only followed a pattern. Of course I had a vision and had to go with that and make it up as I went along. I decided to add another row to the side and bottom. It would have to wait until the next day though as it was very late and I was very tired!  :(

On Friday I was refreshed and ready to go backwards and cut, applique, and piece the additional rows together. They actually went together pretty easy!  :)  I then attached them to the quilt and laid it out again to view and measure.

 

I went out and ran a few errands and came back home for the Friday Night Sew-In. I cut and attached two borders to the quilt top.

It was now finished! Hooray!!! I do love how it turned out! To me it's very 60's - 70's-ish. What do you think? Here's a close up of part of it . . .

Did you notice the block with ducks? I know it doesn't really go with the theme but Jess loves ducks and I found this vintage duck sheet and just had to include it!  :)  When I hand-quilt it I think I'm going to add some "peace" and "love". I can't wait to get started on it.

Today I've been working on the backs of Jay and Jess' quilts. I'm hoping to get them sandwiched tonight or definitely by tomorrow if I run out of time. Then I can begin quilting them. I'm excited to see how they turn out. My goal was to get both of the quilt tops done by the end of this week and I did it! Now I just have to get them finished by next Friday. Can I do it? Stay tuned!  :)

Until next time . . .