This and That...

 I have been working on some hand embroidery projects that are finished now.  This blanket is for a baby shower later in the month. I used just a straight blue color to tie into the color scheme of the blanket.  This is the cutest little boy set from Aunt Martha's Little Boy's Quilt #3910 Iron on Transfers.  

I found these owls on the internet and copied them to make a little owl edging on my pillowcase.  I used browns, pink, and a little blue.  This was fun because they each had their own personalities and expressions!  

This is one side of the pillowcase:

 This is the other side of the pillowcase:

This little owl is my favorite one of all! 

I am working on a new quilting program called Quilt-Pro 5.  It is a program especially made for MAC computers.   I looked at the EQ-7 program but it seemed to have some bugs that needed working out if used on a MAC windows VMware Fusion program.  I have been playing with the program but it is complicated!  I had to have the manual RIGHT next to me to figure it all out.  I did design a quilt/comforter for my mom's bed.  It is going to be 109X109!  I am using big squares to create the design with a hand embroidery pattern of flowers in the middle.  I hope to get cutting on this soon.  I like the program because it gives me all the material measurements, binding measurements and other information for finishing the quilt out.  I love that it tells me how much material I will need for a project!  

Still working on my flannel cup-cake rag blanket.  All I have to do is sew X's on each square then sew them together.  I guess it is so monotonous that I always put it aside for something more challenging.  Maybe I should slip in Top Gun and sew for a couple of hours!  :-)

Had some requests from family members for a couple of quilts and some other projects.  I also have had some requests for Cricut covers.  I am planning on doing them all in one day so that I can cut and sew using the pattern and get them checked off the ol' list!  

Summer is just around the corner!  We are planning on making it to the Denver National Quilt Festival at the end of this month.  I am so excited!  Then off to the Bolder Boulder to WOG (walking/jogging)!  Next is my baby boy's birthday, my baby girl's birthday and pre-school graduation!  Birthday parties, Chucky Cheese, swimming in Salida and The Lady Bug Shop!   YEAH!  

Happy crafting all!  :-)

New embroidery projects

I worked on a couple of patterns from a book by Aimee Ray.  http://www.dreamfollow.com/book.html  

I got the newest book called Doodle Stitching The Motif Collection.  The patterns are new and modern.  It comes with a CD that contains all the patterns in the book.  The patterns can be adjusted by size to accommodate any project.

Mermaid for blanket, stitched the edge with wave decorative stitches.

Wall hanging embroidered in hoop and kept there for hanging.

Red work using Aunt Martha's hot iron on transfers.  http://www.acmenotions.com/nanki.html

Our local Curves needed a wall hanging.  I used my Cricut to cut out the letters and then appliqued them onto the this beautiful material.  I free motion quilted around the lettering and then applied the binding using my machine.  

Lots of stitching going on here...  My mom asked me to count how many projects I had to do.  I counted eleven then I found three more that I am currently working on!  Happy stitching!  :-)

New find!

I was able to acquire some awesome old antique handmade hand towels and some runners.  They are gorgeous and have some meticulous hand embroidery.  Whomever did these did a wonderful job on the pattern and stitching.  If only I could know the maker of these projects!  I love looking and the tiny stitches and wondering who the person was!  

Colorado Gift

A lady from my mom's work is moving to Texas.  The staff was trying to think of a gift to give her so she could remember Colorado...  I suggested a picture frame with some hand embroidery.  I created this and everyone signed it.  I picked up a picture frame from Goodwill and refurbished it.  I painted the frame black and antiqued it.  It turned out good I think.   I hope she likes it and remembers Colorado!

No idea how to make this picture stay rotated upright!  :-)

New treasures

We took a little trip east to work on my father-in-laws baby cows.  I got to go to one of my favorite quilting shops.  http://www.quiltersdepot.net/  I love this little shop so much!  I got some goodies.

The calender quilts packet is so cute!  I cannot wait to get to the different months projects!  The picture does nothing to show the beautiful orange swirl fabric.  I also picked up some cute little Christmas tree lights material.  

I also got some t-shirts from my sister-in-law to make a t-shirt memory quilt.  There are some classic t's in this bunch.  My husband is trying to steal some of them!  I will have to hide them from him until I finish the quilt!

I got a chance to go to my favorite thrift stores too.  I picked up a great light box for my embroidery patterns.  It cost 99 cents!!!! It is a Crayola Light Box.   Cannot beat that!  The batteries cost more to get it to work.  Crossed my fingers and the light bulb was working great!  

I picked up some old metal zippers in hope of creating some 3-D flower creations.  I hope to make these:

Into these:

http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/zipper-flowers

Downy Quilts for Kids Projects

I have been busy these last few days.  I was truckin' my mom's trailer up to Loveland and hangin' with the fam!  Beautiful weather and gorgeous blue skies!  The wind in not favorable tho!

I was watching television one day and a commercial came on sponsored by Downy fabric softener.   It is called Downy Quilts for Kids.  It made me want to quilt.  I had quilted before, mostly large applique blankets tied with yarn.  I have been doing this since 1998.  Quilting but not true quilting with piecing and quilting layers together.  I requested a kit from their website and started getting to it.  I used my Singer 1862 beast of a machine.  It is from the 1980's.  Great machine and will sew through anything.  I purchased a walking foot from a local shop downtown that has recently shut it doors :(.  I was working on the quilts and I was loving it.  I was looking at some newer sewing machines that were especially made for quilting.  My wonderful husband suggested that I go to a store in Pueblo called Creative Sewing Design, http://www.creativelysew.com/.  They sell Janome and Bernina machines.  I test drove a Janome 6600 and I fell in love.  I called Dan from the parking lot and he said "Get it"!!!!  Yeah!  It has a built in walking foot system with loads of great stitches.  Now I was really sewing!  I finished these two projects for the Quilt for Kids program.

I joined the local quilt guild http://www.royalgorgequiltcouncil.org.futuresite.register.com/ and promoted the Quilts for Kids program.  A number of really great ladies donated some time and quilts to the cause too!  They are greatly in need of boys quilts now so I think it's time I do some more quilting for the kids.


Here is the link:  http://www.quiltsforkids.org/.  If you like to quilt look into quilting some quilts for some sick kiddos.  If you can't quilt, help out the people that send out material and send quilts to hospitals.  Happy stitching!

New comfy cozy blanket!

I have to admit that I still sleep with a teddy bear and I am almost 34!  I decided that I would make my own comfy and cozy blanket to sleep with.  Why not, it works for my kids!  I cut 6 inch squares and added a 1 1/2 inch row between squares, then a 3 1/2 inch border on the sides.  The back is flannel so it is so toasty!  I did something a little new and brave for this project.  I free motion quilted the hearts to bind the layers together.  No stencils, no guide lines, just my free motion foot on my machine and where ever the stitch took me.  I started it and looked at it and thought it would not look good, but I just went forth with it and it turned out better than I thought!

The name of my blanket is, "Love and Comfort In Every Stitch"