Pages

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Teddy Bear's Picnic

I haven't taken the time to post anything for over a week, but I have been busy.

First of all, Tom's quilt "Teddy Bear's Picnic" is  finished as of this evening.  He finished putting it together last week end after finding some fabric that would work for an outer border at JoAnn's. 



Yesterday and today I quilted it for him and did the binding this afternoon and evening (he really dislikes that job).

Here is the finished quilt


I just love the color play in this quilt! 

He came up with the vision for this quilt after seeing the Bear Tracks pattern on Quilter's Cache.  He based it on the song "Teddy Bear's Picnic", a song from the 1930's.  An interesting trivia fact....it was used by Jerry Garcia as a tuning song.

Here are the lyrics:
If you go down to the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go down to the woods today
You'd better go in disguise.
For ev'ry bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain, because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.
Ev'ry teddy bear who's been good
Is sure of a treat today.
There's lots of marvelous things to eat
And wonderful games to play.
Beneath the trees where nobody sees
They'll hide and seek as long as they please
Cause that's the way the teddy bears have their picnic.
If you go down to the woods today
You'd better not go alone.
It's lovely down in the woods today
But safer to stay at home.
For ev'ry bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain, because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.
Picnic time for teddy bears
The little teddy bears are having a lovely time today
Watch them, catch them unawares
And see them picnic on their holiday.
See them gaily gad about
They love to play and shout;
They never have any care;
At six o'clock their mummies and daddies,
Will take them home to bed,
Because they're tired little teddy bears.

edit: actually I looked at a slightly different version when I did the quilting which says "if you go out in the woods today" rather than "if you go down to the woods today".  Both Tom and I are more familiar with the version I used.


Many people are familiar with the first verse or two, but don't know the suggestion of it being "safer to stay at home". Tom wanted to have fun with that. So his quilt has teddy bears picnicing (well actually it's Christmas fabric but they have a basket, and Tom says with their fur coats they can picnic in December) but also the scarier bears....in other words "every bear that ever there was" happen to be in this woods.

It's made of flannel and to date the most complicated piecing he's done.  I warned him that piecing HST's from flannel wasn't going to be real easy, but he ended up doing a really good job. (Dare I say he has a good teacher?)


And I quilted the words from a couple of the lyrics in the outer borders.


More of the forest fabric was used for the backing

Didn't he do a great job?

For myself, I finished embroidering the final blocks for the Raggedy Ann and Andy BOM and  set the blocks together.  I'm ready to start quilting it in a day or two.

I have the first four rows of Dutch Treat #3 layered and started hand quilting it last night. Here's what it looks like spray basted and ready to quilt. 


I'm doing it "quilt as you go" like the first two.  After these first four rows are quilted, I'll add two more rows to the right side, quilt them, add two more, etc.  until all 14 rows are done. Then I applique, add and quilt the  borders.  Works well for me as I quilt in my lap without a hoop.

When the applique blocks are trimmed to 4 1/2" from the original 6" working squares, I've saved all those trimmed ends.  I have two boxes full of them from the first two DT's.  This time I decided to work with them as I was doing the applique so that it wouldn't be such a daunting task all at once.  I made strips of no sent length, using whatever I trimmed each session.  Now I've cut those into 4 and 5" blocks, bordering the 4" ones with a brown frame and then piecing all together.  So far I have this much set together.


LOTS and LOTS of seams which may make it a nightmare to quilt.  We'll have to see.

That's what I've been doing.  How about you?





Tuesday, July 19, 2011

For Posterity

Do you keep track of the quilts you make?  Do you take pictures?  Scrapbook about them?  Make lists for insurance purposes?  Label each quilt? 

All of those are good ideas, but if you are like me, it is much more fun to actually be working on a quilt, than spending time writing about them.  I try to do it all, but sometimes I put it off  much too long.

TO THE RESCUE............

A few days ago I received a copy of a wonderful new software program called "Quilt Album"
 
It is an easy software that helps you  keep a quilting journal- a database that keeps all the important information about your quilts in one place and makes it simple to print it out for different purposes.

You have spent many hours creating your quilts – this program creates a lasting and complete record of your work - for yourself or for your descendants!

For every quilt you can store as many pictures and information as you want. And you can easily print out those photos and information – as pages that you can bind into a physical album.

Since I have only had the program for a couple of days, here is just a quick example of what an album page might look like for the quilt I finished yesterday.


I will  share more examples with you as I create them over the next few weeks. But I can tell just from a short time testing it out that it is something that will save me a ton of time making labels, and documenting  my quilts.  I have kept picture journals from the very beginning, but confess as time has gone on, I've become more and more lax in documenting all the facts about each quilt.  With Quilt Album I can do that in a jiffy!  And I can define a template that will include all the things I want to remember to include. 

For now I hope you will take a few moments to watch this video  and start imaging how Quilt Album can make your life easier.

When you are ready to get your own copy  use the coupon code below or on my sidebar to get $5 off the purchase price.  You will be so glad you did!


Monday, July 18, 2011

Finished!

Last stitch in the binding this afternoon.  So happy to have this one finished. 

Orange County Baltimore  pattern by Lyn Brown
82 X 90"
Needleturn applique, machine quilted




Sunday, July 17, 2011

Final Border Left

Only the final border remains to be quilted. Hopefully that will happen today after church. 







Saturday, July 16, 2011

Progress

Still have at least a full day of quilting left to do on the Orange Co. Baltimore. 
Here are some preview pics.  It's hard to get the quilting to show.






Happy Saturday!





Friday, July 15, 2011

Where Did I Go?

It seems odd not to have Dutch Treat blocks to work on.  So what have I been doing?  I've taken a few days to decide what batting and backing I want to use on the DT quilt.  I think I've settled on a wool bat this time.  That may make the hand quilting even easier. 

I've spent this week machine quilting my Orange Co. Baltimore top.
All of the individual blocks are quilted.  I'm working on the sashings and then I have to decide on border quilting.

In the evenings I've been working on the embroidery in the last three Raggedy Ann and Andy blocks. 


I have to admit I'm missing my DT blocks!

Happy Weekend everyone.


Monday, July 11, 2011

Ready to Start Quilting

I'll be working on the hand quilting in the evening (trying to get some machine work done in the daytime).  I'll quilt as you go in sections as I did the first two.  I think I will like this one best of all.





95 Days

The last three Dutch Treat blocks are done

Wrought Iron

Zig Zag

Zygote

95 days..196 blocks..let the quilting begin!


Also received this great siggy in the mail today from Simonetta in Italy.  
She also included some great pictures and information about her beautiful corner of the world.  Thank you!



Sunday, July 10, 2011

Closer and Closer

Four more Dutch Treat blocks

Wheels On Fire
Windmill
Window
Wooden Shoe

And then there were three..left that is!

Happy Sunday

 



Friday, July 8, 2011

Getting Close

Some of least favorite blocks are in the last row.  For one reason or another most of these take a bit longer.

Undergrowth
Valentine
Violets
Waiting For Life
Wallpaper
Water Lily


Only 7 more blocks to go!!!


Spent most of yesterday with a friend removing the machine basting on two of the tops and in basting them. Still have 3 more tops that will need that done, but I can only quilt one at a time, so we'll save those for another day or two.



Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Twizzler

Well, it was an interesting verdict, to say the least, but I'm not going to discuss that.

I made it through the dreaded block.

This  is what Twizzler looks like in the book


Lots of little areas..TINY little shapes.  The worst, and what always makes me dread this block is the little indentations in the middle of the "twizzly" shapes.  With something that small to begin with (remember these are 4" finished blocks) making that shape just isn't easy, at least I don't find it so.

This was my block for Dutch Treat #1

Some of them look okay, others are really wonky.  And the most important thing..I DID NOT enjoy making it.

Here is the block from #2 Dutch Gold

Maybe a tad bit better, but I still DID NOT enjoy making the block.

So this time I decided it was time for a change and I just made them as pure ovals (for lack of a better word)

They still aren't perfect, but the process of making the block was much more enjoyable and kind of fun watching the colors come out.  It still took me most of the day to make. 

Whew..I'm glad it's done.  13 more to go.

We're off to Joplin for a doctor's appointment this afternoon. It will be the first time since the tornado.  I'm really not looking forward to it.



Tuesday, July 5, 2011

My Heart is Pounding!

Just a few minutes ago it was announced there is a verdict in the high profile murder trial I've been glued to for the last few weeks.  So I'm excited about that.

But about half an hour before that announcement our mail came.................

And guess what was in the mail?????????

Documents relating to the acceptance of my second Dutch Treat quilt.."Dutch Gold" into the juried AQS Des Moines Show Sept 28-Oct 1. 


I am in absolute shock and at the same time scared to death!  I'm not sure exactly why.  I've entered many of my quilts in many shows.  But with the exception of the Oklahoma Winter Show, none have been juried and certainly none have held the prestige of an AQS show.  So I am humbled and honored.

I can't imagine that I will have any chance in the world of winning against the other 230 juried quilts.  But I'll be happy to count this as a high point in my quilting life...just to be juried in. 

Doing a happy dance.


Now, lets hear that verdict