Baby Quilts

Finally able to post a couple of finishes from the last few weeks.  I couldn't post pictures before because they were gifts.  I've mentioned that two granddaughters are expecting babies in January..a day apart according to official due dates but how likely is that to really happen?

Yesterday was the baby shower for our youngest granddaughter, Caitlin, in MO. In 2005, when she was just shy of 16, she designed and pieced a baby quilt using my Electric Quilt. She loved playing with that program whenever she came to stay and her sister, Ashley, had a six month old son at that point. She didn't finish it the first year and worked on it again in 2006 when she came for a week. By then, nephew #2 was on his way, so she was no longer sure who the quilt was going to be for. She learned how to make HST's and how to chain piece and she sat up late at night sewing and ripping and trying to make her points match. She did a really good job.

Once it was all pieced I asked her if she wanted me to quilt it and she say no, that she wanted to come back and learn to quilt herself.  Well that never happened (that she stayed long enough to learn to quilt).  Since she's 21 now and expecting her own baby I decided to go ahead and quilt it and surprise her with the finished quilt. 

So that is what I did.

I just love the butterfly on Teddy's nose.

Guess I forgot to take a picture of the back. It's a nice snuggly flannel.

I also gave her a baby quilt I made several years ago.  She helped me do the hand buttonhole stitch around these hearts while on a trip to Colorado in 2003.  So it seemed like a good quilt for her first baby since it will be a girl.

Caitlin was able to have three grandmothers at her shower:

Left to right: Kathy (her mom's mom), Cait, me, Maggie (her dad's step-mom).  It was a nice day and she got lots of useful items.

Our oldest granddaughter, Kelley, is the other expectant mom and since I've pretty sure she doesn't read my blog, I can go ahead and show the quilt I shipped to her to arrive in time for her baby shower next week in MA.  Wish I could be at that one too, but it's a bit far away. 

Kelley is expecting a boy so I decided to make a bow tie quilt which was the traditional quilt my grandmother made for boys in the family.  I made the 3-D version and used lots of bright scraps.  The arrangement of colors was per Tom..not at all as I would have arranged things, but I decided to be different.

It has a plaid back and nice colorful binding.

I already gave her a smaller baby quilt in June when we were together in Arizona.

So two new great-grandbabies will be doubly wrapped in love. Can't wait for them to be here!

That is some of what I've been working on and not posting about.  I'm in the home stretch of the quilting on Dutch Treat #2..at least the central 14 row portion.  I'm working on row 13.  Getting there.....

Lots of doctor appointments for Tom this week.

Happy quilting.



Bound and Labeled

I found the perfect fabric for binding on Dinah's Delight (I think so anyway) and got it finished last night and also labeled.

So now it is really done and I can move on to the next finish while I'm on a roll.

What Is A Quilt?

I had a really pleasant day yesterday. I started and finished quilting the Dinah's Delight quilt top I made last December.  And I was smiling the whole time.  Why?  I realized that this is the type of quilt I most like making and it had been awhile (or so it seems to me) since I'd finished one like this.

In my head, when I think "quilt", this is what I picture. Lots of different fabrics, different in both color and texture. Preferably smallish pieces.  An off white background (ideally that is scrappy too like this one). Washed to give it that old crinkled look.   

My criteria for a scrap quilt...

     It must have...

         Some red 

             Some yellow
                 Some plaid
   Other than that just about anything goes, although I prefer not to use a lot of pastel or brights. Definitely no solids. 

I don't want to step on any one's toes.  I see all sorts of beautiful quilts all the time that are not scrappy in the least.  And I admire them.  I'm just saying that for ME, quilts are scrappy.  And I suspect most of you feel the same or I doubt you'd be reading my blog since that is mostly what I show here (well that and lots of Dutch Treat applique). 

I think we all have our preferences and tend to lean one way or the other..scrappy or not.  I'm sure there are those who sort of cringe when they see all the colors and especially the mix of backgrounds I use in my quilts.  That's okay.  Different is good.  Different is interesting. 

But back to yesterday.  It just made me happy to be handling this quilt.  What can I say..small things make me happy.

I still have to bind it as you can see. That is a job for this afternoon or evening.  And it still needs laundered, but already I like the texture that is apparent in low light.

One of the reasons the quilting went so fast is that I chose to do another all over small meander.  This is such an interesting pattern..one that challenges you to find the block.  It was a mystery quilt from my friend, Cynthia, at Iowa Star Quilts.  The free pattern is still available on her website.  Here's her top from her blog.  Guess it will no longer be a mystery for you, but it's still a great pattern to make.

Now to catch up with the Dutch Treat blocks made in the last few evenings.

#142 Separate Tables

#143 Shapes

#144 Shasta Daisy

#145 Shooting Stars

#146 Silver Bells

#147 Singleton

#148 Smarties

#149 Snowflake

Closing in on row 11.  Have a great weekend!

Salt & Pepper Dalmations

Only one Dutch Treat block finished last night.  It's called Salt & Pepper and is #135 of 196.

I finished quilting the last of the baby quilt tops I put together in May.  This is the second one using the Dalmatian fabric. 

Just a simple rail fence. I used a red fleece for the backing which should make it nice and cuddy,

Another scorcher here.  Varying reports predict a high from 99-103º actual temps.  I don't want to think what the heat index will be after humidity is factored in.  A good day to stay inside and quilt.

Happy Weekend.

Strawberry Shake & Chiclets

I finished the binding on the baby quilt last night.  I've decided it's called Strawberry Shake (the red cows bouncing all around) and Chiclets (the sashing and border print that reminds me of Chiclets gum). Strange combination, but there you go! 

It is 40 X 46..a nice size for wrapping a little one I hope. I used some Valdani varigated thread again to do an all over loop de loop.

Nothing fancy about the quilt or the quilting. Just quick. I used more of the yellow fabric for the backing. It's good putting some stash to work with these simple quilts.

It also feels good to be making progress on some of the flimsies even if I am wimping out and doing the easy ones first!

Only one Dutch Treat block finished last night.   Since I'm doing them alphabetically as they are printed in the book, it feels great getting to the "S" blocks. 

Here is Sailboat.

Both Tom and seem to have picked up a stomach virus and are on our third day of battling that.  I got sick Sunday and he started feeling it yesterday afternoon.  Nothing serious..just uncomfortable and inconvenient with so much to do in the next few weeks. Hopefully today will see it banished from the house.

Happy Quilting.

Exploding Star

It was a frustrating day as I seemed to break thread about every 2 or 3 minutes while quilting the Exploding Star quilt.  I just did an overall large stipple with a varigated King Tut on top and I knew it would be touchy with all those seams, even though they were pressed open.  I changed needles, adjusted tension, put in a new silicone washer in the bobbin case, used plenty of Sewer's Aide and I still kept breaking thread.  Finally got it done, but it's not my best quilting job that is for sure.

Put  the binding and hanging sleeve on tonight, then tossed it in the washer.  Now it is all nice and crinkled and doesn't look too bad if you don't concentrate on the times my HST's don't totally match up.  I did add a 1 1/2" white border all around and then bound it with blue star fabric. 

Whew...I'm not making anything from 1 1/2" squares again for awhile.  Thanks for a great pattern, Tea!

Nice and crinkly after washing.

Hop over to my friend Cynthia's site to see some of the magnificent quilts she judged at the Iowa State Fair yesterday.  Can you imagine 3 people judging over 800 quilts in a single day?  She's been doing it for several years.

http://iowastardesigns.blogspot.com/

The Retirement Quilt

By the time this posts, this quilt will have been presented to Mike.  I'll be posting pictures of the retirement banquet, parade and ceremony in a week or so, after we have returned home.

For now I can finally show you what I was working on part of last month but couldn't talk about.  And you'll now know why I was so frantic about getting my hand healed so I could sew.  The piecing on this quilt was actually done the week I was supposed to be in the splint.  I had spent two or three weeks previous to that designing the printed squares.  It then took about three days to quilt after my hand was feeling up to it.

For anyone who hasn't heard me talking about it, my oldest son, Michael, has retired after 29 years and 8 months in the U.S. Army. There is a star for each of his 19 assignments with his photo, place and dates, unit patch and crest, his rank and any awards he received during that assignment. Another star with his last official pic in dress blues and one with his full rack of medals. I planned to print and applique a piece with his final awards after they were presented this week, so by now I've hopefully done that.

The other pictures are candid shots spanning his career.  I used two rolls of Blumenthal Crafter's Image printer fabric to print all the pictures and emblems.

The words under the eagle in the center are a quote from Aristole that he has used as his email signature for many years.."We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit". It very nicely sums up his approach to leadership throughout his Army career.

The flags along the bottom are the countries in which he deployed. The other pics are candid shots throughout his career.



The backing is the same soldier fabric that surrounds the eagle. I really like that print even though Mike was Intelligence and not Cavalry. It just reminds me of Ft. Huachuca where he has spent so much time.

I hope I'll have some good pictures of the recipient with his quilt to share later.

First June Finish

Another of the little tops is quilted and bound.

 And washed so it is all crinkly and suggly.

And three more Dutch Treat blocks yesterday and last night

Deer

Diadem

Diamond Square

Funnel clouds on the north end of town last night made for an exciting night even though we didn't realize how close they were until they were past us.

Little Blocks and a Finished Quilt

I have several Dutch Treat bocks to show today.


Crest

Crossroads

Crossword

Crown Molding

Daisy

And two new siggies

From Carolyn in Des Moines, IA

And Irena in the Czech Republic

And Saturday I quilted and bound the first of the tops we put together last week.





 
I normally do a straight of grain binding, but the fabric I used for the backing made an awesome binding when cut on the bias, at least I think so!
 

This little quilt measures 39" square so it was quick to finish.

Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day and remembering to give thanks to those who served and have served.