Pine Tree Mug Rugs

As promised, here is how I reworked the pine trees from my original poorly designed block.

I made a couple of mug rugs. These hardly put a dent in the available pine trees, but it's a start.



Then I had a bunch of three piece blocks left over from making the border blocks.
So I made another mug rug. It would work better if there was more contrast between the two fabrics.


Wish I had kept all the leftover pieces from the original star points. Oh well!

Now It's a Lattice Quilt

Remember this basket filled with the unfinished, the orphan blocks, the Starts and Stops, my feeling guilty basket?


I dug in deep and pulled out some more and reworked another set of quilt blocks made way too long ago.



These blocks had already been sewn together into the start of a quilt.
But it never liked me. See, it wasn't my fault!


At the time, I wanted to make a quilt with pine trees and stars. But in my mind, these were walking on the ugly side.
So, this week, I took apart the blocks and used the star points to make something new.




I made a few more squares for a border and then resewed these into something completely different.
This little Lattice quilt is just the size to put over Evie's legs when she is in the stoller. I have to force myself to quilt it. That's just one more step in the process that I procrastinate over! At least it is little and shouldn't take too long.

Tomorrow, I will show you what I did with some of the pine trees.

I am feeling a little less guilty about what is lurking in the depths of this basket.

Baby Dress For Evie Jo

Last Sunday, I stopped by our local Goodwill shop and found a cute little flippy skirt that had some pretty embroidery at the hem. I should have taken a before picture, but was too eager to start sewing!

After washing it up, I cut off the waistband and ended up with some very pretty fabric for a baby dress


I bought some white eyelet fabric at Joann's and turned it all into a cute little baby dress for Evie Jo


I forgot that pattern sizes run a little larger than ready made, so Evie has to grow a little before this will fit her.

It was fun to get back to my favorite kind of sewing. It's been a long time since I have made any clothes.

Starts, Stops and Starts Again

I can't believe I haven't blogged for over a month. Boy, I would like to say that wonderful things have been happening to take me away from this! I would like to, but I can't. No excuses here.

Lately, I have been making a few other things besides quilts for shows next year and for my Etsy shop.




I got down a basket full of orphan blocks and started and stopped quilts. This seems like a good place to start my quilting for next year.

This basket is really stuffed!


And with a jump start, I actually reworked some blocks into a little table topper or wallhanging or baby quilt.
I didn't use this fabric for the border.


These blocks were made way back when I was designing my Spinning Tiles pattern. I guess I never made the alternate blocks, or maybe they are in the bottom of the basket. It's a surprise what may be lurking down in the depths!
Tess still likes to pose.

I still have to finish the binding. And then on to another.

Another Blog to Visit

The other day I found a new blog (new to me anyway).
It is called Quilting Lodge. It is written by a quilting team of mother and daughter, Judy and Vicki.
They had posted about using my Stitching Lines to sew binding strips together.
I also do that, and it's a great way to use up the inside strip that you tear out and toss.
Anyway, they posted a tutorial and you should take a peak.
Leave a comment and tell them I sent you.

PS. for some reason my second link won.t take you to the tutorial. Just arrow done and click on "Joining Strips Together"

Out of the Trash For One More Workout

I sew a lot of Half Square Triangles together. I mean a lot. Maybe too many.
I like the intersection on the backside to look like this.

But many times the backside looks like this. Darned if I didn't get the underseam going the wrong way.

Leftovers from Stitching Lines to the rescue!

I just tear off an inch or two from the leftovers in the trash and stick it underneath the seam allowance just before I sew over the intersection.
Keeps the seam going the right direction every time.





Oops! I didn't sew that seam very straight.

This is fast. It doesn't slow me down. Faster than ripping out all those messed up seams!


And since I am sewing over the Stitching Lines paper in the same direction as you sew when using it, it tears off easily.

Just one more way to get some more mileage out of your Stitching Lines.

Making Half-Square Triangles Over and Over Again

I have become obsessed with making Half-Square Triangles.
I finished up two small baby quilts last week, even quilted and bound them and actually got labels on them!


I have cut all the squares I need to demonstrate my Stitching Lines for a quilt show this weekend, and it's all I can do to keep from making them up this week before I go.





I was never a person who liked to make the same quilt over and over again. I had to become that person when I started designing quilt patterns. And sometimes, I really have to push myself to remake a pattern.
But these little squares have become addicting.

I have HST's everywhere........the floor, in baskets, in ziplock bags.




And there are a lot of them that I can't remember what I was going to do with them! These are senior moments that I have. LOL
Sounds like another really scrappy one, and another really big one.

Who else is obsessed with making a certain kind of block?

Dog on Quilt

Does your dog like your quilts?
Mine sure does. Tess could care less if it is finished.
As I was pinning rows together, she kept snuggling up to the quilt top hanging on the floor. Silly dog!! Good thing I took the pins out of that section!

Sewing rows together is one part of quilt making that I procrastinate about.
And because of that, I haven't had many finishes lately.
But yesterday, I finally completed this lap top.
On to the blocks for the baby and doll versions.

Welcome Home Evie Jo

We got a new addition to the family on Thursday! Isn't Eveyln Jo adorable? She is the daughter of my youngest daughter, Carol and her husband Doug, and our first grandchild. All are doing well.

Spanish Tile, Again, and Done

I finally have a finish to show you. I put this Spanish Tiles quilt away for awhile. I was so disappointed with my quilting, I had to take a break. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I always say I don't like the actual quilting.

Let me design, pick out the fabrics and piece the whole shebang!

After that, I am wholly incompetent at any decent quilting. Sometimes I can get an OK meandering design using my Grace frame and Juki. But, just as often, I can even mess that up.

I decided to do some straight line stitch-in-the-ditch quilting on this quilt. Fine! Until I started to get major migration of the fabric. Even with the even-feed foot!

Remove 1 mile of quilting!

Then I tried a built-in serpentine stitch. Same problem.

Remove 2 miles of stitching.

Oh, I don't mind removing quilting, but this was ridiculous! I removed enough thread to wind up on a whole "nother spool. Over and over again!!

Finally, I decided to do free motion stitch-in-the-ditch, in the black, with black thread, where it wouldn't show. That worked OK. And besides, I can't see much on the back either.
I followed up with straight line quilting, but not stitch-in-the-ditch,..........a good half inch away from the seam. That worked.

I did make a little change to this pattern. I added the little triangles to the corner of each block and I made the outside sections of each block the same. I think I will write a variation for this pattern as I kind of like this look.

I love this little birdie print.

The quilt is done and I am OK with it.


I've been busy with another design, but, people near and dear to me say it looks like a swastika!
So I guess I need to change something.



Hah, did you think I was going to show it to you, before it was finished!!!

Padded Notebooks

I finished up two new purse size notebooks yesterday. I wish I could find the dimensions each time I want to make one. I spend more time searching for that little scrap of paper each and every time. And since I had moved sewing rooms since last I made one, I knew it was a lost cause.
So, of course, it took me three times as long to make one. I had to re-figure it as I went along.
I knew there had to be a better way!

And then a light bulb went off! Why not write down the fabric dimensions in a small padded notebook, kind of like a pattern!! Can you say DUH!!!

I really wish I was a more organized person. At my age, though, I don't think that will change.

A Coffee Break

A pretty white empty bowl.



A pair of scissors.

A large stack of un-trimmed half-square triangles.

Coffee break begins. Sit back on the sofa. Turn on the TV. Put the bowl on lap.

Start trimming dog-ears.


Partly finished.


Only a gazillion more to go!

1930's Doll Quilt

Today I am showing you my mother's doll quilt. She was born in 1925, so this fabric is right out of the 30's. Although, I have never been a fan of 30's reproduction fabrics, I sure can appreciate how authentic the repro's are. I don't know what my grandmother used for the filling, but it is all lumpy and has shifted all around. It's machine pieced, and very lightly hand quilted along some of the seams, which I only discovered today. It really needed more quilting to stop the shifting of the filling.


I wonder how my grandmother acquired all the little prints. There are 38 prints and non are repeated. I know she wasn't buying Charm Packs. LOL She must have exchanged scraps with her friends, as I can't believe she made that many dresses for my mother, an only child. Although it doesn't show well in my photos, the colors are still pretty vibrant and not worn.


Maybe my mom didn't play with it or drag it around very much. Who knows.