Motorcycle Quilt

I looked all over for a motorcyle quilt pattern.  Couldn't find one, so I had to draw one.  I decided not to connect them so I drew it out, copied and enlarged my drawing to get it big enough for the border.  Then I took the copy and sewed without thread at my sewing machine.  I used the Quilt Pounce to get chalk on the quilt so I could see.  Let me tell you that this quilt is different from most that I quilt for people.  She only wanted me to do the border.  The batting she used behing the middle panel is the fat, comforter poly-type.  She hand quilted (outlined) the design on the panel.   Nothing was under the border.  I told her to stitch the batting down so it wouldn't be migrating while I was trying to quilt.  She likes lots of battring so then there is a double layer of batting behind it all.  Then to my surprise, the backing must have spandex in it.  I am sure whoever is getting this, will enjoy it.  I did my best.  And with all the batting, it is very heavy.

Here is image after the stencil was chalked.

 

Here it is off the frame.  It has not been trimed yet.  I don't do that I let the quilt owner trim the quilts.

 

Here is one quilted on the side.

 

 

After quilting 20 of them, I got pretty good at it.  It has been raining almost all day long.  Not  a hard rain, but a good soaking rain.  It was so needed.  My next project is to set up an Etsy shop.  I have a lot of lace and trim to sell.  Many pieces will be good for crazy quilts.  Have a good weekend.

 

Getting Organized

I have several (somewhere near 40) pantographs.  I have kept them rolled in basically a small pail.  Everytime I needed one, I would dig through the pail until I would find the right one.  Sometimes unrolling to see the name or design.  I have previously written the name on the outside of them, but I guess I missed a few.  It was a mess.  I have been on the lookout for a long time for a way that I coould get them organized and labeled.  I knew what I wanted, but I could not find what I needed.  I checked thrift shops...antique stores...department stores, etc.  I needed something like a shoe rack/holder that had open sides, but I could only find ones that were boxy and had a closed back (would not work with wider pantos).  After searching for over a year, I decided a wine rack could work.  But I could not find one that would fit what I needed.  Finally, one day in Walmart they had a new shoe holder.  YEAH!  The hunt was over. 

 

I have them labeled so I can easily spot what I am hunting for.  It is seperated out by Flora/Fauna, Classics, Seasonal, Feathers, and other.  I have a notebook that I put the images in and it is also sorted by that.  I have an alphabetical list at the front of the notebook.  And I have a wish list at the back.  So if nothing that I have will fit what I am looking for, maybe something in the wish list will.  It gives me somthing to let customers look at without having to grab the panto.  Works for me. 

Design Wall Monday

This is what I have done on the Barbara Brackman Civil War Quilt so far.  I am waaaay behind.  I have printed off all of the blocks in case it goes down.  I plan to buy the book when it comes out later this year even though I have the patterns.  I love the history on the blocks and just the way she writes.  I've planned to set it with a medallion center.  I didn't get too much done this weekend.  I have one block cut to sew and and I got one done.  I spent part of the weekend drawing a motorcyle image to quilt on the current quilt.  I could not find any quilting patterns with motorcyles.  If you know of one, please let me know. 

This week is revival at church, so not much will be going on.  I have tried to plan ahead and made a few meals for quick fixes when I get home from work.  The winner of my quilt guilds raffle quilt came by to pick it up.  We made over $1000 on this year's quilt.  That is more than double what we usually make. I think we are getting better at designing and  putting them together. 

It is a medallion style quilt.  It is a king size, so part of it is folded over.  What is folded over is a duplicate of what you can see on the bottom.  We really enjoyed making this quilt.
 Head on over to Judy's Patchwork Times to see what every one else is working on.

A Rare Sight

You don't see walking sticks very often.  There aren't as many around as there used to be.  Also, because of how they look, they tend to blend in and are hidden from our view.  Walking out the back door, I saw a couple on the door frame, sort of busy.  Sorry i caught them "in the act", but you really don't see very many of them. Looks like there may be a few more in the future.

My dog Annie is full of curiosity.  While outside, she began to hunt, catch, and eat grasshoppers.  I used to have chickens that did that.  Now Annie is trying to do her share.  Here is my grasshopper catcher.

Another sight at the house is the Spider Lillies.  I love these flowers.  They come up in several places.  I have planted them in specific locations, but they will spring up where I didn't place them.  I think the gophers and moles help  with that.  I know it is fall when they are in bloom.  Every few years, I dig them up and seperate them so that I can spread them about.  I don't spend a lot of time out gardening, so when I plant something, it needs to come back again and again by itself.  I weed once or twice a year and water when I absolutely have to.  It is a surprise anything survives.  One photo of the spider lilies.

Have a great day.  I delivered a quilt to my 90 year old friend.  She was sitting at her sewing machine when I got to her house.  She is in a wheelchair now, but she still sews as much as she can.  She gets so much joy out of sewing.  I think her favorite pattern is the apple core.  I have started loading a lap quilt that another gave me to quilt the borders on.  It is a Harlely Davison panel.  She wants motorcycles in the border. 

Around and Around



I'm going to tell on myself. At the county fair, Jim says, "Let's ride the Ferris Wheel."  Okay, I've never been on one before.   This will be good.  I can go up high and see all around, take some pictures (because I have the camera with me).  We got tickets, and waited in the slow moving line.  Darn, we didn't get on the last car, so we have to wait for the ride to stop and we will be in the first car on the next ride.  Ride finishes, we get in car, they let the stop down and it starts swinging slightly.  Hmmm, it will be okay, it is suppose to swing.  We go up one spot.  Swinging more.  Jim decides to stretch and the car goes back...like when you are falling backwards in a chair.  NOT GOOD!  I clamp my hands on the bar and say, "this is not good, I don't like this".  With each move up it was worse.  Jim kept trying to calm me, but it wasn't working.  By the time we got to the top, I could hardly breathe, my eyes had not been open since about the 2nd or 3rd move, and I was crying.  I was doing real good not to be screaming.  I guess that was why I was hardly breathing.  The top was horrible!  Then we start the move forward to go down.  Finally, about 3 stops before the end, I had quit crying.  I told Jim it will probably be okay once we start moving.  He said, "No way, we are getting off!"  He began to get the attendants attention to let him know to let us off.  Then I was able to get off of the thing.  My hand felt like I hit it with a hammer the rest of the day it was so sore from hanging on so tight.  Even the next morning I kept do the breathing gasps for air and had a headache from all the adreneline.  No, Cindy does not ride Ferris Wheels.  Never again.  Actually, I never rode it.  I only loaded and got off.  That was an experience I (or Jim) will never forget.

Fair Quilts

Here are just a small portion of quilts at the county fair. I did the best I could with the camera.  It is acting up.  I also am trying to learn how to set it for the best pics.  Some are blurry.  There were more gorgeous quilts, but I got busy talking to people and didn't get pics...then it was too late to.   This is heavily stitched and is just amazing.  Made by Sue Britt.

Mary Massey made this one.  It is very simple, but I love it.

 
This one says, "I love my dog". Made by Gretchen Phelps.

 Everyone stopped to stare at this one.  The colors are great and so was the quilting.  Sue Johnson has a wonderful quilter.

Like I said, there were many more, but I didn't get photos.  

Magical Fall Done

The county fair is done and but a memory now.  The weather has turned cooler and we need to start thinking about when we are going to close the pool.  The windows are open on the house and it is comfortable.  Yesterday we had a drizzle most of the day.  To me that is sewing weather.  I did not get to do that.  I finished Magical Fall (f.k.a. Magic Star Garden).  I did some trapunto and 1/2" quilting.  I need to get me some rulers/templates that will work better for that type of work.  I don't see doing that type of quilting for others (yet).  I need much more practice.  I love the quilting and what it does for the texture and appearance of the quilt.  I also need to get better at photography, but here goes:

 

You see a Grand Reserve Ribbon on that.  The Magical Fall received a first place ribbon.  Here is a closer picture of it.

 

They both make  me smile. Have a great day.

 

Fair Time Again

I have been working this week on taking in entries and setting up for the fair.  There were 50 quilts that came in this year.  We have quilts all over the place.  I was working on writing out the ribbons to place on the quilts and the dog ate several of them last night.  So I will have to get some more ribbons.  I was ready to get her good!  Fall is slowly coming in, despite the 100+ degree days.  A cold snap will come in tonight and drop the weekend temps to the 80's.   Bring it on!!  I have had several people call to bring in quilts.  I managed to get one of mine  done.  I plan to send it around to shows.  Maybe it will do good.

Here is the Star Button quilt.  I'll post some pics later from the fair.

Quilt Show

I remembered that Sulphur Springs was having their quilt show yesterday.  So, I headed up there.  They do a fall festival on this weekend every year.  Unfortunately it concides with our county fair, which is one reason I ususally forget they are having the quilt show.  I have only once, many years ago put a quilt in a show outside our community.  I am planning on getting some made and send them around a few shows.  My husband wants see some of mine at the ones we go to.  He says it will make it more fun.  So here a few pics from the quilt show.  Note:  I only take pictures of ones I like and find interesting, or I find something in the quilting I want to remember.
This was my favorite.  I took a lot of time for the quilter to piece the top and it was amazing.  The quilter was a man if I remember right.  I have not heard of him in the area.  I saw a few that he had quilted and they were all nicely done.

I like the detail on the colums.  I need to remember that I can add elements that emphasize the shape.

I have seen the dresses before, but it always makes me think of my childhood.  Mom would always make my closthes for school and I loved that.  I still sew clothes for myself.

It is raining a bit today.  Makes for good sewing weather.  I have to go take down the cultural arts exhibit after church this morning.  Then I can get some time in my favorite room!  I am looking forward to it.