Time for Gifts

I spent Thanksgiving weekend working on small gifts--Mug Rugs. These are fun to make and fast to finish:

Finished, they are about 8" x 10", the perfect size for a cuppa and a cookie or two:

Isn't this great fabric!?  "Live the Life you Imagined", "Do What you Love and Love What you Do". Wish I had lots more of it. Janet had a great eye for fun fabrics:

Several times this year I have written about my friend, Janet, who passed away from a stroke this past February. All the fabrics used for these mug rugs were from Janet's stash. She even made all the "Beach Cottage" houses. When I got these at the Estate Sale for Janet's belongings, I knew they would be perfect gifts for a special group of women.  

Janet continues to inspire many of us. One of the Sunday Sew and Sews shared a label for the quilt she made for her son and his bride. It includes a quote from Dr. Janet Noever that Donna says she will now include on all her gifted quilts going forward. "When you sleep under a quilt, you are covered in love."  

Labels should tell the who, what, when, where and why of a quilt. Donna got it all covered:

                                         

Several of those who bought quilt tops at the Estate Sale have now finished them and are enjoying the work of Janet's hands in their own homes. I have seen several featured on Facebook. Janet's legacy lives on in these completed quilts. 

When you give a quilt to someone you love, your Legacy lives on.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

How Do You Eat an Elephant?

One bite at a time...

This is my Lifetime Quilt, Thousands of 1.25" finished half square triangle units, all from reproduction fabrics. I give step-by-step instructions and more background in this post, written more than two years ago. This post shows how I make the units today, cutting pairs with a half square triangle ruler:  updated method.  What you see here are 7296 triangles.

When finished it will be 100" x 100" and contain 12,800 triangles. Today I wanted to see how far along I am--I have decided I want to finish this quilt in 2018. So far, it's been made exclusively as my "Leader/Ender" project, but it may get a little more attention in the coming months. Today I have to cut more triangle pairs, the supply is getting low.

Yesterday I taught two classes. First, was Mug Rugs to two students who were excited to make small projects, perfect for gifts. Rosa brought her machine and in two hours completed these, and was eager to go home and make more:

Top one is completely done, bottom needs quilting

The bottom one is the reverse side of the bottom one shown above--adorable!

The other student, Mary, brought her notebook and while Rosa sewed, we all discussed lots more design ideas--Pinterest has a wealth of pictures to give you ideas. Decide on a size you like, then cut extra hunks of batting into that size. Throughout the year you can easily make one or two a month and then have great gifts ready to go by Christmas. Mary works with a group making Quilts of Valor and she liked my idea of using the leftover fabrics from each quilt to make a pair of mug rugs to present to the spouse of the veteran, when presenting the quilt.

The afternoon class was Session 4 of Long Time Gone--13 students are plugging away at this one:

 Not everyone was able to be in class this time and not everyone put their whole quilt up but aren't these fun?!

We were all taken with Joan's Birdhouses, a wonderful way to accent this block.

They don't bring machines to this class, just the pattern book and their questions and their blocks. I bring my  machine and demo lots of tips for each block, and I do believe they are all learning a lot.

I have the first 5 sections done--next month I'll show them how to do partial seaming to join Section 5 blocks together.

And now for a laugh--Cyndi in the Long Tine Gone class sat where Rosa had been in the Mug Rug class. Cyndi raided the trash bucket for the chunks of fabric she found there--what Rosa threw away, Cyndi recognized as perfect for our tiny little blocks. One woman's trash is another woman's treasure:

Christmas is a week away and I have two projects to start and finish by then. And I have to clear off the extra spare bed, the one I call my "Archaeological Dig":

Since we have two spare bedrooms, I keep one always ready for guests, but this one... This one holds quilts most of the time. It will take me a while to remove and dump in a pile in the studio, most of these quilts.

Fortunately, several are being shipped to Road to California tomorrow. The Smitten class filled the first week, the Antique Rose Star has only a few spots left, and 2-for-1 is more than half full, quite a good showing for this largely "unknown" teacher. If you are attending Road to California in January 2018, I'd love to see you in class OR in the Roundabout Event Saturday evening--I'll be demonstrating several super tips for improving your binding technique. More info is here.

If you don't hear from me this week, I'm either buried under quilts, sewing those gifts, or baking cookies. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, blessed Kwanzaa, whatever you celebrate may it include family and friends.

Let's quilt,

Barbara

Mug Rugs, a little late


It's that pre-Christmas rush here, as it may be at your house.  I keep thinking of all the things I haven't done yet and some of them may get pushed off the list entirely.  Wrapping gifts still has to happen and I still need to find something, anything, for my husband.  Next year, all done shopping by November 30, that's my plan. 

Mug Rugs, waiting for bindings to be stitched down.  All the backs are the Michael Miller fabric at top

Apple Crumble Pie--what I made when I should have been sewing bindings





Patches, getting used to being the only cat, sticks close to me when I'm home

I had hoped to get the mug rugs done as soon as I came home from Houston--I was lucky enough to win the tablecloth on our table at a special event and thought it would be fun to make gifts with it for others who sat at my table.  Better late than never and they don't know this is my plan so they will be surprised with their  New Year's Gifts.

The other day I went to a shelter to get a new furry friend.  Patches hissed at him some as he explored all over.  About an hour after we came home I discovered he had diarrhea and he went right back to the shelter.  So far, my healthy Patches doesn't seem to have gotten it--I removed and sanitized the litter box he used.  Think I'm done bringing home new cats at this point.  

 

Super Southern Star, Calico Carriage Designs pattern, 82" x 82"



Another must do, was to get this binding in place and take this quilt to my local quilt shop--it's a class sample for a one day class in January.  I just got it back from the quilter, really wish I had planned ahead better.  It's a pattern from Calico Carriage Designs, Southern Star, and is my go-to pattern for college graduation quilts for nieces and nephews.  Most students can get the top at least half done in the one day class. 

 

Check out Judy L's Design Wall blog to see what others are rushing to finish.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours.   Let's Quilt!

 

Barbara