First DJ Block of the year!

I completed my first Dear Jane block of 2010! This one was pretty easy, I don’t mind paper pieced blocks anymore. I still have a few applique blocks prepped, but haven’t had time to work on them yet. Only 1 more block and I have all of the “A” row completed! I just have to figure out the right way to do the last block!

A-12: Paper-pieced

Dear Jane Update

Somehow I managed to get 2 blocks done during the holidays – both were applique so I could work on them while we watched basketball games. I’ve started to get 2 packets a month, and I bought 3 yards of the background fabric so I can start putting the rows together as I finish them. Only 2 more blocks and all of row A is completed!

C-6: Applique
F-13: Applique

Happy New Year!

Well, it’s a new year and I’ve already completed a quilt top! 🙂 I wanted to sew today, but didn’t feel like working on a UFO (Unfinished Object) so I decided to do something new. I found a pattern for a quilter’s sudoku quilt that I had kept from a magazine subscription request that came in the mail and decided it’d be quick and perfect for today! Another plus was that the block size was 4.5″ square and I had that die for my Accuquilt Go! It was so nice and quick to cut the blocks out with the Go – and they are so much more accurate! There was a small pile of waste, but I cut out 81 blocks in less than an hour out of 9 fabrics! It went together pretty quickly, just had to pay close attention to where each block went.

Scraps after using Accuquilt Go to cut out 81 blocks
81 4.5 inch blocks
Quilter's Sudoku

I can now finally post pictures of all the Xmas presents I made this year. I started working on these in September and was working until a few days before Xmas to get them framed. Luckily my mom helped me get them done (thanks Mom!).

Georgia and Brennan are my niece and nephew in Florida – theirs had to be completed first since they had to be shipped. I couldn’t find a frame the right size, so I had to finish hers differently.

Brennan's Looney Toons
Georgia's Care Bears

My sister is a teacher at a day care, so hers was an easy choice. The rest are for my cousin’s little girl, my sister’s best friends little girl and my best friends little girl.

Made for Kimmie (my sister)

Alina's Pooh

I also made some items for my father-in-law and his wife, and when my mom saw the banner, I had to make one for her – along with the hot pad trivet I made her. Oh and I can’t forget the only quilt I made for a present this year for Angela – our friend in Wisconsin that owns a bakery. The white fabric has little cupcakes on it and the backing is all coffee cups.

Chuck & Barb banner 1
Chuck & Barb banner 2
Mom's banner
Angela's Quilt
Mom's trivet

Happy New Year!

It’s getting closer……

What is getting closer? Christmas! I’m frantically working to finish presents! I have 1 quilt and 1 cross stitch picture left to finish stitching…hopefully they will both be done today because I have a pile of pictures to frame! I haven’t had time to work on my Dear Jane blocks, big surprise there!

Had the ladies from Quilt Club over a few weeks ago, and I gave them all ornaments I made. These weren’t as hard as I thought to make, the machine does 98% of the work! They did turn out beautifully though!

IMG_2165
IMG_2164
IMG_2166

I also can now post the Cross Stitch picture I made for one of my friends for her birthday. We celebrated with her last week even though her birthday isn’t until the 22nd. She loves anything patriotic, can you tell?

Jen's Birthday Present 2009

Remember when I posted that I entered an online quilt contest? Well it’s time to vote! Please go over to Quilting Gallery and vote for my quilt! It’s under Small Quilts & Projects called Holiday Stitchings. Thanks!!!

Well, I need to get off the computer and get busy on my projects, need to get them done!!! Be back soon, hopefully with some Dear Jane blocks!

What’s New?

Hmmm…..I’ve been working on Xmas presents for the last few days, trying to get things completed so I’m not rushed at the last minute. Unfortunately I can’t post any pictures of things I’m making for Xmas! While I had things running on the embroidery machine today, I made a scrap sack for next to my machine. It only takes 2 fat quarters, and I have no idea where I found the outside fabric! I picked up the pattern at Hearthside Quilt Shoppe in Kidron over the weekend. It’s an Oceanlake Designs pattern. I had some issues with understanding what I was supposed to be doing – the instructions just didn’t seem that clear to me. But it’s finished, and I’m already thinking of more I should make – 1 for the embroidery machine, 1 for my chair in the family room……*sigh*

Scrap Sack

I’m not sure if I’ll have any pictures for the next couple of days, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I haven’t decided what I’ll take to work on in the afternoon – if I can work on it at all!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

I’ve been busy!

I’ve been busy the last few days working on a quilt for Xmas for a friend. I’ve finally gotten the top completed, I’ll pin it Sunday and start quilting it on Monday. If I’m lucky I’ll have it ready for binding by the holiday and can be working on that after we eat! I can’t post any pics until after Xmas, I don’t know if she reads my blog or not!

The last 2 evenings I spent working on taking embroidery out of a jacket for my dad – someone gave him the jacket and the words just didn’t make sense for him to keep it on there. It was hard, but it looks pretty good – you can’t even tell the stitching was there!

I have about 8 DJ blocks I’ve completed in the last week, I’ve just been too busy to post them yet! I’m up to 33 blocks and 1 triangle (649 pieces) completed. The triangle was easier than I thought because it was paper pieced! Since I’m going to work on pinning the quilt Sunday, maybe I’ll work on more blocks tomorrow night after I get home. My mom, sister and I are going to Kidron, which is Amish country in Ohio. We’ve been making it an annual trip the last 3 years, The Amish Door has AWESOME food! You will never leave there hungry! I will be picking up some fabric at Hearthside Quilt Shoppe in Kidron for my DJ quilt that I will be using as the sashing. So I will be able to start putting rows together soon!

Time to go and relax on the couch until bed!

Something Other Than Dear Jane!

Just a quick note, I have 8 more DJ blocks done, but I’m not posting about them right now! My husband and my sister-in-law are going ghost hunting this weekend at the Mansfield prison – yes I did say ghost hunting! Last time they went I made a bag for my husband to carry all his “tools” in so nothing got lost. Of course, my sister-in-law wanted one too! Since their trip is so close I figured I’d better get it done!

Joni's Ghost Hunting Bag

Do you remember when I posted this quilt?
Xmas Stitches

Well I decided to enter it into a quilt competition at Quilting Gallery. Please vote for mine when it’s time for voting!!!
Holiday Traditions Quilt Contest

I’ll be back soon with more DJ blocks!!!

Dear Jane Progress

I’ve made some more progress on my Dear Jane blocks – I’m up to 26 blocks completed! Cutting and piecing such small blocks is making me be a lot more accurate. I have 9 blocks in row A completed, I’m debating putting them together with the sashing. Another 52 blocks and I’ll have the first 6 rows completed! I’m not sure why I waited for a year to start working on this quilt. I think it’s just thinking of all the blocks that need to be completed. I can’t wait to get the whole thing finished and take it to the guild meeting for show and tell. I’m thinking about sending an email to the shop where I’m getting the BOM from to ask them to send me 2 a month. Since I’m on such a roll, I don’t want to be waiting for more fabric to arrive!

I also can’t believe that I’m thinking about fabrics for another one. I’ve seen some very pretty rainbow ones that I’d love to do using Moda Marbles, now that would be a nice looking quilt if you find the right background (maybe there’s a white or cream Moda Marble?).

Something interesting happened yesterday, I was shopping at Joann’s and was trying to get past a couple of ladies looking at patterns. They were commenting on how hard it looked. I couldn’t help myself and asked “Can you sew a straight seam? If so, you can do this.” One of the ladies walked away to look at something else, but Janice stayed to talk to me for a few minutes. She asked if I taught classes. So I gave her my phone number and told her to call me after the holidays. I might just have something else to do during the days now!

Gotta run, time to get ready to meet the in-laws for drinks!

B-1: Applique
B-1: Applique
E-2: Pieced & Applique
E-2: Pieced & Applique
F-3: Pieced
F-3: Pieced
F-4: Pieced
F-4: Pieced

More Dear Jane Blocks

Yeah I know, I haven’t posted this much in a long time – but I’ve really been excited about working on this quilt – so much so that I’ve started to neglect projects I need to finish for Xmas. I have quite a few applique blocks prepped, so I’m going to see if I can start working on some presents today. Tonight is the guild meeting, so I’ll have to take a break for the meeting. I’m getting much better at the applique – I was trying to use freezer paper, but it wasn’t working well. I’ve been getting better at the needle turn applique – see what you think below 🙂

A-9: Paper Pieced
A-9: Paper Pieced
B-7: Applique
B-7: Applique
E-3: Pieced
E-3: Pieced

DJ Update Time!

Well, I prepped 4 applique blocks on Saturday and managed to finish all 4 of them yesterday while watching movies with my hubby. I’m not 100% happy with the applique, but I can always redo them later if I want. Off to go work on more blocks!

A-3: Applique
A-3: Applique
A-7: Pieced & Applique
A-7: Pieced & Applique
C-9: Applique
C-9: Applique
E-10: Pieced & Applique
E-10: Pieced & Applique