Decorating with Quilts

I started this quilt in 2010 and only work on it while at the cabin.

At Home in the Woods,

by McKenna Ryan.

It will occupy a large, blank wall at the cabin.  

The only problem with working on a quilt over a period of 4 years is you do not have access to the original fabrics anymore.  I have one more long block to fuse and a few accents and it will be ready for the border.  What I like about her patterns is how the shapes spill into the border.  The star of this quilt, in my opinion, is the Aspen Tree in the upper left border.  You can only see the beginnings of it right now. Perhaps it will be a flimsy by Summer 2015.

In order to finish this project, I visited the Durango Quilt Shop. Our local little shop here in Pagosa Springs closed in March...boohoo! The Durango shop has a fabulous collection of batiks! The best thing I came home with though was a new fusible...Soft Fuse Premium.  I am impressed, but have not tried it on wool yet. It is, however, extremely superior for a fusible applique project like this one. Very light weight and strong.

The cabin is the perfect place for decorating with quilts.

 A flannel quilt draped over the chair with a Kim Diehl design on the wall.

 A Kathleen Tracy quilt draped over the staircase railing. See that big blank wall...that is where the McKenna Ryan quilt will hang.

 Bear in the Woods, by Liberty Homestead alongside some of my photography. I am a wanna be wildlife photographer. LOL! The quilt hanger is by Summer Sky Creations. They do a great job at custom hangers!

Seasonal small quilts.

Small quilts on the dining table, designed by Miss Rosies Quilt Co.

A log cabin quilt on our bed, designed by Kim Diehl.

The guest bedroom with another Kim Diehl quilt on the bed and a Jo Morton design on the wall.

Hope you have enjoyed the quilt tour.

How do you decorate with quilts?

Haste, Makes Waste!!

I am diligently working on checking things off my UFO/WIP list.

Hopefully, this darling table topper from Kim Diehl's book, Simple Seasons, will be done in time for Easter next year if I just work an hour a day on the applique. 

However, when I rush to the finish line, it gets further and further away.

My Album Quilt, from Kathleen Tracy's new book, Civil War Sewing Circle, was this close to a finish when I noticed I had placed three VERY similar blocks all together (they are on the right side and all 3 blocks use the same brown fabric and 2 blocks are identical.)  Yikes! Time for a little unsewing.

Good reason to see what the Decorah Eagles are up to and work on a little hand applique!

I'm a guest blogger over at Sew We Quilt @ Stash Manicure

Yes, even though I had to endure bonehead English in college, I am a guest blogger over at Sew We Quilt @ Stash Manicure!

Probably the scariest thing I have done in recent years, besides get my scuba certification.

Big hugs to M. Samm for even considering me for this honor!

And a bigger hug to my editor-in-chief, Rosie, for giving me my lead in lines.

My focus is charitable donations and the tutorial I provided is geared towards FAST, FUN, and NO FUSS quilt piecing.  I know, so out of the box for me, the precision piecer, but I did have a blast putting the quilt together.  I had so much fun that I have started another one that is red, white and blue and will go to the Quilts of Valor organization. I would encourage you to collect those orphan fabrics and make a quilt designated for a charitable organization of your choice.  There are so many of them out there that would love your contribution, no matter how humble.

In other news, I finished a doll quilt from Kathleen Tracy's new book, The Civil War Sewing Circle.  It is her Shoofly Doll Quilt.

I also bound my Calico Comfort quilt and can take it off my UFO/WIP priority list.

Now on to the next project~

perhaps my album quilt, now that I have all the 'out of town' signatures collected.



A February Full of Finishes!

I am quite proud of myself.

February was a very productive and satisfying month for me.

I finished (now that is a word you will not often see me use!)

3 items on my UFO/WIP priority list, in addition to completing 4 small quilts, and managed to fit in 50 siggy blocks.

I have made 3 more CW blocks for Barbara Brackman's BOW.

Decided to add in a little gold...the red, white and blue got a little stale for me.

Kinda like that khaki colored background behind the blocks. 

Just got a new Bonnie Blue basics in TOWQS that might be the perfect sashing color for these puppies.  Hmmm, food for thought.

I have updated my UFO/WIP list to include 3 new projects I am anxious to start and hopefully someday finish.  Kathleen Tracy over at the Small Quilt Talk Yahoo Group is having a UFO challenge.  Even though binding my Calico Comfort, her design by the way, was already on my list, I have entered it as my challenge to complete. 

Yah, I know what you are thinking!

So now I am ready to March right on in to a new month!

Do you think I could come up with a Shamrock Lil Twister design?

A little this and a little that...

Right now, I am busy binding Serendipity found.  Not an exciting process, so I dabble in a few other projects to keep myself entertained (or from going crazy---binding is my least favorite part of a quilt!)

Finished the last block for the Paris in the Fall BOM at TOWQS.

It was a challenging block to say the least.

Then doing what I love to do best... 

drafting and piecing blocks for the Farmer's Wife Quilt.

The rest of the time... 

I keep making siggy blocks for my Album Quilt designed by Kathleen Tracy.

Mine will be 4x4 and I am waiting for a few more signed blocks to return before I piece it together.

I love Kathy's patterns--accurate and easy to follow instructions.

Not all patterns are like that!

Others have been busy too.

Satu's recent additions to her 1880 Sampler (her blog can be found here) and...

Bettina (her blog can be found here) always keeps current.

Charlene in NH just contacted me and I expect pictures of all of her blocks soon.

Another block pattern posted today for a total of 9, enough to assemble the first 3 diagonal rows, so next week I will include sashing and setting triangle cutting instructions.

I haven't made the last two installments in Barbara Brackman's Civil War BOW.

Other priorities right now and they look easy, so I can catch up.

And, BTW, my inspiration for my Valentine Twister quilt came from Jeanne over at Crystal Creek Quilts.

Jump on over and see the beautiful job she did on Lori's doll quilt along.  Tell her Cheryl sent you.

Spring is around the corner, so I think I will head to the plant nursery today for some cheery annuals.  The frost we had in Jan. and Feb. did a number on our yard.  Lots of work trimming and replacing as needed, but I love to work with my hands gardening.  Just not next to those dang jumping cholla cacti!

Signature Blocks and a Civil War theme!

This week will be consumed with signature blocks.

First I will make 50 siggy blocks for my Small Quilt Talk Yahoo group's exchange.

The fabric is washed and ironed, ready to start.

Then I'll continue to work on my Album Quilt from Kathleen Tracy's new book,

The Civil War Sewing Circle.

Just waiting on a few signatures.

Love the Civil War Chronicles fabric from Judie Rothermel!

#6-Richmond

and... 

#5 Kansas Troubles

from Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts BOTW. 

Here they all are.

Notice the one that is conspicuously missing!!

I finished piecing my doll quilt for Christine's exchange.

I attempted to reproduce an antique doll quilt.

I am very pleased with the result and hope Lisa will like it as well.

Monthly Meeting of SSQSG

Halloween afternoon was spent in the company of some very talented women--the ladies of my Small Scale Quilt Study Group.

This pincushion was from a class offered at The Attic in Mesa, AZ.

Tamami will donate this ornament to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research through a charitable auction held at the Attic. I learned that the technique she used is called hardanger.

Kristine made us all green with envy over her stash of goodies obtained during a shopping spree at Primitive Gatherings.  And between working furiously over the last month with all the insurance claims our nationally broadcast hail storm caused, she managed to piece not one, but two broken dishes quilts and a Lori Smith quilt.

Pauline was busy with Schnibbles quilt tops.

Lin's 'Peonies' came back from the quilter...

...and she shared a few other finishes as well. 

The silly pumpkins are a Kim Diehl pattern.

Betty has been busy making ornaments, one for each of her children, their spouses and their children.

 My favorite is the little lamb for her granddaughter. 

Kathy's granddaughter will stay warm and cozy under the quilt Kathy is making for her.  

 Kathy also finished the applique on her miniature version of 'Orange Peel Quilt' by Kathy Tracy.

Last night we dined on the best fritters made with butternut squash. The recipe can be found in the October 2010 issue of Sunset magazine.  I shouldn't share it because of copyright laws, I guess, but I highly recommend it. YUM!

Bounding to the finish line!

The problem with actually finishing a quilt top is that it eventually comes back from the quilter, and then you have to complete the process and bind it. Over the last week, I have bound 2 Schnibbles quilts for the shoppe, my Kathy Tracy challenge quilt, and my Ladder to Success-Version 1.2 quilt for the cover of my new pattern. My little fingers are sore! It is too hot to wear a thimble. Hopefully, the pattern will be available at the shoppe in a week or so. It has to go to the graphic designer/printer first--aka, my daughter.

I borrowed an idea from Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. and incorporated my label into the quilt back. Not only do I think this is attractive, but a more secure method of labeling our works of art. Now it will be very difficult for anyone to remove the label and claim it as their own! Carrie displays her quilts at the Old Worlde Quilt Shoppe where I teach, and we always enjoy flipping the quilts over and seeing what quote or verse she has added to her label.

And our Ms. Daphne has given the quilt her stamp of approval. Really, I think she does this so I will rub her belly.

The next picture is for those of you who do not live in the Sonoran Desert. While in CO, I treated you to the wildflowers. It isn't wildflower season here, but we still have our wild things. This handsome fella brought his family shopping for good eats in the wash behind my home. When I snapped his photo, he barked at me and the rest of the family, including some very cute little ones, scurried off into the cover of the dense,desert foliage. All baby animals are cute, even Javelinas!

Don't worry. The only reason I got so close to him is that our rod iron fence stood between us!

The Geese have landed...all 92 of them!

The geese are finished! Yippy! I love the look of the quilt so far. Now the challenge, I mean fun, begins with designing the borders. Thanks to clip art, I just might be able to design some folk art applique. I will include sunflowers, which are everywhere here right now, pumpkins, crows and of course, eggplant! I may have to change the border fabric so that my wool will 'pop,' but I am headed to AZ this coming week and can visit my favorite store!


I am living up to my reputation! I have started another quilt project, but just a little mini! I have joined Kathleen Tracy's yahoo group and decided to do the challenge quilt. Her theme is romance and the blocks are sawtooth stars. First, I had to find fabric that was 'romantic.' When I made the first block, it was too large for my liking, so I drafted them to finish as 4" blocks instead of 5". That way I can set them on point and still meet her size restrictions. My plan is to donate it to the small quilt auction at the AQG show. Here are the first two blocks and my fabric choices.


For those of you who saw last nights blog, I obviously solved my own problem and I'm back in blog heaven. Hopefully, my daughter will finish piecing a Schnibbles pattern she is working on and I will share all the ones I have made with you next time.
Until then...