Borders On! Quilt Top Finished!

Got the borders on my new Freedom Stars Flag Quilt.  You would know I decided to change how the borders were supposed to be added!  I wanted them mitered!  I think it's neat how the corners turned out, though all four are a little different, and one is not quite perfect.  (That's because I failed to really center everything the same --- Duh!)  While there's that little problem, I'm thinking it's good enough for who it's for ----ME!  It is 68" square, and really is straight; just not pinned straight to that fancy design wall hung over the patio doors and waving in the wind from the ceiling fans! *giggle* The red/white stripe fabric like the inner border is also cut on the bias for the binding after I get it quilted.  Don't know when that will be --- I'm wanting to start another similar (maybe; definitely different) top tomorrow maybe, while I still have all the patriotic fabrics out! 

Now it's on to better things...... like the bed!  I'm a tired old lady!

(Just for the record --- we've now had two days in a row over 100 degrees! --- Hope summer is not like last year! 

---"Love"

MY New Patriotic Quilt in The Making

Just can't wait to show what I've been doing the last two days with some of that new fabric in my last post!

All the fabrics and the pattern are from the Henry Glass website,  "Freedom Stars" pattern.  Those are 12" stars!  Hope to get the borders on this week-end if possible. 

This is the first time in quite a while that I've gone totally by a pattern!  Maybe I should do that more often!  This has gone together very easily!

Now if I could just talk Ruth into quilting it for me!  (Just kidding, but I think that's a great idea!)

---"Love"

"Circle of Friends" and "Give Thanks" Quilts

Last Thursday I brought home a quilt from the church quilters' group so I could bind it.  I had to go to the quilt store for a yard of black fabric, and in addition, I came home with all this:

When I studied my pattern, I discovered I had missed one necessary fabric, shorted on another, and didn't have a backing, so I went back to the store Wednesday and got this:

It is from the Freedom's Star collection by Henry Glass, and all was washed and ironed before the pictures, all ready to get started!  I just fell in love with the entire collection and had to have it!  I think I have enough for two quilts! 

After quilting all day at church today, I got 48 flying geese made tonight and I'm ready to put 12 stars together on Friday.  This one is going to be for ME!   I hope I can get it together by July 4!

I did get the binding on the church "Give Thanks" panel quilt.  The panel was donated, with the machine pieced and outer borders already on it, and some of the ladies did a rush job on the handquilting to get it in the youth auction July 1 for youth camp fees.  It turned out pretty nice (wants to wave a little), and is 69" x 51". 

Three of us stayed until after 4 PM to complete the circle quilt, which is 111" x 99" (I think).  We are very pleased with it, and it was done completely by machine, mostly by one of our newest quilters!  She is a miracle worker!  The pattern is "Not Your Traditional Cathedral Window", and is the result of all those circles I showed some time ago.  It will be auctioned in the fall sometime for the Christmas ski trip for the youth. 

After a luncheon next Thursday to celebrate the completion, the church group will disband until school starts in the fall (thank goodness!). 

Seems like there was something else I wanted to share, but it's really late, and I'm brain-dead and tired!

Hope everyone has a great week-end!  I do hope to sew --- if life doesn't get in the way---or the yard!

---"Love"

"The Big IF"

I've been toying and struggling with a wall hanging since my May 2 post, and today I finally got it finished!  At that point it was really just a figment of my imagination, and while I really like the idea, I'm not sure I've done my best on it.  (For sure, I've not done the best on my pictures, but I want to get them before you and get this one named "COMPLETED!" )

In late April when Hobby Lobby started putting out all their patriotic things, there was a ceramic cross about 12-15" tall that stood on a base.  It had these same words on it, and I wanted it, but didn't buy it;  instead, I decided I could make a wall hanging like it.  Little did I realize it would be more difficult than I had thought!

It has been a lesson in fabric selection, actual designing from the beginning, and most of all patience and determination!  I wanted it to be in patriotic fabrics.....but would that really be appropriate for the subject matter?  I wanted to use pieced stars, or 9-patches, or something in red/white/blue, but the central theme section (which I pieced first) got lost when I laid some of my other patriotic quilts adjacent to it.   I dug through my stash again and came upon a piece of dark navy with tan stars that did allow the central portion to stand out.  I had exactly the right length of it.  Next question:  should I applique the center, or piece the navy around it?  Decisions, decisions!  I decided to piece it!  Then came the question on how to quilt it! 

As with my two big patriotic quotation quilts, I was driven to do this, and it's message just had to be evident!  It is not perfect, but I'm pleased --- for the most part.  I've named the quilt "The Big IF",  with a sub-title of  "God's Conditional Promise".   For some reason, I can't seem to get a good picture of my writing, but you can read II Chronicles 7:14 for the exact wording.  Throughout this whole project, I kept thinking that IF we would do what this verse says, God would lead us out of the darkness portrayed by the navy fabric.  Okay; sermon's over!  You can read into it whatever you wish.  *grin*

It will be donated for auction July 1 for the church youth group for summer camp, along with the other little patriotic quilt from my May 2 post, and also the blue/yellow doll quilt from all those 2" half-square triangles. .
I do want to tell you I quilted it on my sister's Singer Quantum CXL machine, which makes a much prettier stitch than my Viking!  Of course, I did only straight stitching, and with the walking foot, it handled perfectly!   I'll probably be using it more than I had thought.  I'm going to experiment with some free motion quilting practice on it soon. 

Okay, here it is:  (40.5" x 25.5", complete with hanging sleeve and label )

Double click on the next two to read them.

I did make one more Civil War block, but I'll have to re-make it; it came up short of the 8.5" needed! Either I didn't cut right, or forgot to move my needle to 1/4"! *frown!*

Happy quilting, everyone!

---"Love"

Baby Quilt Finally Finished!

Finally, last night I got the baby quilt finished, just in time for the shower today!  I've used this pattern so many times, I should be able to do it in my sleep; such was not the case this week.  Without the usual printed words (Comfort of the Psalms pattern), I had to select the fabrics at random, and random is certainly what I got!  It is 48" x 39".  She wanted purple and green, and I just had to go with the softer shades for my own satisfaction.  There is an obvious (to me) piecing mistake, but maybe the little mother won't see it, and with any luck at all, the grandmother won't either.  Can you find it?  The quilt really does have straight edges and lies flat; the ceiling fan decided to play tricks with it just as I snapped the picture.

I decided to machine quilt each block with a "X", no matter what the size of the block.  It created a rather strange pattern on the back, but at least it will be secure.  I thought it needed something to stabilize it for the frequent washings, but I wasn't pleased with the little bit of stippling I tried, so I ripped it all out and started over.  Here's a look at the back:

I haven't had time to do any other quilting this week.  I helped with two funeral dinners (Wednesday and Thursday) and played for the one on Thursday.  I've heard I may be playing for another on Monday; not sure yet on that one. 

When I got home from the Thursday funeral, I had a message that another of my cousins had died.  His memorial service will be in the north Metroplex (where I do NOT drive).  My cousin from South Texas said he is probably coming up for the service, and will take me with him next Thursday night.  When you get to be my age, you'll understand that funerals of friends and family get to be the norm!

As for now, I've got to get ready for just the opposite:  the baby shower! 

Hope everyone is having a great week-end.  The weather has been absolutely gorgeous yesterday and today.  Earlier in the week, I was awakened by large hail hitting all my windows.  I'll have the roof checked, but I hope it wasn't damaged.  The wind also left my yard covered with leaves and little branches and dead twigs that I had to clean up.  At least we weren't hit hard like other places have been!

Maybe tonight or tomorrow, I can sew a bit! 

---"Love"