Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween to everyone!

We usually have lots of trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood. It is great fun to watch them all having a great time. Our count was around 100 children last year. Out home is all decorated and ready.

OK, I get caught up in the schnibbles! I made all these mug mats from other project left-overs. Does anyone else make these small pieces? I just love to have something portable to work on with my hands, at appointments, etc. Fun!

I saw this green quilt in one issue of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. It was a series quilt over several months, but the trouble was, I only had the one issue. So I drafted it myself. I love the outcome. There are exactly one zillion tiny 1/2 square triangles, finishing at 1 inch. Of course, it still needs to be quilted...
It comes complete with unclipped threads. :)

The small table runner is just for the Fourth of July. Wrong season, huh!! But it has been cut out a long time, and I decided it needed to be put together. I machine quilted it. The pattern is from Bonnie at Quiltville, which I just love.

Hope you all enjoy this day!!

JulieQ

Saturday house cleaning

Howdy y'all!! (after all, I am in the south, so must speak like the natives, right?):)

I have been whirling around here cleaning house and just took a break for some quilting time. You know, it is clean enough to eat on the floors, (sometimes), but still looks cluttery!! Too much stuff!! but I am working on that, too.

I would like to show you some pictures of old quilts. The lavender Irish chain is from the 1930's. I bought it from the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. I guess
they sell some of their donated quilts for income for the museum. It is just so well done, it is amazing. Tiny little stitches, and feathered wreaths in every white square. Thousands of hours of work into this one for sure!! It has a prominent fold across the middle, from when I purchased it. I try to not fold quilts the same way twice, so hopefully it will soften. I just love it...

The string pieced one is from my mother-in law's house. It was found in a trunk, and looks to be seldom if ever used. Maybe 1940's? What is your best guess, all you quilters out there?? It has been washed, though. It is string pieced, hand quilted, and the backing turned to the front for a running stitch turned binding. Every kind of fabric in the world is in this quilt.

The little kaleidoscope quilt is one I did in 2005. I call it wheel of mystery. Do do you the big glaring error I made in the piecing?? Funny thing is, I just noticed the error recently!! I like it anyway.

The other quilt is a mystery quilt completed in 1997. I had no idea what I would end up with, and the pattern pieced did not fit together as prescribed. But I persevered anyway. I don't think there is one corner visible on the whole quilt (all cut off)!! We have just about used this one up! I sure busted some stash with this one.

Hope you all are having a glorious fall day. I like being home today!!

Quiltingly yours,

JulieQ

Speeellling (spelling)

OK, you guys, I will always have a few misspelled words and things like that in my posts. The details escape me. So will you just bear with that?? Please? :) What I meant was, Have a day full(not fun) of fun and love and quilts!!

JulieQ

Now what??

Hi everyone!! Back to the land of the living. I have been buried at the hospital for several days straight, but was called off today due to low census( no patients). Can't say that I minded that much!

It has been cool (40's) and raining here in Texas. Very nice!!! I included a bad picture of our little Rusty poodle. He doesn't like the camera, and it is tough to get a good picture of him. He supervises and runs the household according to his wishes and whims. :) Don't most pets??

Ok, now to the meat of this post. What do I do now?? In this stage of a quilt, I get stuck...every time! How do I quilt this quilt? I would like to accentuate the diagonal flying geese aspect, but love to do baptist fans. What do I do? I am mostly a hand quilter, but at this stage I just want to ship it off to the longarmer and say "help me, please!!" So give me your best opinion, I value you experts out there!!

I used all the half square triangle except five left over. Pretty cool, huh! Hardly any waste, and these won't be wasted either. I don't know how many yards are busted out of my stash with this quilt, but it drapes over the sides of my queen sized bed, so quite a few!! and that is a good thing.

Hope your day is wonderful and fun of peace and love and quilts!!

julieQ

fall is coming!!

Hi all!

Fall is here! The mornings are so crisp, I just love it. My Mom did not like fall, she thought it was a death of sorts, the drying leaves, the browning grass. But for me, I enjoy the colors and smells of fall!! Sort of preparation for new life; potential energy, sort of like fabrics are potentially quilts and seeds are potential new plants!

Here is our string quilt on our bed. We use it a lot.

The next picture is a little quilt I have been working on for a while. I know, I know, no more little quilts is what I said!! But I had to finish this one...right?? Can we altogether say "Yuck"!! Some ideas are better left in my head, not put into fabric realization. But at least it is a finish. This is one of those situations when I get caught up in the little tiny leftover pieces, and the original big project just sits there and ages... I cut the pieces for the big quilt, then the leftovers are so intriguing that I cut smaller and smaller pieces...The strings finish are 1/4 inch at times on this piece. It is a string pieced quilt, and I put borders around the strings, then the half square triangles, then put it altogether. I don't know what I was thinking, because I can't see to quilt on the black anyway.



Thank all of you for your kind comments. You are the bestest!!

Quiltingly yours,

JulieQ

ok, forgot the pic...HA!

ok, this is what I got done...

So here is the day's progress. Interrupted due to housework, laundry, and life. But a lot done!! And those half square bonus triangles? Will be the border!!

JulieQ

progress and thankfulness

Hi to everyone!! Thanks to everyone who made me feel so welcome on the Quilting for Pleasure ring. This is so fun!! It is hard to believe that I can interact with someone in Norway, someone in Australia...just so neat to share our live, isn't it.

I am off today, so am working on my lavender Pineapple ala Bonnie ( Quiltville). She has such fun awesome patterns, check her out if you have not!!

The orangish quilt is one I saw at the Dallas Quilt Show, and the lady said on her comment she just wanted to get it done. So I have been working on mine for a year at least. All the pieces are cut and ready, all I need to do is sit my fanny down and do it! It will twelve blocks when done, and just really needs to be hand quilted (it whispered to me) :)

Do you like my old milking stool? I was brought up on a farm, so reminded me of home times, so I relieved the antique store of it (on clearance). I have used it for sitting, for a plant stand, and all sorts of fun stuff.

I especially love this little quilt, the rose ring quilt. It is small, just wall hanging size. It was inspired by a pattern in a library book. The funny thing is, I had to make up part of the pattern (having returned the libray book too soon, but on time) :( sometimes I sabotage myself a little, I think!! Of course, it was checked out for months after that, so I just finished it my own way. It is entirely hand worked, from seams, to applique, to quilting.

The old crock has some of my doll and little quilts in it. I will show those another day...I have vowed to try to make just bed-sized quilts, because I tend to get stuck in the "trimmings" and scraps, and forget about the original big project that the scraps came from...sigh...but it is fun!!


I hope everyone has peace and is enjoying our fall time.

Quiltingly yours,

JulieQ

a level four...

I just had to share the news that I am a "level four" nurse at my hospital!! Which means on the clinical ladder, that is as high as you can get! The decision committee just decided today...Lots of work went into the presentation and book of documentation, but it was worth it...So I am so happy! Yahoooooooo!!

JulieQ

Wheewww!!!!!!!!

Hi all! I have worked 6 -12 hours shifts in a row, so am ready for some quilting time for sure.

I am showing a picture of my string quilt inspired by of course Mary, who makes the most wonderful string/strip pieced quilts for charity, and also by Bonnie from Quiltville. I just had to try it, and used some stripped fat quarters given to me by a quilting friend. Also, I threw in bits and pieces of everything but the kitchen sink, so this is truly scrappy. It has Christmas fabrics, Old calicoes, brights, reproductions (not too many of these), and just everything. I made a block at a time and then sashed it together. We use it rotating on our bed.

Does anyone else have a rash of just cutting kits?? I have 4 whole quilts cut out now, just no time to complete them! I actually love to do this, then I can just have the fun of sewing, sewing, sewing...I have organized each kit into a bin with all the cut fabrics and thread, etc.

I have started the sawtooth borders of my Rose Sampler Supreme quilt. I mitered the white borders by hand, and it seemed to come out better than on the machine. Does anyone knowhow to do this easily?

I am grateful to be home today; I hope everyone has a quiltey fun day!

JulieK