Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry, Merry Christmas!!

 I wish everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!  December has disappeared in a blur of work, more work, and more work!  But!!  I have made some progress on the postage stamp quilt.  It will have 8000 pieces when completed.  Here are some of the "twosies" put together.   This is all the pieces I have for it, until I get more scraps cut up.
 I put all the units in the brown bag and shook it all up!  Then I pick a couple out at random and zip them together.
So now I am making "foursies!)  A very wise woman asked me why I didn't strip piece this quilt...well duh!  I didn't think of that!  So I am just sewing all these little one inch squares together, one...by one...by one!!

And I am loving it!!  Yes, I sew at the old kitchen table.  Probably 40 years old at least.


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Just thinking here!!  How many quilts do you have to bind?  I am thinking of having a BINDING BLITZ!!

Now 'fess up...is it just me, or do you have a pile of quilts that need BINDING??  Let's have a binding blitz in 2015!  How about each month, we work on binding one (or more) of those quilts, in our stolen moments, maybe at night or whenever we get a moment. I will create a linky thing (help, someone show me how), and at the end of the month we can show our finished, bound quilts.  ( and label at the same time!)    We can enjoy each other's quilts and maybe encourage each other to finish up those bindings!  Bonus!!  Each month you link up, you will be put in a drawing for a prize!  How's that for fun?  So GET READY for the BINDING BLITZ!!!

Blitz = a sudden, energetic, and concerted effort, typically on a specific task




There are so many quilts out there I am itching to make...but finishing the ones in progress is important too.  So here we go!!  Pick out some of those quilts just crying out for binding and start!!!

Now...if you are one of those born organized people who just finish each quilt, one at a time...please disregard.  WISH I WERE JUST LIKE YOU!  But for the rest of us...let's BIND!!!


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I am also thinking of other things in the NEW YEAR...but my plans usually are run off the tracks by scraps, calling my name, to come and play and make scrap quilts!!  Stay tuned, though...you never know what will come across my little brain!



Hugs to all, and I hope you all had a wonderful day today.



Julie

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Turning Twenty!!!!!




 You will just never, ever believe what happened to me this past week at work!!  I had a darling patient at work at the hospital...just a sweetheart.  I met her daughter, and she looked familiar to me.  So I asked if she or her mom were quilters...and she politely asked, "Have you heard of Turning Twenty Quilting?"  WELL OF COURSE I HAD!!!  I was speaking to Tricia Cribbs!!  My heart just flip-flopped...I was speaking to QUILTING ROYALTY!!!  To make a long story longer, Tricia is just the soul of kindness and gentleness and goodness...she was so sweet to answer all my silly questions about her life and career, and guess what?? Tricia gave us one of her NEWEST BOOKS to give away on the blog!!  Now how nice is that??  So just leave a comment about anything, really...how about a fun Christmas experience...those comments will be extra fun to read!  And you will be entered in the drawing.  Please go see Tricia's website HERE.  You will just go crazy like I did...she is truly a talented quilter, designer and person.   Please see her blog HERE!!  I just have never had such a wonderful time at work...I could hardly keep my eye on the ball and get my duties done at work!
 Well, I am back at hand quilting this quilt.  I do love it so much, with all it's imperfections. I don't know how to photograph quilting lines... I outline quilted all the blocks, and the outside border...and then I bound it.  I know, I know, I am not supposed to bind until the very end...but it was ravelling and I pinned carefully and thoroughly...and it turned out just fine.  I am doing double line quilting in all the blocks.  It is super fun, although quite slow.  I have a blister right now from quilting, so have to wait for that to heal up so I can quilt some more.
 All the swap blocks are pieced!!  I just love all these pretty nine patches you sent...and these are the blocks I designed with them.  Now what to do to set them all together...?  100 nine patches means 25 blocks...so one will be a pillow, I am sure.
The wheels are turning!!!!  Stay tuned...I am thinking of a unique way to sash them, or set them together.  It is strange that all these little nine patches came from different quilters...they all go together just perfectly!!




And the BIG THING!!  I have been piecing...and piecing...and piecing....on my postage stamp quilt.  Seriously, hours of piecing.  And the rest of the hours have been spent on cleaning and getting ready for Christmas.  Tricia had an amazing postage stamp quilt with her at the hospital...and it just really inspired me to get after mine and GETERDUN!!!!




Have a great day, everyone!!!

Julie

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Crumby quilts are fun!

 Would you believe it?  I still have some crumbs left in the old pretzel tin!!  I made these blocks, all straight edged pieces.  ( I have a bag of curvey pieces...for another crumb quilt...someday)  These blocks are kind of like the old mile a minute blocks, I think.  I sewed the sashing and corner stones all together between last night and this morning.  I love it!!  In person, it has much more electricity than in the pictures.
 A close up...the blocks are 6x8 inch finished, made of two halves 4x6 inch, of crumb pieces trimmed to size.  Then I bordered each block, then made the sashing.  I made two other corner stones and sashing sets before I settled on this setting!!  So those will go into other quilts.  Nothing wasted...
And the whole thing.  I will finish it up with a bright scrappy binding, which is already made.   Wheewwwww!!  Now maybe I can think about the Bonnie Hunter Quiltville Mystery quilt!!!  I am so up in the air about what fabrics, etc to use on that mystery...still thinking!!




Thank you for your kindness and wise words and prayers for me on my last post.  Each of you mean the world to me...thank you for sharing your hearts.



Julie

Monday, December 1, 2014

Creative Chaos!

 I BOUGHT a quilt!!  This is from Jo's Country Junction.  Jo was DE-stashing, and I was lucky enough to purchase this quilt from her.  Jo is moving to her dream house that she and her husband have been working hard on all year.  All I know about the quilt is that is it from Iowa. It is hand cross stitched, and hand quilted. The binding is one inch wide.  It is incredible!!  Please see Jo's blog HERE.
 It is a large quilt too.  Can't you see this in applique???  It is soft and just a very pretty quilt.  Can you quilt experts tell me how old it is?  Is it a kit quilt??
 I have been playing in the smallest scraps.  These are crumbs, and the smallest pieces of fabric I have.  I keep them all in an old pretzel tin, and love to sort through them and use them all up.
 After several different designs, I am sticking with this.  The cornerstones were made a long time ago, for another project, but they did not get used. I just love scraps!!  Do you throw them away, or do you hoard them and love them and use them???  NO right answer here, I just think I may be a little bit nutty for them, LOL!!  Are you too??  Hee!
And plaids!!  My friend Chantal sent these to me...They are soft and just yummy pieces of shirts...I am crazy for these too!  Many thanks,  dear friend!!  See her blog HERE.  Chantal makes amazing quilts...beautiful quilts...treat yourself to a visit to her blog.




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Hey, maybe one of you smart ladies or gents know the answer to this.  I get a comment, and it used to always to my hot mail, and I would answer.  Now the comments don't go there consistently.  What is happening?  Anyone know??

********************************Nurse's notes******************************

I have been floated or cancelled almost every shift I was scheduled for the last few weeks.  I had the opportunity to float to the ICU, where I took care of two multiple sclerosis patients.  Now these neuro muscular disease patients always have a special place in my heart, due to my mother's illness with ALS.  So I was blessed!  Turns out one of these patients is my neighbor...and the other, quite ill and ventilator dependent. I just really loved caring for them...and the best thing?  It was busy!!  BUSY, busy...I loved that, and they want me to come work there full time!  So...I have some soul searching to do...do I go work with the sickest of the sick...or remain in my current job with open heart recovery...which is so slow I can't get any hours!!!? I have been at this cardiac nursing thing for 18 years, in this hospital, and before that six years in another hospital.  Pondering here...thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers about this situation...


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Have a wonderful day all!!

Julie

Hexies, rainbow quilts and plaids!

Good morning to all!!!  Above is a hexagon, for English paper piecing.  My kitten Lucky has discovered them, and decided that they are great...