Merry Christmas 2014 & the Byrum Family Quilt ~ A Finish! Tah Dah :)

I am writing this blog post just after completing the Byrum Family Quilt.  This project is a queen sized (91″ square) scrappy quilt with a panel center I fell in love with for this family quilt. 

The rest of the quilt was fabrics I had purchased with them in mind and a bit of stash to fill it in a bit 🙂

Here is my bestie Connie holding up some artwork my other bestie Wendy sent me… she made it several years ago and had no purpose for it… as I shared this quilt coming into life with her she agreed to help me… from Australia where she lives…

via facebook chat and pics only.. to help me learn more precise piecing techniques!!!!  Amazing woman that she is she DID IT!!!!

I learned so much about piecing accurately… this is my 13th quilted project and I just finally got the need for PRECISE PIECING!!!!  Hallelujah 🙂  I now have measuring my units that then become blocks accurately… so all the pieces of the quilt come together without fussing.

I am so happy that this quilt… started the beginning of July 2014 and finished complete on December 2, 2014 is a finished project and was mailed on the 3rd of December 🙂  It is under the Christmas tree as you are enjoying this post OR maybe it is being snuggled by now!!! I hope so 🙂

I did send them a letter explaining the quilt… it was pic heavy but small pics and it took 8 pages to explain it all to them to help them understand the meaning and love I put in each piece of fabric I chose for their quilt.

Have you had a monumental project you gifted away that made you happy when you gifted it… well I am sooo happy this has been gifted… I hope to get a pic of the family enjoying the quilt and will share with you when and if I get such a shot!  That would mean more to me than a note of thanks actually!

Hope you have a Happy Christmas Day!

Added Christmas Morning at 8:30 CST…

My nieces & nephew and his dog 🙂

 With a note of thanks and that they LOVE IT!

Hope your Christmas was meaningful and filled with loving thoughts too!

Linking this MONGO finish to:

Whooping my finish with Sarah HERE!

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Whooping a busy and productive week!

It seems like it has been a while since I really felt like whooping .. but this week I really really do!  How about you???  Hop on over to Sarah’s & see what everyone is whooping about… join in too!!

The Byrum Family Quilt post will come out on Christmas Day. 

When the receiving family opens it… it is safely tucked under their Christmas tree 🙂

I finally gathered AND WASHED all the fabrics for an upcoming quilting adventure.  

Here the batiks fabrics have been all pressed and are ready…

You can see it best as my blog header though… and here is more of a true color of the green solid I will use.. This all still needs to be ironed.

I will use these fabrics to make a quilt similar to this Hollyhock Garden pattern…

I think it will be delightful!  Still waiting on the backing fabric to arrive but I have plenty of time to wait on that! lol  And I must ponder a name for this quilt as well.. for now it will be Batik Hollyhock Quilt 🙂

Then there is my current project which just is ready for quilting now…

This is called Wish Upon a Vintage Star and measures about 36″ x 46″… it will go in my foyer when finished 🙂 

Yep..

got my latest flimsy pin basted and ready for quilting!  Yippee 🙂

So as you read this I will be in slow stitching heaven and thinking about cutting into those batiks!  They are sooo yummy!!!

Have a Happy Friday and a Blessed Weekend!

Whooping a Week of Accomplishments!

Happy December my bloggy friends!  How did this happen… oh yeah… I quilted for 5 months on this glorious quilt..

The Byrum Family Quilt… until they name it something else 🙂  This is in the mail headed to them as I write!
Front… 

 Back…

 Center…

My brother and his family live on very strong Christian values and ethics… so this quilt will have lots of meaning for them in their journey in life as a couple… and as a family too… It has fabrics representing their honeymoon in 1999 all the way to their last family Disney vacation… and they homeschool their 4 kids and there is even some school fabrics in this quilt!

Once that was boxed for mailing I shared my return to finishing Wish Upon a Vintage Star pattern I am working on… well.. here is where it started a few months ago…

You can see in the upper right I have the pattern pic and directions and my honey made the templates out of wood for me called “luan”.  They sell this at Lowes or any place that has lumber abounding!… I gave him paper templates in the exact sizes I wanted and he taped them to the luan and cut with his power tools for wood!!!!  These templates worked great for Rotary Cutting too!!!!…. I also had a selection of vintage fabrics from a lot of fabric I had gotten on eBay.  I was ready to go! lol

So here is the first star I made with Gloria at my side…

And here are the 12 stars we made total …

But I wasn’t happy with how all the stars turned out… not in the construction of them.. they all were constructed GREAT!  But in the contrast between the middle color and the calico black color of the star points.  So I cut some to leave more room for the GREAT fabrics I have picked for borders on this lovely wall hanging!

So here are the final 6 stars…

A vintage purple stripe in the center with black fabric tossed with  roses for the star tips 🙂

Grey vintage fabric with pink flowers tossed on it make the center and the star points are a bit busier here but the same pink in the flowers there too!

This cute star on the left is very special fabric in the center… given to me from my friend Wendy in Australia… it is not vintage but VERY special and I wanted her in this wall hanging.. now she is 🙂

 This center fabric was gifted to my by my friend Connie.  When she uncluttered her stash a bit I was a happy recipient… I used this fabric also in the mosaic section of the Byrum Family Quilt… so this star has 2 great memories for me 🙂

This cute lavendar print on the left is some fabric Connie found me at a yard sale just after making my first quilt!  The other fabric with it had poly in it so I donated it.. but this fabric was all cotton.. and I have a good yard left.. so I see a little lavender making future projects too!

And yes this fabric is a repeat in the center but my honey loved the fabric as did I so we will have 2 of the same inner star fabric… but the black outer star fabrics are different… That is fine with me… but see what you think!!!

No good pic of the 6 together at this point but come back Sunday when I hope to have finished this into a flimsy to slow stitch a bit!

Have a Happy Weekend…  Linking this post to Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict… see what others are Whooping about here!

Take time to smell the roses.. don’t miss all the action happening around you and …

Finally Done! And a Winner too!

I want to thank those that participated in my LINKY PARTY this weekend!  Deb and Michele have both taken time to make lists and have LOTS accomplished now!  Yippee 🙂

Deb linked up on Black Friday for my special giveaway and chose the pretty RED tape measure…

Then she shared this would be a gift to go along with a SEWING MACHINE she is getting her 5 year old daughter for CHRISTMAS!!!!  What??? Well guess who won the Linky Loot for the weekend link ups??? Deb did… so I am gifting her LINKY LOOT to her dd!  I have a cute little package all together…

 just to make it squishy & get it all to the post office to mail it now! lol

But for me the BIG NEWS IS….

I finished the Byrum Family Quilt yesterday and washed and dried and photographed it today!  My honey did the photography and figured out a set up…

The quilt was 96″ square before washing… it is now 91″ square after washing and it is soft and sweet smelling and ready for it’s new home forever to be loved… I hope 🙂

My brother and sis in law and their 4 kids are the lucky recipients if you don’t usually follow me 🙂

 I will be posting my finish officially over the weekend to give time for mailing!

Here is a fun windy shot that may be a facebook header once the quilt has been received!

 

 So now I am back at my cutting table preparing parts for more sewing on my Wish Upon a Vintage Star wallhanging I started a while back.. hope you are having a crafty week too!

Congrats again to Deb’s daughter!!!

Until my next post… happy stitching and…

One Week’s Progress :)

I have tried to keep up in blog world but may not have managed to visit all my regular stops as I have been busy stitching!!!!

I finished the bottom row had started last weekend… and now I am on the BORDER of this large queen quilt 🙂 

Finish date is the 28th and I think I am on track to have the border finished and the binding on and washed and photographed by then… we shall see!!!!

Here is my progress on the border design I finally decided on..

They are CIRCLES!  I used a bowl and Bohin colored chalk to mark my circles on the border.

And since I have finished the bottom border now I know it takes THIRTY (30) circles to fill a border on each side.  So I have 90 circles to stitch this week!  Plus I am basting the binding edge as I finish a border side so I am ready to bind as soon as the borders are all done!!!

The chalk washes off easily (what little remains you can see in the stitched pics) with a spray bottle of water and paper towels to wash away the colored chalk! 🙂  Always TEST your plan for marking on the fabric you will mark to make sure it will be removable though 🙂

Also this week we did a major fix of our van and have it ready to pick up my bestie at the airport Monday.. she is coming for a visit from Tennessee 🙂  Yippee!

And I am excited this cute 301A found a home with my new friend Judy!  She picked up her new machine this week and so far they are enjoying getting to know each other 🙂  Yippee!

So I will return to slow stitching quickly to finish up this great quilt for my brother and his family.

Keep my fingers and sweet stitches in our prayers please!  And also safe travels for Connie!

I am linking this post up with Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching… where I showed my progress last week! 🙂

Have a blessed week!

Finally down to the bottom :)

I have been quickly slow stitching since my last post on the Byrum Family Quilt… I am now on the bottom of the quilt working on this block…

I was just getting started on this block when I snapped this shot.  My friend Wendy embroidered this piece in 2004 and mailed it to me to go into this quilt… it now holds the bottom center place of honour!

So the top border and sides are all done… just have 3 B’s left on this quilt and the clock is ticking for the finish too!  I have:

Bottom stitching ~ Started now 🙂

Border stitching ~ Have a quick n easy idea there!

Binding ~ Have the fabric 😉

So if I am not too chatty coming up please stick with me… just trying to make headway on this quilt… the deadline is Thanksgiving weekend to have it done, washed, and photographed 🙂

My honey is pondering ideas for great photos of this queen sized wonder!

Speaking of photos… Last Sunday we posted this pic on a few facebook groups…

These machines in their cases are now all sold!  Yippee 🙂

Now my honey is working on painting one RED!  It is gonna be AWESOME!

Don’t forget my upcoming Linky Party!  There is a special giveaway for Black Friday linkers!!!

I am linking my quilty progress to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching HERE!  Check out her blog post while too as she makes important points about focusing on your slow stitching amidst the chaos of life 🙂

Until I post again… Happy Stitching &…

Setting a Weekend Goal :)

I am really pushing to get the Byrum Family Quilt to the outer border stage… I have the middle all done as well as the sides and am now working on the top and bottom… recently I finished this cute School House Block…

There are still marking lines on the scallops but I will remove those with a water bottle 😉  Just wanted to share a dry block with you all first! lol

I also like the heart I added over the doorway.  This was a challenging block to piece and it has been a joy to quilt!  So happy I could just Whoop over that!!!  I am linking this happy post to Sarah  at Confessions of a Fabric Addict Whoop Whoop Friday LINKY PARTY!

I also managed to get those flying geese quilted though though most of it won’t show till washed 🙂

So I am setting a weekend goal for quilting…

To finish this section of the top left that measures 12″ x 18″ …

These are Jacobs Ladder blocks but when put together I think they look like the Christian fish symbol… and as wholesome as this quilt it I hope my plan for quilting this block set as a whole will make it really accentuate that!

You can see the whole quilt here…

This pic was during pinning… so imagine about 60% of this is quilted now… I am on the final thrust of quilting until I am to the outer border!  That is definitely Whoopable!!!! lol

My honey FINALLY got this gorgeous machine put up for sale on eBay!  Whoop Whoop!

We are hoping it will make someone’s Christmas very special!

So that is our weekend… what are you planning for the weekend??

Happy Hump Day & a WINNER!

Each month I so look forward to seeing progress posted for those that link up to my LINKY PARTY!  It is so inspiring for me to see what everyone is up to but the progress THEY make inspires me just by reading the posts 🙂  And I did finish my block!

Another fun part is picking out LINKY LOOT! for a lucky linker at my LINKY PARTY… this months winner was Michele in Maryland with her post.  I am hoping to hear back from her winning email to fill her stash with some linky loot 🙂

Novembers Linky Party is slated for Thanksgiving weekend.. and I am planning something extra fun for early linkers!!!  So plan ahead and spend some of Black Friday planning a blog post good for linking up with me & see what happens 🙂

In the meantime I am stitching on this cute school house block…

Which signifies I have quilted all the sides and only have the top, bottom, corners, and outer border left to quilt on this baby.

I had a really nice chat with my brother this morning … we rarely get to chat these days… and as this quilt if for him and his beautiful family…

I am now motivated more than ever to meet my Thanksgiving deadline for being done with this project 🙂

I am quilting outside that red square now 🙂

Please keep my quilting in your prayers as this deadline is only a month away.. Hopefully I will have a finished quilt to share with you by the next LINKY PARTY! lol

Have a Quilty Hump Day!

October Laundry List Post!

Hello all…

I decided to break up my post this month and just have a post for the linky party and explain how I didn’t meet any main goals this month! lol

And yet I am still happy about my progress!  Because there has been progress on each goal… and I can see how THIS month will now bring my first two goals to a FINISH!

First let me share about the Vintage Star Wall Hanging I am working on… 

I had hoped to finish all 12 stars for the quilt… but at present I have these 3 to go along with the 3 I showed last month…

I am using black calico fabrics from my stash for the large diamonds and fun vintage fabrics for the triangles at the center… These have been fussy cut to the right and left… but the one below is some precious fabric my friend Wendy sent me… it was just a fat quarters worth so I am using it sparingly… but I thought a little new with the older fabrics might be fun… what do you think???

Next is how well I am doing on READING!

I have spent several days we needed for traveling to different places this past month to get in some reading time… this month I have been reading Judy Martin’s book on making Log Cabin quilts 🙂

This month I focused on color value and how to sort and store your strips once cut… This is a GREAT book if you want to make a log cabin that isn’t rumpley 😉

Still working on…

My quilt history as a blog page addition to my blog… I have 4 of the 14 I have done/am doing documented… hopefully once I finish the Byrum Family Quilt more will get done on this project 🙂

Byrum Family Quilt progress…

Here is most of the whole quilt…

I decided to start on the side blocks … the star blocks .. each one has a name and special fabrics picked for it… I am quilting each a little differently based on their design… instead of an overall design.  So far this is what I have…

And I saved the funnest block for last…

 Here is a close up of the center of this block…

And once I finish these blocks it is off to the top then the bottom.. finally I will make it to the tulip corners then the border!  Yippee 🙂

So then my goals for the upcoming month may now make a bit more sense…

If I can stay on track this month… by Thanksgiving I will have a full finish and a flimsy finish too!

Stay tuned to my quilty progress… 🙂

Linking this progress for the month to My Laundry List Linky Party HERE!
also
Whooping with Sarah on my accomplishments this month a Confessions of a Fabric Addict Here!

A Weekend of Accomplishments!

With Fall in Florida comes more moderate temperatures, less bugs, and feelings of accomplishment..

My honey finished the painting and refurbishing on this great sewing machine..

It is a Singer Featherweight 221… it was in great working order but the paint job was showing it’s vintage age.  So my honey took 2 months of all his spare time to strip it, clean it all out, prime it, paint it, decal it, topcoat it…. then he did all that to the foot pedal and buttonholer.  This will be part of a package we will be advertising in the near future 🙂

My Darling Daughter ready for Homecoming 🙂

 And here is a shot of her with her date (her boyfriend of 4 months!) 🙂

And I am quilting between all the excitement happening around me 🙂

I have finished 2 of the block pairs ….

 Love the patriotic cow centers too 🙂

This block pair has tulip centers from a lovely fabric I got a fat quarter of for my sis in law.. she loves tulips so this center just seemed perfect when pulling fabrics for this pair 🙂

Now I am working on this block and soon will be on it’s twin that also has the square in a squares near it so will do them as a block pair as well!

Here is the whole quilt.. so you can get perspective .. it is about 95″ square before washing 🙂

And a Happy Reminder….

Don’t miss your chance to get organized over the upcoming holiday season approaching… make a list… link it up and PARTY… and someone will WIN LINKY LOOT too!!!

Linking this post to …

Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching as all this stitching is done by hand 🙂