Monday, December 31, 2012

Make It Monday 12/31/2012

Superman quilt top

For the last several days I've been working on a Superman quilt for a friend. Tonight I got the quilt top finished. I'm going to try to get the quilt completed tomorrow.

Be sure to check out my New Year giveaway, which ends January 1. One lucky winner will be drawn on January 2.

Debbie
Like my new Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

WIP Wednesday 12/26/2012

Corky the Corgi
Created for Think Christmas Blog Hop (August 2012)
Altered photo printed to fabric - details here
Mostly from stash
12.5" square
Original design
Completed 12/25/2012

Got the crazy idea to use a sweater as backing. Picked up this child's sweater at a thrift store for $3.

Used the back for the backing

Cut a large piece of sweater, spray basted the quilt top and sweater together. No batting needed. Proceeded as usual to quilt and bind.

Back of the quilt
Corners are Fast Finish Triangles. I put yardstick-shaped pieces of wood top and bottom and hang from a Command hook to display on the wall.


My next project is a Superman-themed quilt for a friend who is a Superman fan.

I've had the Superman fabric for many months. I picked up two new fabrics the other day:  yellow letters, since my friend is a writer; red and yellow stars. Not shown: stash piece of black music on white background, as my friend is a musician.

Electric Quilt Sketch
Mottled blue represents the Superman fabric

Here is the Superman quilt I made for my son Robbie a couple of years ago.
I didn't want to duplicate so I'm using a different design and different fabrics.


Be sure to check out my New Year giveaway, which ends January 1. One lucky winner will be drawn the next day.

Debbie
Like my new Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

Friday, December 21, 2012

New Year Give-away

Studio 18 2013-2014 2-Year Planner

Sample of inside

The new year is upon us and I thought it would be fun to have a give-away. The prize is this lovely 2-year planner, quilt-themed, of course.

To enter, Like my new Facebook page Traveling Quilter, where I post frequent updates on my quilting and my travels. Then return and leave a comment on this post that you've Liked my page. If you've previously Liked my page, you're eligible, too! Just leave a comment here that you've Liked my page.

Comments must be posted by Tuesday, January 1 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. One winner will be drawn on Wednesday, January 2. By the way, I ship internationally. Looking forward to the fun!


Debbie
Like my new Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

WIP Wednesday 12/19/2012

Quilt for retiring co-worker Chris L., whose living room is decorated in burgundy and gold
Scrappy nine-patch constructed in Stack the Deck style
Partly from stash, original design
58" square
Completed 12/18/2012

Last night I finished a quilt for Chris L., who retired from our office today. Her daughter Misti C., who happens to be my supervisor, helped me out with colors by letting me know that Chris' living room is decorated in burgundy and gold. I pulled lots of burgundy fabrics from my stash and purchased several burgundy fat quarters, as well as a gold fabric. I did a Stack the Deck style of construction to create a scrappy burgundy nine-patch blocks.

Chris really liked her quilt, saying it was the first handmade item she'd ever received, that she'll keep it forever, and that her husband wouldn't be allowed to use it. 

Enjoy retirement, Chris!

This is the fifth throw sized quilt I've made from scratch since mid-October. Whoa! I'm taking a brief quilting break before I start the next project, a Superman themed quilt for a friend. I have Superman fabric and a couple of ideas. I'll begin working on a design in a few days.

Debbie
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Make It Monday 12/17/2012

Quilt top - Chris L.

For the last few days I've been working on a quilt for retiring co-worker Chris L. According to her daughter Misti, who happens to be my supervisor, Chris' living room is decorated in burgundy and gold. I made scrappy nine-patch blocks in Stack the Deck style, using a variety of burgundy fabrics, including some from stash. There is a narrow gold border, followed by an outer border in burgundy. I hope I achieved the elegant, regal look I envisioned.

Tonight I finished the quilt top and did a pillowcase finish. Tomorrow night I'll tie knots to finish the quilt.

What are your quilting plans for the week? Please leave a comment. I'd love to hear about them.

Debbie
Like my new Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

Monday, December 17, 2012

And the Winners Are...

Winners of the Blog Hop Party fat quarters are:

Cupcakes: Lyndsey M.         Raspberry: Heather K.

Congratulations, ladies! I have received your mailing addresses and your fabric will be mailed soon. Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone for visiting during the blog hop and for leaving so many kind comments. See you again soon!

Debbie
Like my new Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Manny, ådai - Quilt Finish

Manny, ådai
For co-worker Manny E., who loves cats
Partly from stash
Cat themed fabric, Puss in the Corner blocks
Original design
52" x 64"
Completed 10/10/2012

Close-up

Cat themed fabric had been in my stash for many years

I realized that I hadn't posted about this finish from October. Manny, ådai (pronounced a-day) for firend and co-worker Manny E., who loves cats. My mother was from the Pacific island of Guam. When she would get frustrated with one of us kids or our dad, she would say, "Oh, (fill in name), ådai!" We didn't know what the word meant exactly, but we knew she wasn't happy with us. You could tell the level of frustration by the tone in which the phrase was delivered. Recently I looked up the word in a Chamorro online dictionary: For pete's sake (interjection); for crying out loud (interjection); for goodness sake (interjection). My sister Cass has a stronger interpretation of the word, but I won't write it here.

One day I told Manny about "ådai" and it has become a friendly greeting between the two of us. Of the hundreds of times we've uttered "Debbie, ådai" or "Manny, ådai" there have been a couple of occasions when the phrase was used appropriately. But all in fun.

The cat fabric was in my stash for many years and was one of my favorites. I decided some time ago that Manny was the person to get a quilt made from it. The print is fun and, in my opinion, the colors are masculine enough for a guy. Puss in the Corner blocks seemed the purr-fect (oh, Debbie, ådai) choice.

Enjoy your quilt, Manny!

Debbie
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Thursday, December 13, 2012

WIP Wednesday 12/12/2012

During the past week I've finished two quilts: Steelers and Cars. The quilts are for the young sons of friend Jennifer A. I finished Steelers in time to deliver to Jennifer on Sunday, after the Sacramento Modern Quilt Guild meeting. I finished Cars tonight, and Jennifer will pick up the quilt when she comes to my area to see my daughter Lisa, who will be visiting for Christmas.

The quilts are reminiscent of a scrappy checkerboard quilt I made for Jennifer, my daughter's best friend since elementary school, when she was a girl. I hope the boys enjoy their quilts for a long time.

Steelers
56" x 72"
Partly from stash
Completed 12/8/2012

Cars
56" x 72"
Partly from stash
Completed 12/12/2012

The next quilt is for co-worker Chris L., who will retire very shortly. Her daughter Misti happens to be my supervisor, so I asked Misti for color ideas, which are burgundy and mustard yellow. My vision is scrappy burgundy squares, a narrow border in the mustard yellow, surrounded by a wide border of burgundy.

Electric Quilt sketch for Chris L.'s quilt

Burgundy fabrics

I gathered three burgundy fabrics from my stash. The dark burgundy in the center of the photo above will form the border and will be scattered among the scrappy squares, as will the solid burgundies seen near the bottom of the picture. Also in the photo are seven fat quarters, just bought tonight, that seem to go well with the dark burgundy. I may find scraps of burgundy that will work, as well. There is a nice mustard yellow in my stash that I may use (not pictured).

I plan to use a Stack the Deck method to construct the scrappy nine-patch blocks - in the hope of creating very scrappy blocks with many variations.

Debbie
Like my new Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

P.S. Be sure to check out the Blog Hop Party and giveaway, where I'm giving away two fat quarters.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Blog Hop Party and Giveaway


Blog Hop Party with Give-Aways

Welcome to my blog! I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm an avid quilter and I'm excited to participate in QuiltingGallery.com's Blog Hop Party. Many thanks to Michele for organizing the hop. For my giveaway I'm offering a choice of two fat quarters:

Cupcake - It's a party!             Raspberry

Just leave a comment on this post between now and December 15, 2012 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time for a chance to win one of these fat quarters. Be sure to indicate which you prefer - cupcake or raspberry. For another chance to win, leave a second comment to let me know that you're an existing or a new follower. Two names will be drawn on December 16. By the way, I will ship internationally.

I post about my quilts as they progress and I write about my travels here. Also, Like my new Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels. I hope you'll enjoy reading about my adventures. Thanks for visiting and I hope you come back soon.


Debbie

Thursday, December 06, 2012

WIP Wednesday 12/5/2012

Cars quilt top

Theme fabric and background fabrics for two quilts

Steelers theme fabric, background and stash fabrics

Last night I finished the Cars quilt top. I'm setting that project aside temporarily to begin working on the Steelers quilt. These quilts are for brothers, sons of friend Jennifer A. The first quilt top was made in a few days, and I expect the second to go quickly, as well.

Debbie
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Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Make It Monday 12/3/2012

A few days ago I started working on a pair of quilts for the young sons of friend Jennifer A.

One boy likes the movie Cars, the other likes the Steelers.
Blue background for both quilts.

Electric Quilt sketch - works for both quilts

Block - large square of theme fabric surrounded by scrappy strips.
Blue is background fabric; alternating fabrics are from my stash.

Tonight I got most of the quilt top sewn together on the Cars quilt, the first of the two quilts.

Close-up

 I may not attach a blue border. Jennifer requested the quilts be like the one I made for her when she was very young. (She and my daughter Lisa have been best friends since elementary school.) I wasn't doing borders back then, so I'll see how I feel tomorrow night. Jennifer's quilt was all scrappy squares, so this design echoes her quilt.

When I decide the top is done, I'll move on to the Steelers quilt. I'm going to do these as assembly line fashion as I can, finishing both tops, then doing pillowcase finishes back to back. I hope to save a little time that way, since the quilts need to be done in a real hurry. Pretty much, I'm making two quilts in one week. Yes, I am crazy.

What are your quilting plans this week? Please leave a comment. I'd love to hear about them.

Debbie
Like my new Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.