Done, Done and Fun!

Good Morning! So I am a couple of days late with this post, but you know what they say... better late than never...

I want to start by sharing photos of the Pansy quilt, all done and bound. I totally love this quilt. So much so that I will be entering it into our local quilt show. I think it has some real POP to it. I am also very very happy with the quilting. I did just a simple floral pantograph that I purchased from Digi-tech. (a little plug for Jessica here) I love the fact that I can order my panto, download it, size it to my desired size (OK that part takes a few minutes but not too awfully long) then I just print it out, tape the sheets together and I have a panto. No waiting for the mail, no shipping charge and I can really personalize the design to the size I want. So if you have a longarm and do any type of pantograph and have NOT been to the Digi-tech website, do yourself a favor and check it out!... Now on the the pictures!
Did I mention I love this quilt. Thank you to all who voted for option A. Good choice.


Here is a close up of the quilting, just a simple little flower and I will definitely be using this design again. Oh you can also see where the giant pansies were appliqued on.

So here it is, Torrie's 17th birthday quilt! I am thrilled with how this one turned out. Torrie informed me that she does NOT like pinwheels on a quilt and would I please make a nine patch instead (yep she truly is a quilter too) I found the center fabric at a little quilt shop about 20 miles away, based the entire quit on that fabric...This is a close up of the center fabric, you will notice the black cat outlined in green. They are not super noticeable at first. The green is this kind of celery green and because the center fabric is so wild we decided to go with very simple fabrics, so the black and green have no real pattern, the green is fairy frost and the black is just basic black. The real fun comes with the quilting.....

I loaded this on the frame with BRIGHT green minkee on the back, then I used a kitty panto for the pattern, to stay with the theme I used bright green thread, as you can see it works perfectly on the black fabrics. I was able to mirror the center panel... I think this is one of the best quilts I have ever done.... With one small exception... and you the readers of my blog will be the only ones to know... if you look closely at the top row of kitties... you will notice on the sitting kitty there is a bump on it's chest. I have an entire row of kitties with this same oops... That was when the track on my long arm carriage broke... I was so angry that the rails broke AGAIN (this is a grace carriage and the second time the rails have disintegrated on me) I made modifications to the carriage that came with my frame so I can use it with my Homesteader... LONG story there... Anyhow it was the carriage breaking that lead to the final decision to install a stitch regulator... Whew...

First I want to show you my weekend fun quilt...
So last Sunday my darling hubby was engrossed in football. I don't mind so much that means I get guilt free quilting time! So I scooted out to my sewing room and cleaned up a bit, as I was cleaning I came across my cat and dog fabric that Wendi had given me for Christmas (I will have to share the rest of that story on another post...) Anyhow, I folded it and was going to put it away when I decided what the heck cut it up and use it NOW... So I broke out my Go and my tumbler die and proceeded to cut cut cut, in the end I just did not have enough blocks for a good size quilt so I started looking through my stash and came up with a bunch MORE dogs and cats, wow did not realize how much of that I had! So more cutting then I mixed them all up and started piecing and this is what I ended up with! I think it is so cute! Now I am NOT a scrappy kind of girl but you know, this one I don't mind so much.
Here is a close up of just some of the fabrics. I didn't even keep track of how many different fabrics I used. I can't wait to get my longarm back so I can quilt it. I have the best idea for that.....

Well before I sign off for the day I thought I would show you something a bit different. This is my long arm, stripped down and off the frame. Just minutes from being boxed up and shipped. If you have never gotten a good look at the Homesteader... here she is.... If you are a Hobby Quilter like I am and want a longarm but just can't afford or justify the $10,000+ price tag of the big machines I really do recommend you check out the homesteaders. They are lovely machines for a very nice price. Now I do have to say that mine did NOT come with a stitch regulator, but it is an extra option. I just checked the tracking and she is almost to the homesteader factory to be upgraded and have the SR put on. I am counting the days until she is returned!

Until then, I have classes to teach, and time reserved on the rental machine, taxes to file and daycare licensing renewal to do. As always busy busy busy! Oh and a birthday party for the 17 year old... Wish me luck!
Happy quilting and back to work for me!
Ginny

Big Changes for my Longarm!

Thank you all so much for your input on the Pansy quilt, I kept it at option A. I got it quilted last weekend, plus I finished Torrie's birthday quilt. Both turned out really well, I will post pictures later this weekend while Torrie is at work (need to take pictures when she can't see)

I am happy I got both quilted because officially as of today I am quilt machine-less :( Well that is really a :)
You see, I have been saving my paychecks for a while in order to send my machine in for a bit of an upgrade and retrofit, Stuart and I got to talking and we decided that while the machine is in for servicing I should have a stitch regulator installed!!! So I gave Jennifer a call and ordered the full package. Today was the day, I wrapped and taped and bubble wrapped and in the box it went then off to Fed-ex and away it shipped. I figure I will be machine-less for at least a month maybe a little more I will find out for sure next week.

Until then I have 4 quilts to bind, and a huge mess in my sewing room to clean up. I also have my business taxes to do and I have my daycare license renewal coming up, so really this was the best time to send my darling off to be worked over. Doesn't mean I won't miss it and I am really excited about getting it back!

Well, that's all for tonight, I will post pictures of Torrie's quilt very soon!
Happy quilting,
Ginny

Choice A or B?

In my last post I showed you a picture of one my newest quilt tops, well I really really did not like the center panel, did a bit of shopping and found some large pansy blocks from the same line of fabric. Cut, iron and stitch... and this is what I came up with.....

A
Much better than.......

B

Let me know what you think, better or worse?

Thanks for stopping by!
Gin

Dreaming of Spring!

Thought I would pop in today with just a short little post to show off the two quilts I have been working on, both still need a final border, the black and purple get a black border and the yellow and purple still needs its final purple border. I will hope full get those one today or tomorrow. Then I start work on three new quilts, I have two that are Christmas presents, Yep not even pieced yet! And one more similar to the one below for Torrie's birthday.

I did something I don't usually do, I purchased a kit! I can honestly say that I will probably not ever do that again, I really liked the pattern, but after I got it home and looked closer at it I was rather disappointed with the pattern. It was very scant and not well written...

Once I got the entire quilt put together I also decided that I STRONGLY dislike the center panel, it is very green and does not blend or match well. Not something I would have picked for this quilt even though they are from the same line of fabric.
Here is a close look, I just think it is very jarring, so I went to the store yesterday and picked another pansy fabric. Took the quilt apart last night and will re do the center this week too. I will show the final results when I am done.

The other fun little quilt I did this week is my Falcons Drunkards path! I cut this entirely on my Accuquilt GO, I was thrilled with how easily it went together and how well all of my seams lined up! This picture is only half of the quilt as I did not have space to take pictures of the whole thing!


And a close up, I guess I am feeling the need for spring as the focus fabric on both of these quilts is Purple pansies!

Well that was it just a bit of show and tell.

Dreaming of Spring!
Gin

Another Christmas Come and Gone.

And I survived! Christmas in our house is always small, just Stuart the girls and I. We like it that way, we don't travel we don't have family over it is just us, I try not to go overboard with the gifts (we got rid of the credit cards about 5 years ago so overspending is never a temptation).

I took the week after Christmas off, this is the one week I take off every year, it is my time to recharge my batteries and just spend time on myself, this year I got a bit of quilting done, I spent a few days in my PJ's and went shopping with the girls one day (they just had to spend those gift cards!) and Wendi another. I went to the movies with Morgen and have decided that 3D movies make me sick, yep spent two days throwing up, not use if it was because of the 3D or the popcorn, I was a bad girl and ate about a cup of popcorn, yes I know better but really could not help myself!

On Friday Wendi and I took a short road trip to Prosser to a little quilt shop called The Sewing Basket, interesting little shop they have tons and tons of lovely fabric. I found several prints that I have searched for in the past but could not find because they are no longer made, well The Sewing Basket has them. The only down side to this wonderful little shop is the fact that they have TO MUCH FABRIC! Yep way to much, so much in fact that you could not see much of the fabric on the bottom shelves and it was hard to walk through there was so much stacked every where, two and three layers deep. I will have to thing long and hard before I make another trip to shop there again.

On Saturday, new years day Wendi and I did the Merry Mayhem/Planet Patchwork Mystery quilt. This was her first mystery and my second. It was fun and the little wall hanging turned out pretty cute, it was baskets, baskets are just not something that really thrill me so I was OK with the pattern but this is something that I would probably not make again unless it was for someone I REALLY like! LOL,This is Wendi's Mystery quilt, all in music themed fabric. I really like how hers turned out.

And mine, am not thrilled with mine. The mystery it's self is not to blame, it was really well done and the instructions were excellent, I just am not a fan of baskets.

Just before Christmas Wendi came over a put together a quick quilt for her youngest daughter. Kendra is 12 and LOVES Little Pets Shop pets, Wendi found this fabric a couple of months ago, I think the quilt is just darling.
Just a simple big huge piece of fabric, not pieced except the boarders. And then quilted with the same butterfly panto as I used on Alindseys quilt.

She used a pink minkee on the back, Kendra now says that ALL of her quilts need to have minkee backings. I tend to agree, I have said it before and will again, I love minkee for children's quilts. They have a nice weight to them and are so soft!

This is a little coffee quilt that I put together MONTHS ago, I finally took the time to quilt it. I have about 6 quilts that need quilted my goal in the next couple of weeks will be to get them on and off the frame before my machine goes in to have some work done on it, I will post pictures as I finish them.

This last one is of my Christmas quilt, I made it Thanksgiving weekend but did not get it quilted until after Christmas, I am very happy with the final product, this quilt came 100% out of my head! No pattern just an idea that I bounced off Stuart on day and he said do it! 12 hours later I had a top made and ornaments too. The ball ornaments were made using my Go circle cutter, each one has a pocket on the back for a sweet treat for the girls. There are also appliqued snow flakes, they were also cut on my Go.

So that was my Christmas vacation, very quilting just the way I like it!

Now for a sneak peek at what I will be making next...


Thanks for stopping by, hope that you all had a wonderful quilty holiday also,
Happy quilting,
Ginny

Moments..

As we all know, December tends to be the busiest month of them all, especially so for us women! What with the regular cooking, cleaning and shopping, then add purchasing or making gifts, baking, decorating and just plain ole making everything merry for the family. Well that has left little time for anything else but I thought I would share some of my favorite moments of the month so far! (almost none of them quilting moments!)

Bambi, our very old, very cranky cat under the tree. She decided to help decorate....


Even Stuart started to show some holiday spirit! (Wendi don't you DARE tell him I put this picture on here, he will KILL me! LOL)Baby Aidan, my newest daycare child

Rachel helping me cut circles on my GO, she is so funny any time I pull it out to use, she wants to turn the handle!
And this is what the circles were for!

I have been planning this in my head for a while now, Stuart thought it was a great idea, of course it is not finished yet, I still needed to add the border and it still needs quilted, then the ornaments hang around the tree on the border and the kids then put them on the tree, there is a pocket on the back of each ornament for little candies to go into. I can't wait to get it on the frame.
Katina showing me her quilt that she finished. I think she did a lovely job!
A close up of the center.
SNOW, I hate SNOW!!! and we have had a ton! OK so I like it the very first day, then it can go away!
I thought this was pretty!
Oh my favorite part of the month, Torrie won 2nd place for her schools refection's competition, the theme this year was "Together We Can..." by placing second she advanced to the regional judging, well she placed 1st in her school district!!! Now she is on to state! I am so proud of her, her photograph was very well done technically and her subject, "Together we can mend a broken heart" fit into the theme very well. (picture was of one set of hands holding a fabric heart while another set used needle and thread to stitch it back together!) I was thrilled when she took up photography, it was after all what I went to college for, and she managed to fit sewing in there too, yep the nut didn't fall far from the tree with that one! Anyhow I am so proud of her, even if she does not progress any farther she has still done a wonderful job! (oh and that is her best friend Julia next to her, she won 1st.)


My last and almost most favorite moment, Torrie has been getting letters from various colleges for the last 8 months, some days it is rather annoying that all the mail is hers! Scoochy decided that she does NOT get to go to Chicago University. He took this letter and ran! Sorry Chicago the dog has spoken!

Thank you for stopping by, I hope each and every one of you has a Happy Holiday and a Very Merry Christmas. Take a moment to kiss a loved one, hug a friend, and help someone who may need a helping hand this season. Bless each and every one of you.
Ginny

Finished just in time for Christmas!

And not a moment to soon! I started to wonder for a bit if I would ever get these out in the mail. So with out further ado Alindsey's quilt, finished!


A close up of the quilting, love this design.

And the minkee backing, it made for the softest quilt. I vow for next year all children's quilts will be made with minkee backings!
And this is Karen's quilt, I am happy with how it turned out, although purple and yellow will never be my favorite combination I still think it is pretty.
Both of these were queen size.
I did not have enough of the purple for the entire back so she got yellow and purple there too!
And a close up of the quilting, again this is a super cute and easy Panto.

Thanks for looking!
Ginny