I get by with a little help from my friends

As a mother I have days when I feel like I'm failing my children miserably.  Last week was one of those times.  During the week I had spent time with the school councilor, Hubby and I had been racking our brains, we have tried rewards and punishments and nothing seems to be working.  Then the straw that broke the camel's back happened just as I'm about to leave for a sew in with the Modern Quilt Guild one of my children decided that a battle over their Saturday responsibilities was necessary.  They wanted to hang out with friends and do their responsibilities later.  Which I have found never works.  So said child was told no.  And a tantrum in sued, my hubby and I were told how horrid we are,  how unfair, resulting in more bad consequences for this child.  I was terribly late for the sew in and was about to bag it.  But hubby said I should go.  Yes I have a very good hubby.  So I went.  I got a few more of these blocks made.

But more importantly I spent time with friend, who cheered me, let me know what was going on happens with them, and that I am not a failure as a mother.  Thank goodness for sew ins with good friends.

Feeling Liberated

After making my little Farm Fresh quilt and playing with my Crazy Love quilt I'm feeling quite liberated.  So at the moment all traditional quilting has flown out the window and scraps are flying while I play in a less formal way.  I've made this journal for a friend.

This block for the New Bee group.

And this one for A Notion Or Two.

Plus I'm making progress on my Crazy Love Quilt.

What is liberating you at the moment?

Crazy Love

In my Sew Bee Wonky group I asked for wonky hearts.  I was inspired by this quilt by Victoria.  It is so fun and with Valentine's Day just around the corner I'm in the mood for love.  So I pulled out my wonky hearts and started putting them together.  So far this is what I have.

I'm really having fun mixing and matching.

Adding a few of my own wonky hearts

To make everything fit.

I think I'm in love with this Crazy Love quilt.

Bounty

Last spring I saw a display of fabulous art quilts at the HMQS show made by a talented group of quilters.  I was enthralled with their work and wanted to learn more about it.   So in September after taking a class from Lisa, one of their members, and then speaking with their fearless leader, Sylvia at the Utah Quilt Guild Annual Meeting I join.  The basis for their little group is that someone picks a word and everyone makes a 12"x12" quilt based on that word.  In November it was my turn to pick a word.  I chose bounty.  It seemed fitting for the month of Thanksgiving.  A farmer's market seemed the perfect way to display the bounty of the earth.  I made letters to spell out farm fresh and was barely able to make that fit in my allotted 12".  I added bins of veggies on top and then made me some fields. 

It was fun to finish this up while snow fell outside my window.  Sure helped to chase away the January blahs.

Play becomes a Quilt

Well the deadline for Victoria's 15 Minute Play BOM has come.  I've been busily making blocks for my quilt for the last week or so.  Hoping to have at least a top done.    I thought about making enough blocks for a twin size but opted for a throw when DD didn't seem thrilled with it.  It's not in her colors.  My sweet girl likes things matchy matchy very unlike her mom who says, 'Color doesn't matter.  Throw them all in.  Everything looks good in a scrap quilt.'  I still had to add a few more blocks to get it to a nice throw size.  So I played with 1/2 square triangles on this one    

And this one.

Did a monkey's wrench

 And a basket

Copied a block I copied from Terry.

Made another flower.  The first I had done with a different background.

And a Dutchmen's Puzzle because I can't do a sampler quilt without one.  It's one of my all time favorite blocks.

Put them all together with Kona's candy blue for sashing and scrappy corner posts.  And wha-la my 15 minutes of play has become a quilt top. 

Make sure you head over to 15 minutes play and see everyone else's quilts.

A Quilt With a Story

Earlier in the week I received this quilt for Happy Chemo.  Let me share it's story.

It's life began with a young quilter who before she could finish it died of cancer.  Her mother, not being a quilter gave the quilt top to Virginia 'Rusty' Hendrick, an award winning hand quilter, past secretary of the NQA, and purveyor of a portable plastic quilt rack, in hopes that her daughter's quilt would be finished.  While visiting with Rusty, Carol H, now a member of the Utah Quilt Guild, saw the quilt and admired it.  So Rusty gave it to her.  She said the ladies faces and Kimonos where askew so she took them apart and redid them. 

She backed it, hand quilted it, and bound it. .

 Recently she moved from California to Utah and heard about my quilts for Happy Chemo through the Utah Quilt Guild. She felt that this was where this quilt belonged.  So she gave it to her area rep, Barbara Murdock who in turn gave it to me.  I will give it to my dear friend Ginger.  Who will make sure someone struggling with cancer receives this beautiful quilt with a story.

What's Lost is Found

Do you ever get so busy that you lose tack of things?  Ever feel like a chicken with it's head cut off?  The saying the faster I run the behinder I get ever ring true in your life?  In many ways that has been my life recently.  And in all this hustle and bustle I lost track of a quilt and my favorite ruler.  Scary I know.   I thought maybe some over zealous cleaner of my house (not many of those and if they ever do come along it is for a short burst and then they are gone) put it in the pile of Happy Chemo quilts and was donated.  So I figured it went to a good cause and went on with my life.  So imagine my joy when Ione, from Elaine's Quilt Block called to say they had my quilt.  I do remember having it on display there but I thought I had brought it home in May.  Boy am I glad I was wrong.  So happy to have it safe and sound at home. 

Like I said before my favorite ruler had gone missing also.  My sewing area was in utter chaos and I hoped it was buried in the mess.  As my kids will tell you if one of their things goes missing I tell them to clean until they find it.  Remember I told you those zealous cleaners don't happen very often at my house?  So I decided to put my own advice to work and headed into the battle zone that was my sewing room and went to work.  I went through all my books. 

Please excuse my unfinished walls,  after doing our kitchen a few years back and not being able to cook I'm hesitant to doing my sewing room.  I think I would go insane if I couldn't sew every day.  So I'll wait until someone moves out and I can take over their room while we finish my sewing room.  I organized all my UFOs.

Sorted all my fabric.

Found my missing ruler and put it back in it's home.

See my children would be wise to listen to me.  And now all the creative clutter is put in it's place and I'm ready to start the process over again.

 

Stitch in Color

I have always love Malka's beautiful hand dyed fabrics.  They are so bright and happy.  I'm thrilled that Moda has taken them and made the Stitch in Color line.  I did a happy dance when I was able to get my hands on some and play with it.  First I made a little baby quilt.  I think these bright bold prints are perfect for a baby quilt.  Especially for a little boy.  Now I just need to find a baby boy. 

Then I made some braids, that I turned into banners.  Placed them on a rock wall.  Well, sorta, I quilted a rock wall into the fabric and Banners of Color was born. 

Thanks Malka for designing this fun fabric.  I've so enjoyed playing with it.

A Day of Play

My day of play started Saturday with a bin of scraps.

That I made into fabric using Victoria's method.

To create these blocks.

To go with these blocks.

That I need to figure out how to arrange and have put into a quilt real soon for the 15 minute play BOM.  I'm thinking I still want a few more blocks and some sashing.  Will I have a quilt in time?  That is a very good question.  Better schedule a few more days of play.

Free For All Step 3

The rush of holiday sewing is behind us.  I hope you got everything done that you needed to.  So as promised the final step for the Free For All block is here.  Cut 112- 4 1/2" squares for 56"x 64" quilt that is shown in the link.  (You are more than welcome to adjust this and make whatever size quilt you would like.)  Take a 4 1/2" square and place it next to one of the units made in step 2.  Make sure that you line up the chain pieces (here the black squares) the same way every time.  Place these rights sides together and sew together.

Take two of the above units, lining up the chain, place right sides together, pin in center and sew.

Repeat process for  remaining blocks.  56 total is doing quilt size shown in link. 

Arrange as desired.  Suggestions here.  When your finished be sure to let me know.  I would love to see it.  And share it here with your permission.  If you don't have a blog just send me a photo.  I really want to see your interpretation.

Evaluation

January is the perfect time to evaluate how we are doing.  A time to see how far we have come and decide what we want to work on in the future.  In looking back it was a good year for quilts.  Here is a collection of many of my 2011 finishes.

I didn't finish everything on the list I create each year to help me keep track of my WIPs.  I didn't think I would.  But I finished quite a few and even completed a few that were not on the list.

Now looking to the future a new list has been created. 

Our family has set a few goals. We will be going to our local rec center every night.  My hubby and I are hoping this will accomplish two things; family unity and slimmer waist lines.  Not that our children need this.  They are skinny as rails but he and I could improve here.

What goals have you set for the new year?  Whatever they are I wish you the best with them.

Quilty love for the new year

Look at all the pretty quilts that have been donated in the last weeks of the year.  The yellow one was tied by a group of cub scouts.  Thanks guys!  Didn't they do a great job?  The two on the ends where donated by members of the Utah quilt guild and the one with the teddy bear by my dear friend Marilyn.

These three were donated by members of the Layton Quilters.  Good work ladies

The Winken, Blinken, and Nod was donated by the lovely Vivian.  The other three were joint efforts by many.  The string quilts were made at many Happy Chemo sew ins, put together by Shari and Nicki and quilted and bond by me.

Thank you everyone for your generosity.  I didn't make my goal for the year so I'm extending the time.  I don't want to lower the number. Hoping to keep the quiltometer rising in the new year.

Happy New Year everyone!  May it bring you peace and joy!