Saturday's Activities.

Hi There!

Gilbert and I had a few errands to run this morning. Got home by 11h30, ate some leftover pizza from last night's supper and then, we rolled up our sleeves and got down to business.

I had made these 4 wall hangings, in May or June this year, and never made the tabs to hang them up.

They're supposed to be hung up in Bertha's room, to display Gilbert's micro stippling.

BTW, just a bit of info that I've recently learned....

The difference between meandering and stippling, when it comes to quilting...

Meandering is bigger. Think of a long, windy road in the country.

Stippling is like meandering but tiny, tiny, tiny stitches. Some people refer to this kind of quilting as "Micro Stippling", sometimes.

The wall hangings are about 4 inches across and 12 inches high and they're called "Garden Banners".



Yes, I did embroidery on some of them.



This one is pieced together
and machine appliquéd.

And this is the first time that I appliquéd with wool and I just LOVED it!!!

Easy to do and I just LOVE the different texture and feel that it gave to this one!

And this one... what can I say?
I used too big of a size with my Perl Cotton.

It's hard to read the words and I didn't have the heart to take it apart and re-do it.

"Love Awaits at the Edge of a Petal".

And I chenilled the pieces on this one.

Now, while I worked on the tabs for these 4 wall hangings - which took ALL afternoon, BTW - Gilbert decided that he would start work on those painted blocks. You know? On the back of his ironing board.

I thought I'd share his progress, with you.

He selected 3 traditional blocks.

Can you guess which ones they are?
*s*

Well, that's it.

S'now 11h12 p.m. and I'm heading off to bed.

Tomorrow, I start - seriously - working on that t-shirt quilt.
(I had picked up the required interfacing this morning).

Rosa

Finished Project #3 - "101 Civil War Fabrics"

Hi There!

These 2 were done a couple weeks ago, but THIS was holding be back from calling it "Finished".

Its "label".



Apparently, a quilt isn't completely "finished" unless it has its label.

*grin*

Well, I wanted to make half square mini triangle blocks and since I was making a second block, every time, I figured, "What the heck - I might as well make a 2nd mini quilt, while I'm at it!"

Gilbert machine quilted these with "Bertha", our longarm machine. I asked him to to do a "cross hatch" pattern.



The blocks are approx. 1-1/2 inch square.

The finished size of this quilt is 12-1/2 inches X 13 inches.

But, IMHO, the most amazing thing about THIS quilt is that there are EXACTLY 101 different Civil War fabrics in this quilt!

Yep!!!



Doesn't look that way, but trust me... that's the total count!

*VBG*

Enough for tonight.

I have yet another quilt to bind and add it's label.
This one's a lap quilt.
Should be done sometime this week.

Stay tuned.

Hope you guys/gals have SUPER week!

Rosa

Finished Project #1 - "My Civil War Mini"

Hi There!

For various reasons, I've had a few nearly completed projects just hanging around. This afternoon, I decided to put my heavy foot down and GET 'ER DONE!

Let me introduce to you,
"My Civil War Mini"
(picture taken outside)



As you can see by the ruler on the left, the finished quilt measures 8-1/2 inches X 11-1/2 inches.

I paperpieced the snowballs and decided to add some embroidery on the border.... And, it's hand quilted by MOI!



And each snowball is approximately 1 inch square.

The label's on the back and......

TAH DAH !!!

One more quilty project that's FINISHED!!!

On to my next project!

Rosa

Project Update - 22 May '11

Hi There!

Do you sometimes feel like that poor hamster? Running around, all the time, in it's wheel and not going anywhere?

Well, that's how I've felt in the past month or so. Yes, I work on projects but they're either long-term projects or, for whatever reason.... I can't actually "finish" them and put them to rest.

Anyhow, here's at least ONE project that I got to finish and mail off to special friends.

These are wooden Dear Jane blocks that I painted and varnished. Gilbert added a magnet on the back.

NOTE: my painted melons are the same as my fabric melons.... NOT PERFECT!!! LOL

This mini quilt was finished a while back but Gilbert and Bertha were both busy with other clients' quilts and couldn't take the time to actually quilt it. Yesterday, with my most winning smile, he and Bertha quilted it.



It's cross hatched with ivory thread.

The blocks are 1-1/2 inches each. Total quilt size with probably finish at 12" square.

But here's the kicker: Once I've bound this quilt, I can proudly tell you that there will be ONE HUNDRED ONE (101) different Civil War fabrics on this 12" X 12" quilt!!!!

Neat eh?



So, since we were "supposed" to see the end of the world, Gilbert and I decided to have our "special" drinks, before 10 p.m. our time. *grin*

I had this drink, while in Florida. It's called a "Blue Ocean" and while there are different recipes for this on the net -some with rather complicated or exotic-to-me ingredients - I decided to make up my own recipe, each weekend, until I have the right recipe for me.
(Gilbert and I usually have one special drink, during the weekend.)

Gilbert's a martini man - what can I say?

Yesterday evening's drink had:

1 shot of Blue Curaco
1 shot of Malibu Coconut Rum
7 Up - approx. 1/2 a cup.
1 cherry

BTW, although Blue Curaco looks like a watered down version of blueberries, it smells and tastes like oranges.

It was delish, but I'll add pineapple juice, next time. Should be interesting. *s*

Anyhow, it's now almost 9 a.m.

Gotta go wash my hair. My sister is picking me up. We're having a Mother/Daughters Day at one of our garden centers.

I'll blog about it later.

Have a great Sunday!

Rosa

My lastest "Mini"...

Hi There!

Here's my latest "Mini" quilt....

The blocks are 1.5" square.

When I add the back and it's binding,
I will be able to say that there will be
EXACTLY 101 different Civil War fabrics
in this mini quilt.



Actually, I'm not sure that this qualifies as a "mini".

Does anyone know if there's official rules on what size constitutes a "mini" quilt?

This one will probably mesure 12" X 12", or thereabouts.

Have a great week!

Rosa

Friday Evening Progress Report

Hi There!

The "Friday Evening Progress Report" is brought to you by Gilbert's iPhone camera....

*grin*



I've finished the embroidery on this cutey. Tomorrow, I'll (quickly) baste this 8 X 10 inch mini quilt and will probably start hand quilting it, tomorrow evening.

In the meantime, I've started yet another mini quilt. This one's with 1/2 square triangles. I'm hoping to have 100 different Civil War fabrics in it... I'm hoping that it will be another "mini", with mini blocks and that it will be another "cutey".

I've also taken a shine to this quilt...

The Easy Spider Web.

Here's what it looks like, finished.

AND, I've taken a shine to another one,
on the Quilter's Cache.

Fabric Boxes.

Gilbert likes "striking" and "different", in quilts.

Well, I'm off to bed.

S'now almost midnight, and I'm EXHAUSTED!

Rosa

Progress Report

Hi There!

Well, I managed to finish all my "Snow Balls" and piece 'em all together and add 2 outer borders.



Then, I selected the embroidery pattern I wanted, around my mini quilt and then "shopped" in my embroidery thread bag and came up with these 2 colors.

Tiny, golden daisies with dark, khaki green for the leaves and the "X's".

Now, I just need to finish off the 3 other sides.

Once finished, the mini quilt should measure 8" X 10" (approx.).

I'm debating whether I should hand quilt it, machine quilt it or just tie it down with pearl embroidery floss?

Why am I debating this?

Because....

Hand quilting - there's a LOT of seams and I'm guessing I'll have to hand quilt by "poking" from top to bottom. Could take a week or so to finish... dunno.

Machine quilting? I have a funny feeling that it won't be as nice as hand quilting. Besides, when you're machine quilting, you have to secure your first stitches, right? And this project's so small, every little thing is looked at VERY CLOSELY. I'm worried that I wouldn't be able to do a great job with machine stitching.

Tieing the quilt? Well, I need to make incredibly small bows. Remember, I'm trying to keep the size ratio in perspective. Will I be able to make teeny, tiny bows? Not sure.

So, I'm asking you....
What do you all suggest?

Thanks for your advice,
in advance!


Rosa

Three Yellow Chickies!!!

Hi There!

Okay, this little mini quilt
is now hanging in
"Bertha's" Room -
You know, our Long Arm Room.
*grin*



I braided pearl cotton embroidery floss -
2 strands of blue and 1 of yellow,
attached it to this mini quilt
and made a cute bow.

I'll try and remember to take a pic of it,
hanging up.... tomorrow.

Rosa

Hi There!

I just remembered WHY I don't like to post contests that drag on and on and on and on.... I LOVE to blog too much and yet, I want my "Contest" blog to be the first on my page...

So, I can't blog until AFTER the contest!!!!

Bummer, eh?

Anyhow.... I'll just have to put this on "draft" and, after the contest is finished, polish it off and publish it.

Well, I got into thinking that when you go to a quilt shop, there's usually TONS of quilts on display.... every spare inch has a quilt, on display, right?



Well, I started this one, right after work. It should measure, approximately, 3-1/2 inches wide and possibly 11 inches long. We have a nice little sliver of a wall, that we can hang it up...

This is my "Process Pledge".

I thought that once Gilbert long arm quilts it... with teeny, weeny meandering around the eggs, that I would bind it with a nice yellow fabric ... or would black be better?.... and then, braid some thick pearl cotton embroidery floss, to make a "ribbon" type of holder thingy, at the top.

Okay, I'm having difficulty explaining it, but I know what I mean.

LOL

Will keep you all posted!

Rosa

UPDATE: Blog contest will end at midnight, MY TIME!

I'll draw a name in the morning.

:-)