Blog is acting up? I'm not sure if this is going to work? Or Google has change things? I've been working on this and I'm now picking out the backing. I'm pretty sure I've decided on the backing but was short and luck have it, I found some extra exactly like I'd picked out. This pattern is from Toppers by Lynda Milligan & Nancy Smith. I love the idea that it can go over pillows or the back of a sofa. To change the decor a little. Now, if I can squeeze quilting this between making gifts that will be nice! If not I'm sure I'll have it done by next Christmas...

Frost is on the ground and roof tops and it's 39 degrees but it's climbing, it was 34 when my husband got up at 5:00am.
I'll bet everybody is busy......

Back to my sewing room, Crissie

Christmas Time

I would like to take this time to wish everybody Happy Holidays and a Very Merry Christmas! Our Snow people are out on the table, the most snow we'll get around our house but they get us in the swing of Christmas Sprites! Now I'm trying to beat the clock on making gifts!



I've been making Table Runners and have an assembly line in the works. I love this fabric and think it works with Thanksgiving or Christmas. I'm just planning on straight stitch quilting.

Before the holiday's I made a bag for my light box.



I've completed two UFOs this year and will post those when I get them quilted. I'm still planing on working on UFO's in 2012. It's so hard to think how fast this year has passed! I'm not very good at keeping New Years Resolutions..... I make them and then fall short of following through! One of my friends told me she keeps a journal and when she starts a quilt she also put the date she plans on completing it. Good idea! But I don't know how good that would be for me? I skip from one thing to another, to many loves to keep up with. I should do as she does and never start another project until I've completed one. But some times I just want to do aplique work and other time I like piece work and then a friend will ask if I will quilt something and my work gets set aside. And then there's the ladies in our group who will bring a sweet pattern in and we just have to do it together... like the purse pattern. But those grommets discouraged me when JoEllen had troubles getting her's to work for her. I ended up giving her my package so she could complete her purse. Funny story, when we went to PIQF we found the grommets and felt they were to expensive, as we walked around we found another booth and they were mush more reasonable. We search through all they had until we found clear ones so they would go with our fabric. Come to find out they were yellow not clear~ Disappointed! We found another brand at JoAnn's but they didn't work as well at least not how the YouTube showed they should. So I'm going to complete what I started into a different style!
Have you ever checked out QuiltingHeaven.com? It has just started a few months ago from what I understand and is drawing lots of quilters.
Quiltingly Yours, Crissie

Table Runner

I quilted this for my sister-in-law.

She was having a little problem learning her new machine so she was going to tie this pretty table runner she made. I offered to quilt it for her, Everybody in our group is making these they go so fast and are really easy to make as long as you get the border fabric. Some of the ladies tried using others that were actually border prints, but they didn't work out.

I've been getting the different pieces ready to applique on my next basket quilt block. I've got to get back in the swing of things after my husbands had his operation.

I just did a large meandering. I just couldn't see it tied! It was really funny too as I purchased my fabric just like this years ago and she just purchased hers a few weeks ago. Funny how you run out of something and try so hard to find it, yet this print they must have made another run or found it in the warehouse? Makes you wonder?

I just love the Janome 7700 Horizon machine, this is my fourth Janome and second one with the extra room. Of course this table runner was a breeze, I've even quilted a queen sized quilt and have no problem, I have so much fun free hand quilting I just love it!

Back to the sewing machine..... Happy Sewing to everybody.. Crissie

Miss Poppy Crabapple

Miss Poppy

Miss Poppy is now completed just a few more embroidery stitches here and there and it will go in with the rest of the blocks... in waiting~

Three of us decided to make a bag together~ Rita made hers on the first week and we discovered the grommets were very difficult~

We watched as JoEllen make her purse:

We watched the YouTube demo and tried everything we could to get those sweet grommets to stay on!

They were pushing and pressing as hard as they could, going back and trimming more fabric away to help them fit easier!

After watching JoEllin and Rita struggle so much with getting those grommets on, I'm not so sure I want to try? My bag is cut and ready to sew together but I'm seriously thinking of switching to another type of pattern .. NO GROMMETS

She would get them on (with a struggle) and when she sat down they would pop, pop, pop off one at a time!

She was able (with her husbands help) to get them on all except one and I think they had to glue that one down~ As you can see she picked beautiful fabric.... from her stash!

This is our sweet friend Darlene, pin basting her quilt sitting in the middle of the table... nice to be so young and able to sit on her knees! I remember when I use to be able to do that! I was worried the tables might move, there were several card tables lined up, she was sitting almost in the middle. She's fairly new to quilt, but you'd never know it, her work and combinations of colors are so beautiful~

Last night I picked the fabrics for my Miss Bell from Delightful Quilts in Bloom~ Lynn do you think I'll ever get them all done? Eight completed and four more to do, at a snails speed! And then there's the border too~ WOW ... My work is cut out for me~

On August 7th four of us took a class at Thimble Creeks Quilt shop from Meg Hawkey ~ Crabapple Hill Studio ~ We worked on the sampler, like hers pictured here. The day was packed full all kinds of information and lessions, we were so excited and learned so much from her.

Rita is coloring and even thou it looks like JoEllen is stressed (she will kill me I'm sure) she's got it all together. The walls were lined with all kinds of Megs work and some ladies took all three of her classes from 10:00 in the morning until 5:00. We had a wonderful day together.

We are getting ready for a hot day, so every thing needs to be watered, then it's down to getting some sewing done. I hope ever body has a great weekend, if your traveling drive safe on this Holiday weekend. Have fun and enjoy....

Quilting the dotted quilt..

I finally got the borders all together and now I'm quilting. I'm so happy I'm at this point, my niece is getting married the end of August so I'll be able to send her quilt to her.

If I can only focus on quilting, but my thoughts keep flashing to other things I want to do.

One of my friend just finished making a king sized quilt using this same pattern but in pastels, she told me she's had lots of compliments but if anybody asked her to make one for them she would for a thousand dollars.

I'll post more when I've completed quilting this quilt...

I hope everybody is having a nice summer and staying as cool as you can. Our weather has really been mild so far.

Happy Quilting.....

Crissie

Sarah's Quilt

What a mess I've made.... I'm trying to complete a quilt for my niece Sarah, picking colors is fun,

but the anticipation of it coming out like I want has made a unsure feeling down deep in my stomach.

This isn't bad compared to how it was yesterday, just trying to pick a good variety of colors

I made this quilt last year in a class with four of my friends, and then sat it aside and felt I would only make a small quilt. When I found out Sarah was getting married, her mother told me she loves 1970 things, Right way I felt this would fit her fancy. Then one of my friends had added a border of the spikes to her quilt and I was really attracted to it, so I started making mine. Then she showed me another photo having corner blocks that fit the theme. The First run for the second border went just fine. This isn't pressed yet, it's just to give me an idea of where I'm going?????
Yesterday I folded the things I had pulled out of my basket, separating the fabrics that were two dark and didn't show up that great. I completed one more border yesterday and have laid it on the back of the sofa and folded the other end close to see if I like the corner block? I hope I'm going in the right direction? I've been thinking the corner block maybe should be a little larger and that still might be a thought?

Back to my sewing room to make another border...