2014 NewFO Challenge - September

While browsing at an antique store with my friend Marianne the other day, I saw a quilt I really liked that had scrappy dresden plates on it.  Then yesterday when I was browsing through a quilting group on Facebook, I ran across another dresden plate quilt. This one had the plates appliqued on the center of a larger 4 patch.  I decided that I would like to try doing one my self.   I went through my 3 1/2" strips and picked out about 15 fabrics that I thought would look good together.

Then I used my Dresden template and cut one blade from each fabric sewing the longer ends into prairie points.  After I did that I began sewing the blades together.

I was happy with how they turned out, but it's clear that I will need to pick out several more fabrics to complete the plate.  I haven't decided yet what I am going to do with it, but I am thinking about making a pillow when I finish putting the plate together.

 You can visit Barbara over at Cat Patches to see what others have started this month for their NewFO Challenge. 

2014 NewFO Challenge - August

I really liked Bonnie Hunter's Carolina Chain block that was her Addicted To Scraps block in the Quiltmaker Magazine May/June 2010.  I decided to start making these blocks with my 2" strips.  I've gotten a couple blocks made and I'm happy with them.  So, I'm kitting up more of the blocks to use for my Leader/Ender.

I am hoping that I can get a lap quilt made with theses before winter gets here.  I love to cover up with a quilt when watching television in the evening.  You can visit Barbara over at Cat Patches to see what others have started this month for their NewFO Challenge. 

I have finished my Quilt Doodle Block of the Month for August which is 10 pieces of candy!  I used a red striped fabric to try to imitate the peppermint candies that my husband likes to carry in his pocket.  We only have two more blocks to go.  All of the Quilt Doodles blocks can be seen here.   

Happy quilting everyone!  Tami

2014 NewFO Challenge - July

I had been doing several table runners for my sister-in-laws as well as a dish drain quilt.  My husband decided that he wanted a dresser quilt for sitting his things on for his birthday.  So, I made another quilt as you go quilt, but this one was 15" by 40".  He wanted colors like I had used on the dish drain quilt.  I picked several out and let him pick the ones he liked.  Here's the result!  He was really happy with it!  So once again, I have finished my New FO for this month.

I also finished my Quilt Doodle Block of the Month for July which is five cups of hot chocolate!

Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches to see what others have started this month. 

Happy quilting everyone! 

2014 NewFO Challenge - June

I really don't remember where I saw this Dish Drain Quilt, but I really liked the idea of making one to use in my kitchen instead of using a towel to dry the pans on that I had wash.  I really like doing quilt as you go projects and thought that this would be a good project to do that way.

I picked a fabric for the backing and cut it and the batting the size I wanted for my kitchen.  I started in the middle with a 4" square placed in the center of the batting.  I went through my 2" strings and picked out some fabric I liked together.  I sewed all around the center square with one fabric then another.

I had ordered some Clover wonder clips a while back and found that I really liked using them when doing the bindings on quilts.  I used to use straight pins and got stuck a lot!

Well, here it is in the kitchen.  It turned out just the right size.  My husband is worried that he'll spill stuff on it, but that's okay as I can just throw it in the wash.

I also finished up my Quilt Doodles June's Block 2014, which was Northern Hockey Skates.  I was a little slow doing this month's blocks as it included appliqueing the blades on the bottom of the skates. This was the first time that I had done any and I was surprised that it was as easy as what it was.  My mother-in-law had given me many of her quilting items since I had taken up quilting after she had moved on to counted cross stitch.  Quilt Doodle's instructions called for heat n bond, but I only had Wonder-Under and I wasn't quite sure that it worked the same.  I'm glad to say that it did!  Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches and see what others have started this month.  Happy quilting everyone!

2014 NewFO Challenge - May

My husband and I went to Memphis to visit our daughter and needed someone to watch our cats.  My sister-in-law volunteered to care for them for us.  She came over every day to check on the cats and make sure they had plenty of food and water.  I wanted to do something to thank her for taking care of them and decided to make her a table runner.  She's very fond of maple leafs so I included one in her table runner.

I had fabric that had lots of maple leafs on it and used that for the backing.

I am a member of the Denver Chapter of the Green Bag Lady Project and I used the same pattern that I use for those bags to make a bag for my sister-in-law's table runner.  You can watch a video to learn about the Green Bag Lady Project.

Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches to see what others started this month. Happy quilting everyone! 

2014 NewFO Challenge - April

This month I actually finished the project that I started this month.  Since my sister-in-law was hosting the Easter meal this year, I decided to make her a table runner with Easter colors.

I used an assortment of different fabrics that had colors that you might find on Easter eggs.  I used the quilt as you go method with little bunny rabbit fabric for the backing and a lavender striped fabric for the binding.

I used the same pattern that I use for the Green Bag Lady bags to make a bag to put it in. You can watch a video to learn about the Green Bag Lady Project.

Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches to see what others started this month. Happy quilting everyone!

Baby Quilt for Elizabeth

When I got the invitation from my old boss for a baby shower for his first grandchild, I decided that I had better finish the baby quilt that I had started a while back.  It would be a good one since the parents had decided not to find out the sex of the baby.  They wanted it to be a surprise!

I quilted it in the ditch and picked a cute little multi-colored striped fabric for the binding.  I think this will work just fine for a boy or a girl.  I remembered that I had run across a cute pattern for a baby bib and decided that I would make one of those.

I picked out several 1.5" strips and sewed them together.  I then used Bonnie Hunter's directions in her Streak of Sunshine pattern to cut that sewn piece into 1.5" strips and sewed them back together.

I used the template that was provided in the pattern and followed the directions to finish it.  Now I just needed to have something to wrap them in, so I dug through my stash and found real cute sock monkey fabric.  Since I am a member of the Denver Chapter of the Green Bag Lady Project, I thought that I would use the same pattern that I use for those bags to make a bag for Elizabeth.  I added a lining in her bag.  You can watch a video to learn about the Green Bag Lady Project.

I guess I am going to have to find some more Sock Monkey fabric because when my hubby saw Elizabeth's bag he wanted to keep it!   Happy quilting everyone!