LATEST QUILT

It has been a while since I have posted on my blog.  We've had a lot of  stuff going on.  Both my mom and mother-in-law have had some health problems that we've been taking care off.  It's really hard now

being the "parent" of your parent.

I've been working on this quilt for several weeks and it is now all pieced.  I will be spending

this weekend quilting it.  Today, I will just bask in the glory that the quilt is pieced.

 The wind blew as I took the picture

 

 Once the wind died down, I took the picture.

I got the idea of the quilt from Eleanor Burns.

Instead of using the border suggestion, I did something different.

The first border is a 2 1/2" solid.

The second border is 4 1/4" chain of squares.

The third border is a 2 1/2" solid.

The idea for the chain of squares border came

from the second book on the right.  

It's a great resource.  This was the first

time that I did something as different as this

with borders.  I usually do just solid borders.

I wanted to do something different.  

I'm happy with the results.  Now to the quilting!

CUT AND FOLD QUILTING

Yesterday I was at Hancock Fabrics in Indianapolis to browse.  I always stop in the book section because I never know what might pop out at me.  It did happen, a book popped out.  The title of the book is Cut and Fold Quilting by Carol Nartowicz.  I perused it and was totally taken by the designs that I just had to buy it.  So today I worked very carefully the block.  It was challenging but I was up to it.  Here's what I did.

 I chose three fabrics to do the block. 

I needed freezer paper to draw the design.

 I cut my circle and used the double stick lite fusible web

to place it on the wrong side of the top layer fabric.

 I folded a 14 inch freezer paper in fourths.

I drew the design on each fourth of the freezer paper

I laid the freezer paper on top and with my exacto knife,

started carefully cutting.  I pressed hard to make sure that

all of the fabric was cut.

As you can see from the final process, I folded

the fabric back and ironed it.  I did a small 

zig zag stitch to keep the folded fabric down.

Now I can either make it into a pillow or

make three different similar blocks to make

it into a wall hanging.  

TABLE RUNNER CLASS

There is a lady at my church who has asked me to teach a quilting class.

I finally agreed and it turned out that this was my second class that I have taught.

I knew the ladies taking my class had not quilted before.

So trying to find a project that was easy for them to do

and easy for me to teach was a challenge.

 What I found was a table runner pattern.  

I made a sample following the directions but I realized

that the directions were not easy to understand

for the beginners, so I edited them.  

One of the ladies also asked me if it could be made smaller.

The original table runner's length is 75" long.

I don't even have a table that long!

So I did a little math and reconfigured the design.

I loved how it turned out!

 My two samples.  I didn't even put the other border on the longer one.

 My three happy students.

The finished tablerunner top.

Next step is showing them how to mark the top for quilting

and setting it up with the backing and batting.

That next class will be done at my home.

THE BLIND QUILTER

A good friend of mine sent me a You Tube link about a lady in Texas.  Her name is Diane Rose.  

She is the only known totally blind quilter.  She is such an inspiration! 

 Her blindness has not stopped her from doing what she loves.  I have no excuse!

The Blind Quilter

 

 Her website is www.theamazingquilter.com

Let's be inspired just like her!