Completed flannel quilt

I thought I would add some autumn photos to my blog today. These trees line the street near my house. I call that a California maple, but I'm no plant expert. Anyway, it's a charming tree and they grow lots of them around here. I figure if I can't travel to New England to see the fall colors, I'll just take a walk in my neighborhood. As Rabbe Nachman of Breslov said, "Have you looked up at the sky this morning?"

Good news, I've completed the little scrap flannel quilt, sewn on the binding--and it's all ready to go to the charity. I quilted it by sewing one of the fancy stitches on my machine along the seam lines, and down the centers of the blocks. Finishing this quilt was a challenge from Finn at http://finnleah.blogspot.com/ Pieces From my Scrapbag Blog--to complete unfinished quilt tops by New Year's. I guess that I made it on time. I'm now in a thinking mode, as I decide what quilt pattern to make next. I want to donate another quilt. The charity group that I volunteer for asked for blankets--so it's blankets they will get. I'm also making a granny afghan using bits of left over knitting worsted yarn. Got a granny block done last night while watching TV.

Happy Thanksgiving! My daughter and son-in-law live near me, and I'm going over to their house for dinner. What I love most about Thanksgiving is joining with family and friends for a lovely time together. It's a big group hug.

Flannel scrap quilt

I'm using left-over bits of flannel to make a baby quilt. I plan to donate the quilt to a charity. These flannel strips are from the back edges of flannel-backed quilts that I've made in the last year or two. I've got to confess, that I save nearly every scrap. In fact, the laundry hamper where I store bits and pieces is just about to overflow, no matter how many quilts I make out of it. I even have enough flannel scraps left to make one or two more quilts--and I'm only talking about the flannel--never mind the ordinary cotton stuff! About sewing flannel quilts, I should mention that I use a fatter seam than the usual 1/4 inch. My sewing machine has an easy adjustment for the needle. I hope that I can complete quilting this by New Year's!

My public library has a used book store that's run by volunteers. Today was their semi-annual sale. I got there really early and bought some quilt books. These books look like they have a lot of antique quilt pictures. I love to see the old-time handiwork. I also bought a lovely book about wild flowers, and so on. I'll be reading all weekend, I guess. And a reminder--Tonya Ricucci's book "Word Play Quilts" is due out the end of December. I've already pre-ordered my copy.

The challenge quilt

I'm so pleased to report that I have completed my challenge quilt for http://lazygallibamish2010.blogspot.com/ This quilt was a really big task for me. First, I researched Gee's Bend quilts and Amish quilts. I actually went to the library and looked in their reference books. I decided that Amish Bars pattern and some Gee's Bend quilts had a lot in common. The rules of Lazy Gal's Challenge were no rulers, templates or rotary cutters. And use a lot of solid colors. I found cutting long strips of fabrics using only scissors and by eye was difficult, unless I decided to simply have fun with it. You know that saying, "don't stress the small stuff." I pulled out a bunch of scraps for the scrappy row that I made going down the whole quilt. Then I used the size that that came out to be for the approximate length of the strips. If the strips were too long, I chopped them off, and if too short, I did what Gee's Bend quilt ladies do, and added a scrap to the edge. The edges of the quilt were quite uneven. So instead of quilting, I tied with size 10 crochet cotton. I use a curved needle when I tie a quilt. I think I ended up with what the quilting books politely call a "utility quilt." I didn't actually know if I liked this quilt all the way through the creating process. It was only after I finished hemming down the grey binding on the outside edge, that the full impact of the quilt was apparent. You know what, I decided that I like it just as well as any other quilt I have made!

Embroidered Thanksgiving wall hanging

Good news, I finished hand-embroidering and hand-quilting this wall hanging. I'm giving it to my daughter to use for a decoration this Thanksgiving. She's the one who makes the delicious meal (I help a little bit) at her house every year! A big crowd of family and friends enjoy it so much.

I bought this pattern from http://www.memesquilts.com/ It's supposed to be made into a pillow--but it's the right size for a wall hanging. I need to purchase a curtain rod or a dowel for the back, and I have a nice cord for hanging it up.

I'm really trying to get my projects finished by the New Year--I have that flannel quilt to put together, and I'm still tying the quilt that I made for http://lazygallibamish2010.blogspot.com/

There's always knitting and crocheting, but I refuse to count that stuff. Needless to say, I do get those done as I go along, but I'm always starting more! And I'm always making a hat for charity. Those hat projects fit into my purse, and I bring them along to work on when I go out.

Well, I got really tired of struggling with the postings and I reset my blog to the old method of posting. I wish that Google wouldn't put out "new" stuff until they get the bugs out!!

Stars Baby Quilt

Here's my Star quilt, all completed! I'm quite pleased with the result. Now I'm going on to the next project, which is making a flannel quilt. It is intended to be for a donation, and I'm using some of the flannel scraps that I have hanging around here--as it were. I promised for a Challenge on Pieces From my Scrapbag Blog which is http://finnleah.blogspot.com

that I would complete the flannel quilt before New Years! Meanwhile, the Thanksgiving embroidery is nearly done. I hope to post that one someday soon. Also, I slipped in a photo of a baby sweater that I knitted. I love making baby things--it's like they say about eating peanuts--you can't eat only one. (Golly, in my case I really cannot eat actual peanuts.) Anyhow, the directions for this sweater are free from Lion Brand Yarn. http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/50678AD.html

I like raglan sweaters because they are knitted all in one piece.

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative

Thanks so much to Michelle at http://with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/for getting in touch with me.  She did a lot of computer search stuff to figure out that this quilt that I donated was at the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Iniative at Houston International Quilt Festival. http://www.alzquilts.org/  I titled the quilt "Tribute to Modigliani."

Busy

All kinds of adventures have occurred since my last post.  I recovered from all my medical stuff except for an attack of arthritis--and at this stage in my life, arthritis doesn't count anymore.  And a lovely event, a family visit. So much fun seeing everyone!  We took the grand kids ( well the adults liked it, too) to see Peter Pan.  It was a big production put on in a giant tent.  Peter Pan and Tinkerbell were flying through the air on enormous wires. Lots of fun for all of us!  And then we had Halloween.Tons and tons of candy--funny costumes!
Meanwhile, I haven't completed one thing!  But I started on another project, pictured here.  I'm making an embroidered wall hanging for Thanksgiving.  So I moved that to the front of the line, as I have to get it done on time.  I ordered the pattern from http://www.memesquilts.com/ Sherri's web site has all this primitive embroidery stuff on it.  I've bought from Meme's Quilts before. This web site has no connection with me personally. 
That "stars" baby quilt is nearly done, I just have to hem down the binding.
Now about the top photo--that big pile of left-over flannel--it's for a charity quilt. I often sew a quilt backing in flannel. As soon as enough flannel scraps accumulate, I can start to make a quilt out of them.