What can I say? when I'm in love, I'm in love

I told you I'm in love with that Magic Binding technique.  A table runner from September's retreat finally finished.

I think I see a trend happening here....

As from my posts a few weeks ago, I made an ironing table for Jamie and then for myself.  Well Jamie's kids thought they would make great homework, snacks in front of the TV  etc. tables.  So tonight they each got to personalize their own.  Here they are with their own works of art!  Aren't they cool?

Baby quilt finished

Maleah's baby quilt is finally finished, taking a tumble in the washer and dryer as I type this. So I find that I learn a little something with every quilt I make.  First of all, I am not sure I will do "traditional" binding ever again since finding this method on pinterest.  Magic Binding  I love how easy it was, I love that its completely machine sewn and I love the added little design element it adds.  I realize I may be calling down the wrath of the quilt gods by saying I have no intention of hand sewing binding again, but I like to walk on the wild side.

 Second lesson learned on this quilt, you cannot be stingy with spray basting.  If you are, then there's a good chance that you're going to wind up with gnarly puckers like I have when quilting on a table top machine.

All in all I am pretty pleased and I'm sure it will be warm and snuggly.

Coasters!

Love these little ladies so much and I'm so glad they have decided to give sewing a try!  I'm sure their grandmother will LOVE the coasters for Christmas!  Great job girls!  I learned this method at a quilt retreat but you can see an identical version at Pat's Patterns Crisscross coasters

Something accomplished!

My jar blocks for swap, 7 of 21 that I made, this will make such a sweet quilt for the kitchen, I plan to make it a little more personal to my home by adding things that make it a "Leonard Pantry" like lots more tomato jars and some larger 12" blocks in pickles and olives!  I have awesome wood grain fabric to make the shelves too!

Mini ironing table.  These are just so handy, I wish I had made one for myself years ago.

Thanks Jamie!

Aaah!  Thank you Jamie for evidence that I actually did something quilty last week!  

I still have a little time

...before the end of the week!  I really didn't do anything quilty this week.  I did make an ironing table for my BFF Jamie for her birthday from a tv try, batting, insulbright and fabric so she can press next to her machine, but it was given away as a birthday present (Happy Birthday Jamie!) before any pics could be taken.  I have another tray here to make mine :-)  Does pinning quilty links on Pinterest count?  We'll see how tired I am when I get home tonight, it just might have to count!

Small but something

So this may not be much to brag about, but at least its something.  My quilting machine needs serviced, it wasn't working well before the kittens came to live with us and started using it and the frame as a jungle gym, and now I just don't have the heart to load a quilt only to find that its completely messed up.  So I have been dragging my feet getting it serviced. My service shop needed to downsize and closed a couple of easy to get to locations and now i will be forced to drive in the city to get it serviced.  Not that I'm not capable, but what a PITA on a day off to fight with city traffic.  Nonetheless I do have quilts that need to be finished, and I wanted to give the quilt as you go method a shot.  Well, I would say this attempt was a less than successful, as you can see from the gaping hole in the pic of the back, but I did learn a few things and I'm not ruling it out for a future attempt on a smaller quilt.  But I have resigned myself to a trip into town next week on my days off to drop off the big machine.

As promised, challenge accepted and met (at least for week one) here we go:

Baby quilt top for Maleah, daughter of boys friends Cody and Lindsey.  The blue will be the backing.  Will be quilting it on regular machine since the Grand Quilter needs to take a trip to the shop.

                                                                                                                                           

Swap blocks for  Pantry Jar swap at Mailblocks, I have to make more of these but they're really cute and I have loads of food fabrics to make a really nice variety.  These are the 6" version from About.com

 Charity block for a quilt our retreat group is making for the Dixie

For years at retreat we would see the Dixie paddling around the waters of Lake Webster, IN we saw regular cruises, parties, weddings, etc. When we would see it coming, we would stand on the deck and wave as the passengers waved back and the captain would sound the horn as a greeting, an old tradition on the lake.  Finally 2 years ago I decided to see what the cost would be to charter it for a day during our September retreat and was shocked at the very reasonable rates.  For the past 2 years my friend Jamie and I have split the cost of chartering the boat for our friends.  Since the Dixie is operated by a not for profit organization, we thought it would be fun for us to make blocks that would be completed into a raffle quilt to present to the completely volunteer captains and crew during September's ride that could be raffled to raise money for her upkeep.

So I'm thinking about giving this a shot again

So, its been a while, I have kept this blog up knowing that one day i would get back into sewing.  i thought life was hectic...I thought I couldn't find time to quilt, let alone blog about it.  And then, on August 20th my son Q was in a horrible accident which resulted in his death on August 29, 21 years to the day he and his twin brother were born.  I am grieving and trying to get through my days without him and with the cavern that exists in my soul now that he is no longer here.

I plan to use this blog as a challenge to myself, to sew often and post often proving to myself and the world that I am sewing. I have been quilting now for 10 years and have, like most, much invested in this hobby.  I need to make it work for me.  I have been sewing a little here and there so i know its cathartic and something that can help, I need to just do it more often and consistently. I know that I still like buying fabric, so my passion is not gone, I just have not held myself accountable to get up and stop feeling sorry for myself and sew.  So my personal challenge is to post at least once a week and have a photo of what I accomplished that week.  So if you follow and are so inclined, I give you free license to "bust my balls" should you see a week pass that I do not sew or post :-)