Project Linus & Aidan's Quilt

Well, I was able to finish my quilt in time for Project Linus. My quilting shop where I take my class supported this wonderful cause. These quilts are given to abused or traumatized kids by police officers, kids removed from their homes by social workers, preemie babies, AIDS babies, etc. Project Linus gives away over 1000 blankets a day to kids. My niece Tricia had preemies and I wanted so much to be a part of this project.



My teacher, the ever wonderful, Ms Janet, was the leader of the project. They had about 20 women show up and quilt blankets all day,(including my bestest buddy, Joy, who documented the entire day---see the link to her blog below, you will be astonished).

Janet's personal goal was to make 40 blankets from start to finish from 10 am until 4 pm. She exceeded her goal by everyone making 61 quilts with 30+ more quilts donated ahead of time by other people (like me) for grand total of 91 quilts to be donated just from our shop in Orange.

I quilted around each animal and the trees in this blanket and then made diamond shapes in the blue sections and the multi-colored corners and straight seams on the green border. I have to say, I am pretty proud of this quilt. It was a worthy cause and now that I know about Project Linus, I hope to be able to contribute more next year and maybe work the room like Joy did this year.


Anyway, check out Joy's blog for the entire day's activities as well as wonderful pictures.



http://joy-denise.blogspot.com/

Also, There is a teacher that I work with at school who had preemie twins in November. Sadly, she lost one baby but the other, Aidan, is doing very well. He's still in the hospital but is getting stronger every day. I found the most wonderful material and just had to make a quilt to give to her for when Aidan comes home. Here is the top to Aidan's quilt, not quite finished....it still needs to be backed and quilted. I love this material because it has all these perfect sayings on them like, "our little miracle", and what a miracle little Aidan is.

Well, I want to get this published on my blog. I'm almost finished with my niece's quilt too, but I can't post pictures of it until after I give it to her for her birthday ! More on that to come ! I've been quilting only since May 2006 and have completed 6 six quilts to date. Have two more to start planning and working on as well.

Love to all my friends....

Xmas 2006

Well, dear friends, I finally am able to update my blog (after several attempts of switching over to the new blogger....sheesh). Anyway, I am finally able to get a picture of Junior with his quilt on my blog too. We had so much fun and it was a terrific Christmas for all of us. Matt joined in at my brother's house and he went for Christmas dinner at Missy's too !!! It made it nice for everyone involved to see Matt. Junior was welcomed with opened arms and has fit right into the family and extended family. Junior started working for Craig about two weeks ago and is doing very well. He'll be getting his first paycheck this Friday and he's already talking of saving money to get his own cell phone and possibly save for a car, which would help me in the long run so I wouldn't have to drive him to work everyday at 10:00 a.m. It looks like he'll be going full time and if that happens, it won't be long before he's out on his own. Anyway, he's doing great and is getting his life together. He has a very sweet girlfriend who loves to just sit and watch TV. She doesn't have to "go out" all the time and have him spend money. She just likes spending time together, even with the "parents" around. We all watch TV together and have lots of laughs. Matt, of course, does his own thing. We all wish he would spend more time with us, but he's into his own thing. We love him so much and wish he wanted to spend time with us too. Junior loves to "kick it with his brother" when Matt wants to. Anyway, I have to go to work at the school. The table runners were a big hit and they all loved them. I'm almost finished with my niece's quilt and am starting on new baby quilt for a teacher at school. I hope they like it and I'm getting involved in Project Linus, which gives baby quilts to CHOC Hospital for preemies, AIDS babies, homeless kids, etc. I'm really, really excited about that ! More to come ! Love to all

Matt's Quilt

Well, boys and girls, I finally finished Matt's quilt. Actually, it has been done for a couple of weeks now but just finished the binding on it last week. Matt was really, really sick and had been out of school for two weeks with an abscess on his tonsil, which had to be aspirated....long story.....but anyway, I surprised Matt with his quilt. He looked at my hands and said, "Is it done?" I said yes. He was laying with an old yellow thermal blanket on and I laid his quilt over him. He said..."No, mom, take the yellow blanket off." I took the yellow blanket off and then laid the quilt over him. He said, "thanks mommie, I love it"....I told him I had to have a picture of the quilt though too for my book. He said, ok, but don't put it on your blog....oh well, tough, because here it is...




Needless to say, I haven't been able to get it away from him since. I took it out of his room to show my mom this weekend and he had a fit saying...."that blanket doesn't leave my room." He tells his friends, you can't sit on this blanket either. So, I'm thrilled he loves it. I even made a matching pillowcase.

I've made Junior's quilt as well and am finishing the binding on it too as well as made a pillowcase for him too. However, I won't be posting a picture of his quilt until after I give it to him for Christmas because he does not know it's for him and he might see my blog. Also, if I have time, I'll be making new quilted Christmas stockings for Matt and Junior. Matt's has been used since he was a baby and I'll be making a more "grown-up" stocking for him. Pictures of all these things to follow.

Here's Matt's

Well, here's Matt's quilt....well, the top anyway! These pictures are close-ups of the fabric because my camera does not do justice to the material for some reason. Maybe because of the flash, not sure. Anyway, it's really coming along nicely.





There were two sets of blocks I had to make that were mirror images of each other (had to really concentrate on that one). Then you follow a puzzle piece when sewing them all together to get the finished look.




It was really confusing on how to get them sewn together. I had to make one strip of 4 blocks to make each row following the puzzle piece. Then I sewed each strip as I finished it so I wouldn't screw it up. I only had to rip the blocks apart twice (pretty good, I think if you were to see the pattern) !!






When I got home from class, I only had 3 remaining rows to put on the quilt in order to complete the top so I did that at home. Now, all I have left to do is put on two borders, batting, binding, backing, and it's ready to be quilted. This one went together so quick. I've only worked on it for 4 weeks.

It's Finally Finished

Well, dear family and friends, my first quilt is finally finished. Actually, it's been finished for a couple of weeks now but my mom kidnapped it for a while so she could show it around. She works with a couple of ladies that quilt and she wanted them to see it as well as her doll class ladies. So by the time I got it back from her and got a picture of it with my teacher, I am just now getting a chance to post a picture of it on my blog. So, here it is....



The back of the quilt is the same lavendar color as the inner border and binding. I also "machine quilted" it all by myself on my little Singer sewing maching (what a pain !!!) Quilting it yourself is very difficult, at least for me it was, having to go around all the squares. My teacher had me start in the center and work my way out towards the edges. The outer squares were easier than the center ones. You have to fight the quilt most of the time and push, pull, squeeze, roll, stretch, etc ! But, I'm glad I tried quilting it myself at least once, just for the experience. It would have been a lot easier if I had a long arm quilting maching or a "Little Gracie", but oh well it was still fun thanks to the most wonderful teacher, Janet. I just love her!!! She makes class so much fun and before you know it class is over. So, I just had to get a picture of her and I holding my first quilt.














Here we just couldn't stop laughing....

I've started Matt's quilt now and it's coming along really, really nicely. Everyone in class thought it was too plain because it's all done in black, white, & gray (Matt picked the colors & pattern), but I picked out the material for his approval. It's really going to be beautiful. Pictures of that will follow, once I get the blocks finished. Thanks again, to my bestest buddy for starting me on this wonderful hobby ! Love to all !!!

My Love Blanky

Well, well, well.....I had a wonderful surprise when I went to my quilt class today !!! My bestest buddy in the whole wide world, Joy, said for me not to leave after class that she had a surprise for me in the car. Could it be ???....no, no....I thought....not my "quilted love blanky" she's been working on since......(ooooppps - almost gave it away and I promised I wouldn't)....teehee !!!! Sure enough, Joy handed me a package and to me extreme delight was the quilt she designed and made all by herself.



She started this last September on her trip to Wyoming and she and her dad placed pieces out on the floor. Joy then sewed the squares together, while "dad" ironed....she finished the top that week. When she came home she surprised me with the top and we went together and picked out the borders and binding at Timeless Quilts. Of course, things happen in our lives to constantly interrupt getting fun things done, but she finally finished it and gave it to me today...as you can see, I love it as well as love my bestest buddy !!!!! Thanks, buddy for such a wonderful gift.

"Top is Complete"

Well, my friends, still not much happening here besides work and parenting. My right baby toe is badly broken, is extremely sore, and giving me fits. It actually feels better once I get my foot into a shoe but man is it painful getting into it as well as walking the first few minutes too. However, nothing is keeping me away from my quilting class. This week I was able to get the green border on as well as the final border. Look closely ...



All that's left now is measuring for the batting and backing, sewing on the binding, and the ever popular "stitching in the ditch" (which I hate because it's so hard). The next picture I post will be of the finished quilt, my first. I'm so jazzed !!! This quilt really only took me about six classes (about 15 class hours) and some extra hours at home doing my "homework" (which I can't even remember how long, but wasn't very much). I think this quilt has taken me approximately 20 hours to get this far. Not too bad, I don't think!!! I can't wait to start the next one, Matt's quilt. I just love all the ladies in the class especially Janet, the teacher. She's a kick !!! Well, not much more to say, so stay tuned if you want to see the finished product.

In process

Well, not much happening besides work, work, work, dealing with the kid, and oh yeah, I broke my baby toe which makes working and quilting "SOOOO MUCH FUN", NOT. But I have to say my first quilt is progressing nicely, thank you, just the same. Not even a broken toe will keep me from quilting.

As you can see, I have the entire 12 blocks and "lattice" on with the first border. I will be putting the second and third borders on and then the batting, binding, and backing.



Then, all that's left to do is "stitch in the ditch" and hand stitch the binding....presto, the quilt will be done. I already have the material for Matt's quilt and am eagerly waiting to get started on it. I have ideas for quilts for my two nieces, Amie and Nicole as well and pictures of those will follow once they are started.

Am still working on my table runners for Christmas and have about 12-15 of them done. They are so much fun and go so fast. I made a table runner and two pot holders for my bestest buddy's mom and dad in Wyoming for Christmas, but I'm not posting pix of these yet (because they look at my blog and I don't want them to see).....ooops, but now they know what they are getting for Christmas....oh well. Anyway, the highlight of my week is attending my quilting class with my bestest buddy, Joy, who is diligently working on her double Irish chain quilt and has 8 of 18 blocks done so far.....I wanted to do that until I saw all those tiny squares....having second thoughts on that one, mind you....but hers is turning out beautiful and the colors are warm and cozy. Well, I'm tired and my foot is killing me...so I'm out....

My First Quilt

Well, again this post is for my bestest buddy, Joy !!! She keeps wanting me to post a picture of my very first quilt. This is still a work in progress but here are a few pictures of what it will look like. There are three panels of four squares, in three rows, and then small squares within the larger 12" square.




Here is a close up of the panels....and you can really see the colors of the quilt!!!



Now the quilt is ready for the top "lattice" pieces (the flowered tic-tac-toe pieces), and then the quilt will be ready for the borders. After the borders go on all that's left to do is to put the quilt top (below) together with the batting, backing, and trimming. Then, "stitch in the ditch" all around each square and it will be done...I can hardly wait to finish this and start my next project....a black, gray, and paisley quilt for Matt.



Pictures of Matt's quilt will be posted at a later date !

Table Runners

Well, here are all the table runners I've been making to give as gifts this Christmas, with two to keep for myself.

My First Table Runner (and first attempt at quilting anything)...is mine to keep



Here are the ones I'm giving to the wonderful ladies I work with at school...

This one is Tina's because she loves snowmen...



Here's Sharon's because she such a wonderful spirt !!!



and Debbie's because it reminded me of all the love she has for her dog and everything she has been through with it...



and then Pat.....who adores all my table runners and really wanted this one...



Even though this is not for a gift....I did make this one for ME for next Easter

Well, my bestest buddy (Joy) has been on me to post more on my blog. So this one is for you my friend !!! Joy and I are taking a quilting class together and having a ball. It's so much fun to see all the different quilts that these people are making. I am making my first quilt right now and am just so excited to see it all come together. Quilting is like painting to me, only with material. I really get my creative juices flowing. I already have my next quilt picked out and have purchased the material for it (because the quilt will be made for Matt). Of course, I have all of this to thank Joy for. She got me hooked and now I have the "FEVER".

Here is a picture of my very first attempt at making something regarding quilting. This is my very first table runner, which I'm keeping for myself (because it's not "perfect").






but, everyone who saw it loved it !!! Joy showed me what I needed to do and helped me figure out the pattern, cutting the material (which I HATE), and showing me the mitered corners. I have made eight more since this one (pictures to follow at a later date).


However, here is a picture of me working on my table runner at Joy's house, while she finished the baby quilt she was making for Pat's boss. I'm making this table runner for a Christmas gift for one of the ladies I work with at the school. I have two more to make before then.















And, here is a picture of Joy with the baby quilt...

This is me and my favorite person, Matt !!! Love you, son more than this world ! You're the best and always will be in my heart!

This is Matt, Jake and Pongo. Jake was the best dog ever !!! We sure miss you buddy!

Well, I had to create this blog in order to respond to my bestest buddy's blog.... I love you, my friend !!! Since I have no idea what I'm doing...I'll have to think of something else to say at a later date. Take care !