Sister's Choice Quilts

Checking In Before New Years

The huge Christmas Quilt Give Away went great.  I didn't get any pictures of the presentations because it was total pandemonium when we opened our gifts at my dad's house on Christmas night.  Everyone seemed to like what they got, so that was good.  

Oh, and my widowed brother in law?  Who I was debating whether or not I should give him a quilt as I wasn't sure he really would know what to do with it?  Well.  That was the most gratifying presentation of all.  He loved what he got.  Then he started telling me how my sister who passed away a year and a half ago had a quilt I had made for her on their bed.  He said that she loved it and he has continued to arrange it on their bed every day just as she had done.  He told me he always positions the quilt just so and that the label I had sewn on one corner was his guide as to how it should lay.  He was so sweet.  I do not even remember what quilt I had given her that he was talking about!  He said, "The green one, you know?"  lol I had no idea. Clearly he loved that quilt as well as the one I gave her before she passed away.  And the one I gave him for Christmas will be cherished as well.  

You guys all overwhelmingly told me he needed a quilt too, and I am so happy I listened to you!  I gave him the red and blue medallion quilt made from Minick and Simpson fabrics.  He has a red couch it will look great on.

My sister Andrea posted a picture of the quilt I gave her.  I am so happy it goes so well with her decor.  It even matches her cat.

It truly is better to give than to receive.  I was so happy to do this for my family.

Happy New Year everyone!!  We are going to have some fun projects in the new year.  I am raring to go!

Merry Christmas!!

Eva decorated two gigantic gingerbread cookies this week.  She spent an hour placing the frosting and decorations on them.  When she finished, she declared "They are Nana and Denny".  That would be Denny on the left, and Nana on the right.  We have been Gingerbreadized.

One last quilt to share with you.  I am giving away a few more in addition to this, but I have shared the photos of them so many times I won't do it again.  This top was made a few years ago, but I never had just the right place for it, or the right person to give it to.  Now I do!   The fabrics for this quilt were all from my stash, and included a number of cozy flannels mixed in with the wovens. It has such a cozy masculine vibe, doesn't it?  I think this may have been my first piano key border, the start of a life long love.  As always, my quilter found the perfect quilting design for it.  The pattern is called "Bull's Eye", but it has kind of a labyrinthian feel to it.

Last but not least, here are 13 of the 14 Christmas Gift Quilts all wrapped up and ready to go!  (The 14th has been mailed to Wisconsin).

I feel so good about finishing up these 14 quilts and giving them to homes where they will be appreciated (that is what one always wishes anyway).   These quilts represent years of work, and I feel are a kind of legacy from me to my family.  

Thanks to all of you who have read and commented on my blog this past year.  I hope you all have a marvelous holiday with your loved ones and look forward to sharing bits of my life and love of quilting with you in 2017.

 

One More Christmas Quilt

Isn't this a fun one?  And it actually is a Christmas quilt pattern!  Coventry by Brenda Riddle from her book "Comfort and Joy".

Here is a close up of the fabulous quilting my fabulous quilter does so fabulously:

And here is a photo of the quilt before being quilted--enlarge the photo to see the fabric prints better.  This fabric line is Peace on Earth by 3 Sisters.  Can you believe the quilt is made with one layer cake and some background fabric?  Great use for that layer cake of Christmas themed fabric you couldn't resist.

This is another pattern I would totally make again.  Love that checkerboard border too.  It would work with just about any fabric collection.  Especially if you want to emphasize some really pretty prints.

How is your week going?  Have you got it all done?  lol  Me either.  My cookie baking kind of went by the way side this year.  You can't do it all, and it is ok.

 

 

More Christmas Quilt Gifts

My quilter and I called this quilt "Modern", for lack of a better name.  It is an Evelyn Sloppy pattern called Apple Crisp, from her book 40 Rotary Cut Quilts.  I have someone very pizzazzy in mind for this quilt.  The colors are so amazing, and I think she will love it.  The fabric collection is called Fresh Air by Chez Moi for Moda.  This quilt was fun to make, and one that I actually wouldn't mind making again.  If you have a fabric collection with lots of beautiful prints and some scrappy backgrounds, this is an amazing finished project. Nearly all the 40 odd fabrics in this range were dark, not many lights at all.  I am the queen of scrappy backgrounds, so coming up with a lot of them was a cinch.  Anyway, this quilt really came out nice after quilting.  And check out that border print.  Woo hoo!

This is another Fig Tree quilt.  I am so sorry I cannot remember the name of the pattern or the fabric collection.  Some of the fabric I used is printed with a map of Paris.  The block was pretty simple, as you can see-a framed nine patch set on the diagonal.  I think it is interesting how the lattice border projects into the outer border.  This one will go to a niece who I think will enjoy something girly.

Isn't it interesting that for a while I was really into buying Fig Tree fabrics and making Fig Tree patterns, but I end up giving those quilts away.  They just don't work with my style of decorating, as much as I like the colors and prints.  Well, I am optimistic this will go to a good home where it will be loved.

My son Ahren has arrived from Dublin, Ireland!  I am in complete heaven to have him in the house with me.  I keep staring at him and wanting to pinch myself.  I miss him so much.  He may be persuaded to move home, we shall see.

Did Christmas totally sneak up on you?  Having it fall on a Sunday just threw me for some reason.  I don't think I have ever left my shopping until so late!  Thank heaven's for Amazon, right?  And believe it or not, Walmart of all places came through with some hard to find toys that arrived within two days of me ordering them.

ADDED LATER:  Hildy identified the fabric first as Patisserie by Fig Tree.  Patty searched my old posts and discovered the pattern is a Heather Mulder Petersen pattern called Around the Block from her book called On a  Roll Again.  You guys are awesome!

Christmas Gift Quilt 5

Of all of my Christmas gift quilts, I have to say, this one is my favorite.  It is called Message in a Bottle, a Miss Rosie's Quilt Company pattern.  I love everything about this quilt.  The colors are gorgeous--a wonderful selection of Civil War blues, tans and browns from my stash, and the pattern the blocks make is wonderful.  I call this quilt Facets, as the design reminds me of gem stones cut for maximum sparkle by master jewelers.  This quilt could not have been easier, and looks wonderfully complex.

The quilt is made up of two basic, simple blocks, which are set on the diagonal.   The two blocks are a pinwheel and a square in a square.  Look carefully at the quilt.  Find a pinwheel block, look diagonally next to it and find the square in a square block.  See?  Isn't it mind blowing?  What a complex design out of two beginner blocks.  There is a pieced outer row around the quilt that continues the design and ties it all together.

Wonderful pattern.  I may have to make this one again in colors I use in my home for decorating.  Imagine it in French General reds...

This quilt is going to a favorite man in my life, who appreciates my quilts and will be thrilled to receive it.  I can't wait to give it to him!

My week has been kind of crazy.  I came down with a minor cold on Friday, and was a bit sniffly on Saturday.  Sunday I felt a fairly lousy and laid around with a good book all day, and didn't go out.  Monday was my day off, and I was over the worst of the cold.  I rested up at home that day, and my cold symptoms were pretty much gone.  No cough, no sneezing, no stuffiness.  I did get a call from work, asking if I could come in for a couple of hours and help out with a project.  Being a conscientious person, I explained I had been a bit under the weather with a minor case of sniffles and should probably not come in that day, although I was over my symptoms.  I explained I was better but thought I should give it another day to stay home and be sure I was well.  Tuesday I was scheduled to work and woke up symptom free and feeling great.  I got all ready for work and was about to go out the door when the phone rang.  It was a woman I work with who flat out told me she sure hoped I wasn't planning to come in and contaminate and infect the rest of my co-workers.  "But I'm all better", I told her.  She said she doubted it and sure hoped I would stay home.  She isn't my boss, just a co-worker I barely know.

I wasn't sure how to feel about her calling me and dictating how I was to spend my day.  I was completely recovered. I wasn't sneezing, coughing or otherwise showing any symptoms of having a cold.   I am an adult and am responsible about not going out when I am ill--in other words, if I am sick I stay home.  I thought it was nervy of someone to dictate to me that I needed to miss a day of work because for all she knew I was contagious.  I felt it was insulting that she would imply that I was so thoughtless of my colleagues that I would infect them.  I did end up staying home, and missing a day's work.  Not because I was still ill, but because she made such a fuss over it.  What do you all think?  Has anything like that happened to you?  Did she over step her authority?  Should I have brushed her off and continued with my plan to go to work as scheduled? 

Christmas Gift Quilts 3 & 4

This girly quilt is going to...one of the young women in the family.  Big surprise.  It is called Hugs and Kisses (a Fig Tree pattern) and is made with various reds from Fig Tree collections.  I like the border for this one, with the grey print making a little saw tooth design.

And this is for another niece.  Believe it or not, this fabric is from a Fig Tree collection as well.  Such a different color way from what I tend to think of as Fig Tree.  The pattern is called Gingersnap and is a Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. pattern from a book called "A Dog's Life".   Love a piano key border.  I recall that this was a super fast quilt to piece together.  I think it would be fabulous in various plaid flannels for a guy.

Hope your week is going really well!  

Christmas Gift Quilts 1 & 2

In the days leading up to Christmas, I thought it would be fun to share with you the quilts I am giving to my family members.  Not all of these quilt tops were pieced in 2016.  They were languishing in a box waiting to be quilted.  This was the year it happened.  Starting this past Spring, each month I sent a couple of quilt tops to my machine quilter to be finished.  It took over six months, but now all these quilt tops have been turned into usable quilts that I hope my family members will enjoy.  A couple of the quilts are bed sized, but most of them are more lap sized quilts, which I think is a good size for a gift quilt.  I tried to match up the quilts to the recipient's taste, and hope I got it right!  I suppose they can trade amongst each other if they don't like the one they got!

The first one shown above is called Memory, a pattern by Monique Dillard.

Here is another red and blue quilt called Looking Glass, a pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.

The bindings have gone speedier than I had thought they would, which a lucky thing, because I sure have left it until the last minute!

Hope you all had a good weekend.  I spent part of mine in bed with a book, as I came down with a cold.  I am feeling better now, and need to get cracking on wrapping all my gifts.  I got a great deal at Joann's on gift bags for all these quilt.  The large size gift bags I  needed are 60% off, which made a $7 bag $2.80!  That made me happy.  If you need Christmas gift bags, the Joann's near me had a great selection yesterday, so yours may as well.

 

Even Ozzie Loves a Christmas Quilt

Ozzie loves a Christmas quilt.  I caught him napping on my favorite chair in the library, with his whiskers all askew.  He doesn't look the slightest bit guilty, just sleepy and a bit rumpled.  I wish I had time to take a snooze in my favorite chair with my current favorite Christmas quilt.

But I have been busy this week.  I made a big dent in my shopping list, had a group of ladies over to see my Christmas decorations and have holiday soup, took care of Eva after school, and went to work.  My husband threw a monkey wrench into my plans by coming down with a cold, taking two sick days and coming home days earlier than I expected.  Nothing like having a man around the house when you are expecting half a dozen women over.

I have to share the latest development concerning my David's Tea Advent Calendar!  Not the cup, which is new, but look carefully at the little pull out boxes.  It turns out, once you take out your daily tea, if you insert the box back in backwards it forms a little vignette picture!  By the time you have tried all 24 teas, you now have a fun completed Christmas scene to enjoy.  Isn't that adorable?  Nowhere in the packaging did I see a note to that effect, it was just a serendipitous discovery.

I love Ina Garten.  Her recipes never fail me, and her cookbooks are a joy to curl up with and just read.  The book I purchased most recently is in the photo above.  On her tv show, The Barefoot Contessa, she sometimes comes across a bit "superior", with an attitude as if to say "my house, my kitchen, my friends are just so much cooler than yours".  I don't think that is the real Ina though, so I over look it.  She can't help being amazing.  As I said, I have all her cookbooks and truly enjoy both her recipes and her style.  What I have especially found endearing about her over the years I have followed her, is her sincere love and affection for her husband Jeffrey.  He is a cuddly, sweet, intelligent and indulgent man who clearly adores her right back.  She really is devoted to cooking marvelous meals for him, and many of her recipes are named "Jeffrey's Chicken" or "Jeffrey's Favorite Steak" etc.  He's been her willing guinea pig for the decades they have been married.  Well, if you are an Ina fan too, you will be happy to know she has just come out with a new cookbook called "Cooking for Jeffrey".

Isn't he adorable?  I am so excited about this new book, and know it will find a place under my Christmas tree for someone.

I haven't been the best blogger this week and hope you will forgive me.  Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

 

Magic of Christmas Keeps on Coming

I made a couple more Magic of Christmas blocks over the weekend.   I was rummaging around in one of the drawers in the sewing room dresser and discovered some 1" half square triangle papers, which I had not realized I had on hand.

Lisa Bongean, who is sponsoring the Magic of Christmas sew along has her own line of triangle papers, and recommends using them for some of these tiny little half square triangles that are featured in many of the blocks that make up the quilt.  I had it in mind to order some, but never got around to it.  Turns out I had another brand all along.  I used them today and sure wish I had done it at the beginning of this project rather than at the end!  The triangle papers really did speed things up and every one of them turned out uniform in size.

The papers I had make up 1 inch finished squares, but Lisa sells papers that make blocks as small as 1/2 inch finished.

Hope you all had a great weekend!  It was nice to get up into the sewing room.  I have been listening to a new audio book, "The Shadow Sister", the third book in the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. I love her books, every one of them.  "The Shadow Sister" is not available in the US yet, except in the audio version, which works ok for me.  This series is wonderful, if you aren't familiar with it. There will be seven books in the series, each one featuring one of seven sisters, each of whom were adopted at birth by a rich Swiss benefactor.  Each of the girls is named after one of the stars in the Pleiades constellation.  Their adopted father dies unexpectedly and posthumously leaves clues to each of the daughters as to their country and people of origin, which they are encouraged to explore.  The first sister travels to Brazil and finds she is linked to the artist who created the Christ the Redeemer statue that looms over Rio de Janiero. The second sister has ties to the composer Edvard Grieg in Norway.  The third book in the series features a shy sister who travels to Kent, England and discovers her link to Beatrix Potter.  The series is epic, in the grandest sense of the word, and the books are engrossing page turners of considerable length. If you are looking for some books to get lost in, I suggest you dive in.

Zippy Bags Done

I finished all my Zippy Bags yesterday.  I think I must have made 12 or 13.  They go fast if you get into assembly line production mode. Half the fun of these little bags is embellishing them with fun buttons.  I picked a bunch up at Joann's awhile back when they were on sale, so I had a nice selection.

I started my new David's Tea Advent calendar on Thursday, and is that ever going to be enjoyable all month!  Each little drawer has a different tea in it, and each little container makes two cups of tea.  My first tea was Snow Day, a blend of peppermint, cocoa beans, chocolate drops, and white chocolate pieces.  There is actual tea in there too, and the flavor is very subtle and comforting.  Not sweet at all, and the aroma is divine.  This has been the loveliest treat for myself.

I took a hot steamy mug up to the sewing room and enjoyed it while I finished the zippy bags.

Thanks for all your comments yesterday about what you eat during the week that is healthy.  I had an egg, toast and orange juice for breakfast, a salad with chicken in it for lunch, and dinner was a chicken stir fry with veggies on rice.  I felt so good for eating real food all day.  And three proper meals!  If you need ideas what to eat, be sure to read all the comments, there were some great suggestions.

I had to take a break from sewing bindings.  I was at work on Wednesday, doing some filing and my right thumb was killing me at the joint.  I thought "Ow, what the heck did I do to my thumb?"  And then realized.  Oh right.  All those hours of hand sewing bindings.  I need to get back to it though.  I guess I will have to pace myself.  No more three and half hour marathons while I watch The Crown or Gilmore Girls!  

Have a great weekend everyone.