Progress

I have half of the top sewn into rows and will have it finished before bed tonight.  I had saved back one yard of my Route 66 fabric for the border.  The only thing is it is off white and would blend in with the rest of the quilt.  I thought I would make a small 2 inch border of red to separate it. Or would the red be better as the binding and use either the dark tan Rte 66 fabric you see in the picture or a blue?   The off white fabric will be four inches.

What do you think?  I also thought I would use the red to make an applique of the words Route 66 across the bottom corner of the quilt.  I thought it would give the plain quilt a "pop".  I have no idea what I am going to use for the back of the quilt though.  Red is also my husband's favorite color.

I am making this quilt for my husband for our 20th Anniversary, he loves Route 66.  I wanted it to be a surprise but he walked into my sewing room as I was laying out the blocks, I don't know if he realizes the quilt is for him though.

I had someone ask me what fussy cutting is, but she is a no-reply blogger.  Fussy cutting is when you have a printed fabric and you want to showcase part of the print.  For example:  I wanted a car not to be cut in half so I cut around the car to showcase it.  You can see the block in the above picture.   This can cause a lot of waste in material, but I just use those parts for scrappy or string quilts.

I have a helper who likes to rearrange my blocks.

Our anniversary is August 5th, but there is a lot of stuff planned for next month, not to mention school starts August 17 so I need to start getting my classroom ready for the school year.

How is your summer quilting coming along?

Missy

Scrappy Trip Around the World

Okay, I succumbed!  I'm not much of a follower, there are just so many projects I want to finish, but I kept seeing everybody's Scrappy Trips Around the World and I just had to make one for myself!

I started cutting a lot of material into 2 1/2 inch strips.  I have a lot of royal blue material, so I am going to put that in the middle of all my squares to be my one color that ties it all together, so I guess it is a controlled scrappy!  LOL

I got the one block and three tubes ready to cut.

Then I made another block, so I now have 2 blocks made!

I wish I had more of that orangey yellow, I love it!
We also got the neutral great granny square basted today.

I also finished quilting and binding my penguin quilt!  I love how crinkled it got after I washed it!  My stitches are not even, but I can only get better!

Too bad you can't really see it.  I'm glad I went with the red binding, it really brings out the reds in the quilt.  This is my first quilt that I am keeping for myself!
I used a jelly roll for this quilt and strip pieced it.   Go here for a closer look at the penguin!
I have 79 more blocks to make for the trip around the world in order to make a king size quilt.  It's going to take me a while!  If you want to make one for yourself, here's Bonnie's tutorial!
Check out the flicker group too!
The scrappy trip is just like the postage stamp quilt, just one more step!  I'm glad I made the postage first.  I am loving 2 1/2 squares, they are in all three of these quilts!
What are you working on?
Missy

Design Wall Monday

 We got the top done for the granny square quilt for the prayer quilt ministry!

 Joeann embroidered our names(she misspelled her own name!LOL) and either a prayer or scripture reference around the inner border.  Tomorrow at the quilt along, we'll baste it and begin hand quilting.  Today I'll sew the back together for it.  The binding is going to be the navy blue from the black ground.

 I finished quilting my postage stamp quilt!  I did a stipple/meandering all over it.  (Pippi thinks this is her quilt)

I traced a few snowflakes, I wish I had put more. (You can see it better on the back)

Make sure that ALL pieces of fabric is picked up off the table before quilting.  The fleece attracts it!  Yep, I sewed it right on!  LOL

Just remember when looking at it, that this is my first free motion quilting!  I got bored with the meandering and wrote Missy loves Chris in one spot, another spot says Praise the Lord, I drew a cat's face in one spot, a happy face and a flower!  LOL  I was just having fun with it! I traced penguins from a cookie cutter around the border.

Here is the how the penguin looks after I traced parts of it.

 There are all kinds of mistakes, but it was my first time and this quilt is for me, so that's okay!  The next one will be better!

I'll give close ups of my "pictures" after I wash it.  Of course Pipp was helping!

 The only thing left to do is the binding!

My hand and arm cramped so bad from the FMQing, that the night I finished it, it was numb with pain while I was trying to sleep.  I could not get comfortable at all!  My husband bought me a pair of quilting gloves the next day!  He's so sweet!
What are you working on?
Missy

Quilts update!

We had our Tuesday quilt along today at church.  We did not have many show up today, it's a pretty busy week.
I basted my quilt today, but when I take it out tomorrow, I'll have to make sure it's done right, because I had to rush.

While I was basting I started laughing really hard because I felt so foolish crawling on the tables at church.

Do you feel silly while crawling around basting your quilts?

Here is the backing I'm using.  It is a thin fleece I won back in January with my Janome.

Siouxsie is making a postage stamp quilt using solid colors.  I taught her today how to strip piece her blocks and she finished her first 16 patch block.  Isn't it gorgeous?

Valerie and Tabitha sewed a lot of their squares together.  Since they are using scraps, I'm having them sew twosies and then sew the twosies together to make four patches.  They have to wait two weeks for our next quilt along before they can sew the 16 patch blocks.  They really like chain stitching.

Tabitha's was so long I could not get it all in the picture.

This was the first quilt-along  Ashleigh was able to make it to.  She is crocheting granny squares.  I love the colors she picked.

If I don't have to rebaste my quilt, I'm hoping to get it quilted tomorrow.
I also HAVE to sew my husband's bath robe tomorrow, which I will do first!
Have a great day ya'll!
Missy

Design Wall Monday

I finished the penguin applique on my postage stamp quilt!  My friend Julia drew the penguin and cut out the templates for me.  I decided to use the green material from the border and the red from the binding for the hat and scarf.

 I used fusible webbing when I cut out the material.  I practiced with my darning foot to go around the penguin.  It's not great, but the more I practice the better it will be!

I plan on finishing the quilt this week, at least I hope to!



We had another quilt along on Friday night, that is when I started the work on my penguin, I had it all cut out before I got there.

Tabitha and I working on our quilts, this is Tabitha's first time to quilt, I had her chain stitching.

Valerie Chain stitching her postage stamp quilt.

Gladis, Sarah and Atarah are crocheting their granny square quilts.

I did finish my step mom's gifts.  She loves Raggedy Ann and Andy.  This material was the closest that I could find.  I had this plain looking apron that I had made about a year ago, I put a pocket on it with this material.

Before I practiced my free motion quilting on her gifts, I took some scraps and made mug rugs for myself and practiced on them.  They look pretty awful!  LOL

I also made my first mug rugs and pot holders!  I made them reversible.  I did not want them to look Christmasey, and had a hard time deciding on the binding, I finally decided on this blue and really love it!  These pot holders and mug rugs will also be gifts for my stepmom.  I noticed she was using cheap old freebie  costers, when I was there for my Dad's funeral.

 I made two of each, but wanted to show you both sides.

 I practiced more free motion quilting on them.  She has a country theme, so I liked the apples on this one.

 Here are the pot holders.

Here is my quilt so far!  I'm really glad I added the penguin, when I wash it, it should fray some, I clipped the red parts on the hat and the ends of the green scarf.

I also need to make a bath robe for my husband for Christmas, and then I'm done!
Do you have any last minute gifts that you need to make?
Have a merry Christmas!
Missy

Christmas Party!

Can you believe that Christmas is only in two weeks?  SewCalGal is having a Christmas Party today!
Hi, my name is Missy and I am 39 years old and live in Texas.  I have only been quilting for one year.  I have been married for 17 years and have six cats.  The Lord has not blessed us with any children, although I continue to pray every day!  I have a few things to share with ya'll today.
Since my Christmas quilt is also what is on my design wall, I am going to share it as part of my party!

 I put my green border on it and my husband said it needed to be bigger, so I added a white border. I had to stand on the coffee table to be able to get the whole quilt in the picture! I kind of wish I had done a pieced border instead, like maybe some flying geese, but oh, well.

 This is how far I have gotten on my penguin appliques for the corner, his hat and scarf match the green border and the red binding.

You have to have presents at a Christmas party, so I want to share a Christmas present I got when I was between the ages of four and seven.  Her name is Cindy, I'm not sure what happened to her dress.  She is between 30-35 years old!  She was my favorite baby.

 She's dirty and her eyes do not look very good, and she is missing one set of eye lashes now.  I wish I could find a baby like this for my niece.  This baby doll has gotten a lot of love in her life!

You have to have a gingerbread house at a party!  Here is a gingerbread house I made one Christmas!  Do you see my penguin cookie jar?  I collect those, and my Christmas sweaters were drying on the chairs in the background.  (Are you see the penguin theme?  Totally not planned!  LOL)  I have have a penguin made out of jellied candy on the lawn instead of a snowman.

 Here is my penguin costume Mrs. Alvis made me years ago.  I had to wear it when I worked at Borders Book store, I added the hat and scarf and made it a Christmas penguin!

I can't have a Christmas party without at least one of my cats!  Here is Precious.  Every party has to include your pets!

This is just part of my penguin obsession that ya'll have seen today!  I love penguins.

Of course, we do not want to forget the real reason that we celebrate Christmas.  We all know that Jesus was not born in December, but it is the day we have set aside to celebrate His birth.

Luke 2:8-14
"8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."


Have a very merry Christmas!
Missy