Waiting for Halloween

I received an email asking about the pattern for the applique in the latest quilt I finished - "Waiting for Halloween." I am sorry I forgot to tell you where the pattern came from on that blog posting.

I used a pattern from the book pictured below "Two-Hour Mini Quilt Projects" by McKenzie Kate c. 1997 and made changes to to it for my quilt block. I enlarged it joined the motifs together without the spaces and added front legs to the cat and eliminated the heart. The pattern in the book showed the design fused onto the lid of a wooden box.

The book is packed full of easy applique designs by several designers and the design I used was by Rebecca Carter. I have used quite a few of the applique designs from this book at different times since I purchased it but I don't always use the design the same way the designers did. I may use it as a jumping off point for another design or change it to fit what I want to do at the time.

The quilt I am going to show you today is another one I made a few years ago. It is called "Color Play" an original design made in 2004. My goal for this quilt was to do a color wheel and had fun finding the various colors for my small Mariner's compass blocks. It is machine pieced and hand quilted and to finish it I put small Prairie Points around the outside of the quilt. I hang it using one straight pin and have the yellow points at the top of the quilt like you see other color wheels displayed. I used the Electric Quilt computer program to design the small compass blocks and the setting. Love that program!!! I use it in almost every quilt I make some way or other. http://www.electricquilt.com/

It took a little math to get the space divided up equally for the Prairie Points and get them inserted between the front and backing euqally spaced but did finally get them to fit the way I wanted. This quilt received a first place ribbon for hand quilted miniature at the 2004 State Fair.

Today I have really not gotten anything done but cook and catching up on some paper work. I did manage to get to a quilt shop yesterday to purchase enough coordinating fabric for the purse I want to make but still need to get it washed. I wash all my fabric before I use it - have had one real big mess and never want to repeat that problem!

Went to Husker Harvest Days (Really, really big farm show) yesterday in Grand Island with John and Peter so after we left the grounds I had a chance to pick up the fabric I needed before we had supper with my sister-in-law's family.

Lynn

Little Baltimore Album

Burr - it is sure cold and damp out today. It was only 48 degrees by 11 am. and it doesn't feel any warmer now yet at 1:30 pm. We had a real thunder boomer of a storm during the middle of the night. It has been quite a while since we have had thunder that loud or last as long as it did last night. We ended up with about 1 1/2" of rain so everything is muddy around the farm this morning. Enough of the weather report....

Yesterday 3 quilting friends and I traveled to Grand Island for the China Luncheon and Bed Turning the guild up there did. They patterned it after the one we did last spring and it was as great as ours was. They had 21 tables all decorated in a different theme for us to look at then the luncheon was served. The bed was piled high with quilts at the front of the room and each quilt lifted and the narration read then the quilts were walked around the room. The quilts they showed were all so beautiful. I was lucky enough to sit at a table at the front so had a good view of the quilts as they showed them. It was a fun afternoon and great inspiration for ideas.

No sewing done lately so am showing a quilt I made several years ago. In fact I started it the day after my youngest daughter graduated from high school. You know how some dates just stick in your mind. Usually I don't remember those kind of things but remember I was so busy getting my house ready and the food ready for the graduation party and all I wanted to do was start on this quilt. The next day I did get started and it was like taking a vacation - I remember it was wonderful to sew. Finished quilting it a year later in 1996 - got delayed finishing it with other projects.

The blocks are machine appliqued to the background with the invisible stitch and I hand quilted the quilt. I quilted around the motifs then quilted a 1/2" grid in the background being very careful to have it come out exactly at the corners and at the binding and kept the lines evenly spaced. I call it "Little Baltimore Album" but used the pattern Baltimore Album by Diane Lane to make this quilt. I made a few small changes to her block patterns and changed the swag border a little too. It measures 26 1/2" x 33". This is one of my favorite quilts and it hangs in my dining room. I entered it in the State Fair that year and it got a 1st in applique wallhangings hand quilted and 1st overall wallhanging so I am very proud of it too.

We are having a great time with Peter, our German cousin. It is so much fun to show him the farm, etc. After I got home from the China Luncheon/Bed Turning yesterday we all took a 4-wheeler ride by way of the back roads to the river to see how the new bridge on the Little Blue River is coming along. It was about a 6 mile ride and got a little chilly but I did have on a heavy coat and a band around my ears to help keep the wind out. Some people call the machines quads or ATVs - if that helps to understand. Peter had never driven one before but really did great and is anxious to ride again. Think horseback riding is on tap for this afternoon though.

Lynn

"Waiting for Halloween" quilt finished

"Waiting for Halloween" is finished now as of a couple of days ago. I had not put actual piping around the edge of binding since I took the class our guild had last fall by Peg Pennell, so had to get my instructions out to make sure I was doing it right. With this method you cut strips of binding a few inches longer than the side of the quilt then do a mitered seam after the strips are stitched to the sides. A little tricky but it turned out great. Since with this method you stitch the binding on the back first then pull it to the front you can stitch in the ditch to secure the binding to the front so no hand stitching.

I do need to get it washed to get out the white lines where I marked my quilting designs yet. Am hoping it doesn't shrink too much as I split some wool batting to use in the quilt as I couldn't find any cotton in my stash - found some later but had already started quilting and wasn't going to take it out.

I am the newsletter person for our guild this year and am trying to get it finished and out today. It is not that big a job if all the members would get their articles to me in time.

Last night I drove to Superior to listen to Pat Knoechel (sister to Eleanor Burns). She had been here last year and came again - she was an entertaining speaker and was fun to listen to. Of course she basically showed how some of the blocks and quilts were made from the books and patterns from the Quilt In A Day company. There was a pretty good sized group to listen to her and of course to buy her stuff after the program. She had tables full of books, patterns, rulers, etc. and of course I had to buy something. Got a small set of flying geese rulers. They will be too big for my miniatures but thought they would come in handy for other projects.

Tomorrow we are picking up a second cousin in his early 20s from Germany for a week visit at the farm with us. He has never been here before so will be fun to show him around and take in all the local sights.

We want to get up to Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island one day with him too. For those not from Nebraska, Husker Harvest Days is a very large display of every kind and brand of any product or machine farmers might want or use - kind of like Paducah and Houston are to quilters. It pulls in attendees from other states too so it a big deal for any farmer to attend. It is always fun to see what the new products look like and of course there are lots of "freebies" to pick up or tasty treats to snack on.

Not sure how much sewing/quilting I will be able to while he is here. I bought a couple of purse patterns the other day plus an apron pattern and fabric. Maybe I can get a start on one of them.

Helped John pick up irrigation pipe this morning so now this afternoon I need to work on getting my house in shape for company.

Lynn
PS - links to posts on designing and making this quilt can be found on the following pages;
August 28, 2008
August 30, 2008
September 10, 2008

Nebraska State Fair Winners

You get a peek at a few of the State Fair quilts today. There were so many great quilts to see during the fair this year and I am glad I got two chances to see them. My photos of the best miniature quilt did not turn out so I can not show you it - rats. It was hung at an odd angle to take a photo but I am showing you just a few of the top quilts and some detail photos I took of them.

The first place quilt was made by Sandi McMillan of Albion. This magnificent quilt was judged "Best Over All Quilt" or Grand Champion quilt, "Best Machine Quilting" (she does it on a domestic sewing machine) and "Best Machine Appliqued Bed Quilt". Sandy is probably one of the State's best quilters and her work is always a treat to see. She wins prizes each year, very deservedly, and I hope she keeps bringing quilts to the fair every year so everyone can see and appreciate her fine detailed work.

This next quilt, also bed quilt size, was made by Kristin Vierra of Lincoln and was judged "Best Mixed Technique" and received the second place for machine quilting.

This large wall quilt (was the same size as the bed quilts) was made by Judy Woodworth of Gering. It had so much to look at including feathers attached to the top of the peacock. Her machine quilting is also magnificent. This quilt received the honor of "Best Wall Quilt" and "Reserve Champion Quilt"

This beautiful applique quilt was made by Donna Stenneche of Gretna. It won the award for "Best Bed quilt , Commercially Quilted". Wonderful applique and the border was beautiful.

Next I am showing you the quilt made by Peggy Bruns of Lexingtion. It won "Best Pieced Bed Quilt, Hand Quilted" and "Best Hand Quilting". This quilt is the raffle quilt for the Nebraska State Quilt Guild for this year and the winner will be drawn next July when we have our convention in Lincoln. Her hand quilting is so even and so tiny.

This wall quilt (quite large - about bed size) was made by Maralee Meyer of Milford. It was judged to be the "Best Wall Quilt Commercially Quilted" and also was selected as "Judges Choice". The fabrics chosen were bright and colorful, her piecing was perfect and the quilting was really nice.

This last quilt I am going to show you was also made by Sandi McMillan of Albion. It is a wall hanging about 25" square. Wanted to show some more of her wonderful quilting. This quilt got a 2nd place ribbon but won one of the special awards.

You will notice several other special awards on the quilt photos. Businesses, groups and individuals have set up awards for special things that vary from best machine and hand quilting awards to awards for best quilts made from poke-a-dot fabrics and quilts with a pig on them. Quilts can be entered in these categories as well as the State Fair categories and it gives each quilter another chance to win some extra prize money, gift certificates, or a special prize.

Yesterday I went to Lincoln to pick up my quilts from the State Fair and read the judges comments. Who ever the judge was hit the mark on my quilts and found everything I knew was wrong with them. She had some nice comments too. Didn't post the photos again as photos are already in some one or other of my blogs.

Since it was the first Tuesday of the month it was also Club Sew day at the Bernina dealer so didn't have to make a special trip to Lincoln for it this month. The gal showed several purses she made and told how she achieved the different details on the purses. Of course I had to buy a couple more feet and some more thread for my machine while there.

Need to get ready for the day now- enjoy the quilt photos. To make them larger just click on the photo.

Lynn