Latest QOV Quilt

Linking up with Finished For Friday

I dropped this one off to Bernina Connection yesterday, to be bound and labeled for a Wounded Warrior. Not sure who was the piecer, these come from BC's outreach work for QOV.

Seen from the back, I used a freehand "peacock feather" overall to quilt it. The flash was turned off so I think I must have moved a bit while I took the pic!

Christmas Quilt Show 2010

I am joining in with Sew Cal Gal's Christmas Quilt Show.

This little table topper comes out at Christmas and our Advent wreath rests on top.

I made it a couple of years ago when my CO. friend Gale persuaded me to join her in purchasing the panel and coordinates.

It's quilted in gold thread with holly, candy canes and ribbons etc.

The second entry is Carolina Christmas from Bonnie Hunter's blog, I think last Christmas but that was so many quilts ago I cannot be sure! It's "controlled' scrappy, meaning that I limited color to three, red, green and light neutrals, but within those parameters I used whatever red, green and neutrals I had in stash. It's a great way to use up a lot of "scraps".

The Dogwood is Carolina's state flower so I quilted freehand Dogwood flowers and leaves all over the quilt.

Then to use up these older Christmas fabrics I sewed lots of pieces together to make a scrappy backing - rotating stock in the stash is important to make way for new stuff!
If you would like to get in the Christmas spirit by looking at many more Christmas quilts you can check out Sew Cal Gal's blog here.

Watercolor Quilts

Lit An Laundry hosts Finished For Friday where other crafty bloggers show off their weekly accomplishments.

This weekend is the Holiday Boutique at our church and I have made a few small wall hangings to take along with all the larger quilts.I used different prints for the two crosses and some of the backgrounds.

There always seems to be a demand for my "Resurrection" wall hangings and if these sell I can always take orders for more. I have lost count of how many of this design [my own] that I have made, mostly around the 30"-40" size [these are 33" square] but each one unique, no two ever exactly the same. I have also made them custom in specific colors on request, to coordinate with a client's decor.

Veteran's Day, Lest We Forget

Eternal Father, Strong to save,

Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

Who bid'st the mighty Ocean deep

Its own appointed limits keep;

O hear us when we cry to thee,

for those in peril on the sea.

O Christ, the Lord of hill and plain

O'er which our traffic runs amain,

by mountain pass or valley low,

Wherever Lord thy brethren go;

Protect them by Thy guardian hand

From every peril on the land.

O Spirit, Whom the Father send

To spread abroad the Firmament;

O wind of heaven, by Thy Might,

Save all who dare the eagle's flight;

And keep them by Thy watchful care

From every peril in the air.

O Trinity of love and power,

our brethren shield in danger's hour;

from rock and tempest, fire and foe,

protect them wheresoe'er they go;

thus evermore shall rise to thee

glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Whole Cloth Quilts

This is my first attempt at a whole cloth quilt. I needed a couple of smaller quilts for the Holiday Boutique this weekend and it seemed a great time to try the technique. I took a couple more pics without the flash to show the quilting .

The fabric is a bleached muslin, front and back, the threads are Superior's, So Fine in the top and Bottom Line in the bobbin.

I drew a rough outline guide of my plan with a water soluble pen, then freehanded the quilting with feathers, Mactavishing and folk art flowers.

It was easy to make two at the same time, loading a 70"x 40" piece of muslin, using Quilter's Dream blend batting and placing a length of polyester batting over it to give definition to the stitching. The QD batting helps the quilt to lay flat and gives it more stability than using only polyester.

I am quite pleased with the results so I will be making more wall hangings using these tools!

Linda's Quilt

I am linking up with Finished For Friday , Show And Tell Friday, Feature Yourself Friday and Frugalicious Friday!

This beautiful blue and white quilt came off the LA. last night, now I need to get it back to Linda in CO.

I sent her several examples of my freehand overall designs and this is the one she chose, "baby Butt feathers" LOL, well that's what Nichole Webb calls them! If you double click on the pic. above you can see the detail a bit better, the quilting takes a back seat to the color and design.

The thread is King Tut variegated blue, also Linda's choice, so the stitching is quite subtle.

The backing is really a bit darker I think but the flash washed it out.

Out Of The Box

This thoroughly modern quilt is another of Andee's [that very prolific piecer!]

I like it enough that I want to make one, I have some large prints that I could combine with semi solids, for fast piecing of a quilt.

It is to be entered in an art show next month.
Andee wanted it quilted with straight lines, so I freehanded this quite randomly and I think it is very effective.
The back is a piece of art in itself, except for the hanging sleeve that I sewed across the top so that it can be easily hung for display.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I am linking up with Amy's blog for the Blogger's Quilt Festival, so if you love quilting you can check out all the other quilts linked with her blog.

This quilt I made two years ago for our soldier son Lucas on his fortieth birthday.

It was meant to celebrate Lucas as well as serving as a memorial for his fraternal twin brother Matthew whom we lost in 2006, one week after their 38th. birthday.

Matthew lived in Hawaii, he was an Ironman and Triathlete, and we miss him every day. It isn't something I will ever "get over", but Matt had such joy in life that we try to honor that as we live with the grief.

Matt loved Hawaii and especially Maui where he and his wife lived. He thought he lived in the closest thing to earthly heaven in this tropical paradise, with his passion for the ocean and swimming.

So I designed this quilt using fabrics I had purchased in HI., appliqueing some beautiful tropical flowers and quilting hibiscus all over in between the photos.

I chose to use many of the twin's birthday pics from over the years, and at the bottom one of the last pics of Matthew and a recent one of Lucas.

I burned out on applique years ago, but I was grateful for all the practice I had when attaching these flowers.

I have made several memory quilts and designing the quilts to fit around the photos is always a challenge- it reminded me of when I wondered what earthly use all that math would ever be to me!

The photos have a narrow red piping and I made a piped binding to finish it off.

Out of all of my quilts this one will always be special.

Black And White And Red All Over!

I am linking up with Finished For Friday over at Lit and Laundry, Frugalicious Friday, Feature Yourself Friday and Show And Tell Friday where you can see other interesting projects in blogland this week.
Here is the second of what will be four black and white and red quilts from my hands this year!

It is the challenge project from Quilter's Bee in Peoria, AZ.

This is the Disappearing Nine Patch [D9P] Second Generation pattern and it made up quite effectively in these colors. I did mini tut on the pattern here.

I used almost all of the fabrics in the challenge set and added quite a lot from my stash. It's what is called a "controlled scrappy" quilt, the colors are controlled but the individual fabrics are not.

These few 5" squares are all that's left from the two yards of the original challenge fabrics.

To use up more smaller pieces from stash I pieced thirty two rectangles 9"x 20" to make the interesting backing!

The quilting shows a little more on the back, it's that speedy, easy freehand square spiral.

Then to be altogether frugal I took the trimmed backing pieces and sliced them 2.25"wide for the double fold binding!

This was a very easy, simple and fast quilt and I am done just in time for show and tell at Quilter's Bee Saturday morning.

I have the baby Matthew tomorrow and I hope to get Andee's latest quilt on the LA because she needs it back quickly to enter in an art show so I will slip it in ahead of other's that aren't so time sensitive, it should be easy enough, it requires very simple quilting.

Claudia's Last Quilt

I am linking with Finished For Friday sponsored by litandlaundry .

Claudia from our Montrose quilt guild, gave me two quilt tops to longarm for her, one I finished for her before she lost her life so suddenly. That one was for her granddaughter, you can see it here.

The other is made up of nine hand embroidered nursery rhyme blocks that she had been working on for years. I don't know that it was for anyone in particular and Claudia told me "no rush Ros, just when you have time!".

After her sudden and sad death I decided that I needed to complete this, her last project and get it to her family.

I finished the quilting this week and plan to bind it and get it mailed to her family so they can enjoy it.

New Shoes....And Socks!

Monday again and I have the baby Matthew. We went to the park this morning and as he ran hither and thither and yon his clogs flew off his feet now and then! So I decided we would visit the shoe store to find something else, and my favorite shoe store for toddlers, Stride Rite of course! His daddy wore them and I actually went to the same store location for shoes for Matthew's older cousins.

This necessitated a visit to the Mall, where, honestly, I go about once a year-maybe!

We found some handsome leather sandals.......

and some nice new socks!

As it happens right outside the shoe store is a little ones play area, no one over 42" tall is allowed! Well, other than parents/grandparents that is.

Matthew loves that place, he ran.......

and climbed .............

and hollered with joy for a good thirty minutes.

After which he was quite worn out so we had to leave before he got fussy.

We passed the Brookstone store and there right up front were these fascinating balls that flash wonderful colors when bounced.

One of them came home with us and it is his new favorite toy-for the moment! He bounced it all over the house until GM decided it must be nap time!

He's getting too big for the Pack'nPlay but it wouldn't be quite so bad if he would lie lengthwise instead of crosswise!

I think I might skip the gym tonight, I am feeling a little weary myself!

The Proverbs Woman

Remembering my dear Mum.

Born January 13th. 1918

In the arms of her Lord and Savior Oct.18th. 2001.

A wife of noble character who can find?

Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good not harm all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands....

She gets up while it is still dark;

she provides food for her family.........

She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for the tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable and her lamp does not go out at night.

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.....

When it snows she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

She makes linen garments and sells them.....

She is clothed with strength and dignity.....

She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

"Many women do noble things but you surpass them all."

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31