Quilts for the boys

I'm writing this post so I can participate in SewCalGals 2011 Christmas Quilt Show. http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/ which is running from today to Dec 2.  Stop on by and see the wonderful Winter/Christmas creations.

I have been working on 3 quilts since the summer for MJ's nephew's families.  I make for my side of the family every year but I have only done baby quilts for his nephew's families. I saw the Christmas Quilt Show and hoped I would have them all done for this event.

This is the first one, please excuse th crease at the bottom.  I came up with the Snowmen designs a few years back for a guild block of the month project. Just love the way they work up. 

This weekend I had to admit that I wasn't going to get the 3rd one done in time for this posting. Close, I only have to finish hand stitching down the binding.   So I will be happy knowing it's just about done, definetly in time to mail for Christmas. 

And this is the second one.  I thought it was finished but when I went to take the picture 10 minutes ago I realized my snowmen don't have faces.  For that matter upon checking, quilt number 3 also is missing faces.  Not sure how that happened. Just a small oversite.  Easily fixed eventually.

Please go and visit all of the participants of this fun event.  They are listed on the link above.  Have fun.

How small can it go ?

Last weekend we went out to breakfast at our favorite diner. (I live in NJ, we specialize in diners). During breakfast our favorite waitress pays me a compliment on this wonderful bag I made a couple of weeks ago.

My beloved jumps into the conversation and says something like "its great isn't it, she'll make you one if you want"  Does he not get that this is Christmas rush time. He picks now to love my work and sing my praise.  Duh!

So she says My daughter would love one and it would be a wonderful gift for her birthday in 2 weeks.  So now I'm not only committed to making the thing but I now have a pre Christmas dead line.  and oh yeah,  she's a little girl so it needs to be smaller.

Alright I am up to almost any challenge.  And I had today off  ( planned to quilt the last of the snowmen quilts, maybe tomorrow)  so I made a little Bento bag.

 

The gray one measures 7 1/2 inches tall x 7 inches wide and 5 inches deep.
This little cutie petutty comes in at 4 1/2 inches tall x 5 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches deep.

So please cross your fingers, she said her daughter needed it to be smaller and I assumed little girl (5 ish) thus the frogs.  I'm hopping she's not a short 9 year old.  Oh well, I'll give it to her on Sunday and hope for the best.  Heck my sister would love to add it to her collection of my bags if it doesn't work for this little girl. ( that would be another Christmas gift off my list, too easy )

Hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

The "10" minute Table Runner

It all started here.
http://rgadesignquilts.blogspot.com/2011/11/jolly-holiday-free-patterns-table.html

I was following the Henry Glass Jolly holiday party this week and came across this tutorial for a 10  Minute Table runner. 

Too good to be true you ask.  Maybe, maybe not.  It truly looks like it could be done in that amount of time by someone. Just not me.  That is not the fault of the pattern, the problem lies with me who just can't follow basic direction.  I always want to tinker with the pattern and do something just a little different.

It started when I  wanted to get the table runner on my Christmas to do list marked off.  Hey the offer of spending 10 minutes to  a half hour getting something off the list couldn't be passed by.  I intended to follow the pattern but after losing 10 minutes just trying to pick 2 pieces of Christmas fabric that I liked together and couldn't I knew I was in trouble. 

I did find a large piece of blue snowy fabric that I liked and I knew I had a couple of blocks done with that fabric in it so I decided to make my own focus panel. This would have been fine if I knew exactly where I was headed but I didn't. 

I made the panel it really was just what I wanted and it only cost me an additional 1/2 hour at the time.  Of course my newly created panel was larger than the suggested panel but that didn't slow me down.  I kept going and it was going really well until I made the pointy part and it came down and cover part of my pieced blocks.  Really looked bad and I really had to do a heck of a lot of ripping.  I spent an additional bit of time trying  to figure out how to fix the thing.  I ended up ripping back to the original 2 panels and having to add fabric to them both. They needed to be several inches longer to showcase the panel.   Sewed it all back together in a jiffy and this time it all worked as intended.

I did do some quilting and all in all it took me something like 3 hours in total to complete.   It measures in at 48 x 19.  Was it worth it?  Heck yes.  I love it.  Would I do it again.  Yes.  Would I follow the original pattern,  Maybe, maybe not. (I don't necessarily learn by my mistakes) So tell me what you think.  Are you a follower or a creative thinker damn the consequences.

Take care.

Great day with an Old Friend

I spent Sunday afternoon with my old friend BA. It was a terrific day.  BA and I have been friends for almost 40 years.  If there is a craft out there one if not both of us has probably tried it.  My current craft of choice is quilting hers is crocheting. 

For most of the years we’ve been friends we have exchanged at least one hand crafted gift a year.  Looking at her house decorated for Christmas is just one long trip down memory lane for us.  A great chart of our growth in the world of crafting.

A couple of months ago we met for dinner and she saw one of my Bento Box bags and asked for one.  Why not, I’ve been on a bag roll.  I made her the bag on my Sept 5, 2011 posting.  She loves it and uses it every day for work.

A couple of weeks ago she asked if I thought she could make one herself.  It’s been awhile since she has had her sewing machine up and running but I think it’s like riding a bike.  We met one night after work  at JoAnns to pick out fabric and yesterday we met to sew.  I had given her a copy of the  Pattern for the Bento Box from the Pink Penquin and her job was to have the pieces cut out and labeled when I got there. Sure enough the pieces were cut (see the edge of the pumpkin table topper,I made that),

but also waiting were Scarves she had crocheted for my sister and me.  Pretty huh.

 It was great, I supervised and she sewed her heart out.  Here is picture of the base of the bag.  At this point you know you are on the right track. 

While she was sewing I was hand stitching the binding down on one of the Snowmen Quilts.  And of course we talked, and talked and talked.  Problem with all of that talking is that it did slow down the sewing process a tiny bit and messed with her concentration ( read that as a wee bit of ripping ). But 3 hours later she had a finished bag.  

She is now talking about getting her machine tuned up and making a bag or 2 as Christmas presents.  Could there be a better day??????? I don’t think so. 

It's Ghastlie but true

It is Ghastlie but true, the knitting ladies who have been keeping me company everyday for the past couple of months have decided to go on a much needed, and very long vacation.  They anticpate returning sometime next September.

I hope they have a great time.

In the mean time I have made a new bag to tide me over for the next couple of months.  This one is a bit smaller than the Ghastlie bags and I'm not sure I can use it for my everyday activities unless I get a much small wallet.  I can definetly make due on weekends just because I think it's cute.

It's made of wool so I don't know how it will wear. Time will tell.

Back to the machine.  I am hoping to get my third snowman quilt put together today.  I spent yesterday quilting the other 2 and got up early this morning to add the bindings.  Only need to do the hand sewing part of the bindings and they are done and it's not even Thanksgiving.  I know I need to shut up so as not to jinx myself. 

Maybe I will have one done and pictures sometime in the next couple of days.

My Ghastlie Winner

I have a winner.   Congratulations Duff.

I didn't use the "Random number Generator"  mainly because I don't know how but below is the way we do random at my house.

first I printed out the blog for the day.  Pages 1 thru 11 were pictures, 12 through 82 were the comments from 182 wonderful and kind people. About 110 people wanted a chance to win.

I highlighted the names of all of those who wanted a chance.

I cut the names of those intereseted into strips

folded the strips and put them in the colander

Had my Mr. Random pull a strip out and

here is my winner.  The notes on the top were to let me know where I could find her in the comment section since I needed to cut that info off of several of the participants so I could keep the slips of paper about the same size.

Duff has been notified by email.

I want to thank everyone for their comments I loved them all and let every one of them go to my head.

I also want to thank Madame Samm for the work she  put into making this event such a success. And last but not least I want to thank all of my Sistahs for playing along, they are just such talented and sharing people.

Gifts from a friend

 It's the end, it's almost over,  Please stop in to visit the rest of the Ghastlie Sistahs doings.

                                            ON Friday November 4th

Mrs Nan Ghastlie

Mrs. Gmama Jane Ghastlie
Mrs Joan Ghastlie
Mrs. Nancy Ghastlie

 Ms Susan Ghastlie
Madame Ghastlie 

 

 

The photo’s below are not of things that I have made, but of gifts made for me.

I got to work one day last week and found this wall hanging

And this nifty envelope with the pumpkin closure on my desk.

Not much left in it now.  It had been full of Halloween goodies.

I phoned my cohort in crime here at work asking if she knew where they came from and she said no.    My cohort, P, mainly knits so I ruled her out.  At some point I was in her office and the topic came up again and she started to giggle.  OK so she had something to do with it but wouldn’t tell be who made them.  I had to guess.  The  real puzzle is that I don’t know anyone here at work who quilts.

It took me awhile and I just threw the name of  my quilting mentor out there, no reason other than I had no other ideas. Oh course JS my mentor doesn’t work here which is why she wasn’t my first instant choice. JS usually makes me goodies and leaves them hanging on my front door.

JS really went to some great lengths to surprise me this time.  She found an old email that had  P’s email address on it and contacted her and they worked it out behind the scenes.  I am so lucky to have such great friends.

A Ghastlie Thought

Oh my, it's almost over. That's such a Ghastlie thought, but all goood things must come to an end. Please  remember to visit the rest of my Sistahs today and tomorrow they can't wait to see you.                  

                                                               Thursday November 3rd

Mrs. Sharon Ghastlie
Mrs Corrie Ghastlie

Mrs Cheryl Ghastlie

 Mrs. Linda Ghastlie
Mrs. Pickles Ghastlie

 ON Friday November 4th

Mrs Nan Ghastlie

Mrs. Gmama Jane Ghastlie
Mrs Joan Ghastlie
Mrs. Nancy Ghastlie

 Ms Susan Ghastlie
Madame Ghastlie 

 

It's Fall

Halloween is officially done and gone for another year.  So it’s time to change the quilted piece on the front door from things that go bump in the night, to thoughts of fall.  I finished these pumpkins Sunday night, not like cutting it close or anything.  Actually I had the stitching done over a month ago but the quilting part got put off while I was playing with my Ghastlie sistahs.  

The pumpkins are from a design I have used before, by Shell over at The  Raspberry  Rabbit  http://theraspberryrabbits.blogspot.com/ ,   it is called Elegant Pumpkins. Stop by to visit she has wonderful stuff.   I have enlarged the pattern a bit to work on my front door.  I wanted people to be able to see it from the sidewalk.  I love the way it turned out.  Very simple, very fall.  Thanks Shell, it is one of my favorite designs.

Oh, Please don’t forget to visit the Ghastlie gals posting today they are: 

 ON Tuesday November 1st 
Day 7

Miss Daisy Ghastlie
Mrs. Dana Ghastlie

Mrs. Elaine Ghastlie 

Mrs. Gramma Sheri Ghastlie
Ms. Suz Ghastlie

Have a great day.