Quilting Knick Knack

Isn't this just the most adorable Quilting Knick Knack... So, true too...

Anniversary Mystery Quilt

This mystery quilt is in honor of our anniversary on Carol's Yahoo Group...

Here's my fabric:

Birthday Surprise

I made this block as a donation to a surprise birthday quilt... I will share the PIC when the gift is given as not to spoil the surprise... ::smirk::

::photo 9-1-09 folder::

Linebacker's Quilt

This is my 4th child and 3rd son's first quilt that I'm making for him... I've finished one block so far... Aren't the colors just breathtaking?

Corner Unit:

Side Unit:

Finished Block:

Round Robin Round I

I'm now participating in a quilt game called a Round Robin... You make a 'center' block and then you take turns with other people adding a ring around until it's a desired size... Usually 4-5 rounds... I've never done a round robin before... I'm doing it with my Paper Piecing Big Sister - Ruth in Indiana..

Here is my center:

Here is my center w/ one round and my friend's center with one round:

Christmas Ornaments

I'm making these as Christmas Presents... I'm making them in two different color ways (hot pink/blue and orange/black)... I will sandwich, quilt and add gray ribbon to the tops as 'hangers'...

New Sewing Desk

As part of our tax refund my husband bought me a sewing desk... I was sewing at our kitchen table and that means I wasn't sewing often because everything had to set up and taken down repeatedly... Isn't it nice?

Full View Closed:

Ironing Board/Rotary Rules/Mats:

Open - Top All Set Up:

Open - Door Storage:Open - Fabric:

Open - More Fabric:

Full View:

Sandwiching a Quilt For Quilting

The term Quilting is very broadly used but the word Quilt is the process by which stitching (machine or by hand) is placed through all 3 layers... The 3 layers being the pieced top, the batting, and the backing... Putting these 3 layers together is known a 'sandwiching'...

First you put the backing down in a flat surface... It is slightly larger then your pieced top to take into account any shifting that may occur during the quilting process...

The batting goes onto of the backing and is slightly larger then it again to take account shifting that may occur...
Next is the top....

The final step is pining the 3 layers together so everything doesn't come part while you are quilting...

Mystery Quilt - FINISHED!!!

This is my first mystery quilt... A mystery quilt is when you are given a piece of information a little bit at a time and you won't know what your quilt will be like till the very last step... So, it remains a 'mystery'... This particular mystery we picked our fabrics (given guidelines) and told how to cut the pieces... We were then given 3 blocks one at a time and told where to put the colors and how many of each block to make... The final step was how to put all the blocks together and add the border... It was lots of fun... It is my 2nd fully finished quilting project... It is known as 'lap size'... It hangs on the wall in my living room...

Fabric:

Block I:

Block II:

Block III:

Waiting Last Step:

Tada!

Secret Santa - First Finished Quilt!

I designed and made this for my friend Cathy in MA for a Secret Santa gift... It is place mat size... I used blocks from Carol's 300 Paper Pieced Blocks book... Sorry for the bad picture quality... I should have taken more and better PICS... It was my first started and fully finished quilted item... Woo hoo!!!

1000th Member Block

When our group reached 1000 members, Carol designed us this block... I mailed this block into a block drawing... A block drawing is when you submit a block then every 12 blocks submitted someone is randomly drawn and wins those 12 blocks... So, on and so on until all the blocks are won... As you can see my choice of color is improving... ::grin::

Snowflake Block

Carol designed this block as the flakes started to fly here at home... It is a 12" block and currently unfinished... I have plans to turn it into a potholder to sit large casserole dishes on...

My First Quilt

Here is a pictorial show of my first quilt... Currently a UFO... I need to sandwich, quilt and bind it... I started it in Fall 2005 and it is for my daughter who was born the summer of that year... The pattern is Irish Chain... I followed a pattern in Carol Doak's book : Your First Quilt Book (or It Should Be!)... It was my first quilt book..

The quilt from the book:














Fabric I chose for the project (center color is HUNTER GREEN):







My first block with setting blocks on each side:






My first row:




Top:











Top with Borders:










I'm sure she will love it!

Mission Statement

The purpose of this blog is to share my quilting experience with you all... I started quilting in Fall 2005... I was an avid scrapbooker prior to catching the quilting bug... I had taken a class at my local scrapbooking store on 'paper piecing' the scrapbooking technique... I wanted to find more examples so I could further my skills... So, I came home and did a google search.. That is when I discovered that 'paper piecing' was also a QUILTING technique... I started googling 'paper piecing' as relatd to quilting... I have found an awesome lady named Carol Doak... Many have dubbed her the Queen of Paper Piecing... I picked up a book of her's called 'Your First Quilt Book (or it should be!) and it was my first quilt book... ::grin:: I then caught the stash flu.. LOL!!! I became a collector of fabric... I'm an official Fabricaholic... I need to attend the 12 step program for quilters... ::smirk:: So, after building a beginning stash and purchasing fabric for my 'first' quilt which I decided to make for my daughter since she was born shortly before I caught the quilting bug... My goal was to finish her quilt and give it to her on her 1st birthday... That was before I knew about UFOs (which is what my first quilt is still currently ::wink::)... What a crazy and intricate the world of quilting is... So, I started work on my first quilt... It was a toddler bed size irish chain... I have the top completely pieced... I need to sandwich, quilt and bind it... I will go into different quilting 'terms' as my blog grows so don't worry you will soon understand what I'm saying if you aren't already infected by quilting... ::smirk:: Then again just reading this blog may infect you and you will catch the quilting bug and not be able to resist... LOL!!! Shortly after starting my first traditional pieced quilting project I learned about Carol Doak Paper Piecing Yahoo Group... That is when I really learned what exactly 'paper piecing' was... It is an awesome group that is headed by Carol her self and she uses other lovers of her style to help her manage our group...
She frequently designs patterns only available if you are a member of this unique yahoo group... She was having a challenge when I joined for people to make a 'Beginner' Block... I had never paper pieced and decided I'm going to try this and see if it is really as easy as everyone in the group was saying it was... All the photos of things people had made looked so complicated and I could never possibly make anything that fancy or beautiful... I was wrong... It is 100% true... If you can sew on a straight line with just a standard stitch every machine has you can Carol Doak Paper Piece... So, I took the plunge and mde my first block...

I need to learn more about directions of fabrics... WOW!

I did better on my 2nd take... Aren't the Batik's beautiful...

It was quick, easy and awesome... I posted my photo... She had a random drawing and I WON!!! I won Carol Doak Teaches You to Paper Piece DVD... As you can say the rest is history... ENJOY this journey as I learn to quilt...