New Bags!

Taking a break from quilting the last few weeks, I've made a couple of new bags! These are such fun. And, I have picked up patterns to make a few more. Affter I finished the black bag - it really needed something on the rose colored flap. So, I found a HUGE button to cover and covered it with the fabric that I used on the bag. I like it!

This blue tote is done with 5" squares. I have a few charm packs that would make really cute totes!

Mr. Sunshine is out!

Mr. Sunshine, as one of my beautiful grandsons calls it, is out! What a pretty site!

I also received notification that the Paperdolls fabric line by Windham fabrics will be shipping in late March. I received one bolt today, a beautiful gingham check. Fons and Porrter featured the fabric in their January 2009 magazine. Doesn't this look like fun! If you fussy cut the dolls, put a little stabilizer on the back of the clothes before you cut them out, and then add a dot of velcro or a snap to the dolls, a little one could be entertained for hours!

Be sure to get your copy of this magazine so that you have the pattern and instructions when the fabric gets in!

I also finished the Flowering Orchard quilt top. That thing is HUGE! It finished out at 92" x 114". I will need to let it hang on my quilt frame for a few days while it tells me how it wants to be quilted!

Yep - it's snowing again!

I know that the little groundhog saw his shadow and forecasts 6 more weeks of winter........ but, can't it just be cold and stop snowing?

I've been working very hard on my niece's wedding quilt. It is pretty, but not my style. The quilt is not so very tedious, but the way it is put together is really "outside the box" for me, so I'm having to take this one step at a time. I am really trying to do this the way the pattern says to in hopes that I will learn a new technique or two, instead of relying on what I know works for me. So far, the sawtooth star blocks are turning out quite nicely.

I've also been spending a bit of time with my new Nintendo Wii Fit. I was introduced to the Wii Fit by my Physical Therapist and have decided to try and continue at home. Since my last couple of orthopedic surgeries, I have had some balance issues. So, spending some time every day bouncing soccer balls off my head and walking a tight rope is supposed to help! Bowling and golf are more fun but I don't think they are as good for my balance issues.

Strips and more strips

A handful of 2 1/2" squares and a bin full of 2 1/2" strips and you get a pretty, fun, queen size quilt top. Then, if you add in a perfectly behaving HQ16 quilting machine and the newest update for Pro-Stitcher and you get this quilt! I must admit that I loaded this quilt on the frame yesterday. But today, I quilted it from start to finish in less than 3 1/2 hours. And this is a huge quilt! I couldn't be happier! Tomorrow it will get a binding and it will be a finish! Then I'll be off to cut more squares and strips with my Accuquilt GO! This is such fun.

Miranda Bag in Heirloom Garden by Marie Osmond

I've completed a new Miranda bag from the fabrics in the Heirloom Garden collection by Marie Osmond. This was my very first magnetic clasp. I also made a small change. Instead of cutting the fabrics for the outside of the bag and the batting and then quilting them, I put the fabric and the batting on my quilting machine, quilted them and THEN cut them out. It worked very well for me and I would probably try that again! This bag is probably for me! If I had it to do over again, I would place the prominent design from the darker paisley differently on the flap closure. And, I may add the hooks to the inside to keep the sides tucked in. All in all - a nice bag.

Accuquilt GO!

Love to quilt - hate to cut quilt pieces? My problem wasn't that I didn't like to cut, or even that I have problems sometimes being really, really accurate with my cutting...... my biggest problem is that cutting quilts really makes my shoulders and arms hurt, so this is my new toy!
I did purchase a number of the available dies for this machine and I have been having a ball, cutting the fabric in my scrap bins into usable tumblers, nickel squares, 2 1/2 inch strips, etc. The accuracy of these die cut pieces is amazing and I'm hoping will make things easier for me when putting together a quilt top. Just this morning I started cutting out the pieces for my next quilt. Actually, it's not for me, it's for my niece as a wedding gift. The quilt will be very pretty, but it has about a bazillion half-square triangles. I am going to put this Accuquilt GO! to the test with this project! I'll be sure and post pictures when I get it done! Here is the link to the Accuquilt website

A Jelly Roll + A Layer Cake+ A Jelly Cake

Look what you can make with a "Jelly Cake" and an extra yard or two for borders! And, it's big enough at 68" x 78" for some real snuggling in this cold weather! This is the quilt that I showed you on the frame a few postings ago. Quilting really makes a quilt!