Klosje fun

This week I have been working on my klosje project, and have really worked at figuring out the best way to make these blocks.  Mine were getting that wonky look, and that is not something I wanted. So I reprinted patterns, made at least 10 attempts and I think I finally have it working for me.  Here is what I have completed so far: (these are just on my design wall)

Two things I figured out: 

1 - In making the 3 1/2" squares, I cut a little extra on the outside edge to allow for squaring up the block.

2 - In making the klosje in a circle, I machine sew two strips together and then cut out the piece that has the spool and background fabric on it.  Before this, my circles looked more like saw blades!

Once I came up with those two steps, the rest all went together great and I have had so much fun working on these.  I need to make 14 more of the 3 1/2" square and I will be ready to sew the blocks together.

I also worked on the Monday Mystery Stitchery project (http://beetreedesigns.blogspot.com/ ) and here is my version of the second design in the series.  Each section is a flower petal and I am not sure what this will become.  I decided to do each petal in a differnet color, and not sure yet what I am going to outline them in - but leaning towards red.  Hmmm...can you tell I like to use lots of colors?

Hope you have all had a good weekend.  Tomorrow, hubby and I will be celebrating our 36th wedding anniversary.  Nothing major planned, as we have had a busy weekend and will probably just go out to eat. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Teresa

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And the winner is..........

Judy of kjquilts (The Quiet Quilter) !!!!
 Congratulations Judy, and I will be watching your blog to see a Cathedral Window in the making.

As I wrote down the names of all you lovely ladies that entered my drawing, I so wanted to give each and every one of you a kit, but that is just not practical at this point.  Many of you are followers and your comments always encourage me so much.  Thank you for stopping by, leaving comments and I hope you will continue to share in my quilting life.

Teresa
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Giveaway !

Heyyyyyyyyyyy -  I am having a giveaway - see my prior post.  I have had over 48 hits to that post and only 3 left comments.  Is the Cathedral Window scaring you off?  Its ok if only three are interested, but just wanted to make sure you all read down that far in the post in case you would like to win the kit.  I did have a link to a great blog and maybe you all just skipped on over there and did not finish reading my post.  My pattern is called You Can Do It Cathedral Window and I think you will find with my technique, you will be successful in making a great CW sample and maybe venturing forth to make a full size quilt. :)

Teresa
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A little fun makes for big stress relief.

These last few weeks have been very hectic in my world - mostly self enduced stress, but stress none the less.  Today I taught a Cathedral Window quilt class and had so much fun  working with a group of great ladies.  Came home, and my children and husband had worked hard redoing my flower beds, not quite finished, but I will have a picture to share soon. Then tonight, I started to pick up a project that I commited to, and  thought - what the heck - I am going to just work on something for the fun of it.

I found this the perfect project on a wonderful blog http://beetreedesigns.blogspot.com/ called Monday Mystery and tonight, I just kicked back and relaxed and did this.  Not because it was a commitment that I had to get done, not because it was a project that I needed to finish, not because I "had" to, just because I wanted to, and it was fun.  So, if you would like to join in the fun, just hop on over to Cyndi's site and go for it. She has only published the first stitchery so you are not that far behind.  (While there, sign up for her great giveaway too!) I don't know what it is going to be, it is a mystery after all, but then, the end product is not important - its the fun getting there.

I wanted to have a giveaway too.  So if you would like to win one of my "You Can Do It" Cathedral Window patterns and kits, just leave me a comment here.  I will draw a name on Sunday, May 23 - in celebration of my birthday (21st) and my anniversary (24th).  So come on...help me celebrate..leave a comment!  And if by chance you already have a kit, I have a back up gift for you, but that is a mystery. 

The kit is a sample kit to make a 16" square - just to learn the technique.

Thanks for stopping by,
Teresa    
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Happy Birthday to me!

Its a little early, but hubby got me a this tonight for my birthday (May 21)!

I have been admiring this machine for several years now, and am thrilled to finally own one.  I think I need a day off from work tomorrow!

Teresa

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A lesson learned.....

Have you ever used this product?   My quilt club was at my house on Saturday and we were working on the project for my daughter's class.  We are sewing together quilt blocks colored by the chidren as well as some picture blocks. The picture blocks, we printed on this product.

It was an absolute nightmare trying to get the paper off the back of the fabric.  We read and re-read the instruction, and all the directions say is to slowly peel the paper off the fabric.  We peeled and peeled and peeled - slow, slower, slower than a lazy snail slow.  So, we just decide to get off what we could and leave the remainder on.  As I was ironing the blocks, guess what!!!  The paper almost slides off when you heat it up.  All we had to do was iron the paper, and then lift it right off.  Who knew?????  I wonder if Printed Treasures knows this? They sure don't tell you in the instructions.

BTW - other than the paper peeling nightmare, the product  printed great!

I did manage to finish one of my Be Attitude blocks this week.  This is the 11th block, Be Grateful and I have one more to do - Be Joyful.  Whoopeeeee, will I be joyful when I finish that one. 

Hope you all have had a great Mother's Day.  Mine was very nice - but I miss my Mom. This was my first Mother's Day without her being right here to hug and talk with.  Love you Mom, and miss you very much.

Happy Stitchin,
Teresa
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Klosje - Wall Hanging

This is what I came up with so far on my quilt design. This is an EQ drawing, and the klosje is 3" square.   The background is unbleached muslin. I may add a wider border to it, and I am debating on sashing.  The border I am showing is to represent the binding and is only 1/2".  This top is 19" square.

So, what do you think?


For great tutorials on how to do the klosje with the curved sides, check out Rose Marie's blog Applique n' Patch Quilting:  
Making the templates: http://appliqueandpatches.blogspot.com/2010/04/klosjes-templates.html

Doing the Paper Piecing: http://appliqueandpatches.blogspot.com/2010/03/klosjes.html

Thank you for your thoughts,
Teresa
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Klosjes - my attempt

I have lost sleep over these cute little blocks.  Stay up late working on it, get up early, and I think I finally got it.  I have redesigned my blocks too many times to count in EQ6 and tried various size blocks.  I like the circle setting (see http://appliqueandpatches.blogspot.com/2010/05/klosjes-saturday.html for where this idea came from - she has a great tutorial on how to make your pattern), and that has added an additional challenge, but here are the two I finished.  The one on the right with the blue background is my first one. It was totally off center, and fortunately I had cut the background big enough that I kind of centered the back around the block.  The circle is a 6" circle ( somewhat) and the klosje is 5 inches.  On the block on the left side, I set the circle to be 5" and the klosje is 3".  I also enlarged the center square to make it look a little more like a spool. Both blocks measure 6 1/2" unfinished.  So which do you like the best?

Here are some of my mom's blue bird dishes.  They now reside on my dining room wall and make me happy everytime I see them...they are blue birds, afterall, and my mom loved them, and I loved my mom.  I miss her so much.

Thanks for stopping by,

Teresa

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Sunday Post on Wednesday

Well its Wednesday, and I am just now getting around to posting my Sunday post - yea, we all have weeks like that.  This weekend was spent attending some programs at the University, visiting with my Dad and hours and hours of washing, ironing, and cutting fabric.  My club, bless them all, have agreed to help my daughter with a project with her 3rd grade class.  Each child (20 in all) is going to color pictures onto fabric around a theme, then my club will assemble the quilts for tying. On May 25, we will join the students and their parents in class to teach them how to tie the quilt, have a quilt show and watch the kids act out skits on the theme they studied - all about being smart in their daily lives, not taking chances, that sort of thing. So this weekend, I cut out 20 backings, 196 white blocks with freezer paper backing for coloring (needed 160 but thought a few extra might be a good idea), and 20 sets of sashing.  Its a good thing I enjoy cutting fabric!  I really am proud of my daughter as she wrote a grant to do this project and also did a presentation at her PTA to get their support. I think it is going to be a lot of fun, now that all the fabric is cut and ready to go. 

My other project, which I finished this morning, was to write a pattern for my Heart and Home wall hanging. I still have to test it out with my club, bless them double, but the pattern is done!

My husband, being the kind hearted hungry man he is, furnished supper Sunday night.

Now...on to the next project.  I am home this morning, psyching myself up for  my annual checkup at the doctors office later this morning. (Good thing I got that hamburger on Sunday, will be mylast one for awile.) I won't show you a picture of the look on my face as I type that one!  I think I will get cleaned up and go to Hancocks before the doctor's office...try to get my blood pressure back to normal.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday...er, Wednesday.

Teresa
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Sunday in the Park

It seems like a long time since I last posted and I guess it has been over a week.  I have been busily working around the house, working in the yard, working at work, which leaves very little time for playing in my sewing room, sitting in the swing reading and blogging.  I did finish the book "The Last Song" - great book!

Sewing has been on my Be Attitudes block, which I will not show again for the hundreth time, and I started putting together a pattern for my Heart and Home wall hanging. My quilt club is going to test the pattern for me. This week I designed a paperpieced heart to go in the top left corner. This turned out pretty good and is a little easier to make than the heart with 169 pieces that I taught my club.

Yesterday was a beautiful day, and we started it out by watching my daughter Ellen, and neices Cindy and Joy run a 5K.  Here they are cheesing it for the camera (Joy - Ellen - Cindy, left to right).  They are striking a pose like my mom and her sisters always did in photos. 

I am so very proud of each of them for this accomplishment.  This is Ellen's third 5K and she ran it in 29min1sec!  Cindy's second run and Joy's first. 

And then another beautiful day today.  We took my Dad to Glencairn Gardens here in town to see the fabulous flowers, fountains and just enjoy being outside.  Here are few pictures from the morning - it was a great day. God is good and blesses me over and over again.

Wishing you a wonderful week!

Teresa

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The good news is...

We finally got a new door for the basement entrance, which my daughter is thrilled about since she lives down there. The bad news is my husband scheduled it for installation this morning, and he can not be here - so I have to be here to deal with the installers.

The good news is, that means I have to stay home this morning from work (yipppeeee) and this gave me time to work on my screen - the bad news is Lowes did not put all the necessary parts in the box for the dead bolt, so I have to be here longer than expected while they bring them out from the store -

Then good news is....I have to be here longer than expected :)

I finished the screen panels and here they are.  The panels are held in with painters tape right now, as hubby and I need to decide the best way to put them in.  I am thinking now that I want them to be easily removed as I see all kinds of possibilites. I covered foam board with fabric to make the panels - and wouldn't Christmas fabric be nice for the holidays, or quilt blocks for a meeting of my bee? I could change them with the seasons! I put my chair there so you can see how the screen fabric goes with the fabric I recovered the chairs in. So what do you think?

My next big home decor project will be to paint the book shelf in the living room, and they are supposed to bring the huge china cabinet up to the house this weekend and that will have to be painted as well.

I did a little stitchery on a Nice People Nice Things block this week.  Dagnabit - I traced the wording block on the side of the fabric that has the fusible interfacing.  Now how in the world did I not notice that???

Hope you have a great day!

Teresa

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Happy Easter!

May your hearts be filled with joy and praise,

and

May your day be filled with fun  and family

and

All your Easter eggs be filled with chocolate!

Happy Easter!

Teresa
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Be Forgiving

So how has your week gone?   Mine has been crazy as usual, but throughout the week I have been stitchin on my Be Forgiving block.  I finished it, but this block has really caused me some sleepless nights this week. What exactly does it mean to "forgive."  I have some people in my life that have betrayed me, treated me unfairly - as we all have.  I really don't hold any bitterness against them as I learned long ago that bitterness only makes us miserable, doesn't really do anything to the person that did the "dirty" deed.  I no longer trust these people or want anything to do with them....does that mean I have not forgiven them? I honestly wish them no ill will, but I have no desire to ever associate with them again. Can you ever truely forget the wrong that was done? Can you forgive someone, but still not trust them, be wary of even being around them?  What do you  all think - do you struggle with this too?

On the home front, I have been working on a screen that my father made for me a few years ago.  I never got around to painting it, although I did use it for awhile.  I had put fabric on it, but when a friend needed the fabric for a quilt she was working on, and could not find it anywhere..I just ripped it off and gave it to her, thinking it was time for a change anyway.  This screen will be the perfect "blind" for my laundry room so that when my company is sitting in my dining room they can not see the storage area in my laundry area.  Stay tuned...next week I hope to have a picture of the finished screen.

Oh..and btw, the table in the background was also made by my Dad.  A lucky girl I am!

Hope you all have a wonderful week and I will see you in the blogs!

Teresa
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Some gifts, some sewing, and a lot of napping..

I have been rather ill this week with strep throat - which as many of you know is no fun. My doctor said he was going to give me something to help me rest, and boy did it ever. I think I napped the entire week away - so sad as this is Spring Break at the University I work for, and I had Thursday and Friday off. So, I slept through Monday - Thursday, tried to work on Friday, went in and came home before lunch and went back to bed. I am much better today, and have only had one nap, which I would probably have taken on the rainy Sunday afternoon anyway.

I have been working on a few gifts over this past few weeks and thought I would show those to you, since very little quilting has been getting done.

First is a travel case that I made for each member in my quilt club. I use mine to store my paper piecing supplies and it is so nice to have them all in one place. I have included a picture of the pattern. The one you see is mine and while it is fully stocked, the ones I gave had a few items in them, but not full like mine. This gift was actually an incentive for a project we will start next month in the club.

The next is called a "Girls Day Out" bag and I am ashamed to say I can not find the pattern, but you can see it here. I made these for my three friends (and me) that went to the Mid Atlantic Quilt Show together.

They were fun to make and so useful at the show, allowing us to keep both hands free to fondle the fabrics and examine all the goodies the vendors had to offer while also having our money and plastic close at hand. I added the back pocket so we would have some place to put our cell phones.

My Winthrop quilting buddies and I have started another exchange that begins in April, in which we make a gift for one of the ladies in the group (there are 5 of us) and share the pattern with all the members. Of couse we are looking for free patterns on the internet or designing our own, since we will be sharing the patterns. Here is a sneak peek at my offering for April - but just a peek. I can not show it yet since I have to wait until April to "gift" it. Some of you may recognize it though, as it was all over the blogs last year.

I have done a little sewing on my Be Attitudes quilt blocks, completing the Be Smart block and starting the Be Forgiving block.

Hope you are all staying well and getting ready for Spring. Prayers going out for the folks in ND and MN dealing with the floods. God save us from ourselves and all that is going on in Washington!

Teresa

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Show and Tell

Its been a few days since I last posted, but I have been so busy working in the house and having fun at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show. I have a ton of pictures I could show, but I will limit it to just the 11 that I am showing here. Now now, remember I just post once a week (or even longer) so bear with me, please. Be sure to go to the end....I saved the best for last!!!

I will only show one quilt from the show - my favorite. Unfortunately I did not think to capture the identify of the quilter and I feel really bad about that. So if anyone knows the creator of this amazing quilt, just let me know and I will add it to the post. I have a picture of the whole quilt and then a few close ups of some of the blocks. The embellishment work on this quilt was gorgeous.

=
Then there were the fabrics and patterns and notions...oh my! I certainly contributed to the stimulus plan! John Flynn was there and I was excited to meet him as I have made his double wedding ring pattern. I came home with one of his quilting frames and I can not way to try it out!

The Friday before the show, my friends and I had an all day workshop at the home of Sara Madson, an expert in Baltimore Album applique. She shared with us history of the Baltimore Album, her designs and her techniques - including back basting applique and a great way of sewing on stems. The little bluebells block is the one we did in the workshop and is one that Ms. Madson drew from an image of an old album quilt. I had to pick up a couple of her patterns as they were just too wonderful to pass up. She also fed us a scrumptious lunch of quiche, salad and fruit and let us enjoy her beautiful home decorated with lovely quilts, gave us a sneak peek of an amazing work in progress and introduced us to her charming husband. What a great time we had!

Work around the house has also been keepin me busy - with an upgrade to the dining room - including new seat covers for the chairs, new curtains and hanging a quilt hand pieced and quilted by my husband's grandmother - at least 40 years ago, maybe longer. (Fred, Ellen and Joy did the painting for me of dining room and living room and new flooring installed.)

And last, but not least, this Granny has been busy baby sitting (oh, did I mention I also work full time?). I have had the joy of babysitting my three boys (Levi, Malachi and Elijah) one evening - forgot to get a picture, but I will be there again this week and will get one then, and then Friday night, it was Taralyn's turn to spend time with Granny. Does it get any better than this?

So, what's been keeping you busy these days?

Teresa

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