Life on Timber Hill

 Hank, reading his Happy Second Birthday card.

 Anita Goodesign's Nursery Rhyme quilt is pieced, now I need to get it quilted.

 "Gracie's Garden", the Linus Mystery quilt is almost finished in this picture. It's actually finished and quilting has started on the long arm. It is the worst quilt I've pieced in a long time. I hope I can get the borders to quit "waving at me" as I machine quilt it.

 The Japanese Maple trees are gorgeous this Fall!

 Red Rock Thread had this collection on sale….I couldn't resist!

I finally hung all my embroidery hoops on the wall with Command hooks.  

The extra hoops fit in the lift up seat of the blue chair. Now I can see and find the correct size hoop.

Blessings----Giving Thanks

Cute In- the- Hoop Baby Bibs!

I made two of Sweet Pea's Machine embroidery baby bibs recently for my grand niece's new baby boy.   In the hoop machine embroidery is popular now. So many things can be completed right in the hoop. The largest bib here was made with my Baby Lock Ellisimo and the 8" x 12" hoop. The Medium size was made in the 8" x 8" hoop.  The back of the bib did require sewing at the machine. I used flannel for the backing. KAM snap closures. 

 As a reference for sizing the largest bib is pictured here on a 20" doll.

 I also did the strip bib in the hoop. It is slightly smaller. Medium size.

Finished---Blanket Stitch Baby

Anita Goodesigns "Blanket Stitch Baby Quilt" is finished, all except a label.  I had a lot of fun making it. Picking designs from the disc, and choosing the fabrics.   A few snafus along the way with  what Anita Goodesign calls their 'mix n match' blocks. The directions didn't mention mirroring the left side triangular fabric strip blocks so that the fabrics would match the right side layout. Finally figured that out.

 I have washed the quilt, once, and it should get softer with more washings (I hope.)  I still feel it is a bit too stiff. Not a cuddly quilt.

Even though I did use muslin as a stabilizer in a effort to reduce the stiff feeling---it's more about the amount of quilting in the block designs I think…lots of small stippling and the appliqué stitching on these designs.

There are many more cute designs on the embroidery disc, I just picked my favorites. I have Anita's Playhouse picked out for my next embroidery quilt project. Stay tuned! My embroidery machine is taking a short well deserved rest for now……..

Camper Quilt

 Our daughter and family love to go camping and thought this Camper fabric would make the cutest quilt but I didn't' quite know how to cut it it up an preserve the campers.

I remembered I had a freebie quilt pattern  called Rusty's Blocks. It's great for what you would call focus fabrics like this as the squares are large. At 7-2/4". The quilt goes together fast. I pieced in about an hour after all the fabrics were cut.

 Flannel backing. Approx 45" x 68"---Nice size for a sofa quilt. It could be made larger too…..

 Camper quilt

I had a camper machine embroidery design (Embroidery Library) and used Designers Gallery Works to compose the wording for the label.

Some Finished---Some Started

I have finished a few quilts the past month or so---

 This is the "Lukey Quilt"---a Linus quilt project I made last year, but never finished quilting---Finished.

 This "Kids of the Month" machine embroidery quilt is finally finished---

 This quilt is Jenny Doan, Missouri Star Quilts "Double Slice Layer" finally finished and gifted to my friend Emma--

 I've started a new machine embroidery project. The Anita Goodesign, "Blanket Stitch" baby quilt. Pictured here is one of the connector blocks for the middle portion of the quilt. Below are a few pictures of the embroidery blocks. Love Anita Goodesign's projects!

That's it for now---

Salem Quilt Guild Panel #1---Finished!

There are three mystery panels for the Salem Quilt Guild quilt. Panel #2 has been released, and panel #3 is going to released in May.  I mention all this so that you---and with that I realize how far behind I am with this project. (sigh)

Celebrating that I have finally finished panel #1!!!! Yeah!  Here are photos of my panel #1

 Drumelza Von Spellcaster

 Bertha Broomhildagard

 Celinda Wickenblat and Bertha Broomhildagard

 Hagatha Thistlebottom and Tituba P. Wartsworth

 The Salem Witches going to the Guild Meeting! Recognize anyone?

 Drumelda Stump pulling her wagon load of quilts with Cosmo the cat.

 Hagatha Thistlebottom, Tituba P. Wartsworth and Drumelda Stump.

 Cosmo the Cat!

Preview:  Photo of Panel #2 of the Salem Quilt Guild is now in process of me transferring the drawing to fabric. Then it will be colored with crayola.  Heat set. This process takes me about a week. Then the stitching can begin on this panel. Love it! 

Finish #2--#3 Loaded

The Double Slice Layer Cake quilt is off the frame----all the quilting is finished and I've loaded quilt #3 is loaded onto the long arm.  I have binding to do, but I love sitting in the evening watching a movie and sewing on bindings, so no excuses there.  I want to make a flanged binding with turquoise and red to match this Riley Blake fabric.  I'll post another photo once it is finished.

Double Slice Layer cake pattern from Jenny Doan,  a Missouri Star Quilt. Tutorial on You Tube. Circle Lord "Cosmos" template board design.

I've also ordered 5 wide backings for some of the other quilts hanging in the closet.  

Quilt #3 ready to quilt.

Yesterday was so beautiful outside that I didn't quilt at all.  Instead I pulled weeds (and there are plenty of those this year!)-----and I've been wanting to clean the fountain and repot some of the plants, so I spent most of the day out in the wonderful sunshine!

Today Norma is coming over and we are going to play with Miss Ellie' (Babylock Ellisimo) arranging some text on the machine, and learning more about Designers Gallery Works.  She got an Ellisimo this past year and is just starting to machine embroidery.  We will have some fun planning some embroideries and sharing ideas. 

2008 Babylock Ellisimo

Hope you have a wonderful day too---. It is another sun filled day here in Sonoma County wine country ---rain is expected towards the end of the week. We need more rain, and more rain means more time quilting! even though I do love being out in the yard thinking about new plants. Cleaning up weeds?---not so much fun.