Keeping it Simple

Well that was the plan.

True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist.

Albert Einstein

Bailey Home quilter Education

Just like many of you I belong to several different online quilting forums and groups.  Before I purchased my Bailey Home Quilter I joined a yahoo group to do my homework before buying.  Well it became my life line.  I'll admit I had buyers remorse for about a year.  The gals were really helpful.  So to pay them back and to help new quilters I've decided to make a few videos on FMQ and Ruler Work with the Baileys.  Its not a bells and whistles kinda quilter but it can do the job.  The current quilt will be my teaching quilt.  If you own a Bailey and want to see how I do things you can find me on youtube just search Bailey Home Quilter and I'll come up.  The newest video will be posted by the end of this week.  I'd like to say tomorrow, but I've an appointment tomorrow that could take longer than expected.  Anyway here's whats on the frame.

 In the first video I'll show you how I FMQ the corner motif and vines.

And just because it made me laugh!

That's how I look when I wake up in the mornings.

No design wall Monday

Good Monday morning!  So did you sew all weekend?  Its design wall Monday again and I've nothing to share that's new and quilty.  You know how it is with planning, it never plans out!  The plan was to sew in the evenings this past week and leave the day time hours open for canning, harvesting and housework.  Well almost all of the last three were accomplished.   The blackberries are really starting to ripen.

 See this Jungle?  The big berries are in there.  Am I going in there?  MOST CERTAINLY NOT! I stay to the edges where I can see whats getting ready to attack me!

  If you look close you can see them, I'm not getting any closer.

I always carry a garden hoe with me while berry picking.  It serves 2 purposes, protection being number one.  Protection from what you ask.  One, the thorns, I can use the hoe to pull the vines closer and move vines out of the way, and smash down any tall weeds while looking for critters.  And if I'm attacked by some wild beast I can swat at him with my hoe!  Today it was Muskrats!  They are dumb critters.  No I didn't swat them, I stomped my foot and screamed "Get out of here! Go on get!"  And they didn't move.  " Don't make me use my hoe!  GET!"  Finally they scurried off to the pond.  Man that was close, I could have been attacked and mangled by Muskrats.....LOL!  Really they are pretty easy going and don't bother humans, but I still don't want one close to me.  What kinda country girl am I that I let a little ole Muskrat stop me in my tracks....well I'm the " I lived in the city for 15 years kind of country girl."

Well after my adventure in berry pickin, the canning began.  Blackberry jelly, cowboy pickles, sweet cuke relish, and frozen shredded zucchini and a couple of loaves of Zucchini bread to freeze.  I ran out of onions so the Bread and Butter Pickles will need to wait for another day.

 The backing for the monster quilt is sewn together it just needs to be pressed and checked for square.  Look at this mess!  I'm not showing you the worst parts that are to the left and right of this picture.

Normally I end my post with Until next time "Quilt out of Your Comfort Zone!".  I'm going to retire using the same quote and end with something different each day.  Some days a quote, or inspiration, just what ever suits my fancy!

Lea

108 inch Monster

 Next in line to be quilted is my Scrappy Baskets quilt.  Yesterday I added an 8 inch border bringing it to a total of 108.50 inches.  

Today I cut it down to a 5" border because the quilt was too big for my frame!  Yep I'm a whiz at math!  

The backing will be my "I can't cut it fabric".  I've been holding onto about 12 yds of uncut pretty floral for quite awhile.  As much as I hate to, it's just gotta be done.

This was one of those items from the estate sale.  I think the old lady had the same issue as me, just couldn't cut into it!  Now in a perfect world I'd run out and buy and extra wide plain white backing, but... use what you have and get rid of the stash is the plan.

So pretty....I guess once it's quilted I could just turn it backing side up so I can look at it all the time!  

Until next time "Quilt out of your Comfort Zone!"

Lea

                     

"Cherry on Top" Friday finish

Finally she's finished.  I can't tell you how much I love this sweet quilt.  I designed it after seeing so many new cherry quilt designs this spring.  Obsession doesn't even come close to my love of cherries right now.  Funny though I really don't like eating cherries.   Cherry pie is my least favorite pie, I never eat the cherry that tops an ice cream sundae or milkshake.  But I'll admit that I pick through Lifesavers candy and eat all the Cherry ones first!  

To make sure I get a good picture of a quilt I always take tons of pictures.  Normally I'll get a few bad ones.  The lighting was so good yesterday almost everyone came out great.  So what the heck I'll post them all!

 The Rose of Sharon bushes on Debbie's property are so pretty right now.

I could spend all day in her gardens.  Just so lovely, with so many points of interest.  

 Its so quiet and peaceful, as I'm taking pictures I can here the water flowing in her fountain that's just to my left as I took this picture.

The old farm house in the background was built in the late 1800's.  One of these days I'm gonna get some pictures of the quilt she has that's dated around that time.  Its stunning!

While taking this picture in my minds eye I could see an old lady on this porch sipping ice tea and humming a tune.  Just enjoying her porch swing and a lovely view of the garden.

 Hershel, 75 yrs old(Debbie's husband) was born and raised on this property and has never lived anywhere else.  All the old farm equipment is now part of the gardens.  

 I decided to focus on one part of the yard.  That way when I come back with another quilt I'll have a different backdrop.

 The plan for the quilting was to make the cherries POP.  My longarm takes a normal size bobbin(15).  I used 21 bobbins of white on this quilt!  

 Every time I use this background fill I get questions on how its done, whats the pattern?  Really there's no pattern.  Its just swirls, loops, and the occasional feather coming off the swirls.  Its of my own design, almost a Mctavish, but with  more.

 The red border quilting was achieved by marking equal sections and using circle rulers of different sizes to make the leaves and vines, the little cherries are freehand circles.  And the cherry leaves are also freehand.

 A special thank you to Wallace Farms.

 As I hopped on my four wheeler and was leaving this handsome stud wanted his picture taken!  Now that's a horse blanket!

Well that's all of the pictures!  So what do you think about a tutorial on making this quilt?  Anyone interested?  Just let me know.  I don't want to go to all that effort if no one is interested in  making one.

Until next time "Quilt out of Your Comfort Zone!"

Lea

We're having a baby girl!

Say hello to Hunter, my grandson, and Sparky, the garbage disposal. That quilt, its one of the first ones I made(And my daughter still uses it on a daily basis.)  There's a long story behind the quilt so I'll make it short.  Each one of my three children were told I would make a quilt for them, just name the quilt and I'll make it.  My daughter wanted a rebel flag quilt.  Why?  Because she's a rebel, it has nothing to do with it's real meaning.  Honestly making the quilt was easy as far as the pattern.  But we all know the issues that come with displaying such a controversial symbol.  Really she just likes the word REBEL, and that she is!  You know the type tattoos, piercings, anything to make a momma shake her head.  She's a good girl, kindhearted, and hard working.  

And looky here at this baby bump!  We're having a girl in September!  This is Amanda my oldest child.  She lives about 3 hours away so I don't get to see them much.  What grandma doesn't just love making goodies for a baby girl!  Pink gingham's, posies and butterflies, lace!  They already put in a request for a quilt.  Are you ready for this?  They want a U Of L(University of Louisville) baby quilt....WHAT!  You got to be kiddin me!  Where's the lace, gingham and posies!   Oh well... I can always make two quilts.

Until next time..."Quilt out of Your Comfort Zone!"

Lea

Watermelon anyone?

I just had to share this.  Maybe you gals have already seen it but it's new to me.  While taking a break and doing my daily web browsing, I googled watermelon quilt.  Somehow a watermelon carving came up in the search.  OMG!  Amazing!  So I totally abandoned my quilt search and found these!

http://my.opera.com/francesco6903/albums/show.dml?id=851611

http://randomnies.blogspot.com/2011/02/amazing-watermelon-carving.html

http://culinarydelightcatering.com/elegent-touches_wedding-caterer.html

This one looks like my dad!...LOL

http://thecookingdish.com/0915/15-melon-head-fruit-carvings/
Gorgeous!

http://my.opera.com/francesco6903/albums/showpic.dml?album=101446&picture=1373330

This one below is more my skill level

http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/fun-watermelon-carvings-for-the-fourth-of-july/

                                                             

Sewing in circles Tutorial

This post has been edited for Design Wall Monday over at Judys.  With all the canning going on around here I've not had much time in the Studio.

Its storming here today.  When it storms... really when the wind blows, the electricity tends to go out.  The plan was to freeze some green beans and make bread and butter pickles.  However I wouldn't want to be in the middle of canning and the power go out.  So I took advantage of the situation!  SEWING!  YEAH!

Sewing in circles isn't easy if you don't have the machine attachment.  And dragging out the Embroidery machine and finding the right file online could take hours.  So I'll construct my own circle sewer.  

Using a piece of Templar, but any stiff plastic would work.  I drew a line down the middle and and marked every half inch.

 Then I removed the plate on my sewing machine and lined up the edge of the Templar just enough to cover the feed dog holes. Making a mark at the edge of the plate. Taped it down and turned it over.

 Traced the opening with a marker.  Then cut out that section.  

A thumb tack and the eraser from a mechanical pencil will be inserted in the holes in the Templar.

 At each half inch marking I poked a hole with my sewing machine not threaded.  Can you see the tack sticking through on the left?  I used scotch tape to secure the whole thing to the bed of the machine.

Marked a circle .  Marked the center with a dot. And attached

Just move the tack to make different size circles.  I used a test piece to see how each stitch would stitch out.  Sometimes the circle can distort the stitch.

 The circle on the left had no stabilizer the one on the right did.  It worked much better with the fusible stabilizer.  Just spray the blue markings with water and the hole made by the tack, rubbing the hole while wet  will make it disappear.  Carefully cut out your circle with scissors, I used pinking shears to slow down the fraying. 

The tall one has elastic sewn into it and a vintage lace ribbon.  It turned out poorly because the elastic was to wide and stiff, it was all I had.  Won't make that mistake again.   It was the first one I made, now to tweak that idea.   The short one with cherries has little holes cut with the ribbon threaded through the holes.  And the short one on the right, I just put a rubber band on around it and then covered by tying on the ribbon.  I like the third option best, because the ribbon and rubber band can be removed and the lid cover becomes a doily! 

Until next time "Quilt out of Your Comfort Zone!

Lea