UFO #1 progress

My UFO #1 the Star and Crown quilt made with 30's fabrics isn't done completely. I did get it ready to be quilted however this month. The Backing is cut and prepped too. It is made using Pat Speth's Nickel Quilts method using 5" squares. Lynn and I worked on these together and added the outside row to complete the star and crown blockssecondary pattern. I LOVE 30's Fabrics!!! My 1-A quilt didn't even get out of the tote.

My UFO Challenge posts for this quilt are HERE and HERE.

What Number will Judy L pull for April's UFO Challenge??? Check her Blog HERE to find out.

Idaho Baby- Derek

Here's the Grandpa who drove all day Monday to bring us to meet our 12th grandson. Derek Kimball Crowther... Grandma gets a chance to see this cute boy too. Maybe a little red hair in there the nurses said. Here he is lying on the quilt I made for him while his momma is resting. He was sleeping too loud. He is kinda noisy... I thought his aunts might want to see a close-up. I haven't seen him with his eyes open too much since they brought him home. Grandpa, Brant and the boys have gone to run errands. I'm glad we are here, but it's still winter in Idaho. We had snow by Tollgate and then again once we got to Pocatello. The snow melted as it fell in Idaho Falls yesterday, it's too cold this morning for snow.

Design Wall Monday - March 28. 2011

Here are the Swap Blocks I got in the mail from the FRIENDSHIP SWAP Yahoo group. They are taken from the pattern in Jennifer Chiavernini's book "The New Year's Quilt". I wondered what they would look like with scrappy colors. Mine isn't on the wall. I am participating in another swap of the center blocks for this same quilt with the SBS and Other Quilts Yahoo group. The block in the bottom row center is the one I need to make 12 of. They are due the end of the week. Nothing like a deadline... Check out other Design Walls HERE.

Stash Report March 27, 2011

Used this week: 17 yards Used year to Date: 56.5 yards Added this week: 5 Yards (20 Fat Quarter pack won at Trends) Added Year to date: 51.25 yards Net used to Date: 5.25 yards The total used looks better than the bottom line. Another week or two of using 16+ yards will help alot. The 5 small sized quilts plus my March UFO borders, backings, & bindings helped my numbers this week. I can get the UFO Quilted in the next week before we leave to greet the new babies in the family. I have plenty of hand stitching to do while Hubby drives...Bindings and Labels ready to stitch down. My Selvage ball grew a bit this week too! It is sitting on my 12.5"ruler. Last time it was posted was in January HERE. P.S. #16 Grandchild is born 7# 1oz, 19" long. No name yet... Check out other Stash reports HERE.

Still here...

I can't help it! The babies and the Dr's aren't cooperating much...Two babies quilts are READY except for the binding. I have quilted 5 baby-sized quilts, three of the quilts are ones that needed to be done anyway. My February MONOCHROMATIC Challenge Quilt, the Sweet 16, and a Surprise gift for somebody. It's been a very busy week at Thread and Bolts! Lynn quilted three charity baby quilts all at the same time and a Super-sized twin quilt for a family that was burned out last fall. Lynn does a lot of Charity Quilts! You can see more at the Link above. There is a slideshow of Charity Quilts that she has done. The Computer makes the quilting go fairly fast when making small quilts. We completed a total of 9 Quilted and there are two more ready to go. It's nice to leave the longarm quilting machine full with a quilt for Lynn to do over the week-end while I'm not there. 1st is a sneak peek of Brant and Tina's Bambino's quilt. I found the perfect backing for it, I think! It was truly a "Quilt in a DAY". I cut it out, assembled and quilted it all on Wednesday. This one is a surprise so I'm only showing part of it. I quilted the surprise one and the Violet Monochromatic Challenge from February together. It was not easy to use two different backings...note to self! I like the Wild Roses I quilted on them . The week of hard labor will show in my Stash report on Sunday! My two girls have a different kind of LABOR to go through. There is a great PRIZE at the end, I tell them. My Mother-in-law around the time I was due would tell me it was her turn to hold the baby, I'd been holding him/her long enough...

2 Quilts for Road Trip

I made it out to Lynn's to quilt on Monday. Today is a stay at home day. I got two quilts quilted with the "Simple Meander". They just need their Bindings sewn on and I'm ready to go... My Sweet 16 done with the Twin Star pattern from Eleanor Burns. The backing fabric is "Thimbleberries" from their 2002 Paintbox fabric line. This quilt has a little too much PINK for a Baby Boy so it will stay at my house. I used a verigated tan thread by Superior. So I'll have another smaller quilt to show at Guild and for the next quilt show. I like it! It isn't on the UFO list but I will count it as my March finish and post a full picture once it is bound. And the Mystery quilt I made for Testing a pattern for KNITOID, my blogging friend from Kansas City. That's why it's shown from the back. I had this 'matchbox car and dumptruck' flannel that I chose for the backing. I started with the "Sweet 16" to make sure the machine would play nice. It took some tweaking. About 3 hours to quilt it. The second quilt went much faster, it was smaller so less passes. Two quilts in 6 hours or so is good for me. I still have one more quilt to make for the Grandsons that are due. Choices, choices. Tina said that is why her baby hasn't come yet- his quilt isn't finished. I finished Caleb's while I was there for 4 days and he was in the NICU. The baby's due dates are the end of the month, but these girls are ready to have them already. I just pray they come when they are ready! These 2 boys are in charge right now, right?

Design Wall Monday - March 21, 2011

OK, I can't wait to post. This is how my small Design Wall really looks today. There is not much to show. Most of the Brown Challenge project has fallen off the wall. I will have to re-think it later. Maybe even add it to the Yellow and Violet Challenge UFO's from January and February. :( I thought of playing with this new ruler today. It makes interlocking pinwheels and it looks so fun. I think it would make a great baby boy quilt. It was DEMO-ed at the quilt show on Saturday by my Bernina friends at Janean's Bernina. I got a-nother ruler that makes marking lines for HST's quickly. It will have to wait too. I really need to just go out to Lynn's and Quilt a couple of BABY quilts. I don't want to be quilting a quilt on my Janome when I could be cuddling cute Grandsons. The girls are scaring me. They both have Dr appointments on Thursday -if they make it that long. I may be OUT of town before the end of the week. I'm definately on a day to day basis and sitting by the phone. Judy L has a new Mr LINKY this week that shows the picture with it. I think I like that. A sneak peek to the post. Click HERE

Stash Report- March 20, 2011

Used this week: 1 yards Used year to Date: 39.5 yards Added this Week: 3.5 yards Added Year to Date: 46.25 yards Net Used for 2011: 6.75 yards I had a few pieces of fabric jump into my tote at the Quilt show. They had Jo Morton and Pat Sloan Fabrics that I can't get locally... The only fabric I used this week was to complete my New Years Reflection SWAP for the friendship group. I gave myself permission to buy some of the Civil War before I went there. I also got some new specialty rulers to play with. My Monday Design Wall might be late if I play with them in the morning. Go to Judy L's blog HERE to see other Stash Reports.

Tri-City Quilt Show

NaDell and her 3 girls by Abigail's Baby Bouquet and her Chocolate Covered Blueberry Quilt that I quilted with candy kisses. I'm glad the girls could come and see me at the show. Next year we'll try and get them to have a quilt in the show in the Youth category. I challenged my Brother and Sister-in law to have a quilt in the show next year also. This is my First Quilt Teacher's Favorite Quilt and the Memorial to her since she passed away this year. I didn't know until I got to the Show that she was gone. That saddens me, but I'm glad she still had a quilt in the show this year.

A few of the Ribbon winning quilts were by people I know. The People's Choice was Jess Berry's hand appliqued and hand quilted "Paisley Garden".

Nansi Bainard's miniature "Stars over the Delta" won in the minature category. The tiniest Hexagon's ever.

More ribbon winners that I didn't know. Time for the Tri-City Quilters Raffle Quilt Drawing- I didn't win this year either. I got home and realized I didn't get my picture taken by my Favorite Quilt that I made. Here I am after the long day at the show -pic beside my quilt. You can see my Quilt Buddy, Lynn's Quilts at her Blog- Thread and Bolts.

Quilts - A CHALLENGE!???

This week-end is NATIONAL QUILTING DAY. They have a FREE project you can download. It's a different kind of "Log Cabin". Judy L is doing a Quilt A-Long this week-end. She's already posted step 5. I'll be at the Tri-City Quilters Quilt show. The FREE Motion Quilting Project Blog is having a 'Transformation" Challenge too. It starts April 1st $10 Registration Fee. Forms and Photos aren't due until July. Another Do-ABLE?? Accuquilt is having a Barn Quilt Challenge. DEADLINE is April 10th It's only a picture of one block. that's Do-Able, right?? What will you win? • 1st Place: $1,000 AccuQuilt Shopping Spree along with a trip for two to AccuQuilt for the design unveiling • 2nd Place: $250 AccuQuilt Gift Certificate • 3rd Place: $100 AccuQuilt Gift Certificate Winners will be announced at the AQS Quilt Show & Contest in Paducah, Ky., April 27-30. Wouldn't I like to be a fly on the wall that day?? They announce the Alliance Quilt winner then too! REMEMBER, I have a quilt there? The Entries and Fabric Challenge quilts for the Krazy Horse Quilter's Quilt show is soon. April 16th to be exact. Show is April 30- May 1st. I have quilts to enter but I don't think I'll be able to attend. AND... McCall's is doing the 2011 Design Star Deadline is May 1st. HERE is a post at Piece and Quilt about last year's WINNER, Her Mom, Kathleen! They live in UTAH! The International Quilt Market is in Salt Lake City, UTAH this spring. This is similar to the "Trends" I went to with Lynn in Portland last week-end. Not for the Public. But I want to go... only one drawback--it's Mother's Day week-end and I have two grandbabies still coming. correction: it's not Mother's day week-end... yea! DREAM on Grandma...

2011 St. Patrick's Day

Today's bonus was going to help NaDell while Abigail got her Blessing pictures taken. I think she is going to keep her pretty Blue eyes. You can see the pictures by clicking HERE. I delivered 12 quilts to the Tri-cities Quilt show for myself and a few friends. After I came home I thought I should make a treat for Paul for the Holiday. I didn't have a white cake mix so I made cupcakes from scratch. I haven't done that in a long time. I'm really not Irish but on St Patrick's Day everyone is a "wee bit Irish". I look forward to going to the Quiltshow and seeing all the beautiful quilts and maybe a few of my friends too. Pictures to come after I go...

Alliance Quilt Contest links

HERE is a link to see the last batch of quilts submitted. Mine is in this batch. 119 so far to be judged and auctioned off. http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/projects/galleries/Alliances/guidelines/Here is where my "Momma's Rose Quilt went and the link to the Alliance for American Quilts. I got an e-mail that it had arrived and they will have a link to see it on Facebook soon. It will be one of the quilts numbered after #75. I'm so glad I got it done and in the mail on time. WHEW! Schedule of Alliance Quilt displays: April 27-30: Quilt entries debut at the American Quilter's Society's 27th annual show in Paducah, Kentucky. May 1: Quilt entries debut online www.AllianceforAmericanQuilts.org. June 16-18: Quilts exhibited at the 42nd Annual National Quilting Association Quilt Show in Columbus, Ohio. Contest quilts will also be exhibited at the these Original Sewing & Quilt Expo shows: September 29, 30 and October 1, 2011 Chantilly, Virginia October 13, 14 & 15, 2011: Kansas City, Missouri October 20, 21 & 22, 2011: Georgia Quilt Show in Atlanta, Georgia November 10, 11 & 12, 2011: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Trip to Trends

Lynn and I took time to go to the Northwest Quilters show at the EXPO Center on Friday. Their Raffle quilt was GORGEOUS! The next two quilts were also shown there and I have to show them. A Sylvia's Bridal Sampler and... John Wayne! Amazingly tiny blocks to make this one, over 3,000, I think it said.They had a booth to make blocks for Charity using pre-cut squares, triangles, and bricks. It was fun to do. You can see some of the examples on the front of the table.That evening Lynn's two sister-in-laws came and she was able to personally deliver the two quilts she finished that her late Mother-in-law had made. We found some new T-shirts that say- "Quilt - Eat - Sew - Sleep - Repeat" in PURPLE Had to get them. We are wearing them in the picture below. We spent our downtime at the hotel sewing. Lynn got her 30's SBS Block of the Week made. At EE Schenk on Sunday, they had two Authors come with their New books and they gave them to us and signed them for us. The first is Elizabeth Hartman, pictured with us. Her Book- "The Practical guide to Patchwork" The quilt in the picture is called "Kitchen Window".Second is Karla Alexander with her book called "Stack the Deck". Her plane was delayed so we had to wait and the other ladies in the line were waiting so I didn't request a picture with her. We won a few prizes - mostly BATIKS which aren't my favorites so Lynn kept them. So I had an eventful week-end and enjoyed going with Lynn. We'll post more on the Thread and Bolts BLOG later this week.

Design Wall Monday- March 14, 2011

As I posted yesterday, I was out of town and we sewed a bit. This is how we set up in the Hotel room. Here is one of my Swap blocks I finally got to finish. The paper-piecing has slowed me down. These go in the mail this week! (After I trim them off course.) They are called Mother Favorite and are part of the New Year's Reflection Quilt from one Jennifer Chiaverini's pattern books. The quilt is based on a quilt from the Novel called "The New Year's Quilt". Go to Patchworktimes to see other Design Walls by clicking HERE.

2nd Block for Lotto

I was corrected about making all different blocks to SWAP so I will donate one of the two I posted. I made another Block to Swap this month while I was on a week-end out of town. I took my sewing machine to sew in the hotel. I made two alike but will keep one for myself. I need to trim it to size too. Thanks for letting me SWAP.

HERE is the link to the Blog that hosts the Lotto.

Stash Report March 13, 2011- LATE

Used this week: 2 yards Used year to Date: 38.5 yards Added this Week: 25 yards Added Year to Date: 43.75 yards Net Used for 2011: 5.25 yards Note to self- Trips to Quilt Shows and Fabric warehouse aren't good for the Stash Report. I won the Door Prize at Quilt guild this week and added 6 FQ's to my stash, then spent the week-end in Portland at a Trade show and only bought a couple short bolts. I considered leaving them at Lynn's or in the car, but decided to just report them and get it over with. I saw a few FQ's at the Quilt show we attended that jumped into my bag. We took our sewing machines and I did get to use a little. Paper piecing is slow use. I'll do better next week...famous last words the "fabriholic" said. There are over 60 others making Stash Reports this week over HERE. Click the link to check them out.

I got it!!!

As expected, my mail today had my copy of Jennifer Chiaverini's newest book with it. YAHOO!

I will try and restrain myself so I can read it next week-end... MY ALLIANCE QUILT IS FINISHED! I decided to un-sew the binding--- cut the PURPLE one down to the correct size and re-sew the binding on it! Thanks to my DD#1 for the suggested name. My choice too -lame or not, it fits.

Ready to go and mail the package.

Design Wall Monday - March 7, 2011

Because Guild is this week, My wall @ Lynn's had my 2 Lotto Blocks on it. Lynn's 4 are on the Right. Contrary Wife and Onery Husband blocks. AND at home while I was trying to finish the ALLIANCE projects that are shown HERE and HERE are my Brown strips that I'm playing with for the March Monchromatic Challenge. I found them in a Ziplock bag that I picked up at a Treasure sale at Guild, I think. The funny thing was after I put these on the WALL, I check the Quilty Blogs and found someone else playing with 'scraps' too. It was on Stash Manicure. I have only Monday to finish the Alliance Project and get it in the mail. No pressure, right. Checkout the other Walls Linked at Patchworktimes HERE

Precious Baby Girl

Here is the reason we were at Church in West Richland today. It was Abigail's 1st White Dress Day! Her beautiful dress was handmade by her Grandma Shirley Ransom. She is laying on the Quilt I made for her. We are so glad she is here. Paul and I with our 4th Grand-daughter Abigail Mary Ransom. She looks like she is singing. All babies are precious, fresh from heaven. I wish they could talk and tell us all the secrets they know. So far her eyes look Blue and her hair is staying dark. We have a couple more special days with our next Grandson's coming in March or April. We are so Blessed with our Family growing. We pray for the two grandsons safe arrivals. That will be #12 and #13 Grandson's for us. Today is the day I gave NaDell the "Mary Ring". I wanted a picture of the 3 Generations of hands on Abigail's special Day. She will be the next one get the Mary Ring because her middle name is "Mary". You can see more pictures at the Ransom Family BLOG.

Stash Report March 6, 2011

Used this week: 2.25 yards Used year to Date: 37.5 yards Added this Week: 3.5 yards Added Year to Date: 18.75 yards Net Used for 2011: 18.75 yards This week I fell off the wagon! I needed some 'retail therapy' so I went to a couple quilt shops. First I went looking for the red to make the Lotto Blocks. And I was in Tri-cites today and FINALLY got to go and see the new HOBBY LOBBY. It is bigger than the Craft Warehouse, I think! I saw some fabric that will work for a SWAP. I only bought a little. I also found some Civil War fabric at Village Quiltworks by Jo Morton and it followed me home. This week is guild and I made my blocks for that and used some fabric for backing and binding on my "Alliance quilts". My additions almost equal my total used... I wish I could count all that I cut while I was at Lynn's this week. Click on the Links at Judy Ls Blog HERE to see more STASH reports.

Slight Glitch in the Work

I went to trim the Purple Alliance quilt and forgot that it needed to be 16", not 16.5". I don't think they will accept a quilt that isn't within the guidelines. So I hurried and found the rest of my Rose Background and cut out another vase and Rose and made up a 3rd one. I can't find the 2nd one I worked on at Guild. I went to bed after making the top and couldn't sleep. My mind kept thinking -- I have a nice cable stencil border that would be like the ones my mom and Grandma used on some of their quilts. So I got up and did it in about an hour and a half.

It looked so nice and then I put the quilting in the borders and trimmed it... Same problem, I lost some of the stitching and had to UN-SEW again! 3 of the 4 sides were under the binding.

I had a day trip to do it when I wasn't driving, so it wasn't too bad. It was a good thing I didnt' have to drive on so little sleep! No wasted moments when I have handwork to do in the car.

But I didn't make it to the Post Office. I only have until Monday at 5pm to do that so... the clock is running!