Casey's Quilt

I watched a woman  Suzanne McNeill on YouTube the other day talk about her book, "Ten Minute Blocks".  
Video here   I watched that video three times, in a row ... just trying to figure out how she put those triangle things in the middle of those great BIG blocks. She made it look fun, and easy to boot!  I bought her book from Amazon, because after all, she looked like a really nice lady, and I decided to make a colorful wall hanging quilt for my oldest daughter, Casey. I knew I wanted to try my hand at Free Motion Quilting, and those great big blocks were just the thing. I needed something a little special in the center of the triangles that were in the center of the large blocks though. You can't see it in this photo, but there's quilting in those triangles! hehehe

Since my hubby gave me a flower template for Christmas, (bless his heart, he tries so hard, I can just see the man roaming around Joanne's Fabrics with his eyes glazed over) that looked like it would fit perfectly. I wanted to mark the area first but the white chock pen and the blue disappearing marking pen both failed me. (how do people get those things to work?) Then I remembered buying Sulky stabilizer without even knowing what it was.  

Sulky looks like plastic wrap. After reading the directions, I realized that it is used with those very special, expensive embroidery machines that I could only dream of owning one day.

So, I said to myself, "what the heck, give it a try". I traced the flower onto the plastic wrap stuff with a regular pen, then pinned the plastic to the area I wanted to free motion quilt, dropped my feed doggies down, put in the open toed foot, and went to town. For the first time. Yes, it was my very first try at free motion quilting. (I have since learned that you can do the same thing using freezer paper! But, that will have to wait for another time).







It worked! Not so well done, but not too bad for a first go. It's going to be a wall hanging, so I added some colorful, large buttons to the middle of the flower in the middle of the triangle in the middle of the extra large squares.

Casey said she loves it!

I'm taking all the scraps from this quilt, cutting them into strips and sewing them back together again. I'll let you know how that one turns out. Until next time, THANKS for visiting!

Quilter Husband's Lament

Quilter Husband's Lament

I've always learned that life was full of obstacles and woes.
I've learned to live with sickness, death, taxes, heaven knows.
I've taken all these things in stride, the problems and strife,
But one I didn't count on was a Quilter for a wife.

Come home from work, the stove is cold, the dirty clothes still there,
The suit I wanted cleaned today, still laying on the chair.
"Where's Mama, son?" I asked my boy, "This house is such a mess.
Why, all the sheets are missing, we've been burglarized I guess."

"No, Mama stripped down all the beds and took the sheets away.
She cut them into little strips and pieced two quilts today."
"Why every pair of pants I own is cut in little squares."
"I'm demonstrating applique," my lovely wife declares.

I show up in the office in my boxer shorts and tie.
My secretary giggles and the clerks give me the eye.
It's freezing cold, I'm shaking and my knees are turning blue.
My boss considered firing me, but his wife's a quilter too.

I told him what happened and he said he could believe.
I noticed that the coat he wore had only half a sleeve.
A husband needs a loving wife to help him when he's ill.
To soothe and comfort, mop his brow and help him take his pills.

Should influenza strike you, your life's not worth a dime,
Particularly if it hits at Quilt Convention time.
You'll lay there in an empty house in pain and deep despair,
While the workshops and the lectures keep your wife's attention there.

You learn to ask no questions when she smiles and drives away,
Rushing to the Fabric Shop for a big sale there today.
She's gone for hours, then drags back home all bleary eyed and down,
Now who'd believe a lie like that? She must be running round.

But I'll get by, I always do, some days are fine, some not.
When your wife's a Quilter you tolerate a lot.
I know that when my life is through and I have passed away
They'll have to set my funeral so it's not a Quilting Day. 

-Author Unknown-