Starting Dear Jane

I am starting my Dear Jane quilt project again. This time I will make them the correct size. LOL
I am a member of the Dear Jane mail list and I decided to start by doing the BOW and TOW. Here are this weeks entries, which were due by today.

What do you do on a rainy day?

I had a pack of Moda charm squares from their "Chocolat" collection. I thought, why not make a small table runner with them. I used ever single charm and made the front back and binding. I used a fat eighth of cream for the stars.

Friday

Yesterday I passed my Longshoreman's Lashing test, not an easy feat for a woman edging 45 every minute. The next step to getting my casual card is GSST. That day is scheduled for October 8th, another sick day bites the dust. At least on that day I get paid $160.00 to watch movies. I have to say, my boss has been so understanding about me pursuing this second job. I still have potentially 3-4 more sick days I have to use before this is all over.

Today I slept in till 5:30. Ahhhhhhh!! I was able to have the house clean by 11:00. My mom came home from her check up at the doctor's office sick. WTF? She went to her appointment perfectly healthy and she came home a few hours later with the flu. I had to play nursemaid all day, which is not my calling. She is fine now, thank God. Weird!

Between playing nursemaid and running errands I was able to finish meandering a lap size quilt. This is the "Yellow Brick Road" quilt pattern made with Batiks. I am giving it to my neighbors for Christmas. I wanted to show how nice my wood extension table is. I bought it from a guy on the Internet that custom makes tables for any sewing machine. It even has a slide out to make it easy to change the bobbin.

I guess the is quilt #14.

Dear Jane Flop Equals New Table Runner

Last year I started a "Dear Jane" quilt. Now this is the kind of challenge I enjoy. Well, when they said the blocks shuld be 4 1/2" finished I cut them at 4 1/2". DOH!!! 41/2" finished = 5 inches before sewing together. Well, I am going to make my "Dear Jane" but won't be using these blocks. I sewed them all together using a 1" sashing and there you have it. My new table runner.

Quilt #13

My cousin needed help making samples for her quilt shop so she mailed me a jelly roll, a pattern and border fabric. I made this quilt in 2 afternoons! I will be sending it back to her Monday so she can quilt it and hang it in her shop.

I made the quilt top, Joy (Good friend from quilt class), my mom and I pin basted it, Janet (AKA: Teacher Extraordinaire) quilted it and Joy hand stitched the binding. This was all done in flannels. This was made for our other VERY good friend from quilt class. We made it especially for her husband who is going through some very intense chemo and radiation treatment. If you just read this, please take a moment to pray for him.

Quilt #12

As a dog lover I had to make this. I did a block a week and had so much fun picking out fabrics. Teacher Extraordinaire helped me figure out the lattice and I finished it on my vacation last month. SEW MUCH FUN!!

Quilt #11

I call this "THE QUILT FROM HELL"

I signed up for a class at my quilt shop that was taught by a published quilter. There were 4 sessions. The first session went well. We made the center cabin block together as a class. It was great to see how everyone decorated their block. The second class was a joke, there was no pattern. She explained and we took notes and sewed as much as we could in class and then given homework. I managed to get done as much as I could on my own and luckily my cousin was visiting at the time and she helped me. The third class was cancelled and they combined it with an all day 4th class. Again there was no pattern. I just wrote down notes and sewed as much as I could until my machine died. Yes, my machine died in the middle of class. Anyone I went home and stared at this project wondering how I was going to finish it. I seriously thought about chucking it in the trash and calling it a day. My teacher extraordinaire told me I could do it and with her help we figured out a pattern by looking at the pictures I took of the original quilt. Ok, SHE figured out the pattern, I take no credit for that! I did the quilting on it and it now sits proudly on my sofa.

Valance

I love applique so I tried to make an applique valance. I had the pattern from hell and had to figure it out with the help of my cousin.

PILLOWS!

PILLOWS!!!! I saw these pillows demo'd on the Bernina site so I just had to make them.

Quilt #10

This is the same quilt as #9 but done in Batiks. This is going to be a Christmas gift for my good neighbors. I plan on pinning it today and quiling it next weekend.

Quilt #9

This was also a kit that I purchased. I made this as a gift for a good family friend. I stippled this with no problem using my Bernina. This was also too easy and boring.

Quilt #8

This quilt was my first kit that I purchased. It sure is nice having all the shopping of colors done for you. I quilted this one using 3 different methods. I used paper, chalk and washable plastic. I think the paper is easiest but hardest to remove. The plastic kept getting stuck on my presser foot. I think if I had a teflon foot it would have helped. Hmmmm, I better get one of those. LOL!

Quilt #7

My cousin sent me an easy pattern so I thought I would try it. It was actually boring but quick. It really should have been my first quilt. I used Ooodles of Poodles by Moda. I had intended to make this quilt for my real life poodles but it just kept getting bigger and bigger. It is now king sized and will fit my bed nicely. I didn't want to attempt to quilt this one so it is at my cousins shop at the moment waiting for her to put it on the longarm.

Those monkeys at the top are my real life poodles, Daisy & Mindy.

Quilt # 6

This is the first quilt I made as a gift. It was for my friend and co-workers mother who was just confined to a wheel chair. I let my cousin quilt this one since I wasn't too familar with my stitch regulator yet. I loved the flannel backing, it was the same one used in quilt #5. This was finished just before Christmas 2006.

Quilt #5

This quilt was in APQ magazine and I had to have it. I mastered half square triangles. UGH, not my favorite thing to do.

The is the first quilt I quilted with my Bernina Aurora 440.

Quilt #4

This was the first quilt I made with the help of a real live quilt teacher. I was so lucky to find these classes and I feel blessed every time I sit in her class. I only meant to sign up for one session, which is 4 sessions once a week. After my first month I thought I needed another. I tried to sign up for a third month but the class was full. YIKES!!! I then tried to sign up again and it was full!!! I finally got in again last December and claimed my spot and will not let it go. LOL! I swear, I learn and re-learn something EVERY week. I have also bonded with the most wonderful women. Sunday afternoons from 11:30-2pm you can find me at the quilt shop happily sewing on my newest project and socializing with my new friends.

YIPPEEEE, TODAY IS SUNDAY!!

My Third Quilt

I saw Carol Doak on Simply Quilts and knew I had to make a paper pieced quilt. I bought her DVD and book and made this twin size quilt. I think I lost all feeling in my fingers trying to remove all the paper. This quilt was also quilted on my cousin Marie's longarm. I made this on my 2 week vacation in August 2006. 3 quilts in 4 months, can we say OBSESSED.

My Second Quilt

This quilt is from the same book that the first quilt I made was in. It is a simple 9 patch that could have been much easier had I enrolled in the quilting class I am in now. I finished this one just before enrolling in my Sunday sessions. I used 1930's reproduction fabric in the front and back. This quilt was also finished in August 2006 and was quilted on my cousin Marie's longarm.

My First Quilt

This is the first quilt I made. I had no formal instructions, just a book and television. I highly recommend a class first. LOL! This was started May 2006 and completed in August 2006. I sent the top to my cousin Marie in Northern California. She made the backing and quilted the top using her longarm machine. When she sent it back I was lucky enough to have enrolled in a beginners quilting class. My teacher extraordinaire showed me how to make and place my binding.