Updated Photo's of Snowball Quilt of 2013

I recently received an e-mail asking how I quilted my exchange blocks from our Small Quilt Talk Group.  Because I cannot figure out how to attach photo's to an e-mail with my new computer .... I thought adding them to a post may be the quickest answer.

I hope this is a help.  I attached some other photo's of the quilt that I added and weren't very clear in my earlier post of March 12, 2014.

 

 

 

 







I wanted a fairly easy and quick way to finish this quilt, so I basically measured a 1/4 inch from the snow balls, corner to corner of the quilt edge. 

 

I added a detailed label with some of the quilters information to the back.  The name of our group that was involved in our exchange, states we were from, countries we were from .... and the name of the quilt.  This will always be one of my prize possessions.  I have it hanging over my desk, above my computer, and I get to enjoy it every day.

 





 

 

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http://theloyalunionsampler.blogspot.com/  



 

 

 



Slow Sewing January!

You would think that it has been perfect "sewing weather".  Cold outside, warm inside to do fun sewing projects.   I don't know where the month has gone, but it has been slow sewing time in my craft room.

First of all, my sewing/craft room had to be "re-organized" after months of last minute sewing for Christmas.  Nothing current to sew, I was in the mood to do some crocheting.  My daughter asked if I could make something for the girls heads that would keep their hair from getting messed up under a hat for school.  Sure, I found a crocheted head band that might work. Made a practice one for my oldest granddaughter, which she liked, and I made it a few stitches smaller for my two younger grandchildren.

My daughter said that the girls opened theirs Christmas morning (I made them to match the winter coats we had gotten them for Christmas) and Izabela wore hers the whole day. LOL  I guess the headbands were a winner! Then, my daughter, Jennifer, liked the headbands also; so, yup, made another one. I look absolutely horrible in hats (that is what my children tell me anyway), so .... headbands do look better on people that can't wear hats.  At least I think so, so I made me one too. LOL ... LOL

Then, a request for a sweater for their dog, Ms. Betty Sue.  She is a French Bulldog, and has little to no hair.  She needed something to keep her warm when she went outside.  From there, my other daughter, which has 2 dogs; seemed it was only fair that Abby and Violet have sweaters also. Now I'm told that Ms. Betty Sue is getting very fat and will need a new sweater, soon!

My other two children have cats, and they mentioned sweaters .......... but that is not going to happen. LOL

From headbands to dog sweaters ......... I needed something more to work on in the evening while watching TV.  I didn't want to start a new needlepoint project .... so I told my husband he needed a new crocheted afghan.  My husband is over 6' 2"..... and he wanted x-tra length so he could tuck it under his feet.  This darn afghan is nearly 9 foot long.  Yes, 9 foot long ......... took me about 2 1/2 weeks to make it.  Son, who is taller than his dad wants one also.  I told him it will not be 9 foot long.  LOL

In the meantime, No. 1 daughter (meaning first born:) ... liked the design of the afghan that I made for her father, she bought yarn for me to make hers.  Now, she can crochet, but she doesn't have the time right now, and I wanted another evening project. LOL  I started it last week, and probably should have it done by this weekend.

Oh, I did do some sewing earlier in the month.  I wanted a winter table runner for my kitchen counter.  I originally thought this might be a Christmas present for daughter #1 (she loves snowmen) ... but too much work involved ... and I fell in love with it.  So I kept it. LOL

I am calling it "A Snowman's Welcome" 



 

 



 

Yesterday I decided I had better get busy and try and do our on line Small Quilt Talk challenge for January.  We had our choice of what to use a 4 patch disappearing  block in.  I need seasonal table runners ......... so a 4 patch disappearing Valentine's theme was for me.  Luckily I had the fabric on hand to accomplish it. 

 

I think I will name this one:  Candy Box .... doesn't it look like the top of a candy box?





 

This is all the time I have right now  ........ need to go and update my new blog, stop by ...........
 http://theloyalunionsampler.blogspot.com/ 

Here We Go Again!

WOW ... another New Year.  I am thinking Mother Nature likes to play pranks.  Well, maybe it isn't her, but I'm blaming her anyway. LOL  Another year, another "wrinkle"?  That's how I see it ... there in my bathroom mirror after my shower this morning,  new face wrinkles that weren't there yesterday!!!  I am going to stop wearing my glasses when I "put my face on" in the mornings.  This could be interesting to the people that I meet face to face.  LOL  Gotha love Mother Nature!!

So, here we are at the beginning of a new year .. oh what do I want to accomplish, what will my goals be?  I no longer do resolutions, it seems when we break our resolutions we give up on whatever we had set our tasks to be.  If we make goals, and some don't get done, we don't feel like we are a failure.  So, what are some goals I want to accomplish?

Top goal on my list, it started yesterday .......... get this craft room/office area cleaned up for once and for all.  I really did make a step in the right direction in 2014, got a lot of my crafts and tools organized.  The problem being ......... when I found what I needed .... not to good on putting them exactly back where they were suppose to go.

I actually do have sewing projects in their own neat little containers that I had started, for some reason or another, abandoned ...  There they set, "in their neat little containers", waiting for me in 2015 to get them done.  LOL

It's winter and my husband needs projects to do.  He is kind of getting squirrely setting around not being able to play outside in his flower and vegetable gardens, so he is making a list of things to update the house.  One of those being, my craft room.  I am very excited about that.  But, there is always a "but" ..........  I have to actually empty this place of lots of stuff.  In the end, It will either have a hard wood floor (that would be very nice), or another type of low pile rug.

I'll make sure to take pictures and post them of the "before and after" 

Last year my friend and I had decided we were going to do a sampler quilt.  Something like making a block a month .... thinking a process that will take us a couple of years to accomplish.  We fell in love with "The Loyal Union Sampler" quilt from Elm Creek Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini.  We are definitely not making the "huge" quilt that is shown in the book.  But, we picked blocks that "spoke" to us individually.  Mostly, the blocks that spoke to me were not complicated and paper pieced. LOL  I eventually want to make the more difficult blocks ..... but they may end up being a one block pieced and hand quilted ... maybe hanging around my "new craft" room.  Probably by then, I won't even be living in this house!!!  LOL

So, here and there shopping around at our favorite quilt shops, and a couple road trips. we have been stocking up on our fabric.  The first thing we had to consider is what our basic background fabric would be. When that was chosen, we then set out to acquire our fabric for the blocks.  I like the roses and greens, sprinkle some medium blues in there, and of course some brown fabric. 

My next step will be to make a chart of the blocks I have chosen.  All my fabrics are going to play well with each other, but how to choose what fabric for what block.  Oh my .....

When I get settled into this new year, and I can drag my "friend" over to my house to play .... I am going to start another blog just for The Loyal Union Sampler Quilt".  I am hoping to do some tutorials of my block making process, and maybe get some hints from fellow Loyal Union Sampler quilters out there to chime in.  I would love to hear your stories of your blocks that you have chosen, how long the process was for you with making the quilt.  Or, have you just started making the quilt yourself .... or you want to and you don't know where to start.

 So to my fellow bloggers .... and to my fellow quilters ..... crafters .... readers .... whatever you do, I hope you find time in this new year just for you to do what inspires you.

Have a Happy ......... and Mother Nature .... you be good!!!!

Sharon

After playing for a few hours, and blogger not being co-operative .... finally uploaded my new blog.
http://theloyalunionsampler.blogspot.com/  Hope you can drop by!