Me & curved seems

I am a huge fan of quilts with curved seems! I have alwys been intimidated by them so I've never made them. I think that besides the curved seam it was the cutting. I didn't want to cut all of those pieces. I did try once and it did not go well. So when my Mom asked me what Accuquilt dies that I wanted I listed all of the dies that had curved pieces. So my husband went in with my mom & got me the Drunkards Path die for me for Christmas. I was thrilled!!!! I had to start playing with fabric immediately.

I know that DP is usually made with just 2 colors. I decided that I wanted to make my first DP quilt using Civil War reproduction fabrics. I started to sort fabrics. The scraps had to be a certain size in order to fit the die. I was a little concerned at first I didn't think that I had that many large pieces.  Low and behold I do! My husband will be thrilled this color way is right up his alley. I'm piecing it on my treadle. I started it on my hand crank but she has become cranky & the tension is not right. I'm hoping that it will be done in time for my guilds show this year. They are having a display of quilts that have been made on a treadle or hand crank machine. I'll keep y'all updated on my progress. I hope that you had a great Christmas. We had a great time here. I'm off to pin more pieces. Have a great night 

Vicky

A day of binding

I'm all caught up on my binding. Woohoo! I think that binding is my least favorite part of the quilt process. I had 2 baby quilts & one for me to put bindings on. 

The first baby quilt is for some friends second baby girl. I made it on 66 red eye treadle. I love working on my treadle. Do fun & relaxing. All of the fabric for the top was scraps. 

The next baby quilt is for my best friends sisters little girl. I used some extra trip around the world blocks & put a fun purple border on it. 

Then it was time for me to finish the latest string quilt. I'm not sure what to call this quilt. Those colors just "Pop" against those black strings. 

I hope y'all have a good day. More later on

Vicky

A new giveaway winner

I have not heard from fmlady who was the closest guesser on my giveaway. So I am moving on to the next guesser who was Dar. Dar please email me so that I can mail these goodies out to you.

Vicky

This crazy thing called life

My world has been a crazy swirl of experiences  in the last 3 weeks or so. My husbands grandmother passed away the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Her funeral was the day after Thanksgiving. The next week was full before it started. It was packed with running concession stands at my kiddos school, my kiddo getting braces & participating in our churches  Christmas play. This week my kiddo had his Christmas band concert which he did well in & then all three of us got sick. My kiddo bounced back from it the fastest, which I'm happy about. Then my husband. Unfortunately I'm still fighting the cough & a horse voice. No fever though & that is huge. With all of this going on in my world I have not gotten my Christmas tree all the way up yet. I did get the furniture moved & the tree up but that is it. I messed with the silly lights for a few hours yesterday. My husband says that there is a broken wire somewhere & we should check the after Christmas sales for a new one. We'll make do with this one this year. My kiddo & husband got almost all of the lights to come on. In all of the hectic things that life has given me I haven't had very much time to sew :( I was able to get all of my blocks made & the body of my quilt made. I just have not had the opportunity to put the borders on. Maybe later on today I can sew but I need to do some house cleaning before I can sew. I hope y'all are having a wonderful holiday season. Stay warm. More later on,

Vicky 

What a day!

In the last 2 days I have received emails from two different people telling me of a large scrappy fabric sale. So off I went. There is a quilt shop about 45 min from my house that is moving. They had pre made scrap bags or you could make your own for $5.  Well I made my first round & was talking to the owner while checking out. She said she had more scraps was I interested? Yes I am!

She came out with paper ream box & a large shopping bag. I asked her what she wanted for both of them & she said $20 for each. SOLD!!! There is no way I could have purchased all of this fabric for $40. I'm pretty giddy right now. I've have to start some bread & then I can dig in & play with the scraps. Hope y'all are doing well. More later on,

Vicky

Change of design

I had this design in my head & how it looked was awesome, in my head. When I made enough of the block parts for 4 blocks I layed them out to see what it was going to look like. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I didn't like it either way I put it. The black as the diamonds or the red. So I let them sit for a while. Then another idea hit me & I like this block so much better. I had made 95 sixteen patch blocks & I needed to make 5 more. Now I am in block construction mode. There will be 25 blocks in the quilt & each block is 16" finished. I'm not sure yet what the borders will be I guess I'll just wait & be inspired. All of the fabric except the black is scraps that I got at a quilt store or was given  to me. I 'm on a mission to use up what I've got. Hope y'all are doing well. I'm headed back to the sewing machine. I want this quilt done & on the bed of couch by Christmas. More later on,

Vicky

Giveaway winner!

Happy Thanksgiving! It's been a good day here. I have so much to be thankful for. 

I said that I would draw for the giveaway winner today. The pile of 1.5" squares made only 95 16 patches.  The funny part is that all of our guesses were way over! So the closest guesser was fmlady with 158.

I'd better keep this post short I'm still in the process of fixing Thanksgiving dinner. Have a great day everyone  

Vicky

Design wall Monday & the escape artist

We moved the cows down closer to the house this weekend. This is the first time that the baby calves have experienced an electric fence. The majority of the time they'll just touch it with their noses & that will cure them from messing with the fence. There are always one or two who are a little more curious and escape to the other side of the fence. Once they get over there they can't figure out how to get back to the other side where mom is.

We had an escapee this morning when I went out to check them. It took me a few minutes to get that silly calf back on the right side. I don't think it will be messing around with that fence again. 

On my sewing & design wall.  I am still working on sewing 1.5" squares into 16 patch blocks.  I've got a contest going to see how many 16 patches this stack of pieces will make. Check out my previous blog posts. 

I also got the first diamond hexie made. It's progressing, slowly. Hope y'all are doing well. More later on,

Vicky

The goodies for the giveaway!

Well I came up with a few things for the giveaway. Hopefully y'all will like them. The first item is a cute little bag with lots of pockets that I'm sure any quilter/crafter could find a use for. The second is a charm pack from Windham Fabrics called "Middleton Place". Lots of springy colors in the charm pack.  If you would like to win these please check out my previous post. I will draw for a winner next Thursday Nov 28. Hope y'all have a good day, more later on. 

Vicky

What's going on here at the farm

It's been busy the last week and a half. Constantly on the go. I'm hoping that today will be a little calmer. We have a new baby calf that we are bottle feeding twice a day. I take the mourning feeding & my kiddo does the evening feeding. He wants to do both but when the calf gets better at the bottle then he can. 

I am hoping that I will get some fabric/sewing time in today. I'm using a bunch of Christmas scraps for my next project. I've cut the fabric down to 1.5" strips (using the Accuquilt die cutter). I've sewn them together in sets of 2. Now I'm in the process of ironing all of the strips & cutting them into little bitty sets of 2. 

Hope y'all are doing well. It's a rainy day here in Kansas, so that means it's a great day to stay in & sew!!!! More later on,

Vicky

It's done!

I finished this beauty last night. I was doing a happy dance when that last border went on. All of the fabric came from the stash. You can't really tell that I used any of the batik strings though. The black/white pile umm stack has decreased in height! It is considerably smaller than what I usually make. My husband accuses me of having a depth perception problem: I don't realize how big my quilts are getting & they generally end up huge! So this quilt was a nice change of pace.  The borders were relaxing to piece. I just cut lots of black/white strips 6.5" wide & an assortment of lengths. I then sewed them together at random until they were the size I needed for a border. I'm really liking this technique. I've used it on one other quilt & it turned out great. You don't have to worry about pieces matching up on the corners & it is a great way to use up some of those larger pieces. 

I guess I should name this quilt but inspiration hasn't hit yet. If any of y'all have some ideas I am all ears. My next quilt lecture/trunk show is this Thursday & I will be taking this with me! I hope y'all have a great day. More later on,

Vicky

Frustrations with the design wall.

I've had this picture in my head of what I wanted this quilt to look like. I really like how the body of the quilt has turned out but now it's time for the borders. I had a large handful of 2" strip sets that I had leftover. I was going to put them around the quilt as my border. As I layed them out two things occurred: #1 I didn't have enough to go all the way around the quilt & #2 the 2" squares are too dark & completely take away from the body of the quilt. Oh what to do. So I vented my frustrations to two Quilty friends & with their help I think that there will be a solution. I'm going to do a simple border of the black/white scraps. Then bind it with a scrappy bright binding. Sometimes you just need to step back & ask for help. I'll try to post pics when I get it finished. Hope y'all gave a good day. 

Vicky

My design wall/floor Monday

We woke up this am to no electricity. Not really the way you want to start a Monday. My husband got up & started to light our Coleman lantern. Small problem though, we couldn't find the matches. I should probably buy another box. So my husband got creative. He got a lighter & lit a pencil on fire to stick up into the lantern to get it going. He was successful  in getting it lit once but then it went out. The next try he used a q-tip that worked. Sometimes I think I'm married to MacGyver.  I was pumped to sew via a treadle by lantern but the electricity eventually came back on. 

I didn't get a lot of machine sewing done this weekend but I did get a lot of hand sewing accomplished. I finished my first Christmas embroidery block, added more hexies & I'm working on some string blocks. 

I hope y'all are having a good Monday. Mine is getting better as the day goes on. More later on,

Vicky 

Nostalgia

I've had this quilt pattern dancing around in my head for awhile. I'm glad that it is finally in quilt form!  When I was a kiddo we had lots of crayons and I would color really hard on scratch paper on the diagonal with as many different colors as I could. Then I would cover the whole page with black after that I would etch different designs in the black. The beautiful colors would shine through the black.  That is what I remember when I look at this quilt.

I really thought that this quilt would use up lots of scraps but you can't really tell  I've used 8+ yards of batik scraps. This quilt is not for the faint of heart. There is over 1500 hst (half square triangles). The black is also scraps. 

Hope y'all are having a great evening. More later on. Off to sew something

Vicky

A one track mind

When I am knee deep in a project lots of things go by the wayside. I am focused on getting this project done. Well in doing that there are things that get neglected. I have been focused on getting my latest quilt done so that I can take it with me tomorrow night when I speak in Holton KS. Well last night I got the top done!! Woohoo! I'm so excited to have it done. It is an intensely pieced quilt. I took it to my quilter today & she said that she could get it to me before I leave tomorrow night, Theresa W you rock!!!!

When I get it back I will post pics. 

So now I am playing catch up on all of my neglected items. Laundry is going, check book is all caught up, bills are paid, one very belated gift sent out & now I need to put on a binding to the treadle quilt. I've had it for a month now & haven't put the binding on. I'd say it's time. I hope y'all are doing well I am feeling very blessed. More later,

Vicky

Pears & piecing

We have a pear tree on our farm that is between 60-70 years old. As my father in law tells the story the pear tree survived the tornado of '53. It's a large tree for a fruit tree but it has never really been pruned & taken care of. It always produces buckets of pears. Last year we picked 27 five gallon buckets of pears. This year was not as good but we still picked a lot.  So I've been canning pears. I've had help this year. Friends Maria & Randi came & helped me pick, peal & can. It's a much more enjoyable process when friends are with you. Right now I'm kind of canned out. So I'm trying to work on my intensity quilt. I've got all of the small pieces together now I just need to add them to the bigger pieces & we'll have blocks! Exciting! I hope y'all are having a good day,

Vicky

One big step down !

Yesterday I had a sew day at a friends house. I was only there for about 4 hours but I got a lot done in that short amount of time. All of my half square triangles are done!!!!! I'm so stinking excited about it. Now I just have to iron them all. It should go quickly, I'm hoping. It will be this evening before I get to work on them again. Friend Maria is coming over this am to can pears. I like getting that done in the am when it is cool. Hope y'all are are well. More later, 

Vicky

The problem with intense piecing

The problem with intense piecing is that it takes a long time. I'm still working on the same project. The one that has no name yet. I've got 1000 of the half square triangles done, yeah woohoo!! I'm now working on the last 500+ that I need. My friend Maria, who is writing the pattern for me, was shocked when she did the math & figured out how many pieces & how much yardage was in this quilt. So far there is 8 yards of the batik & 4+ of the black. This will be one heavy quilt when finished. I'll keep you updated on my progress. Hopefully I can do done sewing or ironing this evening. More later,

Vicky

A very big THANK YOU!!!

I just wanted to say a very big thank you to all of the guilds who have had me come & speak. It thrills me & it humbles me all at the same time. Thank you to The Blue Valley Quilters Guild ( Olathe KS), Quilters guild of Parsons (Parsons KS),The Eudora Quilt Guild( Eudora KS)& The Town & Country Quilters(Smithville MO). I am having so much fun traveling  & sharing my scrappy quilts with y'all. To the guilds that are coming up I am looking forward to meeting all of you. Thanks again!

Vicky

Cut, sew, press repeat

I've had a quilt pattern dancing around in my head for the last month or so. I really should try & put it on EQ but I've gotten intimidated by it and so it has just stayed in my head. When I got the treadle quilt done I could put my energies into making this quilt a reality. I'm currently working on the half square triangles. There are over 1500 of them. I added them up before I had to start supper & I have 540 of them done, woohoo!!! I'm using blacks & batiks, the bright colors. I'm really liking how this is coming together. Just one issue has come up: another quilt block has started to dance in my head. Sometimes there is just not enough time in the day to make all of the quilts that I want to make. When I get more of the done & I can share I will. I hope y'all are doing well. More later,

Vicky

Swapped rows

Thursday night we swapped rows.  It was fun to see everyone's rows. My group was the only one that didn't do flip flops. That's ok, I  like all of my rows. My kiddo likes my pineapples he's wishing I hadn't given the rest of them away. I'm thinking that I'm going to stew on these for a while. Inspiration will have to hit before I put them together. I have started to think about using some string blocks as the setting/sashing. We'll see what happens. Hope y'all are having a good day so far.  More later,

Vicky

Pineapples

Just a quick project update. My pineapples are done!!! The appliqué has been done for about a week but I just finished sewing them together. I'm glad to have them done. As much as I like them I doubt this pattern will be made again by me. I did get this pattern when we were visiting some friends in Hawaii 3 years ago. I guess I've been waiting for the right time to use. Hope y'all are doing well. I'm off to do chores. 

Vicky 

Paper piecing with my new to me hand crank!

Well I did it I got a hand crank sewing machine!! It's a 1925 singer 66. I'm so excited! It arrived on Friday. I was getting it out of the box & my husband called to asked if I could drive to Topeka (2.5-3 hour round trip) to pick up parts for some machinery. I did but I did play/tinker with the sewing machine before I left. She sews a beautiful  stitch. I'm planing on using her mainly for paper piecing. My first project is Bonnie Hunters "Wild & Goosey" blocks. I have 6 blocks done. 3 were done on a electric machine & 3 were done on the crank. I prefer the crank so far for paper piecing. Off to sew some more. Hope y'all are having a great day. 

Vicky

My first treadle quilt!!!

I got the body of my first treadle quilt done this afternoon.  I'm so stinking excited!! I'm not generally a big fan on Civil War fabrics but I really like this quilt. I'm trying to decide if I want to put borders on it. It is currently 97" square. If I put 5" borders on it then she jumps up to 107" & that just a huge quilt. I'm not complaining but it might make it a little tough to machine quilt. We'll see I don't have to make that decision quite yet. I hope y'all are having a great end to your Labor Day weekend. I'm on cloud nine! Oh the name if the pattern is " Rick Rack Nines" by Bonnie Hunter. More later,

Vicky

P,S. sorry about the duplicate pic. I can't figure out how to take it off in my excitement. 

I have a confession to make

I have a confession to make. I take my embroidery with me everywhere, even to church. This morning during that time between Sunday School & church I got a few stitches in my latest project. I even struck up a conversation with a nice lady because of it. I did forget my embroidery scissors at the treadle table so my Leatherman to the rescue! It has scissors ! I did put it away once service started. I'm hoping to get some sort of stitching time in today. I was in the tractor all day yesterday. My husband needed someone to drive the tractor while he sprayed the weeds in the pasture. I got the good job. I had the ac & some great 80's music. I'm hoping that the spray stuck to those pesky weeds & was not washed off by the rain this am. Hope y'all are having a great weekend. More later ,

Vicky 

Red & White Embroidery quilt is done!!!

There is some serious happy dancing going on here tonight. I finished my red/white embroidery quilt tonight! I really like how it turned out. These blocks have been in my busy bag for the last couple of months. They've gone to doctors appts, concerts & on vacation. I like to keep my hands busy. I've already started my next embroidery project. When I get my first block done I'll share it with y'all. Hope y'all are having a great night. 

Vicky

An update on the treadle project

I'm so stinking excited to be half way done with my treadle project. When I read the instructions I knew how big this quilt was going to be but the reality of it had not. It's going to be huge, over 100" square. Bonnie Hunter does not design small quilts. I generally don't make small quilts. I choose Rick  Rack Nines because there was a lot of piecing & I was hoping that by the time I was done I would have improved my treadling skills. Well at the half way point I would say I improved from when I started & learned so much. One thing I'm not sure how to fix is locking/back stitching my seams. When I'm assembling my rows I like to back stitch at the beginning & end of my rows to "lock" them. With my treadle that's not possible she only has one direction, forward. If anyone out there has an idea on his to help me with this I would love to hear about it. When I get the next half assembled I will have to take pics outside. This quilt is just too big for my little living room floor. I'm of to treadle as much as I can before I have to get my kiddo up & off to school. Have a great day y'all,

Vicky

Me & appliqué, it's a love/hate relationship

Oh these pineapples for my guilds row by row challenge have certainly been a challenge. There has been lots of frustration here with thread breaking & sewing machines not making stitches. I shared my frustration with some Quilty friends & they helped me out a bunch ( thanks Mom, Theresa & Liz)! I now have 4 blocks done which is one set. Just 5 more sets to go. I'm thinking a set a day & I'll be done by this weekend! I will seriously be doing a happy dance when I get this project finished! Hope y'all are having a great day. It's a blast furnace here in Americas heartland. With it being so hot & ragweed with all of it's pollen it's a great time to stay inside ( As much as I can) & sew!!!! More later 

Vicky

My views & pineapples

I am really lucky/blessed to have such beautiful scenery to look at while I work. I've been mowing our pasture today & I always like the after pictures. As someone who suffers from allergies I am extremely thankful to have a cab on my tractor, ac & a radio! Those things make working in the tractor so much more enjoyable. 

I've also been working on my pineapples for my guild project. They are all cut out & fused down. Now I just have to appliqué around them. Have a great night,

Vicky

Coring apples

I'm making progress on my apple core quilt. As I was laying the pieces out on my living room floor I noticed that I need to cut more pieces. This quilt needs a lot more variety. I will be digging into my novelty fabrics to find pieces to run through the die cutter. Though that will be put on hold for just a little while. I'm making curtains for a friend & I need to work on a guild project. We are doing a row by row exchange. We're in groups of 6 & each person has to make a 48" long row of summer themed blocks six times. I've fallen behind because this is due in almost a month. I need to get cutting & sewing. Have a great evening y'all

Vicky

The intimidating curved seam.

I will be honest & tell y'all that I have not made many quilts that I've wanted to make all because I was intimidated by curved seams. I also didn't want to cut curved pieces, even with a rotary cutter. Well now that I have the Accuquilt Go Cutter bring on those curved pieces, I am not intimidated by them anymore! Here is a pic of my very first curved seam. I'm making an Apple Core quilt. I'm supper excited about it. I'll keep y'all updated on how it progresses. It's time for chores, sewing has been put on pause. More later,

Vicky