Need to update my blog!

My profile will need some revisions since I am now retired as of yesterday!  This hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm sure it won't take long.  I have completed and delivered the quilt shown in my last post and I have dropped off 4 other quilts to the quilter.  They should be ready for binding in about 4 weeks.  Now, I need to get my projects listed in priority order.  I am very excited about having more time to quilt!  No more work means no more excuses!  Stay tuned! 

It's a New Year - Resolution

Well, here we are with a New Year and I think the perfect time to get back to my quest to quilt.  I have been doing some quilting over the past several months but couldn't find a spare 5 minutes to blog about it.  Lots has happened since my last post though!  The Hubs retired in July and we bought a cabin in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania in September.  Both good things to be sure, but I am still working full time so I had a pretty full plate for a while.  We closed on the cabin in mid-December and we've been setting up our new retreat ever since.  This is our first full week staying at the cabin and was the best way ever to greet the New Year! 

I have several quilts ready for binding so I decided that I would bring them to the cabin to complete the hand sewing part of the binding.  This is a baby quilt that I made for a co-worker's new daughter.  It's a yellow brick road pattern and the fabrics were chosen to coordinate with her nursery's decor - butterflies. 

Here are some pictures of this quilt in various stages:  this one shows the completed top.

 

The photo below shows the top contrasted against the backing fabric. 

The photo below shows a close up of the pretty butterfly backing.

 

The last photo shows the quilt after quilting in a butterfly pattern.

The binding has been sewn to the front and is ready to stitch to the back.  That is my project for the next few days. 

 

A great way to start the new year!  Stay tuned, one day down, 364 to go!

Timesaver Tablerunner

This tablerunner was so easy to make but I forgot to mention it! 
We have friends that purchased a shore house recently and we were invited to spend a weekend there in late July.  I wanted to make a special house warming gift for them and thought of a tablerunner.  As it turns out, we keep our boat at a marina about 10 miles from their shore home.  And, our marina is about 3 miles from a wonderful quilt shop, Quilting Possibilities.  After a day of boating, I was able to visit the shop to look for the perfect fabric for the table runner since they have a great selection of shore related fabrics.  It didn't take long to find what I wanted!  And it was blue and white, their favorite colors!  The pattern uses striped fabric to create the center motif in these tablerunners.  I loved how this one turned out so much, I purchased other striped fabrics, mostly holiday patterns, so I could make more. 

This shows the backing fabric

Completed top on my display board

My quest to quilt - January 1, 2012

As you may notice, I have not made much progress on my original attempt to get some quilting done.  Several days after I began this blog, my life took a turn that would require all my energy to be devoted to family.  In November of 2010, my sister and I brought our mother up from Florida since she was no longer able to care for herself due to failing health.  We had almost 9 months of good days and not so good days with her.  We were able to celebrate many holidays with her including her 91st birthday in March.  Unfortunately her health continued to decline and in mid-July Mom passed away peacefully in her sleep with my sister and I at her side.  The months that followed were very difficult, and made more difficult with the holidays that followed.  Throughout the years, I made quilts, pillow cases, place mats and other items for her some of which are pictured in this posting.  I now have these treasures and will use them as inspiration for my future quilting endeavors. 

So, I now begin my new quest to quilt in a new year.  One day at a time! 

Flag banner made for Mom
right after 9/11

A quillow I made for Mom

This is a quilt Mom used while watching

TV every night. She loved the "buggy" backing!