The apple quilt top is done!

The apple quilt is set! Thanks to all of you who helped make the blocks! I am VERY pleased with the outcome.

-The border was a challenge, I was about out of the apple print and the red dots, Walmart didn't have anymore of the dots either. When I finished it up I had just a handfull of scraps.

Anyway it is done now and can sit in the shelves until I can get around to getting it to the quilters. I have a chance to make a trade for some work for a small hand quilting frame. . . maybe I will get real carried away and quilt it myself.

Christmas Thoughts

This is the quilt for grand daughter for Christmas. She is the only grandchild I hadn't made a Christmas quilt for. Just got it back from quilter this week and will work on binding it today.

The 'rest' of Christmas this year is mainly 'gifts in a jar', copies ofthe family cookbook we made and little things for the rest of the grands and greats.

This year things got slowed down a bit - I volunteered to make reindeer costumes for the preschool class, and do embroidery name tags for gloves and hats for them. It was a lot of fun! My neice, Heather, who did not sew is the mom of one of the students. She helped cut, sew and them do embroidery. Now she wants a sewing machine too.

Seems the habit just keeps growing, doesn't it?

Quilting tools, sort of. . .

I was thinking about some of my quilting 'tools'. Well, to help keep my tools together at least.
I have a nice fishing tackle box that I use for thread, tape measure, pins, rotary cutter, pencil, etc. My DH, who loves to fish thought maybe I was going to take up fishing with him when I picked it out. Sorry dear!
I have a model car box (like for storing Hot Wheels) that houses my embroidery machine thread collection
A hook on the wall is handy for the hoop I use when hand quilting and I have a Liquid Tide Detergent lid with a lid on it that holds a spool of thread, needles, extra pins and folding scissors to take along when I am working on a hand quiltihng project.
I recently purchased a new cutting mat, and in the tradition of quilters, passed along the old one, an assortment of 'extras' and some fabric that I owned to my DD3 for her adventures in quilting.
In that same tradition, a friend of mine was gifted with a sewing machine and passed one of hers on to this same DD. Now she is set up to begin work on her own!
Quilters are special people, willing to share and pass along their expertise, knowledge, equipment, and friendship.

It isn't only quilting

These are two of the grand boys, DD#3's oldest 2, wearing their Indian costumes.
We made them for Halloween.
The boys had different ideas but when they saw the Indian costume I had made a couple of years ago for another grand boy, that was the choice.
We made them last night and today. The boys seem to be pretty pleased with the results. The little one looks ready to spring into a dance in the picture
I managed to use up quite a bit of 'scrappage', and we made matching 'treat bags' to go with them.

It was a busy day!

More musings

It occurred to me this morning that I do not have enough time! NO! I have too many things I want to do!

I have been working on a 'Lonestar' top for my nephew to give his wife, a mystery quilt that our guild is doing, trying to improve my 'stained glass' technique, and trying to get all the 'apple ' blocks that the family group made together so I can make that quilt for myself.

This morning I was able to finish the star, now have to get it set and bordered, then to the quilters, along with 2 other tops that are done but need to be quilted so they too can be finished.

At quilt guild we swapped out some blocks, and strips of fabric to add some spice to the mystery. I have never done a mystery quilt before, and am having a good time following the clues and trying to figure it out.

I have 2 hand quilted wall hangings on display at an exhibit in a nearby town. It is the second annual Quilting in the Ozarks display at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resoure Center in Salem, MO.

Our guild meeting was held there this month so we got to see the quilts hanging before the actual display opened on Oct. 9.

There are certainly some very talented quiltmakers in our area and beautiful work, both modern and heirlooms in the exhibit.

OK quilter - Margaret

This quilt was made by my Neice, Margaret from OK.

It was made for one of her family members.

I was very impressed with her choice of colors.

My friends quilt too

This quilt was made by the Family that does my long arm quilting.

It was exhibited at a local quilt show and won first place.

The family recently exhibited some of their work at another show and came home with 5 firsts in 5 differeent categories.

Each one has her own favorite method or technique and all are certainly very talented!

They are very talented women and I am proud to be their friend, colleague and customer.