Artful Homemade Quilts Have A Way

[beautress]

Quiltmekiwi's darks would look like mine if I could have found my dark reds. Instead, I had to use the only reds I had which are too bright. I liked what she said about her quilts--that she likes to work from nature. That's me 100%. All her other colors are so close to what I do, except on the light side, this time I used my 10-colorwheel lights on white and beiges, which has a little different effect than quiltmekiwi's beautiful warm neutrals. I've done the warm neutrals and dark nature things in the past, so many quilts ago, I cannot recall them. Before I retired, I had made almost a thousand quilts, and I'm pretty sure that my average of 60 quilt tops for charity per annum is just about 600 since 2009. In 2013, I had a banner year and made 110 quilt tops. I made an extra 10 tops in case I miscounted, so I could claim a hundred, but I'm pretty sure I had it right. They all went to aids babies, wheelchair quilts for seniors, hugs babies, and as family needs demanded. A couple of years ago, I took about 4 months off and made 167 bibs for the pregnancy care center's new mommies. The last one I made, I accidentally spilled coffee on it, so I washed it. Ugh! I couldn't iron the wrinkles out. So I got discouraged and went back to doing what I do best--small quilts for babies, and big enough to get them through their 8th birthday, usually. Back in or around 2010, one of my guild sisters' church was supporting babies in Russia. I have to admit, I'm all for international good feelings, so I made about 7 quilts to their specifications--they had to be big enough to get that child from early years all the way up to age 15 or 16, when they become adults in Russia. That means, about 80 inches long and 55" wide, by my guesswork. When I was back in Wyoming, I made and quilted 36 wounded soldiers quilts through a Purple Heart Quilters' group I organized at my shop in the evenings. I had just contracted fibromyalgia, so quilting was very, very hard, and the last real quilting I did before retiring. I mailed some of them to Walter Reid Hospital, and some to a Senator and one to my neighbor, who represented Wyoming in the House back when, for distribution to wounded warriors. Our senator showed the quilt on his website, and our girls were so proud of the work they had done to get them there. They did the tops, I did all the quilting, except I made about 12 of the tops because I designed and made templates for the girls to use showing a large purple heart on each square in the quilts that was just as close to the George Washington heart on a real purple heart medal given to wounded soldiers since colonial times through likely today, although, that was done three presidencies ago, likely.

Oh, goodness it's past my bedtime again. Happy Trails and good night!

 

[beautress]

Got hero star baby quilt to halfway point of quilting, which took 6 hours. I have the rest to quilt, then make binding and bind the quilt. I love the quilted embroidery I worked onto two layers, and now am affixing the back, row by row, with straight stitches over the centered feather stitches. I had to work slowly, so just cutting the backing from some fabric picked up at Hobby Lobby, a white material with charming small zoo animals and light brown dots to ensure it will be given to a baby. I spent the morning pinning each row, 4 rows on the far right side of the quilt, then from middle to top of the central section. Tomorrow, the bottom 7 rows will be quilted with stitch #110 on a Bernina 380, which is a centered feather embroiderer's stitch really set off the logs which were darker, but it looked rather pleasant on the postage stamp areas, too. I used stitch #4 which is an curved concave/convex combination that looks like half-inch smooth waves on the dark brown print animal front borders. Not any of the white and brown dot background animals were used on the front, because I hadn't bought it yet. But it came in handy as a whole-piece solution when I decided, Oh, yes, I can do this! The quilt only measures about 40 inches across (close to a meter) and seems to be in the neighborhood of 55-59 inches long, which should take the child from bassinet to 8 years old unless the child is truly tall. Anything goes in Texas, as per height. I just love the way this quilt is turning out. I'm a little rusty on my quilting, but I have two advantages of quilts I worked on 20 years ago--first, I am no longer in constant heinous pain from fibromyalgia, which disappeared within a year of a parathyroid surgery that was causing calcium and other neuron transmitter chemicals to go awry, that caused screaming out loud pain for 23 years. The other benefit of quilting now is that I am more focused, more patient, use pinning and an iron almost constantly. The only thing I had a problem with was running my finger through with the machine needle, on my left hand when I was adjusting and apparently forgot the foot pedal was being employed. Fortunately, it was a shallow pierce right by the nail of my finger on the left hand. I set the logs aside that day for a couple of hours to take a nap in case I was falling asleep at the wheel due to nonsleep the night before, and except for it bleeding now and then for a couple of days, the bandage helped heal the small but annoying needle cut. Put a new needle on, and I'm pretty happy it could be finished tomorrow. I can't wait until the last stitch of binding is done tomorrow or Monday. I had to visit my friend EJ, because he had a rough morning, that seems to always come on the second or third day after he gets his chemotherapy over with. I'm trying to get him to drink herbal tea, and the two best for cancer patients who want to get well are green tea and berry tea. I just happened to have some Celestial "True Blueberry" tea, took that, and had one unopened green tea box that has a month or so supply of green tea. Also looked up some vitamins that fight cancer and took him Vitamin A, Vitamin D, B100, and others. The only ones I had no extras of were the minerals zinc and selenium, Vitamin C and seems there was one other one...I'll just have to read my note which I left outside in the car, and it's too late right now to do anything but hit the sack.

Hope anyone who reads this learn that it's been more than a month this quilt has been worked on--I count the time to build a stash, work through the outer border challenge of always doing something different that I've never done, then make the actual quilting layering skill come back because except for the old right knee, I'm feeling better than I have for years, and the quilting is not really making my muscles sore. I've been walking a mile every other day, which is helping my swelling go down, even though it's scary seeing my heart rate go up higher than I care to see it a couple of times when my knee hurts the most. I bought a knee brace of nylon firmly-kint sheer that my cousin showed me that she used on her knee, Christmas Day when the family gathered at her home. So the lightweight but firm knee fabric brace should be here early next week to reduce that pain of that problem.

Good night, and God bless everybody on USMB, friend or foe in politics, but always friends, here at the quilt thread where love for the widows, wounded warriors, and fatherless children who need a little prayer and a warm blanket sent them now and then. I do not mind that I never get to see them receive a quilt and do not want thanks for what the Bible's words tell believers to do and who to do it for. Once I sent a wounded warrior to my friend and Senator, requesting that the quilt made that month be given to the most severely wounded sailor on a ship that had a terrible explosion years ago in honor of my brother, who served a lifetime in the Navy and retired 10 years before he died, may God rest his soul that served his country for all those many years of 20-hour days out to see from mostly Pacific Ocean duty, but now and then he went elsewhere on whatever ship needed his Naval aircraft-repair skills. Sorry for my lack of pictures, but they often disappear after I post them, so sorry, I don't know who wants the world to see their work and who doesn't. That information is never given online, it seems. Bless all those whose work was seen by others for the loveliness that blesses those who see such great talented people who could have been a Picasso, but wound up feeding and clothing a family of kids for a lifetime.

Love,

becki

 

[koshergrl]

After taking 5 quilt tops I'd already promised in prayer to donate locally, I have made 2 more tops for giving, and received requests from 2 groups who read my lament above. I hope to make as many as I can, but my health has deteriorated in the last week, so I hope my new medicine will make the swelling ankles go down. My feet look like grotesque little water balloons, but when I work on piecing a top, I don't think about the discomfort or pain, it's just happy time. Finished the outer border of the 9-patch and completed a log cabin with butterflies at either end, all encased in red microdots, similar to one I found online and placed it on my computer opening screen. Only the butterfly border made it a piecer's best. Well, as best as I could do. I had to take 3 naps a day while making the last one. Swollen ankles extract a price, and feet must be elevated.

Thanks to the two women who responded. I'm waiting for an address on one. It really gives me pleasure to serve people who serve God and make quilts for those who'd never get a homemade quilt if it weren't for their charity.

And I have to do one for a family birth, but if I sew like I've been sewing this week, I can knock it out in 2 days, and get back to my charity tops. Getting tired of these swollen feet, though.

Goodnight, everyone. Dreams are sweeter under a homemade quilt. ​

I am so happy you are here!

I have a spare room now that I am going to turn into a sewing room! I'm so excited. About a year ago or so I was just getting it set up and had spent about 2 or 3 days actually sewing...and then I had to give it up again lol. I had to pack everything back away and that was that for a while.

My house was crowded and I was very very busy in my house with family until recently. But now I have the room back and I am going to work quick to get it done before anybody can move back!

This coming week I'm pulling everything out and painting it. Not a small task, there is a book case unit and a daybed with a trundle in there. But it needs painted in the worst way..it is a hideous cross between spring green and flourescent green.

xoxoxox

 

[koshergrl]

After taking 5 quilt tops I'd already promised in prayer to donate locally, I have made 2 more tops for giving, and received requests from 2 groups who read my lament above. I hope to make as many as I can, but my health has deteriorated in the last week, so I hope my new medicine will make the swelling ankles go down. My feet look like grotesque little water balloons, but when I work on piecing a top, I don't think about the discomfort or pain, it's just happy time. Finished the outer border of the 9-patch and completed a log cabin with butterflies at either end, all encased in red microdots, similar to one I found online and placed it on my computer opening screen. Only the butterfly border made it a piecer's best. Well, as best as I could do. I had to take 3 naps a day while making the last one. Swollen ankles extract a price, and feet must be elevated.

Thanks to the two women who responded. I'm waiting for an address on one. It really gives me pleasure to serve people who serve God and make quilts for those who'd never get a homemade quilt if it weren't for their charity.

And I have to do one for a family birth, but if I sew like I've been sewing this week, I can knock it out in 2 days, and get back to my charity tops. Getting tired of these swollen feet, though.

Goodnight, everyone. Dreams are sweeter under a homemade quilt. ​

Do you have a stool for your feet? Or some sort of riser under your table? Do you stand or sit to sew?

 

[beautress]

Well, I loaded "the prettiest American quilt ever made," into Bing! and this is the result (at least, temporarily.) Top 5:

#1, Maple Leaf quilt:

#2, Dresden Ties:

#3, Line Quilt celebrating Our Beautiful Country:

#4, The Bible, made by an American Slave back in the 1800s.

#5, the Forest

And that was the first 5 I found when I loaded in "the most Beautiful American Quilt ever made."


​

 

[beautress]

After taking 5 quilt tops I'd already promised in prayer to donate locally, I have made 2 more tops for giving, and received requests from 2 groups who read my lament above. I hope to make as many as I can, but my health has deteriorated in the last week, so I hope my new medicine will make the swelling ankles go down. My feet look like grotesque little water balloons, but when I work on piecing a top, I don't think about the discomfort or pain, it's just happy time. Finished the outer border of the 9-patch and completed a log cabin with butterflies at either end, all encased in red microdots, similar to one I found online and placed it on my computer opening screen. Only the butterfly border made it a piecer's best. Well, as best as I could do. I had to take 3 naps a day while making the last one. Swollen ankles extract a price, and feet must be elevated.

Thanks to the two women who responded. I'm waiting for an address on one. It really gives me pleasure to serve people who serve God and make quilts for those who'd never get a homemade quilt if it weren't for their charity.

And I have to do one for a family birth, but if I sew like I've been sewing this week, I can knock it out in 2 days, and get back to my charity tops. Getting tired of these swollen feet, though.

Goodnight, everyone. Dreams are sweeter under a homemade quilt. ​

I am so happy you are here!

I have a spare room now that I am going to turn into a sewing room! I'm so excited. About a year ago or so I was just getting it set up and had spent about 2 or 3 days actually sewing...and then I had to give it up again lol. I had to pack everything back away and that was that for a while.

My house was crowded and I was very very busy in my house with family until recently. But now I have the room back and I am going to work quick to get it done before anybody can move back!

This coming week I'm pulling everything out and painting it. Not a small task, there is a book case unit and a daybed with a trundle in there. But it needs painted in the worst way..it is a hideous cross between spring green and flourescent green.

xoxoxox

Koshergrl! You're here, too! It's still dark here, and you already made my day!

Good luck on that sewing room. I hope you have a camera. I'm allergic to cameras, but I sure love it when everybody else shares. I bought a camera about 4 years ago, and buried it somewhere, not sure where, maybe gave it to my brother when he came around to help out with some of the outdoor chores after my husband passed away... I'm a hopeless case with cameras, and the printer I bought still sits there, with unknown howtos buried somewhere under fabric, most likely /redface

Anyway, Just woohoo! I'm glad you're here.

 

[beautress]

After taking 5 quilt tops I'd already promised in prayer to donate locally, I have made 2 more tops for giving, and received requests from 2 groups who read my lament above. I hope to make as many as I can, but my health has deteriorated in the last week, so I hope my new medicine will make the swelling ankles go down. My feet look like grotesque little water balloons, but when I work on piecing a top, I don't think about the discomfort or pain, it's just happy time. Finished the outer border of the 9-patch and completed a log cabin with butterflies at either end, all encased in red microdots, similar to one I found online and placed it on my computer opening screen. Only the butterfly border made it a piecer's best. Well, as best as I could do. I had to take 3 naps a day while making the last one. Swollen ankles extract a price, and feet must be elevated.

Thanks to the two women who responded. I'm waiting for an address on one. It really gives me pleasure to serve people who serve God and make quilts for those who'd never get a homemade quilt if it weren't for their charity.

And I have to do one for a family birth, but if I sew like I've been sewing this week, I can knock it out in 2 days, and get back to my charity tops. Getting tired of these swollen feet, though.

Goodnight, everyone. Dreams are sweeter under a homemade quilt. ​

Do you have a stool for your feet? Or some sort of riser under your table? Do you stand or sit to sew?

Well, my problem comes and goes with the feet. I've been going to the local workout house for the last week, sometimes about every other day (with holidays factored in and one really bad knee day). So I walk for 30 minutes, sometimes it's a mile, and on a bad knee day, just a really slow walk, under a half mile. This morning, my feet are a lot less swollen around the ankles, and I've been avoiding sugar, too, if that's possible around Christmas when candy and cookies are everywhere. I make an exception for real maple syrup, though. It has a chemical in it that seems to protect people my age from dementia, which is what caused my husband's early death, and forgetfulness of any kind worries me right now. I was born to be a shorty, so I'm closer to the earth than 99% of other American women at 5'1". My mother was 4'11". It runs in the family, it seems. Putting a stool on the floor in front of the sewing machine would be me resting my chin on me knees, hahahaha! So the 12-mile round trip to the gymn's walking machine in my Silverado truck will just have to do for the time being. I have so much fabric everywhere, you'd think I brought my quilt store in Wyoming with me.

The sewing machine is next to my bed, so when my shoulders start hurting six hours into quilt work, I can walk around the bed and take a nap until the sun comes up. In the meantime, I'm just loving getting back into the quilting part of making tops. I'll take a few tops to the girls, but I'm going to quilt the smaller ones for the Care Center, and will deliver them in person when I accumulate a few of them to justify a trip to town. I think I will be doing some room rearranging and try to fix up the Master bedroom again for quilting, because I miss looking out on the backyard lake where the Great White Egrets play from time to time. I missed them this whole past year when I moved my sewing room to the guest room because the bed is orthopedic. When I get my act together on reclaiming my stock accounts after the probate was completed a couple of months ago, I may be looking for household help so I can not have to worry about all that work it takes to chase after dust bunnies in my little 4,000 square foot castle we bought to retire in. It's been over 2 and a half years, now, and it's time to start being alive again. I think I can face being in his office again without shedding tears and missing him when I'm surrounded by the stuff he loved--a car collection of 50s and 60s cars, his numismatics and engineering stuff, and his Reddi Killowatt statue, not to mention his file cabinets of the kind of math stuff electrical engineers understand, but the rest of the universe looks at and yawns. I'm still fond of the thought of him, though. He was good to everybody, but he was really good to lucky me.

 

[beautress]

Oh, yes, and Koshergrl, I love your doggie avatar. It just melts my heart. Lost my dog Music about 6 months ago. It broke my heart to have to take her to the vet for the only kind thing I could ever do for her suffering. It was hard. But it's good to see your doggie avie. Dogs are so precious.

 

[koshergrl]

Oh, yes, and Koshergrl, I love your doggie avatar. It just melts my heart. Lost my dog Music about 6 months ago. It broke my heart to have to take her to the vet for the only kind thing I could ever do for her suffering. It was hard. But it's good to see your doggie avie. Dogs are so precious.

That's our Snoop...my son had him for a couple of years before he had my granddaughter, who is now 11. I managed to incorporate snoop into my household some years ago when they came to stay with me for a while..and I wouldn't let them take him when they left This picture is several years old...he's considerable more grizzled now though with his light coat it isn't super obvious.

 

[koshergrl]

After taking 5 quilt tops I'd already promised in prayer to donate locally, I have made 2 more tops for giving, and received requests from 2 groups who read my lament above. I hope to make as many as I can, but my health has deteriorated in the last week, so I hope my new medicine will make the swelling ankles go down. My feet look like grotesque little water balloons, but when I work on piecing a top, I don't think about the discomfort or pain, it's just happy time. Finished the outer border of the 9-patch and completed a log cabin with butterflies at either end, all encased in red microdots, similar to one I found online and placed it on my computer opening screen. Only the butterfly border made it a piecer's best. Well, as best as I could do. I had to take 3 naps a day while making the last one. Swollen ankles extract a price, and feet must be elevated.

Thanks to the two women who responded. I'm waiting for an address on one. It really gives me pleasure to serve people who serve God and make quilts for those who'd never get a homemade quilt if it weren't for their charity.

And I have to do one for a family birth, but if I sew like I've been sewing this week, I can knock it out in 2 days, and get back to my charity tops. Getting tired of these swollen feet, though.

Goodnight, everyone. Dreams are sweeter under a homemade quilt. ​

Do you have a stool for your feet? Or some sort of riser under your table? Do you stand or sit to sew?

Well, my problem comes and goes with the feet. I've been going to the local workout house for the last week, sometimes about every other day (with holidays factored in and one really bad knee day). So I walk for 30 minutes, sometimes it's a mile, and on a bad knee day, just a really slow walk, under a half mile. This morning, my feet are a lot less swollen around the ankles, and I've been avoiding sugar, too, if that's possible around Christmas when candy and cookies are everywhere. I make an exception for real maple syrup, though. It has a chemical in it that seems to protect people my age from dementia, which is what caused my husband's early death, and forgetfulness of any kind worries me right now. I was born to be a shorty, so I'm closer to the earth than 99% of other American women at 5'1". My mother was 4'11". It runs in the family, it seems. Putting a stool on the floor in front of the sewing machine would be me resting my chin on me knees, hahahaha! So the 12-mile round trip to the gymn's walking machine in my Silverado truck will just have to do for the time being. I have so much fabric everywhere, you'd think I brought my quilt store in Wyoming with me.

The sewing machine is next to my bed, so when my shoulders start hurting six hours into quilt work, I can walk around the bed and take a nap until the sun comes up. In the meantime, I'm just loving getting back into the quilting part of making tops. I'll take a few tops to the girls, but I'm going to quilt the smaller ones for the Care Center, and will deliver them in person when I accumulate a few of them to justify a trip to town. I think I will be doing some room rearranging and try to fix up the Master bedroom again for quilting, because I miss looking out on the backyard lake where the Great White Egrets play from time to time. I missed them this whole past year when I moved my sewing room to the guest room because the bed is orthopedic. When I get my act together on reclaiming my stock accounts after the probate was completed a couple of months ago, I may be looking for household help so I can not have to worry about all that work it takes to chase after dust bunnies in my little 4,000 square foot castle we bought to retire in. It's been over 2 and a half years, now, and it's time to start being alive again. I think I can face being in his office again without shedding tears and missing him when I'm surrounded by the stuff he loved--a car collection of 50s and 60s cars, his numismatics and engineering stuff, and his Reddi Killowatt statue, not to mention his file cabinets of the kind of math stuff electrical engineers understand, but the rest of the universe looks at and yawns. I'm still fond of the thought of him, though. He was good to everybody, but he was really good to lucky me.

You can get tiny little risers, they really are helpful for swelling. I don't know why, it's only an inch or too..it might just be the support..or the angle. I have spent a lot of time sitting at desks and just having an inch or two to rest my feet on helps.

So does cutting out sugar

 

[beautress]

And so does looking at that cute doggie avie of yours. And I'm replacing sugar with a 100-calorie pack of almonds now and then. I think that's about 16 almonds.

​

Time to get back to that quilt and complete the quilting and find just the right shade of blue to bind it with.

​

 

[beautress]

Fish and ocean quilts *sigh* so many pretty ones, too!

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[beautress]

And another...

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[beautress]

Somethin' more fishy...

And I couldn't see the details on the thumbnails of this one so here's the enlarged version:

I liked the virginia-reel type border, starfish corners and the little squares that match the fish parts as part of the outer border. What a great person who made this one!

 

[koshergrl]

beautiful.

 

[beautress]

This is a traditional "Storm at Sea" quilt, wow, just look at how wonderful the colors since I last taught the class way back after 1987-1996, maybe halfway in between there, somewhere maybe 1989-1991 - when I taught the Silver Fox free classes for senior women in the community of Casper Wyoming. Not sure when the pattern was invented by some bright lady, just that "storm at sea" was traditional by the time I taught the class by figuring out the math by looking at an older quilt, mapped it onto grid paper with pale blue lines that didn't show up when I photocopied them onto my printer, sans computer.

Credits here: Storm at Sea lap quilt
Its maker said she liked the fabrics. That's exactly what struck me about this quilt, her artful use of fabric.
​

 

[beautress]

beautiful.

Just like you, kgrl! Thanks for the lift. I enjoy looking at other people's quilts when I'm not overusing my little 380 bernina.

That reminds me--I could be up in my sewing room right now working on another little kid's baby quilt for the care center near the college here. I hope it's pretty enough to bring a little joy into his family when they see how much more beautiful a real child is than even the best of good quilts. *sigh*

edit (addition): Oh, yes, koshergrl, I was paying attention to your tips on healing feet in trouble, and either somebody is sending up extra prayers in my behalf, or extra attention to making the old feet get elevated more often is working. I'm also taking three supplements more on schedule, and they seem to work best when I alternate them at intervals than when I take all 3 at the same time. Something is making my feet feel better, and my knee too. Thanks for the tips, and thanks to whoever sent up the prayers.

 

[beautress]

More quilts for young-at-heart sea lovers ~~~

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[beautress]

More child-friendly quilts found! (I love America's and others who quilt cute stuff! It's truly universal! I don't know what its maker called it, but I call it a note-able quilt!

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[beautress]

This Amish-style quilt blesses our American military's trips around the world in the interests of world peace better than words, imho:

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