When M was 2 and moving into a queen bed, I decided that she needed a quilt for that bed. Where that thought came from I have no idea!!!!! But I would like to know what triggered that thought.
Anyway - I took a class and the rest is history. So that was in the fall of 1998. Around 2000, I was so ADDICTED to sewing and quilting, that I took a leave of absence from my EXCELLENT paying job with lots of perks to focus on sewing and also to go to Sheridan. I thought that taking a year off from a STRESSFUL job would be enough to get the bug out of my system. HA!!!! What a foolish thought.
Here we are almost 14 years later and I am so excited about sewing and quilting that it is embarrassing!!!!! There are times when I want to drop everything and just sew, but I can't!!! But I TRY!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway - I know you are wondering what has gotten me excited this time??? I started teaching at the Hobby Horse in 2000 (I know - how did that happen????) and in 2002, Gail and I had an idea. Again - where did these ideas come from????? Well we decided to run a year long class. OK - so $10 quilts were all the rage at that time and we thought we should get on the band wagon, but we did ours differently. We choose a pattern and broke it up into pieces.
As is usual for me - I don't think I ever finished ONE of those quilts in the year that we worked on it. OK - so I don't think I have ever finished ANY of them. Ooops - I did complete one. Wish Upon a Star - 2006
Now that I am NOT working on all those exchange blocks, I have time to work on something for me. This year, in December, I am going to host a reunion of ALL those $10 quilts that we did over the years. And there are TWENTY-THREE of them. Yes 23 of them as we started doing TWO a year a while back and one year we did FOUR. OK - so call me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a goal and I am working on those quilts and that is why I am EXCITED!!!!!!
To help keep me on track, I tracked down all the projects and put them on my small rolling cart. I had room to add the ones that I have taught or am teaching at other stores as well.
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| Here is the cart with all the ongoing projects on it. It is exciting to see all the projects in ONE place and I know this will get emptier as the year goes on. I can't wait to see it at the end of the year. |
OK - so of the 23, one is done and actually quilted and has the binding on.
This is what I have done lately......................
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| Here is the pattern - we did this in 2010. Pieceful Nights by Lori Smith |
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| I had worked on this last year and got the top together, but it still needed that last border. And now that last border is ON!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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| Also got the binding and the backing (this is the wrong side of the backing here) - DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And has been moved into the TO BE quilted bin. |
For some reason, I had a TERRIBLE time joining the binding and borders pieces. My machine did NOT like sewing through two layers of that dark green batik. It skipped stitches like no tomorrow. But if I sewed the batik to another batik, it was fine. Had a brand new needle in there and tried different kinds of thread. Let's just say that I am GLAD it is done.
Of course - that got me excited and then I had to dig out the next one.
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| This is Around the Block by The Rabbit Factory. We did this quilt in 2008. |
Hmmmmm - let's see what I have done. Well the center of the quilt is done and when I got digging in the box, I had a good many of the house blocks made.
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| BUT - for the longest time, this block was cut and laid out, ready to sew, but has been moved from basement to closet upstairs and back down again and still in this same state!!!! What the heck is it supposed to be????? |
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| And in the pattern, I found complete blocks CUT OUT and READY TO SEW |
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| Pieced sections ready to cut for the trees!!!!!!!!!!! |
HEY - I don't think it will take too long to get this one done.
I started by rearranging the pieces on that crazy block that has sat forever and LOOK............
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| Look at hose dusty the pieces are!!!!!! |
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| Well - in all that shuffle, I had lost only one piece and I saw it recently, and I remember tucking it somewhere, but where? - well who knows. So I dug though the red baskets - nothing. Dug through the red scraps and found a close match. Rejiggled the pieces and can you tell from the picture above which one doesn't belong???? Of course you cannot!!!! |
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| Quickly looked through the light scrap box - NOPE - all gone. Well, I just found a similar piece and whacked it on. |
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| And VOILA - this old house is DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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| Got the next house block laid out and ready to sew |
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| And here is what my quilt looks like at this point. |
Top and bottom borders are almost complete - just missing TWO trees for each and then most of the blocks in the side borders, but after I sew what is cut - I may not have much left to do.
If you want to see the complete list (well even pictures) of all the quilts - then have a look at this link............
$10 quilts at Hobby Horse
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| What I have completed so far on Snow Days - one of the current $10 quilts. Got to remake TWO of those churn dash blocks and I have to get busy stitching. I did some more last night, but I've been lax this past month and I'm behind. Can't have another UFO from these projects. |
I have LOADS to post, but it has been a crazy weekend. Had sit n sew on Friday and a nice tidy sewing room. Then they leave and an EXPLOSION happens.............
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| A HUGE mess - actually doesn't look too bad and it is all (or mostly) tidied up again as I have another sit n sew today, but only three people. I think I might sneak in some house building and tree planting!!!!!!!! |
Have a great day and if you have done a $10 quilt in the past - GET IT DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CIAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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