Robyn's Quilts

Well, I am going to gamble here that the Parents of the kiddo's I made these quilts for don't read my blog....

I finally finished up the Two Christmas Quilts that Robyn commissioned from me, and the two Blue's Blankets made from their scraps for her beloved pups.

This was a real fun commission because I was given full creative license so to speak. She told me the gender, age, and favorite colors of each child and off I went. I decided it would be fun to make them different enough to be unique to each child, but stay within a similar theme (geometric)

The pink and purple if for her Niece.  I quilted it in a double 4 leaf flower pattern that gave a neat optical illusion of broken circles.

 The blues and green is for her Nephew. That one was more of a rambling free hand with looped ribbons down intermittently. I used Sulky for that shiny detail...what an adventure. That stuff loves to snarl and break at the least opportune time. But the results are stunning!

And of course two little blankies (more pad size I think) for the pups!

Winter Geese Sold!

Again, it has been far too long since I posted last, but sadly, I feel there is so little I can post right now.  I have several projects in front of me, but I cannot post any of them because they are commissioned quilts and I can't ruin the surprise....and for those who know me well, you know the other part of my current life is incredibly personal and not something I want to post here. sigh.

But one good thing I can post about is that my Winters Geese Quilt has gone to a new home!

A former High School classmate and I reconnected some time back on Facebook. I did a quilt for her, and then she ordered several more (one of the two clients I am surprising!). She was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and this hit very close to home for her because she lost her mother to this illness. She has become very motivated to take charge of her health and has decided to be part of a walk to raise money and awareness for Diabetes research. She asked if I could donate a quilt to the cause, and I knew right away Winters Geese was the one! I mean really, who wouldn't want to cuddle up to a colorful, handmade quilt, backed in cuddly soft flannel? She posted it on Ebay, and it received great attention, and several bids, and ultimately a winner!

While I am not getting rich financially in my quilting adventure (yet...?) I have made some amazing new friends, gained some wonderful publicity, and been a a part of several terrific charities. So you could say it has been a wealth finding hobby.

Well, off to the machine...I must justify my fabric obsession some how!

Wow, where did summer go?

I am so embarrassed to see that I haven't blogged since July 11th. WOW!
 To start, I remember school getting out, and my thinking, "I will have sooo much more time to quilt and develop  'My Quilt Corner' now that school is out. Ok. Yeah, that didn't happen.
But we did have quite the summer.
For starters, Tori went down to Virginia early, by train. Got to catch up with friends and family and take in DC.
Brian, Aerik, Becca, and I went to Boston over my birthday weekend, and did the Aquarium, Fanueil Hall, and Cambridge Galleria.  And let's not forget the day trip to Granby Zoo in Canada, where I managed to get Becca to be goofy with me!


Then, once Aerik went down to VA for 2 weeks, I decided it was time to learn a new skill. So YouTube taught me how to make Granny Square Blankets. Now I am a crocheting fool! Quilt by day, and yarn by night.







First I made this crazy bright one that Becca promptly claimed.

And then a more subdued one for Tori.

Aerik finally picked some colors out so I will make him one after I finish the ripple afghan I just learned how to make (thanks again to YouTube!). With the kids at school, I can finally focus on commissioned quilts....

Did I mention, today was the FIRST day back to school????

The older two wanted no part of mom and the camera, but here is Becca all pretty and ready to go with her new backpack to first grade!

Hunter Star Quilt

Well, here it is! All finished, and ready to go....somewhere.

I posted the top before so there isn't much to post except the details of the quilting I guess.

I took a new step and tried out some embroidery thread for the quilting this time. It's nice sheen and color match made it pop on the back and it blended nicely to the front. My only complaint it that there are places on the light fabric where it looks drawn on rather than stitched in. I don't know if it's because of the fine gauge of the actual thread or if I'm just being too fussy.

I had a lot of fun doing a continuous line stitch around the stars and a free motion flower in the blocks. I also outlined the applique and then did a wave stipple on the boarders. This is one of the first quilts I can honesly say I like the back better than the front quilting!

Colors and Patterns will vary~ Can special order color scheme.

Anyway, the next project is another top that is already done, just needs to be quilted, and then I need to switch gears and start working on quilts commissioned for Christmas. Seems so strange to say that in July!





Also, since you are reading this....if you need a special gift for that pooch or kitty in your life, consider a "Blue's Quilt" for that special pet.


 I have renamed them that because the proceeds will be donated to support rescues that help save lives, in honor of our sweet Blue. You can email me or call My Quilt Corner for pricing and order details.

Star Cabin and Teachers Gift

Well, school is over, and the insanity has taken on a new high. It's amazing how the kids being home has left me with very little time to quilt, think, sleep....so sadly, I haven't been very productive. But I have managed to finish a quilt, make my end of year teacher's gift, and decide that before creating any more quilts, I AM going to back and quilt a few tops.

So here is the Star Cabin. Made with all batiks, I decided to start with the center fabric and base my others around it. It is a dark navy back with these lovely gold/orange/yellow sunflowers. From there I decided to do blues and oranges, with matching bars, so it is a total of 7 prints per block.
In keeping with the scrappy feel and the desire to clean out some stash fabric, I used the remainders of the orange prints from the front and a blue batik for the backing. I tried to take several pictures of the machine quilting, but nothing showed well. I used an Orange cotton thread on the front, and a varigated blue thread in the bobbin. What a nightmare that was. I realize now that mixing colors is not for the anal retentive OCD quilter....it shows every imperfection, every tension issue; trust me when you do a double batik quilt, tension is you #1 companion.



 Whining aside, I bound this lap quilt with the left over fabric I used for the stars. So in all, it was a fun quilt to make, a bear to quilt, and a colorful new addition.



On another note, this is the bag I made Becca's Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Waldo. It was a pattern I found online for an Art Tote, and I modified it just a bit to be a toddler friendly go-tote. Pockets for drinks, tissues, sunscreen, toys. We filled it with a few fun summer toys and a book. Lots of fun!







Finally, I won't be blogging much this summer. Between all the kid activities, mini trips, and other obligations, I will consider it a good summer if I get even two more quilts done before the school year starts again and I start attacking my client christmas list.







But check in, you never know what lack of sleep might cause me to post.....

Client Quilt

Several weeks ago, I received a call from a lovely woman looking for some quilting to be done on a quilt she had made for her daughter's birthday. She had used a longarm quilter in the past, who also owns a local fabric shop, and she was given my number off a business card, because the owner was too backlogged to take on her project.

Now, keep in mind I haven't done much for client quilting, and I don't have a long arm. I told her this over the phone but was more than willing to take on the project. Boy am I glad I did! Not only did I make some money (yay!), but I met an amazing woman, and discovered a new idea for a quilting project.

Forgive me for the elusive write-up but I must remain somewhat vague as this is a gift that has not yet been given, and I will NOT be the one to let the cat out of the bag.  I have a few pictures I can share of the back of the quilt just to show my work. Because I am proud of it. I did all the Free Motion Quilting on my home machine (my beloved Janome MC6600) and while I had a stencil, I did most of the work by eye. And the thread I found by chance~ Variegated in all the colors of the backing fabric! What a find!!!!

Once the quilt is gifted, I will post again to this and show the front side, because let me tell you, it is a gorgeous quilt, with an incredible story. But for now, you just get a peek....


I also have a new quilt ready to go under the needle. It will be called Star Cabin, and it's done in Blue and Orange Batiks. It will finish out as a throw at 55"sq. More to come for pictures on that later.....

Lastly, todays funny.....what to do when it's hot out? Stay cool like a cat! Way to go Lilly!

Newest quilt top

I decided to try a new quilting technique. The Hunters Star. I used this amazing product called the Rapid Fire Hunter's Star by Deb Tucker.  Pretty neat. It gave me the motivation to use some fabric I bought way back when. And then I decided it would be neat to add some embellishments and attempt some basic bias applique. Lots of fun, very neat. I used a beautiful rayon Sulky thread and a double needle to secure it to the top, and when it's time to quilt it, I
think I will do some shadow quilting.



But let me tell you, those mini irons get hot!

I have to admit, sadly, I have managed to turn Quilting into some sort of contact sport. I have cut myself, sewn my fingers, glued stuff to me, and now, I can add branding.  Nothing like a day of quilting to add something to the conversation table. How many of you recognize this mark? Yup, that would be the Clover Mini Iron.

My son saw the burn the other day as it had a chance to dry out and darken down. He asked what it was and I told him it was a mark. "A mark?" he asked, and I answered, "Yup, to remind me which space ship I belong on!". They are so fun to mess with....

New Tops and more Puppy Quilts

Ok. It's April already? I can say for once I have neglected my blog because I have been busy with quilts. And checking out a new fabric store. Well, sort of new. "Stitched" is a cute store that carries a lot of bright and crazy lines, and they just moved from a small store front to their own building. So cute!

Anyway, the last two weeks have brought 3 more Puppy quilts, and 2 finished quilt tops. I think I found a very dangerous new past time. Making tops satisfies so many instant gratifications, but I know it will come back to bite me someday when I find myself suddenly faced with quilting and binding 20 some projects.....oh well.

So here is the latest puppy quilt....same front, different (ugly) back. Dogs are color blind, so it's all good.

Next is my McCalls Mystery Quilt. I have never done one before, but it got my attention. I have to admit I was not fond of the blocks and had no idea how it would come together, but hey, not bad. It was a nice way to bust some stash and try something different. It's a very generous throw size, and I think I will back it with flannel to promote the whole cuddly Sunday nap idea.

And then there is my pretty take on a classic Buckeye. I used the strip tube ruler method (thank you momma for the new ruler!!!) and used fat quarters and broadcloth unbleached muslin for the front to give it a slightly antique-ish look. Not sure how to quilt it....ditch stitch or a random stipple? I am most proud of my tweak to the border. I wanted to carry the design to the edge but also wanted a finished look, so I combined a few left over blocks and sashing, and whala!

Not much else to say. Two quilt tops and a 3 puppy quilts in a little under 2 weeks....not bad! And did I mention I am already cutting out the next project?????

Do you....?

or

How about paint, sew, quilt, take pictures? What about Facebook?

I had to take a minute and put my thoughts in a blog on the matter. In recent weeks, there has been an uproar on Copyright infringement, theft of ideas, and horrid Civil and other threats regarding Pinterest, Blogs, and Facebook.

I am a quilter. I sew with Fabrics that I myself do not design. I use blocks many of us know. I recreate quilts from patterns I have bought, magazines I subscribe to, patterns I download from others sites, etc. When I lable my quilt, I give credit if it is not my original creation. I do sell my quilts, I do donate my quilts, I do give my quilts as gifts. I own EQ7 with the intent of creating my own patterns to make and resell.

I also post my work online, knowing when I put it out there, 99% of those that see it will re-pin it correctly, give me credit, praise my efforts. And I know there is that 1% that may "take" my idea and make it their own. That is the risk I take when I release my treasures to the World Wide Web. I take full advantage of the free advertising that Facebook, Blogger, and Pinterest have afforded me, and those like me that want to make a small living doing what they love, on a budget.

I don't label every quilt with the Manufacturer/Fabric Designer/Thread Color/Batting Lot Number. No one wants a quilt with the ENTIRE back written on. Crazy? Dramatic? Yes, absolutely. But so is our legal system. We live in a litigation addicted society where lawyers eat each other at the chance of a huge payout, often as a result of some poor soul being scared into a settlement because they lacked the funds or gumption to take it to court and win.

I am making a beautiful quilt right now. I am using scraps I cannot name. Many were fat quarters cut at the store so I have no selvages to verify that I cannot use it unless it's for personal use. The pattern idea came from Bonnie Hunter's amazing site, and it's called Pineapple Blossom.

To make it my own version, I am adding a sashing border with applique. Free handed, but it might look like something someone else has done. I'm sorry if I don't credit you, but great minds think alike. I might sell this quilt, I might keep it since it's my first one with applique on this level. If you copy me, I take it as flattery that you like it, and if you buy it, I will have money to make another one. (Just remember to credit Bonnie for the Pineapple Blossom blocks....)

Sorry for the tone of this blog, but as a fellow quilter, and a fabric obsessed crazy woman, I wanted to add my two tarnished pennies to this madness.

Puppy Blankets

Sometime back, I received a "free" pattern in the mail, included in a buy our magazine mailer. It looked neat, and I figured it would be a great way to get rid of some of my older fabrics, the "what was I thinking" fabrics, fabrics that didn't match ANYTHING. Yeah. No. Ugly is ugly no matter what you try and do with it. And the more I worked it, the more I hated it. So I boxed up the partial UFO and figured I would send it to my mom so she could make kitty quilts for her local shelter with it.

I also, in the spirit of Bonnie Hunter, keep every little drop of fabric. Until it's too small to hold, I figure there is some use for it. I had made a quilt some time back that used a ton of sawtooth stars, and I had all those paired half square triangles. I had sewn them together, pressed them, color sorted them, and saved them for that someday project.

Move to this past week when we discovered Blue, our new pup. After the whirlwind process of adding him to our family, I realized how much I had missed rescue work, and how closed minded I was being. Just because I don't run a rescue, or foster, or volunteer directly, doesn't mean I can't help.

Walah! Dogs are color blind for the most part. They don't have much opinion past it smelling good, tasting good, or feeling good. Here ugly fabric....poof! Doggie Blankets.

I have decided for the remainder of 2012, every quilt I make, the drops will go to a doggie blanket. And between human projects, I will whittle down my uglies, and convert them into blankies for the rescue pups of Clarion Pups, PA.

 If you want to help, but don't have the time, send me your scraps, your uglies. For the pups! I will be adding a note to my website and a link on my facebook page for the cause. People get 1 million pretty pillow cases, so why can't the puppies have blankies????

 Post a comment if you want to help and I will send you a mailing address! Postage is a small price for a HUGE help!

A non-quilt moment

Most of my close friends and family know I am a full blown animal lover. In fact, if I ever won the lottery, they also know the first thing I would do (after taking the kids to Disney) would be to buy a farm with as much land as possible and become my own animal sanctuary.

Since living in Vermont, happily married to a man that loves animals also, we have had our losses as well as our gains. And our newest gain is Blue, the beautiful Aussi mix from Clarion Pups, Pa.  I want to give a shout out to these human angels that take the time to help the 4 legged victims of human cruelty that there are good people to own and love.

If you have room in your home, please adopt. If you cannot, but want to help, please support your local shelter or animal rescue. I was a VP for one for 8 years, and I miss it. But now, I can experience the satisfaction (again) of knowing I am giving a home to an animal I hope I am worthy of.

If you want to know more about this rescue, please check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/ClarionPups

Trying something new

So I decided to try something new with my web business.

I am in the process of making several quilts (yes, I do multiple projects at once) and rather than finish them to my design, I am going to make just the quilt tops and then offer the ability for the customer to pick their preference for the backing. Either a solid color/muslin or a flannel. Mmmmm, who doesn't like cuddling up under flannel on a Sunday afternoon for a nap?

Here are the first offerings under my "new" system:

Grand Finale (I don't have a witty name for it). Made from the Fall 2011 Moda Grande Finale line. I will bind it with the Polka dot fabric. Not sure the final size yet, but it will be on the smaller side~ thinking I should probably figure that out, huh?

And then "Spider Webs"!  This is the first "string" quilt I have ever made, and boy has it been fun. Not having to worry about precise cutting. Well, ok, so the background is, but then the scraps just get sliced up and sewn on! This one is going to end up being about 60" sq.

Will post more pictures as I get the tops finished.

Please stop by www.myquiltcorner.com if you haven't already and let me know what you think!

"Garden Path"

Here it is!

Garden Path (named by a fellow blogger) is finished and ready to go to it's new home in Canada!

This quilt started out as a need to make a lime green/purple quilt on a black background after I saw an amazing quilt of that very color theme at last summers Quilt Expo. I couldn't get over how well the colors worked together. And as most of my readers know, I pick my fabrics first and then let them pick the pattern. So, true to form, after I had all these amazing cuts of fabrics, I saw this less than exciting pattern that was based on an antique civil war pattern, and poof! Garden Path was born.

I must admit as this went together, I lost my passion for it, and at times even wondered what I was thinking (and was I drinking at the time?) But once the top came together, I realized this was a keeper. And I posted it. And the cries to buy it were stunning. My Canadian pal Veronica had recently let go of a well loved beloved quilt, so she seemed the best recipient, and being a fellow Purple, it was a match well made.

So here it is, with my trademark stripe down the back of some left over front fabrics. The vibrant purple just balanced that loud front out so nicely. I used a rich black thread to do a mirror quilt pattern, following the dimensions of the 9 patch blocks over the entire quilt. And the effect on the back is almost magical. It makes it a nice reversible quilt, I think.

Bound in one last bright lime green, this is a huge quilt. A nice 86"x92", my machine and I were challenged to get all that quilting done. But well worth it.