Christmas Gifts Finished

I got this done on Christmas morning just in time to leave for a family dinner and gift opening. It is a table runner I made for my mother in law. I used a block from a book from Laundry Basket Quilts called Friendship Strips and Scraps. There is a wall quilt in the book that uses five of these blocks, I just knew it would be cute as a runner. I am very pleased with it.

Here is a detail of the machine quilting I did on it. Most of the fabric I used is batiks.

I had bought this hand made bowl at a craft fair in November and picked out the fabrics to go with the bowl. I had pulled my mother in laws name for Christmas this year and I think she was very happy with her gift.

I have added this post to Crazy mom quilts,

I tried something new this year. I made candied orange and lemon rinds. They were a hit. I just love them. Sweet yet bitter at the same time.

Sorry I have not posted much this month. My camera went smashy smashy about two weeks ago. I did buy myself a new one. I have not done much of my own sewing this month. I quilted for customers like crazy, sometimes late into the night and I had a few dog trials on the weekends. I am going to start step 6 of Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street mystery tomorrow. I think I am cough up on it.

Marbled Fabric Done

Last Friday I got together with my surface design group and we marbled fabric. We had to do some prep work a head of time. I soaked and air dried the fabric a head of time. Then when we got done I have to let my fabric air dry and then hand wash it and dry again. I found it hard to get the Methyl Cel out and had to wash a second time and dry and iron it. Took me all week to get it done. So busy machine quilting around here.

This piece was a pale purple and got blue and white marbled paint. I love the feather work. I used an old hair pick to make the lines and pull the paint around.

This was a pink snow dyed fabric to start. I make a white dot then added the bright pink paint in the center. then when it spread a little I run a single pick down the center the one time. And Hearts!

These next two were green dyed fabric. I love the dyed fabric better as it adds to the rich layers of colour on each piece.

I used a old roaster to hold my Methyl Cel and then floated my paints on it. I precut my fabric to fit. Most measured 10" x 14".

This was a white cotton with the blue and white paint. there was some older paint on the Methyl Cel that also came up on the fabric but it adds to the piece.

The fabric started out as a orange brown hand dyed. I added some bright pinks and black and more brown on here. Can you see I just loved the pick patterns I could do. Many of the ladies were in love with radon dots and blobs, some with or with out pulling the pick though.

This was the first piece to see if my paints would float or spread too fast or what they would do. I had to thin down many of the marble paints I had. I also tried Golden liquid acrylic paint. We all found it to be one of the best to work with. I loved it so much I bought some Golden Liquid Acrylics. I hope to play with marbling again over the holiday break.

I have added this post to Crazy Mom Quilts

I am off to machine quilt more. Maybe tonight I can work on the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Easy Street. I still have not done step 2 yet and step 3 came out today.

Lex and I did Ok at the weekend trail. We passed three out of 8 classes. The second day he was leaving the ring with out me. We have two classes on Sunday this weekend. Hope he can stay and work with me.

Dog Coat Finished

I started and finished a winter coat for my Chessy Lex. We have a Christmas Agility Dog Trial this week end. I want to leave him in the van as much as I can. But it is cold so, time for a dog coat. I did not want to spend $80 or more just to have him chew it. I got it done enough to have him wear it a little the other day and then finished the trim tonight. It is Quilted. I made the purple lined with an old wool blanket and quilted it on the long arm. I used a t shirt for the turtle neck part. I made Black double bias binding with black Kona. I very happy with it. Next time I might buy one it was lots of work.

I have added this to Crazy Mom Quilts

Lex early this fall, when the grass was still green. 

I am donating this table runner to the dog trial this weekend. They have many prizes to raffle off that are very dog related. Last year I won a prize to go train at the winter barn a few times. They are also raffling off some Agility equipment. I really have my heart set on those prizes, so best take my money.

Customers Christmas Quilt

I have been quilting up a storm this past month. I must stay on track. This quilt was picked up last week and I asked if I could show it off. She is a fairly new quilter and did a really good job putting it together. Sometimes I see quilts with blocks on point that are a little miss shaped, but not this one. It was very straight on all sides.

Holly and berries are every where. The quilting really showed well on the cream triangles.

Here is the block, I have used curved echoing on the star.

I can not wait for the next step on Easy Street, Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. Today I load another quilt, all Batiks.  I also hope to have a little winter finish to show you for Friday.

Easy Street Started

I have started Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street Mystery quilt. I did Orca Bay last year but it is not finished yet. I hope to work on Easy Street and finish my Orca bay over the next year. These are the four patches using 2" strips of fabric. I love these little squares. I believe I got 200 done, a few extras in case I lose some.

I have linked up to Bonnie's Easy Street Linky Page and Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.

I also have my second table runner top done. The top one is not quilted yet. But I can give the finished one away this weekend at the dog trial and know I can keep the other one. I am very very close to running out of the green. I believe I have enough to finish the binding for the second one then that will be it for the green.

Talking about dog Trials, I thought I would go to Regionals for the Agility Associations of Canada (AAC) this June 2013. While I planned to go but the good news is it will be close to home. Yes! Then I found out Nationals will be in Leduc (Aug 1-4,2013) my town, on the soccer fields were my boys play soccer. I want to qualify now for Nationals. If I do not make it I will  help and watch good dogs. But I never dreamed of going to Nationals, thought it would be out east this year. I can hardly believe I have a small chance of going to Nationals. I just started competing last year.

Scrappy Sunday?

The internet was out of wack yesterday so, This should be a Scrappy Saturday but is late. I finished up my black scraps. I got nine of these 6 " 16 patch blocks done. They have a fear bit of colour in them.

I have add this post to Soscrappy link party. there are more black and grey scraps to see.

More spools I did from Bonnie Hunter's Leader's and Ender's Challenge.

I make this little needle book with a quilted scrap of white. I might give it to someone for at Christmas time.

All of my black scraps up on the design wall at one time. Not bad for the month. Next month we are to finish up some of our rainbow quilts.

I have also started Easy Street, Bonnie Hunter;s new mystery quilt. She promises to make this one easier than the late two mystery's. My aunt Arley at My favourite Things has started with some different colours. I love the colours and will stick to the ones Bonnie has chosen. Monday is a linky party at Bonnie's site. I have to go sew today.

Finish It Up Friday

I got this quilt finished for a very good customer. I have been quilting her quilts for many years. She does some great applique mixed with piecing. Most of this quilt is needle turned hand applique. The bugs were extra cute details she added in. 

I really wanted to do some special quilting on some of the different parts so that it would show off. 

The photo below shows the little detail I did on the outer triangle. She was very pleased with the little petals I used.

I have been doing more quilting for customers than my own work so I thought I would show this Finish today.
I have added today's post to Crazy Mom Quilts.

Quilted Baby Quilt

I have been quilting up a storm. I did the quilting on this quick little Baby quilt for a friend from way back. (See I did not call her an old friend.) It is good to see her happy and doing some sewing again.

She left the quilting pattern up to me. I just kept thinking waves would be so cute on this quilt. There are many boats and I thought it just fit. It is a very rhythmic pattern to quilt and making it a joy to do. I like that it is so evenly quilted and will wear well for a baby.

I have signed up for Pinterest. Oh my gosh what a time sucker it is. I am badly hooked and have had trouble going to bed. I made a board with some of my finished quilts from some blog posts. To find me look for Cathy Tomm. Now you know why I have not posted for a few days.

Design Wall Monday Nov 19th

I got started on a another table runner for Christmas. I am making a another one with my cardinal fabric. I want to keep one for me. My husband and I are host Christmas Eve dinner with my parents so there will be six of us that night. We have never done dinner at Christmas, just Christmas morning breakfast. I have some plans of digging out the good china and do some extra cleaning. I am not sure what we will do for dinner but it will not be turkey. I can not eat turkey and everyone else does turkey, maybe a Ham.

Here is the finished on on the bottom. I am making it the same. I still have to dig out my green fabric. I hope I have enough green, it is going to be close. 

I have linked up with Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday,

Scrappy Saturday Blacks

I have done some more poverty piecing for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2012. This month is Black to Grey. To see what other have done this week check out Soscrappy.

I have no idea what I will do with these chunks of Poverty piecing. I did use the turquoise one for a book cover.

I have also been using the little 3" spools for leaders and enders. This group is just from this past week. I am not showing you the blocks from the week before. 13 how unlucky is that. I do not like to leave it at 13, 12 ok, 14 ok.

I also finished off 14 blocks to send to My Patchwork Life, last night. She was asking for disappearing four patch blocks using some floral fabrics. She is making quilts for the east coast hit by Sandy. She uses 42 blocks per quilt. I have to get these in the mail ASAP.

Off to soccer soon with my younger son. Oldest son is out deer hunting with my husband and his Uncle.

Scrappy Log Cabin Finish

I joined in the Quilt Along over at Ellison Lane Quilts. Today is the day to link up and see the finished quilts on parade.

Under the Christmas tree

I started this quilt in October at the retreat less than a month ago. I did most of my Red, Pink and Blue blocks at retreat.

When I came home from retreat I continued  to sew blocks every couple of evenings. I started to put more fun little bits in the center of my blocks for the Purple, Orange/Yellow and Green blocks.

I machine quilted the whole quilt with a all over spirals. The spirals  are about 3" to 5" in size. I used a primary coloured variegated thread on the front and lime green on the back.

On the Hay Rack

One block has a funny story to tell. I vacuumed  a red block and it got a special ride thought the house's pipes. My husband retrieved it a few days later for me out of the canister. It was very dusty. I had been cleaning my room and a fly had landed on my block so I thought I would get that fly, and got my block too.

I had this really good cream plaid flannel to put on the back. I had the fabric for a few years and was saving it. I had used this on a few other quilt (in different colours) and it has been wearing really well. It is so warm and soft too.

The binding is a rainbow fabric as well.

This little bird house was wanting to be in the photo today when I took my pictures. 

The finished quilt measures 80" wide by 60" tall. I have 54 blocks that are 8" finished. And then I did a few blocks that are 4" by 8" so that I could place my blocks in the brick formation (or half drop). I added a 4" of the black and white wavy print. I felt very lucky I had that on hand and there was just enough to fit around the quilt.

Thanks You For hosting the Quilt a long. It has been fun. To see them in process you can also check out the Flicker Group.

I have added this too Crazy Mom Quilts, and Richard and Tanya Quilts LAFF #41

Design Wall Monday Nov 12

I have some blocks on the wall this week, I missed last week. I have my black and grey blocks from the Rainbow Scrap Challenge to the left. On the right is Disappearing Four Patch blocks that I need to get in the mail. I want to do a few more and then send them to Erin at My Patchwork Life. She is taking in blocks to make quilts for the victims of Sandy. I thought I could help a little.

Check out what other are doing over at Patchwork Times.

Lex and I had a good day on Sunday and got our second title in Agility, Starters Games Dog of Canada with AAC. We passed our 2nd Starters Jumpers and finished up the Starters Classes. I think I got extra smiley because Lex Loves to carry his Ribbons, the whole rosette part is in his month with the tails hanging out. 

Black and Grey Scrappy Saturday

Today over at Soscrappy is another Scrappy Saturday and this months colours are Black and Grey. I did not think I had so many scraps in this colour but I do have lots. I have a basket full of just Black and White yardage but have worked to keep the scraps down ( I thought). I look in another box or bin. I find more. I have allowed a bit of colour or a bit of white in so it is not to flat or boring. This first block has colour and some white and very little grey.

This block has very little colour but lots more darker grey.

 I like that they are different but the same.

These are the spools I did this week as Leaders and Enders, from Bonnie Hunter's challenge. I dyed a black with white dot fabric and made the blue dot fabric some time back. I like it.

I am looking forward to getting back to more colour again. Next month we are to work on putting together some of our rainbow quilts from the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2012. I am already looking for ideas for next year. I have ideas for two blocks I might do already. I can also get back to my farmer's wife blocks too.

I need help with ideas here. I have a set of four old chairs that were my Grandmothers. I need to leave the brown wood finish (long story). But the seats need work. I once thought I would rug hook seat cover but my wrist does not like hooking. Now I think I should do some patchwork, but what. My room gets lots of light and fading can be a problem. They are not square so just square or triangle may not look good. Help!