I Piece 2-Mary: August 2013

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Let's twist to the 60's with Batiks!

Good Morning 60's

Today is the start of sign up for
"lets TWIST to the 60's
with Batiks"

Madame Samm has entrusted me to cheer you on for this exciting and creative hop.
I do have to say though, I do remember that time in history! I graduated from high school in 1964. I just may have to dig out a few things from those years!

So let me know "I WANT TO TWIST" in an e-mail.
quilter.maw@sbcglobal.net

What is expected of YOU?

1. If you commit , commit, you never ever want to be on that LIST!

2. Please turn off your word verification on your day.

3. Add button to your blog...top right.

4. PLEASE add all of your fellow hoppers on your blog

and do not remove YOURS---some of us get confused!

5. Be a cheerleader for one another! I don't think there is

anything as GROOVY as notes from your PEERS.

6. MUST create at least one BATIK project, you

can show others....

7. STAY on Message, we all drop by to see YOUR PROJECT

for that day...

"let's twist like we did that summer, let's twist again like we did last year."

Monday, August 26, 2013

Be a Hexie Queen blog hop

Today is my day to try to become a "Hexie Queen". Actually, I have been making hexies for a while now, and have several projects in the works. For this hop I decided to do a couple of special projects.

The first is this bag. It is 17 inches tall and made with a round bottom that is 10 inches across. There are 24 3/4 inch hexies flowers circling the bag. There is one seam joining the background fabric, but no seams joining the hexies. I did not want to cut any of the hexies because there was a seam. I did hand applique them on the background fabric. Again, I was designing as I went along.

It is fully lined, and has a drawstring closure. There are two pockets inside to hold sewing supplies. I designed this bag with the thought that you could transport a larger sewing project, like a quilt top you were appliqueing.

Then I got the idea to make a smaller bag using the 1/2 inch hexagons. This bag measures 9 inches tall and only 6 1/2 inches across and only has 6 hexagon flowers. I squared off the bottom and again appliqued the flowers so they circled the bag. It is fully lined, and has a drawstring closure.

This cute bag is 10 inches tall and 6 l/2 inches wide. There are 2 rows of 12, l/2 inch hexagon flowers. It, too, is fully lined and has a drawstring closure.
Any of these bags could be perfect to hold a gift for someone. Even the big bag could hold a quilt to be given to a special someone.

Once again I had to try something different. How do you like my Christmas cards. I used two size hexies to create the snowman. Each is hand appliqued on a cloth background. There is even a little padding behind them to create a bit of dimension. I actually have a dozen of these made for the coming holidays.

How about a hexie butterfly? I have seen a couple of ways to do them on the Internet. This butterfly is made with 1/2 inch hexagons. He could be the start of a quilt, embellish a zipper pouch, or be appliqued to a bag, or a shirt. The ideas abound.

I had made this small doll quilt. The doll sitting on it was given to me by my grandmother when I was a child. She had crocheted the dress and booties.

I have finally finished this little quilt. It is made with 3/4 inch hexagons. There is a hexagon button in the center of each of the flowers. The dolls were liking sitting by the Fox River enjoying the beautiful day.

I would like to thank Madame Samm and Debby Kratovil for their continued cheerleading. Where would we be if we did not have these great ladies. Here is today's lineup.
Don't forget to check out all of these super quilters. Remember, you could be a hexie queen!

Monday, August 26

Scrapbook-ChickaDoodle

Kathys Quilts

A Quilt and a Prayer

I Piece 2 - Mary

Life, Quilts and a Cat, too

Kwilt Krazy

Espritpatch

Have a great day!
Mary

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Good Morning

Isn't this so true! Madame Samm posted this on her blog this morning SewWeQuilt. I am sorry, the link I tried to post is not working. Good Chrome is playing games this morning.

My latest quilt is done! This is one of the things I had taken with me on our vacation to finish.

Binding can always be done in the car! This is one of the quilts I made while on the quilting cruise this past January. It was a package of Bali Batik strips that I purchased from the quilt shop on the ship. I put it all together one night on board ship. Added the borders after I got home.
I love the colors and how this one turned out.

Since I have been following Madame Samm's blog I have been working to make my project pictures more exciting and creative. I has at a scrapbooking convention yesterday. It was held at Pheasant Run which also has a golf course. I thought it might turn out to be a good setting for some pictures.

Monday is my day for trying out to be a Hexie Queen. I love making hexies. It is a great project to work on in the evening, when I am just sitting around!! (You need to laugh here!) I rarely sit around doing nothing in the evening!

Got to run, have to finish one last thing for Monday!
Have a great weekend.
Mary

Monday, August 19, 2013

Quilting on vacation

While in the UP of Michigan my friend Pat and I did manage to get in some sewing.
That is always a good thing. She does amazing quilts and every bed in her house is made up with them. At last count that was at least 10 beds.
She likes to make bed quilts and knows I do too, but that I also like to putz with other kinds of projects. She had received this cute pattern for notions that fits over a coffee mug. So that was on my list to play with. I made us each one. Once you got started on them, they were easy to work on. When we showed them at the Tuesday quilt group, Gail, another friend, said she wanted one too. Back to the drawing board! I made 2 more, and then forgot to take a picture. They turned out so cute, too!

One of Pat's grandchildren was visiting and wanted to learn to sew and do wool applique. Check out the bunnies on the red charm squares. She is doing a super job.

Pat is working on this quilt! Let me tell you what a job. I don't know who wrote the pattern, but it sure was incomplete. It is made in 4 sections of 3 1/2 inch square, to help with the bias edges. That is super! Then there will be a log cabin border around the edges. No measurements were given, except for the overall finished quilt. Because there was only a diagram of what this part should look like, I told her it looked like one too many rows, so she took off a row, then put it together. When she made a row of the log cabin blocks, they did not fit. She took the quilt apart, (I helped unsew, as I was the one who said she didn't need that row.) She put the needed rows! Now everything is back together. Good, right? Not! The log cabins still did not fit. She had to take the setting triangles off on one side and add another row of 3 1/2 inch squares, Then put it all back together.
Talk about frustrations!

I had a kit to do this cute hanging. I have all the stitching around the wool pieces to sew now.

From Pat's sewing room over the garage, we could watch the deer in the yard. We even saw 2 bucks this time.

Here is the view from the deck off the back of the house, overlooking Lake Michigan. It is so beautiful.
What a gorgeous week we had. Blue skies, white clouds and perfect temperatures.

I have more pictures and more projects.
Time out to get more housework and paperwork done!
Catch you later.
Mary

Friday, August 16, 2013

I am back and catching up.

This is one of 7 states and Hamilton, Ontario that we visited or just went through. We had beautiful weather the whole two weeks we were gone.

We checked out restaurants that have been on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", quilt shops, marshes, family and friends.

Attended the Winegar family reunion in Alden, New York.

The Baker family reunion in Elma, New York. These have become yearly events, and so much fun. The families are growing. Our little kids have grown up and are now having kids of their own.

We enjoy getting together to catch up on all the news and to eat all the great things we can't get at home. Oh, the beef on wick is to die for, the Tim Horton, Canadian maple donuts are so good, the loganberry juice delicious.

A fabulous time was had by all.
I will share more in the coming days.
Have a great day!
Mary

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Little vacation and Thank You!

Good Evening! I am in gorgeous Garden, Michigan. It is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

As you can see I am still working on Christmas projects. I am here with my friend Pat and we are sewing every chance we can. I have lots to share.

Thank you everyone that responded to my projects on the HO HO HO blog hop. I had a great time working on them. I love to work on Christmas projects. These were especially fun.

Thank you Madame Samm and Carol for creating such a wonderful hop. Every one's projects were above and beyond.

I am going to be out of town for a couple more days and will answer each of the e-mails I received. I appreciate hearing from all of you. You make my world even brighter.

Everyone have a great week of sewing and creating.

Mary

Friday, August 9, 2013

HO HO HO Blog Hop

Here it is the last day of this fabulous hop. WOW! What a Jolly good time everyone has had. It has been so much fun to see all the wonderful projects that have been shown these last 8 days. Don't you just want to start that Christmas sewing early?? I do. Thank you Carol and Madame Samm and everyone that has been part of this hop. It has been so creative and motivating.

August 9

Moose Stash Quilting

Cathy’s Chatter

Darlington Delights

Life in the Scrapatch

Quilt n Queen

Forget-Me-Not Stitches

Quilted Delights

AnnieOak Designs

Sew Peace to Peace

Wips & Tuts

Just Keep Swimming

Sew We Quilt

Have a jolly great day.

Mary

Thursday, August 8, 2013

HO HO HO Blog Hop

Here is my advent calender just for quilters. This was a project that was a lot of fun in the making. I was designing it as I sewed. Each of the paper pieced block is a pocket.

Each pocket has a little gift any quilter would appreciate.

Here are 25 items I was able to find that would fit in the pockets: bobbins, tape measure, thread for sewing, thread for quilting, fat quarters, pins, new rotary blades, rounded point scissors, seam ripper, needles for hand sewing, or machine needles, 6 inch ruler, thimbles, pigma pen for signing your quilts, Superman lanyard for holding your scissors, marking pen or pencils, a snowman pin to wear for the holidays, a little Santa light to decorate your sewing area, Moda's Candy Bites, cute little P. S. I love you labels. a thread catcher, magnetic needle holder to wear on your shirt while sewing, a package of hexagon papers to play with, a mini pincushion, of course Chocolate. a mini embroidery kit, a laminated table topper pattern, and best of all a Gift Certificate to your favorite quilt shop

Here is the candle mat I made from yo yo's and buttons. It is perfect for Christmas and after the holidays. You could place a candle, or how about a snowman ornament for the middle.

How about Christmas coasters. These were fast and easy to make. I am showing off some of my pretty Christmas mugs for Madame Samm!

Love how this windmill block and candy canes turned out. Love the stripped fabric for the binding. Just a quick little table runner. Good for those small tables.

Santa's with an American flavor for the primitive decorator or that I have a door inside that I like to display a quilt on.

Here's closeups of my paper pieced blocks. All the blocks are 3 inch finished.

The blocks came from a variety of sources.

Love adding the ribbons, buttons, pom poms and "do dads" to the calender.

Santa is the number 25 block. Great one to put that special Gift Certificate in!

Couldn't you just see a quilter gift that made with other types of paper pieced blocks filled with little presents? How about one made with just baskets or hearts. Already I can think of a few different ideas.

Here is a closeup of the candle mat.

Always need a few snowmen in your Christmas decorating.

My snowmen fits one of the mini wire quilt frames.

Can you tell I love to create Christmas projects. I have so many ideas, I almost did not stop. I have several more cut out and ready to sew.

Thank you Carol of Just let me Quilt and Madame Samm of Sew We Quilt for another wonderful and creative hop. You cheer us on and motivate us to to use our creativity. Here are the wonderful ladies that are being showcased today and tomorrow. Please stop by and help us cheer them on.

August 8