Love Pads

Yes the title of the post is the worst I could think up for the day.  I did not make the "Love Pads" just for Valentines day. In my Tugging on my Heart Strings post, I made 7 squares so that I could practice quilting.  With a number of comments suggesting that I don't spoil such a neat square to a Hot Pad, I instead used my "Chemistry by Cosmo Cricket" Layer Cake I bought in the post Some one hide my CC  at my LQS The Material Girls Quilts. I have quilted,  I believe 11 hot pads, but these 2 are my only 2 that are bound.  The point of this exercise was not to make Hot Pads, but to learn how to machine quilt and bind.  My wife told me after the first 3-4 hot pads that my um quilting job sucked.  The 2 above I put my normal foot back on and just sewed straight lines (which the wife liked more).  She even told me she wanted to keep a few of these and that I could not give them all away.  The image above and below are the front and back of the 2 that I finished.  The image on the right are the ones I had quilted, laid out to show off without the bindings.  It will be another week or so to get the rest of them finished, but I had fun doing these.  Don't forget to add your finishes to my weekly Friday finish page. Link a Finish Friday















    http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/2012/01/fabric-tuesday-and-moda-bake-shop.html http://www.sewinspiredblog.com/2012/01/focus-on-free-motion-quilting-link-up.html

http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2012/02/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-everyone-needs.html

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2012/02/finish-it-up-friday-week-13.html
http://www.familyeverafterblog.com/2012/02/once-upon-weekend-link-party-29-and.html
http://piecefullife-elizabeth.blogspot.com

Just another Monday Picture #1

Quilt Block


Rating the image will give you the chance to rate other pictures I have taken on my family picture site.  This is my version of a Word less Post Day Happy Quilting.  As for me I will be spending the day with the family.

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Paisley Parade

My newest quilt is done its name is Paisley Parade.  It is to be a gift to my friend Doug (if I can part with it).  This is the first of my "Man Quilts".  My wife when helping me find material for a quilt for me she kept telling me the purples and red's I was picking were not manly enough. So we have settled on black as manly so here we go a man quilt, read also about it here. In that post I talked about how Doug did not like the Manly blocks we got and he said Paisley is more manly.  So we went shopping any way the first of many quilts are done.

 I have to give her credit for almost all of the material choices in the quilts I make.  This rag quilt she cut all by her self and that is a HUGE part of the job.   Any way enjoy the nap.  One last thing I now have is labels for my quilt.  I did a crappy job attaching it (talk about the worst zig zag job of my life).  One last thing before I end.  Remember to post your own completes on my Link a Finish Friday and hold me to my goal of 52 completes in 52 weeks of 2012.
















Linking to


http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2012/02/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-everyone-needs.html http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2012/02/finish-it-up-friday-week-13.html

Tugging on my Heart Strings

Today is the day we start tugging on my wife's Heart Strings. You will remember that in my post Blue Heart Progress I talked about the applique hearts that we are doing for the quilt of my wife.  In reading a blog post yesterday some one showed their scraps all sewn together and had truly scrappy project (tried to find post to link to but could not find it)  and later I read this post http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/2012/01/free-motion-quilting-tips-ii.html about free motion quilting and thought hey I need to start trying to do some free motion quilting (because I want to do it to the 2 purple lap quilts I am making, so presto I had a new project.  I took the above Heart Strings and as you see on the right,  I chopped them up and sewed them back together (bottom right image shows one of the messes I sewed together.  When all was said and done (OK ran out of thread) I had 7 of them made.  The plan is to make I think Hot Pads.  What size is a hot pad?  Any one know a good simple pattern that would fit a 6 inch heart string?

Oh one last thing I took the time to upload a ton of my quilting / sewing picture to my picture site.  If you are interested in looking at them follow this link  http://pictures.richardhealey.com/display.asp?attributeID=350. I am a web developer by trade and one hobby I have other then Quilting is taking pictures, at the moment I have 11,000 pictures on my site. (don't worry don't expect you to look at more then 10 or so).  My mom says my picture site is confusing (though it makes total sense to me) so I will explain some.  The link above will take you to the quilting images on my site.  Once you are there you can pick from the top 12 pictures (based on ratings) when you rate (or even look at a image) its rating goes up or down by your personal rating.  In other words if you like a picture rate it higher then 5 and it will move up to front.  Rate it lower then 5 and it moves down the list.  As a side note, once you get to my site you can even view pictures of my wife.  She seems to think she can hide from the pictures here on my blog, but she can't on my picture site.

 

















Linking too

http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/2012/01/fabric-tuesday-and-moda-bake-shop.html

Link A Finish Friday #1

Being over ambitious as a new quilter and blogger, I have set a goal to finish at least 1 something a week.  Be that a quilt, a mug rug or if all else fails a good sandwich.  Wait that won't work.  Lets try it again.  1 quilt, a mug rug, a um well something sewn.  Any way that will be 52 finishes for the year.  My 2012 Finishes will be where I list them all.  But what I want to know is how many of you can keep up the pace with me and finish 52 things for the year.  What better way to keep up then to 1 work on your quilts, and 2 share those with others.  Being a web developer by trade, I know how important a link to another blog is (hint linking to me makes me happy) and I want you all to make sure you have at least 1 person look at your finish. (that's me). I will make a honorable attempt to look at every finish added to my list and try to make a comment on most of them. At the very least I will follow the blog of every one that links a finish.

So for the rules.

1) Who likes rules. Toss them out.
2) Add a link to your finish (blog, http://pinterest.com/, Pisca web album) or where every you store your pictures.
3) Visit a few of the finishes and comment or encourage them on.

Not Required but fun to do

1) Follow my blog.
2) Follow the blog of all those that link.
3) Link back to my blog.
4) No finish, go quilt and stop reading the web.

<center><a href="http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/search/label/LAFF"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsy7Ihi-nuukvXhZ4-GVP1ruOdV18f7SU5O7nZ2ZmkZTZpc5wChyyr75B1Ao9dwnibHeCCLkvvGJdaYLLLY9EcgpE1DYMctSykFX763ObQb2avnyEp4KFyyhyfralxPw46LrSm8cl1pXE/s1600/Richard+Quilts+LINK+A+Finish+Friday+(1).jpg" /></a></center>

Thank you to http://marciascraftysewing.blogspot.com/ for creating my button for me.

Flight of the Dragonfly

Today I worked on Flight of the Dragonfly and her sister quilt Dance of the Dragonfly.  I am making 2 lap quilts one for my little girl Rebecca and the other for her cousin.

You will remember I bought this material last Saturday in my post Some one hide my CC where I went a little crazy buying material.  This is the first quilt that I have worked on from the material I bought.  I found the pattern I am using for the block on http://sweetp-paulette.blogspot.com/2012/01/sienas-in-charge-today.html and pinned it on http://pinterest.com/rhealey101/quilts/ so that I could  find the post and make it.  I have since starting to quilt and blog used it to link back to things I like.  I seem to like too many things and it will be interesting if I ever get all the things I want done.

My plan for this quilt is to make 35 blocks (total needed for both quilts) the block is a lot simpler then it looks and I think on Paulette's site looks better.   My wife picked out a pile of fat quarters and then the back she liked and then the dragonfly's.  I cut all the fat quarters and then figured out that every 9 block will need to have 3 dragonfly's and that half will need 4.  So my first few blocks I made quite a few that have 5 in the block just to find out what it will look like with tons.  I am not sure yet how I like the dragonfly explosion going on but it will be a neat and busy quilt when its finished.

For those that do not want to take the time to look at the tutorial the 9 block above is spit in 4 pieces down the middle of the middle blocks.  You then take 2 corners across from each other and then flip them around.  Last of all sew it back together.  My plan is to make 3 1/2 block rows  by 5 rows for the quilt.

Sadly on top of all that I have done the last week I am now coming down with a cold.  I think I have stayed up too late and worked too long. Going to have to try and see If I can catch up on some sleep this weekend.

BeccaCooks needs a apron!!

My 13 year old Rebecca has a Blog and Website at http://blog.beccacooks.com and http://beccacooks.com and she is in need of a new apron.  Now a month ago for Christmas I was looking for one that would fit her and never found one.  Back then I did not have a sewing machine and I did not believe I could sew.  Now a month later, I have proven to myself, my wife and even BeccaCooks that I can make any thing I put my mind too.  In all my blog reading about quilting I have seen a few posts here or their about making aprons.  What I am looking for today is help from all the readers out there.  I need a good walk through from some one (on their blog) with a pattern and or Ideas for design of a new Apron for the cook.  I am going to have a linking list for this.  For all those that have no walk through on sewing up a Apron, and since BeccaCooks needs more recipes you can link up any recipes (off your blogs)  As a added reward any one that links their recipes I will add those recipes to http://beccacooks.com giving full credit to you and make sure a link to your blog post shows up on her blog and recipe site linking back to you.  For all those that have no aprons, and no recipes, whats a cook with out a hat! We could use a tutorial for that too.

I will have BeccaCooks judge all of the recipes, and aprons and post the one she likes best on my blog and on her blog.  Thanks in advance for helping a dad out.

Man Quilts In Progress

Today's post is a work in progress on my "Man Quilts."  This little project has taken on a life of its own.  It started out with I believe 6 patterns of gray and black for me (I wanted a quilt, but every color I suggested to the wife she turned her nose at as not manly). So it seems that black and gray is manly.  While I decided that I bought enough material to make 2 quilts (Lap Quilts) you know that 2 is always better then one.   So I started cutting.  Originally I had a gray back that had roses on it (Yes again wife said not manly enough) and she re-commissioned that to the back of Hearts and Flowers 2. Hum just realized I did not take a picture of the back of this quilt or H&F2 well I need to stat taking pictures of both sides I think.  Any way back to the man quilt.  I have a friend Doug who I want to make a quilt for so added him to the list of people, o quilt for.  He was over and of course shook his head at me cause men are not suppose to quilt he says.   Any way showed him my original black colors (before telling him why I was showing him) and he rejected 4 of 6 saying they were not manly enough.  So we went shopping and bought 4 more colors in Paisley since that in his mind is manly enough..  The gray and the back white one in picture above is the only 2 he approved.  Once I get closer to done I will take a better close up so you can see some of the prints.  Any way I am now sewing, had 2 conveyor belts done (as my son calls them) when I took the top picture.  I now have 12 rows ( conveyor ) and have sewn 6 together.  This is today's (ok Sunday - Tuesdays) project.  Any way this project will be on going, as I now have I think 12-13 materials and added a number of people onto the list of who gets them so each will be unique in some way.  Oh on a note, gray Tie-Dye ended up manly enough for the back.

Linking up with on WIP Wednesday http://freshlypieced.blogspot.com/

Blue Hearts Progress

The quilt that I am making for my wife is made out of blue hearts. We have constructed about 22 blocks so far each block has 4 patch on bottom and a heart shaped 4 patch on top. The 22 that we have made still need have the top heart stitched on, they are appliques You can see here on the left I have lined a hand full of them up on the table to show off for this post. The stack of 22 that are done is on the right side.

The image on the bottom left is ones that are still missing their hearts.  My wife is a total fan of hearts and when I first started quilting I bought a book that had a pile of heart quilts.   On the right is a image I found off the web that is in the book and the basic design that we are going to make.  Any way after the grand shopping trip this is what the wife and I worked on to relax on Sunday.

We have been working on this quilt since late December.  The original plans in the book has 13 blocks and is a wall hanging we are planing to do this for our bed.  My wife and I have not quite decided on how to lay out the blocks any suggestions would be helpful.




Linking with WIP Wednesday at http://freshlypieced.blogspot.com/

Some one hide my CC!

I am officially a Quilting Addict and some one needs to stop me!  Wait don't stop me I am having too much fun.    I am new to quilting so lack the stash that others might have after years of quilting. Last week in my post The need for a stash!! I talked about my Trip to Joann's and my million year wait at the cut table.  While I did not learn from my mistake last week.  I again visited Joann's on the weekend.  But while you see I had this 20% off every thing coupon on my phone (android Joann's App that gives weekly coupons) and I had this 50% off coupon (paper coupon). And as it turns out they are having 40% off a lot of material.  So I sort of had to go shopping.  In my own defense, I did take my wife to visit my LQS (oh ya learned a cool term and had to share it) before I visited Joann's,  I visited The Material Girls Quilts they are not the closet quilting shop or even the second closest too me but hey I follow their blog had to show them some love. This morning I saw their post about the last day of their 30% off sale and when making the to-do list for the day added them to my list.   They are close to where I work (about 2 miles I think) but they are about 20 miles from my house.  The sale ended today so I just had to go today.  I have never yet bought any of the Moda fabrics. But have admired them from things I found on the web.  I was able to talk my wife into getting a charm pack for my daughter Rebecca and I bought 3 more black & white materials for my Man Quilts for my brother in laws and my self.  My wife kept looking at the materials in the Layer Cake, but kept putting it back.I finally twisted her arm and bought that.   I have to note out of every thing I bought today that is the only item that does not belong to a current project on the Quilting List which you can read on my Resolved to sew 2012 blog post yesterday.

 I have yet to talk tell you what I bought at Joann's, but already you have seen above purples and greens and to the right my John Deere collection.  As I said I have no stash.  While I have one now.  The purple on the upper right is for 2 pieced top lap blankets one for my Rebecca and one for the only Girl Cousin she has (keep this quiet its for her Christmas present next year).  The green on the left is for a Lap blanket (rag quilt style) for my son Jared who has this fascination with green.  His first trip to Joann's he had 5 bolts of green material in the cart before I knew what he was doing.  Now I know how my mom felt with me as a kid in the material store.
The John Deere materials (all 4 are John Deere prints) the 3 on top will be the front and the big one behind will be the back for 2 lap blankets one for my father in law and one for a brother in law both of them live out in the country and  while drive John Deere Equipment and neither quite get me and my computer's.   Again a Christmas present so keep these under raps for me (good thing they both don't know what the Internet is).

So your thinking to your self.  He must be done now.  Nope more material below. On the left some sinfully cheap charm squares for Rebecca and some black material for the Man Quilts (the 3 others on top are a repeat from above don't know how I managed that one.  Any way walked out of Joann's with a bill for just over $150, but I saved $145 not bad for a shopping trip. Those 50% off and 20% off of already 40% off items was a killer deal.  I think the only thing I had to pay full price for was one of the John Deere Prints.  Oh I did save 30% off at Material Girls which I have to say I will go back and visit again.  Now for those of you that are not half blind (like me) you will see that their is some fine print on the bottom of the post (under the last 2 images) My wife did not not like my title and asked me to add the fine print to explain it, so good luck reading it. Wow what a day, almost $200 and I have a stash.  And about 6-8 quilts worth of material.  Now some one please shoot me if I go shopping next Saturday!






Wife says I need to put in the fine print some where that my CC in question was a debit card meaning that I paid for all my material with cash on hand and did not charge up the credit card.  Now if you can read this fine print then you tried too hard to read it. And while nothing useful is in it so stop now! No really fine print is never meant to be read, its just their to annoy you and let you know some lawyer was involved. And who in the world wants a lawyer involved in any thing.

Resolved to Sew 2012

Over at Very Berry Handmade (http://veryberryhandmade.co.uk/2012/01/16/giveaway-resolved-to-sew-2012/) they are having a giveaway and being new too sewing and could use the love.  The idea behind the give away is the resolve to sew which hits home to me since while I have been sewing only a few weeks.  Quilting is new and fun to me and amazing with all the colors and patterns to chose from.  In this post I am to say which item I would like.  Material is what I need.  It is a given one of the bundles.  The first or the second one on the list I like the best, but all the others are nice to.

What I want to do this year is make at least 1 item for each of the 5 (almost 6) members of my family.  Then I would like to make my brother and sister and their spouses quilts.  Doing the same for my wife's family.  That is at least 15 Lap size or queen size quilts.  What all is your goals for the year in quilting?  So far this year has been great have 5-6 quilts done and about 8 or so in progress.  Wish me luck on getting the family all quilted this year.