Block one of the Beginner Quilt Along Done!

I started my quilt along block with some bright orange and some cute animals.  You know me, I love my orange and it still makes my wife laugh (and she picked it out, so I think I should laugh at her).

My second block is much more down to earth and simple, some nice flag flowers (Don't ask me why we have flag flowers, I am still trying to figure that one out). It looks pretty good and not bright and flashy like my other block.

Last Tanya's block looks fantastic.  This is her first pieced 12 1/2 inch block that she has cut out, sewed, ironed and I did not do a thing (other then showed her how to iron to get the seams to match.)

Tanya won a $20 gift certificate during the last blog hop from http://www.amateurquilter.blogspot.com/ she used it towards the items above, and she also got some other fabric directly from him, pictured below.  Before your eyes pop out, no we did not get all of that for $20 bucks.  We used a coupon, a free shipping deal, and the gift certificate and put it towards 3 grab bags of various fabrics to boost our stash some.  Tanya says we ended up paying $30.

Lastly,  I did some work on my batik quilt. I am doing a 5x5 quilt blocks and I got my blocks done and started sewing sashings together for it.  I am doing a design that I whipped out in EQ7 with my wife.  I love to just sit down and throw some ideas together.  It is nice to see how much fabric is needed and a feel for how the design is going to play out. 

Tanya and I Quilting Together

Tanya has decided that she is going to Join the fun of the beginner's Quilt along.  I had asked her to help me find some matching material in the piles of stash I have gotten (I don't match well or at least that's what Tanya Claims).  I was surprised to find when she was done that she has 3 piles of materials.  The plan is that I will make 2 quilts in the quilt along using 2 of the sets she found.  And she has committed to make the 3rd quilt.  This is a big step for her.  Here is a picture of the 3 sets of material we plan to use.

First up is the bundle that Tanya picked these are colors she likes.  Any way every one needs to encourage Tanya to continue with the sewing she is intimidated by the sewing machine and you need to help her understand how fun this is.

For me we have a more wild one (this one will be made for one of my nephew's)

And a more patriotic one which I will most likely sell

In addition to our finding material for the quilt along (we will make the first block tonight and get it posted Monday) I have been working on quilting my sister's top.  I completed the sewing of this top a while back and just now have the quilting done.  I did a echo pattern on all the sides of the 2 1/2 inch blocks (strait lines not around each one but any way you know what I mean) it took me forever a lot longer then I expected not sure how soon I will do that again but it looks cool.   I lost the desire to bind it the same day 2 days back while quilting it.  So it will be some time next week.  Also next week they are doing a shop hop here in Utah.  And I think I have gone quilting nuts because I am taking off a couple days of work so I can go visit all the shops.  Maybe I will bring my camera and show off a little of each shop.  Has any one done a shop hop before?  If so what did you like most about it?

I am looking for Quilting Linky Parties

I am on the hunt for linky parties that I can link up with.   Places that I can share my quilting and or quilts at and bring more visitors to my blog (Yes I love visitors)  I have found a few I like but I know their must be more out their.  At the bottom of this post I will have 2 linky lists one to link any one's linky list that you like linking too if its a specific day of the week put the week day in the name (for example "Friday - Richard Quilts Finishes")

Here are 2 off the top of my head that I use but I want to find a hundred more in the quilting/sewing area.

    

Such A Sew and Sew's A Stitch in Time is a monthly linky party with prizes.  An WIP Wednesday is a weekly work in progress update list from Freshly Pieced.

Also for my weekly finish Friday I need a button.  I have this one but I want something more exciting if you have artistic skills please make a image and link it up on the 2nd linky list.  It does not have to be perfect just a idea would help.  Then I can get my son who is my graphics guy (the one that keeps changing things here on my  blog) to make me one I might like more.







Linky Party List


Image idea for Richard's LAFF button

Link A Finish Friday #18

The Goal for me this year is 52 Finishes in 52 weeks help keep me honest and show off your own finishes at the same time its a Link A Finish Friday!!  I as counting the other day and in a couple weeks I will pass my 52 quilt mark.  I might have to be upping this goal some.

Here is the Quilt I finished last week and a baby to give it some size.

So for the rules.

1) Who likes rules. Toss them out.
2) Add a link to your finish blog or where ever you show off your finishes (Not limited to quilts but I like them the most).
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.

Grandpap's Cards Finished and a Review

I have been participating in a Civil War quilt along with a group of 11 other lady's we are all making a quilt from the book Civil War Legacies by Carol Hopkins (Publisher Martingale and Company The Patchwork Place) It is a great book and this is what I would like to talk about today.

I have not created many quilts from patterns though I have now 3-4 quilt books in my possession.  The real reason I have not created many is because my skills are still on the low end, but most the books I get are harder to do then I would like.  My first thing I would like to say about this book is that the descriptions, and instructions are great.  They are easy to follow and easy to use.  The quilt I was assigned to create was Grandpap's Cards.  When I first looked though this book I was thinking these quilts were much larger then they are.  (you can make them bigger and I think I am going to make a few others in sizes that are larger). My quilt had a bunch of HST that when completed was 1 inch view able.  I have big hands which made this hard to do.  But after completing the quilt I have to say totally worth the effort.

This is a picture of the first block I made.  As you can see it is any thing but square.  I was not accustomed to making things so small where small variances are a issue.  But one thing I am is a man and men don't unpick and they don't go back (Or at least that's what I believe we should do haha).  My wife has made me unpick from time to time,but I shy away from it.   My quilt consisted of 20 of these small 4 inch blocks.  Alternated with 4 inch dark blocks.

Here is a picture of the center of the quilt shortly after I sewed it together.  You can see on the bottom left the squares that need to be cut off.  The directions said to cut HST and sew in and not have to cut off but because of my nature to be off just a tad I opted to do full squares so that I could more easily cut the side straight.

Here I have the middle and the 2 borders and its basted ready to quilt.  I made only 1 mistake that I regret, but could have been fixed if I was not so anti picking.  You can see that 2 of my blocks (I had 20 blocks 2 of each of 10 colors) ended up side by side in my quilt.  Oh well.  When I was piecing these together each of my family members came into the room and said oh neat as they picked up the rows I was sewing together and looked at them and then sat them down.  Any way the pattern I was going for totally got blown out of the water.  All in all though it worked out wonderful.

Now for another pat on the back for the book.  One thing I liked is how it suggested ways to alter and add some interest to the quilt and one of those was to do some differences on the borders.  I like when patterns show where or how to make easy changes to add some spice.  I want to say I am new to quilting and that I have just always used whatever fabric fit's my fancy.  This is the first time that I have made something with a specific type of fabric.  This quilt was made with Civil War replica materials.  I have enjoyed it.  My son made the comment when washing my quilt that it is his favorite so far color wise. That is a huge compliment coming from him. He is an artist in his own right and much better at picking colors then my wife or I.

Any way the quilt is done its not huge but it is wonderful.  I was going to wait to take some outside pictures but I have not had time while it was light outside and it needs to be posted so here it is.

you can see the oops in the 2 side by side the same in this shot above.

And last but not least Julia in her Sunday dress (yes it was finished last Sunday) complete with her bib on so she would not spit up on her cute dress.  What do you think a tad small for a baby blanket but just right for a wall hanging.

Oh wait a blurry picture of the back too