What's on the Quilting Table #3

Today is a continuation of my "What's on the Quilting Table" Posts.  I figured it might be fun to see how and why the quilts I make happen as they do and show you the order they are done in.  These pictures and posts will all be done in the order that I do them.

Today starts with working on a Simple Squares quilt.  Instead of working on one quilt, I work on multiple at a time.  I have tons of Reunion its a line by Sweet Water.  I love this line and as such I have bought 2 fat quarter bundles of it and then since those were running out and I could not find another I then bought half yard cuts of it.  Any way I have 3 large bags full of it.

This quilt takes 12 rows of 10 3 1/2 inch squares.  I took my pile of Reunion and cut a single strip from each of my half yard and other scraps and cut them up and stuffed them in a bag months ago. Today I pulled them out and started to sew them together.

It might not look like it, but this is the center of 2 different quilts.  I assumed I would only have enough for 2, but it seems I have a 3rd worth of left over 3 1/2 inch squares which we might see later some time.

So after completing the 2 centers its time to start putting the borders on.  Tanya picked a gray with words and a gray with jack's for the inner borders.  Hope you enjoyed today's WOQT, Check back in later, to see what is next on the table.

Almost forgot to share this!

To start off with I want to apologize for the crappy quality of these pictures they were taken with my cell phone.  Why are my finishes taken when my cell phone?  Great question.  Its because I almost forgot to take the pictures.

Each year my family picks some families and we do the 12 days of Christmas for them.  My wife had a very giving father and when he passed away this year, he gave some inheritance to his kids.  To celebrate that, we upped our giving game with Secret Santa.

When we started we were giving 1 family the 12 days.  Then we increased to 2 families and finally to 3 families We called it a limit, as it takes a lot of work to get the gifts and deliver them each year.  This year we wanted to give more and picked 6 families.

Each day we gave gifts some were small and simple and some were more complex.  As the 12th day we hand deliver (we try to deliver the first 11 on the sly) and we gave each family some hot pads along with some other goodies.  Yes that is why we have 5 sets of hot pads listed on this page.

Wait a sec I said we had 6 families?  Oh ya the first family we delivered our gifts jumped in the car and then realize we totally forgot to take any pictures (they were orange by the way). As we delivered our presents we took pictures (on the seat of the van) as the pictures go on they get darker i ran out of light.

Any way this is what my family does for fun for Christmas we give to others.  I am always in need of great gift ideas or traditions to add to our Christmas traditions.  If you have suggestions please leave them here.

Tanya put together many of the tops for these hot pads and I (Richard) quilted and bound them.  I hate binding hot pads, because of the little tails sticking out and I think after 6 sets of hot pads I got pretty good at it.

Like all things we do though, we did not stop at 6 hot pads we made them for family also.  I will share those another day as I actually took good pictures of most of them.

Any way I hope that you enjoy viewing all these hot pads.

Link A Finish Friday #150

Thank you for visiting Richard and Tanya quilts I cant believe this is the 150th Link a Finish Friday wow its been a long time.  It is amazing all the quilts that are linked up thank you for all those that make this a success.  Lets get started today with some of the great quilts from last weeks linkup's

Baby Speel Quilt - Maartje Quilt in Amsterdam

Cheddar Quilt - Katy Quilts

Curry Favor - Sew Preeti Quilts

Happy New Deer Banner - Ella and Nesta's Little Room

Windrad - Kreatives Versuchslabor

Triangle und etwas Crazy - Bastelhexe's Kreativecke

Modern Maple - Quilt in a not shell

Link up Rules are simple.  Link up something you have finished, Worked on, blogged about, slaved over or other wise accomplished over the last week or so.

No item not allowed.  Link up some of yours, visit some of the others and enjoy your quilting day.

What's on the Quilting Table #2

Welcome back to my "Whats on the Quilting Table" this is my 2nd post in this series.  The plan for this is to take pictures as I am quilting and share the works in progress.  I have sadly got over whelmed in the past sharing the finishes and well I never talk about the stuff in the middle and while I want to share my process.

Today I start with my Orange Diagonal quilt.  This quilt was made last year some time at least 4-5 months ago.  I finished it and it was while not strait the top was 3 inches wider the the bottom and the sides were wall out of whack too.  For a long time I could not decide how I was going to fix it.  I finally just folded it into 4ths and chopped the 2 sides off to be even with the opposite side.  Any way Its now bound and will talk about it more when I post the finish.

This simple squares quilt was made out of scraps that we had in the bin.  It is a real exception for us. We have made few quilts that were not planed meaning we bought the material specifically to make the quilt.  As our stash is HUGE we need to make this year many more stash busting quilts.  Only the outer borders were specifically bought for this quit.

What is your favorite pattern to use up your left over stash?  This pattern we call simple squares and we sell it on our Crafty store.  If you would like a free copy of this pattern please follow the link and make a comment on the pattern telling me that you like it and then also put a comment on this post.  If you have a pattern you have made or one you like that has a post about it some where on the web please link it in the notes I am always on the hunt for cute and fun ideas for go to quilts.

What's on the Quilting Table #1

I have not blogged regularly or as fun as I originally did for a long time and those that have stuck it out over the years are most likely wondering what in the world happened too me.  Life got in the way but I am ready to have more fun and do a few more blogs.  As such I need organization as that is what my silly brain thrives on so I am going to start a new type of post for me and it is what is or was on the quilting table or "Whats on the Quilting Table" and here is the first.

In the past I use to have a little fun and ask questions and get advice.  Since well I don't know what to ask any more maybe I will open it up to others to ask me questions or advice.  That is assuming that some one is reading these blogs and they have questions.  Well new for Tanya last year she bought her self a new machine.  And she has well used it once for about 5 minutes.  I have since quilted 2 quilts and bound 3 others on it and well I like it.  it makes my old machine seem slow and old.

Speaking of old the old machine is broken.  It has been for a while and I just did not realize it.  Something is wrong with the presser foot it is computerized and it keeps throwing errors because it thinks the foot is not down or flat or what ever its issue is.  At the start of a quilt (binding especially cant get it to start sewing and at times I have to start in the middle of the binding and work backwards to get it to work.  So I am glad to have Tanya's (or as she jokes My new machine).  Any way todays what's on the table starts with a reunion quilt I am starting to make the top 2 pictures are the center blocks to 2 (yes i cant make only 1 quilt at a time) simple squares quilts (oh the bottom 2 pictures are a finished simple squares quilt) the center blocks are 12 rows of 10 blocks at 3 1/2 inch squares (I think that's the size any way).