A Scrappy WIP, A UFO, A Commision, and a New Machine!

  I started these cross-ish blocks 6 years ago and am finally figuring out what to do with them.  Looking at this picture, it doesn't look like much, does it? But look at the next picture - there's handwork which isn't quite showing up on the big picture.  The outer 14 blocks may need more stitches for texture, but meanwhile I'll work on the big circles in the middle, and see what develops.  The back of these blocks and the batting - all wool - are leftovers from other projects.  And the texture and weight of the quilt will be perfection.   There's no urgency to this project, so I can work on this evenings.  Or whenever.  And I'm still plotting what fabrics to use on the front and back in order to attach these blocks reversible style. 

This Glampalot project from June 2016 is together, and it will be a part of the silent auction for the Morgan Park Youth Ministry annual fundraiser.  As I have said before, somebody is going to love this quilt - it just won't be me.  In preparation for quilting, I made a backing of neutral leftover bits that are getting too old to live.  After a good pressing, I cut all these fabrics into 20" widths and sewed them together.  This backing will work nicely with the front - I'm excited about quilting it!  Since the backing is tall enough, I am putting a narrow green border at the top and bottom - for unity.

 Meanwhile, Nurse Meg - I met her 9 years ago during my knee replacements - needs a t-shirt quilt for her youngest daughter.  We have already done t-shirt quilts for the older 3.  The shirts are together.  Meg has requested black and white for the borders.  So that's the next step.  I want to get this to Terri and Frank for long-arming before we leave for Portugal in April.  Just to make this quilt different from those of her siblings, we are making this big enough for a queen-size bed quilt - 90" x 114"

Here's the really big studio news - there's a new workhorse!  This machine is a Brother PQ 1500 SL.  It is a purely mechanical machine that is FAST (1500 stitches per minute, if anyone is counting) and goes back and forth.  No zigging or zagging.  I was thrilled to get it from Amazon for under $450 because the box had been opened.  Yes, the box had been opened, but the machine was never used and all the parts were there.  It has a knee-lift which I knew I would like.  I didn't know however how much I would love that feature.  We are now friends - upper threading , bobbin winding, needle changing all a piece of cake.  I love how it quilts and I love how it pieces.  And when I go into Warp speed, John can hear it on the first floor!

And this pile?  It's time for period purses! 

Caterpillars, T-Shirts, and Purses

 My sister (yes, the sister who made me pick my funeral song when I was so sick two and a half years ago), has small grandchildren who love the Hungry Caterpillar.  So Paula bought fabric and gave it to me.  Above is a queen-sized quilt (107" x 112") - it's finished.  So is the crib quilt just to the left (30" x 42").  Still in process are two small wall hangings below.  Both will be bound with that wonderful green fabric.  Since I think Paula might have a career as a photo stylist, I'll be happy to show her in situ pictures, but it might not be until March or April.  My long-armers, Terri and Frank, did a fabulous job using a variegated thread and a whimsical pantograph.  What a charming pair of quilts!

Another quilt back from Terri and Frank's long-arm machine is Gwen's T-shirt Quilt.  Years ago, before I started blogging, Gwen asked me to work with her on a surprise t-shirt quilt for her husband Winnie.  We successfully did this, and Gwen was able to totally surprise Winnie on Christmas morning.  Now it's Gwen's turn.  She mailed me her favorite t-shirts and told me she liked purples.  This lovely quilt is 82" x 84" and perfect for a chilly day.  The backing?  I took all my purples - and anything close - and made this backing.  Can you tell that I ran out of fabric and had to do some improv piecing on two of the back blocks?  I love it - hope Gwen does too.  This will go in the mail Friday!

 The project I've been neglecting in my work for SewPowerful.org.  These purses are part of the Menstrual Hygiene Education program and so important for the young girls.  These four have gone in the mail.  Last fall this group collected over 6,000 purses from makers in the States, UK, and New Zealand.  I am so impressed with this number!  Look at the picture below - that is for three purses in process.  There are eleven pattern pieces, and the making requires, in my humble opinion, some skills.  Two years ago I did 24 purses for the deadline.  I'm hoping to surpass that by July.  You know:  busy hands, happy hands.

A Travel Agent's T-Shirt Quilt

 Judy is a travel agent who has been collecting t-shirst for quite a while.  Several years ago she talked about wanting a t-shirt quilt.  Last year she sent me an e-mail, just checking in.  This fall her emails took on a serious tone - I could tell she was committed.  She came to the studio with all her t-shirts and a good friend and began to make some basic decisions.  And the above is the result of our collaboration.  The quilt grew bigger and bigger - it is 90" x 108" - and my favorite longarmers, Terri and Frank, did the quilting, quite spectacularly, I must say.  Today I bound it, and Judy will pick it up tomorrow.  My project queue is longer than I'd like it to be, but I bumped this project to the top of the list when Judy told me her daughter expressed doubt whether this quilt would actually get done.  Guess we showed her!

This is a baby quilt in process.  Both John and my sister looked at it and kind of hrumpphed about it not looking like a baby quilt.  But I love this.  I don't know the parents-to-be well, but I can't imagine them being anything less than very happy with this quilt.  As soon as I can clear off the work tables, this is ready for basting.  The backing was made from strips leftover from the front.  These fabrics are all from Zen Chic's Fragile collection.  The white-on-white in the background is a Carolyn Friedlander fabric.  The quilting will be simple and straight.  Quilting a baby quilt is one of my favorite things to do. 

Speaking of baby quilts, my sister wants a Hungry Caterpillar baby quilt and a matching queen-size bedspread.  She's ordered the fabrics, and they are here, neatly stacked and waiting for a cold, snowy January day!

This is the wrong side of the backing.  I'm ready to lay to batting and top on it. 

Monday's Projects

Travel Agent's T-shirt Quilt in process -

Four Tudors almost completed + two finished ones, three of them sold, and one for Wayne's daughter!

Four RunArounds will come from these fabrics. 

Revisiting An Old Rivalry Through Quilting

It's T-Shirt Quilt season.  Two years ago I made a high school graduation quilt for Janice's high school senior daughter.  This year I am doing a quilt for her younger daughter's high school graduation from Lyons Township and also a quilt for her son who is graduating from Iowa State U.  These are both good kids who went to St. Francis for elementary school.Although I don't study t-shirts that closely, I do honor what the parent wants and try to make something that is balanced and interesting to look at.  And one shirt jumped out -  Huck Finsdale. And it made me laugh.

It took my back to my high school days at LT and the rivalry between my school and Hinsdale Central.  (I know these rivalries are common between schools that share a georgraphy).  In August of 2015 I spent 13 days in the hospital - 4 of them at LaGrange and the remainder at Hinsdale.  And again, I kept hearing about the difference between the two hospitals.  Those at Hinsdale would never work at LaGrange and vice versa.  Some things never change, eh?  (and I must note that my sister-in-law Chris taught at Hinsdale Central for her whole teaching career). 

Once I get these t-shirt quilts together, I want to do a couple of zippered pouches out of some scraps....

And I want to stroke and pet these Art Gallery Fabrics that I found for $7 a yard, which is a terrific price...

And I need to make a wall hanging for an auction that raises money and support for - well, I'll have to get back to you on the details.  My buddy Carol raises money every year for a Morgan Park Youth program.

This quilt went in the mail to my sister-in-law in Indiana who is having major surgery soon.  Perhaps it might provide as bit of comfort as she recuperates. To keep it light and airy, I batted it with a poly batting and kept the quilting simple.  It is wonderfully soft and light.

It's a rainy day.  Perfect for sewing and listening to NPR.

A Happy Girl

 This is Colette.  She just graduated from Lyons Township, and she is happy.  While she is happy for many reasons, in these pictures she is happy because of a quilt her mom gave to her.  For a couple of years Colette's mom has been playing dumb whenever Colette would ask about  certain t-shirts.  "Gee, I don't know what happened to it..." 

While I know my quilting is important, to get an email and these pictures from Colette's mom on the same day as the graduation party was a neat treat.  Janice said her daughter kept saying repeatedly how much she loves this quilt.  Part of the charm of this quilt is that these meaningful t-shirts have all been used and are nicely soft.  The other part of its charm is the batting and long-arm quilting done by Terri and Frank Karls.  This quilt is soft and a perfect weight.  It also helped that the temperatures were in the 40's when Colette received her quilt. 

The Lowly T-Shirt, Part 3

What do you do with those pesky t-shirts and medals after you've run a marathon - or a half-marathon? That was the problem Chandra (my own personal physical therapist) and her family had after all of them finished the half-marathon on Oak Brook last September. So I suggested a wall hanging, and here it is. I'm very impressed that Chandra did the 13.1 mile run/walk. She's someone who definitely practices what she preaches!

T-Shirt Quilts for a Graphic Jazz Fan

Marc is a young man my husband knows from the Brookfield Jazz Society. He's a graphic artist/designer with a website. For a few years he's been talking about doing a quilt from some of his t-shirts, and we finally got around to it. His birthday is the 4th of July, so 6 of his shirts are on a red/white/blue background.

This second quilt incorporates two beautiful shirts against a red/dark grey background.

There was an additional t-shirt that I thought was lovely, and this has become a wall hanging.

Nice way to save and honor these shirts that are so special to Marc!

For a friend of a friend of a ...

When nephew Chris lived in Chicago, he dated Payal, who made her first t-shirt quilt with me. Payal works out with Jason, who saw her quilt. Jason wanted something similar done with his baseball shirts from high school and college. And here it is! 53" x 60"

June Graduation

 

Jimmy Shimizu has graduated from Naz and is on his way to the University of Dayton. He helped his mom Joanne chose which of his hockey jerseys and t-shirts to use in his graduation quilt. What a way to recap a hockey career! He just received this quilt and is pleased.

Good.

For a Local Boy

TJ Bongiorno's baseball jersey quilt is complete, just in time for his high school graduation.  His mom is friends with one of the first people I ever did t-shirt quilts for.  But his mom also knows daughter Julie and her family - small world.

The navy blue backing/binding sets off ths gold very nicely.  And there's a matching pillow made from the leftovers of two jerseys.  I bet TJ's mom will keep it.

Credit goes to Frank of T and F Quilting in Lemont for his terrific meandering quilting. 

Baseball Jersey Quilt

One hockey jersey quilt is in pieces and in a box, ready to start whenever the mom tells me what colors to use.  The second hockey jersey quilt, the one with the camouflage background, is ready for pin-basting and quilting.  This third quilt is from baseball jerseys.  It will have a navy backing and binding.  Nothing's been sewn together yet - waiting for approval from the parents before I start sewing.  It's going to be pretty nifty though!

Remembering Kenya

Look! Two of our favorites - grandchildren and travelling - in the same picture! We had such a terrific time in Kenya, and this wall hanging from two t-shirts, the flag of Kenya, and two great ethnic prints will always remind us of our Kenyan safari with my sister Paula and her husband Dennis. It hangs above our entertainment center, which serves as an everchanging display for the latest pictures of the grandkids and the latest travel souvenirs. 22" x 47"

Tomorrow begins a 3-day retreat with the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild.  15 of us are heading to Racine, Wisconsin; and I'm pretty excited about going.  Since I have a studio and sew all the time, this retreat presents a special opportunity for me to do something out of my comfort zone.  So far I know I'm packing my scraps and the "ingredients" for Paula's Kenya wall hanging.  Stay tuned for what actually emerges from this weekend!

Completion of the Final Christmas Commission

David graduated from York High School recently, and his mom is immensely proud of her son's involvement in Track and Field during these high school years.  So often these memory quilts are for the graduate, but not this one.  This surprise quilt is for David's mom from one of her aunts.  What a great Christmas gift!.

And what a great Christmas surprise for me - I got it done.  Thought I had until Saturday, but had to get it done for tomorrow.  While it is complete, I didn't photograph it properly, hence the two detail shots which follow this big picture.  It's sitting inside my 60" by 80" tape outline, and is 86" x 50".  There's a little sleeve on the top back so that David's mom can hang this.  Merry Christmas!

Back to some Mors Bags

A cousin of John's is hooking me up with a box of fabrics.  The least I can do for Sharon is to make for her and the fabric donor some Mors bags.  Using a tip from my quilter buddy Wayne, I actually used cotton mesh handles instead of making my own handles out of fabric and batting.  Talk about a time saver!  (If you're wondering why the handles are different lengths, so I am.  I must have cut one pair 28" instead of 18". )

 And since I'm at a welcome standstill with the quilts from Bradley's shirts, I began a T-Shirt Quilt project, using 18 t-shirts from an atheletic young man who graduated from York High School.  This project also has a Christmas deadline.  It's nice to feel like things are under control.  And to perhaps even think about making Mors bags for Christmas presents!