Tuesday, April 26, 2011

More... blocks 6 & 7




See my post below this one... trying to catch up with sharing my work on this blog. The pattern you see here is the one that I totally changed into the picture below with the peacocks on the vase. I had this fabric and just had to find a way to use it... so I changed the vase and then went on and changed the rest of the pattern. (Sorry Kim...!)
I have loved these blocks so much!

My Roseville Blocks 3, 4 & 5




I've been working away and realized that I haven't posted anything since block 2. I have been busy at work... and we took a 2 week vacation which was wonderful - but it really cut into my quilting time. But I'm back now...
I have finished almost all 9 blocks for the Roseville - putting the final sewing on blocks 8 & 9 now. So here comes a bunch of pictures...
I tweaked the patterns on some of these, particularly on the vases. I just had all this beautiful fabric and the vases were the best place to showcase it.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Thursday, April 21, 2011

My 10th Lollipop Finished

Lollipops, Lollipops, Lollipops



I'm so excited to say that my 10th lollipop block is finished. It just amazes me that every time I start picking the fabrics for a new block it is like a new adventure. We live in Michigan and we just recently had a snowstorm, it is so nice to look at the vibrant colors because I think they just scream that spring is coming and the flowers will be blooming.

Thank you all for sharing your beautiful pictures and this adventure. Have a wonderful day stitching.


Rosemary,
the lollipop girl

Monday, April 18, 2011

Two More Blocks for Flower Pots




I liked the Star block in the center of the quilt so much I decided to make it twice, and skip the floral one. Now I'm working on the scrappy pieced borders. Does anyone have any advice about these? I am wondering if I should stick to softer prints like the 2nd and 3rd squares from the bottom on this trial piece. Would it be better to avoid stronger contrasting prints like the 2 in the middle and the one on the bottom? I like all of my fabrics so much, I paid little attention to placement, but perhaps I should. Help!

Welkom bij JUUDSQUILTS: Church Sunday

Welkom bij JUUDSQUILTS: Church Sunday

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Lollypop Trees



It's a long time I haven't published anything... but I was reading your posts:)

To be honnest, I prefer to knit during the cold months of the year... and to sew during the warm months! So I'm back and nothing can stop me!!!

Block n°1 finished



and block n°2 in progress...


What I love with this quilt it's like a coloring book where I can chose the colors I want!




Monday, April 11, 2011


I completed my Lollypop Trees this aft. I made the blocks 14" and changed the border to the flower circles from the Flower Pots border. Fun to do and now have to find a back and proceed to the quilting stage.


Mary

Friday, April 8, 2011

The Bizzy Bird Farm

Thanks for all the wonderful comments. Yes, I plan on entering this into competition the first one being AQS Des Moines. This has to be done by May 20th, this year!!! So this is my first goal and all I can do is try to make it. I have already made a big change, yesterday had it basted together but I tried to hand quilt but the batting was too thick. I ripped out the small area of quilting and the basting and replaced the batt with Mountain Mist Polyester low loft batt. I just finished outlining the center fruit block and my hand quilting is much, much better. Glad I made the change. Planning on outline everything first then go back and add the "creative quilting". Still thinking about using large circles in the blocks, will let you know later when I decide.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

The 'Bizzy' Bird Farm AKA Roseville Album


Well I finally finished appliqueing....around 3:30 this morning !!! Yes, it was early morning and I couldn't sleep so I kept sewing and sewing and sewing.....as I could see the end. The day before I had to make about 40 more circles. I will count these some day but I think I put in around 450 circles. I think once these circles are made these are the easiest pieces to sew on, one pin to hold and start stitching. As you can see I made many changes on the outside borders. This is where I put many circles and several flowers from the center. I decided to put birds, a cat and a goat on my corners to keep with the animal theme, thus the name change. Today I got it all layered together and basted thanks to the help of my Mom and Karen W. We also basted together Karen's Civil War Bride quilt top, which I will post later for her on that blog site. I'm using Quilters Dream Wool batting. I'm going to outline all the applique and been thinking of a creative way to add more quilting as the busy background fabric will not show off my hand quilting very well. Circles keep coming to mind, large circles. Maybe I just need some sleep. LOL It's been a long and fun journey with this quilt. I'm just so happy that I found this blog site and decided to join in on the fun. I truly enjoy and appreciate all the comments and really like reading each other postings from ladies all around the world....think everyone is having a good time with this blog. Thanks Kim for making such a beautiful quilt and sharing it with the world !

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Flower Pots, Roseville & Hearts & Flowers

This is Nancy Smith's Flower Pots quilt. I love the deep colors she used - they just give it a nice contrast. It is hand-pieced and hand quilted.

And here is Nancy's version of the Roseville Album. It is a smaller quilt minus the inside border blocks.
Here is a close-up.
Last, we have the Hearts and Flowers quilt, beautifully done with many shades of rose, fuchsia and blues. It is amazing how much stitching Nancy gets done but she told me she spends her time stitching and not on the internet.........hmmm, maybe my quilts would come along a little faster if I did the same!! Enjoy and thank you Nancy for sharing your quilts!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Lollypop Trees by Nancy Smith

I got some more photos from Nancy Smith and today I will show her Lollypop Trees. As you can see, Nancy chose her own fabrics, colors and border. Aren't they beautiful?
Nancy has also made over 110 full-sized quilts by hand with 60% of them being applique. She handquilted all but 4 that I machine quilted for her. She is very modest but has many many ribbons she has won for her quilts.
I will post some of her other quilts this week. Isn't this neat - two Nancys and two Lollypop Trees two days in a row! Judith Lockhart

SeasideQuilter: block 8 and 9 Flower Garden

SeasideQuilter: block 8 and 9 Flower Garden

Sunday, April 3, 2011

LollyPop Trees Center


 I finally finished the center of my Lollypop Trees.  Not the best pictures but boy is this quilt big.


I think I am about half finished as there is a lot of applique in the borders but I really like it so far.
Block #7
Wow, this one took some time
all the little flowers
whee, glad this one is done


Flower garden progress

Six more blocks for the ever growing pile. I've really been enjoying colouring them in and choosing fabrics. I've been pleasantly surprised at how fast and easy these are to stitch up. I'm going to have to think about the sashing soon.
 

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Set together


I've been busy today setting this together. Had to lay it out on the deck in order to have enough room to photograph. When I get the outside borders on I will use my stand to get a straight on shot. I'm very pleased with all of it. Will start sewing on my last 2 borders tonight. It's hard to believe that I'm getting low on circles to use on my borders but I did just use 144 of them on the 4 corner blocks (may need my quilting friends again to baste circles). LOL Probably will regret having so many when I'm hand quilting around each of them.....but I really like the extra punch they give to this quilt.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Slowly, but steadily....

Finally finished another Roseville block.  (If I could just stick with one project this might go a bit quicker.)  But I really enjoy the process, so I guess there's no rush.  Here's my latest block--now I'm done with 5, and I've actually worked a bit on a couple others too.  This is not my favorite block, in part because I'm not wild about some of my fabric choices, but I'm trying to leave them be.
The block also has structural issues (why a person shouldn't stitch so late at night).  I'm not sure what to do about it.  If you look at the basket/bowl, you can see the upper edge bulges up instead of being straight across as it should be.  I was initially just going to rip that part out and restitch it, but I can see it is because I must have been following the design of the fabric as I stitched.  If I straighten it out, I'm afraid it will be odd looking with partial pencils.  (I have no idea how that weird bulge came to be since my freezer paper piece is quite clearly straight and the fabric design is straight. 

Well on looking at it again, it seems to be multiple issues.  Part of it seems to be that I dropped down on the sides where it attaches.  It likely should be reworked at some point--when I have more patience and don't make a hole somewhere!

What do you think?  Should I replace that piece of fabric, or should I leave it alone?  I was initially going to use red scales instead of pencils for the basket.  I also am not wild about the fabric I chose for the side pieces of the basket either--they seem too light.  Now would be a good time to switch fabrics if I'm going to.   How badly weird does it look to you (please be brutally honest)?  I've looked at it too much to "see" it at this point.  What would you do?

Cincinnati anyone?

Just wondering if anyone else is planning to go to the International Quilt Festival in Cincinnati next week, April 7-10. I am staying at the Millenium and taking classes with Flavin Glover and Pam Holland. Would love to meet up with anyone from the blog who is also going to be there!