quilting again?

Wynonna just finished her last quilting project a pretty tote bag, but she is not home so i can't take a pic of it, it came out really pretty though... The next project is a rail fence pattern quilt and this is a pic of the fabrics I bought...I will post when she gets the quilt top together...

That's gonna be so pretty! Are you able to get a good deal on the fabrics and... I can't think of what it's called for some reason. The stuff in between the top and bottom? I'm just curious because I'd love to do some quilting one day (when all the kids are in school) but I'm thinking I'll do it the old fashioned way and use our old clothes and sheets and stuff. I like the idea of recycling the fabrics that way. But I may want to start on simpler things with less sewing (kind of like the first one Wynonna did) so I'm thinking that for my first few I'll need to just buy fabric. And the last time I bought fabric it was expensive.

I watch my local Marden's ( for those of you who don't have one it's a salvage store) I buy all my fabrics from there, they have 4 times the selection of our Super Walmart and there are no fabric stores up here. Marden's has a ton of fabric, but they have one big long wall that is $1.99 a yard. I usually look for my fabric on that wall, sometimes I may have to get a yard or two at regular price. Every piece of fabric I have ever bought there is great, even though it's a salvage store the fabric is not damaged or stained or anything. I think most of it is leftover inventory from stores that were going out of business... The batting (stuff in between the top and bottom I buy at Walmart, it's $7.95 for a bag which will do up to a queen size quilt. I also save every scrap that she doesn't use and put that in a scrap bag. I have kept an eye out at the local Good Samaratins, for sheets, etc, that might be cut into fabric for quilts, but haven't had much luck though...

I love it when you post photos of her quilts for us. It's fun seeing w hat everyone else is up to.

I am making good progress on my first scrap quilt. It's a spider web pattern, and I'm not editing my colors or fabrics at all. Everything goes, from Christmas fabric to metallics to pastels. If it's a scrap - it's going in there. I have all the sub-units finished. Now I need to get 4 sub-units sewn together to make blocks, then on to the rows. I plan on trying to finish that this weekend. I'll post a pic w hen I finfish it!

Our second "scrap" quilt (I joined a scrappy group that meets at our local shop) turned out to be not so scrappy at all. I say that because the pattern calls for 40 medium to dark "worms" (strips cut 2.5 inches by width of fabric) and 16 plus light "worms". They all need to coordinate with a focal fabric or stripe. *sigh* I think I know what I plan on doing on that one, and have my dark strips cut. Now I just need to make it work. And if it does work, it's going to be for my bed.

I like posting her quilt pics too, I am very proud that she likes to quilt and does so well. My grandmother used to quilt and no one in the family quilts, besides me and I haven't been doing any quilting for a long time..so she is kind of taking over the tradition... I would love to see pics of everyones projects, quilting or otherwise! Please do post when you are ready, I think Erin mentioned that she was hand quilting one , I would like to see hers when it's done too... I myself have always wanted to do a charm quilt for Wynonna and Jayson for when they get married, but it takes 1000 different fabrics (though only one 6 in piece of each kind of fabric).

Batting! That was the word I was looking for! I knew it, I just couldn't think of it.

$1.99 a yard isn't bad at all! I could manage that. I don't have many places around here that have fabric at a low price. Our Wal-mart used to carry it, but they took it out when they remodeled. There's a discount fabric place about an hour away, but I haven't been there in an age. I have no idea how much they charge anymore. I'll have to check it out.

I did just find some fabric at a local second-hand store. I paid about $28 total for 4 different fabrics. Two are coat lining material, but bright pink and bright purple so I knew Zoe would find a use for them. I'm thinking she'll make tents. The other two were satins. One was buttery yellow and the other was a midnight blue. They had them on bolts and I haven't even pulled them off the bolts to see how much there was on there, but it has to be 10-20 yards of each color. I'm going to make Zaven curtains out of the blue. And I'm thinking I may make a quilt out of the blue and yellow if I can come up with a design I like that I think I can do. I'd like to do a moon and stars sort of effect, but it would have to be very stylized or I would have to get a whole lot better at sewing.

WOW, that is gonna be pretty. I can't buy any batting at Walmart, they don't sell warm and natural, and that is all I use. I prefer the cotton batting, since it doesn't wear thru like poly.
I am hitting the fabric stores in Houston soon, I need to build another stash.

I got some Cranberry velvet at a garage sale this monring, about 15 yards for $5....I am going to make a duvet cover, or maybe a bedspread and curtains....I don't know.

I have given up on the hand quilting for now, it got too big and I got less time.

Where do you find cotton batting? I want to use cotton. I like it SO much better.

Very pretty colors! I haven't quilted in years. I have been saving my sons blue jeans and cutting the legs off. He can only wear them for about 3 months before they are too short and I just couldn't see throwing them out. I donated a ton, then decided I'm gonna start saving them. I would like to make a quilt maybe incorporate his boy scout patches, eventually.

I get it at Joanns, or Hobby Lobby, sometimes amazon, sometimes ebay.
If I don't feel like cutting it into squares, I get them precut on ebay...saves time!

I debated for a long time on the colors of the fabric I was going to get. I wanted reds, pinks and whites/off-whites (which is what I did purchase) but I also wanted to do a red, white, and blue one too. But ultimately I couldn't afford to buy material for two quilts. I will wait for my $50.00 global test market check and get the batting and backing material for this fabric pictured above. That way Wynonna will have all the fabric for this project. When I get that $50.00 check for the focus group I did yesterday then I will get material to for a red white and blue quilt (but I think I am going to make that quilt instead of Wynonna) I just don't know which pattern I want to do yet.

While at the FFA banquet tonight I was looking at the highschool showcase in the cafeteria at the quilting classes latest finished quilts on display. One of the girls in Wynonna's class made a beautiful quilt done in teals, greens, and browns, it was gorgeous! I never would have thought to put the green in with the teal and brown and it just put the perfect touch in it. Wynonnas quilting classmates are all very talented..

I really like the colors and prints you've selected. When I've made quilts (not but a couple of bed size, but several crib size( I've elected to use the cotton or flannel batting... doesn't seem to pile or redistribute like the fuzzy stuff can). I think it's really great that Wyonna has taken such an interest in a dying craft... although, with the economy the way it is, maybe more and more poeple will do that.

I rememember many years ago, when Grama was moving from her house to an adult living care, and us grandkids cleaned out her home. I took the few quilts she had. I asked her about them, as I wanted to know the history, and she just poop poop them... said something like "oh, only us poor folks made those... ) But honestly, they were beautiful, but you could see that she didn't go buy cordinating fabrics to make them, but rather used pieces of clothing, etc... and they were beautiful! And half hand sewn and a little machine.

Dee, my grandma grew up on a farm. She had poor eyesight due to having scarlet fever (I think) as a child, so her sister Mary did all the quilting and most of the sewing. My Grandma did all the canning instead. My Great Aunt MAry made quilts with clothing, feed sacks, and one really masculine one that she made with old coats. That one was given to my brother. It's drab looking as far as color, but the textures are incredible and it's very heavy and warm.

It sort of skipped a generation, but quilting is back with a vengeance. It's more of a hobby and artform now though, rather than a necessity.

I finished my spiderweb quilt but I'm too exhausted now to bother trying to photograph it. I'll try to post a photo tomorrow.

Wynonna brought the tote she quilted home yesterday, and took the material in the pic above to school this morning so she can start cutting fabric for the rail fence quilt. I said I would post the pic of the tote she made so here it is..

She did good, what pattern did she use? I have one similar, but haven't decided if i want to use the pattern as is, or adjust it.

I don't know, she used a pattern from school. The teacher has all kinds of stuff available to them. She didn't bother bringing anything home for this one because the fabrics she picked from the scrap drawer at school and she never brought anything home, she completed it class in 2-3 days.

very nice

Cool, they are usually pretty easy.
I ordered another Embroidery/sewing machine last night, hopefully it will be here in a week or so. I also ordered a bunch of Charm packs and Fat quarters. I cannot wait to start sewing regularly again.

Lovely selection of fabrics for the rail fence project!

One thing to keep in mind about using sheets for quilting projects is that they are more tightly woven than calicos or muslins, so if you're planning on hand quilting, it could give you problems. And watch out for the polyester blends too, especially the ones that are more than 50% polyester.

I've used sheets for all sorts of home decor projects instead. An ironing board cover, a couple of nice shower curtains (used with a vinyl inner curtain liner, of course), accent table cloths, and all sorts of other projects. The yardage is a bargain if you can find sheets or pillow cases on clearance sales.

I've got tons of quilting books and patterns, plus I "inherited" a huge pile more of them from a neighbor's house when she passed away and her kids weren't interested in them. I even got a shopping bag full of fabric for an entire log cabin quilt that had one block already pieced as an example. It amazes me what people think has no value. At least the kids and grandkids kept most of the framed needlework even though they didn't want the "makings" of more.

Since I've got this bounty of quilting magazine and patterns, I'd be happy to share some with my UB friends who could put them to good use. Money is tight (no joke, as we all know), so a trade or some sort to help cover postage costs would be welcome, but not required.

Thank you everyone....Thats really sweet Nyssa, I may actually take you up on that. Do you have some with easier beginner patterns, or simple patterns? Wynonna is new to quilting, and I am quite rusty. Patterns like the rail fence that we picked for her to do are really quite simple, but look very complicated. Wynonna also does embroidery...she is in the process of embroidering squares for a couple baby quilts she wants to make for her someday children and someday nieces and/or nephews.

Kelly, when I started quilting a few years back, the Quilter's Cache website was an enormous help. She has been very generoous with offering her patterns for free, and because people post photos after they complete a project you can get a great idea of how a project will turn out in many different colorways.

http://www.quilterscache.com/

To go directly to the block patters:

http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html

When you go to the alphabetical lists you can easily see how difficult each pattern is, and whether or not it includes any applique. Here are a couple of photos that I've posted of finished projects I did using Marsha's patterns:

Morning Star (so easy):
http://www.quilterscache.com/images13/lorimorningstar.jpg

Pink Ribbon (that I changed to gold to reflect a patriotic theme):
http://www.quilterscache.com/images19/lorisGIS.jpg

OMG lori, those are beautiful! I would love to do the ribbon one, but in pink for my mom who is a breast cancer survivor..though I love the patriotic one you made. The morning star one is very pretty, it looks like something I would pick for my bed...you are very talented..

I made a really pretty table runner/wallhanging using the pink ribbon and donated it to the hospital's Walk For Life group when it was raising money. I also made a table runner for my sister-in-law who is a survivor. It's a very pretty pattern. As long as you choose the right fabrics, it looks just wonderful.

Gorgeous Lori!!!

I'm so impressed. Nyssa, that is an amazingly generous offer. How very kind of you! I would take you up on it but I have a toddler. No sewing or quilting going on here until he starts preschool.