Donna's Quilts 4U2C

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

QuiltMaker Scrap Squad - Project 2

This is the 2nd project for the Quiltmaker Scrap Squad.

This pattern, Raspberry Dessert, was designed by Julie Herman of Jay Bird Quilts. She is a very talented designer and has lots to look at on her web site. It is definitely worth a look to see her patterns and the other things she is doing. Julie is providing a FREE PATTERN giveaway at each of the Scrap Squad member's blog. There are eight of us.

April 5, 2011 9:45 AM   WE HAVE A WINNER!
Using the random generator at random.org, number 23 was selected from the 65 comments on my Raspberry Dessert.

                                       The WINNER IS: Marcia Burt

Congratulations Marcia, I will be emailing you to get your mailing address so that Quiltmaker can mail you the Jay Bird Quilts pattern.
Please respond within 48 hours (10AM April 7, 2011) or another winner will be selected.

Thank you all for the lovely comments you made. I appreciate it very much. Hope you will visit my blog again. We, in the Scrap Squad, are all looking forward to our next project, which will be coming up soon. Watch for the next "reveal date" at Quilty Pleasures
See other Quiltmaker Scrap Squad member's blogs to check their winners
Dionne
Jane
Ruthie
Kim
Linda
Pat
Carol

Also, Quiltmaker is having a fabric giveaway on QUILTY PLEASURES.
   Click on this link to go to their site for instructions on how to enter the Free Fabric giveaway.

There are also links to what is going on with the Quiltmaker Scrap Squad at QuiltersClubofAmerica
Just click on "Groups" and you will see our logo. To see pictures, click on "Media" and there is always conversations and comments.

                         Quiltmaker's Raspberry Dessert - Finished March 2011

This is my finished Raspberry Dessert   (called RAS)

I made my RAS in fruity colors for a light weight summer quilt. The squares in the black & white border represent pieces of the dessert or cobbler. The quilt is backed with a small checked black and white gingham.

The pattern used 2" strips and 3 1/2" squares. I chose a dark for the center, then a medium and light color for the strips to go around the center square.

To organize my block making, I cut Post-It notes with the sizes and number of strips it would take from each color way to make two "Y" blocks and two "Z" blocks. I then labeled them if they were to be cut from the dark, medium, light, or background strips. This made chain piecing the blocks a breeze!

This is how the Y & Z blocks went together to make a larger block.

When I laid out the blocks, I could see that I didn't like the way the yellow block looked. There was not enough contrast in the center.

I un-sewed the center of the four "Y" and "Z" blocks and replaced them with a darker center and liked them much better.

This is the block that is used to set in the "on point" blocks. I had never used a pieced set-in block like this before, but it went in very easy.

The block has to be trimmed to straighten the outside edge, after it has been set in.

Since those edges are on the bias, I sewed my first border piece on to help stabilize the edge before I trimmed it.

The 3 1/2" squares are framed with a 1 1/2" piece of border print to make the corners have a special look of "pieces of dessert".

A black & white gingham backing was added, quilted and a black binding finished the Raspberry Dessert just in time for a nice spring time nap!

April 5, 2011 Selected from a random drawing,

The Winner is: MARCIA BURT

To enter this giveaway, leave your comment at the bottom of this post by midnight, Monday, April 4th.

The pattern is provided by Julie Herman of Jay Birds Quilts.

All of the comments will be entered into a random drawing.
On Tuesday, April 5^th, a winner will be selected and the winner’s name will be posted here. Come back and visit this post to see if you are the winner. Good Luck to all of you!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Crafts other than Quilting (Oil & Tole Painting, Cross Stitch)

Other than Quilting, some of the crafts that I like best are oil painting, tole painting, cross stitch and other needle work.

Most of these painting were done in the 1970’s and 1980’s before I started quilting. The last one of the Pink Daisies was done in 2010.

Home at Centerton

This oil painting was a gift to my parents on their 50^th wedding anniversary. This is the house where I was raised in Centerton, Arkansas. A photo of the house is in the bottom right corner.

Red Birds in Snow

The Sugar Shack

This oil, called “The Sugar Shack” was done in a class.

Hunting Dog and Quails

“The Hunting Dog and Quails” I drew from looking at a picture in a magazine.

Ducks on Pond

This oil of “Ducks on the Pond” was done in a class. All with a pallet knife instead of a brush. Was a fun project.

Mother & Daughter

Oil on Canvas, done 1978

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Baby Quilts

This is the first quilt that I ever made. We were living in Alaska, where my husband was stationed during the Korean War in 1954. I desided that I would make a quilt, so bought an applique pattern and fabric. I did one block and thought that was enough for me! Since I was expecting a baby, I made the block into a baby quilt. I can't believe how close I maching quilted that little quilt on an old electric portable machine. Except for the satin binding, it has held up quite well over 56 years.

It was many years before I really found the joy of making quilts. Now it is my passion and I make way too many!

Steve's 1st Baby Quilt 1954

Detail quilt

My next attempt at a quilt was in 1956 when Steve was about a year old. I didn't have any fabric, so use the sides of a worn out pink sheet and a worn out white sheet. The animal patterns were drawn from a magazine article. You had to draw squares, then draw the the pattern to the paper. Each were about 4 inches high. I cut out the shapes and used a fabric marker to draw the features, then zig-zagged the pink animals to the white background. This was before "Wonder-under" so had to be really careful of the edges. Much of the quilt is now in tatters, but I still love it. The quilting is pretty pittiful. I used the pattern to make a granddaughter a little quilt about 20 years ago. It is just painted, not appliqued.

Steve's 1956 Baby quilt

Dog

Bear

Cat

Rabbit

Pig

This is the painted version of the blocks made for grand-daughter Lindsay.

Lindsay's quilt (can't get it to rotate)

Painted block from Lindsay's quilt

Painted Bear Block from Lindsay's quilt

Friday, January 28, 2011

Quiltmaker Scrap Squad 1st project

Since late December, when I was selected to be one of eight Quiltmaker's 2011 Scrap Squad members, we have been busy, busy, busy trying out the new pattern Rhapsody in Bloom. It is a beautiful pattern designed by a teen age boy,

Doug Leko of Antler QUilt Design.

It is amazing to see how eight different quilters can take one pattern, choose their own fabrics and come up with eight different, beautiful quilts.

Here is how I choose the fabrics and made the pattern into a wall hanging or table topper.

Four Rhapsody In Bloom blocks

Fabrics I choose: Border Print and Batiks

Center Block

Mitered Corners from Border Prints & borders

This is how 4 blocks and 3 borders made the finished Rhapsody in Bloom. This is before it was quilted.
40 x 40 inches.

I tried it as a wall hanging, there are some old pictures on the wall of my husband, Clarence & I in 1952, and one of our grandaughters, Lindsay and Liz when they were young.

The last is how the quilt looks as a table topper.

I was happy with this project and can't wait until we get our next assignment!

Some links you can find all Scrap Squad members work at is the http://www.Quiltmaker.com/blogs/quiltypleasures/2011/01/28/qm-scrap-squad-interpets-rhapsody-in-bloom
and at http://www.quiltersclubofamerica.com/groups/qmsrapsquad/default.aspx

All members have personal blogs too.

Donna:    http://www.donnaquilts4u2c.blogspot.com/

Dionne:   http://www.sewmanyquilts.blogspot.com/

Jane:      http://www..forestjane.blogspot.com/

Ruthie:   http://threadsofmine.blogspot.com/

Kim       http://pokeytown3.blogspot.com/

Linda:    http://linfer101.blogspot.com/

Pat        http://quilttown.blogspot.com/

Carol:   http://www.quiltwithus.connectingthreads.com/profile/Carol%20Vickers/

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Kaleidoscope quilts

I have found it exciting to make these 4-patch kaleidoscope blocks. Always something unexpected will pop up! The 4-patch with a narrow framing strip and corner will make a unique block that can be set on point or as a straight set. Large florals with lots of contrast, really ugly scrap prints all turn out good.

Including a step by step "how-to-board" I used in a class I taught.

1. Find the pattern repeat in fabric, usually about 15 to 18 inches apart.

2. Cut and align 4 pattern repeats, pin well. cut 3 1/2" strips

3.Cut the 4 identical strips into 3 1/2" blocks

4. Arrange 4 squares into a kaleidoscope design. Like kind of

centers together. Sew into a 4- patch block. Press. Block

should be 6 1/2" square.

5. Sew 1 1/2" framing pieces to sides. Press

6. Sew framing cornerstones to 2 framing pieces. Press

7. Sew framing pieces from step 6 to top and bottom of block.

8.Press. Finished block should now be 8 1/2"

Bright table runner..... also made a throw from this fabric

This fabric, I considered really ugly! I bought it on a trip to Jamaica. It had good colors and definite pattern repeats. Turned out to be about the wildest quilt that I have ever made.

No doubt you can tell that I haven't found how to rotate my pictures yet! All the quilts are sideways. Will fix them when I find out how!

I love this floral pattern. There are no identical blocks in the quilt. All are made from the border fabric.

Pink and Brown have always been a favorite. Each block was like a little present when it was stitched together.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Christmas Quilts

Every year I try to make a new Christmas Quilt, in hopes that in years to come my kids and grandkids will enjoy them like I do.

2009 Guthrie Quilting Friends sampler block exchange

2010 Partridge in a Pear Tree

2008 Sampler

This Rag Santa is over 6 feet tall. I can't get the picture rotated so we will have to look at it side-ways :) The front and back are different. Each square is made with flannel between. Rows sewed together then clipped, washed, and dryed.