Word Play Quilts, Zaren's Quilt

This book by Tonya Ricucci is one book I am so glad I purchased.  It has so many wonderful ways to add words to your quilt.  It is so easy, I have started making quilts for grandkids with their names on them.  The good part about it is the easy to follow directions for each letter that are in the back of the book.  I have enjoyed reading the book from cover to cover and trying the many ways to make numbers and letters in a quilt.  If you, like myself, are more of an art quilter or have never made a quilt and would like to.  Then this is the book for you.  Also this is the latest quilt top that I am making for my grandson.  It is just a small cuddle quilt, but I think that kids like having a small quilt to drag around.

Now it's your turn to go and make your own.

Dalayla's Day With The Long Arm Quilter

My granddaughter, Dalayla, came to spend part of the Summer with me and we had such a great time sewing together.  She took to sewing like she had been sewing all her life.  Well she did spend a lot of time with me when she was a toddler.
One thing we did while she was here was to go to one of my quilting sister's, Jean, and quilt Dalayla's quilt on Jeans long arm.
Here is a video of Dalayla using the machine

Cathedral Windows Quilt

The Cathedral Window Quilt pattern is gorgeous. The Origami-like folding of fabric, the jewel like tones of the "windows", the layers of fabric and stitching - all combine to create an amazing, complex looking quilt. The reality is that the process is not that hard, and with a little learning and patience, you can do it quite easily.
Well this blog post is not a tutorial. It is a story about my experience with the pattern.  I taught myself to make the block when I got a little card in the mail with the instructions on it I learned to make the block very quickly and before I knew it, I had completed 4 panels. It is a very addictive block to make.  It is done by hand and you quilt as you go, so as you finish a block , you are also finishing your quilt.
This is my story about the Cathedral Windows quilt and my experience.  I started teaching a group of women from my church to make the block a few years ago, but right in the middle of learning the block, I moved away and I did not get a chance to see any of the finished quilts in that group.
Well back in June 2011 I was in Cedar Rapids and visiting the church when Lois, one of the ladies in that group came to me and said, "I would like for you to see my quilt" she said that after I left she continued to work on her quilt and it took her about 5 years to complete the quilt. She was so proud of her quilt and I was too.  She let me take pictures of her quilt and said that she did not mind if I put the pictures on my blog.  I just want to say that this is a very fun easy quilt to make.  I looks hard. But when you finish a quilt you will be so happy you made it. There are so many tutorials on the internet to show you how to make one, and so many ideas.  I made mine and while making it I got the big idea to add photos in the windows. So some of my CW quilt has photos of my family and friends.
Here are pictures of Lois and her quilt.

Now I know that this makes you want to get started on your own Cathedral Windows quilt.

Edit Profile - Threads

Sewing and displaying what I sew is so fun to do.  There are many sites on the internet that makes it easy.

Edit Profile - Threads

Neck Tie Quilt

I am finally creating at a good pace and it feels good.  Good enough to write a blog post about it.
A few years ago, my cousin presented me with a tote full of neckties (thank you CeCe) and through the years I have added to that collection by going to the thrift store and buying more, and by taking any and every tie that was donated to my collection. I ended up with a barrel of ties.  My darling husband was so kind to take three days and make ready all my ties by cutting them open and taking all the filling out.  Thank you Bobby.
I decided that I would make a quilt out of the ties first, then what is left will go into a jacket.  I did not realize all the beautiful ties I had collected, my husband even traded a couple of his ties for the ones he found in my barrel.  There are silk, satin,cotton,wool, and also some polyester.
I have started on the quilt first, I decided to use the foundation piecing method since I have all different kinds of fabric and textures. It is hard to use some of the ties because they are so beautiful, I keep putting different ones back for the coat.  So now I am closing my eyes and whatever tie I pull out, I have to use.  That makes it a lot easier.  I am going to put the quilt together row by row as I go along.  I am not going to worry about what colors or textures should go next to what, it is an art quilt that when it is done, won't win any contests(?) but will be beautiful in it's right.  I will continue to post about this quilt and when it is done you will see.  My husband said "if you don't do anything with these ties after I have done all this work, I will not do anything like this again" So that is another instinctive reason for me to get this quilt done.

As you can see, there are many nice ties going into this quilt.

Here is a picture of my first block. 

Here is a sneak preview of the cuddle quilt I just finished for the quilt guild that I belong to. Go over and take a look at that blog also.