Quilt Projects Done!

I finished it! What a fun and easy project this was and I used up some of my recycled sheet stash. I machine quilted it.

 I used a delicate pink stripe sheet for the binding.

 And a pretty pink rose sheet for the backing. The only thing  I had to buy was the quilt batting. It's so soft already.

  Remember the vintage hexie squares I showed you a few weeks ago? I experimented and made a mug rug.

 I guess I got kind of carried away. I love bringing new life to these pretty hexies. Aren't they cute all strung in a row?

 Each one was hand sewn and made of different fabrics. The fabrics are from the 1930's or 40's. I made little mug quilts and added a backing and batting and then machine quilted around the edges. I'll be listing these in my Etsy shop later this week, so go take a look. These would make great little gifts or stocking stuffers. I know I'll be making more of these-so fun!

 Another look at the morning glory, just about to bloom. Each day I love to look at the purple and pink flowers it gives.

Even though my mind is on fall, it still feels like summer here. I hope you have a great week ahead. Happy Labor Day!
Leslie

Bonjour, Montreal!

We dropped off son in Montreal last week. Hubby and son drove up (3 day drive) and I flew up and met them. Hubby and I drove home together (another 3 day drive). That way son could bring his stuff and we didn't have to leave Bowie as long.

 Montreal is beautiful city. There are many historic buildings and churches.

 Rue St. Catherine is all decked out for blocks.

 McGill University is a gorgeous campus.

 It feels almost medieval on some parts of the campus.

 Here he is, in front of the huge music building, where he'll be spending most of his time. We shopped and got him settled in his apartment, so not much sight seeing this time. It was so hard to say good-bye.  I felt like I was in Paris or Europe.  I can't wait to go back and see more of this city.

 Before I left, I laid out the the sheet quilt top on the kitchen table and pinned the layers to the batting and backing.

 I used my walking foot to machine quilt it. I just need to hand sew the binding to finish it off.

It's good to be home. Super hot here in Texas, but looking forward to cooling down this fall. Hope you are enjoying the last bits of summer.
Leslie

Piles of Lovely

I started collecting hoarding vintage sheets awhile ago and have gotten quite a stack. I have finally decided to so something with them.

 Cutting 5" squares is easy and fun with the rotary cutter. It gives me a chance to look at each design as I go. Some of these sheets were from my Mom's house and I remember them.

 As this pile gets shorter,

 The cut squares pile gets bigger.

 Here they are ready and waiting for my next project. I love all the pastel goodness-yellows, pinks, blues and greens. A quilt will be in the making around here.

 I also have had this lovely pile of vintage hexies that I found at a thrift store. All hand sewn-not paper pieced-so I don't know how she accomplished this beautiful pile of hexies from those lovely vintage prints. Each one is made of different fabrics and each is a little work of art.

Trying to decide what to do with these. Not a quilt, because I don't know how I'd join them without paper piecing. Still thinking about that. I've been so excited about crafting again and it's absolutely too hot to do anything outside. I'll keep you posted on my progress. As always, I love reading your comments and visiting your blogs. Hope you are having a wonderful week!
Leslie

Quilt Rescues

You've seen many of my quilts in this blog. Today I'm showing you my rescue quilts. You know-the ones you find bunched up at a garage sale or in a bag at a thrift store. These are mostly those. I have these in my bedroom. Part of the reason I used green with a little pink in the bedroom, was so I could display these pretty quilts.

This was my first rescue. My Mom found an old doctors bag at an auction and won it and inside were these colorful 9 patch squares. I hung on to them from  high school and when I got married, finally sewed them together, added batting and backing and hand quilted the top.  Not that I knew what I was doing.

I even made up the little flower design.I wish I still had that leather doctors bag!

Then my Mom found a few wonderful sets of Sun Bonnet Sue squares. I added the pink and again hand quilted.

I just loved the color combinations that someone put  into these squares.

She found these squares in Arkansas. Someone had such a great eye for color. I like to think of some other women taking time to put this together and for some reason never got to finish it. Did life get in the way? Maybe a family member got sick. Maybe she died. Who knows, but for some reason I feel these must be rescued.

Look at these wonderful appliqued squares.

This top I found at a flea market and loved the colors. I had to do a few repairs. I quilted this when we were having a house built in Arizona. I've had it on a wall in every house since. I think it almost looks like modern art.

Here is my pile in the laundry room. Some quilts are already finished when I rescue them. A few have been made by my Great Grandmas and were given to me by my Mom.

I found this treasure years ago at a flea market. All the hexes were put together, again with beautiful color combinations. The extra fabric was even in the bag. What a find!

Look at those 40's prints!

I've been seeing hexies all over the internet and think it's time to do something with this. I've never worked with a pattern like this, so it will require some research.I guess this is the only way I could afford a quilt collection. Don't overlook the lonely thrift store quilts. With some love and cleaning they can have a new life. Here's my most recent estate sale find.

Can't wait to get started. I've had this nagging cold for the past week and am dying to spring into action around here. I refuse to let this stupid cold hold me back. Hope you are all healthy and getting ready for spring.

Leslie

Scrappy Quilt

I finished tying the quilt top that I found at an estate sale.I used an old white sheet for the backing, red scrap fabric for the binding and red thread for the ties.

Here it is laid out on the floor. The quilt sandwich. Backing, batting and top. I pinned it with safety pins and then tied it the corners of each square.

These little clips are the best! No pinning for the binding. I love them.

I sew the front edge of the binding on with the machine, and hand sew the back side. It's just the way I've done it in the past.

Here it is on the bed. I just love all the happy, scrappy, vintage colors. None of the edges are even, but it makes it kind of homey.

 The perfect thing to do, when it was rainy and ugly because it's so warm on your lap when you are sewing on the binding.

I got my new computer and am trying to figure out Windows 8 as I go along. I've got my paint and sand paper and am ready to start on my kitchen cabinets next week. I can't wait to get that over with. What projects are you working on?.Joining Rednesday. Go over and see other reds at It's a Very Cherry World. Hope you have a good week!
Leslie

January Days

It's been a really busy week. We've been doing little repairs and fixes that we like to get out of the way at the beginning of the year. Like caulking, fixing a leaky washing machine(thanks, youtube),and painting door frames. Stuff that doesn't look like you've done a thing, but feels good to get it out of the way. 

 My next big project is to tie the quilt top I got at  an estate sale recently. I just love the colorful scrappy top.I will be painting my kitchen cabinets soon, so stay tuned for that. 

I've also been shopping for a new computer-mine is on it's last leg. I had fun putting this collage together of most of my craft projects from 2012.

The weather is warming up a little and the sun is out. Looking forward to doing some new projects this year and finishing some of the old ones. Happy Week to you!!
Leslie

My Great Grandmas Quilt

My Favorite Thing is my Great Grandmothers hand sewn quilt.I never met her, but my Mom would tell me stories about her. This quilt has been hung, draped, or folded in every house we've lived in, since my Mom gave it to me. It now resides in my craftroom/guest room. It was the inspiration for the colors in there.
I wanted to have some red and pink so I added those in to the color scheme. This quilt was also what started my genealogy search. I wanted to know more. This would be something I would grab if we ever had a fire,(besides my boxes and boxes of pictures).
I'm joining Mockingbird Hill Cottage's new party A Favorite Thing. Go check out the other favorite things. I hope you all have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Leslie