Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Heart Defect Research Quilt

Hello, Feb 26 2014
I think the  FEATHERED HEART APPLIQUE QUILT  is coming along very well. I finished the free-hand quilting, AND the Stitch in the ditch around the blocks. All that is left is the binding and the rod pocket. When there is a quilt show, it is usually required to have a 5" pocket in the back, for a way to hang the quilts. I don't think whoever wins this, will show it, so I am only going to put in a small pocket, for a thin rod, like a small wooden dowel rod.
After I hit the bottom with the Echo-stitching, I still had lots of room in the corners. Normally there would be stipple stitching in there, but my stipple stitching isn't very good. But then the Echo-stitching isn't so great either. As I go out from the center, my points and curved scallops got straighter and less loopy.
I did a small free- hand quilting practice run and told mom I was going to do that in the corners, around small hearts I was going to free-hand quilt. She said I shouldn't, Leave it be. BUT I did it any way. It came out pretty well. I only had to rip out one small part, when I messed up. That wasn't the first time, so no biggie.
So in the corners of the large big center block, I chalk marked around a small heart, stitched around it, plus 2 more times. Then I stitched off of it, and did some loops and did some heart loops. So look close at the free -hand stitching in the corners. I know, the lighting isn't very good, and the flash over exposing it.

Check out the corner where I did some hearts and heart loops.

After i took this, i finished the stitch in the ditch around each block.
I may still do a small satin stitched heart in the middle of each small heart applique, I haven't decided on that yet. Technically you are supposed to quilt to 5". This is from the old days when the batting would disintegrate, so you want stitching to keep it together, and in place.

Love ya diane

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Heart Defect Research Quilt Feb 19 2014

Hello, Feb 19 2014
I worked hard on the Quilt today. I stitched around all of the 89 little pieces.
Sorry I took 4 pictures, 2 with the flash, and two without, none are really that good. I had hoped at least one would show the stitching a bit better.
Quilting around all the 89 little pieces
Maybe  if you click on it, and make it full size. It is AWESOME!!
The picture from the front, you can see the puffy ness around each piece.
Tomorrow and Friday I will work on the echo- stitching around the shape of the heart.
Heart Defect Research Quilt
Don't forget if you donate to my Heart Defect Research Fund, you have a chance on winning the quilt.
http://www.gofundme.com/6psk18

Thank You
love diane

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Hello, Feb 13 2014,
Heart Defect Awareness Week is almost finished. St Valentine's Day is tomorrow.
We were supposed to get our Groceries today, but the weather didn't cooperate.
So I spent the time working on the Quilt. First, I taped down the Backing, then the Batting, and then the Quilt top.
Then I Pin Basted the Quilt. You are supposed to PIN it about every 5" apart. But I was worried about holes showing in the center square.  I then had to move the other Pin Basted Quilt over to the pile of TO DO Items.
Monday I will start the Stitching of the layers together. Free-Hand Quilting.
Pin Basted
Sorry it wasn't the best shot. I couldn't lift the camera up any higher. ::)
Love ya
Don't forget if you donate to my Heart Defect Research fundraiser this can be yours.
http://www.gofundme.com/6psk18
THANK YOU!!
Diane

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Hello  Feb 12 2014
I posted this yesterday as a PS on the other days post.::
Well, the backing part today wasn't going  so well. Plan C. Pictures later. Pooped out.
This is who i will contact about the donation.
https://givetochildrens.org/Ways-to-Give/Direct-Your-Gift/Research
THANK YOU !!

TODAY ::
I ended up going with PLAN E. This is what I was going with yesterday, and it wasn't working. I guess, my mind was not functioning in QUILT mode. As I laid there this morning, UH HA, a Revelation came to me.

DUH!!
I was thinking, NOT Clearly, I would sew the 2 sections together, and then do a Diagonal in the middle. I got to that point, and was looking at the 4 seam allowances, and it was   NOT GOING TO WORK,  at least, not for me.
The quilt turned out a bit bigger than planned, 35 by 35.5, not 32.
The pieces I had, were either Fat quarters ( 18 by 22), Half yards ( 18 by 44) or full yards. The ones I had that were full yards, were the Joann Fabrics ones, and one that was mostly white with no hearts on it. The ones from Joann's, were a bit BUSY, but I had to use them. I also had one from Joann's that said, Faith, Hope, and Charity on it, I think it was a BC one. But at least it had hearts !! ( needed lots for the feathered heart, I didn't want the same pieces too close together)

The bigger ones I cut a 20 by 20 and the smaller one I cut 18 by 18, and, well, no good.
This morning, I took the large Moda Marbles Dark Hot Pink, it was barely 34 by 40. I only needed a little more. Yesterday, it got to the point, I DID NOT want to piece the backing, Especially down the center, and have it behind the large Feathered heart. Or only add a small 3" piece onto one side, and look lopsided. SO  I cut 3 -2.5 " strips to use in the border, off of the Hot Pink. Then got JACK ( the ripper) and took apart the seams on half of the above. Chopped off 2- 5" strips and sewed those to each side of the large Hot Pink, now about 28 by 37.
WALA!!


Backing of the quilt !!

WHEW!! By then it was 1pm, ( Home alone) and pooped.
Nappy time, tomorrow or the next day, I will work on pinning the layers together.

http://www.gofundme.com/6psk18

Love DEK



Monday, February 10, 2014

Hello   Feb 10 2014
Well the Heart Defect Quilt Fundraiser is going slow. I did complete the quilt top. Rather then go up to the quilt store, AGAIN, i used as the sashing, the fabrics that I had. It is a little busier than I had planned, but is still BEAUTIFUL!!

HEART DEFECT QUILT
Tomorrow I need to cut 4 pieces to sew together into the back panel, 19 by 19.
It is about 35"  by 35. 1/4".
And find where I put the white cotten batting.
There are a few surprises in it. LOL!! ♥
Just hoping i can manage the feathering in the free-hand quilting.
Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Heart Defect Quilt Fundraiser.
http://www.gofundme.com/6psk18

Love Ya Diane

#CHDAWARENESS
#CONGENITALHEARTDEFECTAWARENESS

In order to find CHD's we are advocating Pulse Oximetry testing of all Newborns. It won't find all, but most. This is SOO important. The Doctors need to find out if a baby has a CHD before it is discharged, so treatment can begin immediately.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-brown/heart-defects-babies_b_4737818.html


Story in the local paper about a boy who never knew he had a CHD. He went for an medical exam, and dr heard a Murmur.
http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourallekiskivalley/yourallekiskivalleymore/5457115-87/heart-gregory-guzzo#axzz2rutW2Obq

Children's Heart Foundation is doing great work funding research.
http://www.childrensheartfoundation.org/

AHA does some CHD research, but the bulk is adult Heart Disease, not Defect research.
American Heart Association information on CHD
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/CardiovascularConditionsofChildhood/Commonly-Asked-Questions-About-Children-and-Heart-Disease_UCM_311917_Article.jsp

Congenital Heart Information Network
http://tchin.org/

Adult Congenital Heart Association
http://www.achaheart.org/

Mended Little Hearts Local is Southwestern Pennsylvania
http://www.swpa.mendedlittlehearts.net/

The other item we are ADVOCATING for is the ECG Screening for students going into sports.
Next time i will try to add some links for friends i have that are doing screenings, raising funds to do more across the US.

diane

Monday, February 3, 2014

Hello
Feb 3 2014
Ma and Pa were away to their Class reunion get together. SO home alone, I worked hard on the Heart Defect Awareness Quilt center, the Feathered Heart. WHEW!!  Very difficult and forgot about the main thing with appliques, you gotta turn it upside down, so when you trace it and then stick it to the background it is correct side up or orientation. So the numbered pieces were not on the correct side. I had to WING it big.
I had my desk lamp under the kitchen table and opened up the center section for the leaf, that way I could see the Heart outlines through the pink fabric.

Heart outline with the table center opened up
That big thingy on the right is Ma's fryer she bought. $$.

89 little pieces. which didn't go together as well as i had hoped

The little pieces didn't go together that well, there was some Pink showing through. But when I stitch around them all, hopefully all you see is the stitching. Of course, my free -hand outline stitching is SOSO.


Will do my best, that is all I can do.

This is the fundraising page, please support me.
http://www.gofundme.com/6psk18

Thank you.
Love diane