Diane and her Heart Defect Research Quilt

Hello, March 14, Friday.
Wednesday I sent off the quilt to the winner, Mary D. I am sure it is going to a good home. :(
Sniff Sniff, missing it.  :)
I had Ma take one last picture, so you could see what it looks like finished, and a rod in the Rod pocket. But she isn't use to the new fangled cameras and chopped my head half off.
She hasn't taken many pictures since the days of her Brownie.

Diane and the Heart Defect Research Quilt

I have already heard from both organizations, ( CHP's foundation, and UPMC's Development office, for CVI)  and as soon as the monies clear out from Go Fund Me's  We Pay account, i will send off checks to both groups. My $1020, when withdrawn, minus the fees, came to $930.78. Fees than were $89.22,   8.74%. Which is about what they have in the FAQ's.
THANK YOU all for the Support, Donations,  and Love !!
Who knows, if able, maybe I will do it again in 2 years. BUT forget about those 89 little pieces, something a bit easier.

Love Diane

PS 
Plus, Cash on hand, checks, I never added into the G F M, in case they took fees out on it too. $121.
$1051.78  total
But WOW !! THANK YOU AGAIN!!

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

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

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

Bunny Quilts Oct 3 2013

Hello  I did these Bunny Quilts some time ago. I used the Fusible web to attach the pieces. I did some painting along the edges, and sewing around some.

 This one is a bit bigger, i did appliques in the corners.

CUTE !!

ASUS Tablet Case Oct 3 2013

Hello Oct 3 2013
I got a COOL ASUS Tablet at Staples. It was on clearance. Later I got a Transformer 300T Keyboard Dock through Sears.com.  I had it delivered to Sears, picked up there, that way didn't have to pay shipping.
BUT i made the Quilted case before i bought the Keyboard Dock, so it is now too small. I need to make a bigger one. Plus, i bought this plastic case for it, and even with that on, it no longer fits. :(

 

 I added piping to the bottom and top edges. I rounded the top edge, kinda using a dinner plate as a guide.

 

 I quilted around the Paisley motifs, and used the walking foot to sew up the straight edges of each row.

 I sized it up with the 10" Tablet.

Inside out to sew the edges together, and show off the quilting. I didn't need to do the piping the whole way along the edges.

It does fit, before the Keyboard dock, and Plastic /rubber case thingy i had bought, after i dropped it on the tile floor at CHP.

COOL!! Needs a  closure of some kind now.

Lazer Cut - Appliqued Quilt

May 26 2013
Hello
Every year my sister goes to the Houston Tx International Quilt show. I had asked her to buy me a laser cut nativity, a cut out, that i had seen in a local quilt store. I even sent her a link to the item.
When she went to the show, she instead found, and bought a kit for a cut out nativity quilt. The kit included a magazine, Quilt It For Christmas 2003, which had an applique designed by Dilys Fronks. It also included instructions and the pattern for the nativity. It came with orangeish batik fabric, which i did not care for, but i had some beautiful blue batik fabric.
This worked out MUCH better, i could make a few.
First, i needed lots of fusible web, black fabric, and tiny scissors.
Using the rotary cutter, rulers, and cutting mat, i cut the fabrics and fusible webbing to the size i needed, with some extra. (always add extra for around the sides, the fusing isn't the best on the edges) I had to tape sections together, because the webbing was not big /wide enough.
I traced the nativity pattern onto the paper side of the fusible web. I had "colored in" with my pencil the sections which would be the base, So i did NOT cut that part out.

Cut out the white portions.

Following the fusing instructions of the web, i fused it onto the wrong side of the black fabric.
Holding my breath,  took my scissors and cut into the fused fabric. 
The magazine instructions called for 3 sections, but i only did two, and straightened off the top, to make it easier to hang.

I was getting sore fingers cutting, it took me a long time

ALL DONE !!

 Now the final trimming, then audition it against the batik fabric.

Reverse side

I have done several of these for family members. They are SO beautiful! But a lot of work.

BEAUTIFUL!

At one of the quilt classes i had taken, the teacher said, unless you are doing a binding around a curve, you do not have to do bias binding. BUT on this, the cut work binding is SO beautiful, i have to do it that way.

Need Blue-Black-Blue sections, and Black-Blue-Black sections, to alternate.

Two segments, one blue- black- blue, and one  black- blue- black. Cut at a 45 degree angle. The instructions called for some strips to be cut at one inch wide and some at 1" and 1/4" wide, i did them all the same at, 1+ 1/4".

45 degree angles. at 1 and 1/4 " inch wide

measure twice, cut once ?

Pieces all cut

 Need to sew them together alternating the segments, sewing them together at an ANGLE.

Need to sew them together at an angle

You eventually get the swing of things in sewing them together, and needing to leave a little point sticking out.

Pinned the bottom section, and ready to sew the top to the bottom, together as one through to the Backing and Batting.
First I stitched the middle strip to the top part.

Sewing the top section, to the bottom, as I sew it all through to the Batting and Backing.

I turned the top part down, on top of the bottom, and sewed the two pieces together, through all the layers.
After pressing the top section i pinned it to the Batting and Backing.
First stitching was the other side of the middle strip.
I Sewed with a straight stitch all around the cut outs, through all the layers. I did try to work from the inside to outer edges.
I Sewed with a straight stitch all around all the sections, through all the layers.
Next, adding the binding.

Adding the binding.

 Trimming away the extra batting and backing.

Make sure the corners are well tucked in.

I had a slight mishap as i trimmed away the extra. I hadn't made sure the folded binding, in the corner, was out of the way, and snipped it a tad. Thankfully i was able to fix it.
I added 2 loops as hangers as i sewed on the binding.

Two years later, WHEW! 

BEAUTIFUL!!

Love Diane

Daisy Purse

Daisy Purse
April 21 2013
   This purse was an experiment on using Timtex. It is a thicker, heavier interfacing, a form of stabilizer. I read some reviews, and people didn't like it. I found someone who suggested cutting it short, and adhering it with fusible interfacing, to the main fabric purse pieces. I figured i would use some pieces of Flannel i had from making pajama bottoms. And use Batting in place of the timtex. It is about 13.5" by 11". On the other one, i would trim the Timtex a bit more in from the edges, and corners.

Front pattern pieces, with batting fused with fusible interfacing

The corners are cut out, so when you sew the sides and bottom, you flatten the sides and sew a flat bottom. 

The inner pockets are sewn to the lining.

Inner pockets are sewn to the lining.

I had a hard time deciding on the strap. 

Did i want a double strap or a single?

I went with a double. I cut them 36" by 1.5". I pressed the edges in about half an inch, and in the center, then folded them all up. They turned out about a half inch wide, i then top stitched them.

Straps all pressed, fold in the edges, then into the center, so it is about half an inch wide.

I had the sides and bottom all sewn, when i decided, I WAS going to quilt all around the Daisy's. So i had to rip it all back out, with JACK! *

I pressed little pieces of interfacing to the top middle of the lining, to add stability to the sew on magnet snaps.

And pressed under the top edges, so later i could top stitch around the edges.

at top are the lining pieces, at bottom are the outer pieces. :)

Sewed the side edges and bottoms together.

Lining and outer pieces all sewn together.

Squish the bottom corners flat

flatten out the bottom corners

 sew the corners so your bottom is flat and wide.

sew the bottom corners

 Check out the magnet snaps, and quilted outer pieces. I didn't do all the flowers, just the yellow and orange ones.

I am all excited, it is turning out so well.

Sewing the top edges around, and catching in the bottom ends of the straps.

If i had done a single strap it would have gone on the sides, where the side seam is. 

This would have made it a bit hard to sew them on.

Watch out for the pins.

WHAT do ya think?

SO CUTE!!

Someone we see all the time in joanns, said, She loved it, and it was ME!!

* Jack the ripper.
Ignore the dates, when i take out the sd card, it sometimes resets to the beginning date. This was an April 2013 project. 

  Next the Timtex version. I have created a paper pattern, but the leftover fabric pieces are not big enough. I will have to piece the bottom. Which is one thing i didn't like of those purchased patterns. :(

love diane