Heart Defect Research Quilt Mar 5 2014

Hello, March 5, 2014
WOW!! When I started the Heart Defect Research Fund, I expected it would really be like a "raffle", 100 people might give $5 or $10. But for Family, and Friends to gift more, WOW!! I am truly Blessed!!
I am almost to the goal of $1,000, in under a month.
After someone told me, they withdrew some of their monies in their account, of the $400, the amount in the checking account only was $364. The funding source, admits to a 5% fee, plus 2.9 % and $ .30 processing fees, but it was in reality, more like 12% fee. I haven't inputted the Cash on hand, not sure if it would be charged fees also. So I am in reality over my goal amount.
I have emailed both places for information on gifting, and haven't heard back. :(
I need to resend those emails.

The Quilt is almost complete. I had issues with how the binding turned under, over the Rod Pocket, and ripped it out, and resewed it, But I have the hand sewing half done.

WA LA, Rod pocket sticking out on the top, and Binding all stitched on.

The Label I stitched out with the machine, I thought came out well.
I need to hand stitch down the binding and rod pocket.

label stitched out with machine

THANK YOU ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME!!
http://www.gofundme.com/6psk18
WOW!!!
IT IS OVER!!
Love Diane

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

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

Lazer cut Applique Cross Quilt Dec 4, 2013

December 4, 2013
Cross Quilt
I bought a Laser-Cut Cross but then searched forever for just the right fabric to fuse it onto. I found it in a Pittsburgh quilt store. It has little Christian fish on it. But i had asked to go to 2 quilt stores on my bday and only got to one. In the end, I had to buy the border fabrics at Joann's. They weren't quite what i wanted, but oh well.

The Cross, instructions, base fabric, and 2 border fabrics

The Base fabric plus the 2 borders.

Very fragile, and even then a little off side, I didn't really notice until i was doing the echo stitching. Bad Diane.

The Cross applique pressed on

Backing all taped on, taut

top and batting all taped down , centered on the backing

pinned and ready to be quilted

HMM, about then i decided this was going way too slow, and started stitching further away by an inch, not half an inch. AND  realized i was hitting the side on one side, OOPS

A little lopsided?

COOL!!

Binding sewn at 45 degree angle, and rod pocket.

Binding all stitched together, ready to press in half

Binding pressed in half, ready to sew on. Rod Pocket pinned on. Will catch it as i sew on the binding

Back of the quilt, with rod pocket sticking out

Hand sewing on the rod pocket, binding all done

ALL DONE!!

 Sorry i kept taking pictures, and just couldn't get the lighting correct. Best i could do.

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 two

May 6 2013
Hello Ok, i was wrong, it was not Timtex, but Peltex. It is an Ultra Firm Stabilizer. I cut the pieces short on all sides, so really didn't have any problems, until i went to turn it inside out. OUCH!!.
The first one didn't have outer pockets, and i decided i HAD to have outer pockets.
I put one big one in the back side of the purse, and quilted the front section.

Peltex interfacing/ stabilizer

Front (on right) is quilted, Back has a pocket, bottom is its own piece.
I cut the Peltex in from all sides, making it a bit easier to sew the seams. It is a bit thick!

I didn't have enough fabric to do the bottom as one with the front. I had to make it its own little piece, which is what i hated about the purchased patterns. It took me a while to figure how this was going to work with the corner treatment, but it worked out just the same.
You are supposed to steam heat the Peltex into shape, it only worked soso. I used my Tailor's Pressing Ham and curved it with that.

Pressed under the top seam allowance, where i will turn it under.

It is a little curved. It is enough for me.

I cut the Peltex in, about a half inch or more, and sewed the seam allowances between 1/4 and 1/2".  The Bernina doesn't like bumps, and this way I didn't have trouble sewing with one side of the foot, on a sidewalk kinda issue.

The Lining i did as i did the other one, adding inner pockets, and extra interfacing where the magnetic snaps would go. The lining bottom i sewed into one of the lining sides, so it is one long piece.
This also caused me some issues, as how to do the bottom corner. But it all worked out ok.
The strap i did a little narrower, because i didn't have as much of the fabric.

Lining and straps

Bottom worked out ok.

 The pieces sewn together.

Holding it's own shape.

The BIG problem was sewing around the top, sewing the lining and outer part together. I had to fight the Peltex. If i had had the energy i would have pushed the machine into the upper position on my cabinet, then I could have sewn it using the free arm.
AND boy i had a struggle turning it inside out.
But it looks GREAT!!  I have even gotten a few compliments.

COOL!! SO CUTE!!

 Oh the goofy camera, when i take out the memory card i must hit the battery and the date resets. I did NOT make this in 2009.

Love ya!!