Insanity Quilt

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Merry Christmas Family Photo

Here is the pic we took to take to costco for a Christmas card. I love looking at photos that I get, and this year, we  even slipped David and myself (got out of my pjs and cleaned up!) in with the boys. The boys are all grown now, Kyle, even living in house at the beach with some friends, lucky guy, but I figured we could do one or two more family pics before they get married.






And the boys doing their version of the model pose.

The water was a little chilly

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Primitive Gatherings- Itty Bitty Pinwheels

Here is my version of Itty Bitty Pinwheels Mini Quilt by Primitive Gatherings with their  1 and 1/2 inch pinwheel template.

The blocks finish at one inch and the Pinwheels are a little larger than a quarter.

I did a free form layout that I saw on Tiramisue's blog with regular sized Tessellating Pinwheel Quilt. I love her artistic quilts, thanks!

First: pieced 2 & 1/2 inch squares






After cutting squares with Template at intersections and resewing!





I got my pattern with template at  Fat Quarters Quilt Shop, Vista CA where I work part time.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Some Quilting


 Bright Christmas Quilts


 "There's a dog on my quilt" dog paw quilting

Sunflower overall pattern shown on the backing

I have been finishing some quilts lately and here are a few pics of the quilting.  I have actually used up a good amount of yardage lately, but also have lost track of the new stuff coming in.  I am not going to calculate anymore for the year, but I am going to take a pic of a little more empty cabinet at the end of the year to show a smaller stash.  I lost my motivation to keep a detailed record.

I added a link below to the New Blog for a local quilt shop in town that I recently began working for.  Fat Quarters Quilt Shop in Vista CA has the cutest fabrics, kits, notions and gifts and specializes in folk art, primitives, civil war, 30's and other beautiful lines. It is a treat to go in and work a day or two a week. The owner, Michelle Joyner is very very talented and has the best customer service around. Here is a link to her new blog, Fat Quarters Quilt Shop Blog and website,  Fat Quarter Quilt Shop, Vista CA

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Christmas Scrappy Quilt



I am using up  some Christmas fabric this season in my stash. They are all super bright, with some pea green hues and regular bright medium greens, and reds. Put on the sunglasses. I found a cute pattern called candybar road on crazy mom's and a few other blogs from a couple of years back.  It is a great quick piecing scrap pattern!

Hope everyone is enjoying the fall season!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Stash Report WE July 25, 2010

Used this Week: 5.5 yards
Used year to Date: 96.5 yards
Added this Week: 17.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 36.5 yards
Net Used for 2010: 60 yards

This week I am realizing it is a battle to use up stash and not ultimately keep adding stash positively on the net figure!  What a revelation, huh.  I started this year trying not buy at all until I really made a dent, silly me. The joy of new fabric is so fun. So, I am hoping to pick up the pace the rest of year to get rid of more older fabrics so I can be working on the new. Actually, all year I keep throwing in quilts with the new purchases, while I plug away on unfinished UFO's. So, on I go. I got lots of Kona cotton white this week and some pretty batik neutrals, and black and white prints for an upcoming quilt. My using side this week was for finishing a backing and binding on a batik brown and yellow sunflower quilt. I did Bonnie Hunt's 10 inch square method for piecing the back with the leftovers from the quilt.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Giraffe hide and Baptist Fan E2E quilting

Here are some pics of the Giraffe Hide panto ( Wildflower Quilting Designs) on blue minky  for the safari baby quilt, and a Baptist Fan panto (my auto sketch) for another scrappy baby quilt. Done on the Statler Stitcher.

Week ending July 17, 2010

Stash Report this week:

Used this Week: 4 yards
Used year to Date: 91 yards
Added this Week: 1.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 19 yards
Net Used for 2010: 72 yards

Two backings and bindings for baby quilts, and backing fabric purchased for another gift baby quilt.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Stash Report WE July 4

Used this Week: 3 yards
Used year to Date: 87 yards
Added this Week: 3.0 yards
Added Year to Date: 17.5 yards
Net Used for 2010: 69.5 yards

Photos on June 30, show the quilt top I finished this week. I also bought more fabric to finish the border, and now I have enough to make one more of these which is in process. So, my net/net is the same this week.

I have some tops to get quilted still, so I will add the backing yardage then. 

Happy Fourth of July!  God Bless our Founding Fathers' wisdom and foresight and this greatest nation on God's green earth!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Baby Jungle Safari - "Kitchen Sink" Finished

Here are some pics of my finished Baby Jungle Safari "Kitchen Sink" Scrap Quilt top. I wasn't sure along the way if it would turn out, but I really love it in the end. Now I need to quilt it with the blue minkee back!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Design Wall Monday

Ever since I saw Joan's, of Keeping you in Stitchesbatik "kitchen sink" quilt I wanted to make it. Lori is right, we are having a baby boom in my community. So, I picked up these modern type, colors in the nursery section of Joann's, in the two by two jungle theme. This pattern is so cute and goes together pretty quick. I have enough to make two. Both are going to be for boys, so I think these will work. The patterns are busy and the contrast isn't the most "contrast-y" being lighter colors. I used my stash for the background, yeh!


I also put in some pics of my leaders and enders. Joan suggested making mini half square triangle blocks with the cutting waste and I have a good pile going , and the other pic is my ongoing 2" four patch to be pile from really scrappy leftovers from 8 years of scraps. I have another box 
somewhere of 2" patches. They really grow.


This is my eldest son in a shirt, tie and new suit pants, getting ready for a job interview. He really didn't want his picture taken, but complied.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Stash Report WE June 27

Used this Week: 3 yards
Used year to Date: 84 yards
Added this Week: 4.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 14.5 yards
Net Used for 2010: 69.5 yards

I finished a baby quilt top, pics on June 22 post.  I bought some baby fabric. including a cute blue minky  for a another baby quilt for a shower on July 3. I will add the backing and binding used when I finish the quilts.   This week I also machine quilted two quilts.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Bunny Baby Quilt with Feathered Wreaths

This quilt has simple feather wreaths in the open blocks and a Crosshatch grid in the bunny print blocks. I digitized a "feathered Flower" type border to match the size of the feathers in the blocks. This quilt was pieced by my Aunt Dee Dee and is for my cousin's newly adopted about four year old daughter from China who she is going to bring home this fall.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Baby Quilt Finished


I finished the baby quilt top with Moda "Candy Kisses" fabric by Sandy Gervais. The rail fence blocks were finished about 5" and the border about 2.5 ". The total size is about 46" square.



I quilted this next quilt for my aunt.   It is pretty pinks and greens and white tone on tones with a cute bunny and tulip print. She pieced the backing with leftovers of 8 inch squares making it a nice two sided quilt. It is much brighter in person and a darling cottage quilt. The pattern I used is "feathered Curls" by Timeless quilting designs. Timeless Quilting Designs

Monday, June 21, 2010

Design Wall Monday


I plan on finishing this baby size quilt top today! I have three more rows and a the big hearts print border to do.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Bookkeeping Week

After four years of flying by the seat of my pants with my bookkeeping for my quilting biz, I went back through this week to come up with the actual total amounts invested less any profits, to know how much I really have put into the business, and get myself back on quickbooks with a nice neat balance sheet.

With my mom's care and pre-mental-pause syndrome, and general lazy tendencies,  I have been getting my income and expenses for the income tax return, and had my depreciation, but no balance sheet with the all of $ draws and items I had purchased but didn't include in my tax return. Now, I am caught up with the dreaded paper/computer work. Phew.

Well, my dear mom and dad have been gone for 2 years now, so I can't keep using my mom as an excuse, although, I think she would happily accept responsibility, the fun loving gal that she was. 

The bottom line I found is that if I sold my machine I would break even with a little profit, at this point, after four years as  a part time business. So, on the bright side, from here I can keep in the positive and try new things as a business, or just do personal and charity quilts.   

Chores:

 We planted a nice new ground cover on our slope over the past three weeks. It is called 

 dymondia-margaretae or "silver carpet"

Picture of slope with "silver carpet"


It is supposed to take 6 months to fill in completely from the little  3 inch plantings.
Here is our first plantings. Now 3/4 of the slope is done. DH and two "happy" helpers


 It is supposed to keep the weeds down and it is a nice low lying dense, drought tolerant plant. I hope it takes. We are being very diligent with our weeding and watering so far ( the last 14 years, not so good).

Now, I can get back to piecing and quilting! Happy days!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Stash Report WE June 13

Used this Week: 14 yards
Used year to Date: 81 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 10 yards
Net Used for 2010: 71 yards

Sunflower Quilt:

I finished a ufo from a few years ago this week. The Pattern is "The Spin" from the book New Cuts for New Quilts by Karla Alexander. It was supposed to be a wedding gift for a young friend who loves browns and yellow and is kind of earthy. The couple got set of towels instead.  

I have started a simple rail fence quilt with some pink fabrics for a baby quilt, which is a nice quick change from this last quilt.

My oldest son graduated from UCSD this weekend with a degree in Bio chemistry, and now he is going to start applying for jobs hopefully related to his studies. We have two more sons presently in college and working this summer doing house and commercial building painting and a job at the aquarium at Legoland. We're glad they could find jobs.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Stash Report WE May 23

Catching up by reporting a jungle themed jungle quilt top finished a couple of weeks ago.  Pics in a prior post

Used this Week: 2 yards
Used year to Date: 67yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date:  10 yards
Net Used for 2010: 57 yards

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Quilt top and some machine quilting

I have been busy with home repair projects mostly. There always seems to be one more to do.  I finished piecing a baby sized jungle quilt. I had purchased this cute print and didn't like the first quilt I did and pulled it apart, but didn't know what to do, and it ended up awfully busy. Oh well, Yeah! I get to add something to my report this week.



I did a customer quilt with designsbyvickie.com  meanderingbubbles2. I like how it turned out. The design shows mainly on the brown backing, but it makes a cute background on the modern powder blue and browns polka dot front.



I went for a walk/jog on a four mile loop my husband and I like to do. It was beautiful outside and really helped give me some pep! I have been dragging around for a few weeks and got tired of feeling tired, lol.