Mid-Arm Quilting Saga

 A few years ago I was blessed by a friend who gave me her mid-arm quilt frame and machine.  She no longer wanted to quilt her own quilts and needed the room for her grandchildren.

My husband and I brought the frame home and set it up in the 5 foot length position. That is the largest I have room for at the moment.

The frame is set up finally.

It takes up a good portion of my existing space

And there it sat for about 2 years.  I was so intimidated by the whole process I wouldn't even try to figure it out.  My friend had told me she had some trouble with the machine even after having it serviced.  During the pandemic of 2020 I told myself it was time to "use it or lose it".  After trying several times to get the machine that came with the frame to work I finally pulled it off and put on one of my domestic sewing machines.  That is working for the moment while I research and save up for a new machine.

The quilt frame with my domestic machine on it

I finally loaded some test fabric and gave it a try

It is not perfect but it is a start!

Learning something new is always fun but also stressful.  As I begin to face my fears and "give it a try" I am amazed at what I have learned.  Wish me luck!

Keep quilting!

Danna

UFO's (UnFinished Objects) look out for more sightings!

 While cleaning out my sewing and craft room to get ready for a complete remodel I uncovered several UFO's.  I have been trying to work through those projects before starting something new.  Which is really hard for someone who has Creative ADD.  By that I mean I am easily distracted by that shinny new project that looks really fun.  So I drop the current project and begin the new one.  Therefore, my shop has been invaded by UFO's.

I came across a method of motivating and tracking your progress on projects that is working.  But I will post more about that at a later time.

So far I have been able to complete these projects from my alien invasion.

Cactus Quilt and Table Runner

Scrap Bag Challenge from a friend

Donation Baby Quilt

I will admit that my Creative ADD did get the best of me a couple of times.  I recently joined a local quilt guild and I learned about a new technique that I just "had" to try.  But now I am back on the UFO hunt and elimination.

Comment below and share what UFO's you uncovered recently and the progress you are making.  What out for more UFO sightings since I still have several areas I have not cleaned out yet.

Keep creating!

Danna

Cactus Baby Quilt & Table Runner

 Last Summer at one of my quilt retreats I decided to try a new pattern.  I had seen the pattern on Pinterest and thought it was really cute.  It is a cactus pattern.  The original pattern was done in green for the cactus and pink for the background.

I wanted mine to be a little more subtle so I used a muslin background.  

The baby quilt has 4 of the cactus blocks in an offset pattern.  I used a fun mix of scrappy green fabrics from my stash.  Since the squares are only 2 1/2" it is a great scrap buster project.  I actually made two baby quilts.  One was donated to our church quilt group auction to raise money for the ministry. The other one is on my Etsy shop Cactus Baby Quilt.

The quilt back is a soft green fabric

The binding is a scrappy binding to incorporate all of the fabrics once again on the edge.  Scrappy bindings are a great way to use up those last bits of fabric and can add a playful edge.  The finished baby quilt is 35" x 45".

I thought since the cactus is popular I would make a table runner also.

The table runner uses two of the cactus blocks and I put them facing each other with a wide muslin band in between.  That way you can see the full cactus shape from either end of the runner.  

On the back of the runner I placed a band of pieced scraps.  This gives the runner a completely different look when reversed.  I always like a table linen that has options with two looks in one. The table runner is 17" x 49". It is also on my Etsy shop. Cactus Table Runner

This pattern is easier than it looks and goes together fairly quickly.  I made two baby quilt tops and one table runner top in about a day and a half.  The here is the link to the original pattern by Kairle Oaks .  Her quilt is beautiful and very big!

So break out your green scrap bucket and make one for yourself or that new baby in the family.

Keep sewing & quilting,

Danna

Multi-Purpose Pin Cushion

 Keep all those necessary sewing notions close at hand and all in one place.  This multi-purpose pin cushion holds not only your pins but wonder clips, seam ripper and more.  

This project can be made with just a few scrap pieces of fabric, a small piece of ribbon, cardboard and some fiber filling.  They also make great gifts for all the sewers and quilters on your list. 

Find the printed pattern here for purchase on my Etsy shop Multi-Purpose Pin Cushion.  Or if you become a Patreon Member and support my YouTube Channel Sew-Learn-Create you will get several of my printed patterns free with your membership. 

Happy sewing,

Danna 

Travel Bags for Missouri Star Trip

In my previous post I told you about the trip I took to Missouri Star Quilting in Hamilton, Missouri.  I went with several of my quilting friends and we had a great time.

For the trip I wanted to make each lady a monogrammed bag so they could carry all of their prized quilting purchases.  The bags needed to be roomy but not so big they would be a nuisance to carry.

I found the perfect size, style and price at Dollar Tree.  The bags were large, light weight and had a nice color selection. Best of all the price could not be beat.

I liked the simple design and it provided a nice area to monogram.

I selected a simple but elegant font to use for the monograms.  

This is my bag.

I thought the black turned out very elegant.

A bag for each traveler and our hostess.
One of our friends was ill and did not get to make the trip.
So we filled her bag and brought it back to her.

Inside each bag was a travel pack with some necessary items.  A package of tissues, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, nail file and a plastic bag folded like a paper football.  I wrapped the packs in clear plastic bags with a card stock tab topper.  The background strip is an old map.

Necessary items for traveling.

The bags worked out quite nicely for the trip.  It was able to hold all of my quilting purchases and keep them safe and secure.

If you need a bag for your next trip and want to make one for each of your traveling companions check out your local Dollar Tree.  You might find just what you need.  Happy Travels!

Danna

One for the Bucket List - Missouri Star Quilting

I took a trip the summer of 2017 to Missouri Star Quilting.  A small group of friends from my church quilt group decided to make the journey.  Going to Missouri Star was on my Bucket List.

As all good quilters we stopped at several quilt shops as we made our way from Texas to Missouri. 

Great shop in Oklahoma

As an added bonus we stayed in Kansas City and their quilt show was that weekend.  Up until this trip all of the quilt shows I had been to had been in Texas.  It was exciting to see quilts from another region of the country and we saw some amazing quilts.

A great group of ladies to travel with. We had a great time and lots of laughs.

Kansas City Quilt Show 2017 

My friend next to an amazing quilt.

What quilter doesn't get excited about batting?

We spent a full day at Missouri Star.  It was everything I had imagined.  A whole town filled with all things quilting.  As I moved from shop to shop admiring all the beautiful fabric and incredible quilts I kept thinking "I wish I had more money to spend."  But I was a wise spender and stuck to my budget.  Although it was not easy. Dave Ramsey would be proud.

I made it to Missouri Star!

Each shop is a different fabric selection.

The main quilt shop for Missouri Star Quilting. 
The place you need to begin your quilt shopping frenzy.

Quilts are even painted on the building walls.

We did not see Jenny but I am sure she was somewhere quilting and/or inspiring other quilters.  I love to watch her YouTube videos.  I am always inspired and learn something new.

On the way back we stopped at Angela Walters (Midnight Quilter) shop.  I was not familiar with her but several of the ladies in my group were.  She has a lovely shop in Liberty, MO.  Since the trip I have started watching her show - The Midnight Quilter.  She is amazing. 

As we strolled through each shop in Missouri Star, Liberty and along the way I was reminded of how friendly fellow quilters can be.  We met some amazing people and shared our passion for quilting with each one.  My small group had a great time laughing, sharing stories about our lives and our love for quilting.

I encourage you to grab a group of friends and take a trip to Missouri Star and be sure to stop at some of the quilt shops along the way.  Now, the next trip on my quilting Bucket List - The Houston Quilt Show.

Danna

Scrap Bag Challenge No. 1

So as most of you know I am in an extremely busy quilt group.  Our group makes baby quilts for a local pregnancy crisis center.  Since we mostly make baby quilts they go fairly quick so we produce over 100 donated quilts per year.

With that said we also produce an abundance of scraps.  Being the frugal quilter that I am I hate to see scraps go to waste so I am affectionately known as the "Scrap Queen".  Members of the group are always bringing me goody bags of scraps in all shapes and sizes.  While I was rearranging my sewing room (more about the big change later) I uncovered a lot (and I mean a lot) of scrap bags.

In order to fit all of my fabric jewels in my new space I need to do something with all these scrap bags.  Therefore I have set a challenge for myself.  I am going to take a bag and work on making a quilt or something else out of each bag as quickly as possible.  Of course for the first challenge I pulled out one of the smallest bags.  I don't want to frustrate myself to early or I will toss in the towel and they will fill my casket with all those scrap bags.

The rules of the challenge are simple: Use up everything in the bag!

Here is the first bag. I know it may not look like much but I could not turn it down.  The colors were bright and exciting and I am a sucker for small pieces.

The original "scrap bag"

Look at all of those colors!

With these 27 small 4" x 1.5" strips in a rainbow of colors I began to put my design skills to the test.  I decided they were the perfect size for a small keyhole block.  Digging around in my stash I found a music note fabric with all of the colors in the scrap bag.  Now we were making progress. The keyhole block measured approximately 3.5" x 6.5".  

Original keyhole block using the 1.5" scrap

and the focus fabric I pulled from my stash.

Well that was going to make a very, very small quilt.  So back to the design board.  Next I pulled out my personal bags of scraps.  Yes I have them divided into ziplock bags by color.

Using my scraps I created a larger keyhole block using the original as the center piece.  I matched the outside strips with the center 1.5" strip.  I was going for a very scrappy look using different fabrics on each side if necessary.  Below is the larger block.

Larger block with colored strips.

I was getting very excited about how this process was progressing.  The colors were vibrant and fun.  I made five rows of six blocks.  I did have to create 3 additional blocks from my stash to get the correct number of blocks.  

The rows are looking good!

Once those were complete the quilt was rather long and narrow.  I decided I needed to add a 6th row but did not want to make more of the same blocks.  I inserted a row comprised of the focus fabric with long pieces of the various colored scraps inserted in the middle.

The 6th row of focus fabric and long colored strips.

Here is the finished quilt top.  It turned out much more colorful and fun than I had pictured in my mind.  I am pleased with the result. 

The finished quilt top. 

And to think it all started with a small bag of scraps that were destined for the trash had my friend not thought of me.  So, what challenges and inspires you?  I am here to say that I believe my inspiration comes from taking the leftovers and creating something new.  Can't wait to see what scraps are waiting in my next bag. Sew on!

Danna

Quilt Camp - The Teacher Learns from the Student

During my quilt camp this summer I had a unique experience.  We made rag quilts so we could finish them in a week.  Since it was a small camp I was able to sew with my student.

My student chose a stack of brightly colored squares for her quilt.  There were beautiful, blues, pinks, greens and yellows.  She arranged her blocks in a color wave pattern and it turned out beautiful.

My student's stack of fabric squares.

She is laying out her quilt in a color wave pattern.

The back side of her finished quilt.

The finished quilt.

I selected a collection of purples in various shades.  The first layout I put down was a traditional checkerboard pattern using the different lights and darks.

The first layout in a traditional pattern. 

Space was limited so I pushed them close together.

My student looked at my layout and said "I don't like it that way.  What about this." She then proceeded to relay out the blocks using the color wave method.  It turned out so much better.

The second layout in the color wave pattern.

There was nothing wrong with my original layout but it was predictable and traditional in nature.  It was also very angular.  By using the color wave pattern layout the quilt is more modern looking and has a very fluid motion.  It is always amazing to me how changing one simple aspect can make such a difference in a quilt.

My finished quilt in the color wave pattern.

I learned something valuable that day.  Don't get stuck in a rut with how you layout your quilt blocks.  Branch out, mix things up and be open to someone else's vision.  Always remain open to new ideas and be teachable.  Who knows what wonderful creative avenues will open up for you.

So the next time you are laying out a quilt of monochromatic blocks give the color wave layout a try you may be surprised how it turns out.  I am working on a pattern for this quilt and layout so check back soon to get your copy.

Danna