Quilting In Progress...

I just realized that I haven't posted my quilting in progress.... It is taking a little time because of quilt shows but it is coming along.

And a close up...

This is the flowering snowball die from AccuQuilt!  The curves went together so easy.  It is amazing the difference if you change the color pattern and use white where the color is and so on.

If you want to order this die just let me know.  I pride myself on offering great customer service and when dealing with a great company, that makes my job easier.

Jacob's Ladder Complete and On The Bed

Well, after two years, my Jacobs Ladder quilt is complete. 

You just done know how excited I am to have this finished and on our bed.  It was a pattern that I fell in love with but got so busy with customer quilts that it just didn't make it to the priority list.  

I have thought of re-writing the pattern to make it GO! friendly.  We'll see how that works out. 

I also wanted to share the label.

It is so important to add labels to our quilts.  That way future generations or future owners will know it's history.  I first read about this method on Bonnie Hunters blog.  (http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/01/label-label-label.html).  This method offered a beautiful smooth finish and I just started in the upper left hand corner of the label, stitched down the open "pocket" and continued with my binding. I have made a few without labels and want to go back and put labels on them.

Hope you have been as productive as I have these past few days.  :)

Managing and juggling my schedule but still finding some me time...

I know my personality and know what is important to keep me energized and productive.  I know that with customer deadlines, it is still important to find some time for my personal projects so that I don't loose site of the love I have for quilting and just turn business.  Without the love and passion I would not be doing my customers justice.

So how do I juggle it all and make it all work.  First I have a dry erase board (which I have shared before) to help keep things in focus.  Then I keep things moving in a million directions to keep it exciting.  And I'm being real here, not sarcastic.  :)

Right now I have a hand sewn binding going on in the living room that I am working on during my breaks...  (I finished quilting this the other day.  The texture of the swirls are just gorgeous and will only improve after a wash.)

Then I have a tshirt quilt laid out that I plan to get the stabilizer ironed on and the top sewn together.  It is also in the living room floor.  But granddaughters are coming soon so if that's not a deadline to get moving I don't know what is.  :)

Then there is my Talkin' Turkey from a Bonnie Hunter class I took back in the summer.  Tons of pieces and I keep it close by so that I can do a few here, there and anytime.  This is a personal project.

Then there is the new Red & White challenge from Evening Star Quilt Guild.  Red & white quilts are very popular right now and very beautiful.  I have 8 of my 20 blocks completed so far.

This is a block exchange that isn't due until February.  Again, I know me and know that I can't wait until the last minute so I have to manage that in with everything else.  So, as my admission fee to my quilt room, I have to make one block (only on weekends, remember I work a full time job also, week days are mainly devoted to customer quilts).

Oh and I almost forgot the new Bonnie Hunter  Mystery Quilt....  Clue one was released and in order to keep up and FINISHED on time, I start as soon as I can after release and make sure I finish before the next clue comes out. (Really try to finish same day).  While I was working on these, all I could think of is what a great "Sweet 16" quilt this would make for my granddaughter.  She is only 5 so better come up with something else to do with it.  :)

Things that makes most of this easier for my is having my dry erase board for project listed AND having my AccuQuilt GO! Cutter.  If I had to spend hours cutting out shapes, I would have hours less to do the fun stuff.

I still have several customer quilts due before Christmas but I know that these personal project keep my passion alive.  It is so important not to let that die and just become boring.  :)

If you want your own AccuQuilt system, I am happy to help customize a die bundle just for you.  Just give me a call or send me an email.

Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt - Grand Illusion - Has Begun...

If you are a Bonnie Hunter fan, well today is the day you have been waiting for.  The first clue if the mystery quilt is out and we are ready to get started.

I have already finished cutting the first clue thanks to my AccuQuilt GO!  If you have the cutter, you already have the basic die for this clue.  It is 2-1/2" half square triangles and 2-1/2" squares, both are on your value die that came with your cutter.  You can also purchase them separately to get more pieces cut with each pass.  (55001 & 55059)

Now to get these pieces sewn together in the units Bonnie instructed.

For more information and details on Bonnie's Mystery Quilt, go to her blog.  This is something she offers for free every year and I am very appreciative for that.

Well, now that cutting is finished, I am back to quilting for my wonderful customers until I take my next break.  :)

Here are my first units COMPLETE!  WooHoo!

Quilting In Progress...

Sometimes we just get so excited about a quilt and that is this one.  It is for a very special pastor and is a memory quilt from his fathers clothes.  There weren't a lot of colors to use and that made it a little of a challenge.  (Did you know I love a good challenge?)

Of course the quilt was made using my AccuQuilt GO! cutter and dies.  We'll talk more about that in a second.  

The quilt went together really nice and quickly but my husband and I both thought it needed some dressing up.  So I decided to outline the triangles to keep those simples but look at what happened to the hexagons.  

The hexagons are getting lots of swirls and details to dress up the quilt.  Now I can't wait to get it finished.  (Still haven't decided on the borders.)

Now the dies used:

Body of quilt

55429 - Equilateral Triangle - 4-1/2" Sides - $19.99

55438 - hexagon - 4-1/2" Sides - $44.99

Borders

55024 - 1-1/2" Strip - $79.99

55032 - 3-1/2" Strip - $79.99

Binding

55017 - 2-1/2" Strip - $74.99

If you'd like to order any of these dies to add to your collection, just shoot me an email or comment.  Remember, you don't have to add every die to make a quilt.  Just add a few each time to slowly build you die library.

Happy quilting.

Snowball Fight 2 - another great customer quilt!

Beth's quilt from the Snowball Fight Quilt Class is now finished and she picked it up today.  She really enjoy using the Accuquilt GO! Fabric Cutter.

I think she is happy and I think her sweet granddaughter will love it!

Congrats Beth and thank you for taking the class.

Now a few more pictures for eye candy!

I just love quilting, teaching and seeing a good finished quilt.

Happy quilting!

Congratulations to Darlene on. Great quilt!

Just wanted share with everyone Darlene and her second quilt.  She recently took my Snowball Fight quilting class and made this beautiful quilt top which was then quilted by Stitches N Stories Quilting.  Darlene cut out all the pieces using AccuQuilt GO! Snowball die and the 2-1/2" square die.  What a joy!

I think she is proud of her hard work.  Just beautiful Mrs Darlene.

Now some shots of the quilting.  I did some swirly meandering to play off the peacock feathers in the snowballs.  Used King Tut thread on this one.  I'm normally an OMNI thread girl though.

If you are looking to take a quilting class or have a quilt finished, please contact us.

Snowball Fight Quilt Top Class Was GREAT!

What an absolute PERFECT quilting day... We only had two attend the Snowball Fight Quilt Top Class but they are two AMAZING people.  First let me say a big thank you to The Carpenters Cabinet for allowing us to use this wonderful facility.  What a blessing to have a food bank in our community that is focused on helping people change their life.

Now about the class... The quilt below is the top for our class.  Boy was it easy to cut with our AccuQuilt GO! Cutter.  :)

Here the ladies are just piecing away...



Beth's first completed row...


Darlene's first completed row...

So proud of you ladies.  We got all the pieces cut during class and most of the blocks assembled.  They will have the remaining rows completed real soon and we will be showing off their completed tops.

Thanks ladies for making today such a great day.

Be sure to check out our website to see when other classes are scheduled.  Stitches N Stories Quilting

Women of the Bible - Week 2

Now this week was about Sarah and boy was it a slap in the face for me.

Sarah and Abraham wanted a child desperately.  To the point that Sarah offer Hagar, her maid, as a wife to Abraham so that Hagar could bare their child.  Theban that Sarah had on her own really caused a lot of problem and heartache between her and Hagar.  The women grow to despise one another.  All along, God had a plan for Abraham and Sarah that they weren't aware of.

God has a plan for us also that sometimes we aren't aware of or we just don't wait for Gods plan to work.  Sarah was in her 90's when God told them that they would rule a nation and have a son.  Sarah just laughed because of their age but she did indeed give birth to a son.

How many times in our life do we know that God is there with us and saying, JUST SLOW DOWN, IT ISN'T TIME YET?  How many times to we just keep going, full speed ahead and create heartache and problems for ourselves?  I know I do that all the time.  

I pray Lord to seek Your wisdom and guidance in my personal life and in my business life.  Lord please help me to be aware of Your voice and help me to slow down and wait on Your plan.  I do not want to take a single step without Your approval Lord.  Please help me to be aware of Your presence and know which step leads me closer to You.  Amen!

The block I made is just beautiful.

Sticking with the colors of the original pattern however, I included a special hand dyed fabric to respresent sent the struggles of dicisions that we make and to represent the turmoil of the troubles that we create when not on God's path.  I wanted to solid to be he exact opposite.  To represent the calmness when we wait on God's timing and are right were He wants us to be.

This is a picture of my lovely sewing area when making this one, six inch block.  Let me warn you, I am not a frugile quilter and have NO PROBLEM wasting a little fabric in the sake of time.

Yep, that little pile of scraps came from this one little paper pieced block.  Notice that some of that is paper.  When paper piecing, there is one thing that is new to my quilting area and that is tape.  We know that sometimes we have to remove stitches when piecing.  When paper piecing, we use really tiny stitches to allow for removal of the paper easier.  You can put a small piece of tape over the stitches to be removed, on the paper side.  This will secure your paper from being torn apart and allow you to remove stitches as usual.

If you are interested in following along with this study, please go to Women of the Bible.  It is a FREE group, you just have to request in.

Remember to go check out our website as we have recently added Electric Quilt software and study guides.  Shop Stitches N Stories Quilting

Happy quilting!

What a great quilting weekend...

What a great retreat weekend here in Alabama...

For starters, I finished quilting the new Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt, Celtic Solstice.  This is a finish for me and I am so excited.  The quilting design is a free handed meandering flower.  I think it's pretty cute.  Most of these pieces where cut using the Acccuquilt GO! Fabric system.

Next, I finished a snowball quilt top for an upcoming class that I will be teaching in earlier February.  Need to figure out backing and get this one quilted quickly.

Then for the joy of my weekend, on the Sewitsforsale group, I purchased some pattern for the adoption call, or Cabbage Patch doll, for my sweet little granddaughter.  I finished one of them this weekend and she was so excited.  We then went to the dollar store and bought some baby clothes (yep, I said bought, I have no desire to make those).  I don't think she has put the doll down for more than a few minutes since I finished it.  She is4, by the way,  and such a blessing.

 

Also pieced 10 more blocks for the string quilt, and like the rest of you, my bucket is not emptying at all.  That makes a total of 50 squares, but I plan to make a Roman String so that means 100 half-square triangles.  I think I have enough.  I will use my AccuQuilt to cut these as well.  I will cut the string blocks and the solid using my 6" half square triangle die.  Can't wait.

Thinking of adding this as a class soon.  Not sure if it would be more of a "sew in" instead of a class.  We'll see!

And last, work on my sweet daughter in laws double wedding ring.  A slow project that I just work on a little bit at a time.  If only the piecing went as fast as the cutting.

For me, it was a nonstop weekend.  I only have two more weekends that my guys will be hunting and after that, I will slow down a little bit.  Gonna take full advantage of the last two.

Remember you can shop with us at www.stitchesnstories.com for all your AccuQuilt needs.

Final Reveal of the Celtic Solstice Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt

So Bonnie send out the final clue and reveal on New Years Day!

I have decided to keep myself in a little more suspense and not lay out my blocks until after it is complete.

So here is block one:

And here is block two:

I am a little nervous about my color choices and that's why I am waiting for the top to be assembled before I look.  :). Silly as it may be... That's what I'm doing.

.....time lapse.....

While piecing my blocks together, I got to the bottom and realized I was missing TWO COMPLETE BLOCKS.  Now how could that be.  Even though I was trying to wait, I had to lay it out and figure out what was happening.  My husband has a funny way of hiding puzzle pieces but surely he wouldn't hide my blocks.  ;)

Oh my goodness. I was so nervous about the colors and look at it.  I love it, except for those two missing blocks.  Walked back into my quilting room and like magic, they were laying beside my cutting table.  One the very first row, I had added eight instead of seven, removed them and sat them aside, forgot about them until full panic.  :). 

Here it is spread on the quilting frame.  Can't wait for the finish because this is my keeper.

To see more finishes, check out Bonnie Hunters Link Up page at http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/01/mystery-monday-link-up-part-6.html.

Most of these pieces were cut using the AccuQuilt GO!.  You just can't go wrong.  If you are interested in your own GO! Fabric Cutter or ready to add new dies, check out our website at www.stitchesnstories.com.

Week 5 - Celtic Solstice, A Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt

Wheel the clues come and the pieces are assembled.  Still no idea of what the finished block will look like and I CAN'T WAIT.  This has just been so much fun.

Once again, all my pieces were cut using my AccuQuilt GO!  It sure does speed up the process.

So this week we took the half square triangles and made into a bigger block.

And here is my tray (or baking pan) of pieces.

Check out all the progress at Week 5 Link Up.

And as always, if you are interested in your own AccuQuilt Go! so that you can get piecing faster, you can shop at Stitches N Stories Quilting.

Now let's GO! Quilting.

Week 4 - Mystery Quilt - Celtic Solstice

I almost missed this weeks link up... I am so thankful that Bonnie gave us an easy assignment this week.

I had to make 120 4-patches...

This is all the different pieces cut so far...

I can't wait to start assembling blocks.  

If you want to see other quilters progress, you can check it out here... http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-4.html

English Paper Piecing Hexies - Progress

If you remember I posted a few weeks back about starting and English Paper Piecing project using the new AccuQuilt die.  This is a slow moving project for me since I don't sit still very often.  I am making progress and have almost finished attaching the second row.

Not sure if I'm going to go for a third row or just end it here.  I am looking for a new wall hanging in my office.

I can honestly say that I have enjoy working on this.  It has been very relaxing and nice to sit with my husband and still work on my project.

You can find this die and many others at www.shop.stitchesnstories.com.  This die is amazing because it allows you to cut your hexagons and the card stock.  Makes life so much easier.

Week 3 - Bonnie Hunters Mystery Quilt

The clue cam out at 6am on Friday and guess what... I had to leave for work.  Before leaving, I reviewed the clue, set out all my fabric and GO! Cutter and dies.  That why when I came home I would be all ready to go.

Now I am going to start cutting the 200 half square triangle that are needed to finish this clue.  Here we go!

  All done with cutting...

Yep, that's 17 minutes and 29 seconds to cut all 200 half square triangles.  I do love my AccuQuilt GO!

If only it would sew them for me.

Look at those dog ears, already removed.

I had to use my embroidery machine for a little while, so I transitions to my Featherweight for my piecing. 

After a small amount of time piecing, week 3 is all finished up.

Well, I better go and get busy.  Remember, if you are interested in purchasing a GO! Cutter or dies, check out our website at Stitches N Stories Quilting.

To see more participants go to Bonnie's Mystery Quilt Link Up.

Chain Ironing, Oh How Love Thee!

I know you've probably heard of chain piecing.  You know, where you are sewing your pieces together without cutting threads in between.  When your done, you have a chain of your pieces.  Saves so much time!

We'll let me share with you the beauty of chain ironing. (Please ignore the ugly ironing board.)

You lay that same chain on your ironing surface and iron the seams back, in most cases toward the dark side.

This method just allows you to easily and quickly align your pieces and press them open.

I usually cut the threads at this point while on my board but you could iron the entire change and then cut the threads afterwards.

Hope this helps in some way!  By the way, these pieces are for Bonnie Hunters new mystery quilt and I used the AccuQuilt GO! 3" triangle in a square die. You can find it and all others at our website www.stitchesnstories.com.

Now, let's GO! quilting!