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I just started a blanket for my new grandson...he is supposed to be here mid January.

baby blanket

Congratulations!! How many grandchildren does this make for you?

When I get my sewing back out of the boxes I stored 'the mess' in before the holidays, I will still have the three major projects.

1) My oldest grandson graduates in June. I am making a sampler quilt for each grandchild, to be given at their graduations. When I stated I made four of each block. Now I have 6 grandchildren. Got some work cut out for myself, but the priority will be to finish one.

2) I am one of 8 siblings. Our parents died almost 25 years ago. We have had an annual family reunion since then. Many years ago one of my sisters made a memory quilt with a block for each year's reunion. This coming summer will be our 25th. She has turned the next quilt project - honoring these 25 yrs. - over to me (maybe I offered). I was surprised to find most of the same fabric is still available. Deadline for this is also June.

3) Least priority, but the one I'd like to finish first is the '50 States' quilt. This is the quilt that brought me to Bella. I will keep working regularly on this one, but the others have got to come first.

I tell myself I am making great strides, then I realize I am not very fast. I hope that regular progress is as good as fast progress. I have always been able to work under pressure, so I am sure I'll make each deadline.

Hey GrannyH, this is grandchild #5 for me. I have 3 girls and this will be 2 boys.

A quilt for graduation sounds nice. Our baby graduates this year so it is a bit late for that! I have promised to make him one though. He likes the oriental fabrics. They have such pretty fabrics I have spent a lot of time just looking.

I will be working on my parents 55th wedding anniversary quilt. I've been sorting thru their wedding pictures, marriage certificate and fabric. Sooooooo this is going to keep me busy for the next month or so. Their anniversary is February 21st. I'm so excited to start a new project.

Julie

Is this a memory quilt? I'd be interested in how you are going to incorporate some of the things you mentioned. My husband and I will be having our 40th anniversary in July. We would have to do anything we want 'special' ourselves, cause our sons and their wives(signif-others) won't do it. I have thought about a memory quilt but only for a short time.

I've got to give myself more time than you are giving yourself for any project.

I am working on a BOM that is going to last for a year. It should be a lot of fun
Darlene

I am working on a picture quilt for a friend. We are both huge Farscape fans and she wanted a quilt with pictures from the show on it. I found a design that is tedious but so perfect for what I want to do. I love it so much I may make me one too. Different pictures but same quilt pattern.

Sybil

I am working on a "challenge" for our quilt guild, and it involves reds & neutral, (scrappy). My project if going to be a tote bag.

Sounds like everyone has something to keep them busy! My husband sent me to my mom's Friday morning and I came home today and we went to her friends house and she had so many unfinished projects! I asked her if her new years resolution was to finish them and she just smiled and said no....

hi there. sorry it took a while to reply back to you. I didnt see your post till just now.

I did start on the memory quilt. It looks very good. Its time consuming putting the pictures on the transfer fabric. Before putting the pictures on your transfer, you have to make sure you copy all the pictures to one size 8.5x5.5. I then cut strips to go around the pictures alternating each block. after that, put an inner border and outer boarder. Before you do all your cut outs, make sure you got the pictures done before anything else. that is more time consuming. I found that out real quick-lol. It was fun and when you start getting the pieces together, it gets even better. I went to Joanne's fabric to buy some embellishments. Cant wait for my parents to open up the gift I made for them.

There are several books you can get that may help you give you some ideas.

Memory Quilt in the Making
and
Better Homes Memory Quilts for t-shirts, autographs and photos

both are by Leisure Arts.

This is my first time doing this. I would do it again but maybe do something different next time. You learn something new all the time. :0)

Good luck

Julie

Julie

Well, I haven't had much time to work on my blanket lately and talked to my daughter last night who says the baby is coming any day now. Maybe today I can get the border on!

Getting closer

Yesterday I got some new repro fabrics...I just love them!

repro fabrics

Connie, it is looking good! Will this grandchild be born close enough for a hospital visit and new blanket from Grandma immediately?

I hate to admit that I haven't unpacked the 'mess' just yet. I do some accounting work for my brother's trucking firm, and year-end is taking up my time (more than other years) right now. Do quilters ever reach a mental block? If so, I'm at that point.

Please remember that I only play at this hobby.

Granny H, no, unfortunately she lives in another state and it is a couple days trip. So I am planning to mail it and a couple of little outfits.

I believe there all kinds of blocks! I make jewelry too and am supposed to be getting ready to do a craft fair. I just can't get motivated to make jewelry lately!

Connie, I wish your daughter and new grandson well, and I hope you get to visit soon.

I think I may have gotten out of my block already . Today I got the first issue of the magazine I gave myself for Chirstmas. Nearly the first thing I saw was a quilt that will be a much better fit for my grandson's graduation gift then the one I've been working on. And it will be easier to make. Better all the way around. I will have to pick up a little more fabric, but where is the problem in that.

LOL Granny...I finished the top yesterday so now I just will mail it to my mom. She has a long arm quilting machine and said she would quilt and bind it for me. She also has some stuff for my daughter and then she will mail it. So I am ready to start something new. I guess I better get busy making some jewelry. Have fun shopping for more fabric!

Granny H - what magazine did you see the quilt in? I am looking for one for a teenage boy...

Welcome, Nana. The quilt I am planning to do is in the February issue of Quilter's World - It's the Boy Scout Quilt. In a 'Reader Letter' in that issue a reader talks about the June 08 issue of Quilter's World featuring quilts for boys and men so they must have other options as well. I didn't need to look any further, but I will have to find some focus material. Hope you find something. I did and I didn't even know I was looking.

Nothing at the moment. I'm not sure what my next one will be. I only made two in my lifetime and this was my last for my friends 1st grandchild.


(could only find this photo and not one of the whole quilt)

It is just beautiful! I love the way you put your inital and the year.

rdywenur, it's beautiful! Here's a link to the 2 I made for my twins back when they were born (last year). Now I'm working on the 1st birthday quilts! Hmm what is UBB Code? Seems I can't put a URL link? http://www.rinman.net/PhotoStorage.nsf/cb0a537d69f1fa5f8625742400132cb4/58389dedb483f2678625742400113bd8!OpenDocument

is that your initial and year. or is that the date the baby was born and their initial?

Julie Did you use an Ink Jet printer? and did you print on transfer paper, or special fabric?

Thanks for the compliments ladies. It is my initial and year I made it. (Wow where has the time flown. This young lady is now in college studying to be a doctor).

I just did the initial on graph paper to map out the letter with the design and then used a crosstitch cloth (whatever you call it) that once crosstitch is completed the threads are pulled out leaving the letter on the material. So where ever you want your intitial is where you place this pull away.

Ubb code ...just click on the url icon and a box will drop down to enter your url. There isn't one in quick reply you must choose reply to see the full post options. If you did quick then just edit and do the above removing the previous url that caused the message. It will ask you why and give your url a name.

Very nice quilts. What are those the with the little ribbon tags sticking out of them for. I have never seen anything like that.

finished quilt top

Just gotta mail it to my mom to be quilted!

vintage charm bracelet

I actually got a bracelet started...I guess my jewelry making block has lifted!

Talk about talent, ladies. And glad your block is gone as well Connie. Is that your granddaughter in some of the photos? Cutie!

I'm still working on the accounting (year end), but should return to sewing next week. Don't work too hard, any of you.

There is photos of both of my grandaughters...a brunette and a blonde. I talked to my daughter yesterday and she has a checkup today and is hoping the doctor will keep her and induce labor. She really wants a girl but it is supposed to be a boy. I told her she can always try again...I could sense she was rolling her eyes at that suggestion!

Hope you wrap up your accounting soon and get back to sewing!

Connie it was on the news that babies should be born full term and not have births induced. Was about C sections. Stated that it is much better for a baby to be born full term and not sooner. Usually they say it is because the parent or the dr have an engagement and plan it on their time not the babies for convenience. Babies that were born without having induced labor had less comlications and were much healthier. Babies chosen had more health issues. I vote for healthy baby.

Well, I think she is just wanting to get it over with but I agree with you and I hope the dr will wait and see what happens. Especially since the baby is not late yet and she is not dialated. People these days are in too much of a hurry...

The dr sent her home and she has not dialated any. She sounded tired...just wait, after the baby comes she will really be tired!

I had to take a few days off from all the projects. School is cancelled if the temperature gets below -30 degrees (we've spend a few days there) so I had grandkids for a few days. The morning we were -40, my trucker brother was in Tulsa, and he said he woke up to snow there, so Connie your weather has been colder as well. Are you close to Tulsa? Accounting is nearly done, so I will be sewing soon. I looked at the photos again and do see two different granddaughters, but they do look alike - and both cute. How close in age are they? My youngest grandson will be three in a few weeks and they look close to that. My only granddaughter is five and she looks older than yours.

Any word today on the newest? Is this your daughters first?

Hey Granny, brrr....-40!!!! Are you from there? I don't think I could take all that cold! We are about 4 hrs from Tulsa. No snow for us but it has been cooler. A few days ago it warmed up some. Yesterday was in the low 50s so that was a treat.

Mary Jayne is 18 months and Tiffany is 4. She goes to preK now and loves to go to school. My youngest son hated school until we moved here. Every morning he was "sick". We moved here when he was in 7th grade and he loves it here. He is a senior this year and busy looking into college.



No baby yet. My daughter called last night and sounded horrible and I just knew it was time but she said she was just tired. This is her second child. The first one is 3 and a boy. She really wants a girl. I told her she can always try again. Not the thing to say to a pregnant girl LOL.

Yes, Connie, but only a few days each year. We have almost returned to the freezing point today, so a temperature change of about 70 degrees in 5 days. We are originally from South Dakota, have lived in Virginia and in Texas (my baby was born at Ft. Hood, TX almost 36 years ago), but made a conscious decision to return to this climate after military service. We may live in Minnesota, but we're on the border with South Dakota so we almost moved back home.

At any rate, the weather here makes quilts and quilting a necessity. I had a friend once who just did not see the sense of taking a perfectly good piece of material, cutting it all up, sewing it back together again, and calling it a blanket. That person did not see the art of it, but knew we needed the blanket.

Keep us updated on the baby front.

Hi! Newbie here! I am working on a Tesselating Tiles quilt, which I am doing as a scrappy batik. Doing it in two sections, then will join them, once it's all quilted. Working on a pieced border for it now, with a black background & scraps from the quilt itself. It's turning out very interesting & will share a pic when I get it done. I love scrappy quilts, the more different fabrics, the better. My studio could use some more work too, but am trying to work on that little by little, inbetween my quilting, of course, lol... Nice to be here, always looking for more quilters to share with! Nancy/NC

Friday my daughter went back to the dr. and he told her to come back today at 3 if he didn't see her before then. So the baby is now overdue and I guess they will induce this afternoon. I talked to her last night and she sounded tired.

Happy Mrs...welcome! I love your nickname. I googled Tesselating Tiles quilt as I had no clue what it was and I think your quilt will be just gorgeous! Especially in the batik. I will be looking forward to seeing pictures soon!

The baby came this morning about 10:30. He was breech so she ended up having a csection. He weighed 9 lbs 7 oz and was 20 inches long. Big boy!

We are all stuck in as we had a winter storm and it is very icy and has been snowing all day. One of those days that you want to curl up in bed with a good book!

Congratulations, and send well wishes on to her as well. Now the all important question for a grandma - When do you get to see both of them?

I've been hearing about that storm. It's very pleasant here, almost warm. It must be 25 degrees. If we stay below freezing until the end of the week, we will become part of weather history - only the 4th time in recorded history that there was not a January thaw.

Thanks, Conniem, for the welcome! My name fits, as I consider myself, blessed with a great soulmate & bestfriend, who is also my hubby. We have been together almost 20 yrs now, a record for both of us! Congrats on the new baby! Glad all went well for your daughter! Is this your first grandchild, if so, enjoy! Here is a link to my Tesselating Tiles project. Since taking this I know have the blocks sewn altogether, in two sections & am working on the border for the second section, then I plan quilt them both & sew them together. Using black & scraps from the blocks in the border, my & hubby's own idea & I really like how it's turning out. I will post another pic soon! BellaOnline ALERT: Raw URLs are not allowed in these forums for security reasons. Please use UBB code. If you don't know how to do UBB code just post here for help - we will help out!

Yes, please help, can't find info on this either? Thanks!

Thanks for the congrats everyone...she is in the bottom of Texas and it is a long drive. She is planning on coming for a visit next month. We are foster parents to our granddaughter and it is a mess. We can't take her out of state without permission from a judge and her mother. Of course, our family mostly live in Texas. So we have missed out on a lot of family time since she has been living here, but I don't regret my decision to help her out.

Granny, the only weather records we ever set are for heat. I think the last one was like over a month of 100 degree temperature. That year the electric bill was awful! It is supposed to be in the 40s today and I have a dr appointment at 1:30 so I hope it warms up or I will not be out. I refuse to get out on the ice since I fractured my ankle last February. I took about 4 months before I was back to normal although I don't think it will ever be normal. It has been giving me fits because of the cold weather. And wouldn't you know...I ordered stuff to work on making some jewelry and my stuff was supposed to arrive on Monday and the bad weather has my package stuck about 90 miles from us! The last few days would have been perfect to do some work.

HappyMrs...to post a link you have to use the reply button (not the quick reply). The second icon from the left next to post shows a little world icon and you click on that and it will ask you for the URL link you wish to add. Add it and then click ok. It will ask you for a name for the web link. Put the name and then click ok. This is my 5th grandchild and the 2nd boy.

Oh and 20 yrs...that is great!

I know this is way off topic, but I was wondering if you noticed your grandson was born the same day a couple in California had 8 new babies. My mother had 8 children. It took her 14 years to do that. I can not image, and don't even want to think about it.

I think it's the mother of all sick jokes. "You were expecting seven, but surprise....... there's eight."

Aghhhhhhhhhh

Cheerio for now

I think the thought of twins would be enough to make me feel I was in for a nervous breakdown!

My daughter went home yesterday. She is still sore but was ready to be out of the hospital. She said the babies testicles were swollen when he was born and if they don't go down to normal size then they could do a surgery later on to reduce the fluid.

Connie, glad you are keeping us updated. Did she get your quilt yet? Does your mother live close to your daughter, or does she have to mail the finished project as well?

Happymrs, I apparently didn't look into Tesselating Tiles enough, cause I don't think I understand it. Could you give us another link? Also, my husband and I will be having our 40th anniversary in a few months. I've always said we'll never make it to 50, so this year we need to have some sort of a reception (Open House). I don't think we'll have one.

Happymrs: I just did a further search and found two good sites. Yes, it is nice looking. I'm going to talk to one of my sisters about it - it's the kind she prefers. I like to do BOM, samplers, etc, where each block is different. If I do a quilt with repeating patterns, I still use two different patterns.

The two sites I looked at were Threadlove and Grace Quilts.

Granny H, I mailed my mom the top and she thought it needed a border so she went out and bought some more material to fix it. After she puts on the border she will get it put together and quilted.

40 yrs...that is a long time! My husband and I married later in life so we will be doing good to see 25. Maybe hint around to your kids that a party would be the best present ever and they could maybe throw one for you.

We weren't able to hold out for that weather record. Today was the last day of the month, and we actually got up to 45, so defintely above freezing.

Connie, we have two sons. Relationships with daughters-in-law belong in another forum, so I will only say I never expect anything. Therefore, I am never diasppointed.

If your mother put a border on your quilt, is it still crib size?

Well, if you lived close I would throw you a party! Our older son had the nack for picking the craziest girlfriend he could find. Our other son is a senior in high school and I hope he won't bring home a daughter in law any time soon.

I love it, never expect anything and not be disappointed.

Well, I am sure the blanket will still be crib sized. I think she was worried that it wouldn't be big enough to use, but I thought it was fine. And I just figured if she wanted to do it then she could just get after it.

Thanks for the thought, but I think DLH and I will just run away for a time. We never do that.

I'm working on a Poppy Wallhanging. I think it is so beautiful, one of the nicest projects I have worked on. When I have finished it, I want to start on a Quilt using some lovely Egyptian Characters Fabric that I bought Several Years ago. It was about $20 a yard, so I want to make a good job of it. I don't know what pattern to do with it though. Cutting it is awkward because the characters are all within squares that don't line up with each other, so I would lose a lot of the pattern. I would be grateful for some ideas for this Quilt. I usuallly manage to work it out but I just can't with this one for some reason. Help

Is the Poppy wallhanging applique, or some other method I am equally afraid to try? I also have a piece of material that I like on its own and I know cutting it will just distract. I am often tempted to put a border on it, and have it quilted with a 'neat' design.

I can't offer much, but wanted to welcome you here. I hope someone is more helpful than I am.

Granny

Hi Oliver111, good to have you aboard. I always think that fabric that is "focus fabric" or has a design that is easily recognised is usually best kept in a large block so you don't loose the effect of the pattern, in this case the Egyptian Characters.

Perhaps you could keep them in a large block and do some fancy piecing around them in tone-on-tones? Or perhaps highlight them with a gorgeous harmonious sashing?

Cheerio for now

Hi Granny H, Thanks for the welcome. The Poppy Quilt is Applique. I thought of doing what you said by just putting a border on my Egyptian Fabric but I think it might be a bit too much. Judies idea is probably the only one that will work. I know once I get started it will just all fall into place. I usually just make the patterns up as I go along. As I am trying the write this I have got my 16 month old grandson yanking at my arm. Time for his breakfast. I live in the UK so we are quite some time behind you.
Olivier

Olivier111, when I was looking at Attic Window instructions for another topic, I was thinking it may be your answer as well. The window pane and upright dividors can be any size, so you could make them smaller to focus on your focus fabric.

My suggestion about just putting a border on your yardage was my half-hearted attempt to laugh at my own 'lack of ambitious' or maybe it's a 'lack of imagination'.

I'm finally going to get out of town and to the quilt store over the weekend and get the focus fabric for my grandson's graduation gift. This is one of the times that I wish we didn't live in the boon-ies.

Glad to have you aboard, Olivier!

GrannyH, That's a good idea. I'll look into the Attic Window and see if it will work. We don't have many Quilt shops here, when they do open they don't seem to last very long before they move elsewhere. Where I live, it is very expensive to rent the premises so the shops close down. One lady we used to buy from is now selling from a Log Cabin her husband built for her in the grounds of her Home.The problem is it out in the sticks, so I don't get there very often.I buy most of my fabric on-line from America. I'm really interested to know more about the history of Quilting. I know it was very popular here years ago, as was Crochet, Knitting and Rug making, but it all seems to be dying out. I only know a handful of people here that quilt. Luckily one of them is my best friend. She came back from America about 8 years ago and had caught the Quilting bug and she showed me how. How many years have you been quilting and who taught you. Is it a tradition in your family. Olivier111

Olivier111: Some answers to your questions.

I don't really consider myself a quilter. It is really only a hobby for me. I quilt when I have something I want to make, but when I've finished I can walk away and not quilt for years. I have been sewing since I was 10 or so, (at least 50 years) but I didn't start any quilting projects until my mother-in-law wanted me to help her with one. Of my four sisters, 2 quilt like I do (to make something specific) and 2 don't do any sewing, so it is not a family tradition. I don't have any quilting friends, and so far I don't belong to a quilt guild. I have learned alot at this Website and through this forun. Judie is an absolute jewel, and I hope you have signed up for the newsletter. And there are very knowledgable members here.

You talked about going to the sticks to purchase supplies. I live in the sticks and need to go to a larger town to purchase special supplies. We do have a store that has a few basis supplies on hand.

I'm sure you can learn a lot of "History of Quilting" on the Internet. My personal history is I have a "heirloom" quilt made in the 1800's as my ancestors were moving further and further west into the colder and colder climates. We couldn't comfortably survive without quilts. I keep two on my bed all winter. Interesting that you live in the UK. My ancestors left Weymouth, Eng and settled Weymouth, Massachuettus in 1632 - that was the beginging of the westward travels.

GrannyH,We are snowed in at the moment. It is the worst weather we have had here in England for 19 Years.It's funny you should say that your family came from Weymouth as my Husband was born not that far away from there on the coast. One of these days I plan to buy a Vintage Quilt, and hopefully the ones I leave behind will become Heirloom Quilts.Each member of my family have got at least 2 or 3 of the Quilts and Wallhangings I have made. My favourites are the Baby Quilts I make. I come from a big family, I am one of 8. I have three Sisters and had four Brothers, one who sadly died in an accident when he was just 18. I have got lots of nieces and nephews who now have children of their own. So each time a new baby is born I make a Quilt. I have got two more on the way. One we know is a boy and the other don't know yet. I don't understand this hankering people have for wanting to know what they are having. I'm just about to go upstairs and look at my stash and pick a pattern.I always seem to make girls quilts, so it will be nice to make a pattern up for a boys one. I'm determined to use all the fabric I have instead or going and buying even more. I have got fabric in nearly every room and cupboard in the House. I need to have a good sort out. Maybe tomorrow.

Thanks Judie for your advice.At the moment I'm not at home an awful lot, but as soon as I get the chance I will try out your idea for my Egyptian Quilt. I think Quilters become a bit precious with their fabric sometimes. I've got a stash of beautiful fabrics that I keep saying I will use and end up admiring them and then putting them back in the cupboard thinking they are just too nice to cut up. So lately i've been using a new method of piecing, Square in a Square, which uses a bit more fabric and of course there is a little more wasteage. I throw the little pieces in the bin and then retrieve them again 5 minutes later, saying I will make something with them, but of course I never do. I suppose most quilters have the same problem with leftover fabric. I wonder how many actually make something with it.