I spent most of the day (between bus routes) quilting. I hope to get it finished tomorrow. Tonight I decided to work on a challenge for the longarm group that I belong to. (Although I seldom go to the meetings) But the challenge is a kit where each person makes the same identical quilt and then machine quilts it however they want. They are due in January at the MoKan meeting, but I figured I might as well get the top done and then try to think of how to quilt it. These will hang at MQS next year so I want it to look fairly nice. It’s not my colors, so I’m not too sure about it. I think it will have to hang on the wall and talk to me for awhile! LOL!!

I have all the blocks finished on my 8 year old mystery. I needed 30 of them. I had to cut a few more pieces in order to have enough. I’m glad that I kept all the fabrics in the same box. I’m working on adding sashings to the blocks now.

I haven’t worked on the new mystery that I started for awhile. I have most of the blocks pieced but put them aside to work on the old mystery. I can’t seem to work on 1 thing very long. I always want to do something different. Start something new!!! I guess that’s what I did tonight. (Piecing the MoKan challenge.)

I guess that’s it for now.

Theresa

http://community.webshots.com/user/alwaysquilts

 

I love quilting. When I made my first quilt, I hand quilted it. I was self taught and really had no idea what I was doing but I was hooked after I finished the quilt. I then made my second quilt. All the blocks were hand pieced and I sewed the blocks together on the machine. I then hand quilted it. My 3rd quilt, I took a class and discovered rotary cutters and mats! WOW!!! what a difference those little things made. Anyway, I hand quilted that quilt also. I entered it into the local county fair and won a blue ribbon it. I was shocked!! It took me a year to get it finished. A friend of mine took the class with me and had hers done within a few months because she sent hers out to be quilted. I was devastated when I saw her quilt come back with a panto pattern on it. I swore at that time that I would never have a quilt machine quilted. I went on to make several more quilt tops and hand quilted a couple more but by this time I thought I had to make every neat quilt I saw so I was getting the tops made faster than I could hand quilt them. Then I saw what they were doing with machine quilting! WOW They were quilting tops and focusing on the quilt pattern, not doing pantos!! I had to have one of these machines and shortly after my discovery I bought my first longarm. I began quilting focusing on the pattern of the quilt, giving them detail. I still do that today. All these years later. Sometimes I wonder if I should do them faster and simpler but then I remember why I quilt and I put the extra hours in them because I want the quilt to be the best that it can. I am proud when I see quilts hanging at the county fair with blue ribbons on them and I’ve quilted them. Or at a local quilt show where a quilt that I’ve quilted has a ribbon. I love quilting and I take pride in what I do. I guess I don’t quilt mainly for the money although I do have to quilt to pay bills but I quilt because of the love I have for it. To see the look of pleasure on the customers face, to hear the words “I was going to give that away, but now I think I’ll keep it!” or just getting a hug because I’ve taken what they called an ugly quilt and made it into a beautiful swan! Yes, I LOVE what I do. Why do you quilt?

Theresa

http://community.webshots.com/user/alwaysquilts

I managed to get the motor changed on my machine this week. Boy what a hassle!!!!!! It started acted up and I called APQS and they said that I probably needed new brushes in the motor. OK…….I ordered a new set of brushes. They came the next day. I didn’t have time to work on it that evening, so the next day my DH came home from work and said let’s get it done. So we took the motor off and changed the brushes. Then, we couldn’t get the motor put back together right. It just wouldn’t fit!!!! Needless to say, my DH was getting tired after working all night and in the process of trying to get the motor pulled apart AGAIN. he caught the corner of the piece that holds the check spring on there and broke it. Well, so much for that motor! I then called APQS again and they said that they can’t fix that part of the motor. Since I live close to KC she gave me the company that they buy the motors from, I called them and they were able to have the correct motor at the store the next day, so yesterday morning I went and bought a new motor and without my DH’s help. (He feels soooooo bad about breaking the first one) anyway, I put the new motor on, retimed the machine and got back to quilting last night. Mission accomplished!!

Now I’m off to go quilt. Have a great day!

Theresa

http://community.webshots.com/user/alwaysquilts

I never thought my quilting would get me anywhere. BUT I was wrong….if I didn’t quilt for people the following would never happen. So, on with the story. I have a friend that I quilt for and she has a friend that I now quilt for and that friend just happens to live in Italy. Well……I’ve been invited to go to Italy next year for the quilt show that her friend is involved with. She sent me an e-mail saying that they had their quilt show and that the Italians were quite taken with my quilting so Pam and I should come next year for the show. It’s held in a mountain village there in northern Italy. Pams been to Italy twice already and she had told me that we should go sometime. When I got the e-mail from Jill, I thought “let’s go” Of course my DH wasn’t as excited as I was. I think I have him talked into letting me go! He’s worried that I would be half way around the world without him!! I get so excited when I think about gong to Italy!!! So does Pam! She called the other night and we talked and talked about how much fun we would have. We would go to Venice for sure. That’s the only thing other than the quilt show that I know we would do. I hope it works out. I have to start saving my money!!!! And get a passport!!!!! And loose a few pounds because I hear the food over there is wonderful!!!! Oh, I’m getting myself worked up again. I better go make some money. Have a wonderful day!!!

Theresa

http://community.webshots.com/user/alwaysquilts

I’ve been busy getting quilts finished so I haven’t written anything lately. I’m still sewing a few minutes each day on both my 8 year old mystery as well as the new mystery quilt that I’m making. I’m still not sure about the 8 year old mystery. I have left over pieces from steps that I’ve done. The directions don’t say how many of anything I’m supposed to make…..I’m just sewing pieces together and I guess when I have enough blocks, I’ll put them together and call it done. Here’s what the blocks are looking like. I have 3 completed so far.

Here’s a block from the current mystery I’m doing. I’m getting behind on it as this is clue 4 and clue 5 was posted last week. I have 4 out of 12 blocks done for clue 4. Clue 5 looks easier so maybe I’ll get caught up before clue 6 is posted. (I wish!!LOL!!)

Ok, that’s it for now.  Have a great day!

Theresa

http://community.webshots.com/user/alwaysquilts

My baby turns 22 today. It doesn’t seem possible! It seems like it was just yesterday that he was born! I’m getting old!!! Oh well, getting old is better than the alternative!! He went out last night and celebrated with his buddies. Tonight their all coming over here and I’m going to grill hamburgers and make him a cake. I have a busy day planned. I’ve got potatoes cooking now for some potato salad and I have to run to town later to pick up a cake mix and get some ice cream. He wants a German chocolate cake. I hope I have time to get all this done before I have to leave on the bus. My parents are coming over too. Plus I really need to finish the quilt that’s on the machine today.

I better get off here. Have a wonderful day!!

Theresa

I sure wish I would have finished the mystery quilt that I started almost 8 years ago, because I am soooo lost on what to do with it now! LOL!! I have several baggies with numbers written on them, strips sewn together, and partial blocks. The instructions are not written clear enough to even know what it is supposed to look like. Oh, why did I wait so long? I think this may end up having an original look to it. I don’t even remember which size I am making!! LOL!! I am determined though that I will get it done. Wish me luck, I’m gonna need it.

I have finished quilting several customer quilts as well as 1 of my own.The first one was for my LQS.

Here is my quilt that I finally finished. I designed the pattern and had my friend Sharon piece it for me. I finally quilted it. I named the quilt “Purrr”sonality Stars. How’s that? LOL! I bought some fairy fabric to make another one using this pattern. I may have to see if Sharons up to piecing another one for me! LOL!!

I guess that’s it for now. I think I’ll go sew a few minutes on my mystery quilt. I haven’t sewn on it yet today and I try to sew at least 5 minutes everyday on it. Then I’ll load another quilt on the machine and quilt a little while before bed.

Have a great day.

Theresa

http://community.webshots.com/user/alwaysquilts