It looks like we’re going to have enough interest to do at least 1 or 2 groups of 9 people for the House Swap. I’m going to get the details all together and then put up a details/official sign-up post in the next couple of weeks. If you’ve already told me you’re interested, I’ll send you an email when the post is up. Be thinking of what kind of block you want to make…some ideas are: house/cottage, quilt shop, barn, school, church, post office, playground, park, grocery store…anything you might find in a neighborhood. Just remember, we’re going for lots of detail here. There will only be 1 of each category for each group, and so we’re looking at probably only 2 people being able to make any of these categories. It’ll be first come, first serve, so be thinking about what you’d like to make, but think of a second choice too. And watch this space for more details…
I had a super productive second half of the week last week.
I started quilting the Halloween swap quilt. A little late, I guess, but I prefer to think that it’s super early for next Halloween. I don’t understand how I have as much arm jiggle as I do with as sore as I get wrangling these huge quilts through my machine. When I was basting this one I finally decided that bigger is not better, and vowed to make my next few quilts small.
But it’s all done with the exception of whipstiching the binding.
On a post about thread recently, several people mentioned how much they love YLI thread, and I happened to see some in a store for the first time. And wouldn’t you know, my machine hates it. It’s really thick, though. I wonder should I not have gotten ‘glazed’ cotton? Is that the problem?
I got my first Christmas gift bought and wrapped, along with a January birthday present. And this is especially exciting because this particular person is one of the hardest I have to buy for, so I’m so glad to cross it off the list first.
I got this book on sale, but I haven’t had the time to open it yet, although I have flipped through it at a bookstore before. Anyone read it?
And in honor of making smaller quilts, I started on my very first baby quilt. I have a shower this next weekend, and hadn’t even thought about making a gift until last week.
It’s for a little girl who is going to have a lilac and sage nursery. It’s in line to be quilted at the moment, but I’ll show the finished product as soon as it’s done. The best thing about this project was that I made the entire top and binding from scraps I already had. I only had to buy the backing and batt. I did do a little ‘shopping’ through my mom’s stash, but that doesn’t count. I couldn’t believe what a difference it makes to baste something so much smaller than my last ones. I could definitely get used to that.
And finally, I went to a fantastic quilt show, pictures tomorrow…
I pretty sure that glazed cotton is for Hand Quilting…which would account for it being thicker. Love the look of your Halloween quilt and the baby quilt as well. Can’t wait to see when they are quilted.
For the House Quilt Bee…will we be making 9 blocks the same theme?
Oh my gosh, you have been a busy bee, love how your Halloween Quilt turned out, I use the glazed thread for my hand quilting. I love your baby quilt, the flower is just darling!! AND not only to you have Christmas gifts BUT they are WRAPPED, now you have gone to far Missy!!!
goodness you have been very busy! your quilts always look lovely.
i think for the swap as i live in the country i would like to do a cottage or barn – but am happy to give anything a go!
xxx
Yes…YLI thread. My Janome likes it until the bobbin gets down to 1/4 ful and then it hates it with a passion (although in fairness it appears to hate most threads with a passion!!!).
I went to a free motion quilting class last weekend and after messing about with my uncooperative machine for ages the lady suggested i try some rayon thread in it. It loved it!
I guess it depends on whether you’re a purest of not (i’m not) but i will certainly be buying me some more of that. Sewed like a dream, and had a lovely sheen.
uhoh! You mean I have to think as well as be prepared to do all that sewing for this swap? YIKES!?!?
The glazed cotton you have int he picture is for hand quilting….. way too thick to run through a machine. YLI does make thread specifically for machine quilting; I think it is a 50 wt. and comes in solids and variegated.