Grandkids Making Fabric Photo Boards

Cork boards, batting, fun fabrics, ribbon, buttons, needle and thread, a sewing machine, a staple gun and some grandkids! Today was a great day.

Quick Strippie Quilt All Done

Finished, washed, dried, photographed and keeping me warm and toasty as I enter this post. It's lovely : )

A Plastic Plate to Cover the Feed Dogs

It took a while, but Quick Strippie is quilted after I viewed some YouTube quilting videos, read some blogs about free motion quilting and PRACTICED.

The real breakthrough came when I realized my sewing machine's feed dogs were working against me. Lucky ME. A part that covers the feed dogs came with my machine. I didn't know what the part was for ... until now. Many, many thanks to retromummy from Australia. It was her free motion video and blogspot that made me realize my problem was the feed dogs. http://www.retromummy.blogspot.com/

The rubber gloves you see in the picture above were a huge help! I noticed quilters in videos wearing gloves. I used what I had but I'll buy a pair of cloth gloves with rubber treads/grips on the fingers when I get a chance. lol.

I'll bind and wash Quick Strippie tonight.

Strippie Quilt Sandwich

The sides have been evened up a bit. The quilt top, batting and back have been sandwiched and spray basted. Strippie quilt is ready to quilt. It will be about 42" by 56" when I finish.
Looks pretty already :)

Strippie Quilt Top

This top is easy to cut and sew together.

Quick Strippie Quilt

I want to practice free motion quilting on a small quilt so I downloaded Mary Johnson's "Quick Strippie" quilt instructions at blog.maryquilts.com
Most of the fabric I need came from my fabric stash. A yard of focus fabric from the LQS and I'm ready to start cutting and sewing.

Pooh Is All Done!

I used my sewing machine to quilt Pooh using a free motion quilting method. There was enough backing fabric to bring to the front, turn under and bind with the sewing machine. Then I washed the blanket to remove the basting spray. After I dried it in the dryer to give it a nice crinkled quilted look, it's ready for Project Linus.

This was my first attempt use the free motion method to quilt a quilt. Though my stitches were not as even as I'd like, after washing and drying Pooh, he looks nice. I'm pleased. I just need to practice, practice, practice free motion quilting. Yeah!

By the way, I like spray basting!

Rachel Gave Me A Chain

She learned how to crochet chains. It's beautiful!

Quilting Pooh Panel

About a third of the panel is quilted and I realize I have a HUGE learning curve going on here... :)

Pillowcases and a Donation Blanket

I made more pillowcases using the Magic Pillowcase Tutorial. Love that tutorial! I'm making several, some for grandchildren, some for gifts and some to donate.

Last week I thought I might piece the backing for my Crayon Box quilt. After cutting forty 10" squares, I decided to buy enough of one fabric to make the backing with only one seam down the middle. I can use the squares to make a throw later this spring.

Since I've never machine quilted a large quilt, I though it would be a good idea to practice on a smaller project, a Winny the Pooh panel I planned to donate to Project Linus. I sandwiched a thick piece of white flannel between some backing Pooh theme fabric and a Pooh panel. I'll post the results later.

Favorite Cornbread Recipe

A forecast of more snow in North Carolina turns my thoughts to cornbread and beans. Lucky for our family, my dear sister discovered this cornbread recipe when she lived in Texas years ago. Thank you, Yvonne.



Mexican Cornbread

3 cups cornmeal, self-rising, can be white or yellow
3 eggs
2 cups of milk
4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 or 3 pickled Jalapeño peppers, chopped
1 can cream corn

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Pour mixture into a greased oblong sheet cake pan. Bake in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Crayon Box Has a Border

The top is all done. It's 84" by 70". Tomorrow, I start piecing the back with fabric left from piecing the front.

Crayon Box Quilt Project Ready For A Border

It's been a busy weekend. Happy New Year! Still, I was able to get my quilt top ready for a border.