I need a photo class!!

I cannot figure out how to rotate the picture.  I thought about linking my Flickr account to this blog, because there you can rotate the picture.  This way you can just turn your computer.. LOL Also, I need to learn how to stage my picture.. Libby, maybe you can help me with this I seem to be camera challenged.

I do like how the quilt turned out.  I  liked this pattern of freemotion.  It was fun and relatively easy to do.   The colors are fresh and springlike.  I think it would be perfect for a baby boy. Well, time to move on to the next project.

So many projects , so little time......

Coin Quilt

Happy Easter!  After feasting at my Mom's, I came home and basted this little quilt.  I have been wanting to make a stacked coin quilt since I have seen them on Flickr. Iwas trying to do a little different freemotion pattern this time.  Before, I have done just a feather type back and forth, loop-d-loop, or a stipple, but now I want to do a  spiral with a feather around it.  I will post more pix when it is done.  I think I will use a blue polka dot to bind it.  What do you think?

The back has a reproduction yellow with blue flower and a strip of the coin stack..so I think the dark blue polka is it.... More to do...

Roots quilt went camping

I just finished this quilt.  On first thought, one would think that this was a pretty easy quilt, right?  Wrong... The quilting of this quilt gave me a major head ache.  I never knew how difficult working with a large piece of one color could be.  Also, I do not like quilting straight lines or at least in this quilt.  The way I had to quilt this was to start in the middle(as usual) but I had to work fron one half stop and start again, which made bunching an issue.  I had to follow the pieced parts on the front as guides to the lines and they are different on each side.  So I had to work from one way and just continue with the bulk under the arm of the machine.

This weekend we went to Julian, CA to camp.  The three children and my husband went to a small cabin out in the woods for three days of fun.  I finished everything on the quilt except for the binding, which I sewed by hand on the porch of the cabin while the kids played.  It was very peaceful and quiet.  We saw deer, wild turkey, and wood peckers.  We are such city folk.  Where we live there are just seagulls and seals.  If you go to the tide pools there are more critters, but not deer and turkeys.

Denyse Schmidt Roots quilt.

I have not entered much lately, because I  have been working on this quilt.  I have admired the work of Denyse Schmidt. She is a quilter from NY.  Her lines are great with there bold color and modern designs.  Most of what I have is definately not modern,  even my name reflects tradition, Mary.   I have inherted most of my Grandmother's posssesions and have kept them in my house to enjoy.  I love them.  

However, I love me some modern tooo; )  The simplistic line of this roots quilt spoke to me.  The colors of brown, green and blue are great. The simplistic quilting with straight lines show a minimalistic beauty.  Working with a large broad piece of material was challenging.  Even quilting in straight lines, in queen size was too.  But I am almost finished and I will post some pictures of it complete soon.

Growth as a quilter

It is an interesting thing to start a new hobby.  I remember asking my mother to help me make a quilt when I was about 13.  She told me maybe and then we went and bought the material.  I think that we got as far as cutting out the squares.  However, we never actually sewed anything together.  That my first experience with quilting. 

I have always admired the Amish quilts with bold colors and beautiful appliques.  The simplicity of these quilts have always created images in my mind.  As a young girl, I had ideas of making these, but alas my Mom was not a person who sewed. My Grandmother could sew anything and I have fond memories  of her making my doll clothes. She died when I was 11 and my mentor was gone and my voyage began on my own.

Jump ahead some 30 years and my children wanted to have Indian Halloween costumes.  I had no sewing machine  and could not find a Native American costume in all of Southern California.  We had just returned from a Route 66 trip and bought mocchasins for all three..... but no costume.  I went to Walmart and bought the cheapest sewing machine($65) and some material, ribbons, fringe, thread and off I went.  I made 2 dresses , vest, leggings , and apron.  I rememberd that I liked sewing and being creative.  

You might ask, "How does this apply to quilting?"  Well, after this my 12 year old daughter wanted to make a quilt and learn to sew.  I told her let's make a quilt for your birthday and I was hooked.  With minimal sewing experience, but good math skills and research skills, I took to the internet and found the easiest free pattern I could.  The Chain rail...

Applique quilt

This is the quilt that I was making.  For no apparent reason other than I wanted to try flowers.  Kind of a whimsical flower.

I like the flower with the purple pedals

when it rains....

Well, today is another one of those days when there is too much planned.  I just cannot do it all and stay mentally sane.  Apart from all I have to do on a normal day the kids have  a minimum day and parent conferences.  That means that they have to be picked up at 12:35 and given lunch. only to be back at schoolat 2:20 for a conference.   Somewhere in ther I have exercise, visiting the round robin for tennis of which I am captain, make dinner, prepare for softball game....etc. I am tired just thinking about it and I haven't even done it yet.