Author Archives: Pam

I made my first quilted item as a visual aid for a math project in 7th grade. Over the next 25 years quilting was hit or miss, but quilting took over all the other crafts I've done in 2003.

Quilting Gallery Contest Entry

July 15, 2011 11:52 am ⋅ Pam

Quilting Gallery hosts a weekly quilt contest. This week’s contest is Quilts for Little Girls. I entered Kallikats.

I made this quilt for my niece when she was 8. This was back when I thought every quilt you started needed a known destination. Two or three days before I attended the Missouri State Quilt Guild quilt show, I called Kalli and asked her what her favorite colors were. The conversation went something like this:

Me: What’s your favorite color?

K: Pink.

Me: What other colors do you like?

K: Hot Pink.

Me: Any other colors?

K: No.

Me: Ok, what types of things do you like?

K: Kitties

Me: Anything else?

K: Girly things

So off to the show I went with the intent of picking fabric and a pattern to make my niece a quilt.

The pattern is Yellow Brick Road. The cat silhouettes are from a Tuxedo Cats. It was in The Quilters’ Magazine – I’m not sure which issue. If I remember correctly the quilting was pretty basic. Stitch in the ditch between the blocks, outline the cats and maybe one or two cat outlines and a mouse in the center of the quilt.

In the border I machine satin stitched block letters. The top border says MEOW MEOW. The left border says KITTY KITTY, the right border – PURR PURR and the bottom KALLIKAT — our nickname for Kalli.

My best guess is the quilt finishes at 69: x 96″ based on the pattern and that I added an extra border. Kalli just got her room redone and the quilt fits in perfectly.

If you would drop over to Quilting Gallery and vote for my quilt — and two others. They are giving away FQs to the top 3 quilts and I could always use more fabric.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Progress?

July 13, 2011 11:00 am ⋅ Pam

I spent a bit of time with my trust seam ripper last night. I need to spend more time with it before I can move forward again.

Posted in: crossword

Need to find my Groove Again

July 12, 2011 5:15 pm ⋅ Pam

After finishing all of the quilts last month, my husband, niece, nephew and I went on a road trip and delivered quilts. I can’t believe it, but of the 7 quilts we were delivering, I managed to only get pictures of 3.

Now that I’m home, I need to find my groove again.

I’ve not sat at my sewing machine since before the trip. But this does not surprise me. It seems to me that after a big finishes (I’d say this counts) I tend to stay away from the sewing room. Admittedly this go round after the finish there was a 12 day 4000 mile road trip, but I think I’ve just about recovered from it.

But there is the disaster that is my sewing room. No, I’m not showing pictures at this time. It’s just too bad.

The good thing is I want to get back in my sewing room. I want/need to finish my sister’s quilt, I want to work on my niece’s bag (bought the grommets last night) and I found THIS.

Yes, I’ve been wandering around various blogs and I found Quilt2sr5. Sunday she posted about her finish of Mountain Top. I love the quilt. I want one. Yes, I’ve ordered the pattern. Now to figure out when I’m going to work on it. There are a few things on my list that I need to work on first.

Design and write pattern for mystery retreat quilt by 8/1
Finish Crossword Puzzle/wedding quilt – 9/19
Finish quilting DWR by 11/29
QIAD Christmas Row Quilt — to the top stage by 12/17
Mom’s 4-Patch Stacked Posies – to the top stage by 12/17
Purse for Kalli – by 12/24
Quilt for Frog – by 12/24

Oh — and I want to keep up with Judy’s UFO challenge.

Ok — clearly I’m simply crazy. Cart me off now.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Stash Report

July 10, 2011 7:03 am ⋅ Pam

After my 3 month quilting marathon I figured I wouldn’t go anywhere near my sewing machine for a while. I was right, but not for the reasons I thought. I’m still digging the room out. I’ve found the top of the ironing board and nearly have the extra table and cutting board cleared off, but it’s still impossible to walk through here.

Bottom line, no fabric in or out.

Fabric Added Last Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 90.019 yards

Fabric Used Last Week: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 113.825 yards

Net Used for 2011: 23.806 yards

Looks like Judy didn’t get in her sewing room either. I guess we’ll all have to check out the links to see who did get some sewing done.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

What’s On My Design Wall

July 4, 2011 9:03 am ⋅ Pam

Since we just got back from a 12 day road trip through Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, I have nothing on my design wall. So, Here’s the fabric I’m going to use to make my niece a bag. The green fabric is for a quilt for my nephew’s stuffed frog.

Follow the links over at Judy’s to see what others are working on.

Posted in: designwall

Stash Report

July 3, 2011 7:44 am ⋅ Pam

No fabric used in the past two weeks and only 1 quilt shop visited on our 12 day road trip. I saw a couple, but either there wasn’t enough time to stop or it was after hours. Since I had my niece and nephew with me the fabric I did buy is for them.

I’ll be making my niece the Bellance bag. She picked out a new Robert Kaufman black and white print for the bag, a bright pink for the accent and another Kaufman black and white for the handles. I didn’t want to have to think, so I got a yard of each.

My nephew, not wanting to be left out, picked a FQ for me to use to make a quilt for his frog. That’s a Build-a-Bear frog, not a live frog. It’s a Christmas print with peppermints on it.

When I checked out my niece said “Wow! That’s more money than the purse Momma and Daddy wouldn’t buy me.” I told her it would cost more before it was done, but it would be made with love, last and be washable. I also told her she might not getit until Christmas. Good kid that she is said that was OK.

So, here’s the report.

Fabric Added Last 2 Weeks: 3.25 yards
Fabric Used Last 2 Weeks: 0 yards

My totals look weird and I don’t have access to my spreadsheets, so I’ll update the year-to-date totals next week.

Meanwhile, checkout the links over at Patchwork Times to see how others are doing.

Found the issue with my totals. I didn’t update the year-to-date total on the 17th. The corrected year to date totals are:

Fabric added to date: 90.019
Fabric used to date: 113.825
Net fabric used: 23.806

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

UFO Challenge Results

July 2, 2011 7:39 am ⋅ Pam

I can’t even remember what number Judy pulled for June. It didn’t matter because I was still working on my crazy challenge. These four quilts were finished in June. They were on my To Be Quilted” tab January 1st, so I’m substituting them for the June #.

For July the # is 2. On my list this month is finishing the quilt top True Friends and/or quilting Fireworks Over John Deere. Of course before I do either of these I’ve got to excavate my sewing room and finish up the crossword puzzle quilt. These two things may take me all month!

See how others are doing on their challenge by following the links over at Judy’s.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Victoria’s Rose

June 23, 2011 9:03 am ⋅ Pam

Over the next week or so I’m going to write a bit about each of the quilts I’ve finished. First up is Victoria’s Rose.

This quilt was started in 2007. My notes say I finished the top August 1st 2007. Most of the fabric I purchased at one of the bigger quilt shows here in Kansas City. I think I purchased two 5 yard bundles. There was a stripe fabric and a small bright blue calico. Those fabrics are still in my stash.

I remember buying the background fabric on a combination shop hop to St Louis and visit to my great-nephew when he was about 6 weeks old. Additionally I ordered more of the larger print on line for the border.

The pattern is Victoria’s Rose.

I quilted the center on the long arm at Rocking Chair Quilts, then did the borders on my machine here at home. I just don’t have the control yet to make smooth flowing lines I needed for the borders.

I finished the quilt on June 12th.

Posted in: Victoria's Rose