Category: quilts

family · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · quilts

They Really Do Grow Up Sooooo Fast

Wild Rose Quilter13 Comments

Until I was a mom, I didn’t realize how fast it really flies.  Happy 17th!

I also didn’t know how much I would miss that sweaty, smelly little boy that used to run around this house.  The one that played Bomberman, Jurassic Park, Monopoly and other games with me.  That dyed Easter Eggs with me, colored coloring books with me, bugged me to the point of insanity to open his Christmas presents early.  The one that sent me searching for Power Rangers, Megazords, and Transformers.  Oh, let’s not forget the Pokemon cards.  I can still see his face light up brighter than the brightest Christmas tree when I would show up to get him at the end of the work/school day, or to eat lunch with him at school.  The one that insisted on this routine, every night:  (me) Good night (him) Good night (me) Sleep tight (him) Sleep tight (me) Sweet dreams (him) Sweet dreams (me) Don’t let the bed bugs bite (him) I won’t, you either (me) I won’t, I love you (him) I love you, too.  Yes, I miss that boy.  He left so quickly…But what a wonderful young man has taken his place.

DH & I did a bit of yard work Sunday evening.  I found this.

This is what yard work does to me.  Nice hair, huh?  LOL  And yes, my glasses are crooked…I really need some new ones. 

And I have gotten to play with my new embroidery machine a little.  I made this label for my friend, to put on her snowman quilt.  She loves it and I got a hug!

I’ve had a customer quilt on the machine ever since I got done with my Storm At Sea.  It’s not a big quilt, but it’s custom, and it’s going slow.  It’s been one of my biggest longarm challenges so far.  I’m anxious to see the final result.

quilting · quilts · stash busting

Sunday Stash Reporting, 7-20-08

Wild Rose Quilter15 Comments

I have been in two different fabric shops in the last week, and the only fabric I picked up was a bit of bleached muslin, for an online art quilting class I’m taking at MQR, which I am not counting in my totals, as it was a class requirement, and will be used up right away.  TWO shops, no purchasing, lots of beautiful fabrics….I’m getting the shakes….I’m jonesing bad…I feel like going on a binge…I need a sponsor…

  • 0 yard in this week
  • 5 yards out (I gave it away in my reward challenge)
  • total busted YTD is 2 yards (woohoo! a positive number, small though it may be)

I made a day trip to Pampa yesterday to hang out with the folks, and to do a bit of shopping.  I bought new crayons for the aforementioned art class.  I didn’t need them.  And I certainly didn’t need 120, but I did want the crayon sharpener, that is included in the box of 120 crayons.  I also bought some embroidery thread.  In the pic, you can see my very first tries with my new machine.  I still have a lot of reading to do, in the instruction manual, and look forward to taking the class that the shop offers.

I also came home with some canning jars, that my Mom was wanting out of her way.  Don’t know what I’m going to do with them, I just love canning jars and wanted them.

Some commemorate the bicenntenial.  I was in the 4th grade that year. 

I like these square shaped ones, too.

My husband asked, “What are YOU going to do with them?”  My response was “I don’t know…I just like them…maybe I’ll can something sometime.”  That comment evoked laughter from husband.  Ok, so maybe I’ll just use them to make pretty displays, and store things like buttons and golf tees, like I already am doing with some I had.  I just like them…

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing

Storm At Sea Quilting Ta-Done!

Wild Rose Quilter44 Comments

I love it! I used Quilters Dream Poly for the batting, Rainbows Rain Forest on the top, and So Fine Marigold on the back.  All the pics are “clickable” so you can see them better, if you’d like.

I wish I could get a pic of the true color of the back…it’s almost the color of canned pumpkin.  Much more vibrant and pretty than the pics show.  Quilting this was fun!

EDIT: Thanks for the photo tip, Vicki! It worked perfectly!

BTW, it’s a nice, cool 68 degrees outside here, right now! How awesome is that for July?!

longarm quilting · quilting · quilts

Time’s Up! And the winner is…

Wild Rose Quilter8 Comments

Look! I found another use for the craft foam!  Instead of writing down all the names on paper slips, I made reusable drawing squares of the craft foam, and numbered them.  Now, whenever I have a drawing on my blog, I can use these again.  It also adds to the anticipation of the drawing for me, too, as I don’t even know who the winner is, til I come back to the comments and see who’s “number” was drawn. 

And who is commenter #9?  Teresa L! You are the lucky winner!  Please email me your snail mail addy so I can send out your prize.  Congratulations!  I want to thank all of you that participated in the “party”.  I wish I could send you all something.  As a consolation prize, I took some pics of my pretty little mini zinnias for you.  A cyber bouquet, if you will.

I got a bit of an update on the baby girl, Riley, that is battling e. coli and salmonella.  She is still in the hospital in Dallas, but yesterday she went to the bathroom twice, and this was a good thing.  I gather it’s still very serious, but this was an improvement in her condition.  I’ll keep pressing my two teenager news “relayers” for better info. 

Again, thank you all so much for your sweet comments.  I appreciate them all and you gave me lots of smiles the last few days.  It was also very nice to “meet” some of you for the first time.  Have a great weekend!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · quilts

Quilting Away on the Storm at Sea

Wild Rose Quilter25 Comments

I had to show you some more peeks!  I’m not quilting it as well as I had hoped I would, yet it’s better than I expected.  I don’t always hit my marks right on, but I’m just having so much fun quilting this one, and I’m liking the way it looks.  If you do like Eleanor says, and just hang it up and go by at 30 or 40 miles an hour, it looks pretty good!  🙂  Somewhere after the first few “bobbles” where my stitches didn’t land exactly where I was aiming, I remembered why I made this one in the first place.  Because I saw it in a Fons & Porter magazine and fell in love with it, and thought “I want one of those”.  So I said to myself, quit obsessing over every little mistake, and enjoy what you are doing.  Suit yourself and worry about no one else.  Wow! What a little epiphany!  I still think I might put it in the quilt show I have in mind.  We’ll see.  Oh yea, here I am rambling again, and you just wanna see pics, don’t ya!?

I really struggled over what to put in the large diamonds.  I finally came up with this design, after doodling like a gagillion other ideas, used a paper template of the diamond to fold up like when you cut snowflakes, so I could make a symmetrical template.  Then I used the paper template to trace the pattern out on craft foam.  I’ve been using a Fons & Porter chalk pencil, or a Marvy marker to trace the design.  This shape has been a little challenging for me to quilt “perfectly”, but I’m finding the more of them I do, I’m getting the hang of it a little better.

I also tried out this chalk spray, to mark the stencil designs.  I like it, it works pretty well, but it is a bit messy, kind of expensive, and puts off some pretty strong fumes.

I really like the way the back is looking.  I couldn’t get a really good pic of it, though.

If you haven’t commented on my Blog Birthday Post yet, don’t forget to scroll down to it, and get yourself entered in my reward challenge give-away! There will be one lucky winner come Saturday morning.  I can’t tell you how the nice comments that have already been left have warmed my heart!

XXOO’s

fabric · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · quilts

Blog Birthday Party!

Wild Rose Quilter43 Comments

It’s my 1 year WordPress blog birthday party, and you are invited!  Thank goodness I checked in on one of my favorite bloggers, Kay, yesterday, and saw that she was having her one year blogiversary.  It reminded me that mine was coming up soon, so I hopped back on over to mine to see, and soon it was indeed! It’s today!  I have enjoyed sharing with you this past year.  I am always amazed that so many of you keep coming back to visit me.  I’m not the most interesting blogger, not the wittiest, nor most creative.  I’m not sure why you keep coming back, but thank you! Thank you for taking the time to visit and share with me.  What will we do to celebrate?  How about a reward challenge?  If you are a “survivor” of reading Randi’s ramblings this past year, I think you deserve a chance at a reward.  What is the challenge?  It’s simple.  Just comment on this blog birthday party post, by the time I stumble out of bed this coming Saturday morning, and settle in front of the computer with my cup of coffee.  (that is usually somewhere between 7:30 and 9:00 am central time-sorry I can’t be more specific 🙂 it depends on how tired I am)  So, Survivors, wanna know what you are playing for?  How about  one yard cuts off of the five cheeriest, most partying looking bolts of fabric I have in my stash?

Worth playing for?  If so, get those comments coming! You have til I become conscious on Saturday morning to be included in the drawing!  I will post the winner shortly thereafter.  Good luck!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · stash busting

Time For the Weekly Stashbusting Report!

Wild Rose Quilter10 Comments

I resisted all tempation to buy new fabric, that came my way! Zero yardage added to the stash this week.  Seriously, I have reached a point where my stash *almost* overwhelms me.  I really do want to reduce the amount I have on hand, so that I can keep my closet neater, and have more storage space for my longarm quilting thread.  I used 4.5 yards just playing around with my new Circle Lord, and practicing stencils, and other designs.  So it ends up as a dog or cat blanket before heading to the trash.  It’s still out of my stash!  I also used a three yard piece for backing for my Storm At Sea.  Yes, I started quilting it today!  That gives me 7.5 yds busted this week.  YTD totals are:

  • Incoming 66 yds.
  • Outgoing 63 yds.
  • Total busted YTD -3 yds.

Woohoo! I’m almost to a positive number!

Wanna see a peek at my Storm At Sea?   I’ve been really intimidated by this one, and have put the quilting off a long time…

If it turns out well enough, I might even put it in some quilt shows.  There are a few area shows I’ve recently become aware of, and it might be a fun experience.  I’ve even got a name picked out.  I’m still undecided about what to do in the big diamond shapes.  I’ll be saving those for last.  At least I’m liking it so far, and will have a pretty Storm At Sea to hang on my wall, which is all I really wanted in the first place!

I forgot to do my weigh-in this morning, but I did weigh yesterday morning, and I’m still stuck…145.  That’s a miracle, considering how I’ve been eating!

How did you do with your stashbusting this week? Don’t forget to stop by Judy’s and let us know!

longarm quilting · nature · quilting · quilts · toads

Itsy Bitsy Swallows and the Not Itsy Bitsy Toad

Wild Rose Quilter7 Comments

The baby swallows have hatched and are growing like weeds.  Hope nobody falls from the nest.  There are five babies in this little nest.

The big toad has been gorging himself on june bugs.  I love to watch him gobble them up.  Quite entertaining watching him (or her?) and the smaller toad chasing the bugs in the evening.  Look how fat he’s gotten!

Look at this gorgeous quilt top! It was made by members of the local guild, and is going to a rehab facility for wounded soldiers. I am donating my quilting services for it.  I am going to quilt it with Baptist Fans.  I think those will look fab on this, don’t you?

longarm quilting · quilting · quilts

LOL! Let’s play I spy!

Wild Rose Quilter17 Comments

Remember my Starry Log Cabin quilt?  It’s been on my bed about six months now.  I happened to look at it just right to notice something.  I just busted out laughing. Can you see it? 🙂 Wonder if there are any more…

 

family · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · quilts · stash busting

Sunday Reporting

Wild Rose Quilter9 Comments

No new stash usage to report.  No new stash bought.  I was hoping to have the pillow shams finished today, but I didn’t manage to get that accomplished.  I do have the tops quilted and cut out.  Just didn’t have enough steam today to do the backs.

I’ve been playing with the block layouts for my dad’s log cabin quilt.  I am emailing him pics, as I lay them out.  So far, we both like the barn raising layout better than anything else I’ve tried, including the windmill layout I had planned on using.  It just wasn’t doing it for me.  The “windmills” kind of got lost.  I am proud to report that as I was piecing the blocks, I went ahead and cut the scraps into 2.5 inch strips or squares, for a future leaders/enders project in blues & creams. 

I’m trying to keep up with the scraps as I go from now on. I am still trying to get the sack full I already had cut into strips & squares.  I did get more bricks and squares cut from that sack this week, to use in the Oklahoma Backroads quilt.

In non-quilting related news, my son won 1st place in his age division in the Jim Hitch Memorial golf tournament, in Guymon, Ok.  He played in it Friday and Saturday.  I thought the wind was going to blow us completely away yesterday.  My face was just gritty feeling from the dirt.  Yuk.  This is his 2nd year in a row to win first in his group.  If he plays all four years of his high school term, and has the lowest cumulative score of all the boys his age that played all four years, he will win the four year trophy, also.  It’s a very nice tournament and we really enjoy it.