I love to share my Quilting projects with other Quilters. My goal is to share my progress on projects that I am working on. I would love for you to follow along with me during my endeavors. I hope you enjoy watching me tackle new techniques and projects. Hopefully you can learn from my "hiccups" and mistakes and make your journey easier.
Author: Texas Quilter
I am a retired GS-13/14 from the Federal Government after a 33 year career with them and 5 years with the private sector. We were blessed to have started working young and retired at the age of 55! I love to quilt, knit, embroidery, needle turn applique, and now Sashiko! I have been married to my husband Clay, a retired Lt. in the SA Fire Department, for 23 years now. We grew up together, but did not find each other again until 1996! After we retired we traveled each year to Arizona for the winter for 15 years and in 2017 decided that we would enjoy just "going on a shorter trips" and sold our unit! We both miss the extended travels. We are blessed to be able to enjoy our hobbies in our Studio where I quilt during the day and he works on his hobbies. We enjoy life (as long as there are not too many unforeseen requirements)!
I love my Country - USA - and our President Trump. I am a Conservative Republican and I Love my God, believe in our Founding Fathers, The National Anthem, the US Flag, the Military, and have no respect for Socialists or Communists as I believe they have no place in our Government. If my beliefs offend you that is your problem.
Well, don’t fall off your chair, but I am working only To Do Tuesday post today (Monday)! I have some completions to show and am so happy as I am getting closer and closer to finishing all the “old” UFOs that have been around as long as 10 years! YEA!
Last Thursday I had my Radio Frequency Treatment and it was very successful. I did lose a couple of days with my quilting but feeling great since Sunday! Yea!
I have listed a short recap my goals for 2021 that I had listed in January!
Jacobean Lights – 4 blocks remaining –Completed Started in 2010!
Stars Around the Garden Medallion – Waiting to be sewn into a quilt top.
Dresden Heaven – Appliquéing to background blocks
Stonefields – Finish Sections 6-10 – 60% complete. No Progress
Celebrating Mary Brown – 2020 project on hold– Maybe in June
Antique Blue and White Quilt – New to work on after May
Eleanor Burns Egg Money Quilt – New to work on after May with 1930 fabrics
RSC Challenge 2021 – NEW – Cancelled
I have FINALLY started Dresden Heaven. I believe there are 105 mini and 10 large Dresden Plate blocks to applique to background squares. The small ones are appliqued to 5” Squares. I cut a section of the background fabric and draw a grid. This makes it much easier to applique when working with small blocks.
Background fabric with grid drawn for placement of mini Dresden PlatesMini Dresden Plates-3 inch plates!Jacobean Holidays Lite
I am very pleased with my progress so far for the month of April. ! I have completed 3 UFO quilt tops with A Bountiful Life to be completed this week! I am FINALLY beginning to see the light at the end of the UFOs. Now to get with the long arm quilting in May! I do believe my back will support me and can possible catch up with my quilting.
My goals for 19-26 April are as listed below. I am trying to work in some BOWs and SAL just for fun.
Santa Fe Trail SAL – Block 1 completed – (Blocks come out every 3 weeks) New
I will be working this week on my projects, but next week is vacation time! YIPPEE! Have a great week and will attempt to do a post from afar next week!
Good morning and hope all are having a great day – if you are interested, check in on Mike Lindell’s new web site for Conservatives! Very interesting! Great guest and for the next 2 days it will be live! After that, it will be a site for Conservatives to voice their opinions without their voice being cancelled!
Now to my happiness on UFO finishes! I started this quilting in February 2010 while in Sierra Vista, Arizona for the winter. I believe this was the first Block I made.
I looked for other blocks that I made during the process and the only other one is this one! Not sure of the date as to when I finished it.
So after 11 years, the quilt is finished! I did remove approximately 7 blocks that I just did not want to do. I am on a mission to complete all UFO quilts this year. I have 2 other UFOs that were started within the last 4 or 5 years that will complete my goal. I believe that I may have them completed by the end of May. So here is my version of Jacobean Holiday by Pat Campbell.
Patricia Campbell’s Jacobean Holiday
I am so happy to have completed the quilt! It is a total different setting for her original pattern and I am pleased with the gold and black borders! Enjoy!
Have a wonderful day and see you tomorrow on To-Do-Tuesday!
Good morning Quilters! It is HQAL and a Slow Sunday Stitching day all in one! Take the time to click on the ladies (links below) who participate in HQAL and review their latest projects.
We are now the new Desert for sure – 66 days without rain, and 141 days with some rain, but nothing over an inch or two! Setting up a piggy bank for tree cutting – maybe I need to get a part time job because the tree cutting business is beginning to really boom in South Texas and probably all across the state. The area lakes are down about 49 feet! We will just pray for rain because there is nothing in the forecast forthe remainder of April.
I have FINALLY started Dresden Heaven. I believe there are 105 mini and 10 large Dresden Plate blocks to applique to background squares. The small ones are appliqued to 5” Squares. I cut a section of the background fabric and draw a grid. This makes it much easier to applique when working with small blocks.
Dresden Plates for Dresden Heaven
Now on to Jacobean Holidays. I finally have it on the Design Wall and know what I will do with it! The last 4 blocks (along with a few that were finished but did not make the Design Wall) are in the “trash drawer” never to be used! I think I just may hand quilt this puppy as the background fabric is very light weight and probably would not be a good candidate for the long arm machine. I have one more border to add and then I will do a post tomorrow for To Do Tuesday.
Counting down the time to head to our favorite Casino! Cannot wait! Have a great week!
This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piercers to share and motivate one another. We pot every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.
Happy Tuesday! The weather in South Texas is really something this year. The Oak Pollen was up to 40,000 and it got me this time! The trees are blooming so pretty this year even with the horrible drought. There is a chance that the next 5 days will bring some rain and I am hoping for a gully washer! 10 inches would be fine with us as we have had about 2 inches all winter. We used to average 30 inches a year, but that stopped around 2006.
I accomplished a lot this past week. Life has been peaceful but the pollen caused me problems with my Meniere’s. I did complete the insurance problem so that is a DONE DEAL FOREVER!
Here were my goals for this last week:
Applique Jacobean Lights – The 3 blocks are win the trash drawer!
Sweet Stitches Borders and into a finished top – Goal 12 April. Completed
Stars Around the Garden – Begin working on Setting – Still working onX
Stonefields – Either finish the last 4 sections or forget them – May
Celebrating Brown – prepare 2 blocks for applique –May
Antique Blue and White Quilt – New Project – May
Kaye England’s Mystery Medallion – New Project – May
Quilt Autumn Jubilee – Still working on.X
The 3 blocks remaining for Jacobean Lights will not be finished, as I have had enough of that quilt. I will take all the finished blocks and put a top together. Hopefully it will come out nice without those puppies!
I did finish Sweet Stitches. I did not like the fabrics that came with the blocks, so I found a black fabric with red, blue, yellow, and green tiny dots in my stash. I pulled some batiks that matched the dots and started with a different color for each block. I was hoping that by doing it that way when sew together the corners would pull them together. That did not work like I thought it would, so I ripped the corner squares out and decided to put a blue, red, yellow, and green around each block in the corner. I am very pleased with the outcome! (My colors remind me of the Microsoft image! LOL) The fabric used for the background and borders is a beige Crackle fabric, some of my favorites for embroidery. Today I will finish with doing a buttonhole stitch around the little add on’s that came with the patterns (i.e., Easter eggs, flag, etc)
Sweet Stitches
For Dresden Plates, I have cut fabric and drawn the grids for 5″ blocks for appliquéing the Dresden Plates. There are 109 small plates and about 10 of the larger plates. If I become “dedicated” to it at night I might finish the quilt by the end of May!
My goals for 12 April – 19 April are:
A Bountiful Life Border – Select fabric and finish!
Stars Around the Garden – Begin working on adding borders and blocks
Load Autum jubilee on long arm
Start on Sewcialites – Maybe!
Make a block for Melva’s Santa Fe Trail
We will be traveling later this month, so my To-Do list is rather slim. But May will be a full month and I will be busy continuing on with UFOs and hopefully by June I can start on some new projects. Life and time will tell the story on this goal! LOL
In the meantime – have a wonderful week and enjoy stitching!
Happy Sunday to all. I am very happy as I have completed the package for BCBS Insurance on the BAMC reimbursement! We received a letter yesterday from Clay’s secondary and this morning I finished up a cover letter and a few other things and the 250 page package is in the Priority Box and going to be mailed in the morning. I have now quit my billing job! Life has been back to normal in the last month and now looking forward to our trip this month.
I have been experiencing more Meniere’s attacks lately (having one today) with the weather and Barometric Pressure going bonkers! Oh well, nothing compared to being BAMC’s billing agent! LOL.
This week I have completed 2 quilts – OMIGOSH and Sweet Stitches! Great week of sewing and so peaceful and quiet! I love the way Clay fixed a way for me to hang my finished quilt tops to take my pictures, but even hanging the quilt does not do them justice in the pictures as they seem to flare on the bottom. Knowing Clay, he will devise a way to correct that issue! The borders are not wavy, they just appear to be on OMIGOSH. This quilt is heavy!!!
Sweet Stitches was a BOM from Kathy Schmitz which included fabric in each monthly block. The project was originally designed to make 12 individual blocks to change out each month, but I wanted to make a quilt from the blocks. I selected a black fabric for the setting blocks that has green, blue, yellow and red dots. (Does not show in the picture) I wanted to add some color to the quilt and am very pleased with the outcome!
I hope that everyone has a great week, I am looking forward to my RF back treatment on Thursday and getting some extra energy! But I know that I am back in the groove of quilting and that makes me happy! Now if Mr Meniere’s would go pester someone else it would really make me happy!
Greetings! April is turning out to be a great positive month for us! Things are really getting back to normal. Weather is acceptable and we have a trip planned for this month! Finally something to look forward to for fun!
Yesterday I took time to evaluate my weekly and monthly check out my thought process for my UFO goals. Taking the time to do this has encouraged me that by June I just may be caught up!
Applique Jacobean Lights – Work on the 3 large blocks by Goal by 20 April or forget it
Sweet Stitches Borders and into a finished top – Goal 12 April
Stars Around the Garden – Begin working on Setting – 12 April
Stonefields – Either finish the last 4 sections or forget them – May
Celebrating Brown – prepare 2 blocks for applique -May
Antique Blue and White Quilt – New Project – May
Kaye England’s Mystery Medallion – New Project – May
Quilt Autumn Jubilee
If I do not complete the 3 remaining blocks for the Jacobean Lights then they will be put in the “never never’ drawer and I will put the other blocks together for a top. The other 3 goals will be doable in the next week and it will be great if I can achieve that goal. As far as quilting tops, my RF has been delayed until the 15th of April. I should be able to quilt at least 1 top this month. The trip will prevent me from accomplishing other things, but the getaway is worth it! I will come back ready to get on the “Catch up” quilting train!
Now for the finishes! I am thrilled that I am completely finished with OMIGOSH!
This quilt was my challenge quilt and so glad I did it! I will say that I have never seen so many strings and raveling of fabric in my 20 years of quilting. This quilt will be quilted soon as possible because anytime you touch it there are more strings on the floor!
I love being able to hang my quilts when taking pictures, but have not figured out how to get the bottom from appearing wavy. The quilt is square even if it looks wavy! I forgot to measure it and will not until it is complete finished but it is close to 60″ x 70″.
Next goal completed! I have finished hand quilting the main part of Indian Summer. I have decided to put it away for awhile to let my fingers rest. I also need time to study the borders and decide the best way to quilt them. The quilting will be 1/4″ to prevent flaring, so I need to allow myself the time to do it correctly. The last last time I hand quilted a quilt was in July 2013, so I have really enjoyed the hand quilting and moving this one into the finished column by June. I remember when and where I purchased this fabric in 2002, and I never thought I would ever complete it but I am close to the finish line!
Indian Summer
Have a wonderful day and today is hair cut day for me – long time in coming!
Well, it is 5 April 2021 and Spring has come and gone here in South Texas (the new Desert) and Summer is here – they are predicting 90’s this week – and the walk this morning was back to the Sauna! I am getting used to it again (not really).
I finished OMIGOSH yesterday! (Check out my To Do Tuesday post tomorrow) I remember when I purchased that pattern and how I wanted to make the quilt but could not decide on the fabrics and if I really wanted to drive myself to work with such small blocks. I finally decided to use Barbara Brackman’s Ladies Album, Richmond Reds, and Union Blues fat quarter bundles and Bella Solids for the background. Now that I have completed this challenge quilt, I need to review where I was at the beginning of the year and if I was able to accomplish any of my goals.
On 1 January 2021 I posted a listing of UFOs! I must continue to ask myself WHY did I do that? The insurance issue was not yet resolved, and it still is not, but we have both taken a different approach and view of how to handle whatever the outcome of the reimbursement happens. The attitude is now ‘WE DO NOT GIVE A XXXX”. Clay and I are blessed and we just want to get back to a normal peace and quiet life! I will say that the problem is in the appeals process with Medicare and WebTPA. As soon as we get the EOBs back from Web they are going to BCBS and whatever they pay on is it! Our lives have left the train station leaving Insurance Idiots in the dust! LOL
So here I sit on 5 April 2021 trying to make a decision on what I want to do next. So many things that I want to do. Knitting, Cross Stitching, Embroidery, Lap Weaving, Sashiko, and Quilting! I have just too many hobby projects that are near finish, halfway finished, not even started, etc. But I take comfort in the fact that I am not the only one and that makes me feel a little more sane!
As I sat here writing this post, Jaydee called – talk about an Angel appearing! Here is the outcome of that phone call that helped me make decisions on what UFOs I will finish and I mean finish by June 2021!!!
We discussed my UFOs and she suggested that I just go ahead and do a border for the Bountiful Life (it will be a surprise) and call it a day on that quilt.
Then she agreed with my decision on the border for Stars Around the Garden – add the border and do the appliqued flowers in each corner! YEA another one on the road to completion.
Next in line is Dresden Plates quilt. I am going to select the background fabric, cut out some background fabric and draw a grid and start appliquéing them at night. I will take a few days to make a final decision on fabric.
I am going to take a break from hand quilting on Indian Summer as soon as I finish the section I am working on now and just let it sit until I know what I really want to do with the borders.
Jacobean Holiday is a quilt that I started in or around 2010! I have 3 large blocks ready to applique. They are the Christmas gift box, the Tree with Angels, and the Pineapple above the box. I will give myself 2 weeks to either finish the 3 or forget them! That is it! If I do not finish them then the quilt will be put together without them! Final Decision!
Christmas Present Pineapple Block
Sweet Stitches requires little borders sewn around each block (fabric came with each pattern) so it will become an embroidery quilt with some scrappy borders! I will also have to do button hole stitching around the little goodies that came with each block (i.e., the Birds, Easter eggs) as they are ironed on. Call it a close finish!
I have enjoyed writing this post. It has given me a way to logically approach the remaining UFOs and I have needed that. Sometimes when we work on UFOs it becomes more of a job than fun, but I have invested a lot of hours in these projects and there is no sense in letting them just sit for someone else to finish them when I am gone!
Now the next very important goal is to get with the long arm and quilt. I may try to get one done before my RF treatment on the 15th. We shall see. If I do it will be Autumn Jubliee OR, OR, OMIGOSH. OMIGOSH is a very heavy quilt and I will do a rather large meandering with a looser stitch length than I usually use. I do not want to have problems with it and I would like to see it on the quilt rack finished. I may have time to do both before we go on our trip. If not, I am certain that in May I will be doing a lot of quilting on my long arm, or start selling the tops!
Well, this is it for today! I will have my To-Do Tuesday on time this week with a set of a goals that are reachable for next week. Have a great week and stay positive (well, as positive as we can with all the craziness).
Happy Easter and may you have a peaceful day. The weather is nice here in South Texas, but summer is a coming this week – into the 90’s! We have scheduled a week away to Durant Oklahoma and a Casino Visit! I am so looking forward to this trip. It has been over 20 months since we have been able to take a trip. It is so wonderful to have a trip to plan. We will mask up and go listen to all the noise and I will come home refreshed and ready to quilt and just enjoy life!
Today is Slow Sunday Stitching with Kathy! I have been working on my Indian Summer quilt and am almost finished with the “mountain” side of the quilt. I should be able to finish this portion today. Then I will study the 3 borders and decide what to do next. Jaydee always tells me that the quilt will let me know what to do next! I am listening! LOL
The last week I have been pampering myself with some French General fabrics. Clay and I visited the Mesquite Bean Shop in San Antonio about a week ago and I picked up 2 pieces of the line along with some 108″ backing fabrics. If you purchased the end of the bolt you received 10% off and 2 of the bolts that I liked were a little over 4 yards each – fairly good buy.
Jan Patik fabric on the left and a Grunge on the right
I purchased some French General Fat Quarters last year – in fact I accidentally purchased 2 of the Le Beau Papillon packages – think I was not thinking! LOL But the fabric will not go to waste! The first fat quarter bundle I purchased was from their Chafarcani line. I purchased 2 yards of Chafarcani and La Rose Rouge from the Mesquite Bean Shop. I did not have any of that line so I went shopping at Hancocks of Paduchah and found 3 sets of fat quarters to be able to make another French General quilt. I love the reds that they have and all of the entire lines will go together. French General has been around a long time, but I am just now getting to where I wanted something different and this is it!
Le Beau from French GeneralChafarcani by French GeneralLa Rose Rouge Fat Quarters
OMIGOSH is a quilt top! I have auditioned fabric for the border and decided on a nice reproduction red. I am going to follow the pattern with a 1″ finished border of the red and Bella solids and then a 4″ border of the red. There are 5,400 pieces in this quilt. It will be approximately 56″ x 66″.
OMIGOSHStar Spangled Liberty by Pam Buda
Have a wonderful Easter and a great week and happy stitching!
Greetings from South Texas where we are about to receive the last cold front of 2021. It appears after Easter that the high 80’s will be returning for the summer and of course gradually turn into the 100’s!!! I am not sure, but I do not think El Niño is going to visit like they thought! But that is OK after all, it is the end of March (well OK 1 more day to go)!
I have not set anymore goals this month because of the need for me to finish OMIGOSH! Today I finished the last of the 8 remaining blocks. There are 30 blocks all together. Each block is made up of 2 each 5” UF 9 patch blocks and 2 each 5” UF Shoo Fly blocks which make up a “block”. The 9 patches and the Square in a Square 4 patch blocks are 2” UF. I have no idea how to count the pieces and all the cutting I did for this project, but if I EVER sold it – it would be expensive as there a many hours spent in making it. I may get it appraised someday. They are all on the design wall, and so now I give you Nanette’s OMIGOSH Am I Ever Crazy Quilt:
I am pleased with the setting, so tomorrow morning I will be putting the quilt top together!
My goals for 29 March through 5 April 2021 will be to finish this quilt. If I am blessed enough to do so, I will be reviewing my UFO list again and see if it would be better to put Stars Around the Garden (SAG) together and start on the borders at night; put Sweet Stitches together, or just to save my sanity – start on a new quilt that I have been wanting to make. I have some fabric that will look great with this quilt from Missouri Quilt Company. I also have Dresden Plates to applique to background blocks, hand quilting on Indian Summer, oops, Mary Brown, Stonefields, and Jacobean Lights for applique. Talk about being so far behind in UFOs. Unbelievable I have a lot of money and time already invested in these UFOs and it looks like it will take me the rest of the year to complete them. This doesn’t include the 29 quilts that need to be quilted on the long arm…..No wonder I have high anxiety! LOL
Last Friday Clay and I went to the quilt store and I purchased some French General fabrics, and 2 end of bolts of 108” fabric for backgrounds. I will try to get pictures of all my French General fabric soon in another post. I have ordered a bolt ofFrench General Favorites Pearl Linen. The FQS is a great on-line shop as they provide great service and when buying a bolt you get a discount. This bolt will strictly be used with all of my French General fabrics.
Maybe by next week I will have a list of To-Do’s and get back on track with life and quilting. I know one thing. I will NOT take any generics that have polyethylene glycol. Those 3 generic fluid pills I took last week because they quit making my Brand Name medication, activated my Meniere’s, increased my sugar, gave me 2 horrible Migraines with Aura, ended up with floaters in my right eye and activated my anxiety! That ingredient is in the lovely CHINESE virus vaccine. I believe this inactive ingredient is the reason that people are having bad reactions like extreme tiredness and headaches possibly Migraines. The Owner of the Texas Road House Cafe killed himself because he could not cope with the Tinnitus that comes with Meniere’s after taking the Vaccine!!! Horrible. Johnson and Johnson uses aborted fetus tissue. I will NEVER take this vaccine and NEVER take another Flu Shot. This is MY OPINION based on my PROBLEMS with inactive ingredients in medications and preservatives in foods.
Have a wonderful week. Thursday I will get a hair cut – have not had a real one for over a year (Between Clay and I we kept it trimmed). Tomorrow is Facetime with my friend Kathy. The time we spend together is so uplifting to me just to sit and sew and talk with another quilter is a gift from Heaven!
It seems that I am learning to deal with the new software for WordPress! I pay an annual fee, so I can get help and support if I run into a problem while writing a post. I do appreciate that! I learned a few more things tonight while writing this post on my iPad!
Hugs, Nanette (haven’t figured out how to change the color of my text – maybe next time!)
Greetings from South Texas where I am sure we have become the next Desert and Coastal Land, hot, dry, and so very windy since December. Last week was not the best – I tried a generic medication and had a horrible reaction – 2 Migraine headaches Wednesday and Thursday. Additionally, I had flashes in my right eye along with now a circular floater? Friday I visited the Eye Doctor and she will see me again in 3 weeks. Retina is fine and vision is find – just the stupid floater? is still there.
For HQAL, I have trying to finish the center of Indian Summer – then on to the borders. I did not get as far as I wanted to (unforeseen requirements for me) in my hand quilting, but have made progress and pleased with it so far.
I have also been trying to finish OMIGOSH! The end is near. I finished 16 9 Patch blocks and have been working on the 16 Shoo Fly Blocks. This afternoon I have the remaining 12 Shoo Fly Blocks to sew together tomorrow. I can already feel R-E-L-I-E-F! After I have the blocks sewn, I will put the blocks in sewing order on my Design board. Now hoping that the 30 blocks will go together great with no issues!
Just in case some have not see the pattern by Sue Garmen check it out. I used only fat quarters when making this quilt. I was able to make 2 blocks from each of the fat quarters. My quilt will not be as scrappy as Sue’s, but I like it. When I first started making the quilt, I would cut out 2 blocks at a time. After I made 22 blocks (each “block” consists of 2 each 5″ 9 patches (with 5 each 2 inch 9 patches within the 9 patch) I decided on the remaining 8 fat quarters for the next 8 blocks and cut out all pieces. Then I sewed all the 4 patches, HSTs, and 9 patches. I had previously cut out the background squares and triangles for the nice 2″ square in a square blocks. It seemed to go faster for me and I am very pleased to get to this point. I am sure it will take me the rest of the week to have a quilt top finished and it won’t be soon enough. Here are the 9 patch blocks. I did not take an updated picture that has 2 blocks completed! Oh well, Change is coming to WordPress and I do not like it!
Have a great week and hoping that my week is peaceful, calm, and full of time to quilt.
Hugs, Nanette
This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piercers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.
Hello TDT followers. I am on time this week! Not a lot to show for the half week but better than nothing!
I have made progress on OMIGOSH! Not as much as I wanted to, but halfway there! I finished 12 of the 16 9 patch blocks which are 5” squares unfinished with 2” 9 patches. Tomorrow I will finish the last 4 of the 9 patch blocks and then begin making the 64 each Square in a Square blocks that are 2” unfinished that make up the 16 Shoo Fly Blocks.
I have made some progress on Indian Summer also and hope to have the rest of the right side completed by Sunday for our HQAL. I have not decided on how I will do the borders. I am thinking on it!
Have a great week and I will see if I can finish OMIGOSH once and for all I am ready to move on!
