Happy Independence Day 2021 - Enjoy the Fireworks!

 Disney Presents - 

Enjoy Your Independence Celebrations, America!

~Deb

Memorial Day 2021 - Freedom Is Never Free.

Honoring our Fallen Heroes Who Gave their All for our American Freedoms...Thank YOU.

 

 

Gratefully Yours,

~Deb

Block Base+ Sew Along - Here We Come!

With a newly revised/updated and launched Block Base+/BB+ program, comes a Brand-NEW BB+ Sew-Along to help launch and get EVERYONE familiar with ALL the amazing NEW features!  This just-launched Sew-Along already promises to be loads of FUN!  If you haven't already, it's not too late to check it out and join in!

NEW 3rd Edition of the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns is the impetus for the Brand-NEW BB+ Program!

 

After bordering out several of Our Doris's neat patriotic quilt tops:

 

 

 

 

 

...decided to join in the BB+ Sew-Along and take a little break-ey break in between bordering out quilt tops ;-).  Will be creating three (3) different sizes of Block #1, including the default size, a small 4" size for a pin cushion and a 12" size in patriotic fabrics to be turned into a Quilt of Honor for one of our area Veterans...win/Win/WIN.  

Since it is so bloomin' easy to change the size of the blocks in this New Block Base+ program, resizing takes just a few mouse clicks and EVERYTHING is all ready to go!

Fabric choices for Block #1:

Red = Patriotic block, Green = default-sized block, Purple print batik = pin cushion

 

One last thing - IF you've EVER used Electric Quilt and you thought it a bit challenging, you are in for a Big Surprise because Block Base+ is really plug & play, imho...even yours truly was really surprised at the ease of use of this stand-alone program...Check it out when you get time BUT don't wait too long, their BB+ Launch SALE ends 3/31/2021!

Time to cut!

Later,

~Deb

PS...

Neither 'Miss Betty' nor I are affiliated in ANY way w/Electric Quilt and/or BB+...we just enjoy Good Products w/Good FUN and sharing them w/YOU!

Our Strip Quilting Diva, Doris is Baaaack!

And she's back w/vengeance!  In case anyone was wondering what to do during covid, it certainly was NOT Our Doris!

Check out her 'first batch' of TEN (10) patriotic beauties for our Beloved Veterans!

Doris Quilt #1 (of this latest batch)

Doris #2

Doris #3

Doris #4

Doris #5

Doris #6

 

Doris #7

Doris #8

Doris #9

Doris #10

And there's even more to come in Part II of Our Doris's most recent Creative Quilt Wonders!

Tub FULL of Doris's latest Patriotic Quilts

 

1st Stack

2nd Stack

Once these quilt tops are ALL bordered out to size, quilted/bound/labeled, they will be Awarded to our Beloved area Illiana Veterans.  To date, Our Doris has created at least 150 Patriotic quilt tops for our Veterans.  Her amazing volunteer efforts leave us speechless and so very Grateful...Thank YOU, Doris!

To say that Miss Betty & I will be a little busy over the next few quilting these wonderful quilts into Quilts of Honor for our Beloved Veterans would be an understatement, but this kind of 'busy', We Love ;-)

Catch ya on the flip side!

Later,

~Deb

PS...10+ MORE

Playing Catch-up w/Grassy Creek Mystery!

 It feels soooo good to be ALL caught up w/Grassy Creek Mystery!  Been so busy w/EVERYTHING Christmas, was beginning to think I'd need to wait until 'after' to get caught up!  But, lo & behold, a window of opportunity opened up and yours truly took it ;-)

Clue #4 - working backwards:

 

 

 Clue #4 - ALL caught up!

 

 

 

Clue #4 - assembly

 

I thoroughly enjoyed creating this clue, and I dearly LOVE this unit, so pretty how the colors play together!
 

Clue #3:

 

Clue #3 

 

I used a die for this and other clues:

 

 

AccuQuilt Go! Die made quick work of several of these clues!

 

This clue was a blast to create - the die helps make these units practically perfect...Yes!

 

Clue #3 - assembly

Clue #2:

 

Clue #2 - finished up, ready for those dog ears to be trimmed!

Hour glass units ARE not typically my fav to make but, when in a hurry, I tend to use Jodi Barrows' SNS/Square-In-A-Square method.  One of her latest SNS methods include Option #40, hour glass units!

 

I was skeptical BUT, this method is fast!

 

Strips cut, ready to sew Clue #2

Clue #2 - back, w/twist & shout center SPIN:

 

Clue #2 - twisting & shouting those center seams

And last but not least, Clue #1:

 

Clue #1

Bagged & tagged, ready and waiting...

 

Clue #1 - bagged & tagged!

 

Time to finish wrapping up those Christmas presents...

 

Later,

~Deb

Spider-Man/Marvel quilt gets quilted in time for Christmas!

The long-awaited Spider-Man/Marvel quilt finally got its turn in the quilt queue - especially since Mom helped come up w/perfect backing...Cobalt BLUE minky, a fav of the intended!

It had been long enough since yours truly finished up this top, forgot just how coool the fabrics are:

 

Spidey - coming off the frame!

 

                           Getting quilted

 

BAM!

 

                                                                                   The Amazing Spider-Man

                                                                                     Crisis on Campus!

 

WHAM

 

 

     Quilter's Dream GREEN batting - quilted great!
 

The back - w/Cobalt BLUE minky!

 

Back of Spidey

 

Spider-Man Fast Facts:

• Finished size:  62" x 80"
• Needle thread: 'Glow-in-the-Dark' Moonlight machine quilting thread
  
• Bobbin thread: Glide Royal Blue
• e2e quilting design: Bam, Zap, Wham! from UrbanElementz.com  https://www.urbanelementz.com/bam-zap-wham.html
• Backing: Cobalt BLUE minky
• Batting:  Quilter's Dream GREEN
  
• Loading/Quilting time:  6 hours
• Quilted to:  Charlie Brown's Christmas - 'original' version
  

As a final caveat, was really struggling w/bobbin backlash/tension issues/looping, etc., utilizing this thread combo.  Out of desperation to get that perfect stitch, resorted to using a 'pigtail' bobbin case recommended quite awhile ago by Mike, owner of The Machine Shop in western Illinois.

 

Pigtail Bobbin case

  

At the time, I pooh-poohed this idea, since HQ does not endorse this bobbin case for their longarm machines.  But, they 'also' don't recommend using the Teflon washers many of us use - including yours truly in the past, to try and reduce bobbin backlash.  (This time the backlash was soooo bad, when I would remove my bobbin after a thread break, the bobbin thread was unwound/loose in several layers, despite being firmly wound prior to loading!  I've NEVER in ALL my years had such a development with a bobbin, and I wound several using different bobbins, they ALL continued to do this...quite frustrating.)  

Well, Mike knew what he was talkin' about, because once I started using this pigtail bobbin case w/Glide thread in my bobbin, my thread issues w/looping/tension, etc., magically vanished...OMG!  Perfect stitches front & back.  

And the next baby quilt I quilted w/leftover backing...just gorgeous stitches!

 

KP's Circus quilt coming off the frame

 

Circus baby quilt

 

Cobalt Blue minky back, Glide in the bobbin and LAVA in the needle, w/perfect stitches!

I'm currently a Big Believer in this pigtail bobbin case.  I will continue to use it on the next few baby quilts I quilt, since ALL of them will have minky backing w/Glide in the bobbin and possibly in the needle...Thanks, Mike for saving my Quilting Bacon ;-)

Later,

~Deb

Grassy Creek Mystery...Almost Here!

The annual Bonnie Hunter Mystery is almost here!  This year, Bonnie has named it 'Grassy Creek' - and the fabric colors she's chosen are most definitely some of my very favs!

 

Grassy Creek fabrics - Love these colors!

All from stash - even found a few more yummy fabrics in one of my latest organizational sessions:

Adding a few more of my own 'GREEN' color choices for variety

 

While we wait for Clue #1 to be released on Black Friday, time to finish up this cute little Barn quilt for my favorite grandson, Korbin - he's 2 months old Today!

Attaching the last row!

'On the Farm' Fabrics are from Connecting Threads w/Monotone Barns added to the mix for good measure.  Chose to make some 4-patches out of the jelly roll, added some 4" squares in between, and called it good!  A few borders to finish it out to the size I wanted and this one is ready for Miss Betty & I to quilt!

Love how Fast & Fun this one was to create ;-)

Think I'll name this one Farm Squares Puzzle 

 

Time to quilt and still have several to bind & label before Christmas!

 

Later,

~Deb