When you watch the Olympics or see ads on TV, keep your eye out for all of the patchwork designs incorporated into the logos and advertising.  Yes, even TEAM USA is dressed in patchwork.  Quilting is widely popular in Russia.  Here are a few of the logos being used.  Notice the fantastic colors and patterns included by the designers. #gallery-782-4 { margin: auto; } #gallery-782-4 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;

To own a recliner 10. Always comfy! 9. Room for me and my sewing! 8. Nice big armrest to support embroidery hoops. 7. Perfect place to stitch binding! 6. Place to kick up my feet. 5. Scissors and pin cushion fit on the extra wide armrest. 4. Mine has a drink holder. 3. Lots of room for chocolate. 2. Really easy on my “quilter” back. 1. Perfect place and size for my very large fur baby, Champ #handwork #Quilt #quilter

Well, getting ready for a great guild retreat next Monday thru Thursday – can’t wait.  I will be teaching a quick free half-day class on this super easy way to do a landscape quilt.  Being so close to the Gulf of Mexico I thought it would be fun to do a beach scene, and, I had to add one of the Lorelei beach ladies to my scene.  My studio bathroom is decorated with them so guess where my little quilt will eventually end up.  The quilt needs to be quilted yet, and, of course b

I love red and white quilts.  This one belongs to Paula and I just quilted a lovely edge to edge design onto it.  It was a pleasure to quilt, nice and crisp and square! Hope to get more accomplished on my landscape later today, although I have “the worlds biggest quilt (at least that’s what it feels like) on my table and quilting it.  Sure glad it wasn’t an inch bigger.  Actually it is a bedspread with extra fabric and is about 120” across and five yards – yes 5 – long….sigh!

This really pretty 1600’s quilt belongs to Carol K. who is making it for a wedding present. I quilted it with an Ann Bright pattern with the word Love scrolled all over the quilt with different fonts…great for a casual wedding quilt to drape over the sofa. The quilt was long enough that we quilted the entire thing and Carol plans on making throw pillows to match. Having a great time today experimenting with a landscape quilt. I need a quick quilt to send up to Kansas for a fa

This is a really happy and bright quilt, designed and made by Keeley.  She really should go into pattern making! This second, soft and cuddley rose quilt was also made by Keeley.  Such a different feel and style to both quilts.  I love them both! Sure glad I had these to quilt on the day my daughter turned 40…and she thinks she feels old!  We did, however, enjoy a fantastic steak birthday dinner with most of the family at the Texas Road House..great peanuts too! Another disco

I have been working on customer quilts and have a few pictures to show. The first “pile” of yellow BE HAPPY…Karen #quilting #finishedquilts #sewing #machineapplique #quiltssewing #longarm #piecing #Quilt #Textile #LongArmQuilting #MachineQuilting #quilts

This quilt top came from a workshop with Ebony Love and the Coastal Prairie Quilt Guild of Missouri City, Texas. We had the opportunity to work with Ebony and cut out Drunkard’s Path quilt blocks on an Accuquilt Studio machine supplied by Quilters Cottage in Richmond, Tx. It was a lot of fun and I was determined not to let all of the pieces sit in their little zip lock bags as usual. Sew….here is my version of a happy quilt made entirely with Drunkard’s Path blocks. The curve

Isn’t this just the cutest Easter Egg. Haven’t seen any instructions for it but I sure would love to see how it’s made. Looks like the fold and pin method used for Christmas ornaments – I need to learn how to do that as well! Another bucket list item, But…I sure do love it. I love log cabin quilts and think this one is spectacular. It is a FREE download project of Maria Umhey’s “Stripes & Stars”. The Quilter Magazine is one of my favorites, take a look. Here is the url

This is the neatest, easiest way to hang a quilt I’ve ever seen.  Too bad I’ve had it in my house for close to two years and never used it.  I wanted to hang my surprise win quilt in my entry way and, of course, had no one to help.  This took about two minutes.  I found a stud and put a nail in the wall.  YES, one nail.  The small rod fits into the pocket and a small magnetic clamp with a nail hole in it clamps, by it’s magnet, thru the quilt and onto the rod.  Just centered

Had a really great time last week at Bonnie Hunter’s workshop in Cypress, Texas. She is the most down to earth, friendly teacher!! What an experience. She will be speaking at the Coastal Prairie Guild in Missouri City, Texas next February. Yeah, I know, way to long to wait. Bonnie is an avid collector of vintage machines as well as a scrap quilt gal. She has a great scrap saving system and you can read about it on her website, http://www.quiltville.com Lots and lots of free p

Well, here are my swap Mug Rugs for the Quilting Gallery.com swap. They are so much fun and so quick to do. I did the owl with hand applique, the Scharon Schamber way with foundation paper; and, the bird with fusible and a small machine blanket stitch. I love them both. I made the blanket stitch super small to reflect the overall size of the design and love the way it came out. These patterns, along with several other really cute designs are available on the Craftsy site. I w

Wow what a fantastic day Wednesday turned out to be. At the Coastal Prairie Quilt Guild meeting, starring our speaker from Grayslake, Illinois Ebony Love, a guest was introduced and she had a fantastic surprise. She was from the Lake Jackson guild – Plantation Quilt Guild – and had their donation raffle quilt which had been won by one of our members! Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be me. WOW! My day for sure. Isn’t this quilt super and so much fun! I love the color

Had a great time today at our Saturday Coastal Prairie Guild class on sculpting Santa’s head.  Pat is a great instructor and, despite my misgivings, she guided me on to making my Santa head..(he is cooking in the oven right now).  Pictured here is my head alone and the group pic tags Pats head on your left, my head in the middle, and Candy’s head on the right!  They are so cute and so much fun to make.  Can’t wait to see them after they get their makeup, hair, etc. The quilt

A big Valentine hug to everyone! Hopes for lots of candy, dinner out, and especially quilty stuff!  A great pattern for hearts is a free download on Sarah Vedeler Designs site.  She is the designer that has designed the BOM for The Quilt Show for 2013.  She has made hers out of the Dupioni Silk fabric mix that is available in quilt stores (at least thats what it looks like to me).  It is very nice, modern, and very colorful.  Take a look at her site.   www.sarahvedelerdesigns

Well I’ve finally recouperated from a fantastic retreat. Got lots done and had a ball. Also had way to much Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla! Check out the crew with the fancy cow – all ready for partying. On Wednesday evening we had to have dinner at Goodson’s Cafe in Tomball – well known for their Chicken Fried Steak – and it was “sew” good. When I got home I was able to stay on track and quilted Judy’s two quilts. The first is gorgeous and has soft colors in teals and coral

It’s happy Tuesday at Retreat today! Bonnie has finished her One Block Wonder Quilt – we named it THE FINGER! She is working on her second quilt top built from the special Creative Grids ruler, the 4 1/2″ quarter square triangle…Looks like it will be really neat! Carole has been slaving over her blocks for two days now…maybe a glass of wine for dinner. She is one of the happiest quilters I know! Sally gave up on her workshop project for a while and has resorted to crocheting.

Well, I have one more quilt to go and I will be caught up with my schedule of quilting customer quilts. These last few have been fun and I think their owners will like them. One has a minkie back. I really love the way quilting shows up on Minkie. I have worked on quilting these the past few days and when I finish one more T-shirt quilt I will be on schedule again. The costumes were worth the effort though, my daughter and her team loved them and they went on to win a banner

I must have at least 10 irons sitting around my studio or parked on a shelf in the closet.  I HAVE to have a great iron.  All along I have been a fan of steam -lots of it!!!!  Yes, I know using steam is discouraged but it helps satisfy my need for speed.  But, eventually they cry and spit up all over the place (yes the iron, not the baby!)  Well, this new iron is the BEST!!!!  Cheap, under $30.  No auto shut down, just the right size, gets hot enough for freezer paper.  No ho

TODAYS QUILTING  PROJECT.  These are pics of the front and back of  Barbara R’s small quilt I quilted this morning.  I love the floral edge to edge design.  It looks fantastic on the back and despite my inability to take very good pics, the front is great-quilted with a Sew Fine variegated thread.  It was fun to quilt THE GREATEST APPLIQUE LADIES I KNOW.  My usual Tuesday morning is spent with a group of quilters, mostly from Sugar Land, Tx.  It was a quiet day today – we jus