Wow! What a 2016!

Are you ready for 2017?  I guess it doesn't matter because it's coming anyway.  lol

Christmas tree at my office

Christmas is here.  The tree is trimmed, stockings are stuffed, food is being prepared and families are traveling on their way to their destinations for a wonderful Holiday Season to be cherished for  years to come.

What holiday traditions do you and your family experience from year to year?  My husband and I were just discussing last night, the differences in the menus from where I grew up in Kansas and him growing up in Edmond, Oklahoma. Small differences, but definitely different.I have worked on many projects over the past several months. 

Travel Bag

Christmas Table Runner

Made some Pillow Cases for our Etsy site

Blue Bird Pathways quilt  

I quilted some.......Jeff quilted a LOT!

Kansas Tulip Crown

We won some Blue First Place Ribbons

And one Second Place.  We are so happy and proud of our achievements.

We had the house painted

and, Jeff and I got Married.

My current project is a large queen sized quilt.

Here, I am starting to lay pieces out so that I may be able to wrap my head around the process and start to do some serious assembly.  I put my first 2 blocks on the wall above my sewing machine so that I could possibly get them put together in the right configurations.

 

This shows some of them put together.  That is a Card Trick block and a simple 9-Patch.  Colors are brown, green, gold, burgundy and cream.  Then I will add two borders, the cream in a finished 2 inch border, then the brown will be a 6 inch finished border on the outside edge.  Backing and binding will also be the brown.  I think it is looking fabulous!

I build my quilts in EQ Stitch.  It's easy and fun to play with the designs, blocks and colors and I can see what size I want the blocks and the finished size of the quilt to be.  What a great way to make a quilt design.

I hope that you are taking some time out to spend with your families this Holiday Season.  Safe travels and Merry Holidays!!!!

I will see you next year!  Show me what projects you are working on!  I would love to see them.

Glenda Prince

It's been a busy year, 2016

This is the latest thing I have been working on.  Just finished quilting an antique rescue quilt top from a life of just laying around somewhere and never being finished.  If we could only talk to it to find out where it has traveled and who it has been with.  Who took so much time to hand piece it, only to never finish it.  It is turning out to be a very nice quilt.  I will try to remember to show you a picture of it after I get the binding on it.

 This is a kit that I purchased.  Jeff has been wanting me do a Christmas quilt.  When I saw this, I thought that it would be a quick way to get one done without designing one.  The pattern was for a tree skirt, but I don't think it will be at our house.  We are going to use it for the Christmas dinner table.  Won't that be beautiful?

Scary to think that Christmas is just a few months away.  Where has this year gone to?

This is my latest large quilt I've done.  A Double Irish Chain.  I have had this fabric for a while now and wanted to use it for something unique.  I love the way the blue really stands out on this quilt.  I wanted the blue on the border as well, but I didn't have enough fabric, so I used the center square fabric that has blue birds in it.

I used a light shade of unbleached muslin for the backing and will bind it with the border fabric to bring it together.

Another one I will try to post once I have it finished.

Customer quilts always come first, so it takes a while to get one of mine slipped in the order of quilting.

Jeff is doing a wonderful job of quilting these days.  He does beautiful and immaculate work.  It keeps him busy for sure and he loves doing it.

A little travel bag I made a few months ago.  I should make more of these in various sizes.  They make great weekend getaway bags for a few items when you won't be gone long.  And, It's washable!  I threw it in the washer so I could see how it would look afterward.  Well, it's soft and strong at the same time, very versatile.

Hope your quilting is going well and you have fun with it.  Don't stress the little mistakes, in the long run, they don't show and in time you will forget where they are.  I love to sew and quilt.  It is definitely a passion that I have had for many years.  Am I far from being an expert, I just know I love to do these things.  Hoping you do as well.

Happy Quilting!

Glenda

Vintage Machines and more........

Lately, I've been working on lots of things.  

Among them is this new obsession with vintage sewing machines.  This one is the latest find.  Purchased from the Salvation Army Resale Store in Florida, a Singer clone, class 15 machine.  Made in Japan in the 1950's, under the "Fabric" Sewing Machine name for a company in New York.

It is going to require some repair work and some TLC to get her into shape, but she will be beautiful once all the work is finished.  I will try to post after pictures once she is all cleaned up and shiny.

 This one is a beautiful Singer machine, again built in 1950.  A class 66 machine.  She has cleaned up very nicely and now resides in my sewing studio.

She has very nice stitches and sews through anything.

Brother 1351A

The third one is a Brother 1351A.  Again a class 15 machine.

This is a before picture and I have cleaned this one up already.  I do have an adjustment on the bobbin winder to do yet.  It will be finished by the end of the weekend.

The fourth one is a Singer Fashion Mate 257.  It is a class 66 machine that will straight stitch and zig zag.  This one I have cleaned on a little and used some, but she still needs a good cleaning, oiling and then she can do the dirty work......sewing like she has never had a birthday.

In all my research, I believe all 4 of these machines were made in the 1950's.  They are good, heavy, durable machines with no plastic parts.

They will sew through about anything I can think of trying to sew through.  They never miss a beat when they are threaded properly and the tension is precise.  They make beautiful stitches as well.  All, work horses.

I am not sure if I will keep them, or sell them to someone who can use and appreciate them.  None like them in the current market of machines that will even sew your name.  lol

This weekend I am looking forward to getting one of them set up and get some quilting done on it.

What will you be working on this weekend?  Will you be at the lake?  Or, like me in the sewing studio/space working away on your favorite sewing machine?

Have a great time, no matter what activity you are doing!  Be safe and grateful that the men and women that defend our country make this all possible.

Happy Independence Day!

Glenda

Tulsa Quilt Show 2016!

Kansas Tulip Crown

Why, Yes!  That is a Blue Ribbon for the "Kansas Tulip Crown"!  First Place in the Red and White Master Quilt Division.  I designed the quilt, pieced it and bound it.  Jeff did a fabulous job quilting it.  First place for the quilting as well!  We are so excited to have won!  We are still on cloud 9!

 Here are the pictures of our other quilts entered into the recent quilt show last weekend.

"Second Star from the Right"

I love this quilt, but it didn't place.  That's ok, I really like just seeing them hang in a show.

 "Garden of Flowers"

This one didn't win a ribbon either, but I still love this quilt.
I designed this one, pieced it and bound it and Jeff chose the fabric and quilted it.

Jeff and Peggy.  Peggy's quilt one a third place in her division.  This one will go to a very deserving veteran, it is a Quilt of Valor.

Jeff got a third place ribbon for the quilting.

Congrats to Peggy and Jeff!  Lovely job!

Jeff and Pam.  Pam's quilt won First Place and also won an honor, sorry I can't remember what, and it hung in the Winner's Circle!  Pam hand pieced the oblong hexie and fussy cut each piece.  Beautiful piecing job goes to Pam and a beautiful quilt.  Congrats to Jeff on his First Place ribbon for the quilting on this one as well!

It was a flurry of activity at the Tulsa Quilt Show put on by the Green Country Quilters Guild this year and well deserved ribbons awarded to some amazing quilts.  The competition was fierce and I feel very fortunate to have come away with a First Place Ribbon.

Nice job to everyone who volunteered to work at the show and Congratulations to all the winners and fabulous job on the quilts that were entered.  They all deserved ribbons!

Until next time........

Happy Quilting!

Glenda