Texas Teardrops Quilt Along Finished Top!

I can’t believe I finally finished the top to my Texas Teardrops QAL I participated in!

This is my FIRST quilt, and my FIRST QAL, and I am so glad I did it!! To find out more about it, you can visit The Quilting Lodge QAL page, or the Flickr group! There are a bunch more quilts posted in the Flickr group. The talent is amazing in there.

Here is what the top looks like.

I love the fabric I picked out! I think it turned out great! I got it from Jody at FabricShoppe,Modern Fabrics on Etsy. She is awesome, and I have to support my home of Minnesota, which makes me love her even more! I can put a post together of the fabrics I used in case anyone is interested in knowing what they all are. Unfortunately she is almost out of a most of these fabrics (and why wouldn’t she be, they are amazing) but she got some new stuff in, and I am in love with all of it! Now to decide what to make next!

I know my quilt is not perfect, but I kind of like that, since it is my first one. I still have a lot to learn, and now I need to learn how to actually quilt it! Let me know if you have any good websites to visit on how to do this, or online classes to take to learn the actual quilting process, or any tips or tricks I should know!

Thank you so much for all the love I have got along the way! You crafters are the best online community, and thank you for letting me be part of it with you all!

Next on my list to is prepare my house for my very first visitors to Hawaii!!

peace.love.dove.

Don’t trip over your husband

note to self. don’t trip over your husband.

This might happen.

And you might get it on the quilt you are working on…

You  might try baking soda and water, but what you really need is a tide to go pen… seriously…

I freaked out.

hopefully I fixed it! I was trying to get my husbands opinion on what fabric I should back the quilt with…

and yes, I tripped over him. He thought he was more injured than me, but then he saw my blood trail and felt bad very quickly!  But the quilt is saved!

peace.love.dove.

Texas Teardrop Quilt Top (minus border)

I am caught up! I borrowed my friends sewing machine to add the last couple pieces to this top! But now my sewing machine is dead, and I don’t know what to do about it.

Anyways, here is the top!

And for size reference, here it is on the bed.

I am so excited I have gotten so far on it! Next week I add the border!

peace.love.dove.

Texas Teardrop QAL update

I am trying my best, and I am almost caught up…

except I think my sewing machine hates me. For a little while I was doing great. I could feel my grandma’s presence, as I sewed. She was an amazing sewer. But as I almost finished the quilt top, I put the two corners on the wrong side, and then my sewing machine fully stopped. Nothing. So I have two corners to put on, which I will do tomorrow, at my friends house. Then off to find a sewing machine repair place on the island… if it costs more than $50, its probably best I get a new machine… so let me know what I should get… I want something for everyday sewing and good for quilting. Comment away, because I need some help. Right now I have a Singer Esteem that I got for my wedding 5 years ago.

Quilt Along… Here are some pictures

Squared up!

laid all out

rows done!

Attaching the rows!

Later this weekend I will show you the finished quilt top… minus the border, which hopefully I can get done if I fix my machine, or get a new one… I am so close.

Way too close. I love doing a quilt along, because I feel like I am actually going to finish something. I think it is the best way to do my first quilt. I am working on another quilt too, but I am going to finish this one, before I finish the other!

Now back to my vodka limeade… yeah, it was one of those kind of days. The sewing machine is still in pieces on the table…

peace.love.dove.

The Beginnings of My Hawaiian Quilted Pillow

So I started taking a Hawaiian Quilting Pillow Class.

I have been wanting to make a quilt but I don’t more for a few more weeks (YEAH!!) and I don’t have a sewing machine until then. Then it will take at least a week to get my house together before my husband will let me start to play, so a hand sewing class I thought would be a perfect way to start.

The colors aren’t exactly as I had hoped they would show up in pictures, but here is my cut out “snowflake” pattern. It is called Ginger.

We were to come to class, and not take out the pins yet. I am showing it on my background color which is gray. I chose two different blues, but this is what my husband picked. Which was my first choice too, but he said it was more Hawaiian in color, and I would have to agree.

Once we got to class we got to open it up! Then we pinned it to the back fabric, and then basted it.

I love how it looks!! Unfortunately my edges keep fraying. I want to blame that on my scissors I bought. Because my fabric is Kona, and thought that was good fabric. They were sold out of the brand of scissors I wanted, and out here, we do not have many choices. I might have to buy a new pair online.

Now my homework is to hand applique the pattern to the back. I will tell you that I have learned several new tricks to tying knots, what basting even was, and how to do the invisible applique stitch! Well at least that is what I am going to call them!

I will definitely update you with my progress. My next class is Tuesday, so I will have to have to entire top appliqued to the backing by then. For a beginner, she said this may take 10 hours… which probably means I should start now! Cause I am sure it might take me longer.

I will update you some time this week or next before I head off to class!

peace.love.dove.