Monday, February 3, 2014

Opening of Dreamweavers Quilts by B

This is a new project for me.

I've decided to make quilts and try to sell them on Etsy.com.

I started quilting when I was at Purdue in the early to mid 1970's. I remember working on my first quilt (Grandmother's Flower Garden - NOT the quilt you want to start with as a first time quilter).

My mom showed me how to piece it and I did get it done. I hand-quilted it and was as proud as a peacock with it.

I was living in West Lafayette, IN, during the 200th birthday of the States and remember wanting to do a quilt in reds,whites, and blues but couldn't find the "perfect" pattern.

Since that time, I've made about 10-15 quilts - most were pieced and a couple were "cheater" quilts (that's a quilt printed on fabric and all you do is quilt it; it is a good way to try out quilting designs and just to practice on your quilting).

As of this past fall, it had been over 15 years since I had actually made a quilt. At that time, I pieced and machine-quilted the above quilt. It measures about 53 inches x 53 inches. It took  almost 3 weeks to cut the pieces out (I had to relearn how to use my quilting rulers after not using them for quite some time). It's not "perfect", there are mistakes there but (since this one isn't for sale, the mistakes don't matter). I will be making another one of this pattern. it is very bright in person and I did a lot of machine-quilting on it.

I have made a quilt for my Feist pup - it has 3 hearts and 8 bones and is also bright. She got to sleep under it yesterday and was as happy as a clam. I have also made 4 "jelly roll" tops - a jelly roll is 2 1/2 inch strips sewn into a top and after the borders are sewn on it's quilted. I'm keeping the one with the most blues, purples and bright pinks for me - the other ones are mixed colors with prints and some solids thrown in. Jelly rolls are usually made by fabric companies - they make 2.5 inch wide strips the width of the fabric and roll them into a roll and they contain at least 2 of each fabric the company makes in a certain line. I have made my own jelly rolls by taking 2.5 inch strips the width of the fabric I have and sewing them together. I made all 4 tops over a 2 day period about a week ago. All I need to do now is to put borders on them and quilt them. They are about 53 inches x 53 inches and will be machine-quilted (due to  my carpal tunnel problems) during the next couple of weeks and then will be posted on etsy.com for sale. (I will post more about them when I get them done).

I figured since I can't work in nursing any more and I can't get the money to go back to school, I'd just make quilts. Even if I don't sell any of the quilts, they will be pretty to look at and I can sleep under them. So it's a win-win situation.

My Feist pup, Snippett, keeps me working on the quilts. If I'm not working on the quilts, Snippett will come and jump in my lap and stare at me until I figure out she wants me to go into the bedroom (my sewing machine is set in there). We go into the bedroom, I clear off the antique kitchen table that holds my Brother sewing/quilting machine, make sure I have something to drink, go potty, and move the unfinished quilt tops onto the bed, and fix Snippett with her quilt - will post a picture of it some - and cover her up and I'm in there until 4:30 pm working on a quilt top. Snippett keeps me working so I can get things done. Nothing like a persistent pup to keep you in line.

I better close for now. I need to go work on a quilt top and get Snippett into the bedroom BEFORE she decides to tear the place up. Keep watching to see what we're doing. Until later.

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