Friday Finishes along with Washington Tornado Recovery Update

Have you ever gotten up in the morning, ready to get at it and things just don't roll the way you planned?  That's my day today.  Nothing awful has happened but nothing has gone smoothly or easy.
So, I roll with the punches.  I have been trying to finish my father and step-mother's 11 year old wedding quilt.  I got the top put together at one retreat.  Next bought the backing at Quilter's Garden sale and pieced it at the retreat in Fulton.  The binding is made with just the quilting to be finished.  I loaded the quilt yesterday and had a few issues while getting started but continued on.  This morning I jumped out of bed, let the dogs out and headed down to the longarm to finish the final three rows....
now for the rest of the story.

I went to advance the quilt to line up the final row and discovered this.  Not enough backing fabric to finish quilting the quilt. 

You ask, " how do you fix this?"  For me I take the quilt off the longarm leaving the leaders attached.  Trim off the excess fabric on one side and add it to the bottom of the quilt.  Reloaded the quilt back on the longarm and quilt the last row.  I have been humbled by the quilt.  I didn't double check the backing and the quilt top when I loaded them.  So I had loaded the back the wrong direction.  Haste makes waste.  Its like that saying, "measure twice, cut once".  I should have measured twice and loaded the quilt once. 

 

Did I tell you I have a Ph.D. from the School of Hard Knocks!  Each quilt teaches you something.

The wedding quilt is quilted.  Next the binding and label before shipping it to its home.

The center of the blocks were signed by guests at the wedding with good wishes!

 

This beautiful quilt sent to me by Libby Smith is about 38" x 38".  Libby sent this to me for the Washington Tornado Revcovery.  I finished quilting it yesterday and will square it up and add the binding.

I used Omni Natural White thread and Drop Paisley pattern by Anne Bright.com.

 Its lovely and certainly will give comfort to someone.

I also quilted a Jelly Roll Race type quilt in country colors for Beth Mathew but forgot to take pictures.  Beth gave me the quilt for Washington Tornado Recovery but she took it home Tuesday to add the binding for me.  I will post a picture when I get it back.

 

Below are the pillows cases and small quilt sent to me by Donna Jez.

I had quilted this quilt this winter but then the bad weather hit and I was never able to get down to Washington to drop off items I had collected and made.

Below is the pretty back.

Monday, I was finally able to drive to Peoria and participate in our Handi Quilter Support Group.  I then traveled over to Washington with the above quilt and pillow cases from Donna.  I had also made four pillow cases with cats on them.  Judy Bence had given me a large bag of crocheted afghans.  All these items were dropped off at Peddler's Way Quilt Shop in Washington.  The gals were very thankful for the fresh load of goodies.  All the items they were holding had been picked and so this is the start of a new load.  From there I took a drive through the area hit by the tornado.  I wrote several blogs on my work after the tornado HERE.

 

 There is little improvement.  In fact, is just plain dreary.  When I worked in the area in November, the grass was at least green.  Now from the hard winter and heavy snow fall, its just mud and yuck.

I didn't get a picture of the one house that was framed and they were adding plywood to it as I drove by.  To the right of where I was driving were farm fields.  The fields have large piles of debris that have to be moved before the farmers can plant a crop.  The debris in fields go for miles.

 

Thank you to all of you who have sent me items to quilt and donate to the people in Washington.  The hard winter has prevented most of them from moving forward with any plans.  It means so much when the people receive your gifts and they know some cares.

 

Today I am linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Link a Finish Friday, Freedom Fridays, and Crazy Mom Quilts.

 

Hope you are enjoying some nice weather where you are.  Today is sunny and almost 50 degrees.  I shut the furnace off and open the back door and let some fresh air in while fixing the wedding quilt.

 

Yours in quilting,

Terry

 

Friday Finishes

I will be sharing an excited opportunity about the Washington Tornado Recovery in the near.  The Washington Quilt Guild is planning a quilt block project.  They are planning a quilt with 1000 - 3 1/2" house blocks.  They have asked me to share this opportunity with you and when they are ready I will post the pattern, instructions, and pictures, so you can make a house block too!  They are adorable.  Bet you can't make just one!

Yesterday was a productive day.  I was at the quilting retreat at our church.  My first project was to work on the 11 yr. old wedding quilt.

The center is together.  I am going to add one border and bring it home to put on the longarm as soon as possible.  My goal is to get it in the mail to my dad by the end of Feb.  While waiting for my car to warm up to drive home last night, I was able to pin the rows together on my 2013 Country Threads BOM.  So I hope to have that finished later today.  Another UFO to soon be off my list.  Whoop, Whoop!

This is my friend Cathy K. on the left and Corry on the right, trying to hold up Cathy's Celtic Solstice.  It finished 114" x 114".  The colors she chose are teal, yellow, brown, peach and white.  It reminds of a sunrise at the beach, with sky blue teals, the sunrise peach and yellows, and the brow and white sands.  A beautiful finish, Cathy, congratulations!!

Look at the colorful backing on Celtic Solstice.  The picture is blurry as they were folding up the quilt.

Cathy also brought her Smith Mountain Morning quilt to audition her final borders.  Isn't this color choice stunning?  Cathy and I took the class from Bonnie Hunter in Peoria, IL.  The pattern is in her second book.  Notice in the background of this picture how the walls are carpeted and we use the walls for design walls.

 

Here is Nyla's

work-in progress baby quilt all done with machine embroidery applique.

The blocks still have to be squared up and there are additional blocks to be made. 

 

Yesterday I talked about my Featherweight HERE.

My friend, Cathy, uses her Featherweight all the time for piecing.  I have never known how to maintain mine.  So she gave me a quick lesson.  I hope to start sewing on this at sewing days and classes.  I have a Janome 6600 that I use all the time.  It weights 37 lbs. and is a pain to haul, especially if you  have to carry up stairs.

 

Today I am linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Link a Finish Friday, Freedom Fridays, and Crazy Mom Quilts.

 

Heading back to the retreat this morning.  I will post more pictures tomorrow.

 

Yours in quilting,

Terry