Sunday, December 30, 2012

Finally A Quilt Top

As I sit here at work on a boring Sunday afternoon, I have decided that I will just go ahead and share my finish for the week .  I didn't get this project finished for Christmas since I do work two jobs while we are waiting for my husbands disability to go thru. But I did have one day off this week and I spent it sewing away on my daughters quilt.  I have learned a lot while working on this project so far.
1. The 1/4 inch mark on my machine is a generous one
2. I found out how to mark it correctly and make a perfect scant 1/4 inch.
3. Even if your squares aren't perfect ...square them up and dont worry about them being slightly small than the pattern says. It will workout and be beautiful to the person receiving it.
4. I love making quilts and am addicted!
5. I need a third job to pay for this new hobby or some fabric donations would be great!  ; ' )
I used "Best Wishes" by Henry Glass Fabrics and Kona Cotton solid in Eggshell. The pattern is Royal Squares by Quilts By Emily available at Craftsy.com 
Now to add batting, a back and some quilting!


Linking up to:

Lily's Quilts
Lily's Quilts

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Crazy, Busy Life

I really have been wanting to get on here and post about my current WIP, but life seems to get in the way a lot lately.  This last month has been a very rough one for my family especially.  My DH has been in and out and back in the hospital 4 times in the last thirty days for one kidney stone.  This poor man has been dealing with these little boogers for about 14 years, so they are nothing new, but this one didn't want to pass or break up.  Thank goodness the doctor was finally able to laser it and remove it.  Now maybe life can get back to our normal.


In the mean time, I have been working on a quilt for my awesome daughter.  I am really in a quandary of how to make a pieced square using 1/4 inch seam allowances actually measure correctly.  My blocks were to be 8.5 inches square when sewn, but after squaring them up they are 8 inches square.  I would love any advice on this.


The pattern I'm using is Royal Squares Quilt by Emily available at Craftsy.

I have to admit I am a little ADD, and after visiting so many quilting and sewing blogs lately I have realized it must be a prerequisite for quilters.  I don't feel so bad now.  I have been at this for only a couple of months and at this time I have 4 quilts either cut or started right now.  I also have material that I bought specifically for a quilt I plan to make for my FIL.  On top of these projects, I decided to make gift sacks for our Christmas presents this morning.  So since I'm on a very tight budget, I headed to Joann's to buy so Christmas fabric that was on sale 50% off.  I bought 4 yards of fabric.  It was almost enough to make lined bags for each gift, but of course I had forgotten about two gifts that I already had put away.  Luckily I had two red and white gingham pillow cases.  I used jute for my drawstrings to give a little bit of country touch to the gifts and I love the way they look under the tree. The best part is I won't have to clean up any paper trash on Christmas! They aren't perfect and I just winged it, but I am so happy I did.   

You'll have to excuse the plastic Christmas tree...but did you notice my painted ornaments   That was last years project. More on those later. 

Another project I am dying to work on is one I received in the mail the other day.  Any guesses on what it maybe?  Oh, I can't stand waiting for you to guess! LOL

Yes, I am crazy!

And here are the fabrics I have been debating on using
I think it is going to be the one on the left.  You know how you buy a fabric and hold on to it because you are just waiting for the perfect project?  Yeap...this is it!

Well that's all I have for now.  Thanks for stopping by my blog and if I don't get to talk to you before then, HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!


Linking up to
  Plum and June WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced Plum and June

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Thankful

I am thankful for my family, including my in laws. I am especially thankful for my parents, my kids, my wonderful hubby, and my grandchildren.  I am thankful that I am able to work and support my family.  I am thankful for the roof over our heads, the clothes on our backs, and the food on our table.  If in this life I were to never have more than that, I would be forever grateful and happy.

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you did also.  We spent the week at my Mother-In-Laws in Graham, TX. This is one of those towns that is a little spread out, but if you grew up there like my FIL, you know everyone.  I love that.  I wish I had that.

My stepson and his family are currently living there with my MIL and FIL getting a new start after some hard times.  I am so glad they are here in Texas instead of so far away in NW Arkansas.  This means my dear grandchildren are only 6 hours away.  You just don't know how happy this makes me.


While we were there my MIL informed my she had just bought a new Singer Pro 5 Serger.  I am a little jealous, I must admit.  She had no idea how to use it, so I hopped on YouTube of course to find videos since the instruction booklet was not very helpful for a novice.  From there I was able to thread it for her and do some practice stitches.  This lead to time spent in her sewing room. I love her sewing room.  It is full of fabric, batting, lace, eyelet, yarn, buttons, and lots of old magazines and books on crocheting and quilting.

This is just one corner of the room.

It's a little unorganized and less used that it was a few years ago before her stroke.  I am sure she misses using it the way she used to.  My in laws live on the lake and used to run a little store and bait shop on the property. She would make clothes, aprons, and doll clothes and sell them in the shop.  

She was so nice and sent me home with lots of fabric to use for my new quilting hobby.  She even sent me home with a quilt top that she made years ago for my husband.  I also received twelve muslin blocks with dolls already sewn on them.  I just have to finish the line embroidery on them, add some sashing, and make a quilt. 


Just some of the fabric she sent me home with. 
And don't you just love random pictures taken by your grandchild running around the house with your phone?  I don't know why but this is one of my favorite spots in my MIL's house.  


Thankful. For Family. For Life. For Love. And For Happiness. Thankful!

WIP Wednesday at Freshly PiecedLily's QuiltsLily's QuiltsLive A Colorful LifePlum and June

Saturday, November 17, 2012

My Namesake

So many of you may be wondering how I got my name or if it short for something.  Well, it is not short for anything.  It is Toye, just Toye.  I was told two different stories growing up on how I was named, one by my next oldest cousin and one by my parents.  Of course I believed my parents, they are the ones that gave it to me. But I will share both for fun.

My next oldest cousin, Lyna, was about three years old when I was born.  She swears to this day that when I was born my parents asked her what my name should be.  She says since I was born in January and she was soooo young, the only two words she could think of were Toys and Santa Clause.  Bahahaha.  I just crack up at this story every time she tells it.  Like anyone would trust a three year old to name their child for the rest of her natural born life. I still love her.

The real story is my dad is a classical pianist, and I was named after a piece of music written by Giles Farnaby (c. 1563 - November 1640), "A Toye".  It has always been told to me that this was a favorite piece of my parents and that my father still had the sheet music, but it was one of his many boxes of sheet music.  I had never even thought to look it up on the Internet until the other day, one of my patients asked me why I had not used the wonderful resource of the world wide web to find it.  Well today I did and I was very pleasantly surprised that I love it also.  So much so that I set it as the ring tone on my phone.  Okay, maybe that's a little overboard.  So to be a little more overboard, I thought I would share it with you.




Okay enough of that.  Onto one of my favorite tutorials I have found this week. This tutorial for making Plump Partridges for your Christmas tree by Modest Maven. Are they not adorable?  I will be taking this pattern with me this week to make some of these with my MIL and my grandbabies.  I am so excited.  Oh and my dear MIL has told my husband that she plans on sending me home at the end of the week with a very special gift.  I can't freaking wait!

And now for what I have been working on this week.  My first real quilt top.  I am currently working on my first disappearing nine block topper.  I am so in love with that fabrics and even was able to incorporate some fussy cats (I just learned this term this week, so proud lol).  I am not nearly finished with the quilt, but I did Finish two rows : ).





Thursday, November 8, 2012

Come, let's sew!

Oh, I am so excited about starting this blog.

My name is Toye, and I am a new quilting addict. There I said it. So a little about me.  I have sewn for years, 21 to be exact.  This has been an on and off love affair for me.  When my daughter was little, I would make outfits for her.  Then I would get the bug to sew and find something to make here and there.  But recently, I discovered a love for making quilts.  Well, to be honest I have only completed two rag quilts to date, but I have started on my first pieced quilt top and I am loving it!

My dear husband was so sweet to spend the day with me last Friday at the Houston International Quilt Festival.  Oh my goodness, I could have spent so much money.  I did spend some on a couple of patterns and lots of fabric. It was amazing to say the least. All those beautiful quilts.  What talent these ladies have. I could only dream to be that talented.

So I thought I would share with you my first two rag quilts first.  This one with the browns and blues is first one I made.  I loved it so much when it was finished that it went straight to my bed!



This one with pinks, yellows and blues was made to be sold, but I'm thinking of giving it to my daughter for Christmas.  She is bugging me almost everyday for her own quilt now.  Gotta love her. These fabrics were from Joann's and Hancocks.  I have just recently discovered all the designer fabrics avalible at quilt shops.


And this is my newest project.  My first few blocks for my first pieced quilt top.  I am using fabrics are from Ruby by Bonnie and Camille for Moda.




Well that's all I have for now folks.  Hopefully I will have more time next week to work on more blocks and I think I really need to get started on a quilt that my dear husband told my MIL I was making for my FIL for Christmas.  Men! 

Linking up to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and TGIFF at Quilt Matters and Richard and Tanya Quilts