At Home in the Country

September 2011.  Hello all, we are finally moved into our new home in the country.  It was a very difficult move due to the extreme heat this past two months, not to mention all the fires burning around us.  It has been a lot of hard work but hopefully the hard parts are now behind us, and I can settle in and once again start on the quilting phase of my Odyssey!   So hang in there and new updates and pictures will appear soon.

ON HIATUS

Just a note to all the visitors to my blog...I am on temporary hiatus while I move to a new home in the county.  When I get settled in, I will begin the quilting phase of my 1st quilt along with lots of pictures as I progress.  See you most likely in August!

BASTING PARTY

Hello everyone!  My quilt has been assembled, basted / pinned for the next phase of my "Odyssey"!  A GREAT BIG THANK-YOU to all my friends who helped to get the work done! You're the best!  Also a BIG Thank-you to Oklahoma Quiltworks ( http://www.okquiltworks.com/ ) for allowing us to use their classroom in which to assemble it.

Four special friends and myself gathered on Thursday at Oklahoma Quiltworks to get my quilt ready for the next step (quilting).  We ironed, layed out the backing, added the batting and then the top, taped the edges, then sewed and pinned for most of the day.  But the job was finally done, and I'm really excited and ready to move on to quilting it.

Three of my helpers, Sylvia, Kaye and Laura

Ironing the backing - myself (left) and Linda (right)





Taping backing and batting in place

Getting it placed just right; Laura and Linda



Placing the top on the batting; Frm left Laura, Linda and Kaye



Basting, basting, basting! Frm left Linda, Sylvia, Laura & me!



We're done! Frm left Linda, Susan, Laura, Kaye

Folded and ready to take home! Thank-you everyone!



QUILTS FROM MY PAST - PART II

Here is another quilt from my past.  This quilt was made by my now deceased mother-in-law and given to me not too long after I married in the 70's.  It is a Flower Garden Quilt, it has a green backing.  It's 100% hand sewn.
  


This next quilt was left to me after my mother-in-law died.  It is a Sunbonnet Sue Quilt.  She made this quilt in the 80's, it is appliqued and 100% hand sewn.

Also from the 1980's is a quilt I asked my mother to make for me.  I had seen it in a magazine.  It is a Tulip Quilt.  The tulips are appliqued.  It has a matching blue back and two layers of scallops around the edge, one dark blue the other light blue.  I paid her for this quilt.  She made matching pillows for me too. (100% hand sewn).

My mom also made me my first quilt (given to me from her in the 1970's).  It is called a Spool Quilt.  100% hand sewn and used material from clothes I wore in the 70's, my sisters' clothes too.  I used it for many years and it needs some minor repairs.  I will do that "some day" :-)

Next up, my dear sister who has been my mentor through-out the making of my quilt top, worked for many years on a beautiful quilt and gave it to me as a gift.  It is called a Flower Basket Quilt.  She also made a matching pillow.

This next quilt is a doll / baby size quilt that my daughter made in school.  She got an "A" on it :-)  It is a simple block quilt that has been tacked.  I've alway loved and cherished it.

This next quilt is another quilt I inherited when my mother in law died.  I really am not sure what the name of this quilt is.

And finally, this last quilt was another one my mother made.  It is also made using material from our old clothes.  I believe it is a String Quilt.  It's very colorful.

More from the past

Again, while waiting on the next phase of my quilt project, I am posting past projects.  This next set of pictures is a crocheted blanket I made for myself.

Cross stitch - year 2000; Crochet - year 2003

Here is another picture from the past.  It is one of my cross stitches made in 2000.  It is a "Blackwork" cross stitch with an inset iris.  I made three of these.  In the first two, the iris's were purple and both were given as gifts to my sisters.  This one I made for myself and adapted the color from purple to pink.

I have also crocheted quite a few items, in this next picture is an afghan I made for my son in his favorite colors, it didn't take long to make this one.



QUILTS FROM MY PAST

Soon I will begin the next phase of my quilt.  A group of friends will be helping me to assemble my quilt at The Oklahoma Quiltworks shop on the 28th of this month.  While I wait for that day to arrive, I have looked back at old pictures and will post some pictures of my past works which include crochet and cross stitch, and quilts made by some of my family.  The picture today is a quilt made by my now deceased mother-in-law.  She originally made this quilt to enter in the State Fair of Oklahoma.  She didn't get it done in time so she put it in a quilt show and was then featured in a quilt magazine.

I have made numerous crochets and cross stitches, a lot of which have been given away.  I'll post pictures as I find them.