Yarn Stash

Yes.  I have yarn stashed.

So I knit a hat.

It was a variegated yarn - and the pattern called for two strands at a time.  But the cuff of the hat got all the rust and yellow while the hat-proper got the yummy blues, greens and purples.

I did finish something.
And used up yarn.



CathyH

A Glimpse

I have been working on projects.
Really, I have!

But the two BIG projects are gifts. . . and I will post about them LATER.

Sunday, however I finished a small part of my November UFO.

This is part of a block I designed for my Girls' Quilting and Reading Club in 1999.  It is 6"x 6" and will be a part of a 12" block. We were learning about paper piecing...



It is also a part of the Sampler Quilt all the girls and I were supposed to create during those two wonderful years.  What we really created was. . . more UFO's!!



More later.
This was Just a Glimpse.

CathyH

Let's Get Acquainted!

Welcome to one of the stops on the
"Plum and Jane - Let's Get Acquainted Bloghop"

My name is Cathy - and I love to sew.  I especially love to sew quilts.

I began quilting in 1972 and have always had projects floating around in my head.  Occasionally, over the years, I have finished a quilt or two.

 I had always wanted to keep a record of the quilts I made - you know: fabric swatches, layouts & patterns, pictures and the full story of how I made it, and the story of the person(s) for who I made it.  That never happened!!  In fact, sometimes I would give away the quilt before I even took a picture of it!!

So.  I started this blog.

GOALS FOR MY BLOG:

1. To record quilts (the process and the project) I have completed in the past.  Ex Post Facto scrapbooking.

2. To chronicle my current projects.

3. To hold myself accountable to finish some things (so I have something to post!)

4. To encourage Moms to get their kids to think about Math (see my "This is Math?" tab at the top of the blog).

I started blogging a little over a year ago.  After homeschooling since 1990 (that would be 21 years of homeschooling!) I thought I finally had time to write about some of my quilts - and to actually QUILT.

Well, and to make a few other things, like aprons and clothing from the fabric I have on hand.

In addition to a large collection fabric, scraps, and unfinished projects of my own, I inherited my Mother's fabric, scraps, and unfinished projects.  I joined the 2012 UFO Challenge at Patchwork Times, set my 12 projects to finish in 2012, and began working.  Sometimes I even met the UFO goals!!

MY THREE FAVORITE QUILTING TOOLS:

1. Bed risers to make my table ergonomic - high enough not to hurt my back as I use my rotor cutting tools.

2. This handle I attach to my 24" ruler.  It is a handle with an amazing suction cup that you are supposed to use on the tile in your shower.  My son bought it to remove broken glass screens from ipads.

(I commandeered it).



3. Graph Paper.  I love to sketch my quilt designs by hand.  Then I draw a precise to-scale drawing of blocks that are difficult.  (Did I mention that I am a Math Teacher?  Geometry is for quilting.)




RECENT TUTORIAL
I recently posted a tutorial for how to frame an on-point square with another square.  You can access that tutorial here.  This is a photo of the finished quilt that used this method.

MY STYLE
I would have to say that my style leans heavily towards Scrap Quilts... Because I have a lifetime's worth of scraps and mis-matched fabrics. This is a charm quilt, largely from my stash.  It has 1000+ triangles of different fabrics.

 I have SO MUCH fabric in my room that I cannot justify buying fabric to cut into small pieces to make quilts. 

  I only allow myself to buy appropriate backing fabric, background neutrals, (and sale fabric).  My goal is to USE UP all the fabric I have.

 RIGHT NOW
I have just finished two quilts that I will be mailing away as gifts.  If you want to see them, you will have to visit this blog later, after the recipients get to see their gift!

I have this I Spy Quilt on my design wall.  On Friday a good friend is giving me yellow fabric for the equilateral triangles to put between the hexagons.  Did I mention that we will be First Time Grandparents in March?  This will be the quilt that stays at Grandma's house!

I also like to sew clothing. These are two jackets that I have made in the last year.

It has been fun to get to see the creations of so many other Quilters in this Blog Hop.  I look forward to hearing from some of you and I encourage you to visit Pat from Color me Quilty who is also highlighted this week on the Get Acquainted BlogHop.

Next week is the final round-up in the Get Acquainted Blog Hop.  Be sure to visit some of the Previous Post-ers and the Finale Group next week by visiting "Plum and Jane".

Happy Hopping!
CathyH

My First Quilt

I've been working on some wedding gifts - and will not post the finishes here until the Brides and Grooms get to see their gift first.

So I thought I would show pictures and tell the story of My First Quilt.

In 1972 our family took a trip across the country.  We camped from California to Maryland and visited friends and family, and every car, train, or airplane museum my Dad could find.  When we were in Detroit we went to the Henry Ford Museum - and amidst all the cars there was a woman quilting a quilt by hand.  I stopped to talk with her and watch as she hand quilted.  She told me that what she was doing was "Shadow Quilting" or "Echo Quilting" around the beautiful shapes on the quilt.

I guess I must have talked about it alot - because my Mom bought me fabric for my next birthday.  Fabric to make a quilt.

Maybe you remember Kettle Cloth?
It looks a lot like linen - but it was The Quintessential "70's" fabric - made of Poly & Cotton.
And my favorite color at the time was this lovely turquoise.

Probably not the best fabric for a quilt.

Additionally - I really liked Holly Hobbie.  So we got an embroidery pattern with two illustrations of Holly Hobby.  I made mirror images of each and worked for a few (MANY) years embroidering the 4 blocks - they are about 12" x 18".



My Mom even bought two sets of Holly Hobbie sheets to match the fabric she had bought for me.



Well, I think this quilt took me 25 years to finish!  By the time I graduated from High School the embroidery was complete.  By the time I graduated from College the top was pieced.  I was determined to hand quilt this quilt - so - it was not completed until I had two girls who would soon be too old to have Holly Hobbie in their room!!



The Kettle Cloth was so thick that I could not use the "rocking motion" technique to quilt this baby.  I, instead, would push the needle down with my right hand and pull it all the way out in the back with my left hand.  Then I would push the needle up with my left hand and pull it all the way out in the front.

It took years.

It, in fact, was in the frame SO LONG that the sun bleached a portion of the quilt!  I promise the quilt was not in a place where the sun could even touch it!  But somehow it was lighter.

 

 I think I did everything you could possibly do to make quilting difficult.
1. I used the wrong kind of fabric
2. I zigzagged the seams..  (this baby will NEVER fall apart!)
3. I pulled the backing around to bind it.
4. I cut every square individually.  By hand.

But you have to admit that I learned how to embroider and I learned how to quilt.

Did I mention that I love this quilt!!

I'm linking up with Lilly's Quilts where she hosts a Small Blog Meet at the beginning of each month.  Check out the other Small Blogs and the lovely work they do!

You can visit other posts on this blog "Cutitstraight" by clicking the "home" button at the top of the blog.  

Thanks for stopping by!

CathyH