{Post 1,067} Ivy's Quilt Finished

Ivy finished her quilt this AM!  I didn't find out until last night when she came to finish the quilting that her sister's baby shower is tomorrow!  Flip into fast forward.  We put the binding on last night and I showed her how to hand sew it to the back.  Maybe if you've been quilting a while you will remember how awkward and slow you were when you first started doing that yourself.  She was a trooper though and worked through.  She same over this afternoon so we could both work on it to finish it up.  It's in the washer now.

{Post 1,043} We're Quilting!

Ivy could come over and play today, so she started her machine quilting.  She carefully laid out the ironed backing, batting, and top.  She carefully pinned an all-over grid.  She carefully machine quilted in the ditch around the star inner border.  

Saturday we will *carefully* machine quilt diagonal lines in the blue squares.  She is a careful quilter.  I should know...I am, too, and I am teaching her!

I did NOT get any good pictures of Ryan receiving his quilt, but I did come across these two fuzzy ones that I just realized were on my camera card (obviously candid pictures):

I will have to get a better picture of him with his quilt, with him smiling.  He has a smile that puts the sun to shame.

Check out my secret blog for a new project.

~Joan

{Post 1, 041} I Spy and Tree of Life

Here is my apprentice with her I Spy.  On to the quilting when I return from Ohio!!  She has done a marvelous job.

My Tree of Life blocks continue to grow:

{Post 1,032} Student I Spy Center

Well, my protege finished her I Spy center yesterday.  We had a severe time loss because we had to come up and get our share of the homemade crescent rolls.  Make the rolls, and they will come.

Here she is with her quilt center.  Such an eager student!

She has plans for the next few days, so I don't know when we can work on it again.  Inner and outer border, then on to the quilting and binding!

~Joan

{Post 1,030} Busy Day in the Sewing room

I asked my 13-year-old neighbor girl earlier in the summer if she would like to learn to sew.  She was very eager.  Her older sister is expecting her first baby in November.  We decided she would make an I Spy quilt.

We spent some time going over the various controls on the sewing machine, how to thread, etc.  She learned very quickly.  I had her sew on lines of various types on paper.  She did swimmingly, so we decided to jump right into the piecing of her quilt.  

Here is her quilt center laid out:

Here are the first 3 blocks in every row sewn together.  I taught her how to web the top so the blocks did not get mixed up or turned the wrong way.  She caught on so fast!

She was over for 2 hours and wanted to keep.  on.  going.  But I told her we'd continue tomorrow.  I didn't want her to get burned out.  She has done such a quality job.

~Joan

{Post #936} More Ivy and Surprise

After Elisabeth's contribution to the ivy removal, here is how it looks:

...now for my surprise.  I guess everyone likes their decorations for their own reasons.  I have never had an above-the-bed decoration that I really, really liked.  I've had wreaths, purchased artwork, etc.  After seeing some different ideas, I decided to take some of my wedding pictures (that were 4 x 6 actual photos...not digital) and did this:

I had to take this from the side so there would not be any glare.  The photos are 8 x 10 and mounted on artist canvases.  I spray painted the edges black and used Mod Podge to adhere the photos to the canvases.  In our wedding, I had the veil down over my face until "you may now kiss your bride", so my face is fuzzy in the top picture.


I hope my husband likes it!!


~Joan

{Post #935} Ivy: Halfway Finished; Me: Completely Finished

Well, I am kaput.  Don't know how to spell that, but the definition is "all done in", "worn out", "can't pull up another ivy leaf".  Did I mention I've been awake since about 4 AM?


My son, Ben, has a karate tournament in Raleigh today.  He actually should start competing in about 2 minutes.  It's over 3 hours away.  I didn't go, but I can't stop thinking about it.


Here's the "after" pictures.  Wish there was no ivy at all in the pictures.  Elisabeth offered to help.  What a blessing!

I have a surprise for my husband that I will be working on later this afternoon.  Truth be told, rolling up that ivy tumbleweed just did.  me.  in.  

Hope I can get the project finished.  It is something I've been wanting to do for a while, but my idea never came together.  I have it partway finished, and may I just say that it is looking VERY promising.

~Joan

{Post #934} Ivy Be Gone!

Ivy, we need you no more.  At least where the flower beds will be.  


My camera was on its last ounce of juice, so I brought it in to charge.  I took 3 of these pics and Isaac took 1...guess which one he took?

This ivy is the most tenacious stuff.  That can be good and that can be bad.  I want to pull/cut/dig up what will be under my future flower bed (which will be right up against the house).  It is so green, lovely, and verdant.  See how the fat lady in the last picture is rolling it away from her?  Much to her my surprise, it is only rooted in a couple places.  The key is having the strength and dexterity to roll it away from you while ripping out the root without having it throw you back into the front of the house.  I know--I make it sound like a piece of cake.

Better get back to it.

Lord willing, the flower bed construction will begin on Monday and I can plant this little beauty after it grows all big and strong...it's a Shasta Daisy seedling.  I only sowed the seed 5 days ago.  This little overachiever is ahead of schedule!

~Joan, hopefully with "after" pictures in no time!!