The Shogun

 Dear Readers,

So this is second quilt for Jennifer's step-children.  This is for a young man who loves Japanese things.  So I went through my stash and found these fabrics I bought in Japan in the 1990's.  

This is the first time I have used a panel for a center.  Since it was long and narrow I made some of the vertical strips wider and I put 9 patches on the sides and 4 patches on the horizontal.  I fussy cut up a piece of fabric that had a bunch of Japanese symbols on it and used those for the outside border.  I found the Japanese origami crane pattern on line and downloaded it and paper pieced the cranes.  

I pulled the black piece and it was not big enough so I found a long piece of maroon that I cut off of the last cowbell quilt and used it.  It made it just the right size, but I decided to put the white in for fun.  

Welcome Joey to the family,

Sew on,

Terry

TIllustrator

Dear Readers,

In the Spring my former niece, Jennifer, remarried a man with two children.  So since I have made all the other nieces and nephews quilts I decided to make those two children a quilt. 

So in the Spring, I signed up to take a class from Dorinda Evans at the June MQA meeting on using the Stripology rulers to make a pattern by Gudrun Erla out of her Stripology Mixology 3 book called Kimberly.  BTW Gudrun names most of her patterns with girls name.  

I chose to make this one out of various Tula Pink fabrics as Tula is at her core an illustrator.  So I found out Julie, the new step-daughter, loves to draw and do crafts.  So I thought Tula's fabrics would make the best quilt for her.  For the background I found a wide back in Tennessee that I thought look like doodles.  I thought that would be perfect for a girl who likes to draw.  

It should arrive New York tomorrow.  I hope that she will love it.  Welcome to the family Julie!

Sew on,

Terry

 

Cornerstone

 Dear Readers,

I had another finish.  Will and I named it Cornerstone.  Jackson Quilters asks that each quilter create one quilt for charity or quilts of valor each year.  Our last meeting of the year is in less than two weeks and I finally got around to finishing my charity quilt.  I made one last year out of some 6 inch squares I had gotten in a civil war fabric block exchange years ago, but had forgotten about.  I had a bunch more of those left, so I decided to make another one out of those blocks.  I did them like a disappearing 9 patch but then decided to do a straight block setting.  So I made a finishing row of sashing and blocks for the top and bottom added a border and was done.  I did a simple swirl for the quilting.  I originally made some binding out of the cornerstone block fabric, but I hated it with the backings so I took it off and made a brown binding.  

Jackson Quilters donates a lot of charity and Quilts of Valor quilts.  They give to the children's hospital  

and other goups in the Jackson area. 

Sew on, 

Terry

van Dyke's Joyful, Joyful

 Hey Readers,

Another finish!!  This is the third one, it is for the minister of music.  The pattern is called Piano Quilt by WANAQLT I just want to Quilt!  Here is a link to her Etsy store.  My quilt is  62 x 70 because I added a border.  This quilt is for James and he loves a toe tapping tune so I thought the Name van Dyke's Joyful Joyful was the perfect name.  Decided on Psalms 100:2.  Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing!  

I was using mostly blacks and if I could find it blacks with music prints.  Did the same with the lights.  I loved the look of it.  I really struggled with the quilting.  It was really hard to do a pantagraph with a long straight line.  Feel like it looks like it was done by a kindergartner!  

The back I used some of my leftover wide strips to go on either side of the signing bar.  Still have a lot left.  I am going to give some to Dorinda who tries to put a bit of music fabric in each of her quilts.  

Now to try to get everyone to sign them without the pastors finding out!!

Sew on,

Terry

Tool Tote

 Hey Readers,

Just before I went to my last quilt retreat, I made a tool tote.  I have decided I wanted to fix a bag, with all the tools I need at retreat, so I wouldn't get without something and then have to try to buy that tool.  

So I got out my basket of Tula Pink fabrics and picked out of them to make this bag.  

I made the seam at the top a little to tight to get the stays in, so I loaded it up and went on with it like that, but now that I am home, I removed that row of stitching and put in one at the appropriate distance and inserted the stays, once they were in, I added the tabs at the ends of the zippers to finish it off.  

Here is the finished tote.  It is designed by Penny Sturges and is published by Quilts Illustrated.  I purchased the pattern at Tennessee Quilts in Jonesborourgh, TN but it was a year ago, so I am not sure if they still have them.  

Here are the finished photos.

Sew on,

Terry

Ring True

 Hey Readers,

Hope all are well and particularly my readers that were in the path of Helene.  We are praying for you, I was in Augusta when the storm hit and the devastation is wide and heavy.  It will be a long recovery period.  I haven't been able to reach my brother, his wife or their (grown) kids.  Please pray that they are all OK.   

So, back to quilting...I made another cowbell quilt. Naming this one Ring True.  This is the second of the three I am making for our ministers.   I took Lauren's suggestion and made it with a khaki colored background.  I like it too.  Not sure which I like better.  

This one is for Charlie and Nancy Parkerson, as he is our youth minister.  That being said he has changed my life too.  He used to be the principal at Winona High and gave me a job, when I was ready to walk away from education.  I really enjoyed my 10 years at Winona High.  He was a wonderful principal.  He loved his students and staff.  I always felt supported and backed with Charlie in charge.  After his career in education he was called to be a youth minister.  He has been knocking it out of the park on that too.  He and Nancy are always opening their home to the kids and taking them on lots of trips.  They have definitely made a big impact on the students lives.  Charlie also took the old folks under his wing and has driven us to plays, luncheons and hosts an exercise group twice a week.  Also leads a bible study for adults to read the bible through in a year.  

I am going to have the youth the and church members sign the back.  The scripture is going to be Pslams 33:4 For the word of Lord is right and true, his faithful in all he does. I was going to put a second verse to that is 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 For you know how, like a father with his children, And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it.  

I quilted it with a baptist fan pattern, I thought that was fun to use for a baptist minister!

If you are interested in reading about how to make one these for yourself check out the instructions I wrote on the first one I made... it is called More Cowbells and was published August 2023.  Here is a link to that post.  

Be safe out there.

Sew on,

Terry 

The Carpenter's Apprentice

 Dear Readers,

I had another finish this week.  I had a vision to make three quilts for our pastors and have them ready by October for pastor appreciation month.  So I have finished the first one.  I had ideas for our youth minister and our music minister, but more about those when I finish them.  About that time, a class was offered by Jackson Quilters taught by Jonce' Smith on using a Studio 180 Design ruler, the Tucker Trimmer I, to create a carpenter wheel patterned quilt.  I decided that would be the pastor's quilt.  

The quilt went together like a dream.  All my points matched up and I had decided to only put one matching border to float the wheel and not put the points on the edge.  I also had this idea to quilt it with each corner having one of the pastor's favorite verses and each diamond color having the same quilting pattern.  I had decided to put a border about a 1/4 inch in from each seam and quilt a different pattern in each blade.  There were some large squares set on point and some small squares that were straight set.  I also decided each of the large squares would be quilted alike and each of the small squares would also get the their own design.  Each of the setting triangles on the edge would get a different design.  I also decided to try a bit a ruler work on this one as I wanted to build that skill.  That was a bit of a mistake as I really struggle with ruler work.  I have a hard time holding the machine against the ruler or letting the ruler slip a bit.  I was not liking the way some of the "diamond" patterns were coming out as they are not true diamonds.  I decided the center star would have a different pattern.  So once that was decided it went a bit better but still was a struggle.  

So here are a few close ups of the quilting. 

I must at admit the quilting on this was a challenge and it lived on the long arm machine for over a month.  I eventually finished it, and decided that the bobbles with the ruler did not hurt too bad.  I am going to have the church members sign this.  So I haven't written out the label yet.  

Sew on,

Terry