tea towel challenge.....

I am calling it finished. My Iowa tea towel became a bag. A nice big bag.

It will be my quilt show bag. Lots of stuff will fit in there. I said to Karen that if i fill it, it could get to heavy to carry. She told me that we can always walk back to the car and unload.

Of course, why didn't I think of that?

I wavy stitched over everything. Nothing fancy or new there.

I was worried that doing that would obscure the towel, but it didn't. I was relieved about that. I used things I had on hand, like the little house blocks. Nothing new there.

So what thing would be new to me in putting this bag together?

Using selvage edges. 

I have never used them. I didn't even start saving them until recently. Most of mine have come from fat quarters. They were 18 inches. I needed to make them wider, so a column of the house blocks was added.

I stamped the words, Hey! Is this heaven? No it Iowa on some of the blank sections.

Then last night....

At the quilt guild meeting, a gal from New Ulm Minnesota came down to show us the buttons she makes. I bought the Minnesota themed button package and picked out the house one to use as a closure on the Iowa bag. Then I thought the house (kind of) went with the package and grabbed a flower instead.

My niece Amanda gave me her t-shirts over the weekend. I cut yesterday and have today yet to work on it. I have my doubts about it getting quilted before her graduation. But at least the top can be put on display at her party. Then sent off to be quilted.

mostly cards.......

Attic Window Quilt Shop posted THIS PICTURE!

 I knew right away I wanted to make cards based on it.

I made a bunch of these too.

So there wasn't much sewing going on.

Except for the latest block lotto blocks. 

(pattern and guidelines here)

my sister was here....

Jane was here last weekend. She brought along a cigar box she wanted to use as a treasure chest.

First some paint was added. Her favorite color is purple.

Based on a piece of paper, she wanted the paint added to recreate the look of the paper.

"light, medium, then dark" she said.

I didn't really notice this on the paper at first, but when you looked at it, that is what it was layered like. I learned from her that day....even though she thinks I am the one who knows everything.

HA! Not true.

We used stencils and stamps for embellishments.

She wanted mossy growth on it or.....Green paint applied with a sponge.

Paper was used on the lid and the inside.

It also needed to have an aged or old world look. So the whole thing was sealed up with mod podge and a few drops of brown paint mixed together. That seemed to do the trick.

She was SO happy with how it turned out! It is for a display at work to encourage people to sign up for some race/walk thing. I was too busy following her directions for paint and cutting paper that I never did quite understand what she talking about. 

In the middle of sewing the newest BLOCK LOTTO blocks. They are so spring like in color!

For the first time in a long time there is no mention of snow in the forecasts!!!

Maybe this is it, spring is here.

t-shirt quilt and bag.....

I am finished sewing this t-shirt quilt together! It will go to the quilters tomorrow. The final is a little different. I was able to get the spring track and field shirt to put in it. I was a little worried I wouldn't get it in time and sewed the columns up. It was easy enough to remove a shirt back that wasn't important and replace it.

So then I started thinking about all the rejected backs.

I cut them up. I am thinking about a tote bag.

...and sewed them in rows.

Then added plain red t-shirt to the sides.

There was still enough strips left to cut up and use for the handles.

And here is the finished bag......

I was going to box the corners, but decided to leave it as is.

Nothing fancy, just a tote for hauling stuff to track meets.

It is about 18x19 inches.

slow but sure.....

I finally cut the towel and sewed the flag sections to it.

Not sure when I did this, but I have been looking at it for awhile now.

I have thought about using selvages. Laid out what I had and thought it looked pretty cool.

Then I added some words to some of the plain strips....

And then everything just sat there with no real plan. More indecision.

My poor dog, Ozzy, got my attention one day. The winter has been so cold and long.

We never brought him in for a grooming. It was put off, thinking it would warm up a little AND THEN we could bring him in. It never ever warmed up. 

But enough was enough....we could stand it no longer.

He went in looking pretty shaggy and came out a new dog!

[kevin the quilter] is having a block drive for Quilts of Valor.

The blocks make an awesome and striking quilt.

(the colors used are gold, red, white, and blue)

I sewed up my five rather quickly and then packaged them up without even taking a photo of them. I want to make more. Maybe I will get a picture of those.

Yesterday I pulled out some of my tiny houses. 

I fell in love with the way these looked with the quilt so far. 

Nothing is sewn yet. It may sit a bit more until I decide what to do exactly.

The house blocks are based on the house pattern here.

tea towel challenge stalled......

[tea-towel-challenge-2014]

I started making things for my Iowa tea towel.

Corn and beans block

road to heaven block

USA flag

and some birds....

but I didn't love it all together.

So this project sat most of February while I pondered.

Then Sophie extended the deadlines!

Yes, more time to figure this out. 

One of the challenges is....use a new technique, something you haven't done before. My brain did a backup (beep beep beep) to things I haven't tried before.

Using a tea towel is new to me, but I didn't think that would count.

I may have a new plan!

The latest block lotto blocks are green!

I already have my quota. 

[link to directions is here]

snow day or a chance to blog.......

All the cat silhouettes are made. One is already sewn on these block lotto blocks I won. The rest are waiting.

We had blizzard go through yesterday, so I am home!

It started with rain, when the snow came it stuck to everything.

It is kinda pretty.

The birds might not think it is so pretty.

Or maybe they don't really care.

Here is some squeal with delight news.

Inside this magazine....

is......

My Captain A-MOO-ica quilt. Jackie (the sister who will get this quilt) went out and bought the magazine. She took it to work, then Jesse her husband took it to work and then she mailed it to me.

It came yesterday!

There was an article in there about turning children's art work into quilts.

The kids at school were making colorful snowmen. I loved this one and took a picture of it. No one can do art like a 1st grader.

One more snow picture for smalltownquilter or Karen.

 She is stuck in Phoenix for an extra day.

She was supposed to fly out yesterday.

Didn't happen. Something about the weather causing delays.

They will try again today.