Modern Sunbonnet Sue's Musings

Designing an Applique Border

2013-05-19T01:01:00Z

I began designing an applique border for a guild raffle quilt. Another member & I are planning the next raffle quilt for our biennial quilt show. We've decided to make a simple nine patch with alternating plain squares. The Applique Club has been asked to make borders for the quilt, so I have gotten involved. The pizzazz in the quilt will come from the small inner and outer borders. Since the quilt show is in the spring, we are looking for bright, crayon colored blocks that members will be...(read more)

Vintage Wool Throw

2013-05-11T19:17:00Z

A few weeks ago, I posted pictures of some vintage quilts that I own. Someone asked to see the wool throw laid out. When I wrote the post, I didn't have any pictures of the full quilt. So, I laid out the quilt and snapped several shots. It wasn't easy, since I am not able to use my right arm yet. And, it took another week to get the photos posted, because I have been so exhausted. Recovering from surgery is a long process, and takes even longer the older that I get. I'm back to working...(read more)

Vintage Quilts

2013-04-21T19:28:00Z

I returned to work last week, after three weeks off following surgery. To some, the time off may have sounded nice with extra time for quilting. However, I cannot use my right arm, so my time was spent reading and surfing the internet using my left arm. I spent more time in the QCA forums and reading some of my favorite quilt blogs. Unfortunately, talking about quilts, reading about other quilters' projects, and seeing pictures in the galleries and blogs, just increased my desire to be quilting...(read more)

A Myriad of Quilt & Textile Books

2013-04-08T11:45:00Z

So, what does one do when one arm is in a sling and you cannot stitch? How about cataloguing all those quilt books. I am able to type with one hand, albeit slowly. So, I began the project a week-and-a-half ago. Each day, I work on 10-12 books, including the author, title, publisher, and publication date; along with a digital image of the book and the price I paid. This last item is sometimes sketchy, if I didn't note it on the back page, which has been a habit of mine. I have a love of all things...(read more)

Quilting on Hold

2013-03-29T18:21:00Z

I won't be doing any stitching for awhile. I had surgery on my right shoulder a week ago, to repair a rotator cuff tear and remove a bone spur. I exacerbated the problem while doing a FMQ Numerical Quilts project for my Mid-Michigan Quilters' Guild . It seems I've had the tear for awhile, but it was treated incorrectly as a neck problem. The FMQ irritated the shoulder again and I sought re-treatment, figuring on a steroid injection and possibly physical therapy, but ended up wiyh my arm...(read more)

FMQ on Touch & Feel Baby Quilt

2013-03-01T01:00:00Z

My two sisters and I completed a quilt together to commenmorate the birth of a great-niece. We collaborated on making the individual blocks. Then, I put the quilt together with sashing and an outside border. Next, my younger sister completed the free-motion quilting. Finally, my older sister attached the binding. Here is the completed quilt, awaiting a label, before my younger sister flies across the country to hand deliver the quilt. I have included several close-up pictures of the individual blocks...(read more)

Positively Charmed

2013-02-16T12:07:00Z

My oldest granddaughter is four years old today. I will be decorating her cake later this morning, with a Tangled theme. Her baby quilt was a pink scrappy Drunkard's Path pattern called Positively Charmed by Jan Bretzel. The border has hearts and flowers machine appliqued around the border. The pattern is from a baby Quilts magazine published by Fon's & Porter's Love of Quilting - Winter 2008. Here is a picture of the quilt, displayed at a local quilt show back in 2009. I haven't...(read more)

MQN Mystery Quilt - Adding Borders & Finishing

2013-02-12T00:51:00Z

We are now in the home stretch. Let’s put the finishing touches on our mystery quilt. Below are the initial fabric requirements given with the Fabric Selection Instructions. Fabrics for finishing the quilt top: 1 st Border – 5/8 yard ( 3/8 yard) – consider using Fabric #3 or another medium warm color. 2 nd Border – 1-1/4 yard ( 1 yard) – consider using Fabric #4 or #5 or another cool color. Binding – 5/8 yard ( ½ yard) – consider using Fabric #1 or...(read more)

Numerical Quilts

2013-02-09T12:06:00Z

Our Mid-Michigan Quilters' Guild is stitching up more quilts for education. This time, the mini quilts are blocks representing numbers from one to thirty. Our Education Committee put together kits using bright solids with a number template. Members just have to add the number, along with as many buttons. The mini quilts finish to a twelve-inch size and must be quilted and finished with binding. I chose number one, then decided that putting together a quilt with just one button was simple enough...(read more)

MQN Mystery Quilt - Putting Your Blocks Together

2013-01-13T21:05:00Z

Last year, I completed a mystery quilt with my Michigan Quilt Network Region 3 group. The block was revealed as Godey's Lady Book block . Did you finish all your Mystery Blocks? How about putting them together? If you are still waiting to set together your blocks, here’s the layout that I planned. My layout is set on the diagonal, so let’s begin by cutting out side setting and corner setting triangles. I used the instructions in Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! The Complete Guile to Quiltmaking...(read more)

Hungry Catepillar Quilt Completed for Grandson

2013-01-05T01:59:00Z

I finally made the last stitches on my grandson's baby quilt. I kept putting other projects ahead of completing the binding and label, that it remained unfinished for about two months. I couldn't let the year end without completing it. Last Sunday, I finished the binding, and attached the quilt label on Monday. I named it Whirly Twirly Catepillar since there are Pinwheel blocks throughout the quilt. Some of you may remember my Hungry Catepillar fabrics blog earlier in the year and several...(read more)

Saturday Morning Musings

2012-12-29T16:02:00Z

We all seem to have gotten snow. Certainly that was what I wished for, so that I could just stay indoors and just sew. Of course, staying warm becomes a necessity with the colder weather. I've been bundled in several layers and turning the furnace up a little. My DH likes to keep it at 64 degrees. Saves on fuel costs, especially when no one is home during the day. But, I am on a staycation, so turning it up about 5 degrees has kept me warmer. The hot tub feels good, as well. I finished the PJ's...(read more)

Christmas Reflections

2012-12-23T02:26:00Z

My eleven day holiday vacation began today. It began as early as usual, getting up at 6:00 a.m. One's internal clock doesn't change just because you don't have to go into work. I spent part of the day with my DH doing the last of the shopping. We are planning a Mexican Taco/Nachos Bar for Christmas afternoon, with our two daughters and their families. This may become our new tradition. In the past, we had a Christmas morning brunch with a smorgasbord of items. Now that their families...(read more)

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

2012-12-19T01:56:00Z

I've been out of commission since Thanksgiving, it seems. Everyday, there is something clamoring for my time. Whether I've been sewing, working, shopping, or watching my grandchildren, my time has been elsewhere from blogging. Christmas is just a week away. The tree was decorated a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't get any lighs put up outdoors. I baked Christmas cookies and candies over the week-end, with my three-year-old granddaughter helping out. All the shopping is done and I mailed...(read more)

Touch & Feel Baby Quilt

2012-11-29T03:04:00Z

My two sisters and I used our Black Friday Sewing Day to finish the last four baby animal quilt blocks for the quilt we will be gifting to our nephew and his wife. My sisters finished stitching their designated blocks, while I cut out the sashing and border strips. Eight of the twelve blocks were completed during our last two Saturday sewing days. You can see the blocks at my Baby Quilt Blocks post and Saturday Musings post . Here are the final four blocks: a yellow fleece chick, a black squirrel...(read more)