Tess is really finished!

It wasn't hard to decide what to use as a binding on this quilt. I thought the black and white checks that I used in the center of the blocks would be perfect so I tried it and...I loved it. I made the binding a few weeks ago, but didn't get a chance to put it on until yesterday.

I got the label sewn on too, so it's officially finished!

 If you see any dust bunnies just remember they are part of the process!

I made a bunch of labels awhile back and have been busy putting them on. Here's the one for my niece and her husband's wedding gift. What do you put on your labels? Do you hand print? print from your computer? 

Amber and Matt's Stained Glass quilt

 I just realized that I didn't take a good finish pic of this quilt. Hate when I do that!

 My nephew and his wife's label on their quilt.

 I sewed on two more labels last night. I'm on a roll!

Josh and Julie's Cobblestone Path quilt

Wedding fun!

 My niece Amber got married on Saturday...what a fun day! I've seen many pix of the bride and groom, but this is one of my favorites! I got up there in time to help lace them all into their dresses. They were so beautiful.

 The wedding took place in my hometown of Earling IA. They are in the process of tearing down the elementary school where I went to school. They consolidated the parochial elementaries many years ago and haven't used it as a school for a long time. The decision was made to take it down as they didn't have a use for it and it's too expensive to keep up.

 Back to the wedding! Here was the cutest part of the wedding ceremony....my two great nephews pulling a baby flower girl down the aisle in a wagon. She was seat belted in and fell asleep waiting to go down the aisle.

 They needed a little help keeping it straight, but they made it!

 At one point, this sweet little guy stopped the wagon and reached over and patted the baby on the head. It was so cute!

 She woke up when they got up front and was happy to see her daddy!

 The bride and groom opened their gifts yesterday and sent me these pix with my wedding gift to them. I think they like it!

My nephew Josh got married on Memorial weekend....and I didn't have their quilt finished. As you know, it's been finished for awhile now and I took it along to the wedding to give it to them. They loved it! I am so happy for both of these couples that they have these wonderful people to spend their lives with!

Friday pretties...

I met with some great quilters this week during Sampler Clubs. Carolyn brought her Sunbonnet Sue Sampler for show and tell. She tied and bound it. It's always so much fun to see finished quilts from classes I teach.

Kate brought in her Cobblestone Path quilt. She is making a small version as this is her first quilt and she wants to learn the finishing steps too. We talked about how to measure borders, she chose her fabric and will get that part finished. She has to go back home for a few weeks, but then will be back in town so we plan to get together so that she can learn how to finish it. 

The rest of the blocks are from the 2 Sampler Clubs I taught this week. They are all doing a great job and I love to see the quilts develop.

Last night I worked on getting labels sewn on two quilts that are going to new homes this weekend. More about that and pictures next week.

Tomorrow is my niece's wedding, so I'll be going to my hometown for the wedding. I'm looking forward to seeing my family! It will definitely be a fun day! 

Around the World Blog Tour

Lone Star, made in 2009, still one of my favorite quilts.

I was asked by Holly Elam of Fabric Mom to write a post for the Around the World Blog Tour.I have followed Holly's quilting journey for many years. She leads a busy life raising her sons and she still finds time to sew!

This sounds like a daunting tour, as my little part of the world (Council Bluffs, IA) isn't all that exciting or different. But I guess we are here to learn about other quilters, techniques and quilty stuff, so it doesn't matter.

 

Here's Mom in her Quilt! shirt

 I learned to sew from my mom when I was young. She loves to sew and started teaching me at a young age. She eventually began quilting, so when I started my first quilt I went to her for advice and help. I have also learned a lot from reading books and magazines and have taught myself many techniques. My mom and I still like to sew together. Here is one that she has been working on. 

Sometimes we have sew in days in my hometown of Earling IA and invite my sisters. 

 At our last sew in day, Sharon made my design, Fade to Pink. She has been sewing and crafting for many years.

Nancy, on the other hand, only sews when she is visiting from Canada at Christmas, so is still in the learning process. 

 Her first quilt is going to be so pretty!

My sister, Deb is the same way...only sewing when it's a family event! She is learning to string piece.

She finished her top the last time we met. It's so much fun seeing these two dip their toes in the quilting world. We have one more sister who has no interest, and hasn't been around when we have met. She is moving closer soon, so maybe this year we can work on her and get her involved!

 I worked on my first Miss Tess quilt the last time we got together (it was my newest design at the time). I have recently been working on a new version and finished the quilting last week. I hope to bind it this week.

Miss Tess quilt

 There always has to be a supervisor, and Dad does a great job of doing that. He also helps us lay out blocks, decide on colors and relaxes for us.

 I love to go on retreats with friends, too. I have gone with the same group now for about 5 years. We go twice a year and work on our own projects. The last few times we have gone to Quilter's Cottage, near Woodbine, IA. It's great fun and many things happen that can't be repeated...you know the saying....what happens on retreat, stays on retreat. Sewing with others is definitely more fun than sewing alone!

Quilters of the Corn...need I say more? 

I started teaching quilting classes about 11 years ago.  I taught a few groups the basics of piecing and finishing a quilt, then designed a sampler quilt to continue teaching them new techniques. Since then I have met lots of wonderful quilters and have designed 19 samplers, many other quilts and table runners using many techniques under the name Quiltinjeanie Designs.Three of my designs have been published in McCalls Quick Quilts magazines in the past year and a half.

Ribbon Quartz, Sampler 19

Two of my reasons for starting a blog was to have a journal of my quilting efforts and to share the quilting going on in my classes. I work a full time job as a Library Clerk in a local elementary school too, so my blogging isn't always lengthy or every day. I do have the summers off and don't teach as many classes then, so I get more sewing and quilting (and blogging) done. I have met many nice quilters through blogging and have seen many interesting tutorials and techniques. I love how the blogging world has opened up quilting to everyone! I think that is what this tour is all about.

I am challenging a few other bloggers to share their quilt journey with us on this Blog Tour. They will be posting their Around the World Blog Tour posts next week!

Cheryl of Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting has been busy working on food in a jar blocks for an exchange she is doing. They are so cute and delicious!

Rosa of Rosa Patch. The Love of Sewing is a very talented quilter from Spain. I am so impressed with the Dear Jane quilt that she has been working on.

Thanks for joining me on this blog tour....hope you enjoyed this visit to my part of the world. 

Stepping along the path....

Someone likes polka dots! We had so much fun during Saturday's Cobblestone Path class, pairing up fabrics to make colorful blocks. This easy but fun block makes a very scrappy quilt. Laura has been cutting kits for quilts to work on during her upcoming vacation...she is going away to sew, sew, sew. This is one of the kits she is taking. We will all be looking forward to her return with many lovely finishes!

Kate is a beginner who contacted me a week or so ago about learning to quilt. She is an old friend that I hadn't seen in years, was in town for a month and wanted to get started. I told her about this quilt class coming up, and she was interested. So I met with her last Monday night to teach her the basics of quilting and using a rotary cutter. She chose these graphic prints and had them all precut before class as per instructed. She was getting a bit creative with her block construction by the end of class, feeling more confident about what she was doing. She is making a small lap quilt with the hope that we will get it finished before she goes home.

Dianne dug through her large collection of prints (she loves florals!) to come up with these colorful blocks. It's like a trip through the garden!

Jane and I have an affinity for batiks, so I enjoyed looking at her collection of strips made into blocks. She has some of the same ones I have collected over the years. She found one that was the same as I had used. She said on Sat. that she was going to make a throw, but I heard from her last night and she is addicted now! She had made up all that she had cut and was cutting more to make more blocks. Maybe a queen size after all!

My Cobblestone Path, soon to go to a new home.

I have Sampler clubs tonight and tomorrow night as well as a committee meeting for the CB Quilt Show tomorrow night...it's getting closer! Oct. 11 is right around the corner, so if you live in our area, mark your calendars and plan on stopping in! We will be finalizing our plans and going to the hall to decide how we want to arrange the show at this meeting. I am doing a demo, so I need to work on my demo models sometime soon.

I have been asked to do the Around the World Blog Tour, so look for my post tomorrow.
Happy Monday!

Finally.....

 I've been working on the quilting on this Miss Tess Quilt for a couple of weeks, on Sundays mostly. I've been wanting to work on it after work, but once I make supper and sit down, I don't get much done. ( Work sort of takes the oooomph out of me right now) My best time to quilt on the machine is in the morning, I rarely quilt in the evening.  So I decided to work on it as soon as I got home so maybe, just maybe I could get it finished.

I used the Mini Chaos panto, which interlocks in an interesting way, but you don't get as far with every pass because you are always dipping back into the last row. It's an easy panto to do, though and I like the all over effect. I always take pictures of the front and back when I get it off the machine. I will take good pictures of the quilt itself after I get the binding on, but I like to have pictures of both as a record. for me and I might forget if I don't do it then.

Love this floral backing fabric. So pretty.

 I am going to use the black and white uneven check that I used in the centers of the blocks for the binding. I have it, now to get it cut and prepped. Maybe tonight....

When is your best sewing/quilting time?