Tuesday Treasures

  Well yes it's that time again.  Tuesday Treasures and today I share with you the treasure that I hold close to my heart.  My Girls.  Bailey is the burnett, she is 17 and it has been such a blessing to watch her grow and develop into this young adult.  She is so caring and  responsible.  She is not a person to vocalize her feelings;however if you are lucky enough to be loved by this young lady you will be loved for life.  She knows what her task are and is very diligent about completing them.  She is very focused on her plans for life, the sky is truly the limit for her.   Brittany is the blond and when you are around Brittnay you have to smile.  She is that fun, carefree butterfly that floats around the world blessing as many people as possible with her presence.  She is never going to make a plan because a better offer my come along and she would hate to miss out on a good opportunity. 
  They are truly the best thing I have ever done in my life.  As like most mothers, I think they are the best girls in the world. (at least my world)   I know I stand a little taller when I am around them, my heart beats a little harder and keep me grounded as well as help me keep things in prospective.  Yes they are real teenagers, dirty rooms, ribbon for hair and a hair straighter is a must, but I do not remember what my life was like before I was blessed with them and I don't want to.  I am thankful everyday that I have been lucky enough to be a mother.  

   Let's talk just a little about the list I have completed some items this month.  I know! I am so excited that I will get to cross some off instead of just moving them to the next list. 

Till Then Tracy

Tuesday Treasures

  I say each month that I am going to post more.  I have realized that I have not shared much about my life, the things I treasure. So I introduce to you Tuesday's Treasures.  Each Tuesday I am going to post about people or things that I treasure.  Why Tuesday?  Because that is one day of the week that I look forward to, it means I made it past Monday.  

  My first Tuesday's Treasure is my mother.  This is the beat of my heart.  I loved and still love my mother with all there is within me.  My mother Linda was the kindest person I have ever encountered and if in my lifetime I achieve to be half the woman she was I will have truly accomplished something.  My mother had that special way of making each one of us feel like we were her favorite.  I can't recall her saying a bad thing about a single person.  She was the strongest person I have ever known, sure she had times that was tough, but she was always determined to battle.  I would be very wealthy if I had a penny for every time she said that there was nothing that I could not do.  

The summer before my freshman year of high school my mother was diagnosed with a muscle disease that she fought and was a strong contender in the battle for 14 years.  Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer and it was a beast that she could not defeat.  She lost her battle with cancer within a year.  Thursday April the 15th would have been my mother's 59th birthday.  She lost her battle with cancer at the age of 53.   I am truly a blessed person to have been raised by her. The pictures are from a collage that hangs in front of my sewing table.  My mother never seen one quilt that I made. Quilting is something I embarked upon after her death.  I hope you all enjoy the pictures and I also hope you each are blessed with as my Dad would say a       

"Linda Lou" in your life. I love you mom and miss you dearly 

Till Then Tracy 

Quilting Why

  Why do you quilt?  I love the whole process, finding a pattern or making my own, picking the fabric, washing, ironing, cutting, piecing the top, and yes I even like sandwiching the quilt.  I love the machine quilting I feel like it is the icing on the cake. Binding it is the embellishment to me.  I quilt because I love the journey of a quilt.  Where will it end up?  Who will adore the quilt and who will it comfort?  Each quilt tells a story to me.  I can't look at a quilt without thinking of the person who made it and question their pattern, colors and admire the time spent.  

Till  Then Tracy

Failed

  I am trying to decide if I am even going to post an April WIP list.  I have not completed one list yet so I am starting to think that this is just a failure.  I could come up with tons of excuses for not being able to complete a single list; however, I hear my mother's voice in my head saying "it could be worse" so no excuses.  I will update the current status of each project that was on the March WIP list.  

Dads vest.... on the shelf to be completed 

Lone star workshop wall hanging... Needs one outside border then the top is done.  

Owl Quilt.... I have spent a lot of time with this project.  The top is complete and I have been working on the pattern.  I have never written a pattern before and there is a lot more to it than I ever knew.  I have been encouraged to have it copyrighted and have learned that a copyright is not a piece of cake either.  I am just about done with the Owl Pattern.

Chicken Blocks...... DONE   I even have a picture of each set.  I am so excited and can't wait to see the blocks that I get back in return. 

This is the roosters and I am ok with the way they turned out.  Of course there is things I would do different next time.  They each have there own personality.  

The hens.   

 

I think these ladies are just gorgeous.  Yes I have my favorite and I hope she makes it back home to me.  

Last but not least the chicks

 

I struggled the most with the chicks.  I could not get the eyes and eyebrows to look right.  And I must say I still have not figured it out I had to just settle.  

I am undecided on the April list or if I will even make one so if there is anyone who reads this you will have to check back and see if I did indeed post an April list or just gave up all together and let the PHD's win.  

Till Then Tracy

OWLS

  Well I have shown yall my owl quilt.  I posted a picture of the quilt on the quliting board asking for ideas of how to quilt and I have had an amazing response.  So many people want the pattern.  I can not belive that someone would be interested in a pattern that I put together.  I have been doing just that putting the pattern together.  When I did the quilt I just winged it. No pun intended, so I am having to go back and put the little guys done in paper without all my hen scratch.  This little quilt has a funny story and sometime I will have to share it with you all.  Hope you all are doing great, if there is anyone out there reading my rambles. 

Till Then Tracy

Phd.

 Phd.   Projects Half Done.  We all know that I have plenty of my own PHD's, but my quilt quild had a garage sale and there was a few phd's that I could not resist, they were such a great price and all the proceeds went to the guild.  I had to my part to support the guild.  This is the things I purchased...

 

I think that I ended up with four phd's and the rest was fabric.  One of the phd's that I purchased was these string blocks.  All of the blocks were completed they just needed to be pieced together.   I put four blocks together to make one large block then put the large blocks together.  I just now have to decide on a border. 

 

It was fun to put something together that someone else had worked on.  The other thing that was interesting to me was some of the fabric that the original owner used as foundation pieces I have in my stash.  I love string quilts and actually have one in progress now.  My ADD is taking over again because this sting quilt is not on my March list.  I will have to work hard on that March list.  

Till Then Tracy  

I have been adopted

Yes you read it correctly I have been adopted.  I have mentioned the quilting forum that I visit so often "The Quilting Board" well it had a challenge for an experienced quilter to adopt a newbie. So I was adopted.  I am so excited.  My quilting mother is the best.  She has so much knowledge and I have such a comfort knowing that it is there for me to tap into at anytime.  I worked on the cushions last night and today delivered one of them to the owner and he is going to check it tonight to make sure that it fits.  I hope he likes them.  I hope you all have the comfort of knowing you have someone to help you with your projects. 

Till Then Tracy

Working

  I have to say again I did not complete my list for this month, and as you will see in this post I have also done a couple of other things I was going to try and restrain myself from doing.   1-  I have purchased fabric, not to complete a project but just because I like it.  2- I have started new projects.  This one I have mixed feelings about because I love every project I have in my little room of get away and I love each new project equally.   This may be one of the things that is contributing to the fact that I cannot complete a list for the month.  I really desire to see my WIP come to life so I must try to stay on track.I have been working this month.  I will now share with you on what.  Cushions....... One of the guys I work with asked me if I would make new covers for his cushions.  Don't worry that is not the fabric I am using.  I used it to as my pattern.  This is not my comfort zone; however, it has been ok. 

 



Next, a new project.  I love the forum The Quilting Board.  They have a member block swap on it and one of the swaps you could join is a funky chicken block.  The requirements for this block is to make 6 blocks and then you get six blocks back.  I wanted more than 6 blocks so I decided to do 3 sets of 6 and here they are.   I  do have to finish sewing them and put their eyes on.  I must say they make me smile.   

 

and now the Hens

 

Roosters

 

the CHICKS

 

I have also completed the Owl quilt top and it just needs to be quilted.  I am having a little trouble deciding how to quilt it.    

 

 

  And I am just about done with my workshop matchless lonestar.

 

I am going to focus on one project and try to complete it prior to working on another.   Sounds good right...

Till Then Tracy

   

Mark another one off......

 Yeah!!!! I completed another one on my February list.  This quilt was a lot of fun for me and I learned a lot from it.  I love the colors, and want to make a quilt that is very similar for myself.  I learned a few tricks to half square triangles and the hourglass block.  I also learned about thread color.  I have never really put a lot of thought into the color of thread I used to machine quilt.  I always just tried to pick a color that was in the quilt.  I chose pink thread for this quilt and it showed up really well on the green squares, but you could not see it at all on the pink squares or the border.  When I quilted this quilt it was the first time I experienced tension problems from my machine and I had to fight it throughout the whole quilt.  I  finally got the tension corrected, but I tried so many things that I am not sure what fixed the problem.  I just hope it is an experience that does not occur that often.  FEATHERS..... I have played with the feather shape a couple of times, but never really tried to make feathers.  This time I tried and I had a hard time at first.  I put a few feathers throughout the quilt but I really tried hard to make feathers on the border.  This is the back. 

 After I completed the quilt I found a tutorial on feathers and it really opened my eyes to feathers and I AM IN LOVE WITH THEM............. Just wait till my next completed project.  Yes I am close to completing another project.   Now binding.  I love binding, I think it is the final pop to the quilt and when I found the fabric I just could not resist it.

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Till Then Tracy

To Pratice or Not

   My local quilt shop is haveing  a BOM (block of month)  and I was very excited to partake.  I had the bright idea that I would follow the instructions and practice with some scraps before I actually cut the fabric that came with the pattern.  The idea of this was to prevent mistakes and I would end up with two quilt tops at the end of the year.  My practice BOM will be out of red, white and blue fabric.  My idea did not turn out as planned.  My practice block went great, not one hiccup.  My actual BOM I cut the fabric wrong on two different places,  I had to sew two pieces together to get the correct size for one block.  The block did not go together correctly and it is not square.  I am going to try really hard to just tell myself that it will add character to the finished top.  I always here that every quilt has mistakes and no one ever notices .  I have to take the completed block into the quilt shop and then I will receive the next block free.  I hope they don't inspect it or even look at it.  On the flip side my sister in law is going to the quilt shop with me and I am so excitied.  She has just started quilting and we have never done any quilting activities together.  I wouldn't be suprised if I didn't causally brouse the quilt shop looking for some of the fabric that came with the first BOM and then correct my block..... I can't wait good company and a quilt shop, sound like the start to a great weekend. 

 

Completed One!!!!!

Yes I did it.  I completed one thing off my February WIP list.  As of now I have at least completed as much this month as I did last month.  I must find the positive any way that I can.  I promised pictures so here they are......

Josh's Quilt

This is the binding, I chose to do a scrappy binding from leftover fabric from the quilt top.

     
The Quilt.  I had seen this pattern in  a magazine and of course I could not follow the pattern and had to make the adjustments to make the quilt the way I wanted.  The fabric colors is suppose to look manly and you know I really love the way it turned out. 

Quilting...... I machine quilted it myself on my domestic sewing machine.  I had a hard time trying to decide what type of quilting to use for this quilt so I fell back on a pattern that I use a lot and is easy for me.



I am now going to look over the list and find the next one I want to concentrate on.

Till Then Tracy

February 2010 WIP

Well I only got one of my WIP completed from my January 2010 list, so what did I do from that?
Make my next list shorter.  February dose only have 28 days.  I have pictures coming soon. 

Till Then Tracy

List

  It does not look like I will get much of my January list completed.  I have been in a funk when it comes to quilting, life really.  I guess the best way to look at it is that I can move them over to the February list and pull myself up by the boot straps and get it in gear.  I will have to get more motivated.  I do have a picture of my beautiful daughters.  There is no way they know or understand the amount of love I hold for them.

   

January Progress

  Well I guess my list is overwhelming, because I am not making any progress.  It is the 12th of January and I can only cross one thing off my January list. The Multi Tote#1.  This started as a Christmas gift that I did not get completed in time.  I am sure that one of my girls will need a birthday gift for a friend at the last minute and this will be wrapped and sent to a new home at that time.  I must buckle down if I plan on getting many other things marked off that list. 

Till Then Tracy

Missing

  I am sad to say that it has been a long time sience my last post.   I can say that I will be posting more frequently.  I have several goals I want to accomplish. I guess we should get to know one another again.  I am 36, married to my highschool sweetheart, have two children (teenage girls), have ADD and an obsession for quilts. I love fabric, patterns, the quilts I see in my head. I have so many patterns already and I plan on making each one of them. Someday.With this being the new year I have some goals. Not new years resolution!!! They are complete all current WIP which I think will be close to 50. Organize my house and of course lose weight. So now I will have to post a list of my WIP and each room in my house and you are crazy if you think I am going to post my weight.Well let's just say that you can say my ADD has had control over my quilting. As you can tell by the list that I have compiled, I currently have I will guess close to 50 WIP. To help achieve my goals of getting organized and completing all my current WIP I have made myself put them down on paper. I have not faced the reality of counting them. In just looking at the list I decided that the list is overwhelming so I picked 11 to complete in January and here it is the eighth of January and I do not have a single one of them completed.

I will give you an introduction to each project on the list. Who knows at this rate that may be as far as I ever get.
*Oscar's Quilt- Cream and Blue Log Cabin
*Black, White & Red Quilt- Another Log Cabin
*Multi Tote- Multi colored Tote
*Red, Navy & Cream Tote
*Owl Quilt- appliqued owls on each block
*Josh's Quilt- Brown's and Blue patchwork
*Kellie's Quilt- Pink & Green Hourglass blocks
*Josh's Throw- Only have the material no idea on pattern
*Reighanna's Quilt-Only have the material no idea on pattern
*Garrett's Quilt- Star quilt made with western fabric
*Dad's Vest- Harley vest that I need to sew the patches on.

Till Then Tracy