Merry Christmas My Dear Quilters

Christmas Eve and all is quiet at the Morris home.  I have a week long vacation ahead of me and I've got one foot nailed to the floor and I'm spinning round my quilt room.  What should I work on????  I have plenty to do, believe me, but its hard to settle down and get to it!

What is that WillieNo! ?

Oh you're looking at my Christmas quilts, I see......GIT OUT OF THE DARN TREE!

This was a class I took a while back at Quilt Cupboard when it was in Fullerton, wow that was a while ago.  

I made this for a couple at work for a Christmas exchange...hard to find a good manger scene.  My first try with fusible web....good grief....I learned about Sewer's Aid which is a a silicone that keeps your needle from getting too sticky.

This was a pattern I made for a class I taught last year at Quilting Bee in Orange.  Pattern is available at my shop.

I loved doing this one!  Two charm packs of Fruit Cake.  I just sewed two sets of charm squares into half square triangles and arranged them until I liked the blocks.  I'll probably have to do one like this again!

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas.  Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hannukkah or Kwanzaa or are just take some Holiday time out to enjoy your loved ones, may you find Joy, Hope and 

Peace on Earth.

 God Bless Us Everyone!
Love
Aunti Nicole

Quilting Addiction - Mariner's Saga

Once I get started hand quilting it is hard to stop.  I have been working on this in 2007.  I put the top together from friendship blocks, there a really wide blue border on it now but I'll show more pictures as the quilting develops.  I work on it whenever I am between projects, which is rarely.  I sandwiched and quilted in the ditch around all blocks and applique pieces a few years back.  In September 2011, I did a 1" crosshatch around the wheel.   Now I am going back to do the detail.  It may take me another 4 years, but its not a race right?

I thought I would share some of the blocks I have been working on recently.  Some of my friendship group did mariners compass blocks and those are in the corners, including myself and my Mom.
This one was done by Peggy Krewson.  Hard to see in the photo, but the block background is a really light cream and while check.  Quilting with the fabric gives it some interest.

 Here is the back of that blocks.

The one I'm working now was done by Lisa Dahlman.  See the sea shells? Hard to seem them in the neutral fabric but the back photo shows them a little better.

 I am not ready to put it down yet, so there will be more to show soon.  I'm cooking up a quilt design for our guild's challenge and hand quilting allows me time to get my creative juices flowing.

Hope you all get a chance to quilt this week!
Love Aunti Nicole

100th post!

Hi All,
Hope you are keeping warm.  I finished my nephews quilt only a little after he was born.  I just need to pop it in the mail!  But I wanted to share it with you first.

My husband picked out the border pattern from my templates.  I like the way it came out.

A little something different in the corners.

What a handsome boy!  I hope he likes it.  I know his Momma will, she is a quilter ;]

Busy day today, I'm off to get my hair cut and then I have an embroidery workshop.  One of my friends is teaching the guild workshop at Flying Geese Fabrics in Tustin.  Here work is extraordinary and I can't wait to learn how to embroider "properly".

Hope you get to sew this weekend.

Aunti Nicole

Smoke from my finger tips

Hi All,

Been hand quilting like a crazy person trying to get a baby quilt done!  But while I'm working away over here my sister in law Susie was hard at work too and she made a baby.  Here is Liam!

I am sure he wont mind waiting a little on his quilt, as long as I get it done before he graduates High School.  I would like to get it to him by Christmas this year.   

So since I don't have much new to post, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite hand quilting  gadgets.     When I'm hand quilting and one a roll... I don't like to stop thread needles.  So this little guy comes in handy.  Not mention the fact that it has a cover so WillieNo! can't hurt himself or others by steeling it.  Though the cats' war on thread has been deemed unwinable, still he battles on!

So I stick 10 quilting betweens in my quilt.

I use a long cheapy needle threader to load 5 needles at a time.  Put my thread through, still attached to the Spool.

and pull through all 5 needles without cutting my thread.

Then I pull off the first needle on the short thread side (not the spool side) and pull out the desired then.  It is recommended that you only use a length equivalent to your arm.  Then stick the needle in the top of the quilt and clip the thread before the next needle.  Then do again until all the needles are threaded.  Do the same for the next 5 needles.

all five needles threaded, no knots though.

Load 5 needles into slots on the winder.  Gently hold the threads out and away, making sure they are not tangled.  Move the dial on the back of the winder until the threads catch in the slot on the side. then wind and wind until they are all nice and tucked in.  Then repeat for the other five.

You can now cover it with the plastic dome top.  As you need needles just pull one out gently.  Sometimes it tangles a bit, but if you are gentle it does knot up.

I can get through about 2 loads of needles in an evening.

The end!

So the quilt is almost done, I have 2 1/2 borders left to quilt and then binding and label.  I let my husband pick out the border pattern and its nuckin futz.  I really love the way the way it is coming out, but its a little slow going.  

Ok, back to work.

I hope you all get a chance to quilt this weekend!

Love Aunti Nicole

Trick or Treat?

Treat...definitely treat!  I love Halloween.

My neighbor Betty and her girls did their retreat this summer and they all did this quilt.  Each did it a little different and used different fabrics.  Betty's turned out so cute I hate to share it with you, its kind of Halloweenish.

I fell in love with this beauty at PIQF in Santa Clara.  Its called Autumn Harvest by Gayle Sheldon of Bridgeport, TX

Have a wonderful and safe Halloween!

Love Aunti Nic

Campbell's Baby Boy

My husband's sister Susie and her husband Will are expecting a baby boy.  I worked this up in my Quilt Pro program, its 54"Square.  Of course none of the blocks were very simple, but it was fun.  The fabrics are by Bernartex Forever Spring and Tried and True by Nancy Halvorsen.

 

 Took me a while to piece with all the other stuff I have going on but its now ready for sandwiching and quilting.  Hmm I'm thinking I many hand quilt this.  Better get going, baby is almost here!

Hope you all find time to quilt this weekend!

Aunti Nicole

It All in the Twist

My new pattern "Its All in the Twist"  is ready and posted at my online shop!  

This quilt is a variation on the traditional garden twist pattern.   There is a small sashing around the design to complete the twist.   

Here is a variation I made for my nephew Miller when Graduating from High School this year!  I used a fat quarter pack of southwestern batiks.  In this variation the blank squares had squares of their own.  I took this out of the pattern, but if you want it, just make the setting blocks the same way as the twist blocks.

This is a variation I made from 6 fat quarters.  I call this one Sam I Am since the colors look like green eggs and ham.  This was made for my friends' baby Samuel.

My mom, Jane St.Pierre  made one for my cousin Jordan's baby Colton.  

How cute is the this fabric, I tell you!

Visit My On Line Store.  Aunti Nicole's Corner  

I would love to hear your feedback, please comment or send emails to nicole@auntinicolescorner.com.   I am especially interested in finding out how many people prefer to download their patterns or receive via email.

Hope you all get to sew this weekend.

Love Aunti Nicole

Happy Friday!

Hope you are having a wonderful week.  I'm just getting back from all my travels and found a wonderful treat in my inbox.

"Hi Nicole - just wanted to share a photo of the quilt I made from your pattern.  Your directions were spot on and easy to follow - it was a joy to make and I love it.  Thanks for being creative!  Peggy Benzin - IL"

I love the way it turned out!  The hand dyed fabric is luscious!  Thank you Peggy for sharing this with me and letting me share it with my viewers.

Hope you all have set aside some time to sew this weekend!

Love
Aunti Nicole

A Harvest of Quilts was spectacular!

The quilt show last weekend was a great success.  A lot of our members turned out with helping hands to make it run nice and smooth.  The show was incredible and its such a joy to be surrounded by such increbible quilters with so much talent.  Here are just a few.

My mom is in my friendship group and we each did basket blocks for her and look what she went and did with them.  Holy smokes its just gorgeous!

Same friendship group did pineapple blocks then we drew straws and Sherilee Siebert got to quilt it and keep it.  Very fun project!

Pam Hadfield and her beautiful applique work!

Kathy Keefer and her marvelous applique and hand quilting.  You go girl!

Hilary Field, love the 30's fabric on black, beautiful.

Arlene Somerville, 3D wool project.  Yummy!

Denise Nelms, gorgeous applique, congratulations Denise!  I don't know where she find the time.  

Pam Hadfield again!  Simply beautiful and awesome quilting by Mike Qualls! 

Pam Again, wow she is all over this show!  More ribbons and bows on this mixed technique with wool and cottons.

Sorry I did write down what each ribbon was for, shame on me ;P  But the beautiful ribbons were made by Cindy Cooksey,

 The end,  I forgot to get the name of this quilter but I had to share this with you all.  These booty beauties are on the front of the quilt.  What a creative way to spice up a traditional scrappy quilt.



On my may to Chicago for business and then to PIQF in Santa Clara for our yearly mini-treat with Natalie of Beyond the Reef.


Have a great week and hope you all get to quilt.  Put some stitches in for me, would you?

Love Aunti Nicole

How Cute are These Socks?

Mom arrived yesterday to help with the Quilt Show.  She knitted me these bed socks and they are so cute I just had to share them with you. Its just starting to cool down and now I have bed socks made with love from my very own Mother.  Its like big baby booties on steroids ;]    I can't even comprehend how many rules you have to follow to get them to look like socks.  Well maybe someday she'll teach me.  

Hope to see you at the show!

Hope you find time to quilt this week!

Love Aunti Nicole

Harvest of Quilts - Oct 1st and 2nd

My Flying Geese Quilt Guild is gearing up for our 2011.  I have been gathering volunteers or all the fun jobs that we do at the show.  People have really come out to help.  We have the 4H Club comming to help with the white gloving and I am so looking forward to working with the young quilters.

http://www.flyinggeese.net/quiltshow.htm

On my way to deliver mine and my Mom's quilts right now.  

If you find yourself in Southern California next weekend, stop in!  Its going to be a wonderful show.   Come and introduce yourself to me, I'll be the one running around looking like I've been drinking too much coffee ;]

Hope you get sew this weekend!

Love Aunti Nicole

Someone Special is on the Way!

My sister-in-law Susie and her husband Will are expecting a little baby boy around November.  I am so excited for them.  I wanted to make an heirloom quilt with a little more traditional piecing and hand quilted.  I know you are supposed to do bright and exciting for babies learning eyes, but some things need to feel warm and comforting.

I put this together using Quilt-Pro.  I'll probably change the sashing once all the blocks are finished, but just wanted to get basic measurements.

I picked out some Benartex fabrics, from Nancy Halvorsen, from the Forever Spring, and Tried and True lines.  The background is also from the Forever Spring line.

 The blocks are 8" and here is the first block finished.  

They take a while as most are odd shapes and really need templates to get the edges right.  I keep them together in groups when I'm done, in case one is just so fun that I need to make more.








Have a wonderful week!
Aunti Nicole