Happy Birthday Dana!

Today is my big sister Dana's birthday.  I know I posted this before, but this is still my favorite photo of us.  My sister has ahold of me, probably because I have a bit of a lean, haha.  Always looking out for me.

Happy Birthday Dana, Love you!

Since this is a quilting blog, here is the latest skinny at Aunti Nicole's Corner.  Was at Road to California weekend before last.  My Mom and friend Phyllis stayed with me.  I took Friday off to go with them to a long arm quilting class with DeLoa Jones.  http://www.deloasquiltshop.com/ 

This is her entry in the quilt show, just amazing!

Great class I highly recommend it.  I bought some new tools which I'll post soon

The class was called Block Party and it discussed what to do with sampler blocks.  The challenge is to make a continuous pattern for each block and not have to stop.  I win!

Here is one I just quilted this last weekend for neighbor Betty.

Great fun and I'm not just making a mess, Betty really liked the results!

Lots of stuff going on in February including some quilting mentoring of a couple of angels this weekend.  Can't wait to share their progress with you.

Hope you get a chance to sew this week!

Aunti Nicole

Happy 2013!

Hi All,

Wow what a busy year!  I can honestly say that 2012 was not a lazy year.
In May I bought a Tin Lizzie and have been cranking out UFO's like mad.

In July 2013, I was sick of sitting on my duff and got off it.  My best friend Dione and her husband own a Crossfit Zen gym in Manhattan Beach and helped me find a crossfit organization in my area.    I joined Citizen Crossfit  and haven't stopped moving since.  The people at Citizen and Crossfit Zen are really supportive and they push me just enough and scale down what I can't handle.  I went from being tired old couch potato to the best shape I've been in for 20 years.  I feel great and have made some great new friends in the process.   I could go on about this (So says my husband) but this is a quilting blog afterall...onward!

Working out 5-6 days a week and changing my eating habits have taken up a lot of my free time.  But its all time I was wasting before with things like sleep and procrastination.  I actually now have more energy for quilting, yeah!

This huge 9 patch was a block exchange with my EZ Quilters group.  I ended up with my mom's leftovers after she made hers.  I think I only have about 6 blocks left.  It took me a while to figure out what border to put on it and my friend Donna said, maybe it doesn't want one.  So I asked my quilt, "Really, you done?" and the quilt just sat there there, so I guess it was done.

It was oddly enough the exact width of my long arm rails  7' which those of you who long arm know that means 6" in each side are not getting quilted. Grrr.  But I did it anyway.  I pinned the side to the top and then clamped it to the lower rails and hang it over the edge.  Then I just move it a couple of times. The biggest challenge is to make the back nice and smooth.  Just takes patience, which I'm learning.   I keep forgetting to take a picture of it.

I put a little piece of striped fabric for a flange before adding the binding.  A colored binding might have taken away from the quilt and a plain binding was just too plain.

I finished this before the holidays and my plan is to give this to my niece Madison who graduates from high school this year.  Done early? are you kidding?

So I've been on vacation for 11 days, today is the last day.  We got to go up to the mountains Mt. Shasta/Weed for Christmas and spent some time with my folks and my sister Dana and her chillen.  It was so nice to spend time with them all.  Sniff sniff, I miss em already.

Yesterday I finally got back into my quilt room and cranked out 3 projects.
The first was a philanthropy quilt top made by someone in our guild.  I try to quilt one of the unfinished tops as often as possible.  The fun wiggly design breaks up the stripes and plaids.












My friend Sharon made this for philanthropy and asked me to quilt it for her.  I have had it a while so it was time to get this one done too.  The basket with flowers was my mum's idea.

Finally, Sharon's friend Cathleen asked me to quilt this for her friends baby.  Such a bright and happy quilt.  and now its done too.  

So you see I have stayed busy.

I hope you all have a wonderful and prosperous 2013 and may you find the time to quilt!

Love Aunti Nicole

Christmas is Coming!

My friend Hilary made this beautiful quilt top for her daughter.  She asked me to quilt it for her on my Tin Lizzie.

 I was a little concerned because it was about 7' square and my Falcon frame is exactly 7'.  This means that there is at least 6" on both sides that cannot be quilted.  Eek!   So since I'm a problem solver by nature, naturally I wanted to tackle it ;]  

I quilted the center of the quilt while folding the excess backing and batting over at bit.  It did make the tension a bit of an issue so I made sure it was only 4" excess on each side.  

After finishing with the center,  I trimmed the excess backing/batting to be exactly 4" from the quilt top.

I turned the quilt 90 degrees on the rack and used the large straight pins to pin it at the top.  Then I used clamps over the lower roller to secure the bottom.  I quilted 1/2" of one side, moved it over repinned and did the other half.  Then the other side.  It actually worked out pretty well. No puckers ;]  I love "Duck Tape" workarounds.

I am in the process of quilting a large 9 patch and have the same problem.  I'll posted pictures of how I did the sides this time and repost the tutorial.

This is an ornament made by Bev in my Wool Gatherer's group.  Had to share it with you.  I love soft ornaments that my WillieNo! can't destroy.

Beautiful fabric I received in a gift exchange with my EZ Quilters group compliments of Sandra Usher and the good sportsmanship of Debbie Shapiro.  

Thats all for now.  I'll post again when the 9 patch is done!

Hope you are all sewing this weekend!

Love Aunti Nicole

October's Behind Us

This is a quilt made by my friend Carol Culbert.  She asked me to machine quilt it for her.  I just chose something simple that would blurrrr the straight lines.  I like the way it turned out.

Our guild this month challenged us to make a stocking.  Since I don't like to be too traditional I found this really different Christmas fabric in Arrowhead when I was on retreat.  The flowers were made by my new Kawansi tool and two antique buttons that came from....I don't know where, lol.  I think we are supposed to  stuff it, but we'll see ;]

Added a little flange to my binding on this t-shirt quilt.  Added a little je ne sais quoi.

I'm in the mood to get some projects done before I start any new ones.  Strange I know, but you gotta go with your gut! 

Hope you all got a chance to sew this weekend!  ~Love Aunti

T-shirt Quilt for Hubby!

Have you ever made a T-shirt quilt?  Does your husband have old shirts that he just won't throw away?  Even though they are so old he will never wear them again?

Well mine did!  My friend Nancy Chocek did a t-shirt quilt workshop a couple of weeks ago.  I seizes the opportunity to make my husband clean out his t-shirt drawer.  He was willing since it was for a good cause....a quilt for him ;]

This quilt has a little bits of my husband in it.  Just to make sure, I quilted writing across the blocks.  Hard to see in the picture, but he appreciated it.

I had purchased this beautiful "tale of the dragon" fabric from Alexander Henry a year or so ago but could not bring myself to cut it up.

The orange I bought at Beyond the Reef last year.  Also had to have it and didn't know what I wanted to do with it.  It goes just perfect with the dragons.

So its done and quilted.  Just have to put on a binding and voila!

I do hope you all got a chance to sew this weekend!

Love Aunti Nicole

Got Marines?

My guild does mini workshops over the course of the year.  I got to take two in the last month.  The first was was by Nancy Chocek.  She has pretty much mastered the T-shirt quilt thing.  She shared some great tips with us and we got a lot done in the workshop including plenty of laughs.

I got most of the blocks made in the class and now I'm in the process of setting them.  Check back in the next couple of weeks, you might see a finished quilt, lol.

So another workshop I did was by my dear friend and fabric artist Eileen Wintemute.  Her's was Beading Embellishment workshop.  Here is a picture of her sample.  Can't believe how much I learned in so little time.

Mine isn't very far but will be working on that in the next couple of weeks.   

 One of my friends in the class Sandy Ingraham did a Christmas stocking and she finished hers already!  I had to make it big so you can see the cutes little buttons on the bottom.  Great job Sandy.

Great job on both workshops ladies, I ready enjoyed them.  What a great way to spend a couple of Saturdays.  

Ok, more to come.  Next week I'm going on a retreat with my EZ Quilter friends.  Four days, of pure unadulterated quilting in a cozy house with 12 good friends.  Noice!

Hopefully I'll have lots of pics to share when I get back.

Hope you all get to sew this weekend!

Aunti Nicole

Budding Quilting Star

My niece Megan (right) is here with her sister Marisa.  Megan has entered her quilt in my Mom's guild show.  Her piece was hand appliqued and she did a fantastic job.  Her applique stitches are invisible, a talent that takes years to master.  I am so proud of her!  And look.. are those ribbons?  I'll have to find out the scoop on that...

I managed to do a bunch of quilting in August.

Just put the last stitch in a baby quilt for my cousin Julie.  She is due this month.

 






I have been working on a UFO challenge and just cranking them out.  Here is one that I did for my Aunt and Uncle.  This was UFO #3 on my list two more to go.

Here's a bigger picture of that one.
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378787154792953915#editor/target=post;postID=4134521522125988271


This 9 patch is what I'm currently working on.... Its almost together, at least it will be today I hope.  I'll post when I have more progress, and hints of a border...

Plus I've been doing a little quilting for some friends.

I started Croffsit a couple of months ago and have been focusing on eating and working out.  Strange how addicting exercise can be, but here I am at 6am on a long holiday weekend and my body is ready to go, of course my brain says quilt quilt quilt.  If you have never heard of crossfit, its a combination of endurance, gymnastics and weight training.  The work out is different and challenging everyday.  Each exercise is scalable meaning, I can't do pull-ups so they have a giant rubber band to help me get there at my pace and smaller weights for me, since I have never done weights.  Each workout seems impossible, yet you do get to the end and feel great!  ok well tired and great...sore but great!  lol.  Crossfit is everywhere, look up local crossfit box and I'll bet you've got one near you.

A lot of catching up to do on the blog so I'll spread it out over the next couple of posts.

I hope you get to sew some on this wonderful holiday weekend.

Love Aunti Nicole