Saturday...

Look at this, Buddy's house got a renovation!!  What kind of dog Mom was I to let his house get so shabby...do you see the frog buried under newly washed and ironed fat quarters--waiting to have their selvages removed?  And look at that perfectly good scrap/strip of red fabric just laying on the floor...but now, quilted, washed and bound...Buddy's Quilt!

Before...and After!

Next up, a picture of my lazy gamer son RJ as he relaxes in the bean bag, Wii remote glued to his hand, under a cutie Valentine quilt..pattern by Sharon Springer, if I recall.  I tested it for her a few years ago when she was writing the pattern...it is great, even though there are y-seams (don't run screaming, it is OK)!  I'll look for it and post the name later...

And finally, my Mom sent me a picture of the quilt I made for her after her Mom passed away.  Grandma Lossing's favorite color was Aqua...so the quilt is similar to those in her house...ala 1950!  The pattern is called Box of Chocolates...available at The Christmas Goose in Las Vegas, NV.  I've used this pattern several times (also for Rebecca's Syracuse quilt) and it is a dream to make...though a little bit tedious to cut out.  Very nicely done...and made in two months (quilting included!!)...

Well, I'm off to make the backing and baste the Sierpinski Nightmare, as it will now be called....I'll let you know how it goes.  I'm opting for mono thread and stitch in the ditch....LOL, we'll see!

Sierpinski is pieced...what now??

Yes, this is the dreaded Sierpinski top all pieced together. I even put it in "X-Large" mode just so you could see the detail in the many batiks I cut.  I will also brag that all of this top was pieced from my stash.  I could show you my batik stash but it is just shameful how much I'm hoarding so I'll save it for another day.  My plan to finish this was to quilt it on my machine with some Tie Dye colored thread in a wavy pattern along the seam lines.  But now I'm not so sure.  That plan was hatched before the top was completed and I really didn't give a crap how it got done...but now I really like it and don't want to screw it up with totally icky quilting.  So I've posted on MQR, my old longarm site, to see what the experts think.  But please, if anyone out there (one of the three of you who read this blog) have any ideas, please feel free to post a comment.  I cannot freehand anything on the DSM--I can't even stipple on it.  It is just for my classroom, about 45" tall.  Anyhow, now that I've done nothing but this all day, I need to cook dinner or clean the kitchen or pet the dog, or something like that.  By the way, Rebecca did break down and clear a space for me to iron as I pieced.  ;-)

Sierpinski and his damn triangle...

So before I tell you of the fun I've had piecing together all the equilateral triangles...let me show you where the fabric for this has been laying...Yes, that is the spin bike.  It is perfect for draping already ironed scraps of batiks.  Unfortunately, you can't spin on the bike with the fabric on the handles.  So that is why I had to get on this project...so I could spin again!!  LOL...hahahahahaha.  Really, what I discovered last night at 10:45pm, is that you CAN make S'mores over your gas range in the kitchen with a fork as a skewer.  ;-)  Unfortunately, and here is where you may decide to never read my blog again, the stove really needed to be cleaned.  It wasn't up to health code standards...even though the marshmallows were 3 inches above the actual flame.  But while I was roasting, I thought the experience was similar to a drug addict freebasing heroin out of a nasty piece of tinfoil in a dirty restroom stall in a Wal-Mart over a not-so-clean toilet.  Really, have I no standards?  Oh yeah, it was all Rebecca's idea....I'm just saying.

So now lets look at some cut out triangles for my project.  Ohhh, pretty pretty.  I looks like the color wheel...or some gay quilt festival.  Anyhow, I laid out the middle triangle--the pink/red/orange one, pinned it and then proceeded to sew.  HALT...when the seams overlap, like they do in a triangle, you must iron the previous seam before moving on (this is just my opinion, after doing several triangle quilts--the QPolice will not come for you if you don't do it, but you triangles might turn out wonky).  So now it is done like this:  Sew a seam, iron a seam, sew a seam, iron a seam...etc....which involves me walking ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEDROOM WHERE THE IRON IS because my selfish girlfriend won't give up her scrapbooking table for me to set up an ironing board.  LOL...just kidding...but really, I need to iron nearby!  Why won't these people work with me!!!!  ;-)  I must sew now, before I fall asleep...And I will get on the spin bike later tonight in attempt to burn off the S'mores....And I did clean the stove this morning, Mom!!

Ryan's new quilt...

Now check that out...a picture not only of the dog, but Ryan's new (ONLY quilt--see previous post on the missing log cabin) quilt that just came back from the quilter!  It is all made from vintage shirts (yes, I can afford real quilt shop fabric, but his room is "camping" themed so it fit the bill perfectly).  I was working on it last summer and right before I suddenly transferred to my new job in late September.  Thus, it wasn't actually finished until February.  It is quilted with swirls, by Kalynda Klemmer.  I made the binding last night, and the binding for Buddy's quilt, but who knows when it will be applied.  You know, I've got other stuff on my plate right now!!

Take a look at this tantalizing pile of trash scraps (only a die hard quilter cuts some pieces, throws out the scraps and TAKES THEM OUT OF THE TRASH for a picture for her blog), and my personal design pattern...It is Sierpinski's Triangle...from a math book, following Pascal's Triangle and all its interesting permutations.  So I thought it looked like it would be wonderful in rainbow batiks and maybe a black solid...So I started cutting triangles last night--lots and lots of them using scraps.  I'll show you more later on as I go, but I think the inmates might find it interesting and then later actually inquire about and....aha, an open window for a discussion on patterns and math!!  Yeah, right...It will be about 48" tall and I plan on quilting it myself (LOL, what am I thinking???).

Adam's quilt...

So since I've posted most of my recent work, I'm forced to go back and post pics of Quilts of Summers Past.  This is from about a year ago...a twin size quilt for my nephew Adam.  I know, this is just laying on the floor, not even totally put together or quilted.  But I wasn't blogging back then and I didn't take a final picture.  Maybe Gwen will take a good picture of it finished, on his bed, and send it to me.  Then I'll have a final picture.  The pattern is called..wait, I have to get up now and go find it.  Ok, found it...

It is called Lucky Stars by Atkinson Designs.  Very forgiving...a good pattern for beginners.  My quilt, however was made all from vintage shirts, ala Goodwill and Salvation Army (shout out to Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville...Holla!).  Anyhow, I'll get a good shot of Adam's and post some day...Right now I'm trying to avoid the laundry.  Maybe I'll cut out my triangle quilt...or work on binding Buddy's quilt.  Hmm....or maybe a nap?  No, no napping, no napping, no napping....LOL

Buddy's dog quilt...

Ok, so I made this little square in a square quilt for my dog Buddy--well, actually, to cover his dog kennel in the living room.  We call it his "house" because it doesn't have a door on it, and we hung pictures of us inside of it.  Well, he needed a quilt to cover it and his color is brown--he is a boy chihuaua mix afterall.  I have another picture with him right up close--he is adorable.

See how cute he is?  Anyhow, if you could see the quilting, you would see little dog bones.  This was quilted by Kalynda Klemmer.  She is the longarmer that bought my longarm machine when I quilt longarming...By the way, I mailed off two quilts to Merrie today for quilting and I totally forgot to take a picture of the Knudson quilt all pieced together.  I guess you'll just have to see it when it comes back (all 3 of you who may read this blog).  Tomorrow I'll do some work for work then I'm going to work on....well, I don't actually know what.  But I'll let you see when it gets going ;-)

And for the record, NQR (not quilting related) my ex is a big loser.  Just had to add it it, sorry if it slightly detracted from otherwise happy and jovial atmosphere here at Zany Quilter...LOL! But so you can relate, my son's first quilt (queen size log cabin in red/blue), with his name personally quilted into every block (by me, his longarming Mom) was LOST at the other house and is nowhere to be found (sometime during the last 5 years, they can't exactly pinpoint when it occurred??  WTF??).  See what I mean everyone, a BIG LOSER!  This is the missing quilt...if you see it at your local Salvation Army or Goodwill, look for the Ryan quilted in the stars and then buy it and call me so I can buy it back from you!  No kidding...where is my quilt???  ACK!  People who don't care about their kid, or their kid's quilt, suck!

Kundson quilt

So this is what I'm working on today...instead of my work for my job!  Oh no, I better get busy on that tonight.  Anyhow, this coming year is the 50th anniversary of my work so I made a little quilt to hang in my "office"...it is made from recycled shirts (lots of green--that is our color).  I fused the letters and numbers on and will have the quilter finish it with a nice background fill.  The bricks going around are 4" x 2"...I'll post a picture once it is fully put together.  Kind of cute....;-)

By the way, have you ever gone to Flickr...and searched quilts?  OMG, wait to you see all the eye candy there.  How did I miss all this inspiration?  Anyhow, check out the ticker tape quilts (oh so fun)...all of it is just amazing.  Anyhow, gotta work...

Citric Acid string quilt--spiderweb

So this is my "Citric Acid" spiderweb string quilt.  I still need to piece the whole top together, but I'll get it done today and the backing pieced and it will be in the mail tomorrow!!  Yeah!  This was inspired by the inmates at Cinco de Mayo.  Very festive, in my opinion.  These aren't colors I usually favor, but I'm now on a "brights" kick so you can look forward to more of these fun quilts in the future.  By the way, leftover scraps from this made Lucky the frog.  This quilt is 48" x 48" and will be quilted by Merrie Jones in Colorado. 

Right now I will be working on another frog for Rebecca--in Syracuse orange and blue.  I guess I could insert a picture of the quilt that inspired the frog and eventually the name thing for her office.  This quilt was pieced from vintage plaid shirts.  These very shirts will contribute to all the other Syracuse related items she wants.  Apparantly orange and blue aren't as bad a combination as I expected...probably something about being opposites on the color wheel, or some such nonsense.  Anyhow, off to work!!

Frog Patch...

Well, I haven't been lazy today...spent about 5 hours piecing together this frog (because I was using scraps).  It is a Me and My Sister pattern called Frog Patch.  He is about 15 inches long...I think he still needs a nose of some sort (or a tongue with a fly according to some people).  He will eventually sit on my desk as work, or a filing cabinet.  The inmates will touch him and pick him up--I hope he is washable!!  Lucky, as he is called, is filled with something cool called Poly-Pellets (sold at Jo-Anns).  They are hard little oblong balls, the size of drops of water...very cool, in my opinion.  So he is heavy, but flexible...The next one will go easier!

String quilt....

Oh yes, the string quilt it well on its way...ok, sort of on its way. I took the leap and made four halves yesterday. Then I started six more today but got sidetracked....It will take 32 halves. I am following the directions on the Quilt-It blog...super easy and fun to make.

I also need to put in a picture of my son RJ and the dog Buddy, just for fun and because they are so cute! Buddy likes to lay on people and either of the kids seem to make a good pillow :-)

Little Hexie Quilt...

I know it has been a while since I last posted...but I had to wrap up stuff at work, deal with the family reunion, do some extra work stuff. But I haven't been slacking off...look at what I was working on with some extra 2" strips I cut while cutting another quilt...the inmates will appreciate the color and hopefully the geometry! ;-)

Anyhow, it is only 31" by 41"....I just made hexies with as many strips as I had cut--no pre-planning. Now I have to work on my citrus string quilt. I am my own sweatshop....LOL! I need some backing fabric so it looks like a trip to Quiltique is in order for tomorrow!

Asian fortune cookie gifts...

So the theme this May at R.J.'s school was "Stonecutter"...an Asian-inspired play. So as a thank you to his music teacher, and his regular teacher, we made little take-out end-of-year gifts. Let me show you the outside AND the inside...

Yes, that is a little fabric fortune cookie with personal fortunes written by R.J. Sitting on top of fragrant Jasmine Rice. With a cute little gift card...and a pair of coordinating chopsticks. Yes, we did like this idea...hopefully we can bring it back to life next year (or when he goes to middle school). Anyhow, that is the best I've got...and a picture of the dog. Dog's feet...Yes, I will soon run out of pictures of the dog...but he is very cute!

Citrus inspired quilt....

Well, it was the beginning of May, near Cinco de Mayo, and we made cheesy flower pot pen gifts for the kids' teachers. They were very festive. So then I decided that the inmates at my work would really appreciate a citrus colored quilt. So I got to business buying fabric and cutting strips...yeah!

So look at what I cut up...It will hopefully be a very cute spider web quilt by the end of June. Don't be jealous haters....Anyhow, it is from a tutorial on Quiltville.com. We'll see how it goes....

I should follow with a requisite picture of the dog, Buddy. Enjoy! If you could read his mind, though, he would be saying "Put the iron away, woman, and come cuddle on the couch!!"...