carolscrapquilter's blog

My First Art Quilt

2010-06-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

My first art quilt is called "Plum Tree." The technique I used is twisted branches. FUN FUN FUN!!!!!

Finished a Project!

2010-06-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

This is Eli's maze quilt that I just finished machine quilting. Eli will help the monkey (lower right corner) find his bananas (upper left corner). There are two routes.

The Runaway

2010-06-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight's blog has nothing to do with quilting (my favorite pasttime, in case you're unaware)...I just wanted to share a poem I've written. I get it out every Fathers' Day and reread it, although I can quote it from memory. It's a tribute to my dad, George David Roberts (1934-1961).

The Runaway

She ran away to Heaven,
A suitcase in her hand.
The climb was long and arduous,
But she had to understand.
Why did Daddy go to Heaven
Leaving her behind?
She climbed the golden staircase
This question on her mind.
Her chubby legs kept climbing;
She felt so young and small.
She was so determined,
She wouldn't rest at all.
The stairs were getting steeper,
An answer lay ahead.
Her daddy would be waiting,
That is what he'd said.
That he would see her someday--
She couldn't wait that long!
Then she reached for him to hold her
To make her brave and strong.
"Why do you live with Jesus?
I'm just a child, you see--
I need you more than Jesus does,"
Was her tearful plea.
With loving arms around her
In a voice kind and true
He said, "My place is here with Jesus,
But you have things to do.
Go back home to Mama now,
And to your sister too.
Always be a good girl
In everything you do.
We'll see each other someday
When God decides the time is right.
Remember that I love you,
And say your prayers at night."
"I love you, Daddy; I'll be so good.
Tell Jesus that I love him too.
And when he says it's time for me
I'll come and live with you."

Many years have passed since then,
Since I ran away;
And I still miss my daddy
More than words can say.

Carol Roberts Doyle

Sewing Room

2010-06-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

2010-06-02T22:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I updated my blog. I've been busy piecing a nine-patch quilt made of
1 1/2 in. squares. Well, I've got to use up lots and lots of little scraps. I am Carol Scrapquilter after all, and I have to live up to my name!

I did finish a project! Yay for me! The red and white square-in-a-square quilt has been machine quilted and already given away as a gift to my son and his new wife! I hope they snuggle under this quilt for many, many years!

I'm lucky to have fabric donors in my life! Thanks SO MUCH to my friend Mona, who thinks of me when she cleans out her fabric stash! And my son-in-law's grandmother, MawMaw Hicks, who knows I hate to see the tiniest piece of fabric wasted...she sends me ziplock bags packed with tiny scraps. I'm putting them to good use, MawMaw!

I cleaned and organized by sewing room. I took "before" pictures but forgot to take "after" pictures. By the time I thought about it, my sewing room was a disorganized mess again! I guess I will just have to get used to working surrounded by untidy piles of fabric and miscellaneous items scattered about. At least I'm working! Wait...making quilts isn't work...it's pure pleasure!

Greatgrandma's Double Wedding Ring Quilt

2009-07-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down to read my quilt's story!

Photos of Some UFO's

2009-07-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

This is a Lattice Quilt...one of my favorites. Wait until I finish the piano key border with scallops!

This is a close-up of "Turning Twenty." I love florals and enjoyed dipping into my stash for this quilt. It just needs to be quilted.

TOO MANY UFO'S

2009-07-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

I tend to work on several quilts at a time! Here are some projects I am working on:

Lattice quilt (working on piano key border with scallops)
Scrappy Trips Around the World (having lots of fun on this one)
Log Cabin with applique flowers (blocks are pieced but applique has not been started)
Red and White Checkerboard Log Cabin (just needs to be quilted)
Block of the Month using Thangles (one more block to finish, assemble rows, add borders, and handquilt for a special baby girl)
Patience Quilters Block of the Month Folkart Applique Quilt (just started)
Scrappy Stars (two rows of blocks with pieced sashing have been completed)
Beth's Photo Memory Quilt (quite an undertaking this one)
Americana Quilt (almost done handquilting this one!) FINISHED!!!!!
Monkey Maze Kid's Quilt (needs to be machine quilted)
Red and White Square in a Square (needs to be quilted--would LOVE to get someone to quilt this in n overall floral pattern on a longarm machine) FINISHED!!!!!!
Michael's 25-Patch Batik Quilt (hope to finish this one for his birthday or Christmas)
Lindsay's Asian Square in a Square (hope to finish this one for her birthday or Christmas)
Eli's John Deere Quilt (PawPaw chose fabric and has been bugging me to get going on this for months)
Baby Lattice Quilt in 1930's Reproduction Fabrics pieced in diagonal setting (almost done piecing)
"I Spy" Quilt
Plus more....

Eli's Zoo Quilt

2009-04-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

One of My UFO's

2009-04-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

I started this BEFORE Eli was born and still haven't finished. I want to embroider his birthday, weight and height at birth, and place where he was born in the open space under "ELI" with my embroidery machine. I just haven't quite figured out how to use it!

Eli and His Sock Monkey

2009-04-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

How I Met the Patience Quilters

2009-04-16T13:51:00.001-07:00

I have been interested in quilting well, forever. One day I saw a notice in the paper that the Patience Quilt Guild met the second Tuesday of each month at the Methodist Church. I decided then and there that I would attend a meeting. Since it was 45 miles from my home, my overprotective husband insisted on driving me there (more about him in a later post). He said he would go to Lowe's (typical man) while I was at the meeting. As he dropped me off at the entrance, he asked, "Are you SURE you want to do this?" (like I was having liposuction, breast reduction, or some other elective surgery with the likelihood of serious side effects!) I said I would be OK...what could possibly happen to me with a bunch of ladies at the Methodist Church????? I'll tell you what happened...I have made new friends, improved my quilting skills, became involved in community service projects, and learned how to play "strip poker."

Strip Poker

2009-04-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we played "Strip Poker" at our last quilt guild sleepover, and I won! Talk about beginner's luck!!!! I came home with a mountain of 2 1/2 in. x 44/45 in. strips. I used many of the strips in a donation quilt which turned out so cute... I just sewed the strips together in rows and even made the borders with more strips. My friend Jackie quilted it on her long-arm machine. It was given to a homeless child...I hope she loves it and keeps it always.

I Love the Patience Quilters

2009-04-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm so lucky to be a member of the Patience Quilt Guild...this is a great group of quilters, and I've learned so much from them. Not only have I improved my quilting skills, but I'm involved in a variety of community service projects. We make quilts for hospitalized children, homeless and displaced children, and patients in the Veterans Hospital. We also make a raffle quilt each year, donating the funds to worthy causes such as the March of Dimes and the Cancer Society, among others. We donate food and toiletries to local shelters, and school supplies to needy children. We have sleepovers (FUN FUN FUN), sit-and-sews, and classes taught by certified teachers where we learn new techniques. Something was definitely missing in my life until I met the Patience Quilters!!!!

Eli's Halloween Quilt

2009-04-14T23:48:00.000-07:00

I had FUN FUN FUN making this for little Eli's first Halloween! You can't see it in the photo, but I machine-quilted it in a huge spider web pattern. My goal was to make him a quilt for every holiday. That didn't work out, but my daughter said he couldn't possibly use that many quilts anyway! Which makes perfect sense now that I think about it!

Eli's Sock Monkey Quilt

2009-04-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

I made this quilt using the "square in a square" method (which looks a lot easier than it really is.) I don't think I want to make another quilt using this method (not my thing) but I just LOVE the monkeys! So does Eli!

Eli's Maze Quilt

2009-04-14T22:48:00.000-07:00

This is my grandson's "maze" quilt. Can you find 2 different ways the monkeys in one corner can find the bananas in the opposite corner? This was intended to be one of the 5 donation quilts I promised to make for my guild's community service projects. One day as I was showing my daughter Lindsay the quilt, Eli threw himself on it, spread out his arms, and looked at me as if to say "THIS IS MY QUILT." Pretty good communication skills for a 15 month old with a pacifier in his mouth! When I showed the quilt at my monthly guild meeting, apologizing for not donating this particular one, my fellow quilters understood but made me promise to make another just like it!

Abbey's Quilt

2009-04-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a quilt I recently made for my son's girlfriend Abbey. I enjoyed piecing and quilting this for the girl who has made Mike so happy!

Greatgrandma's Quilt Personified

2009-02-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm made of feedsacks
And I'm tattered, old, and torn
You treasure me---you love me
You wrap yourself up in me,
And I surround you with my warmth.
I am your greatgrandma's arms and welcoming smile
I envelope you in my hug
I love you too.

Some Finished Projects

2009-01-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

This quilt was made for my niece's daughter Lilly. I made this from start to finish during Hurricane Gustave, thanks to my husband who hooked my sewing machine and iron up to a generator! We didn't have electric power for five days, but I got to sew!

This one was made for my grandson's little friend Alexis. It was my first "crumb" quilt.

I made this "tipsy squares" quilt for my cousin Eileen's daughter, Aubin. It was fun and easy to make, and I loved working with the bright colors.

I had a blast making this pinwheel quilt for my cousin Rebecca's baby boy. I put it together quickly using leftover triangles from a sailboat quilt I had made for my cousin Emily's baby, Sam.

This "jigsaw puzzle" quilt was made for my cousin Emily's daughter, Grace. It was as challenging as a real jigsaw puzzle!

I guess you have figured out by now that I am my family's designated baby quilt maker!

The True Confessions of Carolscrapquilter

2009-01-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

1. I buy too much fabric.

2. Call me old-fashioned, but I love florals, especially tiny rosebud prints in muted shades of pink, green, and off-white.

3. I have a vast collection of quilt magazines, and I can't bear to part with even one of them.

4. I spend more time dreaming about making quilts than actually making them.

5. I have too many unfinished projects. I intend to do an inventory and post my list of unfinished quilts soon.

6. I just gave away three unfinished quilt tops to reduce my list of unfinished projects.

7. Every time I actually finish a project, I start two or three more.

8. It took me over 26 years to finish a quilt for my daughter. I will never ever attempt another Grandmother's Flower Garden!

9. I prefer to make small quilts...bed-size quilts are overwhelming and rarely get finished.

10. My fabric and notions are not well organized. I tend to throw things everywhere, but I'm trying to reform.

11. When I'm not making a quilt, I'm thinking about making a quilt.

12. I'm obsessed with buying remnants and scrap bags, and believe it or not, when I get home I wash, dry, and iron every single little scrap of fabric. That's why I call myself "carolscrapquilter."

Witty Quilt Sayings...Well, I Think So!

2009-01-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

When I come across witty quilt-related sayings, I usually jot them down on little scraps of paper. The New Year seems an appropriate time to gather my collection in one place. Here's a few I've managed to find stashed in various places in my sewing room...

"Life is a stitch."

"Any day spent quilting is a good day."

"To quilt is human...to finish divine."

"Give a quilter an inch...she'll think she's a ruler."

"May your bobbin always be full."

Quilters aren't greedy...they're just materialistic!"

364 More Days to Go

2009-01-01T15:40:00.001-08:00

Well, I made it through January 1, 2009, without purchasing any new fabric, not even a fat eighth! I could scarcely bear to look as we drove by Hancock Fabric with its large, bold yellow banner flapping in the breeze announcing in large, bold black letters, "Half-Price Sale!" I almost said to my husband, "Let's make a fabric stop. Hancock's is having its year-end clearance sale!" But, then (almost too late) I remembered my resolution. I can't mess up on January 1! I've been down that self-defeating road too many times when my resolution was to lose weight! So far, so good, carolscrapquilter!

A New Year Dawns--Do I Have Enough Fabric???

2008-12-31T13:32:00.000-08:00

It's the last day of 2008, and my New Year's resolution not to buy any new fabric takes effect tomorrow. Should I make a last minute dash to the nearest fabric store and stock up? Would that be cheating? Please advise!

Greatgrandma's Double Wedding Ring Quilt

2008-12-30T23:12:00.000-08:00

One of my most precious possessions is a Double Wedding Ring quilt made by Greatgrandma Rollins. She made it for my mother, who treasured it. Mama kept her quilt in a plastic bag on the top shelf of a closet, taking it out occasionally to look at it, to touch the tiny perfect stitches, to admire the bright colors and patterns of the small pieces of feedsack scraps. It was a treat for me to get a closeup look. I loved the combination of the yellow background and lavender backing, and thought that the scalloped border was beautiful. This quilt was a masterpiece, created with love by a skilled seamstress. Even I knew that, as young as I was. I often asked Mama if she would take the quilt out so I could get another look. One day I boldly asked if I could have the quilt for my own. Mama thought about it, and agreed to my request, but said I would have to wait until I grew up and was responsible enough to take care of something so valuable. From then on, I considered it my quilt too, and I couldn't wait to grow up.

Several years later we were moving from Florida back home to Louisiana. My mother, sister, and I went on ahead with the basic necessities. My stepfather was to stay and pack up the rest of our belongings then join us at our home in Louisiana. Imagine our shock and horror when he drove up a couple of days later with our treasured keepsake tied over the top of a load of furniture in the back of his pickup truck! Our beautiful Double Wedding Ring quilt with its delicately scalloped border had been used as a tarpaulin, exposed to the elements across the entire southern United States, and was now sodden, windblown, and filthy. To say that Mama and I were as furious as the thunderstorm our poor bedraggled quilt had been subjected to would be an understatement.

I became the sole owner of the quilt sooner than I had expected. Though tattered and frayed, there has never been a quilt more loved and treasured, more looked at and touched and used, than Greatgrandma's Double Wedding Ring quilt, which was never meant to be stored in a plastic bag on the top shelf of a closet, taken out only occasionally to be admired, anyway.

My New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

I've been giving a lot of thought to this for the past few weeks, and this is what I've decided...my New Year's resolutions are as follows, along with a couple of loopholes in case I get desperate:

Resolution #1: I will not buy any new fabric in 2009. I will use what I have already amassed to create as many beautiful quilts as possible. However, I will allow myself the option to barter, beg, or even steal fabric if necessary. It will be okay to accept fat quarters if I am a winner in my quilt guild's monthly fat quarter lotto. My friends and family may buy fabric (please make sure it's 100% cotton) and give to me as a birthday gift. By the time my birthday rolls around in May, I will probably be experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms or in jail for attempting to shoplift bolts of fabric at Hancock's.

Resolution #2: I will not buy any new quilt magazines. I have enough of these to last a lifetime---so why do I keep buying more???? If I'm feeling desperate, I'll just read the new issues right there in the store, replacing them on the rack after I have perused them from cover to cover.

Resolution #3: I would like to make at least four donation quilts in 2009 for homeless children. With all the scraps I've got stashed away in baskets, bins, and Rubbermaid boxes, there's no reason why I shouldn't combine my fabric with my time and talent to provide warmth and comfort to a child who really needs it.

I'll keep you posted on how well I stick to my resolutions. Please send me an encouraging comment now and then. Thanks for taking the time to read. And if you're not already a quilter, you should get started immediately.