Drunkard's Path Turtle Block

I'm making a prayer quilt for a 7 year old that really likes turtles. I searched high and low.. long and hard to find a turtle to either applique or piece. Once I decided on the Drunkard's Path Turtle, I searched my local stores for the plastic templates and came up empty handed. Why do some things seem so hard! (I know sometimes I make it hard!) Time is running short and I needed to get started on this project. I browsed sites to purchase the templates and then remembered I have an old book Quilters For Beginners Patchwork & Applique Projects for All Ages, by Agnes Frank, copyright 1985. It has templates for each of the 20 blocks in the book. This was either before rotary cutters/rulers or before they became popular. I was finally glad to get my hands on a Drunkard's Path template! (I found the book here.)

I was skeptical of using that particular design because of sewing curves and using a template. I probably haven't used a template since I bought this book and made many of the blocks! (The receipt was my bookmark, I bought it February 16, 1989!)  Even though I was feeling unsure (because of the curves and templates) I continued moving forward with it and happy how the first block turned out!

I'm planning to pick the stitches out from around the head and tail and zig zag around it instead.

When searching for templates on the internet, I came across these templates by Marti Michell. I like them the best. I was wondering if anyone has used them? After studying the Drunkard's Path design for the turtle block, it's really amazing how many different designs you can make using those templates.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

Have a blessed day!

Gina

2012 1st Quarter Goals with Finish-A-Long [FAL]

Rhonda, at Quilter in the Gap, has organized a Finish-A-Long [FAL] to get everyone motivated to finish our UFO's or WIP's (whatever your favorite acronym is for unfinished quilting or sewing projects). She has broken it down quarterly and you set your own limit as to how many you think you can complete in the quarter. I'm very excited about the FAL because in 2010 my LQS hosted a UFO Challenge and it was a very satisfying feeling to get my many year old projects completed... finished... done... down to the hanging sleeve and label!

I'm glad I don't have a lot of WIP's but still there are some and I wanted to get on board the Finish-A-Long.  I'm looking forward to that satisfying accomplishment of completing a project! Thanks Rhonda for putting it together and getting all the cool prizes too. Yes! there are prizes too, but the real prize is getting these projects finished!

There's still a little time to join in, if you also want to join!

Here are my projects:

This is a wallhanging, the size is 39 x 39.  It's pinned/sandwiched, however it needs to be taken apart and ironed and restretched, pinned, and quilted.

This is a 'blessings' quilt for a newly married couple at my church.  I'm on the committe that makes prayer quilts and we voted to also make blessings quilts.  The couple enjoy the outdoors and I thought (hope) they would like the deer print fabric. I fussy cut the squares into 6 inches and as you can see, plan to border it with the brown fabric. More brown strips needs to be cut, and the top needs to be sewn together, the backing needs to be pieced, sandwiched and quilted. The size will be approximately a lap size quilt.

Last up is a prayer quilt. The size is approximately 49 x 59. The backing needs to be pieced, it needs to be sandwiched and quilted.

Three months, three quilt projects.. it sounds easy enough, however I'm already a little worried because I'm getting this post and link up in just under the wire! I hope that's not an indication of how my finishes are going to be at the end of the three months!

Happy Sewing and many blessings to you,

Gina

Catching Up!

Hello blogging friends! I have missed y'all! It's been a busy few months, as I'm sure it's been for you too! Work has kept me away. Working long hours on a project, left me too tired to sew or blog. After the project went in, I started on my handmade Christmas gifts. When you work, take care of family matters, don't get to sew until after 9:00 pm, stop around midnight, start over the next day; well, it leaves a person tired!

Enough of all that though, I'm glad to be able to post today and to catch up on what everyone has been doing! I'm excited to show you what I've done!

First, an update on the raffle quilt! I was very excited to learn that it raised $1,093.00 for the family! I'm speachless!

Here we go..... (I apologize that my pictures aren't the best.)









I made two quilts; one prayer quilt (above left) and a cat quilt (above right). The cat quilt was a Christmas gift for my aunt who loves cats! The backing fabric was a cat paw print design!

I made my Razorback/LSU tie quilt in the summer and had it with me during the annual Friday after Thanksgiving game. LSU was ranked 1 and Arkansas 3.  Whoever had the ball, I had their logo on top.


I'm in a divided house between the two teams. I pull for Arkansas when they aren't playing LSU. It's always fun being with my LSU family and my

Razorback family during the game!

The charm tote, pictured on the right, was a Christmas gift for my sister in Texas. The pattern is a Whistlepig Creek Productions design and the fabric is Curio by Basic Grey.




One of my new favorite websites to visit is http://sew4home.com/. They have awesome projects! I found this Slouchy Book Bag pattern that I made for two of my nieces. The green one is for my niece in Baton Rouge, and the brown one for my niece in Texas.  They used corduroy but I used Duck Cloth. It has a cord closure that wraps around a button. It sewed up quickly. They named it 'slouchy' because it doesn't have interfacing or fusible fleece and no sturdy bottom that would give it a more defined shape.

The next bag I made is a Quilts Illustrated Mini Messenger. I actually made one for myself (not pictured). The one on the left was for a niece in Baton Rouge and the one on the right I made for my Mom.  




For my niece in Texas I made this flat iron travel case. It's a design I had in my head from different travel cases that I've seen. As you can see in the picture to the left the case is closed with the flat iron inside and the cord in an outside pocket. Then you pull it apart to open it and it becomes a 'hot pad'; a place to lay your flat iron while it's hot. You could then close it, if you needed to take it with you while it's still warm.

Now, I can't wait to catch up on what you've been doing! I look forward to learning from you this year and getting to know you better! I know you will inspire me, you always do!

Blessings,

Gina