Hills & Hollows Quilting

My Christmas Sewing.

2010-12-23T22:45:00.001-08:00

Back in the Saddle Again!

2010-11-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

Well, I am at it again. I was up on Thursday morning putting the Turkey in the oven.

After I put the bird in the oven, I decided that I needed something to go on the table. I went through all my table clothes and I didn't like them for dinner. So my bright idea was to make a table runner upon which to set all the food that afternoon. My abilities with the sewing machine are such an extraordinary accomplishment, that I knew it would be no problem. (LOL)

My co-worker/friend Lynada gave me some six inch squares in coordinating colors. When I looked at them closer, they looked like holiday prints. So here is what I did with them.

Laying out the pattern took longer than sewing them together. After they were together, I put a backing on it, no batting, it is a table runner, not a quilt. I left about an inch and a half on each side and folded it over twice to create my hem. Here is my finished table runner with backing on my coffee table with flowers.

Kindly disregard the pile of laundry that my teen daughter didn't put away!!! But then, when do they ever.

Just a note about the double wedding ring. I am still working on it. I am taking photos as I go to show you how i do it. Just a little pic to remind you of it.

So, Happy Quilting!

Double Wedding Ring

2010-04-28T07:14:00.001-07:00

So, I went to work yesterday afternoon on a new quilt. I have always wanted a double wedding ring quilt. But they are so, so, so expensive. I decided to make me one.
I must admit that I have been intimidated by this quilt. As a quilter, I would rate myself a novice, a beginner. Even though my total number of quilts is now at 16, I think, I still consider myself a novice. I am getting better and I like to challenge myself at times to see if I can do it. I started blocks for about 3 different quilts, but they were a bit tough. I mean I had to use math to figure out the sizes and the dimensions of the pieces and it just about fried my brain. I need a program to do all that for me. Any suggestions?

So, the Double Wedding Ring. Such a traditional wedding gift (that I never got). And I WANT ONE!! We buried my sister with the one my gram'ma made. Someone is going to wonder about that some day, but we didn't want her to get cold. So we put a quilt on her. Besides, it was hers. And I want one of my own. Did I say that already? Well, I do.

Now the thing about this quilt is it has an arc. Or rather a curve. When you line up the fabirc, it don't match. How the crap do you sew it if the ends are down in the middle of the arch??? I worried and worried over this. I don't think I can do it. It just doesn't seem to work. But you know what? It worked. I simply made it work. I lined up one end and just wiggled it around until it worked. So this is what I have so far. A football with a spine. I am not joking it really does look like that, but not for long. I am going to make a Double wedding Ring Quilt!!! I am so excited about this one.

Basket Bingo Anyone?!

2010-01-22T05:26:00.000-08:00

So, I was being stalked. She called my house. She e-mailed me. Finally we connected. And she wanted me to make her a quilt. REALLY! She did. And I as so flattered. When do you need it by?....FRIDAY! This was the Sunday before the Friday she needed it. HOLY COW.

But I did it. I made her a quilt top and tacked it to a piece of bleached muslin and hand stitched the hem. What do you think?

Yes, it is a baby quilt. And considering I only spent about 17 hours on the whole thing, including the hem, I think it is pretty good.

It is crib sized and done in a simple 9 patch or patchwork pattern. My son said it looked like a checkerboard. Well, it does. How observant you are, Son. Speaking of my son. This is him beside the new baby quilt. He is ten and is around 4 ft. tall. So I am thinking that this quilt will fit inside a baby crib quite nicely.

Have you started any new projects lately? What is favorite pattern? I think I have asked you this before, but I would love to hear you ideas and I would love to know what you are working on. I might want to try it. Until next time.......KEEP SEWING!

Discovered some other crazy folks today.......

2009-11-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

I thought that I was crazy. My family certainly thinks so. I love to quilt.

(As a matter of fact, I just finished my second Rail Fence Quilt. I will have pictures sometime this week.) But I thought I was a rarity, an oddball. She likes to quilt. How strange!

This is pic of my first rail fence. My second is brown, orange and brick red. Just wait until you see it.

Anyway, I am looking through some old posts from my sisters site and found this site

http://thelastpiece.com/. You should really check it out. I am a little leery of her fabics and I guess I am more of a traditional quilter. As far as patterns and fabrics go. But she had alot of interesting things on there. I will definately go back and check her out.

I also discovered that I am not the only one. There are so many blogs on quilting that I knew nothing about. I thought I was doing something original and turns out, it's not. It was to me so I suppose that is all that matters.

So, readers, I hope there are readers, tell me what your favorite quilt pattern is. Which one do you dream of having? See, I happen to long for a double wedding ring, but I am not going to be the one to do it. I want someone to make it for me and give it to me. I am cheap that way. Till next time.

Keep sewing.

Tis so much better to give.....

2009-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

So, I got her quilt finished. I absolutely love it. I almost didn't give it to her. And it is going to be so warm this winter. I used a duvet cover that a friend from work gave me and there was enough left over to use as the backing also. It is so pretty. But hey, that is my personal opinion. I might be just a tad prejudiced....I did make it. So tell me what you think of my quilt.

This pattern is called the Jacob's ladder. I used a very light mint green to accent the mint green and pink floral. Then keeping with the pink, I used a solid raspberry and found a contrasting yelling that had the same raspberry in it. I think it looks wonderful together and wait until you see it in person. (If Barb will let you in her bedroom!)

She told me that she was going to leave it hanging on her cube wall until time to go home so that everyone could see it.

I wonder.......Does that mean she likes it? I will take that to mean that she does. Also want to give a shout out to http://www.quilterscache.com/ where the pattern came from. The lady that does that website has to most wonderful ideas for layouts and patterns. I simply love her.

My Creation from Inspiration

2009-06-12T05:06:00.000-07:00

Now, what did I tell you? What do you think? See, patience has lots of rewards! This quilt was called "Friendship Garden". In the magazine, it has signatures on the fence posts and rails.

My problems now is.....I don't want to give it away! But that is my problem. I will give it to the person that I made it for and hopefully they will keep it forever and think about "aunt" cheryl whenever they look at it. Maybe it will become an heirloom and they will pass it to their children's children. sigh!

Well, I can dream, can't I?!

Quilt of Dreams

2009-06-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

So, Here is what I have learned from quilting, "Patience, grasshopper, patience!" and "If you can dream it, you can do it." I am finished trying to figure things out. Because I did it. Not just on one quilt, I did it with two of them!

Now back to reality! I figured out the patterns. The first pic is of the baby quilt that I have worked on all week. This quilt has picket fences bordering the center and I figured out how to make them picket posts instead of blunt cut posts. I tried it and I did it!

There are just alot of little blocks to deal with, but the result is worth it. This is a drawing of the baby quilt that I did in Microsoft Publisher. The actual quilt has five picket fence posts instead of three, this is just a representation. And again, I want to thank Quilters World magazine. They always have such pretty quilts. When i get is completely finished, I will post a pic of the actual quilt that I am making.

So this one is called the bride's bouquet. My eldest daughter picked this pattern out of my quilting book. She loves it. She wants to make it with me. I think she picked out the hardest pattern in the book. UGH! How do you make this? Don't know? Neither do I, but this is how I am going to attempt it.

First, I divided the whole pattern in to six inch squares.

Second, I divided those six inch squares into 3 inch squares. Except for the stem of the bouquet, that I left 6 inches.

Third, I divided the squares in the bouquet into triangles. The original pattern from the book had diamonds, but man, my brain is still trying to wrap around those. (Remember, I am a beginner. Still trying to perfect my seams and my measurements.)

Fourth, I added in the small blocks in between the points of the bouquet.

Now, the only problem I am having is figuring out the angle on the stem of the bouquet. Any suggestions? Anyone. (Oh no, I hear crickets chirping!)

Well, as I work on it some more, I will let you all know.

2009-06-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

So, I am still working on the rail fence. But in the meantime, my friends daughter is having her first baby, a girl. And I am making her a quilt. Her shower kind of snuck up on me so I have to get this out of the way before I finish my fence. I got this idea from Quilters World magazine. I simply love their quilts. I always copy them. They challenge me and I really like that.

I cut these appliques by hand, no pattern, so the petals of my flowers don't exactly match, but that is the beauty of it being "handmade/homemade". They are never perfect, but there is love in every stitch and imperfection.

These little 6 x 6 flower blocks are going to be alternated with 2 1/2 inch nine patches in green checks/yellow, blue checks/yellow, purple checks/yellow, and yellow checks/yellow. If you look really close you can see the yellow that is in the nine patches on the center of the flower blocks.

A green floral print will border the blocks and then I am attempting to make a picket fence around that in white. The idea is to have everyone who comes to the baby shower to write her a message on the fence posts and rails. She can wrap her little girl in the well wishes of family and friends or she can hang it up in the nursery for a keepsake.

Don't worry, I will post a pic of the finished product. More later!

COMING SOON...How to make a Rail Fence...Quilt!

2009-05-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. It has been a while since I posted. I apologize. Because I know that you are all waiting with bated breath.

I have been working on a rail fence quilt. When that happens everything else gets put aside until I am done with it. I have also been taking pics of each step. To show how it is put together. Don't have them uploaded yet. Still working on it. But it is COMING SOON!

I have a close friend in from Arizona this week and we are working on a NEW quilt together! It is called "Snail's Tail" or is it trail? Hum, not sure on that but the pattern is soo pretty. I worked up a pattern for it. Let me know what you think. Also, if you have any layout suggestions, pass them along. I need a little help with this one.

She is in for her son's graduation. We are both lamenting the fact that we each have one already graduated and now her youngest is graduating. Thank God for me, my next graduation is not my own child, it is my nephew in..OMG...2 years!!! Man, I am getting old. Oh well, I wouldn't do it over again for nothing.

2009-05-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

Modified 9-patch. Earthtones

Table Runner/quilt

choice of color

Sale Price $45.00

Jacob's Ladder Pattern
Queen Size quilt/choice

choice of colors

Sale Price $200.00

9-Patch modified in blue.

colors of choice

size of choice

My Inventory.

2009-05-08T05:11:00.000-07:00

All items are handmade. I peice each one myself. I also quilt each on by hand. Even though the cost seems high, for the time it takes to do each one and make sure it is right. Trust me it is worth it. Plus, you get to keep a tradition alive that your grandmother began.

Rail fence pattern, backed in lite blue material; peiced with dark medium and light blues; featuring blue pansies on a cream background.

Dimensions: twin size quilt.

Hexagons pattern. This is a table covering. Backing: your choice.

Dimensions are 48 in x 48 in.

Purple Ohio Star/Square in a square pattern.

Dimensions: Full size quilt

9-patch pattern.

Scarlett & Gold but can be done in your color choice.

Dimensions: Twin Size quilt.
(This one was made for a dorm bed.)

This is a modified 9-patch. Pink floral.

Dimensions: Baby Quilt

Some of these have been given to family members. However I can make them in your choice of colors and whatever size you desire.