Quilt Expo and New Adventures

Hello Friends,

On August 27, we moved my son to Milwaukee.  It was a long day but the start of a new fun adventure for him and for me too.  He is on the 13th floor so we had to take the stairs after moving the carts of stuff in though the elevator.  That's a chore when you have asthma.  But we did it!

He was so tired when we left.  But he seems to get along well with his roommate and is going to classes.  Right now he has a cold.  It has been cooler here and with lack of sleep and not eating good he caught something.  I hope it's just a bug and will be gone soon.

 

The Wisconsin Quilt Expo was this past weekend.  I didn't win any ribbons but I am just honored to have been involved with this.  On Friday, my sister and I went to the expo to see my quilt.

 

Here I am!  It was so cool talking to people about it.  On Saturday I went to pick up the quilt and was able to spend a couple hours there.  I only spent a little money because I already have too much.  When I walked in Nancy Zieman from Sewing with Nancy was at the WPT booth.  I asked her to sign my letter telling me my quilt was accepted.  She did so and we chatted for a bit.  It is always an honor to see her.

I got so many wonderful ideas at the expo.  I even have an idea for a new quilt for next expo.

This week I am working on finishing my Ragged Squares Quilt.  Amanda Jean is the pattern maker.  She has a blog Crazy Mom Quilts.  I found out at the expo that she is the guest speaker for the Mad City Quilt Guild at the end of this month.  So I am trying to finish it and I will see if she can sign the label on it.  I am so excited to meet her.  I read her blog all the time.  Check it out!

Other than that I am trying to finish some other WIPs that have been around too long.  I want to start a Halloween quilt and a Christmas quilt.  Stay tuned for that.

How many quilts do you keep?  Do you have a hard time giving them away?  I do.

 

Blessings,
Amy

Another finish!

Hello again Friends!

I am on a roll!  I am a member of the Madison Modern Quilt Guild.  As such, they like us to wear a name tag.  I have been a member for a year and a half and I have finally finished my name tag.  I used my Liberty of London fabric that I was hoarding.  Since the name of my blog is The Turquoise Button, I of course had to include one on it.

 

I am happy that this is done.  If they call my name for the first door prize tonight at the meeting, I will be able to win the prize. :)

Now to finish some other WIP's.

Stay tuned!

Blessings

Amy

A finish and a start

Hello Friends!!

Summer is winding down and I thought I would share with you a few wonderful things.  Well, I think they are wonderful. :) Let's start with a new start and end with a finish.  Do you remember my Swoon 2013 quilt?

 

I thought I would try to enter it in the Wisconsin Quilt Expo.  I had to send in 2 pictures and $5.  They would notify us by mail by July 31.  Well, July 31 came and went.  On Monday August 3 my son texted me that I had received a letter from the quilt expo and could he open it.  I said sure.  And I waited.  And waited.  I texted him back and asked what it said.  He then called me.  He read the letter starting with the date and my name and address.  UGH!  Just tell me already.  Congratulations he says, my quilt was accepted!  I really was okay if the quilt was not accepted.  It was my first try.  There will be quilts there from all over the country.  I am truly honored that they chose mine to be a part of this.  There is judging and awards for these quilts.  I did send the $5 to get the judges critiques.

I would like to know what they are really looking at when they judge them.  So please wish me luck and if you are in Madison Wisconsin on Sept 10-12, please check out the expo!  This is my new start.  Not sure where it will take me from here but it has motivated me to try new things.

 

So here is my finish!  I have been making this quilt for 3 years.  Not really.  Three years ago I started this quilt.  I had some muslin for the backing and basted it and was ready to start quilting.  I was gifted a very nice and expensive Pfaff sewing machine that was able to do free motion quilting.  I started and thought I was doing pretty well.  Until I really looked at it and noticed the tension was all wrong and loopy.  I ended up ripping out a quarter of the quilt.  I was mad so I put it in a tote and stuck it in the closet.  Two weeks ago I got it out and decided how I was going to quilt it.  I did stitch in the ditch in the bigger squares and x's through the smaller ones.  You can't really see the quilting in the picture but it is done!!!

 

I am sending my son to college Aug 27.  Stay tuned for pictures of that.  If he lets me take some.

Hope you are having a blessed summer!

Amy

 

Summer 2015

Hello Friends!

I can't believe it's been so long since I have posted.  A lot has happened.  I won't bore you with all of it just the exciting things.
My son graduated from high school June 14.  The day before we had a party to celebrate.  I had help with the food and decorations but I did a lot of it myself.  I even snuck in some time to make him a t-shirt quilt.  He had no idea I was making it.  He was in the other room as I did it.

 

Here is the quilt.  It's kind of blurry but the best picture of it so far.

I had so much fun making this quilt.  I just cut and sewed and it all came together.  I didn't measure much.  So for this to work out is amazing.  I tied it with yarn.  That was a first for me.  But I think I would do it like that again.  It was fun and saved a lot of time.  I will try to get better pictures of it soon.  If he ever lets me have it.  The night he received it he cuddled up in it and I haven't seen it since.

Do you remember this quilt?

 

This is my Swoon 2013 quilt.  I have decided to try to enter it in the Wisconsin Quilt Expo.  I won't know if it was accepted until July 31.  I don't care if it wins anything, I just want to get it out there.  I have a bug to make another one.  My sister and her boyfriend are getting engaged soon so now is the time to talk about a wedding quilt.  I am going to take her shopping and have her pick the pattern and fabrics.  Stay tuned for updates on that.

So after his party and the actual graduation ceremony, we had to go to Milwaukee for a two day orientation.  It's been a little crazy with all of the running.  Luckily I was off of work for two weeks.  I am back to work this week and trying to find my routine again.

I have not touched my sewing machine since the first week of June.  Hopefully things are settling down and I can do some sewing soon.

I have many ideas building and just can't wait to get to it!

What are you working on?

Blessings

Amy

 

Sewing Hiatus

Sorry for the delay folks!  I have not been sewing much of anything.  My parents are ill and my sister and I have had to help them.  Not sure when I will be back to sewing like I was but I hope it's soon.  I really am missing it.  I just haven't had time to get everything out and work on a project.  Hopefully by the end of summer things will settle down and I will have time to sew up some new patterns I have wanted to try.

I have been helping my friend Marilyn make items for her store.  Check out Gracie's Nest on Facebook and Etsy.  I made the dog bandanas. :)  And a few other items.  If it has a zipper I probably installed it.  It's a great store with lots of fun items.

I have taken the month off of doing the doll quilt swap on facebook too.  I really thought I would miss it more than I do.  It was just another thing I didn't really have time for.  I have made some lovely quilts but I know I can do better.  I hung my quilts up and here is a picture of them.  I am missing one from the November swap but she is behind.

I love each one so much.  It was a lot of fun but I think I will try to finish the 3 quilt tops I have.  Stay tuned for more pictures of those.

Blessings

Amy

18 years..where did they go?

Yesterday was my son's birthday.  I can not believe he is 18 already.  Those sleepless nights seem like yesterday.  He didn't like to sleep.  He wanted to be up where the action was.  He would cat nap.  I don't think I slept for those first 2-3 years either.  But I wouldn't change a thing.  He has been such a blessing to me and my family.  So in honor of my grown up young man, here are a few pictures of him as a baby.

I am so proud of this boy.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for him and me.

Happy Birthday Samuel Richard!

Blessings

Amy

Little things

Hello friends,

I have been on technology overload for a couple weeks now.  I broke down and got a smart phone.  So I'm trying to learn  how to sync everything.  I'm not doing to well.  You see I have multiple accounts on everything, Facebook, blogger, pinterest. It hasn't been easy to make all of this work.  So before I show you so pictures of what I have been making I want to let toy know I now have instagram and you can follow me @theturquoisebutton. 
I have had a little bit of time to sew.  I lost a lovely fellow sewist and friend last week.  She was 91 and had a great life.  Her daughter is my coworker and she blessed me with her fabric stash.  I can't wait to tear into it.
So when I had time I sewed a little.  A friend asked me to make some coin purses for her kids.  She wanted them for their lunch boxes.  I decided to use oilcloth and I think they turned out pretty good.

 

Then I made a jewelry roll for a coworkers birthday but the picture wasn't that great.  Then my boss found a pattern for those big blue Ikea bags.  Since I had a big piece of the oil cloth left I decided to make one for her to try out for me.  She wanted to pay me but I really want her to be the tester.  Sometimes if you sew too much on oilcloth you can tear it so I want her to try it and let me know how it holds up.

 

 

 

 

Then I thought I would try my hand at paper piecing.  I have done some EPP(English Paper Piecing) and I really like it but I had never done Foundation Paper Piecing before.  My friend Charisma was doing the Wild and Goosey pattern by Bonnie Hunter in the Quiltermaker Magazine.  I decided to get the pattern and print off the papers. Bonnie has the best patterns.  Please check out her website.www.quiltville.blogspot.com. I love it!  I could teach a class on this if asked.  It is so fun and an easy way to get crisp creases.  The pieces are small, I am only using 2 inch squares for most of it.  The 2 big corners are 3 inch squares.  The finished block is only 3 1/2 inches.  I have a lot to make (320) but I am using scraps and just doing a few here and there.

 

 

What are you working on?  Do you ever see something from a blog you follow and decide you would like to try that?  How do you get your ideas?

 

Blessings

Amy 

Off to a good start

I had a day off last week and actually used it to sew.  I am a part of a Doll Quilt Swap on Facebook.  I have been making them each month since it started except for December.  Not much got done in December.
So here is my swap quilt for this month.  My partner likes red and white.  Valentine's day is next month so I thought this was fitting.  She is also a fan of Modern quilting.  I have never made anything 'Modern' so this is a first.

This is also a first with applique too!  The quilting is a zigzag with small and large zigs.  It looks like a heart beat.

I also decided to make a little bag for my partner too.  This is the Drawstring bag by Jeni Baker.

I helped a friend make items for her store she is starting in March.  We made zippered coin purses all day long. :)  It was a fun day.

I need to finish some projects before I start anything new.  Hopefully I will have something to share with you before next month.

Blessings

Amy

New year but some old things...

Hello Friends!

Today I want to post about some things I made last year.  I made a tree skirt for the tree at work.  This was my first commissioned piece.  I also made an apron and pot holders for a coworker and a purse for a work customer.  I am using the money earned to by myself a Kindle.  I ordered it Christmas day and it will be here this month. :)  I could have just bought the Kindle but I really wanted to earn it.  So here are a few pictures of what I did in December.

This tree skirt was made with fabric that had vegetables.  The tree was in the Farm Campus and the ornaments are seed packets and garden related.

Looks like I didn't take a picture of the apron so this is a picture of the purse.  I actually made two but she didn't care for the first one.  We found this fabric and she liked this one.  I have another purse in black and pink to sell. :)

I also made 4 other aprons for my neighbors.  Usually we just swap cookies but this may be our last Christmas here so I wanted to do something special.  They have two younger girls so I thought aprons would be fun.  I just received the cutest thank you cards from them.

Regarding the last Christmas here.  My parents are struggling to stay in their home.  There is a chance that I may buy their house.  It needs a lot of work and I am excited to maybe get the chance to do this.  I will post more about that when I know more.  The quilting and sewing may have to wait while I do this.  But until I know for sure I am going to keep creating!

Happy New Year!

Blessings

Amy