My Hobby --Quilting

I started quilting as an adult. My mother did some sewing while I was growing up. When she did sew she was making clothes for me or things for other people. We never did much sewing together even though I wished we had. My grandmother did a lot of quilting. She made all the quilts at her home. One of my grandmother's most favorite quilts is Sun Bonnet Sue. I didn't know this until a few month's ago when an Aunt was sharing with me some things about my grandmother's quilting which was after I had bought a book on how to make one of these quilts. I have always loved the Sun Bonnet Sue quilts. I plan on making a Sun Bonnet Sue quilt in loving memory of my grandmother whom I must have acquired the love of quilting from. I received some quilt blocks and two quilt tops from my Aunt Carol that my grandmother had made. I have made a quilt with some of the blocks my grandmother made. Once I have finished quilting it I will add it to the quilt gallery below.

I absolutely love quilting. I am always working on one project or another. I have collected some various quilt books. My favorite magazine is Fons & Porter. I have picked up a few Better Homes and Gardens Quilting magazine as well. My first sewing machine was a Kenmore from Sears. It is a great little machine that worked great at the time but since then I have bought a new sewing machine a Viking Designer I with a floppy disk drive. At the time I bought my machine I also bought the embroidery attachment because I love embroidery work but do not have the patience to sit and do it by hand. I love my sewing machine. I also have a Brother Innovis 900D. It is smaller and light weight sewing machine. I love taking it to classes and quilt retreats.

Several people have asked me what thread I like to to use. Joking I tell people it is not me that picks the thread that I use it is my sewing machine that dictates what thread I buy which is Mettler. I also buy Sulky thread. All jokes aside I have tried other threads and they just don't work very well. They bunch up and becomes a big mess either in the machine, on the block or both that I am working on. So I decided that I need to stick with what my machine loves best. I hate frog sewing which is ripping (like a frog sound). If you have several spools of thread and don't have a very convenient place to keep them I have a suggestion for you. I bought a wooden stand that sits on a table that has 10 little poles for lack of a better word that holds a spool of thread each on one row and there are 6 rows. I found that the hole in my bobbin is large enough that it fits on one of the little poles so if I have extra thread on one I can put it on a pole next to the spool of thread so I know it goes with that spool of thread since some of the darker colors are so close to the same it can be hard to tell the difference.

On Saturdays when I have a chance I love watching all the quilting shows on the PBS. They are very interesting to watch as well as informative. So when you have a chance tune in and hopefully they will have something that interests you too.

Awhile back I was on the phone talking with my mother in law Kay and my niece Jennifer about sewing and quilting. Jennifer loves to crochet. Jennifer taught herself when she was a young girl. She does a great job making all kinds of things. The things she makes are absolutely beautiful. Anyway, Jennifer asked if she made me a crocheted blanket would I make her a quilt. I said sure! I am not sure who is the more lucky one. Jennifer wanted a quilt with stars, music preferrably piano and the color purple which is one of my most favorite colors. I told Jennifer I would try my best to accomodate. Well since then I gave her the quilt and she has given me a crocheted blanket. We are both very pleased to have our special blanket. To see the quilt and crocheted blanket please visit my quilt gallery.

I have pictures of the quilts that I have made over time on my quilt gallery. As I finish a quilt I will add it to my quilt gallery so please check back often to see the new additions that have been added. I have found some interesting websites related to sewing or quilting which are listed below.

Here are some neat Quilt websites --

La Connor Quilt & Textile Museum
Museum of the American Quilters Society
Lost Quilt Come Home
Mettler Thread Products
Sewing & Quilt Gallery