Monday, September 28, 2009

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Pet Quilts

I don’t know when I started doing this, but I make a small sample quilt whenever I get ready to quilt a bed size quilt. I use fabric scraps and put it together randomly just so I have most of the fabrics I have used. I make a quilt sandwich it just like the big one using the same batting and backing. I then use this sample quilt to try out quilting motifs and thread colors. I also use it to check thread tension and quilt on it for a minute or two after I have oiled my machine so I don’t get oil on my large quilt. It is never a masterpiece, just a practice piece. After I have quilted it, I serge the edges. Then it is ready to give to the recipient for their pet. If they don’t have a pet, I give it to my daughter who works at a cat shelter.

Don’t tell the bride, this is a the pet quilt for the quilt I have been working on since last January. The couple married in April. I hope I’ll have it completed by cold weather.

pet quilt

Friday, September 4, 2009

Iraqi Bundles of Love

I found out about this program just as I was going through the last of my mother’s sewing notions. When I added some fabric of my own that was just taking up space on the shelf, I put together two boxes for Iraqi women to use in sewing projects. The people at the Sew, Mama, Sew website put together 161 boxes. I think my mother would be pleased.