Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing all of you great mothers out there the best and happiest Mother's Day ever!!

Tutorial-How to Make a Memory Shirt Quilt, Part Two- Adding Batting, Backing and Quilting the Blocks

The Assembled Quilt Top Demonstrated by Harriette and Cody

This post is dedicated to the memory of Elestine West, Harriette's precious mother. She will be spending this coming Sunday, Mother's Day,  in heaven. I had the privilege and honor of knowing this beautiful Christian lady. She was a special person and a shining example of what a mother should be. Her health was rapidly failing at the time we began this memory quilt and she passed away in February of this year. 

Part One of the tutorial discussed the process of cutting out and assembling the top of the quilt. In today's post, we will  be putting together the quilt, batting and backing and applying the quilting stitches to the assembled quilt.

Materials Required:

1. Quilt Batting of Your Choice( this should be at least the size of your finished quilt top).
2. Fabric to Use as the Backing for Finished Quilt Top (this should beat least 6 inches longer and 6 inches wider than the dimensions of your finished quilt top to allow you to fold and make the edging around your entire quilt). We used drapery liner which Harriette already had on hand. It worked well because of its width and light, silky texture.
3. Scissors
4. Thread of Your Color Choice(we used an off-white) to match the back of our quilt and that would also be complimentary to all the colors in the blocks on quilt top.
5. Optional: Sewing Machine(unless you will be using hand-stitching to assemble your quilt).
6. Even Feed Foot. This is not necessarily a requirement but is a specialty foot for use when sewing hard-to-feed pile, stretch and bonded fabrics. It also makes top-stitching a lot easier.This is what my Even Feed Foot looks like.
7. Medium Sized Safety Pins(for Use During the Layering and Sewing Process).
8. Straight Pins

Even Feed Foot for Sewing Machine

You will want to begin assembly by choosing a spot, which is as dust-free and clean as possible. For our quilt, we used the floor in Harriette's den. Stop laughing, Harriette,  your house is certainly clean. This space should be large enough for you to be able to lay out, cut to size and assemble all elements(top, batting and backing) of your quilt. This is essential in keeping your work straight and even as you go.

Applying the Batting to Quilt Top:

Roll out or spread the batting material onto your work surface, smoothing it out as much as possible. Lay the quilt top, right side up, onto the batting material, as illustrated in this photo.

Quilt Top Placed Face-up on Top of Batting Material

Place some of your safety pins through the two layers to hold the top in place over the batting. After the pins are in place, trim the excess batting from around all sides of the quilt top, as pictured here.

Trim Excess Batting Around All Edges of the Quilt Top

Lay these top two layers of your quilt aside, being careful that the two remain in place, being held together with the safety pins.

We chose to  cut the backing of our quilt large enough (3 inches on all sides) to fold to the front to make a self-binding, rather than make individual binding strips.

Place the backing fabric onto the work surface, right side down and touching your work surface. Place the quilt top and batting, facing up, on top of the backing fabric. Measure 3 inches out from the edge of the quilt top, on all sides, making a light marking with a pencil, chalk or sewing marker. Mark all the way around on the backing fabric (I could kick myself for not taking a picture of this step). Carefully, cut the backing fabric on the markings you made.

Center the quilt top and batting(quilt top with right side up) onto the backing fabric. Now, remember to center your top so that you will be leaving an excess of 3 inches around the quilt, on all sides. Once the top is centered, you can remove each safety pin and replace it, going through all three layers of the quilt. You have created a sort of "quilt "sandwich."  Add more safety pins, here and there, as needed. You want these layers to stay put as you start to fold over the backing fabric and as you start to sew around to form the "frame" or binding for the quilt.

Making the Quilt Binding:

Starting at one "side " edge of the quilt, fold the backing forward toward the top of the quilt. You will turn up about 1-1/2 inches, then turn up 1-1/2 inches again, so that it will be flat along the top edge of the quilt. Pin in place. You will repeat this procedure on the opposite "side" of the quilt. Repeat the pinning and folding process of the backing fabric on the other two opposite edges (we will call these sides the head and foot edges of the quilt). This forms the binding or frame around the quilt. This is how the edges should look after you fold and pin them to the top of the quilt:

Fold Up Edge of Backing Fabric 1-1/2 inches(twice) To Form the "Frame" Around the Quilt

Note here:  We did not "miter" the corners of our quilt, but just folded opposite ends, so as to form a nice even corner when the binding process was complete. 

Making sure to remove any pins in the path of your needle as you go, begin sewing your binding. Sew very closely to the folded edge.  Begin sewing at the corner of one "side" of the quilt and sew a straight seam to the corner at the other end of that side, back-stitching one or two stitches to hold stitching in place. Now, you will sew the binding on the opposite "side" of the quilt, from one corner to the other. To finish the binding you will now sew a seam across the bottom and top edges or sides. When you sew the "sides" first and then the top and bottom, you should end up with a  nice, uniform look at corners. This was easier for us, but if you are good at making mitered corners, you can make those, instead.

The following picture is one of the bottom or "foot" of the quilt , as we were sewing the last seam to form the binding around the raw edges of the quilt layers.

Sewing the Last Seam to Complete the Quilt's "Frame"

The Quilting Process:

After  binding or framing your quilt as instructed above, remove the safety pins. You will now be using straight pins to hold each  horizontal row of the quilt securely to the batting and backing. Instead of using straight pins and if you have the time, you can hand "tack" the layers together with a needle and thread and remove the tacking when your quilt is finished. In retrospect, if you tack the layers together, you don't suffer from pin-pricks as you might when using straight pins.

Begin sewing your first seam about 1/4 inch from the  edge of the first row of horizontal blocks that make up your quilt top. Begin sewing just below the folded edge of the quilt binding, at the top of the quilt, and continue down the row of blocks, in a straight line, stopping just before reaching the edge of the binding at the bottom end of the quilt. Moving to the next horizontal row at the top of the quilt, start sewing the next line of stitching, taking care not to stitch on top of the binding. Sew a seam along the edge of each horizontal row. If your quilt is large, you will probably have to roll it up under the arm of your sewing machine as you move along your quilt. It took both of us for this step(one to hold the quilt in place and the other to sew the seams). This is a picture of the way it looked as it was rolled and it also shows how the corner of the quilt  folded to make a nice corner:

Quilt Shown as it was Rolled Under the Arm of the Sewing Machine

After completing the sewing or quilting in one direction, turn the quilt around, in the opposite direction)and begin sewing seams along all the rows "across" the quilt top. These pictures show how the quilting should look when you have finished quilting all the blocks:

Sew About 1/4 Inch From Edge of Blocks in Both Directions to Make the Quilted Pattern

The back of  the quilt is sometimes my favorite part. I think the back of the quilt we made looked pretty nice when quilting was complete. The back of your finished quilt will look something like this when it is finished. 

Back Side of Quilt After Quilting Process is Complete

I hope you have been inspired to try your hand at making a shirt quilt. We learned a lot throughout the process and it was so much fun.

A Greater Power

Folks, I have a confession to make. I can honestly say that what I am going to tell you only happens once in a blue moon. I am ashamed to admit it but, when my guard is down, a nasty little demon named "Temper" pays a visit. He arrives, uninvited, presses my "buttons" and tries to see how long he can hang around and how much damage he can do before he is given a swift kick and sent packing. He knows just what sets me off and what can cause me to exhibit some truly bad behavior. He is a really nasty fellow, that one!

Temper had not been around for quite awhile. This past weekend, however, he caught me during a weak moment and seized the opportunity to try and cause some trouble. He almost succeeded and probably would have, had there not been some intervention. I have put a lot of thought into what occurred and I now realize that, had it not been for someone who loves me very much, the situation might not have ended as well as it did.

Here is what happened. Last Saturday, my friend and I were riding on a road on the busy south-side of Aiken, with me behind the wheel.  I will not be naming my dear friend, for a couple of reasons. For one thing, she might be deemed "guilty by association." Another reason is that I do not wish that she should experience any more embarrassment or mortification because of anything I might have done or had thoughts of doing in the situation I am about to relay. The two of us were heading for the nail salon for a relaxing pedicure. What a shame the pedicure didn't happen before the "horn-blowing incident!"  My fuse probably would not have ignited so quickly.

Yes, it was a car horn. That is, a man blowing the horn at me, that set me off. I had pulled up to a busy intersection and stopped at the red light in the left turn lane. I sat there, patiently waiting for the arrow to turn green, so I could go on to our appointment. Meanwhile, a man in a Big Bad Black Pick-Up Truck pulled up behind us. If you haven't guessed, I describe the truck in this manner because maybe the truck is an excuse for his aggressive behavior. Just as I got the green arrow, a man in yet another pick-up pulled into my path from the road that crossed in front of me. He had been waiting to make a left turn, perpendicular to me, and had decided to proceed with his turn, even though his light was now red. To be more specific, he ran a red light in front of my vehicle. That is nothing unusual, people sometimes do it. It is dangerous, but some people don't mind taking chances. The point is, it took that vehicle a second or two to clear my path. Immediately after he cleared my path, I proceeded to make a left turn and the man behind me honked his horn. Surely, he had been waiting to see the green arrow so that he could blow at me, because it had not been green any more than a couple of seconds, just long enough for the other driver to get out of my way. I felt certain he had noticed us, two women, sitting in front of him. Yes, we had been talking as we waited and he probably noticed that as well. I was paying close attention to my driving and had seen the green arrow the moment it came on. Surely, he could not have missed the other fellow going on red and turning in front of me. To me, it was obvious he had planned to blow the moment the light changed. I had all of these thoughts and some more.

I am not someone you would consider to be a "Women's Libber." In fact, some people would think me just the opposite. If there are men readers among you, I hope not to offend, but did you know that some men feel that women are inferior drivers? There are tons of jokes about that subject. Now, I am, in no way, inferring that women drive any better than men but, you may have noted that it was both a man who impatiently honked the horn at me and a man who ran the red light in front of me.  It could have, just as well, been women drivers but, in this instance, it was two men.

Now, this is going to sound like more flap about men drivers. It was also a highly intoxicated man who, many years ago, ran a stop sign at a high rate of speed. The vehicle he was driving struck me, broad-sided, almost killing me. As a result, I was hospitalized for some three weeks. I suffered from crushing injuries to my pelvis on both sides, a broken collar bone, breaks and lacerations on both my hands and bruises and cuts over my body. Thankfully, I lived to tell about it, but I also live with some of the long-term effects of that incident. Perhaps, this is why I strive to be a more careful and defensive driver.

Obviously, the man who blew his horn at me has had no such learning experience. Nevertheless, his rude behavior and attitude should not have affected me the way it did and it usually does not. For some reason, I was offended and angry. I was feeling and wanting to do all the things that I have been quick to point out to my husband NOT to do under similar circumstances.

We both proceeded on with our turn and I got into the right lane. He jumped into the left lane and sped around me. As is usually the case, we came to the next red light at the same time. In other words, being impatient got him nowhere, fast. I was really indignant and I wanted him to look at me, but he would not. This man and the poor woman sitting in the cab of the truck with him were probably about my age. We all should have known better! She showed an obvious embarrassment at his behavior. At the next red light, he would not even pull up beside me, but stayed about half a car length back, so I could not see him. I really wanted the satisfaction of showing him my discontent and was trying to look at him in my side mirror.

Then, I looked over at my sweet friend. She is laughing, but she is also ducking down in the car. I'm not sure if this was out of embarrassment from being seen with a crazed woman or out of fear that there might be a gun in the other vehicle and that someone might decide to use it! These things have been known to happen.

I caught the eye of the woman in my side mirror and, I do not remember raising it, but my hand went up. No, folks, I did not make an obscene gesture. It was at this point, my Lord and Savior took control of the situation. I did not realize it at that moment, but it was Divine Intervention. Smiling, I began to waive at her. At first, she just sat there, in apparent disbelief. Not one to give up easily, I kept on waiving. Would you believe, she broke into a smile and began to waive back? She really did!  Seeing what was happening, the man leaned over  toward the middle of  the seat. I kept smiling and waived at him, too. He smiled, pulled up a little, and began to waive back at me.

I do not know what their thoughts were at that point, but the couple might well have been left wondering whether they actually knew me. Then again, they might have thought I was just a raving lunatic. I would prefer to think that we both received a lesson in patience and humility. Whatever their thoughts and feelings about me, the point is that an explosive situation was diffused. Mind you, not because of my magnetic personality and not because of my amazing forethought and perception, but because of a power much greater my own.

My sweet friend and I later laughed about the incident. She said she has only seen me act that way once before. That was in the office where we both worked when I was taking up for someone.  She did not say so, but I fear she might never go any where with me again. Can you blame her?

I am sharing this incident with you because we all know that there is the presence of temptation in this world. It is all around us, like my temptation to give in to that ugly old demon, Temper. Temptation comes in all forms and can cause us to act in ways not pleasing to God.  I  love my Lord and I know He loves me. He knows all my weaknesses and He watches over me, even when I am too weak, self-righteous and stubborn to take care of myself. He is a Mighty Power!

Who Says Only Little Girls Can Love Dolls?

On my last post, I told you about the stress relief dolls I made for my sister-in-law, Janet, and her sweet friend, Kelli. After  reading on my blog that the dolls were finished and, having had a pretty stressful day at work yesterday, the girls were anxious to come by and pick up their new friends.

They looked somewhat tired, stressed out and a little frazzled, as they walked through my door. I wish I had taken a picture when they walked in, so you could have seen the "before and after."

Janet

Kelli

After sitting around, relaxing, stroking and cuddling their dolls for a few minutes, they were feeling ever so much better. I snapped these images of the lovely ladies, just moments before they left my house, dolls in tow.

Pure Delight

It was love at first sight. Notice the big, bright-eyed smiles. What blissful happiness these little ragamuffin dolls brought! It just goes to show, you don't have to be a little girl to love and appreciate even the most plain, simple and unassuming doll.

Wishing you a safe, happy and blessed weekend!

Tutorial-How To Make a Homespun Stress-Relief Doll

Did you know there are dolls which are claimed to relieve stress? You have probably seen some of them on various sites around the web. These dolls are sometimes called by other choice names but, since I run a clean blog here, and since my children, grand-children and friends sometimes read my blog, I will call this type doll a "stress-relief" doll. In today's post, I will be showing you how to cut out and sew such a doll.

I am a peaceful and peace-loving person and I am not into "voodoo" and do not advise poking a doll with needles or anything of that nature. I am not advocating any type of violence or abuse. The idea is that one is to flail the doll around (if that is what helps them). You know, like having a pillow fight, I guess. All sorts of poems and sayings can be found on the net to go along with this type of doll, if you are intending to make one and give as a gift.

The dolls I made are constructed of very soft flannel and filled with polyester fiber-fill. My grand-daughter says that cuddling these dolls provides a lot of comfort and relieves stress. She wants her own now!

The two dolls shown on this post today were made for my sister-in-law, Janet, and her dear friend and work associate, Kelli. So, if they read my blog, they will know they are all ready to be picked up. Janet and Kelli share an office and their jobs can be very stressful. They had a stress-relief doll in their office before and, between the two of them, they wore it out. The girls had asked me several months ago to make them a new one. I thought each of them should have their own personal doll, so I made two. The dolls are identical, except for their yarn "hair" color. I figure the red-head might have a fiery temper, which has probably gotten it into trouble from time to time. The other has gray hair. I suppose that one has seen a lot of stress. If not, it probably will where it is going. Maybe, we should say it is pre-maturely gray!

This is another truly simple project for that person who might be new to sewing. I genuinely want to encourage my readers to be creative. It is my earnest desire to share my love for sewing and other things with you. As I have told you before, it is one of the main reasons I blog. You all possess talents and gifts. I know you do! Some of you are hiding away your gifts and are, therefore,  stifling your desire to be creative. Maybe, you are tucking these things away, far back in your hearts, perhaps because you fear you will fail if you make an attempt to try something new. By hiding away your creative talents and desires, you may be denying yourselves and others much joy and happiness. When you are happy, you will make others happy too! It's contagious! It is as simple as that. Believe me when I tell you that I have made more mistakes and messes than I can remember. Seriously. Tons of them! I could become discouraged, if I allowed it. The point is, I keep on trying new things, again and again and again. I encourage you to do the same.

  If you do not own a sewing machine, you could sew this little doll by hand, if that is the thing that may beholding you back. Just use somewhat small and fairly straight stitches, so that the filling or stuffing in the doll does not fall out. The dolls here are fashioned in a rustic, home-spun, rag-doll  fashion. The fabric used is tightly-woven, decorative flannel and its seams are sewed on the outside of the fabric, so there is no need to "turn" it right-side-out before stuffing it. There are no eyes or other facial features to draw, sew or glue on and these dolls really do not have a neck either. They really are quite simply "plain." Or would that be plainly "simple?"

Materials and/or Tools Needed

Scissors

A Piece of Fabric or or  Paper (a paper bag will do just fine) at Least 12x17 Inches to Draw Pattern 

One-half Yard of  a Good Quality Decorative Flannel Fabric

Quilting Weight Thread of Chosen Color (You Can Use Regular Thread But Quilting Thread is Stronger for This Project)
Polyester Fiber Fill

Optional: Yarn of Any Type and Color of Your Choice
Sewing Machine or Hand Sewing Needle

Instructions for Cutting a Pattern and Sewing Your Doll

Draw a Pattern:

To get started, you will need to draw the basic shape for your doll onto a piece of paper or waste fabric(muslin, etc.). You will need only this one "pattern" piece. The dolls I made are a finished size of 16 inches tall(top of head to bottom of foot) and 11 inches wide(across the arm-span).

Here's a tip: I used one of my grand-daughter's toys(a sock-type monkey) to draw a very basic pattern shape. This was the easiest and fastest way to do it. I simply laid the toy, back down, on a piece of waste fabric and drew around it and shortened the arms a little bit. The legs should be a little longer in comparison to the arms. Remember, this is a "stress relief" doll  and some people will hold it by the legs. It does not have to be perfect and mine certainly is not, but for the stress-relief doll, especially if you are making it for an adult, you will want to make the dimensions about the same as the one I made (11x16 inches). This is what the pattern piece looks like:

Basic Doll Shape Pattern Which Does Not Even Have A Neck(11x16 inches)

Cut Out Doll and Sew it Together:

I started with pre-washed flannel fabric. Fold(so you can cut both pieces at the same time) or lay out the flannel fabric(right sides out) so that you will be able to cut out 2 identical pieces. Place your pattern piece onto your fabric and cut 2 identical body pieces out of the fabric.With wrong (back) sides of fabric touching or facing each other and right (decorative) sides of fabric facing on the outside, you will now sew the 2 body pieces together on top of the right side of fabric. Using about 1/2 inch seam allowance and starting on the side-top part of head on one side and sewing toward the shoulder, continue sewing all the way around the body until you reach the other side of the head. Leave about 2 to 3 inches open at the top of the doll's head. Remember, your raw edges will remain on the outside of your doll.You will insert the doll's polyester fiber filling through the 2 to 3 inch hole in top of the doll's head. Here is a close-up shot of where to begin sewing at the side of the head.

Here is another shot of the entire body after sewing is complete, except for the top of the doll's head. A contrasting thread was used in hopes that it would show up better on photographs. It still does not show up very well, however.

Now it is time to start stuffing the doll with the polyester fiber-fill. Begin at the bottom of the legs, putting a little filling in at the time. This will be easier if you will use a new or un-sharpened pencil or other long, narrow blunt object to aid in pushing the stuffing. Push the filling down with the "eraser" end of the pencil or blunt end of other object. You will want to put in enough filling to make the doll quite firm, but not completely stiff. Continue filling the doll, including the arms, and all the way to the top of the doll's head. If you want to add yarn " hair," you will want to do so before you sew and close up the top of the head. To do this, you can loop some yarn(as much as you desire) around three fingers of one hand or a small piece of cardboard and carefully remove the yarn, holding the loops together. Loosely stitch the loops together with a needle and thread before inserting into the hole at the top of the doll's head. After inserting the "hair" where you want it to go, either hand-stitch or, as in the case of my doll, machine stitch, the top opening of the head closed. You can either leave the yarn "loops" as is or you can snip each one with scissors, as I did, to give the doll straight hair.

Dolls After Adding Stuffing And Adding Yarn "Hair" & Sewing Up Top Of Head

After completion, I dampened the two dolls and then put them into the clothes dryer to make the raw edges "fray" and give them a little more "home-spun" appeal. These dolls can be washed and dried, as needed, and they will become more rustic looking each time they are washed. I have made quilted baby blankets like this and given as gifts. The edges form a wonderfully frayed look. Maybe I will do a future post on one of those sweet blankets. 

One of these dolls would make a great toy for a toddler to cuddle with and be comforted. A smaller version could be made (probably without the yarn hair) to give to a new-born. There are no small objects to come loose or fall off to become a choking hazard. Remember, it is important to always be safety-conscious when sewing or creating anything for little ones.

Like me, these dolls are NOT perfect. That does not matter. They were not intended to be perfect. 

Now, go ahead. Open up your hearts and give your soul the freedom to be creative and soar. There is no time like the present and now is the perfect time to get started. Be inspired, be happy and give happiness to others, dear friends!

I am linking my creation and tutorial up with the lovely Jessica White's A New Creation Link Party at http://www.ahumblecreation.com/2013/04/a-new-creation-link-party-10.html. Please hop on over there and join us!

Tutorial-How to Make a Memory Shirt Quilt, Part One, the Quilt Top

A while back, I told you a little about a special quilt my best friend, Harriette, and I put together for her husband, Larry. I wish I could take credit for the concept and creation of this wonderful quilt, but, alas, I cannot. Yes, I cut squares of fabric and backing, as instructed, and I even sewed a seam or two. Oh, and it was I who took pictures to document the process. I have seen ads on the internet where you can send in your tee-shirts and have them made into quilts, but this particular quilt was altogether the vision of my awesomely talented friend.

Larry has worked for many years in the area of law-enforcement and security. He spent most of the last years of this career working for a security site, where his job took him to many areas of the United States. He accumulated a large collection of shirts from different sites at which he had worked during  the time he was employed at the site. The shirts had been packed away and were serving no practical purpose. As the couple was cleaning out their attic a few months ago, they found a box of memorabilia and patches from the days when he was a young Boy Scout, etc. The idea began to come together for her. A quilt would be a beautiful and useful way to remember those days and times of boyhood and career.

The entire process took a couple of months of working together, as we could find the time. I don't want to discourage readers by making this post too long, so I will do another post on how to put the quilt top, batting and back together for the finished product. For sure, there are those of you who are experienced quilters and seamstresses, but I am trying to be as detailed as possible for those of you who have not made quilts before.

This post, then, is dedicated to the process of constructing the top of the quilt.

Materials and Tools You Will Need For Making Your Quilt Top

• Scissors
• Quilting Ruler or Other Straight Ruler
• Thread the Color of Your Choice
• Sewing Machine to Sew Straight Stitches
• Shirts with Embroidered Emblems and/or Patches to Sew onto Fabric Squares
• Light Weight Fusible (Iron-on) Backing
• Cardboard or Other Material to Cut a Template for Quilt Blocks(for those of you who quilt a lot, you might already have transparent quilt templates of the size you want for your squares)

Steps for Assembling Quilt

Measure and cut out a template to use for cutting your shirt patches. You will want this template to be the size you desire each finished quilt block to be, plus one inch larger to allow for 1/2 inch seam allowance. In other words, if you want your finished blocks to be 6x6 inches when sewed together, then cut a template 7x7 inches and this will give you 1/2 inch seam allowance, when you start piecing, for each seam of your square.

Making Template for Cutting Shirt Patches

You might want to use the next step to make sure you are going to cut where the emblems will be displayed to best advantage. Cut a piece of waxed paper or other transparent material the same size as the cardboard template. You can see through it for proper placement over the emblems on the shirts, like so:

Transparent Waxed Paper Template

Begin cutting out your shirt emblem squares. At this point, you will be rough-cutting, allowing an inch or so extra over the size of your original template. You will be cutting off any extra fabric later when you use your cardboard template for cutting the squares to size. Note: During this step, you will also want to cut out some extra plain squares from the left-over shirt fabric to use to fill in, as needed, when you lay out and begin to piece your quilt together. Also, if you have loose patches to use, you will need blank squares on which to sew these.

Cut Out Squares and Extra Plain Squares

Time to cut your squares of the  fusible backing. You will need a square of fusible backing for each fabric square to be used in your quilt. Cut these a little larger than your cardboard template. Any excess will be cut off after the backing is fused to the shirt squares. In other words, you will be laying down your template onto each shirt square after the fusible backing has been applied and cutting through both, to make squares the exact size of your template.

Cut Out Squares of Light-weight Fusible Backing

Following the instructions that come with your fusible backing you will now begin to iron the fusible backing to the back(wrong side)of each shirt square.

Iron Fusible Backing to the Back of Each Shirt Square

You will now be using the template you made to mark each square of the shirts with fusible backing having been applied. You can use a disappearing marker, pencil or pen of your choice for this step. 

Use Template to Mark a Square onto Each Square of Shirt and  Fused Backing

Cut around each square of backed shirting on the lines you made with your template. I apologize, but I missed getting a picture of that step.

Harriette wanted to add a block with a special message, using her fabulous embroidery machine.

Message to be Embroidered onto a Square to Personalize the Quilt

Message Being Embroidered

Harriette Designing Message for a Block on Quilt

How the Finished Message Looked

You will now want to lay out your squares onto a surface large enough to accommodate the entire length and width of the quilt top when arranging the pieces. For this purpose, we used a bed. Make sure that all the designs and/or writing is running in the same direction, so that when your quilt is hung or placed on a bed, the designs can easily be seen and read. Arrange the squares into a pattern which is pleasing to look at. Be sure to place the different colors and designs where they look best. The personalized "message" square looked best in the bottom row on a corner, so that is where we placed it. This picture was taken from the bottom of the quilt, looking toward the top as squares were being placed, with quilt being cross-wise on the bed. We changed the arrangement after we took this picture. We had placed several plain squares together at the bottom and it didn't look right. Hopefully, this gives you some idea of what I am trying to convey.

Place Squares on Large Surface Like a Bed or the Floor to See How They Will Look

Beginning with the bottom 2 squares of each vertical row, flip down the second square onto the top of the bottom square(right sides facing) and pin the two together. Open these two squares back up and flip down the 3rd square onto the 2nd square and pin the two together. Flip that one back and you will have 3 pinned together, vertically. Carry on this way until you reach the top of the first vertical row. You will have pinned together one entire vertical row. Use a pencil and write a "1" on the back of the top square of this first row. Now start with the bottom of the next vertical row and pin it together, just as you pinned the first. Now mark that row on the back with the number "2". You see, if you do this with each row as you pin it together you will not have any trouble piecing your quilt in the same manner as you placed the squares.

Pin Each Row Together Vertically

Using one-half inch seam allowances and with right sides together, it is now time to start sewing the rows of vertical squares together where you pinned each.

Sewing Squares Together to Make Vertical Rows

After you complete sewing the squares together to form the vertical rows, press the seams of the squares on vertical row "1" in a downward direction. On row "2", press the seams all going in an upward direction. On row "3", press all seams in a downward position. Follow  through, pressing the seams in each vertical row in the opposite direction as the one before it. You will now pin vertical row "1" to vertical row "2" and sew the rows together.  Make sure the rows of seams are still facing(as when you pressed them) in opposite directions when pinned. Sew vertical row "2" to vertical row "3" and so on and so forth, until all rows are sewed together to form your quilt top. This picture illustrates what two rows will look like when sewed together with seams facing opposite (one seam downward and the next facing upward):

Seams of Each Vertical Row Are Sewed Together with the Next in an Opposite Direction

Once you have all vertical rows sewed together, press the whole top again on the reverse side. Note again in the following picture  how each row has been sewed in an opposite direction to the previous one. The object here is to not have a bunch of bulky fabric at intersections where seams meet and that the quilt top will be lay much smoother and prettier when finished.

See Here How Each Row Faces in the Opposite Row From the Next

Here is a picture of the finished quilt top. Coty thought he needed to be in the picture, too! He is such a cutie and he knows it.

Finished Quilt "Top"

As you can see, this quilt is very big. Your quilt can be smaller or bigger. Or, as the gorgeous Marilyn Monroe might have been saying when this famous picture from the movie Seven Year Itch was taken "Whatever blows your skirt up!"

Marilyn Monroe in Scene from Seven Year Itch

Please,stay tuned for Part Two of  "How To Make a Memory Quilt".

Meanwhile, be blessed!

Making Lasting Memories At Disney's Boardwalk Inn & Villas

Our family went to Walt Disney World this past week. It was spring break here, so our daughters, their families and the in-laws of our youngest daughter joined us on this trip. Things have been really busy since we returned home, so I fell sadly behind with posting. I really missed visiting with all of you and seeing what you were up to and I hope to catch up with you soon!

It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows our family that we love pretty much any and all things Disney. We have been visiting Walt Disney World since our older daughter was barely seven years old. She is now forty-two. Our younger daughter had not yet been born. We would plan and save for our WDW vacations, all year long. We enjoy traveling to other places, but WDW is our all-around favorite vacation destination. Maybe it is because it brings out the child in all of us and takes away some of our worries, even if for only a time, and we all need that.

About five years ago, we decided to join the Disney Vacation Club. It was a good decision for us. You can visit (disneyvacationclub.com), if you want to find out more about it. Disney's Boardwalk Inn & Villas is our "home" resort. I am not being compensated for this post, but I wanted to share with you this charming place called Disney's Boardwalk Inn & Villas.

Disney's Boardwalk Villas, Our Home Resort

The design and concept of Disney's  Boardwalk Inn and & Villas was inspired by the boardwalks of Atlantic City, N.J. and other Atlantic coast resort areas of the day. The resort was built on the south shore of Disney's Crescent Lake and is located somewhat adjacent to Disney Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. These two resorts can be seen in these pictures, which I took while standing on the boardwalk at Boardwalk Inn & Villas.

Our daughter, Stephanie, and her family stayed at the Beach Club Villas with Berry and Kathy, her husbands parents, who are also members of DVC.  The Beach Club is also a beautiful and elegant resort and is within about 5 minutes walk or a relaxing ferry boat ride across from the Boardwalk. Because of the many shops, restaurants, clubs and entertainment (magicians, jugglers, comedians, games, etc.) taking place on the boardwalk, it is a popular place. Many people come over  from other Disney Resorts to enjoy it. Even those who are visiting WDW for the day, or just enjoying a romantic evening out, will come to spend time at the Boardwalk. It is wonderful to walk along or sit at night on the boardwalk and watch all the goings-on and entertainers performing.

View Of The Boardwalk As You Walk Toward Epcot

View Of The Boardwalk Walking From Epcot

More Shops Along The Boardwalk

The Gateway to the World Showcase of Epcot, my husband's and my favorite Disney park, is about  5 minutes walk from Boardwalk Inn & Villas. If you don't care to walk, you can board one of the Friendship Ferry Boats, pictured here. The Swan & Dolphin Resorts are pictured directly behind the boat and the Yacht Club is on the right. The ferry boat can be taken to or from any of these resorts. You can walk or jog (if you like) around from one to the other on a wide, paved pathway and bridge.

Friendship Ferry Boat

The front lobby is a wonderfully fascinating and beautiful place. In it, you will be enchanted by an exquisite miniature hand-crafted carousel, which was purchased by the Walt Disney Company to place on display in the Boardwalk Inn's Lobby. It was built by M.C. Illions sometime during the 1920's. Illions was a designer and manufacturer of  full-sized carousels. This little merry-go-round was built to scale to be used to demonstrate Mr. Illions work to prospects in the market for a merry-go-round. It was restored to its original beauty by Disney Imagineers and a few "hidden Mickeys" were added during the process. It is my understanding that the speed of this miniature is scaled to match that of the King Arthur Carousel  located at Disneyland in California. It is fascinating to watch each uniquely different one of its forty-four hand-carved horses, which seem to virtually float up and down as it turns.

Hand-crafted Carousel Designed By M.C. Illions In 1920's

 Here is what you see if you look upward when you enter through the front entrance of the resort.

Hippocampus Electrolier Chandelier

The animals on this magnificent chandelier are mythological creatures called Hippocampus which were a combination of   sea-horse and fish. In between each Hippocampus and holding the lights is a cherub. It is said to weigh about 3000 pounds and finished in 22-carat gold, Austrian crystals and blown-glass light fixtures. It is a huge fixture. Truly a sight to behold.

This is one of the many magnificent chandeliers hanging in the lobby. I think there are eight or more, but I forgot to count them. You can't tell from this picture, but they are gigantic.

This is a miniature replica of a roller-coaster which was located in Luna Park. It was called the Flip-Flap and was supposedly the first upside down loop roller-coaster in the world. For some reason, I had a difficult time getting a picture of the entire coaster. It is so detailed, right down to the little lights along the track.

This is a picture of, I believe, the actual Flip-Flap roller-coaster taken at Luna Park many years ago. This hangs beside the fireplace in the lobby. I did not do a very good job taking a picture of a picture, as you can see.

These chairs were called "nanny chairs" and were placed on 19th century  European carousels. Their purpose was for seating adults while their children were riding on moving animals. A lot of work obviously went into the carving of these and the colors are lovely. However, I think their faces look pretty scary, don't you?

This is a picture of an elephant which I believe was supposed to have been built for the purpose of promoting the sale of real estate and to attract tourists. The actual structure was said to have been about six stories in height. From what I have read,the actual elephant was called Lucy. There was a wonderful replica of this elephant on the mantel above the fireplace in the lobby, but I cannot seem to locate the picture I shot of it.

Angela On The Spacious And Beautiful Porch At The Back Of The  Lobby And Overlooking The Boardwalk

Our Daughter Angela And Her Husband Jimmy

Glenn And I On The Day We Arrived At Boardwalk Villas

This picture was taken as we sat in one of the "kissing chairs" located on the wonderful covered porch which is on the second floor as you walk out of the lobby. The porch overlooks the boardwalk and the view of Crescent Lake is beautiful from this porch.

Angela & Jimmy With Their Three Children Sitting On The Boardwalk

The boardwalk is very long. It circles around and the Dance Hall can be seen in the background.

The Pool With Kiester Coaster Water Slide At Luna Park

This is one of the resort's pools. It is called Luna Park and features a huge "coaster" slide called the Kiester Coaster. There is a giant clown's head at the bottom and the slide ends as you come out of his mouth.

Leaping Horse Libations-For Poolside Refreshments

The design of Leaping Horse Libations is in the style of a merry-go-round with all the colorful decorations and ornamentation and striped roof. It is one of my favorite things about the pool area because it makes me feel like a child when I look at it.

View Of The Back Disney's Boardwalk Inn, Taken Around The Bend Coming From Disney's Beach Club

 This is a final shot. This gives you an idea of the size of the fabulous boardwalk at Disney's Boardwalk Inn & Villas. I was going to share some of the photographs of the inside of our villa, but I will have to save that for another day.

Some wonderful memories were made last week. Some for Glenn and me and some for our daughters and their families.  Jimmy's illness has changed us and made us all acutely aware of how each moment we share together is precious and is to be deeply cherished, for we are not promised tomorrow.

May you be blessed.