Wednesday, February 16, 2011

A little introduction...

I'm so excited to join with all you talented quilters! I truly believe that I'll get some of my many UFOs completed this year, since looking at all the ones being completed by this group-I am inspired and motivated!

I started my blog, when our older daughter won a blog design drawing and gifted it to me so that I could have a blog to share the art that I do.  Blogging opened another avenue for me to meet so many talented folk! And to think I didnt even know what a blog was, until our daughter had shown us hers in the Spring of 2009!

Here is one of my UFOs - cut and handpieced for the hexagon quilts that I had started. (Oh! Wish I knew about paper piecing before cutting each individual hexie!)   One for each of our daughters, but now I've told them when I do get them done, perhaps it will be for one for each of their babies ;o)

I posted about these on my blog post: "Stitches...at a standstill".
(If you do get a chance to look at any past posts, 
please leave a comment there, 
so that I know you were by.
...thank you so much :o)


I've always loved quilts and am blessed to have some made from family, especially thankful that my mom had made all her children and her grandchildren a quilt before she passed away.  This post:  "Quintessential quilts and quilting quandry" on my blog, shows more of the quilts that I have.

(This is one of my mom's cross stitched quilts she completed). 

I learned to sew from my mom, but it wasnt until a dear friend (also a military spouse) showed me the basics of quilting that I first began quilting.  The military moved our families to different installations, and I tucked away my projects.

Until a couple of years ago...when another military wife and dear friend expressed an interest in quilting, and I pulled out my UFOs and shared with her what little I knew.  She has completed several quilts already!  Since then, I've decided to keep my hand piecing and hand quilted ones readily available.  I am working on this cathedral quilt.


If you would like to see more about my cathedral quilt, here is my post "Q is for Quilt" that I talked about it.

I'm a novice quilter, so would also like to ask all of you to please give me your opinion on the type of sewing machine you use. ...is it user friendly, etc? I gave our older daughter my old Singer, and am still on the look out for a machine that I can do free motion quilting, embroidering monograms (maybe), ease with use. I've asked this from other quilters before, so I am taking everyone's input in deciding which machine I hope to purchase.

Since I started quilting, I've actually only completed one wall hanging and 6 little mini Hawaiian style quilts for a quilt exchange. ...but hopefully before the year is up...I can say that I have more quilts finished!

Blessings & Aloha!
Maria B @Personalized Sketches and Sentiments

10 comments:

sunny said...

Welcome Maria! Your Cathedral windows are beautiful. I hope we'll be seeing a lot of your work this year.

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

Aw! Thank you so much Sunny! I am determined to complete some of my UFOS, especially with the inspiration and motivation I get looking at everyone's successful quilting completions here!
*sigh* I do love my patients I see as a hygienist, but it would be awesome to quilt, sew, craft, draw, travel, etc... with unlimited time :o)

Blessings & Aloha!

Dawn said...

Hi Maria and Wow, the windows looks fab... happy UFO-ing
Hugs Dawn x x

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

First of all...Dawn, Thank you for your kind words and thank you sooo much for bearing with all my questions! And secondly, I realize that as I look at some past posts, that no one had commented back directly to comments left on a post...oops! This will be my last comment back to a comment left :o) I appreciate your comments and will go directly to your blog and leave a comment back to you there.

Blessings & Aloha!

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

I use a Janome Memory Craft 4800, and I'm starting to use my 1896 Singer 15 treadle. I've made place mats and table runners on it, and I'm in a block exchange to make disappearing 4 patch blocks using my treadle machine, too. How do you 'sign up' for this blog? I could use some encouragement on finishing my quilts. I'm a hand quilter, so, I'm really slow and haven't finished anything since last spring (2 quilts).

Chris H said...

Very pretty quilts there... I just LOVE the one your Mum cross stitched!
I have a Husqvarna 870 Quilt...it WAS the machine from hell and gave me no end of problems for the first year, but it's great now.

The Cutest Blog on the Block said...

Hello! What a great blog you have!! Thanks so much for stopping by our blog:) We are your newest follower!!
Becky-TCBOTB

Sue said...

Hi Maria! I am going to go to your blog too as it sounds very interesting. I love your Hexies and your Cathedral Windows! I have a Bernina 440. I too asked lots of quilters for their advice. I will tell you more on your blog. Hugs n Blessings from Sue x

Sue said...

Welcome, Maria. Love the quilts.

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

I wasnt going to comment here again, but instead go to those that left comments here...but... here I am one last time :o)

Cheryl, Chris, Becky, Sue, Sue and Kasthurirajam...Thank you for your lovely comments.

Blessings & Aloha!