Projects
admin March 13th, 2007
July/August 2008 The Tootsie Pop Mini Quilt Challenge is now in session.
Please comment on this page with your choice for the “best” mini Tootsie Pop Mini Quilt. The rules are posted here.
Here are the entries, be sure to mention your choice by the artist’s name or masterpiece title so they can get their correct votes.
This is by Gus 
This is by Shawn 
This by Jim V. (McTootsie Tartan) 
Jim couldn’t stop at one so here is another one…he tells me he has more coming…I think Jim is retired or a teacher…I can’t remember, but he obviously has too much time on his hands! (Jim has sent me 5 total {4 following}...You have to comment on his as a group if his work is your favorite)
This one is by Richard C. in New York 
Aileen couldn’t stop at one either, so she practically begged me to show both of her creations. I am showing them, but as a pair, the comments have to be directed to the pair of them, so it doesn’t alter the results. I guess….I am not much on “rules” but contests must have them so this is my thinking of Aileen’s set. 
”Hiding the Evidence” by Jeanine 
Lucy Brimer (for her dad!) 
Paul from the North 
Good Ship Tootsiepop by Sandi 
Tanner’s creation
Tanner even gives us a glimpse of how he made this…scannned wrappers onto fabric?
April 29, 2008 The BWB project
Tomorrow Ann back in the Eastern US somewhere is sorting through a BUNCH of similar 9-patch squares and sending me an equal amount back for a BWB swap (black/white/bright). I am very excited to get them back. These are laid out on the studio floor, giving them a unique black/white ”sashing” look….I am thinking about setting them on point though in alternating rows kinda giving them a zig-zag look….I report as the progress goes….
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Sometime in March 2008
The M Sisters take Scott to the Bookstore (or Borders)....this is the title of the latest project it is photographed below into two parts. The part on the right is finished, the part in the left photo is what is left on the design wall…I think they need a few more narrow borders, but haven’t fully decided. This quilt is based on the concepts that Freddy Moran and Gwen Marston have presented in their book Collaborative Quilting. It is VERY busy, and very outside my normal palette, but I have been enjoying it. I think I am going to make another very similar quilt in my first love of the country palette; that one will be called the M Sisters go to the Library.
this is processing still 
this is the finished half….
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Round Robin THE BIG ONE….with 5? guys on Quilt Guy… we started this in October 07…they should be done by october 08…..I must have posted my center somewhere, but at the moment I am too lazy to look for it, so if you really want to find it you can search my blog..it’s probably in there, and if not, then it is lost in byteland somewhere…...here is the first one that I have received with it’s second round already started.
I am scheduled to add a 4” border with circles somehow…I will post it when done….later dudes…...
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Mini Round Robin Fall 2007.
I got together with 2 other guys from the quilting yahoo group for men called QuiltGuy….here are the steps of our project together…
This first one is my center square. I should be getting it back soon.
I have no idea what I will be getting back. I like Round Robin’s for that mystery….funny how I don’t like some mysteries in life and love others.
Here it is back to me now (December 12,2007)
This next one is Dan’s center square surrounded by my second round of flying geese:
This is John’s finished round robin. I did the final border starting with the pale green surrounding the red and tan star…
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This quilt is going to be in Mark Lipinski’s Quilter’s Home Magazine in the January/February 2008 issue….I am so excited to see it in print!
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In May I also sent these five squares to Angelina on www.myspace.com/hokie_hope to make comfort quilts for the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre. Read about Angelina’s project on the above link. Great compassion there…
May 29th, 2007 The Log Cabin Star quilt that I have owed John Doubek of ICM Concrete for nigh on 3 years now is finally approaching completion:
I think because it is a king-size quilt, that the sheer size of it was what floored me…and it must have intimidated me to a degree, but it is almost done (only needs two borders, quilting, and binding)...I will have my good friend Judy Irish quilt it for me. Judy does terrific work..
May 26th, 2007..so I finished this in two days…not much “progress” to show…just a few before photos:
and the finished top:
....well ”finished” isn’t quite there…still needs to be quilted, bound, and embellished…but pretty good…I started this project as sort of a lark, and I think it actually came out pretty….there is some pain in it for me, but hope too…and I think it will remind me of the True Measure of a Man…or at least part of the measurements that make a real man….
April 15, 2007….this is the first square in a challenge quilt that I am starting for a male online quilting group I am in at Yahoo. Some of the men participated in a fabric swap of “manly fabrics—designed by men or subjects of interest to men” I was one of those men who participated and I presented all “swappers” with a quilt challenge entitled “The Measure of a Man” with some “ruler” fabric as a starting point. Two of the fabrics sent featured shirtless,hairless, hard-muscled cowboy hunks, which I thought was interesting. What is a man measured by? I have always had trouble accepting that I wasn’t one of those hard bodied boys growing up and never acheived that in college either. Now I am over 40, and though I am aiming to have better health, I doubt I will ever be the “man” presented in media…and when I was growing up it was manly to have chest hair, I didn’t have it until about 16-17 and by 20 I had a ton….by then the “look” for men was no chest hair and now they even have a whole section of men’s body hair remover at the drugstore ( I should know I currently work at one!!)
So in looking at what a man is measured by, I am taking a couple of concepts into it. I think what I need to concentrate on my own Measuring is INTEGRITY….I really need that and I don’t always feel I have it, but I want it. It will not get me on the cover of People Magazine (note they do not have a Man of the Year Who Has the Most Integrity…it is the “sexiest” Man of the Year ) but INTEGRITY is of more value than looks and charm…..although I do think I possess a certain amount of the charm factor (most of the time).....SO to make a long story short….My challenge quilt is going to spell out the word INTEGRITY in nine 7” blocks…(the 7” block is representative of another common measurement men use among themselves….if you are a man, you will know what I mean…if you are a woman…you can guess, but I am not telling)...I will post my progress on this as I go on this page.
March 2007 …...Currently finishing up this heart quilt…the original was from a magazine a long time ago..(sorry I forget who the original designer was…the heart concept is not my own) but the original was totally different. It had the hearts all in 30’s reproduction fabrics and the background was completely cream (no visible sashing)...Mine is quite bright…this photo is from a couple days ago. The main top is pieced it needs a border now. I originally started this for a “gracie” quilt for my guild…we give these quilts to families in the midst of trauma involving children. Sometime the child has died, or sometimes they are in serious condition at local hospitals. The whole idea is to comfort. So I hope to quilt this on my new quilting set-up (Juki and B-line frame) and that this quilt will give comfort to someone who desparately needs it.
Scott
Our 9 Patch Swap was wonderful! I am still just looking at all of them. I am thinking of doing a disappearing 9 Patch. I want the center to be the 9 patch and as each row is added it starts disappearing, and changing.
Take Care
Sarah
Hey Sarah, Yeah, I am loving my 9-patch black and whites too. Your idea sounds very intriguing. Let me know when you get it done….or in the middle of the process….I haven’t decided on how I will set mine yet….I may wait for Mark’s califon to come out…..or I may set them on point with a red blender zig-zagging between them!!
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I like the one by Gus
Thanks for the comment Mike….please come back again and comment between the 8-16 and 9-1…so everyone is on the same playing level (I had to slightly modify the “rules” please see the post on 7/30/08)
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I want to cast my vote for Shawn’s Tootsie Cup O’ Java…I think it’s just awesome!
Hi Brenda,
That is great, and I will keep this in mind, but I had to revise the rules a little see my post on July 31st. There are more Tootsie pop quilts coming in too, and they all need a chance to be viewed as a group. (to make it easier on me, could you come back and vote on your favorite after the 15th?)
Thanks for stopping by the Blue Nickel, and I hope that you will pop on in every so often.
Scott
Wow! They are all great and it is very hard to choose. I would love to vote for myself but!! I honestly can’t. so, Jeanine’s hiding the evidence gets my vote. aileen
All the quilts are great, and a lot of imagination, however I vote for Aileens’.
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Ahoy, Scott, I see my little Tootsie Pop quilt. But we (my grandson and I) have to let you know that it’s “The Good Ship Tootsie Pop”. I was singing “the good ship Lollipop” as I made it. Found a frame at the thrift shop that should be just right for immortalizing the little piece.
I stand corrected…I will correct it, thanks, and I am glad you and your grandson bonded over this project. A bonus, that I certainly never even considered, but makes me very happy!
P.S. My vote for favorite Tootsie Pop quilt goes to Paul of the north. I think I like his better than mine.
08/18/2008
I like the homespun look of Gus’ quilt.
Hi!
Love ALL the little tootsie quilts, but really liked the one by Gus. I love buttons!
Mary
We really like the quilt Gus made with the old timey picture on it.
I vote for Gus’s Tootsie Pop quilt. It has a nostalgic feel. I like the texture of it. I must say that Shawn’s looks good enough to eat! But Gus gets my vote.
They’re all adorable, but I vote for Gus! I agree with “Grant & Barbara”, I like the old timey look.
I vote for Gus. I like the crazy quilt with the kids sitting by the water, gives it an old time feeling.
I am glad you like Gus’s mini…but your vote only counts once!
I think you may have thought that your first comment didn’t post, but it did…..it just has to wait for me to approve it. 
:)
I am voting for Jeanine’s Hiding the Evidence. I love the colors and including the suckers too!
Well, they are all good, but I like Shawns the best.
Good Ship Tootsiepop by Sandi – LOVE IT! It really stood out for me.
I vote for Jim V. I particularly like the sun one…
Nice stitching.
Good Ship Tootsie Pop gets my vote.
I love the Good Ship Tootsiepop by Sandi
I’m here to cast my vote for the Good Ship Tootsie Pop by Sandi.
What an interesting contest this is…
-Devlin.
Paul from the north gets my vote. I’ve always been partial to anyone who sails on a Tootsie boat!
My vote goes to Paul from the north.
Paul from the north gets my vote even if he forgot to include some refreshments on the ship to quench our thirst after eating some Tootsie Pops!
I love Jim V’s quilts.
I vote for Aileen, not because I know her but because I watched her sew by hand all the little glass bead. My second vote goes to JEanine. Congratualtion to all for all the great work.
Paul
I vote for Paul from the North. I really like the theme. I really tried to be impartial, but how could I not vote for my brother.
I would also like to vote for Paul from the North, I thought the theme was very nice. and how could I not vote for my favorite biological uncle on my mother’s side…. But I really did like his blanket ;-D
I cast my vote for Paul from the North. He’s from the North, yet pictures something from the South! Good use of the wrappers to make the small boat. Nice and clean design.
I cast my vote for the Paul from the North.
I vote for Paul from the North. I hesitated between Jim V, Shawn and Paul. But Paul gets my vote.
Regardless that he is from the north, Paul from the North appears to be a fan from the south… ironic!
Paul from the north has the right idea but if one is going in that direction there should be some spirits on board the ship to quench our thirst after consuming Tootsie Pops so he gets my vote.
I should have added that my vote was for Paul from the north even if my comments made that quite evident.
Of the 3 votes sent by Gilles the last one is from my daughter who forgot to remove my name and insert hers which should read Rachel. Also, I voted 2 times in error using 2 different addresses, only 1 vote should count, my apologies.
Wow that is complicated!
What a great contest – fantastic entries. But my vote goes to Paul from the North! Clever, colourful, and well executed – or maybe it’s just cuz I’m from the North too!
My vote goes to Paul from the north. Lots of imagination!
Now that all the votes are in and a winner has been chosen, I would like to say congrats to the winner. This was good fun and I really love all the quilts. I appreciate the creativity that has gone into all of these wonderful wee quilts and i would love to do it again. Thanks Paul for letting me know about this challenge. Aileen
Very glad you had a good time Aileen. Thanks for the great entry and comments!