sewing

So I woke up feeling real yucky.  A lovely cold has taken hold of my head.

DayQuil has been taken.  

 I sewed the 8 little star blocks this morning. I like little star blocks, they're so cute.
I had to strip piece a few of the background fabric squares for the flying geese units. I wouldn't have been able to make even one more unit!  It's nice to use it up-but that's ridiculous and the way I seem to roll.



2010 Blog BOM



The center is sewn together-like a square in a square-did that last night.  I'm still going to try to at least get the four corner units assembled today.  

I'm going to go make some tea and rest for a bit--let the meds kick in. 

I have a hard time just sitting around.

I figure I'm going to feel like crapolla if I'm on the couch or sitting as my sewing machine-might as well accomplish something. 

It's raining here, going to go into the 40's-dreary out-perfect weather for a nasty cold.

 On the up side I noticed last night at about 5:30 pm that it wasn't quite dark yet. I love it when I can start to tell the days are getting a bit longer. 

Progress and LCQA Block # 5

I'm still plodding along on trying to get some things done or closer to done before the end of the year.

I spent yesterday cleaning up the sewing room and cutting a bunch of fabric pieces into 10.5 inch strips.  I'm piecing backing with them.  I have 11 tops that need quilting, only one has the backing ready.  

I also got out all my leftover batting chunks, they're going to get pieced together as well.  I'd like to have 2 backs and all the batting done by Friday.

But today I got sidetracked (hahaha) with Shannon's blog BOM that is on my wall.  I was going to go shopping for more fabric, but I didn't realize all the quilt shops in the area are closed for inventory. 

When I started this quilt it was to be made with my scraps.  I didn't have enough so I had to go buy some background yardage and I got a roll of batik fat 8th's .

So in keeping with the original using what I have idea, this is what I came up with.

I still have to piece the little 6 inch star blocks that go in those blank spots.  I do believe I will still need to shop for the outer border fabric. 
I have enough of the applique background for the inner border.


EDIT:  1/6/11 I was just looking back over recent posts and realized I never put in a picture of the 5th LCQA block (heh-heh).

LCQA Block 5

Design Wall Monday (Week 52)

I decided to put up the blocks for Shannon's Blog BoM.  I need to buy fabric for the setting triangles. I think I have enough leftovers for the setting star blocks.

I'm going to need to get black batik (if I can find it) for this quilt as well.

This is 2010's Shop Hop blocks. They are 9" finished. I used them as replacement blocks for my block-a-days when I didn't care for the 'block of the day' on the calendar.  The rows are together.

Crumb Quilt top

Crumb Quilt top (68 x 72)

I finished it this morning.  I was very bummed that I didn't have enough of the blue sashing to go around the outside.  I ran to Jo Ann's yesterday (was out taking my father-in-law to Dr appt anyhow) and bought the rust fabric for the inner border.  I couldn't find a blue that matched.  I like the rust better anyway.

The outer border I had in my stash. 

One yard. 

I had exactly enough to cut 4" strips, so of course I cut the next to last one wrong, cut it 3.5". So the bottom border on the floor in picture is only 3.5" ... Whatever!  :)

I'm pretty sure I'm done with crumbs.  I'm glad I made one, but that's enough.  I also pieced the backing (with leftover fabric again) but forgot to take a picture. 

Meghan works until 7:30 tonight so we'll be going to the 10pm Mass.  It's very quiet here, except for Paul snoring on the couch. (Ha-ha).  

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Design Wall Monday (week 51)

I put my crumb quilt back up on the wall...I think I'm just going to work on these for a while.

I have no more of the blue fabric (it's at least a hundred years old).  The plan is to make 2 more rows of 4 blocks.



I pieced the backing for my Merry Christmas Sampler quilt. It measures 95 x 90.

The top is 80x80 so this is fine.  I'm happy to have used up ALMOST all of the old Christmas fabrics, the little that was left I cut up for the L/E  storage boxes.

and my other design wall is were I stuck the pieced borders I'm working on as L/E for my Tree of life quilt.  I'm close to having enough made, which is nice as I'm getting sick of piecing 1.5" squares together.  I'm thinking perhaps I'll start piecing some flying geese-just for the heck of it...I don't know just random thoughts flying around in my head right now.

Check out other walls over at Judy's

Merry Christmas Sampler!

 

Merry Christmas Sampler 80 x 80

Lots of sewing today and some Christmas ramblings

Christmas Sampler & Annie

I had just enough of that light green metallic to cut 4.5" strips for an outer border. 

Snowbound and other stuff

Snowbound is a flimsy.  After cleaning the house, I spent some time machine blanket-stitching the stars on the borders.  I had the 2 side borders sewn on and then watched the Pens game w/Meg. Then I went back down and finished the last 2 sides.



Meg came down to see it. Both her and her Dad really like this quilt.  They've actually come in and commented on it a couple of times in the last few days.  (so weird)

Yep, that's Meghan!  I think this picture shows the relief/joy (not in my getting the top done silly), but the fact that she's passed her first rotation/semester of Nursing School and only has one last final on Friday.  She's done so well that she could fail the final and still pass.  Not that she would ever think that way-  she's still going over stuff and studying. She wants an A.  But now that the pressure is off, for a few weeks anyway, I get my crazy, funny daughter back.

OK back to quilting stuff.

I pieced the backing for Snowbound last night and it's ready to go.  I took on 7 table runners a couple weeks ago, only one had a request of  before Christmas but I gave no guarantees. (this was right in the midst of my brother-in-law, Karl being hospitalized, and subsequently diagnosed with stomach cancer;  sewing/quilting priorities flew right out the window). 

Three of them were exactly the same, including the one with a deadline. So I got them all done over the weekend.  Quilting a small fill design is hard work-I always forget that. I did my Swirly Feather-flowers, small.

She picked up the 3 last night and was really happy with them (yea). 

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 I put up the 12 inch Christmas Bl-a-day blocks up on the wall last night, just in a random sort of way and I think I'm going to like it. 

Christmas Block-a-Days

I bought a light green Christmas fabric that has a little gold metallic in it. 

I'll have to audition it and think about sashing and borders perhaps-fun fun. 

This is another thing I learned with the Block-a-Days. I'm really enjoying the process of putting the blocks together.  It's a bit different than just reading the directions from a pattern.

Oh and one more non-quilting item.

Paul bought a snow blower!

We've always shoveled. I LIKE being out there shoveling, always have. And having 2 strapping sons willing to work for food helped a lot too. (yep, they've both moved out and I'm sure it had nothing to do with slave-labor chore issues.)

 However, after last years blizzard

you remember.... Paul was stuck at Pitt and I had to shovel out. Well after it was over I said why don't you get a snowblower...for your birthday...  

I know I'm like the best wife ever!!  :)

Well, apparently there were a lot of other really nice wives out there and all the snowblowers in the tri-state area were gone. 

I was quite amazed that when the snow started to fly last week, Paul actually remembered my offer from last year...

what could I do? I don't want to lose my nicest wife ever status. So he got one, sigh, another sign of our middle- agedness.  And the 'wors-er' sign is we're both pretty excited about it.

I, however, have not gone and stood in the garage looking at it.  I mean geeze, it's cold in there and the machine is ORANGE--yuck!

Did you hear me go "WOO-HOO"?

About an hour ago I finished my final Block-a-Days blocks!!!

Block a Days

Block a day's

I spent the entire day cutting and piecing! The second picture is of all the blocks I made today-yup 13 of them.
I'm really happy to have them done.

I also took a picture of Snowbound.  I started to sew the rows together after finishing the last bl-a-day block and then just ran out of steam.

29 Years Ago today

We said " I do."

we still do.

a Flimsy

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I prepped the fusible for the final Snow Bound block. The 11th block is fused but I have to do the machine blanket stitching on it. 

Nov 24 2010

This morning I finished the binding on my Sampling of Blues quilt.

A Sampling of Blues (56 x 69)



progress

Amidst a busy week and some funky unexpected things, I'm making good progress on the borders for this quilt. 

I thought I'd be further along by this point but I am that way about everything; (think I can do twice as much as I actually can).



Batik Sampler

A Finish and pictures

Jelly Roll Quilt Along top.

Close up of quilting

Many Thanks after re-quilting

I used a poly batt and it was way too puffy.
 I re-loaded it and quilted it to death.  

Today I put the borders on my L/E 9-Patch & Snowball top 

65 x 84



One Block Wonder #2

It measures 72 x 75.  I'm going to just look at it for a while before taking it down.

Nov 8 2010

On my design wall this week is the same OBW quilt.  



I finally finished Tisket Tasket quilt. 

One Block Wonder with cubes

  The center is done just need to sew on the borders including the top left side with the break out hexagon going through the inner stop border~that should be fun piecing and cause me a couple of choice words! 

Design Wall Monday (week 43)

Hopefully this is the last week I'll have the 16/8 quilt on the wall.

There are 4 rows of 2.5" squares all sewn together and on the floor. The 2 side rows have to be sewn on first. 

These 4 rows need sewn together too and then they'll go at the top. 

**********

I loaded my Tisket Tasket BOM quilt this evening. 

I want to quilt it and then load the Jelly roll top. 

**********

I have 6-7 more block-a-day blocks cut out all the way up to Nov. 13th.  I like being ahead on them. 

It's much easier cutting them out now that I'm only using Civil War repro fabrics for the remaining blocks; regardless of size.

After my crazy busy week last week, this week is looking blissfully quiet-oh I hope I didn't jinx it by saying that!