bindings

Thursday evening I sewed the binding on the 1st donation quilt.

Friday I got up early and after doing a few house-y things sewed the binding on the 2nd donation quilt on the backing side and then turned it to the front and  machine finished it.  The 1st one I forgot to do that so I had to hand stitch it to the back.  I don't know if it makes a difference but I think doing it all by machine might be more sturdy for a quilt that gets a lot of washing in a hospital setting.

I took a deep breath and wrestled the bear sewed the binding on Calming Circles too!  whew!

I have about 3 feet of it hand stitched down but the weekend is full of activities so I'm thinking it will take  3 or 4 days/evenings to get it finished. 

I hurt my lower back today digging out way to big Shasta daisies and several other overgrown perennials.  I should've listened to my body when I started to get tired but you know how it it....just a few more...almost done, why stop and have to get all dirty again tomorrow or the next time we have a nice day and by then they'll really be too big to move.

 I've taken Aleeve, iced it, hot showered....I'm sure hoping at my age I finally learn to be more careful.  Oh that's funny and it hurts to laugh too.  

wisdom and patience....wisdom and patience...

Dwirling from the back

and the front.

I really like how it turned out.  Will have to wait for some quilt holders and a less windy day to get a good picture of the entire quilt.

This quilt named "Calming Circles" unless I can think of something better, was on my 2011 quilting goals list. 

This makes 6 of the 11 original quilts listed done (well except for the binding on this one-gag)
Of course, the flimsy list is longer now and unless something changes, I will end up with more quilts to quilt at the end of the year than I started with.

Not how I wanted/expected things to go. 

It is what it is.

I'm quite aware of how lucky blessed I am to be able to do all this sewing and quilting.  Back when I was working full-time, I think I finished 1 top in 2 years.  Egads! 

 But the year is still young and with summer and the nice weather I will not be in the basement sewing as much, well hopefully quilting as much and sewing less...

I also got the borders on the 1600 Jelly roll top I made a few weeks ago.



73 x 77



I still haven't put the bindings on the 2 donation quilts I finished....just kept moving the 1st one out of the way...I have to make something delicious and amazing for dinner. ( nah, just chili!) 

And then HOPEFULLY I will sew on the bindings tonight, at least one.

LCQA

I finished putting my LCQA top together about 1/2 hour ago. I had a picture but it's gone, I think.

 

I loaded this monster 99 x 99 on Monday. 

I'm doing the topoghaphic/dwirling pattern on it.  I have a ways to go, but can't wait to see what it looks like when it's done. 

I'm already dreading sewing the binding on!  -hahaha.

 

***

Spring has sprung!!

Finally!

Quilting

Since we attended our church's Easter Vigil Mass and  we go to my brother's house for Easter dinner (and all I had to make was the green bean casserole), Easter Sunday at our house is quiet.

A far cry from when the kids were young and Easter baskets had to be searched for, breakfast that was only half chocolate prepared  and all of us getting ready for mass-5 people 1 bathroom!  Yikes!

I have to say that right now I'm enjoying this quiet kind of holiday.  I don't have much to do and that's nice, for a change.

But not having much to do is also boring.  The weather was warm but drizzly so no yard work, instead

I quilted two tops for Quilts for Kids.

The one on the right I did my swirly feathers on in a variegated thread. Of course, I forgot to take a finish picture (because I'm crappola when it comes to that camera!)

The one on the left I tried a topographic all-over.  I first saw it on Shannon's blog and new I wanted to try to do my own version of it but like most things I just put it away in my head somewhere.  I saw it again on another blog Jenny's Doodling Needle while I was lurking around. 

Since she had used a donation quilt to practice this pattern a light bulb went off in my head. 

I love it.  It's my new header picture too.  It reminds me of Dawn Ramirez's "dwirling" but more circle-y.  I L-U-V the texture it adds. I can't wait to get the binding on and wash/dry this and see the crinkly results. 

I want to do this one again. 

Soon.

It was too much fun.





LCQA Progress

For all my whining about not piecing more tops, here is my design wall.

Edit: 9/1/11 apparently I deleted the original picture from my computer so I don't have LCQA design wall picture, here is a picture of it a few months later fresh off the frame.
blog and learn, blog and learn!

In my defense *wink* finishing this quilt is on my "Official 2011 Quilting Goals" list.

******

I finished a customer quilt today, using a new to me e2e design I'm calling Wiggly Greek Key. I practiced on paper and my white board for awhile to get the size and how to get the direction worked out.

  I LUV the texture is gives and it was a fun to do.

I'm thinking of doing it on one or both of the 2 donation quilts; help cement it in my memory. 

the front

the back

I used Connecting Threads "Tea-dye" in top and Bottom Line "Taupe" in the bobbin.  I like the back as much as the front.

And in a rare moment of organization, after I got it done I loaded my sample piece and stitched out a little ex. of it.

And now to watch the Penguins....losing 4-0 in the 2nd.....OH MY. :(

....by the time I spell checked this the score is 5-0  BLAHHH.

******

HAPPY EASTER!

Today...

I finished a quilt for Libby.
  I used Superior's  King Tut "Caravan" (#925) in the top.  It was a partially used cone....more than half actually.  I went back and forth on whether I should even  use it but it was the perfect color choice.  When I was done, there is maybe 5 feet of thread left on the cone.  (I was sweating the closer I got to the end of the quilt.)  I know I've read other posts where quilters have had nothing left on the cone.....crazy how that works out sometime.

Libby's Dancing Stars

 

OOOOhhhh!

I just got off the phone with Libby-tomorrow we're going to check out a 'new to us' quilt shop!

and probably have to go out to lunch too. 

 

 

*****

And after my last post where I said I really need to stop making tops for a while.... I went and made another donation top. 

I need backing fabric for them.

I think they will both fit in the box I have ready to ship so that will go a good thing.

The color is a little off...they are a bit brighter in real life!

Design Wall Monday 4/18/11

This will be a Quilt for Kids donation quilt.

I have 4 ready to send but the box I bought to ship them in has room for one or two more. So I figured I'd wait and fill the box first.

And I'm very happy to say that my version of Bonnie Hunter's Crab Apples  quilt is a flimsy!

Edit 9/1/11 lost the original picture from post, here is one of quilt already quilted.

I'm calling it "My Apple Orchard".  

I changed the block size to 12 inch finish and only have 18 blocks.  A couple weeks ago, or maybe longer, I bought  fabric on sale that I thought would be good for backing.  When I got it home, I washed it and pieced it so it would be ready and it is big enough for this one. (woo-hoo)

So this is now in the closet waiting for quilting.

I r-e-a-l-l-y need to stop piecing tops for a month or so and get my tops quilted.  I thought I was going to try to do that this month, but I've failed.  (oh well).  Perhaps May will be the marathon quilting month.

 

Friday Finish(es)

"A Slice of Summer" (13 x 13) adaption of a Thimbleberries design

"Cute Coins" (17.5 x 22) From Remembering Adelia

 Libby's Brown Bear Quilt


********

Today a new customer is coming over; always a little nervous about a new person.  I don't know her or her piecing skills...a delicate matter, for sure.
And then there is deciding on what to quilt on a quilt.  I like to take my time and ponder it for a bit.  Not because I'm waiting for the quilting muse to strike;  but because it takes me a while to remember the different designs I can do.  (if I haven't quilted something for a while I tend to forget about it).   But customers usually either know what they want done, this can be good;  (whew!
 I don't have to think about that part) or bad; (oh my I don't think that's gonna look so good...).
In that case I will give my opinion and try to offer alternate, but in the end it's not my quilt so I won't push.
EDIT:  Lovely lady, her quilt is adorable.


 Have you seen The Whimpy Kid?  The 2nd movie is in theaters around here now but we rented the first one last week...cracked me up...they've got middle school down pat. 
I always refer to that age group as the "larvae" stage of kids--sorta gross and you're not sure what they're going to morph into.....ah memories.

Today, I'm going to Sam's Club! I know my life is just too glamorous! Actually, I got a flyer that this weekend is their open house.  Which means non-members can shop without paying an upcharge.  
I used to belong to Sam's club when our 2 boys (aka the eating machines) lived at home. 

***they (the eating machine boys) were here for dinner on Sunday, along with John's new girlfriend and I made lasagna...there was ONE piece left. Meghan said "wow, we haven't almost finished a lasagna since you two lived here!!! I was thinking the same thing.  Now I make lasagna and we get 3 more meals out of it, which is my kind of cooking anyway.***

Since I don't need to buy vast quantities of food, I let my membership lapse.  And anything I really want a bigger container of I can get at WalMart.
 I'm needing K- cups for my Kuerig and Sam's has the best price locally and even beats the online "coffeeforless" site, although they don't have the selection that coffeeforless has.
But hey I'm going to go browse around and pick up a few things besides coffe, I'm sure.


 I'm also thinking of getting the backing today for my CW Medallion top. When Libby and I were sewing on Tuesday, she suggested I enter it in a quilt show in June.  I said 'nah' I hadn't quilted it yet. But of course the seed was planted and now I'm thinking I'd like to enter it...maybe.  I've already decided to do baptist fans on it...
I'm hoping for a great day today-- it's sunny out. 
Meghan and Paul (they are weather bugs) informed me last night that it's suppose to start raining tonight and continue for the next week.  I can almost feel the sinus/migraine forming. 

Gulp.

When it rains all day

you should stay inside and sew with a friend.

Libby came over today.

We set up our machines and at 10:15 we started our 1600  quilt. It took us 2 1/2 hours to piece. 

Libby's "Berry Bliss" bali pop

My "Spumoni" balipops

We both agreed it was a lot of fun.  I'm going to put a 2" stop border and then a wider outside border. I think Libby is doing to same with hers. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon working on other projects.  Libby worked on her Many Thanks blocks and I worked on Tree quilt

I don't have enough of the checkerboard border made, but I don't think it will take too long to sew what I need.  I'm a little stressed that these borders are going to need some 'adjusting' since I changed the block size...heehee...but we'll see.

 

another day

I finished this little quilt yesterday-free hand baptist fans (a little wonky) but I like it.

I just need to throw it in the wash to crinkle it up a bit.

The watermelon quilt requested by my SIL.  After I snapped this picture I remembered she wants it about 12x17 to fit a specific spot in her kitchen.  This is too wide so I'll need to re-do the borders.  It's from a pattern in At Home with Thimbleberrries by Lynette Jensen (link).  I've had the book for years.

***picture was lost in computer glitch I mean because of user error in other words. I lost the dang thing.***

So here's another one:

 

and the 4th block of Henrietta Whiskers is done.

I had cut out a bunch of 1.5 x 2.5 strips for a coin quilt from the book Remembering Adelia by Kathleen Tracy.  (I'll link later, my computer is doing background scans and going so slow I'm about to rip my hair out.  (breathe in...breathe out...patience the virtue I didn't get--bet the line was too long and I....never mind)

EDIT Here's the  link

I was going to do the coins L/E but couldn't stand it.  So I sewed them up.

Today, after a dental visit (joy; oh joy!) I'm picking up Libby and my SIL (another one not the watermelon one) and we're heading to a quilt shop to purchase our passports for June's Western PA shop hop.  If you get them today, they'll stamp it  "VIQ" Very Important Quilter--which will entitle the shop hopper to extra treats and such during shop hop.  We're not really concerned with that- but it's a great excuse to HAVE to go to a quilt shop (or 2) and out to lunch. 

My SIL is not a quilter, I'd love to bring her over to the dark  fun side of life, so we'll call  this is a 'covert' operation!  buwahahaha

LCQA Block #12

I also sewed together this little doll quilt.  I found the free pattern on Kathleen Tracy's blog. 

I've been enjoying her book Remembering Adelia and just ordered Prairie Children & their Quilts.

Block Four of Henrietta Whiskers came out and I have it traced...too much fun.

Design Wall Monday 4/4/11

I decided to get Crab apples up on the wall and finish it.
 Hope to get it together this week.

sorry it's sideways!

I finished my little pinwheels quilt

I quilted free-hand baptist fans and even put the binding and label on!  I just forgot to take a finish picture.  My brother and SIL stopped over tonight and I gave it to her.  (she was over a couple days ago saw it and really liked it) We'll be going to their house for Easter dinner so I'll try to get a picture then. 

Spring...AKA migraine season.....

I woke up at 4:30 this morning feeling like doo-doo, ya' know: crap.

After tossing and muttering and waking up Paul (oops he still had 1/2 to go before the alarm), I got up and ate a yogurt so I could take meds.  I was planning on going back to bed; the medicine only took the edge off, which is great, but it wasn't enough that I thought I could sleep.  So down to my sewing room for some distraction.

I sewed the outer border on the CW Medallion quilt-yeah!  It measures 94 x 94! yikes.

No finished picture-- I've been looking at the dang thing on the design wall for so long I just folded it up, put the notes on it about backing, batting and that I have the binding ready and hung it in the closet.

******

Then I almost got out the crap  Crab apple blocks to work on,

*edit: whoops, blame it on the headache~ :)*

 

but I looked over my list for 2011 and saw Jonquils & Stars. It's a WIP just like the Crab apples but I only needed to cut and sew on the final outer borders.  I bought the fabric last month...maybe in January and have no idea why I didn't just finish it then. 

ta-da it's now a flimsy.