Curve it Up Sampler quilt

 It's finally quilted.  I do have the binding sewn on but it's not hand sewn to the back yet.

The front

The back  

I pieced the back from leftover blocks, fat quarters and yardage.  I shouldn't have used the yellow though, as I had to go buy more for the binding.   :)

10 of the blocks

I'm super happy with how this turned out.

Finishes and getting close to finished....

I  finally put a clothes line up along the fence for taking pictures of smaller quilts (been wanting to do that for a long time). 

Here's the first picture using it.

and the back.

Aster Manor it done too even the binding.  

I've had some days off in a row and have been keeping my nose to the grindstone!

When I needed a break from quilting, I blanket-stitched the last 6 Dresden plate to their background.  

This is it-seriously-no matter what I am not making anymore of these dang blocks.

Remember these?  They're from March/April.  I started them on a whim.  I really wish I wouldn't do that.

I pieced another 3  X blocks.  After I sew them on the layout will be 3 x4 and approximately 72 x 96. No idea what I will do with this one-perhaps take it to 'Camp diamond in the rough'.  

Which isn't quite so rough anymore--Paul and I've stayed over twice this month, but that's another post for another day.

I hoped the X's would use up a lot of strip scraps; alas, they did not.

I have a couple customer quilts to do and then I'm hoping to get 2-3 more of my own quilts quilted in September.

Aster Manor is quilted (bad weather and bad timing) so no finished photos yet...this week...

After taking it off HQ I made the binding and sewed it and the label on! whew!  

I even have about 24 inches of the binding hand sewn to the back.  

The label says "finished August 2013" so I better get busy. :)

A couple weeks ago I had been looking over my 2013 goals--it's starting to look like I won't get everything done again. 

One of the things was to finish the two embroidery pieces I have.

They've been sitting on top of my bookcase next to HQ all year, well at least since maybe March (?)

They caught my eye and before I had time to overthink anything I loaded them and got them quilted.

Now they're pinned to the 2nd design wall.  

Wonder how long they'll stay there!

I'm finishing up an adorable quilt for Libby and then my signature quilt goes on HQ.

I really like how it turned out. I'm going to quilt all over feathers on it.

The pattern is Basic Math by Debbie Grifka. 

The layer cake I used is from French General, but I can't remember the line right now.

Medallion Flimsy

I really like this pattern.  I went way out of my comfort colors

(that would be blue)

on this one.  

Oh and in my last post I said I needed 'a couple hundred' hst for the Up, up and Away quilt

...silly me it's 589. 

 I have 85 made now.

But Kathy made hers in what seemed like no time so I'm not worried.

 :)

Yesterday, the bike gang went out again!

We left at 9 am and got home at 9 pm.  We were some tired puppies!

Paul, Scott, sil Mary, bil Ed 

Scott behind us on Rt 59 a few miles from the dam

 Our destination was Kinzua Dam.  I'd never been there before and it was so cool.

 I even saw an eagle!! so excited about that!

Kinzua Dam

*******

Today I needed to really give the house a good cleaning but I still spent some time sewing.

I took a picture of the Modern stack n slash that I finally got the binding done on.

50 x 53

After this picture I washed it and it crinkled up wonderfully.  I just straight line quilted it but I didn't use channel locks just 'eyed' it. So it's not perfectly straight and I just estimated the distance between the lines too. I quilted it one way then reloaded it the other way and quilted it that way.  I really like how it turned out.  

I got another row of feathers quilted on Aster Manor.  I'm using wool batting on this one. It's the first time I've ever tried wool.  It really shows the quilting.  I'm quilting it very close, doing all-over hooked feathers and hope that is OK with wool to quilt it so densely.   

I've been working on piecing the diamond (triangles on the corners) of the Medallion blocks.  I was having trouble seeing the cutting line I drew because the overhead lighting casts a shadow on my cutting table.  I was getting a bit frustrated when it hit me that my Ott Light is sitting in the corner unused.  

So I dragged it out, plugged it in and 'wah-lah' no more shadow.

Here are my medallion blocks.  

just 6 more to add the triangles too

As I'm piecing these, I started a new Leader/Ender project.  I stopped using the L/E method a while back, it just sorta happened.  But I've been saving my binding triangles and even cut some from 2.5 inch squares to make this quilt.  I don't have near enough triangles yet but what the heck it's a start.

in no time at all I have over 20 made. only need a couple hundred more. This will take some time. :)

Pillow finishes

August is starting on a positive sewing note...

I finished 2, yes two, pillows yesterday!

yea!

Well one side of the family has left the 'burgh

 and this week my sister and family are in town! 

My niece walking Annie

and trying on all of Meg's and my high heels.
We painted our nails too!

 It's a whirlwind.

I get a little cranky and overwhelmed to be walking past my quilt room day after day and not having time to sew a seam.

So between Tuesday and yesterday I got in a pretty good 'sewing fix'.

The signature quilt is as together as I can get it-still need 2 blocks signed.  I took it down so I would just have the medallion blocks up. The fabrics of the 2 quilts beside each other on the DW clashed so badly it was distracting to me hurt my eyes.

The medallion blocks are pieced and arranged and now I am going back to add the corner triangles to form diamonds when sewn together. You can see a diamond down on the lower right. I'm using the same fabric for all the diamonds.

I finally finished this pillow from my Metro Rings sample block.

20' x 20"

Oh and I forgot to show Happy Jack!  He's all sewn together and now hanging in the closet.  I will have to have a free day to 'twister him up'.  

Another picnic weekend coming up and a couple long bike rides planned; if the weather cooperates.  

Lotsa quilting coming in too-so Aster Manor, which has been loaded since the 17th needs to have some major attention. I'm going to do that today, before work at 3 and after I take the car in for inspection...

fun times, fun times...

life is good!