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. 

DWMonday 1/3/11



9" block-a-days



This is the first set of block-a-days to be put together for the year.  Brights are my least favorite fabrics so I'm getting it out of the way.  I really can't wait to get the CW repro blocks out should be able to get a couple big quilts out of those.  But that is for another day or month perhaps.

The Jonquils and Stars top is off the wall.  I have the first two inner borders sewn on and the others I'll do today. 

For more design walls check out Judy L's!

A slow start to the New Year

wow this is one nasty cold I've caught.  It just really wiped me out.  I think I'm feeling a bit better today.

I have been sewing in spurts as I feel up to it and when I get so BORED that I could scream.  Then I go down and sew until I feel a bit woozy...and repeat process.

I've pieced backings for 5 of my flimsy's.  It was tedious work, but about all I was up to so a good thing to get done.  I didn't take pictures except for this last one as I was trying to fold it nice, this is 1/4 of it.  I used 8 of my 12" block a day blocks in this backing. They were from the beginning of last year-they sorta don't go with anything.

I wanted to have all my leftover batting sewn together this weekend too. But that didn't happen.



I have the Jonquils & Stars top center very close to together; still need to sew on the 4 big triangle units to the center part. 



I have the inner border pieces cut and ready.

*****

I asked my dad a month or so ago if he could make me this cabinet.

I saw it at a  local Pottery Barn store and loved it.  So I sent him the picture. 

On Friday he brought this over.

buffet/cabinet Dad made me

LOVE IT!!



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.

moving right along

I finished the blanket-stitch on my Blog Bom center medallion earlier this week.

 I'm glad it's all done.

I sewed together the last block for this BOM as well.

After I made it,  I laid out all the blocks-yikes somehow I have 5 that are heavy on 'blue' fabric!

Blue is my favorite color so I shouldn't have been surprised. However, the 2nd block I made had a dark purple batik for the outer star points.  They stuck out like a sore thumb. The block alone looks fine, but up next to all the others. NEON PURPLE FLASHING "LOOK AT ME"

So I unsewed it and re did it.

It will go much better in this quilt now.

********

I'm back to being about a week ahead on my block-a-day blocks.  They have become a fun habit that I think I'm going to miss at the end of the year. 



The 2 in the top photo are 8" blocks. So are the 2 on the far left of the 2nd picture.  The pinwheel one with the dark red background has been unsewn and re done.  It was just too dark to use in my 16/8 top that's still on the design wall (no fresh picture) it will probably be my design wall Monday again.

I've been busy quilting too.  Libby picked up her quilt the other day. We both made this quilt in a class a few years back.  I can't remember for sure but it may have been a mystery quilt class. After all the classes we've taken, they're starting to moosh together. :)

There were 2 color ways you could pick from I chose the teal/brown batiks.

Here's mine.



Libby chose the soft pink/greens.

I feathered the outside border and the inner sashing borders around the blocks and just did SID in the blocks themselves.

Well, Paul left for camp for the weekend, Meg went to a friend's to watch the Penguin's game. 

I'm all alone. 

WOO-HOO!!!

The dogs are getting a one day bath reprieve.  I've done enough housework and laundry for one day. 

Ever have one of those days where every place you turned there was a "little thing to do" that wasn't in the plans.  I opened a drawer to get out a pen and had to stop and clean it out.  It was bad. I'm glad it's cleaned out.  But that led to the files...

 My 401k needed attention (oh gag on that one) but it had to be done.  It didn't take long but the interruptions just took the cleaning wind out of my sails.  The dogs win. They can wallow happily with long toenails and itchy ears for one more night.  

They're both lying a few feet from me now gnawing blissfully away on rawhide chews. Totally unaware to how close they've come to the dreaded bathing ritual.

  

I'm going to go sew.

WOO-HOO!

Go Pens!

Design Wall Monday (week 41)

 

I'm very close to finishing the blanket-stitch on the center medallion. 
Woo-hoo!

No progress made on the 16/8 top.  I have blocks cut out but no piecing done.

To see other projects for inspiration visit Patchwork Times.

I'm making slow progress

I'm making slow progress on the center medallion.  I fused all the pieces on this using Heat n Bond Lite. The long skinny curvy stems are regular bias tape pieces which I just pinned in place and then blanket stitched.  I have worked on them every evening and now have the green stems and leaves done and the first of the flowers done.

I've also pieced 4 block a days that are really blocks from last summers local Shop Hop quilt.  I replace what I consider 'dumb' block a day blocks from the calendar with these...hehehe.

Oh I like these.

And my 16/8 blocks are growing and out of control!  This is the final layout. I'm serious.-several family members will be smacking me if I dare to change or heaven forbid make the thing bigger. 

Design Wall Monday (Week 40)

I’m working on the Center Appliqué Medallion for Blog BOM from Shannon.

I’ll be machine appliquéing this:

My 1^st design wall still has the 16/8 blocks.  The 16” block in the lower left is a new one and now just need to make a bunch more 8” blocks

My 2^nd little wall has my block-a-days and the cut off appliqué one at the bottom is the 9^th Snowbound BOM block. 

Head on over to Judy's for more design walls!

Blog BOM Block for September

I finished it last night and I think it's my favorite block so far. (I think I say that about almost all of them). My good intentions for tomorrow is to seriously start on the applique medallion that will be the center of this quilt.

I finished the last 3 block-a-days I had cut out.

Love the big 16" one, but darn those big blocks take a lot longer to assemble.

*******

And here are a couple pictures of my lastest quilting forays.

Libby's (no blog) One Block wonder and a little "Awesome" panel that belongs to a friend who l-u-v-s anything squirrel-ey, that was just a treat to quilt--too much fun!



and 2 more of Libby's. She's made several of these Picture This patterns, but this is the 1st one I've quilted for her.