just wanted to show the DW real quick.  Happy Jack is waiting patiently to be sewn into rows.

The guild BOM is still being scrutinized.  I did find a leftover Bl-a-Day block that worked so I stuck it in (12 inch star block bottom left).  The layout will definitely change...

I did start sewing the leftover blocks, yardage and FQ chunks from Curve It Up for the backing.  

I am itching to start on either of these.  

But so far I'm showing great restraint.

Tonight I sewed on the final curved borders on my quilt top.

I'm hoping tomorrow to start piecing the backing from all the leftover chunks of fabric I have and a couple blocks that didn't make it into the front.

After taking this down, I started organizing all the fabrics I got on the Shop Hop last week.  There was stuff piled everywhere. Once I got things under control, I pulled out my Christmas BOM blocks from the guild.  Our show is the end of Oct. and the ladies who organized the BOM are hoping we get our tops done and entered in the show as a separate display.  I sorta got tired of working on them so this is all I have.

first layout

second layout

3rd

I had to dig through my scraps and found a couple 3.5 inch strips that I pieced to get the last  few plain blocks with the background! whew.

This is going to sit for a day or two.

One of the patterns I bought on Shop Hop was Happy Jack.

I started cutting out 3.5 inch squares for it.

too cute.

  

Curve it up Block 10

The scrap X's are growing 

Urban Candy is a flimsy

I took a bit of time to sew 2 of the blocks for the guild BOM

there are a couple more six inch block options but guild is Monday night and this may be it for now.

Last Saturday I met with a group of quilters from the guild to explore modern quilts.  It was a fun afternoon.  Well how could looking at quilts, books, patterns and discussing quilts NOT be fun. 

So inspiration struck while I was making our bed a few mornings ago.  I was folding a stack n whack quilt that we use as an extra quilt in the winter.  It's Meghan's college quilt.  Reversible-blue and gold (Pitt colors) on the one side and   red/lt. blue/ beige scrappy on the other side.  Flannels on both sides.  It's dang warm and snuggily.

When I made it I thought that if the Pitt colors got old before the quilt did she could use the other side.

So as I'm folding it, I'm thinking how the block is modern looking and what if I used white in some of the layers.   

So I went downstairs and found a piece of white and cut four 5 inch squares and layers them with 5 batik charms I had.  

The blocks trimmed up to 3 3/4. 

I like it.  I'm going to make another one using 5 white charms.   I will have to get some more white fabric, it's sadly lacking in my stash.

If I do decide to make a quilt, I will be making the blocks bigger, these are a bit too small. 

As I look at this the ideas are jumping around like crazy...

piecing

blocks for this month guild meeting.  The tree is suppose to have crystals added.  I might do that later.  I like it plain.  I'm not big on embellishments.

The snow globe block is 12 inches the smaller one is 6 inches.  We only need to make one of the 12 inch block and as many as we want of the smaller 6 inch.  One was all I found time for. :)

This is block #4 for the Curve it Up quilt along.  It was much easier than I thought it was going to be.  

I got out this top to load and quilt-but I didn't have a thread color that matched.  Talk about getting picky!  I ordered an 'antique' thread today.  I want to do a dense all over on this and just want texture so I really wanted the thread to blend.

I still need to get a backing ready for this so it's no big deal really.  

I've quilted the last customer quilt until after the new year.  Which sounds like a long time but of course it's only a couple weeks away.  

I will not be getting the 3 quilt tops quilted that were on my goal list for 2012.  I'm a bit bummed about that but surely I will get them done in '13.

Guild Block a Month

The guild is having a 6 month BOM.  We took home the patterns and yesterday and today I decided on my fabrics, THAT took forever.  My biggest sticking point was the background.  I kept going between a dark background, I had enough stash in grey and black.  But this is going to be a Christmas BOM so I just didn't think I would really like those choices.  So it's going to be the neutral background and then from my stash:dark reds, greens, black and gold/brown.  Our instructions were to make the large star block and change up the center if we wanted.  The pattern showed four patches in the center.  So I did four 9-patches instead.  And then the smaller 6 inch block they suggested making 2 or 3 or more.  I haven't had time yet but I will for sure.  I totally enjoyed piecing these-brought back block-a-day memories!