2 outa 3 ain't bad

First I got the CW lap quilt together. It measures 48 x 64

I pieced M Ring blocks in between rows-sorta like a huge leader/ender!

After lunch I had to run down to the store and then I was back at the machine.

Ta-da!

These are the little scrappy triangle blocks I've been using as my real leader/ender.

I was just going to count them but with the nearly empty design wall I couldn't resist playing around for a bit.

I have enough of the light grey fabric for 10 more blocks, which will finish that row on the right.

I've double checked but if you see a block that's not going the right way-do let me know!! 

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. :)

What I'm doing

My LeMoyne Star quilt is finished....bound, labeled and on the wall.  I LUV it. 

I did a baptist fan all over, I marked it with chalk so it's pretty consistent.  I used a grayish So Fine in top and Bottom line in bobbin. 

These blocks were made using HST (no set in seams-yeah).  Of course, I made extra cuz I'm weird like that and then what to do with the orphans. I cut a bunch more and did them as leader/enders and made pinwheel blocks. I was originally thinking of just doing that and make a big lap quilt.  But I ran out of triangles and got bored.  I had a bunch of them on the side design wall and suddenly thought "hey! I'll bet I could just use these to frame a nice 12" block.  So I auditioned a few and wasn't thrilled so I let it sit.  I was in my closet poking around for batting scraps (I hang them on a hanger to keep 'em neat) and saw my little red work pieces I'd made, a few last year and some WAY OLDER...I got this one out and it fit perfectly (after I trimmed a tad). 

It's still on the wall, I'm not sure if it's done or if it wants to be the center of something bigger.

And here is my main design wall.

I think I'm becoming a bit scattered. --A BIT you say....:)

The bright charms up in the right are the front and back of a tote, the little doll quilt bottom right is sandwiched and waiting for me to decide if I want to load it and quilt a freehand baptist fan on it or just stitch in the ditch it on my DSM...I keep waffling so that's the reason it's still there.  The 3 random blocks in the center are block-a-days from last year.  They are quilted and waiting to be made into pillows (the little trip around the world will probably just be a candle mat for me to stick somewhere, decoratively of course).

and the left shows my 9-patch blocks waiting for setting fabric (which isn't in my stash) so they are hopefully going to sit until June's Shop Hop. When this year, I plan on having an organized list of what I want/need to buy and not just go into every shop and lose my mind. 

I'm not working on any of these right now.  We're having a picnic on Monday (Memorial Day) and I have a new cushion cover to sew....I made the bottom cover for my wrought iron 2-seat er but not the back.  I want to learn to do this kind of sewing, but dang it's hard for me.  I'll show a picture when I have the whole thing done. 

This morning I put the binding on

It's not looking quite so FEATHER SCARY to me.  yea!

I still have to hand stitch the binding to the back. 

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. 

Finishing UFO's and making more....

So today I finished quilting my Batik 9-Patch quilt.  I have to put the binding on so it's not "technically" finished but that's ok.

It's one of the 11 UFO's I have on my list for 2011 and the 5th one finished. 

the leftovers backing....

 

The quilting I just did rows of C-hooks across the blocks in both directions and in the outer border

and this little swirly design in the setting triangles around the outside.

  I used King Tut thread in the top and the stitches really show up.

Awhile back I started making flying geese blocks as  leader/ender's since I didn't want to start another leader/ender quilt as I still have the crab apple one to put together....  The little triangles that get cut off of the flying geese I sewed into HST and then into pinwheel blocks. 

The flying geese blocks I was able to incorporate into my CW Repro top as filler blocks. That was very nice having them already made and amazingly the right size too.

(You can see them in the first round of blocks and in the outside row.)

and  no, I still haven't sewn the final borders on yet...

Well, after letting the pinwheels grow on my wall for a while I got tired of making them and didn't want to make more flying geese so I  switched to making 9-patch blocks.

 (are they called

puss in the corner blocks?  or something else...I can't remember but seems to me there is a name for them.)

I have over 50 of them now and am starting to think about how I want to put them together.

And then I thought, well what the heck am I going to do with the pinwheels? First things first and all that. 

During the last few weeks when the projects I'm working on haven't held my interest, I played with the pinwheels. Yesterday I finished piecing this little top it's about 23x27.

 I have it ready to quilt.  I'm going to quilt it with small free hand baptist fans. Just not sure whether I will hand quilt or put it on HQ.  Earlier this week I was slicing bagels and I slipped and cut my pointer finger...rather nasty actually.  I was able to get the bleeding stopped and a nice snug bandage has done the trick but it's impeding my doing stuff. 

**quilt-y stuff, I mean...I'm taking full advantage of not being able to do 'domestic' chores with such a terrible boo-boo.**

 Threads get caught in the adhesive at the edge of the bandage and it snags on everything.  I am able to quilt on HQ with my finger pointing up in the air;  as if I'm having a constant "ah-hah!" moment.

At some point I have to re-load "oh Man!...".

I have it hanging in the living room for now and the other night I noticed that I missed a section of quilting. It's in the top right side setting triangle around the center block.

  I have only "squiggle stitched" 1/2 of that triangle!  How the heck did I do that! I'm actually thinking of donating it but not sure if it's OK. (it's the right size for Quilts for Kids) I mean obviously it would be for a girl but I'm going back and forth about it. Is is 'little girl-y' enough, appropriate enough?

Your thoughts?

*****

I've finally got the IPod figured out and all the software working (oh knock-on wood--please do not jinx me).

I'm L-O-V-I-N-G listening to books on it.  I have an account set up with the library and my 'wish-list' is really long.  I'm trying to walk every day and having these to listen to while I'm walking is fantastic.  If only the silly weather would improve even slightly I'd probably be giddy with happiness about trekking through the park near our home.  When the kids were in school, I walked every morning after the bus picked them up. I started when Meghan was in kindergarten (she'll be 24 in July) but then when they got into high school something changed, I can't remember what exactly, if anything, got in the way but walking left the schedule.   I've tried over and over to get it back into it but always fall out of the habit before it's cemented in....so I try again.

I've been quilting...

64 x 84

Finished my first leader/ender quilt. I really like it--wish I would have made it queen size for my bed.

A close up:

I just did a meander in the blocks and a spineless feather in the outer border. 

And the pieced backing using some of my 'extra' block-a-day blocks.

*********

I quilted "OH man! This is gonna be bad" quilt yesterday.

It's not so bad after all.
These are a bunch of random block-a- day blocks that I didn't think would work as I was playing around with them on the design wall; hence the name of the quilt.

*******

I'm still working on sewing the outside row of blocks on my CW Medallion. It's slow going as I've been concentrating on quilting on HQ lately and enjoying it. 

Tonight I loaded my 9-patch challenge quilt and started on the outside border I hope to get it done this weekend.



 

What I've been working on

I have the binding sewn on and pinned for hand sewing to the back on my Eat. Play. Sleep. Repeat baby quilt.

The binding is sewn on my Serengeti Dance quilt as well.

I'm continuing to sew the blocks together for CW Medallion.  In this picture the side rows are already sewn on to the center and the top row is together but not added to the center.

Today I machine blanket-stitched the 3rd Bunny Hill BOM for Henrietta Whiskers

and then put the first row together.

I'm just lovin this project.

And these are SUPPOSE to be my Leader/enders but I keep finding myself piecing the little blocks together in between and then just piecing them for a bit. They are like eating m&m's---a bag at a time.

(that is how everyone eats m&m's right? not just me!)

I do need to take a little time and cut a bunch of patches for these L/E's. I think that's part of the problem; I keep having to stop and cut and then I start arranging the blocks by color and then I want to see how it will look and before you know it I've eaten another bag. 

(I mean I've sewn all the little blocks together and have nothing for L/E's again.)

And I've just printed out the directions for the 10th block for LCQA.  All morning I would say to myself that today was the day it would be posted and then I would say oh wait, NO I think it's not until next week...I was wrong ...and right.... 

******

my stupid silly computer won't recognize my printer cable AGAIN.  I feel like ripping my hair out.  But that would hurt real bad and not help with the printer issue.

I did download another audio book from the library today and now I'm wondering if I had troubles last month after downloading a book.  (I know they're probably not related in any way but when you're techno-challenged you will grasp at anything!) 

Speaking of audio books.  The last one I downloaded I never even got around to putting on the Ipod for listening to and the one I got today Water for Elephants I put on the IPod but can't get it to work.

I NEED MEGHAN!!!!

OK... I'm OK now.  I'm going to run down to the store for something chocolate(perhaps M&M's???) a few errands and then go back to my sewing room where it's safe and I know what I'm doing--at least most of the time.

LCQA Block 7

I didn't quilt today (CHICKEN!!!)
Edit: in the evening after posting this I did go down and start quilting Whirly-Twirly Feathers! I actually had to stop and jump up and down I was so excited.  Pictures soon. 
but I sewed another Quilts for Kids top together. Well, the rows are together.

And I found some leftover triangles so I'm making flying geese HST style with them as L/Enders.



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

The Scarf, Aster Manor and Crab Apples

My first scarf is finished!!  It is going to keep me very warm.  It's about 60" long.  I just kept knitting and knitting, figured it was better to use it and have a very long scarf than stop and have a little ball of yard leftover and nothing to do with it.

******

In between housework and other stuff I've been working on A.Manor. The sashing strips are all together along the right side.  The 2 bottom rows are already sewn together. I did that right away to get the bottom row off the floor, since Annie thinks fabric of any kind on the floor is her cue to make a nest!

*********

I only put together 1 block a day this week, the log cabin one on the left; hoping to catch up on those today and tomorrow.

The block on the right is my sample block for my next L/E using 2" squares. The quilt is called Crab Apples by B. Hunter. It's in her latest book, Adventures with Leaders and Enders.   However, the blocks in her quilt are smaller since she used 1.5" squares.   I wanted to use 2" squares to make the blocks finish 12".  So that meant re-sizing the paper piece pattern for the trunk part of the block!

It actually worked and since the p.pc. section is only 4 fabrics I was able to make it the first time correctly!  :)

 

Block a Days and a FLASH!!

Here are my block a days 6/28-7/4.  Paul and I are going on a little bike trip from the 3rd -5th so I'm getting ahead again.  The 5 batik blocks are 12" and the 2 Aster Manor are 10"

Here are the 10" blocks  and Batik 12" I have so far.

So...I was planning on leaving up the 10" ones and maybe working on a layout for them and even going through the calendar and finding the next 5 blocks sized 10" and make them.  

But as I was looking at the batik arrangement (I had to take the 10" ones down for the picture) I had this FLASH!

****segway****

I've started another leader/ender project using 2.5" batik squares to make 80 9-patch blocks.  I'm doing  this as part of "The 9-Patch Project" you can read about it here.  Of course, making one 9-patch blocks a day is too slow and using the leader/ender method I get 5-6 done a day with out trying so I have about 50 made already

***

ok back to the FLASH:

My brain said, "what if you take some of those 9-patch blocks and use them as setting squares in the border....

and what if you put plain sashing strips in....OR WAIT use 2.5" strips for the sashing.

  

I like the plain sashing better. I think.

So now I have another new project to play with.....cuz Hell-O do I really have time for this!!!!?

that would be "no".

Oh and I did buy a lot of the black batik when we were shop hopping but I'll bet dollars to donuts I'm going to need more!

I may have to go to a quilt shop today...what a shame.

******

This has nothing to do with quilting stuff. 

While on vacation, I bought a 550 piece puzzle. It was very difficult. (partly cuz I think I need new glasses...) It took Meghan and I 3 evenings to complete. 

I used that Mod Podge stuff to glue it together and framed it. I never did anything like that with a puzzle before. From across the room and with me needing an updated prescription in my glasses the puzzle pieces blend real nice....

boo-hoo, I miss the Ocean. 

Actually the shore and the sound of the waves is what I miss...I'm afraid of the ocean and all the sharks and fish and lumpy things you step on when your 20 feet off shore in only 3 feet of water but your mind starts playing the theme from Jaws

in your head...

(Yes, I know, I'm 47. I should get over it already!)