1st Pillow

I finished this one yesterday!  Hope to get the 2nd one done today. 

what? how'd that towel get in the picture.....

"go stillers" (which if  yinz you've never heard us talk is how native Pittsburgher's say "Steelers")

There's even a book about it.

Progress continues

on the feathered quilt, but yesterday when I went downstairs in the morning to start some laundry I felt like sewing.  But I really had nothing little to sew.  (I know; "gasp") It's sorta weird after all last year always having blocks to sew and sewing was the main event every day.

If you remember, I wasn't sure about an outer border for Evening Shadows.  I was thinking of sewing random leftover jelly roll strips together.  But I did that on another quilt and didn't like the look.  Well, as I stood there in my jammies pondering what I could do for a quick sewing 'fix', I started putting the strips on the wall and I liked it, so I sewed a few together just to be sure; and yep I liked it.  So 3 hours later, with a load of laundry sitting in the washer, me still in jammies (embarrassing) and starving for lunch I had the borders figured out.  I was  just going to put on 2 rows but had enough for 3 rows and that makes the finish size 68 x 86 and I thought that was a good size.

In the afternoon, I was putting up my few valentine's decorations (2 small quilts) and I remembered that last year I had bought some die cut hearts (already cut out with fusible on them) at The Quilt Co. They had them in a little bowl by the check out so I bought 6.

I got them out and thought I would make 2 pillows, this is what I came up with.

12" x 16" pillow tops

The one on the right I've already blanket-stitched around with a King Tut red-it really helps since they are so pale they blend in.  I forgot to put a piece of batting on the back so my stitching would also be my quilting--agggghhh. I have a little bag of assorted heart buttons, but I'm just not an 'embellish-er' so not sure I'll add them. 

******

last week I sewed the last of the "found" HST together into flying geese, but I'm still loving the flying geese so I pulled out all my pre-cut 2.5 x 4.5 med/dark bricks, ala BonnieH, and a bunch of light 2.5 squares and have been sewing them together L/E. The little triangles you cut off I'm sewing together into little pinwheels (they're measuring 3" unfinished).  At first I was throwing the little things away, but then I felt guilty (what's up with that!) so I got them out of the waste basket and when I sewed them together, awww they're just so cute. 

I know, the little pinwheel by itself is spinning the wrong way--- an orphan among leftovers, so sad.



Design Wall Monday 1/31/11

Another week with Evening Shadows on the wall. 

but I did get the stop borders sewn on and that was what was on the 'to do list' for it. (yea me!)

I did take it down for a few days to arrange and piece 2 donation quilts.
Here's one, I guess I didn't take a picture of the other one, it has mostly red, yellow and orange squares.

 I'll quilt them after I finish Libby's quilt that's loaded now and I'm doing the Wh-Twirly Feathers on.  SO much room for improvement but I'm still real happy with these first results.

 Center of quilt

area between where one of the big star points come together.

Too see what others are working on check out Patchwork Times.

I'll be visiting too, but my computer is being a pain and commenting seems to be an issue.  :(

We are teetering on the edge of a new computer but dang it I just don't want to have the added expense right now.  So we're going to try and deal.....

for a while anyway. Sometimes it just feels like a Rosanna Danna week....it's always sumthin, if it's not one thing it's another...

*****

Whirly Twirly Feathers

*smile*

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.



Whirly Twirly Feather Practice

One of my non-written goals for this year is to really improve my quilting skills. 

I would like to quilt  every day....that hasn't happened so far but that's ok.  Drawing quilt designs count too.

I've re-watched Kim Brunner's DVD and I'm drawing and drawing. I was hoping to start quilting tomorrow....but I think I need more practice on paper first....ripping these out would be Horrible.

I'm excited how they're turning out on paper and it's starting to come easier, which is amazing! Yes, I will definately draw some more before doing this for real.

I messed up the center part but that's ok.  It's just paper--no frog stitching involved!

As I'm looking at this now, I'm seeing areas where I need much improvement.  But I'm pretty happy with these. 

Design Wall Monday (1/24/2011)

My design wall was the same as last week...

Evening Shadows

Finally, decided on a name for this one so no more calling it a bl-a-day top,

but I didn't feel like sewing on borders.....so I took it down and put up these squares to made another Quilts for Kids quilt.  I'm thinking because of all the block construction I did last year I'm just rebelling and enjoying mindless sewing and quick completions. 

This morning after spending over an hour cleaning out the refrigerator. (what? you don't normally clean out your fridge at 6:45am?) 

Oh me either, but when I reached in to get the Coffee mate Peppermint Mocha creamer for my coffee I somehow knocked over a covered pitcher with about 2 cups of iced tea in it.  Of course it tipped over easily since it was almost empty and the lid came off all the sticky iced tea goodness went  towards the back of the fridge and ran down to under the produce drawers.....I could not react fast enough to stop it!

Only on a Monday.

*smile* 

I also finished the binding on my Crumbs Quilt.

I have a label ready in EQ6 but my stupid old computer troubles have started again and now my printer isn't being recognized....uninstall, reinstall, trip to Best Buy new connector thingy, do it again.....hot steam coming out of my ears (that would be the bad words I'm trying not to say).  

I give up. It's not the printer-- it's the ole computer...Perhaps tomorrow I will venture out and be overwhelmed by all the new computer options and how smart these 12 year old Geek squad people are, and how uneducated I am about such techno stuff.  I see how they try really hard not to crack a smile when I ask my questions.  (I can almost hear them thinking "oh man, she's just like my mom!") At least I hope that's what their thinking!!!

... or maybe if I just shut this down everything will be better when I boot it back up later..or tomorrow, it probably just needs a  good rest.  I know wishful thinking and actually, I already tried it.

If only it were that easy.

 And dang it!

I think it should be.