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!

Quilt Guild meeting

was tonight.

  

Linda M Poole was our speaker.

I am not exaggerating when I say her lecture and quilts were more than worth the price of membership!  

I so regret forgetting my dang camera.  

(but I remembered my name tag!) ha

Take a look at her schedule and if you are anywhere near where she's going to be speaking---GO!  You will not be sorry.  

moving forward on the Dresden quilt

There in the top left you can see the first pieced sashing section.  

I need 48 more!

I do believe I have cut enough 2.5 inch squares to accomplish that...686.

and yes I used a calculator. ;)

The plan is to make these and then decide on the corner squares (setting squares?).

I'm thinking I'm going to want that to be all the same fabric and dark...time will tell.

While I was rummaging around in my 3.5" strips bin, I found several hst leftover from something (?) so of course in typical ocd fashion I started playing with them and ended up with this star block and added a round of squares to it and lo and behold then found a leftover already sewn together set of pinwheels that I added to the top

 I think I have a new project....it never ends.

These are 7 block a days that go with nothing but each other.

I saw inspiration on Pinterest and think I found a background fabric in my stash that will work and I have enough of....hoping to get this together soon .

*******

I painted my bedroom yesterday.  

Paint was purchased months and months ago.

Am so glad that is done.  

But now it's been made even more clear that the rest of the house needs painted too.

Desperately.

Today

I work the afternoon shift at Hallmark.  

It's ornament debut weekend.  

Hopefully the hordes of collectors were in first thing this morning.

  

;)

I spent the morning making a simple table runner for my SIL.

18 x 94 -ruffle is about 8"

I used Osenburg fabric for it.  Now I will need to get some more to finish my new living room curtains--I cut it wrong which is why I used it for the runner..he he.

Just doing simple panels for my curtains, won't take long...famous last words.

  I finished the binding on Granny Squares.  It seems like I've been working on the binding for weeks, well I have because it's been mostly sitting on the back of a chair, not being worked on.  I have to do a label for it.  I was shocked that I didn't do one before I quilted it, but I was trying to get all the tops I had done before vacation and HQ went in to the spa. 

Um, yes, that will be my official excuse.  

63 x 84

I do love this quilt. 

and I started the machine blanket stitching on Autumn Gatherings. 

sigh...some days I just don't want to go anywhere. 

It's usually on days I have to.

Fun times, fun times.

Life is good!

a batik pumpkin

I ran out of time yesterday to visit a quilt shop for orange batiks.
I really am trying to be good and use my stash. I find it easier now that the stash is shrinking to say "oh I don't have anything that will work-must go shop." and sometimes that's true.
But what kept going through my head this evening was what if I couldn't just hop in the car and get some fabric; how would I finish this.
And suddenly I thought why couldn't I just use one batik fabric for the pumpkin instead of 4-5 like the pattern suggests.
So I did.

(Edit:  I actually used two batiks----my mind is a sieve-what can I say! :)

but you'd never know probably they are very close-which only shows the stash is more than adequate.

I really like it.  

I really, really like that I don't have to go out tomorrow morning and that I used a bit more of the stash.  

The top still needs it's outer border but I'll wait until after the machine blanket stitching is done before adding it.

HQ has been in spa treatment for a month now.  

Oh please oh please let the backlog of machines dissipate and get my machine CO &A pronto!!! 

4 to 6 weeks is becoming unbearable.  

I may break out in hives.  

I didn't think the separation would be so difficult.

whahh!  

:(

I started a new project

--could you even believe it!?

I have had this pattern for oh a hundred years it seems.

I bought it on my first Shop Hop.  I went downstairs yesterday not to start a new project for sure!  I think it's probably the only pattern I've had this long and still want to make.
I pulled all the fabrics from my stash and except for the crow fabric, which I bought with the pattern and have been saving (unbelievable) all this time, I used all batiks.  I am going to have to go get some orange batiks for the pumpkin, I need 3.  I did use 2 'regular' fabrics for 2 of the pumpkin sections but I just need something different than what I have.  I might be able to squeeze in a quick visit to The Quilting Needle tomorrow, if not it will have to be Saturday.

Dresden plates

I made a new "list of things to do". It's taped to the side of my sewing machine.  The last one worked really well.  I don't put anything like 

TO BE DONE THIS WEEK!! on it.

I just list some things and leave it open ended.  

It's keeping me on task without making me stressed.  

The Dresden's are on the list.  You may recall how I posted about wanting to set these on point.  Well, I'm over that.  

*smile*

The setting is going to be 4 x 5 plus sashing and borders.  I will aim for a nice queen size for my bed.  

The above picture was taken yesterday morning after the rearrangement. I now have all the plates made and only 5 more to blanket stitch to their foundations, woo-hoo.

You can see I still only have 4 NY Beauty blocks made.  I do need to make at least one soon here so I don't forget the technique!

And a way down at the end of the wall are 8 random block-a-days.  I want to put them together with a solid fabric--saw an inspiration  quilt for it on Pinterest; forgot to pin it or pinned to wrong board (done that before)-- but that's OK as I saw another inspiration quilt today. 

***

Last Saturday Paul-michael called.  

He was in the 'burgh and wanted to know if he could stop for a little visit before having to head back to Emmitsburg on Sunday morning.

"HECK YAH, come on over!"  I said calmly.  ;)

After lunch he and Meg went out on the deck.

I was cleaning up and spied them out the kitchen window.

One of those moments, 

                  nothing special really 

but it made my heart swell.

You know what I mean.  

 Sometimes life is so good it wells up and leaks out my eyes.