my design wall

I'm making slow progress on both quilts.  

I've cut this stripe for sashing between the rows of CW blocks

now I think I want to put the blue 1.5 inch sashing all the way around and w/cornerstones too.  (always like to use them as they make the matching up easier, in mho.)

I get super excited every time I add a block to this bunch.  I have the rest of the grey curves sewn together and just need oh, 45 minutes probably to sew them on.

Maybe today is the day.

a few days ago, just for the heck of it I sewed together the original blades I had cut for my dresden; cut before I sewed a sample block and decided I wanted mine to be bigger.  

I think these shall become smaller pillows. The top one I'm calling my 'low volume' one I love it.  The blue one I love simply because it's blue. 

I look at them here and on my design wall and think 'oh wouldn't that be a nice quilt...either all blue and beige dresdens' (Diane you do want to make a blue and white quilt one day....) or 'oh wouldn't that be cool to make one in each color-controlled scrappy'.   

And then I smack myself and come back to reality and say 'yes 2 finished pillows is the way to go.'  

heh-heh.

new projects and the block a days that just won't end.....

Yesterday I saw this pillow on Moda's Bake Shop. And I immediately started to make it.

I am making it a bit smaller, to fit a 20 inch pillow insert.

Of course I should not be making a pillow.  I should be working on the pieced borders for these blocks.

 all neatly piled up and ready to go

or quilting 

This is a baby quilt, the maker wanted something simple. It's for a boy. The quilting design is from The Pajama Quilter; double loops or 'olives' she calls it.  I was just flipping through the book before I started quilting and her words describing the design jumped out at me that if you quilt this giant size on a baby quilt it looks darling.  I was skeptical but liked it better than what I was thinking of doing and dang it does look cute!

  

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After Amanda was here last week, I had some quilt re-folding to do.

It was quite a pleasant task.  

During the refolding I pulled out a bunch that need to go.

I'm not in love with them anymore,a few I never was, they don't have a 'special' meaning for me and it's time for someone else to enjoy them. 

Of course, this doesn't reduce the quilts near enough and I am percolating a few different ideas of how to deal with this.  

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I also shamelessly got my block-a-day box out from under the cutting table yesterday as well.  

I don't know why I did, just to 'check on them' ???

I looked at them and thought, may have actually said out loud;

'this is ridiculous'

'these need to be done'

'sheesh'

So I started to play with blocks.

(there is another row of 5 blocks on the floor that you can't see)

I'm thinking of making two quilts from these 12 inch CWrepro blocks.

I'm thinking wide sashing between 3 rows. I'm thinking 2 lap/twin size instead of 1 queen...better for donating or matching for 2 twin beds (what??-yep I actually thought that even though I don't have two twin beds and don't know anyone who does and would want coordinating quilts in CW fabrics to cover them!!)  

It was great fun playing with them!  I still have two leftover blocks-they just don't fit in so will go into the backing.

This will end the twelve inch blocks and use up some of the large pieces of CWrepro fabric I got on sale a year or two ago.

I'm thinking I think too much and instead of starting more stuff should stay focused and finish what I have started  

hahahahahaa

I crack myself up.

a new pillow cover

 I made it with stash.

Nice for spring.

It's a gift-I think she will like it.

Quilter's really are the best-est people!

I had the pleasure of spending a day with one of them. Amanda Jean Nyberg from Crazymomquilts was in Pittsburgh to speak at our guild. 

One of the other guild members showed her around Pittsburgh on Sunday and I continued the fun on Monday.

 I picked her up in the morning and we went to The Strip District.  Amanda got to see a cool area of the 'burgh, me too because although I've lived here all my life, I've never shopped in the strip.

She also got proof of my being directionally challenged--what can I say; I think I only almost turned left instead of right, two or three times.... or was it right instead of left?

We came back to my house and had lunch on the deck and relaxed.  Amanda asked to see my quilts. 

I'd hold one up give a little story and fold it on the couch....

 then on the chair...

Sometimes you just need to sit back, put your feet up and look at some quilts!

  

The day flew!  

We talked about quilts, our kids, quilts, family, blogging oh and quilts.  

Her trunk show was excellent.

We saw and heard the stories behind the quilts; the making of them and how her book came about.  If you get the chance to see her, go! You will not be disappointed.

Today was an all day workshop where we learned her slab technique.

I had to first separate my scraps into colors before I could even begin piecing.

(I see a long overdue fabric re-organization in my future.)

Here are the three I made.

  The pink one and the red one pretty much used all the scraps I had in those colors.  I have tons of blue and greens too, the amount of greens was a surprise to me.
fun, fun!

******
and finally
This is a terrible picture of a stunning quilt.


the 'crapola photographer' (that would be me) strikes again!

It's the raffle quilt for our fall quilt show.  I'll get a better picture in the future.
It is just gorgeous.

I hope I win it.  I have plenty of room.

as long as I don't put that last pile of quilts away.

Urban Chained went from a flimsy to quilted this weekend.

I have the binding made but in my haste to get this quilted I forgot to make a label and attach to the back before I quilted it...so I have to get a label ready and sew it along the edge with the binding.  (that way I only have 3 sides to hand stitch to the back).

I did make a cute pillow cover and quilted it real fast yesterday but alas no picture.

Tonight is my guild meeting.  Our speaker is Amanda Jean from crazymomquilts.  

How fun is that!! 

OK a busy day today so I better get dressed and get it started!

   

As April blurred into May, things remained pretty stagnant here.  I did quilt

a few customer quilts but piecing went out the window.  Finally last week, I spend most of a day sewing....

these blocks became

an Urban Chained flimsy!

 Yesterday the  last 3 rows were sewn together at 6:30 am-before work!

The X's quilt has been sewn together; 3 X's across by 4 down.

I should say "I can't believe I didn't get a picture", but I can believe it!

I bought Kim's Fantasy Feather's booklet and it arrived just as I was getting ready to take down the X's flimsy.  Unless I forgot, I'm going to use her design ideas on this quilt.

I also "flimsied" (did I just invent a new term?) this one.

It measures about 53 x 56.  I was trying to keep with the modern look which in many cases means, no borders.  But adding the border made the size better.  I think it's a good baby size now.
It felt really good to get these half finished tops off the wall. 

I also pieced the final block for the Curve It Up quilt along. 

This picture has the block with the curved border already on.

I am going to put each block up on the design wall as I finish them. 

 I cut out the rest of the pieces and ran out of the white on white and the grey solid.  

Separate trips to two different Jo-Ann's and I finally found the same grey--who know there were so many 'shades of grey' (ooh that could be a bad pun if you know of /read those steamy books from last summer).
 

***I did start the first book and after about 100 pages, couldn't find a plot and was thinking "no way in Hell anybody could do that so much and still be able to walk***
Call me a snob but if I'm going to read smut it has to be believable smut. 

I returned the book to Target. And was told by the clerk, when I gave my reason (I really didn't know it was THAT kind of book). She said I must be the only person who didn't, as it's been all the morning shows etc have been talking about.
 

Sadly, I do not watch morning TV or most any other TV so I am out of the loop on matters trivial and important. 
 

Does this make me an ignorant snob??????

whoa-that was a digression-  and I hope not TMI !
And finally, since it is Facebook official on my DIL's page.  I feel it's OK to say.

******

My son, John and his wife, Jen are
GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!

...IN DECEMBER!!

...I AM EXCITED!!

...CAN YOU TELL!!


***SMILE***SMILE***SMILE***

so much to do so little time

quilting... 

 quilting...

quilting... 

and more quilting

This is the 2nd baby quilt for Libby (the top picture is the first one)

 the patterns are from Rebecca Silbaugh her blog is here.

 you can find the patterns for the Alphabet Stitchery's here. I took the pictures on the deck.  The sun is coming through the bare tree branches....but it's the SUN!!!

woo-hoo.

Rebecca and her mom did a trunk show/lecture at our guild a few months back and we each bought 2 of the patterns.  Libby has hers made --they are going to be gifted to newborn twins.  

They are just too adorable.  The first one pictured at the top of post is 'Noah's Ark'

the 2nd is the 'Jungle Animals'.  Libby said the stitchery one the Noah's Ark one took a bit more time but the Jungle one stitched up very fast.

I was most surprised when she told me she bought the fabric at JoAnn's!  It's really, really nice. It was a bundle they had.

I'm almost done piecing the X blocks. The blocks on the right are this months guild BOM.  I like making the little 6 inch blocks more than the 12 inch ones, they're just  fun!  I should take down that darn asterisk block.

   

And here's my latest treasure made by my dad!

It's a side table with glass (plexi-glass for safety) on the front and sides and a hinged top.

 I have 6 full/queen quilts in it and a few small ones I switch out for decorating.

I LOVE it.  And have asked for a matching one for the other side of the sofa. 

Filling it will be no problem!

Of  course now I think I need new lamps....