Fresh look

Change is good.

Sew Day!

Yesterday Libby & Mary Lynne came over to sew.  Oh my gosh, I forgot how much fun spending a day sewing with friends is-- especially in the dead of winter when the temps are in the frigid ridiculous zone! 

The night before I moved the sewing cabinets and added a table so we could sew and gab with ease.

They arrived at 9:30 and stayed until 3. 

First Libby shared a little show-n-tell; her granddaughter is making her 1st communion in a few months and each child has a banner at their seat. Libby made Ella's 

And a new baby quilt; the plain blocks have embroidery on them but my camera didn't pick it up.

When I invited them over to sew, Mary Lynne asked if I would teach them the Interleave  technique.  

Here is Mary Lynne's. She choose the Mirrored Sine Wave pattern

  

And here's Libby's. She did the Helix Sine Wave pattern.

I finished trimming all my Metro Rings units.  In spite of heavy chatting I managed to get them trimmed without mishap.  

I also had to take apart and rotate one block in my Metro Hoops top. After I had blogged about the finish, someone was kind enough to let me know one block was turned--whew! See it down there bottom row next to the right corner.  I doubt I would have seen it although now that I look at the picture it's glaring at me!!

But now it's fixed. 

We are planning on making these sew days a regular event.  

******

After the ladies left, I did some quilting. I'm doing a paisley fill behind the appliques and in that little center square area I cross hatched -the lines are 3/8 inch apart-yikes.

 I'm still just Stitching-in-the-Ditch on on the star blocks and along all the border seams.  The plan is to do a fill in the background (light green batik) areas around  the star blocks.  

Oh and the batting and quilt are off the ground...always a nice sign that the end is closer than I thought.  I would really like to get this done over the weekend. 

Wow-an achievable goal!  The question is: Will I persevere or start 2 or 3 new projects instead?

Fun times, fun times!

Life is good.

  

Last night I was innocently reading through some blogs and somehow I ended up at this post.  I just LOVED the quilt pictured there (a modern scrappy baby quilt) and remembered that I had a mini charm pack of High Street that I bought during the summer. 

I quickly pieced these 21 blocks, fun-fun.  But then what to do? I have yardage of a couple of the High Street line but not enough. (of course)

So this morning I pulled out some leftover batik jelly roll strips that coordinated and cut a bunch (168) squares and the grey background squares  and had a fun time chain piecing.  

See all those little triangles below the blocks?  Yep, they're the cut offs that I couldn't throw away--I'm going to sew them together for what... I don't know yet.

 With the batik ones, I sewed a 2nd line 1/2 inch from the 1st one so when I trimmed the triangle off it was already sewn together.
 It took only a little more time

  and now these are all done and pressed too.
I'm going to trim off all the little dog ears while watching the Pens game tonight.

In between chain piecing, I pressed the Metro Ring units I had 90+ to press and it seemed to take forever.
They are finally all done and now to trim them all to size.

I took a little break and gave Mr Otis a bath.  He was not too pleased with that but I'm happy to have a clean pupper doodle again.  He was exhausted and took a nice long nap by the fire.

I'm going to need my design wall to lay out the new baby quilt blocks, so I was forced (heh-heh) to start the sashing on the bl-a-days. I'm pretty sure these will be 2 lap size quilts instead of one twin.  I don't have enough of the green fabric I'm using for all the blocks anyway.  I spent about 20 minutes messing around with a scrappy sashing but just couldn't get into it and didn't want to spend more time than necessary to get these done.  

I've done another row of SID on Jonquils & Stars but it's languishing.  

I'm hoping for at least another pass or two tomorrow.

******

Helix #2

finished!

this one measures 17 x 19

Now I really need to get back to the regularly scheduled quilting and finish piecing the Metro Rings units...only about 20 left.

******

Distractions

On Monday my quilt guild hosted Lorrie Faith Cranor.  She gave a presentation of her quilts and designs and then on Tuesday led a workshop on her Interleave design.

The weather was awful and I almost didn't go but boy am I glad I did!

Lorrie is a lovely person and excellent teacher.

We were to pick 4 FQ of fabrics that went well together but had good contrast.

Geeze louise, picking fabrics makes me crazy. I must have pulled 20 fabrics out of the stash.  Then after the guild meeting and seeing her quilts in person, I came home and picked different ones!  

 Here are my fabrics prepped and ready to be cut into 1 inch sections!

Of course I forgot my camera, so one of the other ladies taking the class took these and was kind enough to send them to me.

starting to see the design 

after I got home I finished the last few rows

squared it up to 16 inches, made binding and finished it.

Here it is hanging in the dining room. 

This pattern is Helix (Sine Wave)... I have NO IDEA what that is-but I like it in a quilt!

Today I started another one. Same pattern totally different fabrics. I have better contrast with these and like the effect even better.

This is a quilt as you go technique, and after adding each strip I would piece a  hst unit for my Up, Up and Away quilt (from Amanda's book)

 and finally reached 589!

That's just enough to make the quilt (if I've added correctly) woo-hoo!

There's the last one and the jar I've been keeping them in.  

I started making them back in August. It will be fun to lay them out one of these days. one of these days soon I hope.

whoa!

two posts in one week...

just a little follow up on my quilting progress (not much)

I got a little more of the SiD and the inside border done

 see told you not much.

However, I did get all the rest of the 2.5 inch strip sets sewn together and the curved piece cut out-96 total.  It took a good long while to do.

and then I cut the background curved pieces.  So now I'm all ready to piece the blocks.  

I work this weekend so not much more will get done until next week.

The plan was to get all these prepped yesterday but we had a surprise visit from this little one.  A very happy break for both Meg and I.

(yep-that's a made by Mimi burper!!-vintage Amy Butler perhaps...)

Today I loaded Jonquils & Stars.  I spent the last couple days piecing the backing for it from "chunks" of batik fabric from my stash.  

I started the SID along the inner border and then I got real hungry.  I stopped for lunch and then remembered I needed a few things at the grocery store and had to go to the bank.  I got home and thought I really should get the house cleaned so all but the dusting-bleck-is done and now it's coffee break time which will lead into having to make dinner (meatloaf) so I hope I'll get back to quilting this in the evening.

Earlier, while I was waiting for a quilt-drop off, I pulled out the CW Block-a-days 12 inch blocks.  I had them pinned in rows (from last year) but re-arranged them and added the blocks from the guilds Christmas BOM that I started but stalled out on. 

 There are two blocks left over and I will probably put them into the back. I will probably sash this with 2.5 inch strips.  I'm going to let them sit there for a bit and think about it.
Not for too long though as I also got out the Metro Rings pieces.
They are getting worked on next.

In the same project box with the Metro Rings I found the pattern for
Urban Birthday and a layer cake and yardage for it--- oops!
forgot all about that one.

Jenny is starting a new QAL which I'm probably going to do :)