I'm almost caught up

I've been quilting away

and soon hope to be able

 to load one of my own...

but not yet.

******

This quilt needed the borders redone and is now ready to load. It was hand pieced by a grandma who passed away 6 years ago. It will be a surprise Christmas gift for someone.  There is some fullness in the blocks but I think it will be OK; just having the borders on straight and square has helped tremendously.
It's been a good learning experience for me and am sure will continue today as I quilt it.

In the picture below, the blocks on the right are a little Christmas quilt I'm piecing for the heck of it

 *wink*

and the blocks on the left are from my 2010 block-a-days. I think they are the 9" blocks. I un-sewed one or two (?) and resewed to get this layout-that center star block with the 9-patch center is a 6.5" block.

 I have no idea where this is going, but one day last week  I was so tired of quilting and just wanted to piece something

 but didn't want to start anything...

really,

 but I did-

two things actually.

fun times, fun times.  

Life is good.

A Flimsy!

64 x 80

I LOVE this! 

The borders went on so stinkin' smoothly I was stunned. 

I haven't been this excited about a quilt in a long time...hmmm

going to have to think about that and why..

It's now waiting patiently for quilting.

********

I'm about as ready for Thanksgiving as I can get. 

Everything else has to be done tomorrow morning.

OH WAIT!  I forgot to dust, dang it.  I hate dusting. 

Tonight Meghan and I are going to the Pens game!  

Happy Thanksgiving!

fun times- fun times! Life is Good.

amen

Design Wall Monday

These are the top and bottom rows for my Old St Nick top. The four corner blocks are up there also. They're already sewn together.

My plans for this week (besides hosting Thanksgiving dinner) is to get these 2 rows sewn together.
And machine finish the bindings on these 5 Quilts for Kids quilts.

And do some quilting too. Well, if I just get another top loaded I'll count that as good.

Paul went bear hunting.  Alas Whew! He didn't get one. While he was gone I cleaned and cooked and did yard work  (LYING!) sewed non stop almost!  (that's the TRUTH!)

I quilted and finished

18 x 36

And then I quilted and finished.

Check out other design walls at Judy's

Design Wall Monday and other stuff

My wall.

18 x 36

This is another Joined at the Hip door banner. The series is called "Hanging on a Star".

Until I made this one 

I didn't know there was a series of these banners!

 (help me)  

They seem to be just my kind of project. I also have this pattern. 

 I should have made it before the blessings one since I am having Thanksgiving guests and wouldn't that be so perfect on the door?  But I had already cut out the background fabric for the other one and since I really shouldn't be starting ONE MORE THING I just 'finished what was started, for once.
The picture is from their website and dang it but it looks so much better than the picture that came with the pattern, that I am now bummed that I didn't make it first.
 I think you know where this is going....

'Blessings' is waiting patiently for me to finish a quilt on HQ which I'm hoping to get  done today.

I spent all afternoon yesterday trimming hedges.

Oh cripes, do my arms hurt today!  So we'll see how much quilting I can do.  I'm pretty sure making dinner is out....

 j/k, j/k!  

 I really had fun with the new trimmer though. I was the first to use it as Paul was at camp.  I think I could really make big shrubs into little wee shrubs very quickly. It's almost mesmerizing how the branches just seem to melt off.  We have a huge hedge row in the backyard of forsythia.  They are in my sights next. But it's raining here so they get to be wild and crazy for a few more days.  

Old St Nick is progressing in little bits.  I forgot to take a picture but I have all the HST prepped.  That is unless I counted wrong, which is always a possibility.   I will try to get an updated picture later this week.

Ole' St. Nick

Old St Nick progress (64 x 80-when done)

Here's a 'hot off the memory card' picture!

I finished all the machine blanket stitching-those pine trees are huge-the two bigger trees are 15 inches and that's just the green part. They are 28 inches from tip top to bottom of the trunk!  I did take the background apart, in half basically along one of the rows, to make it easier to manipulate while doing the stitching.  It's sewn back together now.

And for anyone who might be wondering, yes I forgot to flip the templates when I was marking the fusible so my Santa it looking to the east rather than the west.
His coat and hat are flannel and I just love it.

I still need to piece 26 or is it 22 hst's? oh crap I can't remember but I think I have the correct number of Thangles pulled.
I do remember the number 168; which is the total HST needed for those scrumptious borders! I'm hoping to have this done in the first week of December.  

The racks of thread there need to find a home on a wall but since walls down  in deconstruction land seem to keep moving/changing/disappearing, they're hanging out along the design wall for now- in my way but I'm trying to work on my patience  just deal with it.

Paul spent last evening tearing out part of the old back wall to move the gas line for the fireplace.
Once again I'm so glad he never finished the drywall on that back wall even with my gentle urging to do so nagging.  Unscrewing it from the studs was nearly mess free as opposed to the dreaded Saws-All  and the tons of white powdery dust which is has become, once again, my nemesis.

*****

quilting continues...

....fun times, fun times. Life is good.

Design Wall Monday

The "Old St Nick" applique center is fused.  

I'm using 4 inch Thangles for the HST's. 

I have on my list for this week to do the blanket stitching and finish sewing the HST's.  I also have a small customer quilt to do, going with my mom tomorrow to a doctor appt. and Wednesday a friend from my church is coming over to discuss my making a quilt for her from clothing items from her Grandma. 

Oh and since I'm having Thanksgiving here I need to start worrying about that too. 

I've been so busy I forgot all about it.

 I started this post almost an hour ago but Otis came in from his morning rounds and he rolled in something delightful again.  

So at 8 am he was getting his first ever 'before breakfast' bath.

I have a feeling this is going to set the tone for the week-still in my jammy's and a major detour from the to do list for the day.

fun times, fun times. Life is good.

Exercise

for us quilters.

I was just checking blogs, started hopping around and ended up at Generation Q and

 this post.  

I did the 3 exercises as I got to them while reading the article and I just wanted to let you know that HOLY COW I can really feel the difference!  My wrists feel really good right now. 

I didn't realize how tight they were.

So I thought I'd just share the link with you all.