Closer to a Finish

Any chance you are getting tired of seeing the same thing on my design wall?  I know I am.  So, even though I have 4 block As, 3 large triangles, and 2 small triangles left to make, I started sewing blocks together.  You can see the corner in the upper left (1 blocks, 2 large triangles and 1 small triangle).  It doesn’t seem like much but I was really excited to see this move toward completion.  And I have continued to sustain the one block a day (Friday I did 2 and then was gone all Saturday).  If I can do 2 a day this week I should have all the blocks done by the end of the month: wouldn’t that be great?



And guess what else I got done.  I completed the quilting of my feathered star table topper.  I guess I , once again, need to thank Judy of Patchwork Times for her lessons on quilting feathers for even though I am still learning, I am very pleased with the results on this quilt.



One other great thing that happened for this quilt this week is that I found, buried in my stash, more of the background fabric.  I had been fretting over what I would use as a binding so I began digging in the “yellow” section of fabric to see if I had anything that would compliment these two.  “And what to my wondering eyes should appear” but the very fabric I was trying to match. 




So Sunday I cut, pressed and sewed the binding on this little quilt.  Today I will finish the binding and this quilt will be residing on our table.  DH has already decided that his “new” globe will look great on it so that will be our table decoration…….for a while. 



On Saturday DH and I took off to do a little antiquing.  Although several of the antique malls we have loved have long since disappeared, there are still a few in and around here so we try to do our best to keep them in business.  I really do not like shopping except when we are wandering through looking at old things, some of which remind us of our childhoods.    It was a very pleasant day.



And now I leave you with a picture of our most recent grandchild, Elsa Grace, lying on the Frog Quilt made for her by me.  Most of you will have already seen this quilt but I also wanted to share it’s being put to good use.
Have a great, productive, and inspiring week.    

Gari

Break Time

I sat down to take a break, read a few blogs, and perhaps even work on a couple of EQ designs.  And look what happened.  Everyone else decided it was “break time” too.  With a lapful like that, who can get anything done?  And who would want to?  So we clicked on the TV, watched a little HGTV before returning to housework and quilting.











I won’t share pictures of my housework (boring) but here are the completed February, yes I said February, blocks for the Carol Doak Mystery 2012-13 quilt.  If I read her right these are the last blocks and soon we will get her plan for the layout.  I am all caught up with this one so I am ready for the next step so I can have another UFO to guilt me. 





The quilting on my feathered star is coming right along.  I only do a row a day but I am very happy with what I am seeing.









I did draw out, on a sheet of Plexiglas, my quilting design plan and then I took pictures.  I printed them and that way I can make sure I am quilting the same thing in each of the stars and/or star points.  I have two star points and then the final border row to do and the quilting will be done.  I guess I better start looking for some binding fabric.


I am also still chugging away on Bonnie Hunters Easy Street.  I am 1 block away from being on the last row which includes 4 blocks, 5 large triangles and 2 small triangles.  And then, of course, I still have to sew all those blocks (and intersections) together.  I know what I am going to use for a small stop border around the center but I have no idea about an outer border.  And I don’t think I have anything in my stash that is jumping out and saying it is ready to play with this very bright and busy quilt.  What fun it will be to be taking ES to the quilt stores to look for the best playmate.    But I don’t think that is going to happen quite yet.

Have a great weekend, I know I will.

2013 Begins

Everybody ready for a fresh start in this brand new year?  Well, I am making a stab at it.

So this is my Design Wall today.  On the top is what I have done, so far, on Easy Street.  I really like how it is looking and am loving my color choices.







I decided that I would kit up each block and triangle so all I have to do is pull out a baggie and sew another piece together.











Well, that’s not quite all.  While doing the kitting I discovered that I must have misread the cutting directions a couple of times and there were not enough of some parts.  So I made a list of what was still needed and put those blocks on top of the box of fabrics, ready for me to do the cutting, after I get all the ready blocks sewn together.  I am calling that organized disorganization.



This is the Teapot for January.  Again I had a small piece of funky fabric and was just waiting for the right teapot for it.  I will eventually be appliqueing it with navy blue thread so the outline stands out.









I also got the second of my “scrap” placemats started.  The colored lines are actually the strips of fabric cut off of the Funky Chicken applique pieces.  I hate to waste even little pieces of batik so I have stuck them on this pretty fabric.  Later I will be putting them on a backing fabric and quilt them both at the same time.



Yesterday I put my feathered star table topper on the frame.  This little top has been ready to quilt for about 2 1/2 years but I have been afraid to quilt it.  Since we used it in our Christmas decorations, I decided that it shouldn’t go back on the “to be quilted” rack so on the frame it went.  I will be roaming in and out of there , in between Easy Street blocks, trying to decide how I want to quilt it.



I think the holidays wore Abby out.  But she sleeps under a beautiful quilt and looks like a princess.  This is one pampered pup.





I am linking with Patchwork Times, Quiltville, and What A Hoot.

Fun Week

Last night DH and I attended a concert called Joy at the Beach directed by Karen, a friend from my working days.  The singing group was formed following Hurricane Ivan, which devastated the Pensacola Beach area, as a way of healing and a promise of rejuvenation.  They have been presenting musical programs now for 7 years.  It was a fun and refreshing program.  And, based on the audience, Christmas is not just for children!


While in Pensacola we made our obligatory stop at Dunkin.   As usual they had cool stuff for sale and we had to get this, a DD t-shirt.  Now I admit that I don’t like Starbucks coffee (too bitter) but I found this really funny and so two of them came home with us. 



Today I added something to our Christmas village scene.  It is the quilt on the right, a feathered star quilt top I finished 2-3 years ago and still haven’t quilted it.  I was very annoyed with the big blank blue wall and remembered that I had this “star” quilt that would just fit that space.  What is funny is that Flight School, the quilt on the left, was first hung as a flimsy and then quilted after that Christmas.  Maybe that bodes well for the Feathered Star. 



Several times a day I walk in the woods with these two dogs.




Note that although we are all walking in the same woods, two of us are going in two different directions.  Sometimes I feel like I am being pulled apart: did you know that doxies are VERY strong?



Sometimes they pull together, a lot like sled dogs (and I am the sled).  We all get our exercise when we go for a walk in the woods.



But besides the exercise we are always running into beautiful things hiding out in our wonderful woods.



But lest you think that life is all travel, music, decorating, puppies, and wood walks, I have been sewing.  Here you see the results of having ALL of Step 1 and Step 2 of Bonnie Hunter’s Easy Street Mystery DONE!!  And it is only Wednesday.  I even had time to draw the Teapot BOM for December and to pick out the fabric. 
I will be on the road again tomorrow but will be back for the Step 3 unveiling on Friday. 

Design Wall 5/30/11

Today we celebrate Memorial Day. It is the time to remember all the men and women who have sacrificed to keep our nation free. Thanks to one and all for the freedoms I have. I am truly grateful.

This is what is on my wall this morning. I have the center done, 3 borders on and the 4th border is on the sides. I am hoping that this morning I will be able to get the top and bottom borders made and on and then this top will be ready to quilt. This is a throw that will be 60 x 70, just the right size for snuggling when it is either cold outside or the air conditioning is turned down too low. Anyway, I think I have enough black batting for it but won't know until I get it done and on the frame (and of course, until I make a backing for it). I got a new panto from Urban Elementz Saturday that will be just perfect and I think I am going to quilt it with purple thread.

And to make the weekend even more productive, look what I got finished.

My feathered star is now a full fledged, finished, flimsy. In my previous post I showed my "one" mistake while making the friendship stars but otherwise it went together quickly and I am really pleased. It looks a little washed out in this picture because I took the picture in full sun but once it is quilted, later this summer, you will see how really pretty it is. I am not sure how I am going to quilt it: I may be looking at other feathered stars for inspiration.

Now, before you return to either your celebrations, eating, or sewing, be sure to go over to Patchwork Times to see what other quilters have been up to.

Feathered Star: working

On my schedule for Tuesday was “complete the feathered star table topper. Well, here is where I am, one border on. All of the parts are made but I spent 3 hours on the phone Tuesday and 2 hours on the phone today, trying to get service from my internet server. I believe the router is kaput but they think it is my computer(s). I was using my cordless phones and had all three go dead, because of how long I was on the phone, both days. However, I seem to have service, for now, so thought I would share what I have been up to.

Here is another reason I didn’t get as far as I should have. What is wrong with this picture? And I didn’t see there was a problem until it was all sewn together either. I made a couple more before I was willing to take this one apart and do it right.

I now have 12 that are complete and, except for the sewing part, look just like this. All of the borders will look like the one in the first picture with plain squares in the corners. Then I will bind it with the background fabric, after quilting it, of course.

I am off to teach a WW group this afternoon and will be in FL doing the same thing tomorrow but hope to have this top finished on Friday. It will be good to have this one done because I have visualized it for so long and I am really proud of the feathered star.

May 23rd Design Wall

So here is my design wall for today. In the center is my most recent attempt. I am sewing squares and rectangles of batiks, framing them in black and then sewing them together. The squares are 3” and the rectangles are 2.5 x 3". Of course the strips are different lengths but I have a plan to even them out. As you can see, I have several rows sewn but the rows are not sewn together, yet. I had a plan for blocks on this quilt but I couldn’t make it work. So I went with the little squares and I am liking it a lot. I have a plan (read: thought) for borders which I am hoping will work.

And, sadly, off to the right, is my feathered star. I think I heard it sobbing yesterday when I was in there working on the batik quilt. But I have blue friendship stars scheduled for today so with any luck you may be able to see some progress in that area.

To close out this out I am sharing what I wake up to every morning. There is nothing better than waking up under your own quilt, with Abby.

Don’t forget to go over to Patchwork Times to see what other quilters are up to.

Design Wall 5/16/11

Well, doesn’t this wall look busy? First off, on the left, we have the first 5 blocks of Esther’s Heart’s Desire BOM. All done and boy, was I ever proud of my accomplishment. She gave us the center block one month and then in March she gave us the outer four and two months in which to do them. It took me all of that two months but I finished at the last moment. I was looking forward to the next block until I looked at it Saturday night. It is a beautiful block but we have four, again, to do but this time we only have one…YES, I SAID ONE… month to get them done. I will probably not even try to get them done on time but tomorrow I will begin prepping. You really should go over to Esther’s blog to see our new task/treat.

The little colored squares are the beginning of a batik quilt. I designed a block for this quilt but as I began piecing I have changed my mind and right now I am just making little blocks, lots and lots of them, and will decide how they will be placed, later. I really love how the batiks pop when sashed with black.

Unfortunately, you can also see my feathered star, still without a border. This UFO is not getting done at this rate. But it is still on the wall, just to keep me from forgetting it.

Now, don’t you forget to go to Patchwork Times to see how other quilters are getting along.

Design Wall 5/9/11

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day.  With all of our children either miles away or working, DH and I spent the day in Pensacola, FL, eating and shopping.  The weather was beautiful and the day was fun and restful.

So, my design wall for 5/8/11:

I’m afraid that nothing got done on my feathered star table topper.  I wonder how long it will hang up there before it goes back on the shelf.

To the left are 7 of the 8 Underground Railroad blocks, LQS BOM.

These are the two for May and for the first time in a long time I have them done ahead of time.

Here are all 8, one of them was lost for a short time but I found it before posting this.  The fabric is chosen by the LQS owner and it seems we are going for a lot of orange, my favorite color.  I did add some of my own batiks in the log cabin as only one fabric was there for the dark side and it just didn’t look good to me.

I also spent some time doing the applique on other BOMs and chose the fabric for others.  These BOMs are really filling up my sewing time.

While we were out today we visited one of our favorite antique malls.  And I found these:

I love overalls and couldn’t pass these up, so fun.  They are a little heavy so will probably be used mostly during the winter.  I now have 4 full overalls as well as two shorts ones.  What I need is a farm: my dad always wanted to be a gentleman farmer, I guess I am following in his footsteps.

Oh, did you see the flowers next to my hand in that picture?  DH brought them for me, aren’t they pretty?  Now for more pretties, run on over Patchwork Times and see more quilts in the making.