made it!

My last and final completion for the Charming Girls Quilt Club is DONE!!!

I don't recommend doing two whole quilts almost start to finish in one month...not me anyway. I pooped! and I had so many things pop into my hot little hands and head that I wanted to do instead, but I was determined to get my projects done...and I DID! Hooray!


Pixel approves of the quilt right off! I love this pattern, but if I make it again I'll do what Lynn is doing and scale down the size of the blocks by making the small inside brick smaller and working from there. It's very large quilt and will be great for hubby to snuggle with on cool nights.

The back was a bargain 50% off corner print at the LQS. It's not as hot pink as it photographs, but it's a lovely print, and I like sale backs.


All done and ready for the wash! I will say that I used the basting spray on this one thinking quicker, so hey I'll try it. H-A-T-E-D every minute of it! If you love it...I know Libby does...better for you. But OMG it takes twice as long!! I finally got done, moving it four times around the table, and realized only the front was done! Nope, not my cup of tea. Give me some lovely pins anytime. But I gave it a good try.

working away...

I'm still trying to make my last quilt finish under the wire of the 31st...but I finished my lovely 9 patch swap quilt this morning! If I'm doing the counting right...this make entry number 4 in the July prize drawing. Now prizes are good, but getting things finished and out of plastic containers is the main reason for me doing this.

I took my pictures and immediately put it out on the quilt ladder so I could enjoy looking at it! I really do like how this quilt turned out and swapping with Carol was so much fun!


I spent the last few days working on little things here and there...embroidery for the ABC Sampler Quilt, and some other projects while giving my arm a bit of a rest. The best way to avoid hurting it way too much is to stop before it gets really bad. I've learned since blowing it out!! Smart girl!

One way I do this is sewing my bindings on the machine now, unless it's a small quilt or something really special that I want to have a hand sewn binding. But for quilts like this one or the sofa quilts... those I whip out on the machine. My Juki walking foot kinda flattens down the binding and spreads it out so although it looks like I am going to sew over the edge of the binding it actually skirts right next to the edge and when it comes out the other side it pops back up and you can barely see the seam, *IF* you can see it at all! It works for me and saves the hand sewing for better projects like applique.

A few people asked to see a close-up of the fabric I used for the alternate squares. It's a Jo Morton print from her Fredericksburg line. I had some and wanted a bit more when I bought it maybe a year ago and it was tough to find. I'm not sure you'll find any more now, but search away!

Thanks so much for all the 9 patch love....I love it too! I got my backs all made for three projects and I am getting all three pinned today. Finger's crossed I can get them all done today and start quilting tomorrow. I'm not sure about getting both quilts totally done per my Charming Girls wish entry, but I'll try. Good thing they broke up the entry between getting the top complete and getting the top quilted and bound. Some gals send out to long arm quilters so they'd never get anything done in time without that provision.

Now on to doing my part to help stimulate the economy...one priority box at a time as some would say!

Is this not the cutest little quilt kit e-v-e-r? Those tiny little bundles are 3' x 4" goodness!! I saw this in my June 2009 McCall's Quilting and knew I would make a bit smaller version right away. So I figured I'd pop over and pick up a few of the shirtings and colors and be way under the cost for the kit...ha! Almost in no time I had exceeded the kit cost and I had nowhere near the variety...so one lovely call to the store and my kit winged it way to me! Plus since I'm making a smaller version I'll have loads for leftovers. I just love antique looking quilts!

After visiting with a few blog friends Kathie, Janet and Juliann...I've been itching to get a real applique project started soon. I haven't done one since the Birds of a Feather and the Vines and Berries quilt, so I also got busy and ordered the needed colors to make a version of this...or at least one block of that, with a few thrown in there too.

Now if I don't get UP! nothing will get started! Have a great weekend ladies and gents...(are there any men?)!!

Entry number 3.....

I am really loving this "getting things done that you meant to finish" club! Otherwise known as the Charming Girls Quilt Club! I was worried that I had bitten off more than I could chew when I decided to do not one, but 2 quilts with the tops not even finished! But today is the 19th, and I'll take 2 days to pin and then haul the monster sewing machine up and knock out these tops with a simple meander stitch on both

My finished 9 patch quilt using swap blocks from myself and Carol. I l-o-v-e this quilt! Sorry but that red is just fabulous...good choice Wendy! I copied Wendy as she used red first. I almost switched to cheddar, but the red just won out!
I think either next month or the following one I'll make my quilt using the Paducah 9 patch blocks we also swapped. Hope you like it.

Charming Girls Tag answers

As part of the Charming Girls Quilt Club we are given certain tasks to do each month to get entry points for the monthly prize. Kelly posted a meme for us to answer on our blog and it's my turn to give it a go and did my part



First up is 5 things about ourselves..

1. My Favorite Fabric is:
Not an easy answer since I like so many things. I'm going to have to choose the packet that arrived today called Crimson and Clover by Jo Morton for Andover. Lovely CW prints in yummy reds, cheddar and greens.

2. The pattern I'm most looking forward to sewing is:
Finishing up this Kaffe Fassett Scrap quilt that I found on a German blog last year. Here's my friend Christiane's "Scraparadise" version and here's mine so far.

3. The food that is my weakness:
That's super easy.... ice cream! I eat a small bowl every day and it keeps me happy and not trolling the pantry for anything else!

4. If I knew I couldn't fail, I'd:
I'd buy a house and live on high on a mountain top in some lovely four season state with hubby who stayed home too and raise chickens and veggies, and animals and live totally on the land with no interference from anyone...except the UPS man.

5. The best "life" Advice I know is:
Don't worry about what anyone else thinks! Eliminate any negative influences from your life and do what you want, what pleases you and makes you happy. As long as you aren't hurting others it's all good.

Now for progress, I finished my 9 patch top and will post pictures tomorrow!! 2 tops done and now loads of pinning!

Happy Anniversary Babe....

27 years and counting....us at my niece's wedding about 8 years ago.

I think I'm back...

and a lot lighter. Wow you don't realize how many pictures and bookmarks you have until they disappear and you realize that although the set of blank disks is right next to you...you haven't touch them and have nothing saved since May 2008! O-k-a-y. Oh well, who needed all that stuff anyway.

It all started when hubby, who has an external extra hard drive to save all his goodies, finally broke the cord on that and couldn't get to any of his stuff. So as I use the main desktop, he figured he'd pop open the computer and stick his hard drive into this one and get off his info. Well mine must have just been waiting to die and too bad (teehee) that it was him that had his hands all over this mess and not me. So now I have a new hard drive, I'm no longer using windows...but Linux and I think I got the most important stuff back up and running again. I even have a new flash drive to save my stuff on from now on. I'm just bummed at some of the free patterns I lost, like Lynda Hall e-patterns...and my Jane Market Bag pattern. I can make it in my sleep, but I liked having the pattern. I might buy it again anyway. Now enough computer junk...a whole weekend fiddling is enough!

On to the more important stuff....Sewing stuff! I got my top done! After deciding what I wanted to use for the border, I found some online and ordered. Then I waited and what showed up was my second choice fabric. They didn't have enough of the original one. So I had to order it twice, but I finally got it. We tried taking an outdoor picture but this is not the best location and hubby did his best but, not the best. Not sure I'll use the tennis court fence again.

The quilt does look better than the picture! I really like how it turned out. Now to sandwich it up and get quilting. I'm also half way done sewing together the 9 patches top too. So both my July finishes for the Charming Girls will hopefully be done. Heck just finishing the top gets me one entry, I think.

I also wanted to show you a very cool picture. This (above) is the coat rack in my Orthopaedist's office. He and his wife collect all sorts of cool artwork which stays in his office. I snapped this the other day with my phone when I went for a check-up. I wish I had gotten the one of the lollipop. A giant big lollipop with a face on the sucker and a plastic wrapper!

imposed vacation....

Hard drive is in the freezer***!!

Idiot* husband opened the computer to hookup and retrieve info from his alternate hard drive and now MY computer hard drive is toast...T-O-A-S-T.

Why oh why did I stare at the disks on the desk and not open the package sooner.
Things to fix and replace and stuff to re-install once all the work is done.
*EDITED...I'll still be around but hubby's laptop is hard to navigate and no access to picture software, etc.....oh my latest bookmarks and pictures, oh well, Make sure you back up on a pen drive every week!! It's okay, I've learned not to get attached to such things....C'est la vie!!

*hubby's wording, he won't be mad. He's more mad at himself although he really didn't do anything. He just happened to be the one using it when it died. It would have happened anyway...too funny it was him!

***Supposedly this works part of the time to retrieve any data. Cross your fingers

progress...

My border fabric for the FQ quilt was sent Monday so, fingers crossed...it will be here tomorrow and I can add the borders and finish off the quilt top from the Dear Jane repro's.

In the meantime I got mt 9 patch project up on the design wall and laid out, all except for the side triangles. I'll add another row to the bottom once there is room, and start sewing! Progress is moving along!

New addition...

I was over at my friend Carol's blog today and saw this...new button and a new club that centers on getting some old projects finished. Well I loved doing the "Spring to Finish" so why not. Kelly at Charming Chatter has started the Charming Girls' Quilt Club.

I love getting things finished and they have some great ideas for monthly entries and projects that you can either choose to do or not. No pressure...I like that. Plus when you finish your project you get entered into the draw for a gift certificate! What could be better!

SO I must pick a project that I have to get finished this month that's been sitting waiting for me to get done and I have just the one! Well two actually.

First up is getting all these swapped 9 patches into a quilt finally! Carol and I swapped these ages ago and they have patiently waited to be turned into a quilt. No more waiting! I washed my red fabric.... twice! and I'm ready to get cutting and sewing! The 9 patches will be alternating with a square of red on the diagonal.

Then for the second task I got the top together for my FQ quilt today and I decided to add the border after all, so that means waiting for the fabric I ordered on the 4th to be sent and arrive! Then I can sew on the border, sandwich and quilt!! I picked the green with flower bundles for the border and the lovely blue to the left of it for the binding. Can't wait for it to arrive!At the end of the month you have to post your completed projects to get your entries and potentially WIN the prize for the month! Hope you have a lovely July! Stay tuned for my progress!

Happy 4th of July!!

HOPE YOU HAVE A FANTASTIC CELEBRATION!!

give-away

Check out this fabulous give-away over at Lori's blog, Bee in My Bonnet! Amazing patterns for embroidery and lots of other things! Seriously good stuff over there. I found her blog 2 days ago and just got around to posting about the give-away because I was drooling so badly! But I plan to visit lots and lots a drool over her lovely patterns some more!! We all know how I love embroidery! Now to find some plain white kitchen towels!

Make sure to click on her button over on my left sidebar to get right to her blog! Wow those patterns are so fantastic!

laying out...

Sharon requested photos...and I also got an email asking how to lay it out if you don't have space...well I'd suggest the floor or your bed. But you don't have to lay out every piece, just plan where they are going. Here where my steps. Be warned my sewing room and design wall are messy!!

One.... lay out the center "4 patches" after sewing them so nothing gets repeated next to each other. That was "fun"...not exactly! Don't have a piccy of that part. Then I laid out the matching color that goes stair stepped up from each 4 patch. I put them on a slant but they don't stay that way.

Then you have a color that fills in the space on each of the 4 sides and you want those to all be different and making sure nothing ends up next to each other. It took me about 15 minutes to put them all around. They aren't perfect but they worked well for me. You seriously can't get them all even spaced out, but I tried my best.

I always take a picture so I can remember how it's laid out once I start taking down block after block to sew!

Progress for the day! I've even changed a few spots by now as they came up. These are big 18x20 blocks so you only need 12 for a 68 x7?something quilt. I think it will be a nice summer quilt once it's all done.

PS: the two missing are waiting on deck for sewing...one almost finished and one waiting it's turn!

i'm liking these patterns...

I like that someone else has figured out all the cutting instructions for how to lay out the fat quarters and cut your pieces. I did as they suggested and ironed with a tiny bit of Mary Ellen's Best Press on 4 FQ's and stacked them to cut at the same time. A few quick cuts and I was all done. Cutting all the pieces always seem to take forever!


16 fat quarters and a few hours later I was ready to start grouping. I am making the Three's Company pattern and to get a good look you really should lay out the pieces to get a good mix. I made the center sections fairly easily with no repeats in color, but then I laid it out. Even then I got some places where color is concentrated too much and no matter how many times you switch out sections it always ends up being right next to the same color! Oh well! They are big easy blocks and it should take no time at all to have the first top done! Back when I have something to show!