Friday, July 31, 2015

Some Finishes

I've been on the road so much, often for the Row x Row, that I haven't been very good about getting things finished.  I had hoped to get a big queen done this month.  Alas, that is definitely not happening.  For the last several days I've been focusing on finishing some projects to balance how much fabric I've bought this month.  Yep, I've gone wild at all these different quilt shops!  

First up is the Quatrefoil Table Runner.  I have been dragging the quilted runner with me from shop to shop hoping to get a green that blended with either the front border or the backing.  I finally decided to look for a different color.  I came up with a nice bright pink and purchased a third of a yard which would be more than enough to bind the runner.  Except, once home I took a look at what was left from the runner and I had a big enough piece of the pink in the centers to actually use that to bind it. 

I decided to try using a block and a triangle quilting design.  I am really pleased with how it turned out despite the fact the block doesn't show up much in the center section.  But the feathers in the corners looks great.  I'm really happy with the triangles.  The design fit beautifully and stitched out well.   Earlier in the year I purchased a mystery set at a very nice discount from My Creative Stitches.  It was called Spring Sunrise and had over 20 different parts to it.  I really liked how it worked out on this piece.  Now I need to make some other things to try it on! 

I wish I didn't have that seam in the middle of the triangle.  I was using what was on hand so it is what it is! 

I went searching in the studio closet to see if I had any backings hanging around.  No, not for whatever I was looking for but I did find a boy Happy Quilt I had finished in the last few months.  No time like the present to quilt it.  It even had a piece to use as the backing with it. Yea! (I hate making backing but sometimes it needs to be done!)  About half of the blocks came from the FCQ Equilters. I had asked for various blocks to finish off block sets I had come across during the listing of my UFOs.  


I used a new edge to edge on this one, called Zebra.  Very fast to do and looks great on this quilt.  It came from Intelligent Quilting. Some how the design is offset and tighter in the picture on the web site.  I haven't figured out how to do that yet.  But it does sew up quickly and looks good here.  

I've got one more project that should be done by the end of today.  I'll probably show those on Monday.  And, if time permits, I have two more tops to quilt.  One for me and one for a customer.  

I'm linking up with Thanks Goodness It's Finished Friday hosted by From Bolt to Beauty, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop, and Link A Finish Friday.  Boy, who knew there were so many linky parties on Friday? I need to have more finishes on Thursdays/Fridays! 

Happy Quilting All! 







Monday, July 27, 2015

Design Wall Monday 7-27-2015

Here's what's on my design wall today: 
From top left to right -- a half dresden plate and two stars that are part of a Row x Row from 2014. The 10 bright blocks will be turned into the retreat planner for a drawing during the October retreat I go to.  I really like how these turned out.  I may make some more to make a donation quilt. 

Check below to see a full picture of the triangle blocks.  These were from a Brown Bag challenge at Country Piecemakers last year.  I'm going to quilt it up and donate it to one of our charities, probably the nursing home. 
On to my goals.  I was careful about how many goals I listed this past week.  And lucky me, I worked on all of them. 

Week of July 20, 2015
Get Kay’s top quilted and returned
Possible babysit Ellie
Work on a 2014 Row X Row
Finish several blocks for retreat lotto√, and FCQ Equilter 

And now for this week's.  I'm happy I'll be home most of the week. 
Week of July 27, 2015
Trim and bind table runner
Load and quilt handprint quilt
Finish 2 more 2014 Row X Row sections
Quilt triangle quilt

Work on aprons for grands

I'm linking up with Monday Making and Design Wall Monday

Happy Quilting All! 

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Go Box!

Do you have a Go Box? What, you ask, is a Go Box?  To me it is a project I can grab and go and know that for the most part I have things I can sew.  I was up babysitting Ellie because Aimee was out of town for work and not sure when she was coming back and Kevin was joining Pat and Brian at the beach house.  They were going deep sea fishing.  So, I grabbed a sewing machine and its box of accoutrements and one of my project boxes.

Here's the details of my "Go Box."  I have several plastic Artbin boxes I purchased from JoAnn Stores when they were half price. I keep current projects in the boxes so that I can just grab and work on a particular project.  Currently, Bonnie Hunter's mystery, Easy Street, from a couple of years ago is in 2 of the boxes.  One has all the pieces I've made, up to clue 7.  The other has the leftover fabrics.  I decided just to take the units box and see what I could do with it.  Hum, not as much as I thought.  I was able to piece one section of a finished block.  I had also put in a few other small projects which I did first. I'm happy to report I have 10 lottery blocks done for the October retreat.  



Here's part of one block.  I like that gray with it.  Except that's the ironing board.  Not to worry, the next pieces are black and white units and somewhere in this quilt there is some gray.  These colors really have a lot of zing!  If I finish this quilt before November I might start the new mystery that Bonnie Hunter starts every Thanksgiving.  We'll see.  


Ellie was a lot of fun to be with although, I did take her to day care.  She wore me out!  I wish I had half her energy.   Here she is being her cute self! 


And now the vacationing men .... 


This is the fish dinner we enjoyed.... Pat and I shared this one little fish with fresh homegrown tomatoes and a roll. (It was very tasty but I was still hungry after eating it!) We have quite a few more fish to enjoy.  I've never had such fresh fish. 

That's it from me today.  I'm linking up with Fabric Frenzy Friday.

Happy Quilting All!