Design Wall Monday 7-11-11

The design wall still has the Chunky Churn Dash top on it.  It is now 9 rows. 

I am also almost finished with this Quilts for Kids top. I need to put one more border on it. 

Goals for week of 7/4/11

Clean house, prep food & host 4th of July Barbecue√

Put binding on 1st Quilt for Kids quilt.√

Sew top of Chunky Churn Dash quilt together. In rows

Quilt Jenny’s beach quilt. Bummer… see below

Quilt charity quilt. Double bummer . . . see below

Get 2nd Quilt for Kids quilt to flimsie stage. Still needs one border

Read Sophia new books. √

Keep trying to make Ruthie happy.  She’s still not happy – new part on order…. 

Goals for week of 7/11/11

Sew Chunky Churn Dash rows together, think about border.

Get  last border on 2^nd Quilt for Kids quilt.

Begin work on UFO – Disappearing 9 Patch.

Cut fabric for retreat drawings.

If Ruthie is back up and working Quilt:

      Jenny’s quilt

      Double Bow Tie

      2^nd Quilt for Kids Quilt

Lookie, lookie see my toothies! 

Sophia was fascinated with the VCR flap and kept putting her fingers in there.  Hope it still works! 

Don't forget to check out other's design walls by visiting Patchwork Times. Oops, Judy doesn't have the design wall post up yet.  I'll come back and post the link when it is available.   I don't know when Judy remembered but I've been busily working away on this week's goals.  One seam left for the Quilt for Kids quilt.  And, half way done sewing the Chunky Churn Dash rows together and I found a perfect border fabric for it in my stash.  YEA for stashbusting. I may not have put enough things on this list (especially if Ruthie doesn't get up and running soon!)

Happy Quilting! 

Quilts for Kids

Last year I made one quilt from a Quilts for Kids kit.  See it here.  I haven't been reading a lot about these on the various blogs I visit so I decided to see if they are still offering kits.  Yep, they sure are and you can order yours from Quilts for Kids. From the home page go to How To Help, Request a Quilt Kit. I requested 2 and they came in a week or so.  I am getting so bored with my own fabrics so it is a real treat for me to make one of these kits.  I enjoy sewing with new fabric.  One of the things Quilts for Kids ask is for you to consider sending a quilt from your fabrics also.  So when I was upstairs taking my pictures I also grabbed 3 fabrics that I think I can make into a quilt to send back.  I'll have to see what I can use for borders and backing though.  





These are cute and will be so fun to make up.  And, then I'll make my cat fabric into another quilt.  I will probably wait to start on them next week.  (Stay focused, stay focused... remember the goals.)  


I spent a bit of time working with Ruthie today.  Argh.  I didn't have enough backing fabric provided so that I could leave my Red Snappers holding the bottom of the baby quilt. I wasn't sure what to do until I remembered reading that some times folks sew an extra piece of fabric on the bottom of the back.  I grabbed a 1/4 yard piece of yellow and sewed it on the purple.  Not to worry folks, the yellow will be taken off; it's just adding length temporarily.  I took the quilt off the frame, sewed the yellow onto the purple with my domestic sewing machine and snap the quilt back on Ruthie.  If I spent a 30 minutes doing it I would be surprised.  So I now have 3 blocks left to do.  I'll finish it up probably Thursday cause I'm going out with some friends tomorrow. 


We're looking forward to friends coming in Thursday so much of the day will be spent cleaning house.  And, the bathroom remodel is done. Well, not exactly.  The contractor is done. We had the wrong faucets so we've sent the others back and await the new ones.  The glass door for the shower is on order as is the mirror and the new lights.  This has not been the smoothest remodel.  Dust is every where from the new walls even though I've dusted and vacuumed.  The bathroom was cleaned by the contractor's people but I'll have to clean it at least once or twice to get more of the dust gone.  And, I really need to polish up the wood cabinets.  We were going to get new ones but decided the old would do fine with a new top and a good polishing.  I'll share pictures when it is really done.  


Now off to read Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke.  I get a kick out of these mysteries.  (How can such a small town have all these murders?)  Plus Joanne always has recipes.  I've made some of them and have gotten rave reviews of them.  I'll have to check the list of her books to see if I've read all of them. 


Happy Quilting All! 

Apple Pie Day!

Sunday was Apple Pie Day -- or at least my first apple pie day.  I used golden delicious and granny smith apples to make 2 pies.  One was shared at a party in the neighborhood.  The other one is living in the refrigerator as I type. I need to look at my crumb top as it is getting too stiff.  (Can crumbs get too stiff?) I think I let the butter get too soft.  Next time I'll try to pay more attention to that. 


I've finished the Quilts for Kids quilt.  It will go into the washer after I take my shower.  (no need to deplete my water pressure.) 


Today's Plans:


Million Piece blocks going into rows, still. They will be my ender project. 


1800 quilt will be my main project -- need to get the blocks together into a top. 


Finished hand quilting the Irish Chain -- will need to prep binding and get that sewn on by machine. 


A Back Burner Project -- an old applique of a girl holding a dog.  I batted it up years ago but never quilted it.  I've decided to make it bigger so I can donate it to my guild to use as a charity quilt.  I've bought fabric for a smaller border and then a larger border.  Perhaps something will be done on that. 


Honestly, that is MORE than enough to do in a day.  It'll probably take me all week to get all that stuff done!  I'm hoping for some good finishes this month as I have been buying fabric! Well, only 2 1/4 yards but if I don't have a decent finish that will put me over on the incoming fabric.  The plan is to USE more fabric than I buy or acquire.  


Happy Quilting All! 

Labor Day Labors

Besides waking up at 5:15 AM with Raggs woofing next to my bed, today is turning into a great day.  The weather has been mild with low humidity... either that or we were up so early it is cooler than what the rest of the day will bring.


Last week before Sharon arrived I was able to whip through the quilting on this little Quilts For Kids quilt.

Sharon and I had a great time together and got lots of stuff done.  I quilted one of Sharon's quilts for a Faithful Circle Quilters Project Linus Challenge.  She originally was going to use it as a backing but decided to get a backing for it and I volunteered to quilt it while she was here.  The blocks are a bunch of different sports -- soccer, football, la crosse, golf.  Each participating member of FCQ got a brown bag full of coordinated fabric that had been donated over the last few years.  Sharon had a lot of fat quarters in the bags she took. 

One quilt made the trip south to be bound and so I could see it.  The fabric was all transportation of some sort or another -- cars, trains and trucks with some road signs thrown in.  Sharon used various road signs to highlight the fabric and continued the motifs in the solid square. Some youngster is going to LOVE this quilt. 









Sharon will be quilting this next one at home.  She had to piece the backing that we bought on Thursday afternoon. 






Saturday we were off to visit a local quilt store before she drove home. 
We were at Quilter's Corner, a great shop in Midlothian, Virginia.  They were having a big anniversary celebration.  We watched demos on Texture Magic, a 60 degree ruler (the one I have recently purchased) and a double diamond ruler.   This very unusual ruler produces a nifty design that is incredibly easy and fast to do.  If you like unusual rulers/techniques check this one out.  


We each made a pillow case for the Million Pillow Case challenge. And, a bit of shopping and a lot of ogling.  A quick lunch and Sharon headed on home.  We're not sure when or what our next adventure will be but  I'm sure I'll be seeing more of her because of coming up to visit Sophia.  I'm looking forward to visiting Sophia for a few days next week.  (And, taking lots of pictures to share.)  


I am ready to get back to my quilt projects for this month: 

• Million pieces quilt will become a top. I'm in the process of putting the blocks into rows.

• 1800's quilt will become a top and be part of a quilt sandwich! 

• Some UFO will be dragged from its hiding place and get worked on. Bought fabric to add to a little applique wall hanging to turn it into a quilt. 

• More than one pillow case will be done for charity.  One was finished and donated. 

So on to the piecing endeavors.  I still need to do the bringing the back  over binding on the Quilts for Kids quilt so that I can get it in the mail tomorrow.  Then I will focus on the Million Pieces quilt and the 1800's quilt.  Lots to do! 

Happy Quilting All!  

What's Going On in the Studio

I have been "working" on spending

a gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop. Once a week or so I would go online and see what they had. The only thing I really knew I wanted was the Atkinson design table topper. I've wanted that pattern since it came out. And, as I looked I added things to my cart but stillcouldn't spend it all. (Well, really, I could have, but I was trying not to buy a bunch of fabric. Remember I am trying to USE it up!) It took me so long to make up my mind one of the Schnibbles I wanted was no longer available. That was fine as it was this one I really wanted. I thought it would be fun to make some neat shams for the two guest beds so got the book by Anka Designs. I also bought a little bit of fabric but it wasn't upstairs when I took the photo. Maybe I'll share the charm pack and the go with fab later.

This little blue and yellow quilt is for Marge's Challenge for Ami Simm's Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. These were left over triangles from this quilt. It was from "thank you" blocks from when I was in charge of Faithful Circle Quilter's night group. I started quilting it last week but didn't like it so took it out and next I'm trying a clamshell design. That's what I'll be working on tonight.

Do you want to help support Alzheimer's research? You've still got time to make a quilt and enter it in Marge's Challenge. She even has two prizes. One is for whoever sends her quilt #100. And another one is a "Best of Show" award. She'll be showing all the quilts she receives on her web site and open them up for voting. Last date for her to receive them is August 21st. Come on now, you still have a few days to make your wonderful little quilt and get it in the mail to Marge. I'm hoping I can take a partial quilt I bought at an auction and get it finished in time to send it to her too. Check the rules out at Marge's site.

I finally got this top done from the Quilt for Kids kit. It was fun to work on "new" fabric. It's a simple pattern that I kept sewing on as I was doing other things. It was finished along with another little quilt that I'll show pictures of later. I'll probably get this quilted next week as we're having company on Friday.

On a personal note:

CONGRATULATIONS

to Aimee & Kevin who became engaged over the weekend.

Happy Quilting All!