1/29/06

Since my last entry, I have finished another small 'drag around' toddler quilt top for Sojourner Center. I think I'm up to 8 tops ready for quilting!
I've started the Lillabet's Garden quilt, and have finished the first blocks - Hen and Chicks.

1/23/06

Once again, it's been awhile. I've been working hard on the UFOs and will post pictures. To the right, this is a possible lay-out, using three different stack and whack cat fabrics. My granddaughter, Jenny, admired them, and will be getting this one when it's done. (When it's done, I'll have 8 tops waiting to be quilted!) My friend, Debbie, suggested that I leave the ends the way they are. I may give that a try and see how hard it is to put the binding on.
The bright colors photo is the quilt that is using up the last of my matching game (pairs of novelty fabrics) quilt. It is the 7th or 8th quilt that I've made from these swap blocks, and I'm getting pretty sick of them. The others all had black sashing, which made the colors pop out. I got sick of black and chopped up some gaudy fabric to use for sashing, adding hot pink cornerstones. It's a bit much, but it's staying at my house, so it's OK. The pictures shows only the top half of the quilt. The rest has been added since the photo was taken. I'll add another shot of the fabric. Since this is a matching game quilt, and some of the fabric looks like it's on fire, I've named this quilt "Flaming Matches".

1/16/06

I haven't been here in a while, again! The quilting forum at about.com is to have a new guide, and Susan has started a new quilting forum on delphi. I've been trying to keep up with both forums!
I did finish the sashings and cornerstones for the last quilt I was working on, and that is now a completed top. I've put together four sets of pillow panels to be used as a charity quilt, and I've started the last (finally) of the novelty blocks quilts. This one is to live at my house for grandchildren to use when they come to visit. I was getting sick of black sashings, so chose a bright blue/green/orange/purple/yellow splotchy fabric, and will use hot pink cornerstones. I'll need to wear sunglasses, when I'm around it, but grandchildren should love it.
I've also been doing the ahead of time cutting for the mystery quilt that we'll do at the retreat at the end of Februaruy. You can see a bunch of the QSTs in the photo. The green isn't as pale as the photo shows.
My goal is to get two or three things off my UFO list that have been there for more than two years. There are several of them!
I now have five completed tops to be quilted, and in a couple days, should be able to say that it's six tops.

More sashings and cornerstones

I sewed together seven more rows of the strips of sashing and cornerstones that I need for my daughter's quilt. Only three more rows to go, and I have all the sashing strips cut and each has a cornerstone attached. Hopefully, before work tomorrow, I can get those done, and then when I get home, get the top totally together. That will leave me with four tops done, and ready to quilt.

1/10/06

I did some more sewing together of sashing pieces and cornerstones this morning, but haven't put them into strips yet. I took my handy-dandy gift certificate to JoAnn's tonight and bought the fabric I'll need for the mystery quilt that we'll be doing at the retreat at the end of February. I was having trouble picking fabrics, and asked another shopper if she was a quilter. We hit it off, and she stayed with me through several focus fabrics until I found just what I wanted. Chatted up the clerk at the cutting table - discussed baking bags for microwaves, and creating block patterns. Her grandmother is teaching her to quilt, and has probably only three more months to live, so it's bittersweet for her. I've told her about about.com, so she may show up in the quilting forum one of these days.
The mystery quilt I'm doing requires a 'dark' focus fabric, a light background and an accent fabric. My focus isn't truly dark, but compared to the background, it is, so I hope it will work. Both the background and focus fabrics have paisley, which I love. The background fabric is really a little greener than the photo shows.

1/9/06

I did get the matching game quilt top, which is for my son's children, finished and took it for show and tell at our get together on Saturday.
I've started putting together the similar one for my daughter's children. All the blocks are into the horizontal rows, and six of the sixteen sashing/cornerstone strips are done. Sashings and cornerstones are cut for more, but I've had it for tonight.
I see that the New Year's mystery quilt picture is up at the Planet Patchwork site.

On a roll again!

Before I worked on the New Year's Day mystery quilt, I had a matching game quilt on my design wall, with half the quilt put together. Last night, I cut more of the horizonal sashings, and the shorter, vertical ones. This morning, I got most of the verticals sewn to the remaining blocks, and then this evening, I sewed the rest of them, cut even more horizontal sashings, and have all the rows completed, with a vertical sashing sewn to the top of each. I've 'hit the wall' for tonight, so will sew the rest of the rows together to finish the bottom half of the quilt top tomorrow, hopefully, before work! On Saturday, I have a quilting meeting - retreat hostesses, for the (?)final meeting before the retreat , and would like to take this for show and tell, as well as the mystery quilt top. What a feeling of accomplishment, to spend more time sewing than I do on the computer!

It's been a while

With company here, I didn't get to my blog for a while. I think I mentioned that the granddaughters and I shopped for pillowcase fabric. Dianna made two with help from me, and did very well, especially considering that it was satin-y fabric, and slipperier than goose grease! I made Logan's for her, as she's only three, and had to help Jenny quite a bit, as her main interest isn't in sewing.
I had cut out the blocks for the New Year's Mystery Quilt and Dianna and I spent a couple days working on that, and really love how it came out.
There were errors in the cutting and sewing instructions, but with help from on-line friends who were also making the quilt, we got it together.