Quilting update!!!!!!!!!!!!

I seem to be in a bit of manic mode these days. I can't STOP sewing. This is exactly how I felt when I took a year's leave of absence in 1999. I never went back to that corporate job and that feeling of "I can't stop sewing" has ebbed and flowed over the years, but it has never gone away. I just LOVE to create!!!!!   Why I got a business degree is beyond me!!!!!!!!!!

The good news - the raffle quilt top is DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

But not before I had some decisions to make - Carol is very  quick and noticed the issue with the corners.   If you look at the quilt in the previous picture you will see the corners are NOT the same and because there is an even number of blocks across the quilt, the corners cannot be the same.


I had three options - above you can see the star is disjointed from the rest of the blocks - NO

In this picture - the stars are following the pattern from the side borders

And in this picture - well the points of the corner star are touching the  star points in the border. But there was NO way to make all four corners the same. I went the way the pattern said. Bottom line - it is done!!!!!!!!!!!!

|And here is the backing and the binding - DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After taking that big quilt off the wall - there was this HUGE WHITE EMPTY space. I couldn't leave it like that so I HAD to put something else up. I grabbed the quilt on the right that has been on the wall several times now. It needs to have some calculating done for the border - and the one on the left is the squares I bought in that kit at the Hobby Horse. Why am I working on that?????   Just because!!!!!!!!!

TWO "new" quilts are on the design wall

I managed to get the first four rows sewn together. Well they are in pairs of two rows each. 

Remember the new pattern I am making from the jelly roll?????  Of course - you don't.  Anyway - I got these blocks done - 30 of them.

Here is the pattern

Well - as I was assembling it - I was originally going to make the throw size (54 inches square), but as I started to sew, I realized that with a bit of adjustments and adding a few (8 more strips), I could make it much bigger so that is what I did!!!!!!!!!!   (64 by 74)  and VERY LITTLE waste.   This is a class I am teaching at The Hobby Horse.  You should COME!!!!   You will learn a LOT. The class is called Intertwined or Leftovers - there are two different patterns on the same day.

Then I also got these half square triangles (NOT done my traditional way). See - I don't always do things MY WAY!!!!!
So I have almost all the half square triangles sewn - they just need to be pressed. But I need TWO more strips of red. Since I have exhausted the variety of what was in my stash, I have contacted my outsourced supplier - Marian!!!!!   Let's hope that she can come up with something. 

And LOOK - that ironing board is EMPTY. All that rug fabric is CUT UP - thanks to the Shape Cut that I got from Marian!!!!!!   Hmmmm - do we see a trend happening here??????

Here are all the strips cut - now for Step Two - joining them together. I won't join them all  - I will work in bunches. 

But then I found this on one of the tables. DRAT - more scraps. Some of this will be cut up into strips - going to try and get that done today. The big triangles - well - maybe join them and they can make a quilt back. OR - I could sash the triangles with burgundy and it makes a top??????    I realize now that it is the thrill of making something from nothing that excites me in quilting.   

After looking at this container, I realized it will be perfect for the string quilts - so it went in with the other pieces. I have Bonnie Hunters books on string quilts (OK - so I could not find mine and bought another one)  

Now we had a LOT of snow the other day. Remember what the pond looked like.............

This was last week - ice was strong enough to hold FATTY Sammy

Then we had LOADS of snow on Friday

This is what the pond looked like on Monday morning

And this is what it looked like Monday afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yes - this was a FAST melt for sure.



And I have been listening to my audio book - a James Patterson one - but NOT my favourite. It is called Toys and happens in the future. Anyway - it is something to listen to while I am stitching (hand embroidery). Now I cannot show you what I am working on until after the class. You know how crazy these class people are - they want to work ahead, but NOT until I give them the tips on stitching and fabrics and stuff. Then you can see what I am working on.


Oh yes - We had Monday Motivators yesterday. A number of us are learning bridge with Flo. Well a couple of us are CRAZY about it and we take every opportunity to learn.

Here we are - playing. We were very fortunate because Flo was there and she helped us. I think it will take a LONG time before I feel comfortable with the bidding process. I am good on the first round (more or less), but the second time around - I FREAK OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But we were very good - we played only one hand which we discussed for a long time after and it was great fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Flo - we are having a blast with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Well - I must be disciplined today and get a quilt on the machine or I am in BIG trouble.



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!