Galaxies Done and Labeled

Spent the morning with friends as we quilted Galaxies at Quilter's Paradise.  I am doing a UFO challenge and the first one is due tomorrow and Galaxies is it.  I basted on the border so I could share it last night at Friendship Quilter's Guild so this afternoon I need to sew on the front side of the border and take out the basting stitches. Glad to be moving on to something else.

Today I am going to the San Diego Safari Park to walk with my husband then we have haircuts in Escondido-we are both a little shaggy.  I have The Comforters prayer quilt meeting tonight so won't sew today-maybe get 4 more swags ironed down.

Made the label with the embroidery module on my machine-fabric is Kaffee Fassett joined in the middle.

really liked the stars and swirls-chose black thread so it wouldn't show too much on the front

DONE! DONE! DONE! So DONE!

2 months= 1 time consuming quilt.   What I learned: paper piecing, I can do something very different from what I normally do and like the end result, I can draft a pattern (even if simple-borders) and it can work the way I planned it,  not sure I will ever have a place for this in my house-but I like it anyway, I can work on something for 2 months and actually finish it without it becoming a UFO.  I will take it to the place where I rent a longarm and quilt it edge to edge-I would rather have it custom quilted but that isn't in the budget-I need to have some practice before I try to quilt something like this.  They have a nice star pattern that would go with the theme and I will like it just fine! Thank-you Janice Ellertson for a great pattern and class!

Last night finished middle and two 1" borders added

Top done with all borders on-wall hanging size 46x46

I may embroider a verse on the 2 turquoise strips but not sure yet. I have a couple in mind that fit-we'll see.  I am going to go clean my studio-yay!!

21/2 rows complete-1/2 way done with Center Section

I was concerned that it was going to be difficult to put the blocks together but so far-not too bad. I like it so much better than the disjointed pieces on the design wall for the last 2 months-I am certainly NOT Wanda Hansen:)

I have changed my mind about the borders.  I am going to add checks along 2 sides but they will be rainbow and background black checks using materials in the circles.  The other 2 sides will be a very simple geometric pattern-think the squares and lines will calm the circles-I am totally out of any comfort zone I ever inhabited.  I am drafting a pattern for the first time-I have always followed the pattern to the T-but it is time to flap a wing or two.

I need to finish up the Beauty and Check because my mind wants to start this whimsical story quilt.  My husband is the "cow" with the Harley jacket and I am the sheep with the quilt-married 44 years in Sept-so want to make this for our anniversary.

1 More!

Today was a very productive day. I didn't go swimming because it was raining so I started in my kitchen.  I moved everything off the countertop and cleaned it-in so doing I got rid of the eternal pile where the mail breeds.  Then I got rid of all the trash in the trash cans in the whole house, then started on the left and started going through cupboards and drawers, cleaning and purging. Got 3 cupboards and 2 drawers purged and cleaned-1/2 bag of stuff for the garage sale, 1/2 bag of trash and the under sink is done.  Felt so good!

Then Greg and I split a Wendy's salad. Washed 2 loads of laundry and put away and then headed to the studio. I finished another slice, chose fabric for the small pie and have it 1/3 done. Made a new recipe which was really quite good and then went to the Friendship Quilter's Board meeting. Watching a Midsomer's Murders episode as I post this then heading to bed!

2 More!

One more slice before deciding on colors for the two whole pies, one large and one small.  I want them to hold center stage.  because the four quadrants are just alike, that alone might draw the eye-I don't know.  I have a fabric that I haven't used yet that I want to introduce-we'll see how that works.  I am hoping to get this part done this week as I am dying to start on the flying geese.  I may not add the cats-it just might be too much:)  I keep rearranging them and I see one more change I want to make.  I particularly like the bottom right slice

One and a half more done-inching my way along

Today was busy with swim this morning and then grocery shopping/errands and a haircut/weave at 12.  I have baby fine thin hair and without a little damage from the bleach-would have no body at all. So, I didn't get home until 2:30.  I really didn't expect to get much done but I sat down and decided to just finish the half completed one I did yesterday.  But then I got a burst of energy and made one more.  17 done and 8 to go.

I thought there was something wrong with my camera-I had it on the wrong settings!  These are much better. I need to make 3 journal covers for thank-you gifts tomorrow so no quilting for a few days.

I Surprised Myself

I didn't think I would get any sewing done today but I finished 1 NYB and 1/2 of one.  YAY! 15 1/2 done and 9 1/2 to go plus borders. I think sewing onto the stabilizer is harder than sewing onto paper and the seams are not as crisp as they are on paper.  I won't do it again.  It also is harder to match points etc. and takes longer than paper piecing-but-I won't have to remove any paper

The New block is 2nd in and up from bottom left corner

this block will have another row of purple diamonds

Liked my week at school last week but am so looking forward to swimming with my friend, Jan who is leaving us for Lancaster.  We have been talking about moving for years and are still here.  Jan and Gary decide to move one day and are almost packed a week later. I am jealous!!!

Beauty and Check

I am subbing for a counselor all next week so I am not sure how much I will get done or post-so, I thought if I got the black pieces cut for the blocks, it would encourage me to fill them in.  I am pretty sure this beauty and check will have no checks but I see wonky flying geese on top and bottom so far.

Dear Jane, Kaffe Fassett and The Sloan Ranger

Yesterday we got the best news.  Our 3 month old granddaughter Sloan was moved from ICU to the regular floor.  She is getting better and they are gradually lowering her h20 levels.  She still has a feeding tube but they expect her to go home Tuesday so that should be removed soon.  Praise God for He is good.  The kids are exhausted but are hanging in there. Jason is going to have a dad and daughter day with Ava because he hasn't seen her much.  Thankfully, my DIL has 2 amazing sisters who are 2nd and 3rd moms to the kids and 2 wonderful nieces who are old enough to take care of her as well.  The nurses love our baby and have renamed Sloan and call her "The Sloan Ranger".  Thanks for the prayers-prayer changes things!

Yesterday was The Dear Jane Clinic and I got 4 blocks prepped and ready to applique down.

I have 17 more blocks printed and my goal will be to get those done by the next time we meet which will be in  May so I might get there.  They really take a long time.  While I was at The Crazy 9 Patch I bought 3 bolt ends at 20 percent off and 1 yard of a beautiful rusty quilting feathers fabric. 

I also got a small New York Beauty done which takes longer than a large block because it is in 4 pieces.

I took one block partially apart and redid it as I kept being bugged by the shade of the bright pink.

new block:

Before revision:

Then the fabric I ordered from fabric.com arrived in the mail-looks like a lot but they are mostly 1/2 yard pieces-Kaffe Fassett at 7.20 a yard.  I am building a stash for the Mary Lou Weidman class in July.

Lastly, I made a label at the embroidery class last Thursday-it isn't perfect but for a first-it will work for my Beauty and Check quilt.

That's it-got to get ready for church-have a blessed day!!!

Long Time No Post

It has taken me awhile to recover from 3 trips to Seattle in 3 months.  Also, My granddaughter was taken to ICU on Tuesday and that has been my focus this week. She is still there with RSV.  One lung is good and one isn't as of this morning-so she is gradually getting better.  I have Tea With Thee coming up on May 4th which is a tea for about 140 ladies that benefits the pregnancy center in Ramona.  The last 2 years we have raised about 5,000.00 for the center, hopefully we will come close this year. I have been focusing on getting my part done for that effort right now, then I can work on my part of the women's retreat that comes up on the 1st of June-then I am taking myself to Julian to rest, sew and write!

I spent the day at The Crazy 9 Patch helping the owner, Martha, choose fabrics for Enchanted Autumn by Verna Mosquera which is our opportunity quilt for 2014. We had fun-she is a crazy lady-the Patch is aptly named. The quilt is going to be beautiful. Verna sent a very nice note with permission to use the pattern for our club.

I volunteered to be the chair of the group that will make the quilt-what was I thinking:)

I have been working on the Beauty and Check quilt and am making progress.

 The Empty Square in the top left will be filled after all the other pieces are completed-it is a complete circle made with 4 identical quarters so I want to see what colors I need to unify the quilt.  It is 5x5 rows and instead of putting a black and white border, I am going to add flying geese to the top and bottom so that it is a rectangle instead of a square.

The background is a black star Laurel Burch fabric and I found a great cat fabric-also Laurel Burch-that has the bright colors of the New York Beauties. We'll see-New York Beauties, Flying Geese and Laurel Burch cats-what is the common denominator?  Can I make it work?  Stay tuned as there is definitely more to come on this subject!  Dear Jane Tomorrow-Yay! I love Jane Days!

Two more!

After work last night I went right to the studio and finished two more stars.  I probably won't put all four in a circle but who knows.  My husband suggested taking me to Visions Quilt Gallery and out to lunch for V Day.  I am in shock but am certainly going to take him up on it.