Quilt basted, top finished

I gave up on the pin basting on the sewing table - I was getting some tucks in the back. Today I set up the old fashioned quilt frame in the great room and got it basted in no time - why don't I do that more often - so simple!

Didn't feel like getting started on the quilting so I put together the baby quilt top. It was going to be too big so I only used 9 blocks.I think it is pretty good but I am anxious to put together the other 7 blocks and see what I can do. Then I will choose one of them to send to little Helen.

This morning my husband and I went to an estate sale nearby and I got a KitchenAid mixer for $20. It is the kind that you raise and lower the bowl and I have been contemplating buying one but couldn't talk myself into spending that kind of money when I have a perfectly good 30 year old Harvest Gold 'tilt head' type KitchenAid. This made it easy! We also got three decent deck chairs for a total of $9 and a nice 3 drawer file cabinet for $15.

The Mountain Is Out!

This is not something you here everywhere but in Western Washington you will. The mountain is, of course, Mount Rainier. Not a huge mountain when compared with others in Colorado, Alaska or Montana but it stands out more than many of those. It is one of the things that says I am home! This was my view when I got done with my mowing for today. There are some more pictures posted here.


Here is the results from my shopping trip to the fabric store. I think this quilt is going to be pretty good! Can't wait to get at putting it together. But first, I am working on the wedding quilt. I got the back pieced and pressed and got it all laid out on the sewing table for the pin basting. I am hoping to get to the quilting tomorrow and get the binding on by Monday! The wedding is 2 weeks from today!

Beginnings

Almost a year ago I posted about the Cathedral Window Quilt I was getting going on and I asked if anyone was interested in swapping some charm squares of whatever color I decided to go with.

I ended up with yellow and Amy at The Calico Cat sent me a pile of yellows. I used up all the squares of yellow I had so I started cutting into the pieces from Amy. Instead of figuring out which of hers I didn't have she just sent the pile which included some that I decided were too orange-y or too brown but there were still lots!!!! Amy was also very generous in the size of the pieces she sent as most of them were at least 3" X 5". Since I only need squares a little over 1.75" I was able to cut a bunch of 2.5" squares.

As I was doing my cutting I was thinking about my new grand-niece and the quilt I would make for her and suddenly had the inspiration that the yellow squares would work nicely. Once I had all of those cut I went through my scraps and came up with enough yellows and blues to make 16 16-patch squares.

Here are the blocks I have made that may or may not be the baby quilt for little Helen. I am leaning towards 'yes' but the final decision has not been made. I need to take the blocks to my LQSs and figure out sashing. I could frame each block with white and then sash them with a yellow, blue or green and then add a border of some sort but I am going to hold off on that decision until I have a lot of fabrics to help me decide!

Nothing to show

This has been a fairly slow week so far - in the sewing room anyway. I was called for jury duty this week and had to report on Monday. I was selected to be on a jury but the case was settled with a plea deal after only two witnesses. So I shouldn't be called again for at least one year.

Yesterday I worked in the yard a bit with my daughter and ended up with a sore muscle in my lower right back so I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening watching TV and working on the cathedral window quilt. This morning that muscle is still bothering me but it isn't as bad as last night. I got my border on another Spring Fling Round Robin project and it is ready to put in the mail - can't show it because someone might recognize their fabric. I used some leftover pieces from that project to make a couple of blocks and some broken dishes blocks, but again, I can't show those since the fabric might be recognized. My next thing to work on is the wedding quilt but I need to get fabric for the back so I can't do that right now. Maybe I will get into town yet today to pick up something appropriate so I can get that sandwiched and quilted in the next week or so. I will be flying to Denver for the wedding on the 9th of June so I need to get it finished!

Since the weather is decent I think I will go and start weeding the strawberries.

Lazy Sunday

The weather is lovely but I decided I deserved a play day. I did get to the store and got some plants to put in the wringer washer in the yard but then I finished watching a movie while working on the cathedral window quilt and then moved into the sewing room and started cutting up some scraps.

I cut up enough for 6 more of the spool blocks for the group quilt and got those put together along with the accompanying 6 broken dishes blocks.

I also cut enough for 12 color blocks for the 4 Seasons Quilt Swap Summer Block Swap.
I think there are still openings for this swap. You just need to let Margaret know you are interested and then make up to 20 blocks using her tutorial and send them to her with a self-addressed stamped envelope and you will receive blocks back from the other folks in the group. Pretty simple really! I hope to get another 8 done to send and probably a few more since 20 blocks doesn't make a very big quilt.

CW Update

I got a lot done outside yesterday. My little plants are either in pot or the ground and the deck is cleaned off for summer dinners and 'beverages'.

Today I also mostly worked outside because it is just so lovely out! I cleaned out our bike shed so the grandkid's riding toys have a home. I also cleaned up an old wringer washer and hubby got it put together and it is ready for a plant - I just don't have something to plant in it so I will have to shop tomorrow - how sad! I also got some mowing done. I also planted some beets, swiss chard and kohl rabi in the raised bed that was empty since the lettuce didn't sprout.

Since I finished the hand quilting on that row by row quilt I have been working on my Cathedral Window Quilt. I have made quite a bit of progress in the last couple weeks. I have used up all the yellows I had and once I get some more squares added on I will start in on the ones from my sister and Amy. I hope to use up all the blue I have soon and then I will either change to another color for the background or I will find more of this navy or something close.

Productive Morning

First today I need to post a picture of this quilt block that arrived yesterday. It is from the Quilt Block Exchange and came from Isaacsmama.

This morning I got busy right away and finished off these spool blocks for the group quilt. I would have had 12 but I miscut one block so it ended up 6" X 6.5" instead of 6.5" square. Oh well, it has been added to my orphan block pile and will be used someday for something!


When I was putting the spool blocks together I ran a second row of stitching as I did the angles so I ended up with lots of little half square triangles that I put together into broken dishes blocks. I have been doing this for several months and now have lots of little broken dishes blocks of various sizes. When I have enough I will put them all together into a quilt top.

I need to mention that I got all those blocks done before 9:30 AM! Now I am going to head outside to get some plants potted for on the deck and elsewhere in the yard and then maybe some weeding or mowing, depending on whether the sun comes out or not!

Finished Quilt and 6 Blocks

Here is the quilt. A graduation quilt for my good friend's son made from his t-shirts.The most amazing thing about it is that I am about 3 weeks early getting it done - that is pretty much unheard of around here!

Once the machine quilting on that was done I got busy with some other commitments. Here are three blocks for a flickr quilt block exchange started up by my daughter. Check it out - you might want to be a part of our group.



I also got 2 blocks made for another block exchange I am involved in with my sister. There are 12 of us in that group and we will each make one block for each of the other people. We are hoping to be done and have a reveal sometime this summer. Then I will be able to post pictures.

My final block for today is this little one. It is 5.5" square and will be part of a drawing in the Mini Quilt In a Bag group on flickr. Everyone who is a part of the swap is making a block and then one of our names will be drawn at the end of the month and all the blocks will be sent to that quilter.

Another group project is a quilt my Tuesday evening crafting friends and I are doing for a 'yet to be determined' charity. We are all making 6.5" spool blocks. I have had so many other things going I haven't gotten any made so I started cutting out some blocks from my scrap drawers. I got 12 blocks cut out and have started on the sewing but my feet and legs were telling me I need to sit and get my feet up. There is always tomorrow.

My final commitment going on right now is Spring Fling Round Robin 3. I might get that done this week too if I put my mind to it!

Quilt Sent and Received

Kristin has now received the little quilt I sent her in the Mini Quilt In A Bag 3 Swap so I can post this picture. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it when it was completed so I will have to be satisfied with this one.

I didn't get any sewing done yesterday because I had to take care of my little Lucy (the poodle). She has been rather lethargic and isn't eating or drinking really. I took her to the vet and he couldn't find anything obvious wrong and she isn't vomiting so that is good but she is still lethargic so I will stay home today and keep an eye on her. Since she is sleeping on her pillow on the floor next to the sewing machine I guess I can get some sewing done. Maybe I will get that t-shirt quilt quilted and bound today.

A Package and a Start

I lovely little package arrived from Kristin yesterday for the Mini Quilt In A Bag Swap 3 - Lovely Logs. I sent her the fabric for the center of some sort of log cabin blocks and then she came up with the rest. I have one ready to send to her today hopefully. Here is the fabric she sent for the centers of her log cabin blocks, I can't show the rest until she has received her little quilt so check back in about a week for that.

Yesterday, I also got a start on the t-shirt graduation quilt. I was having some trouble picking a fabric to use between the t-shirts but finally got that at my LQS yesterday, got it prewashed and got started. Here is my start and if things go well I might have the top done tonight. I was hoping to have a mini quilt retreat this weekend since my husband and daughter will be out of town for a workshop but you know what they say about best laid plans. I will be having some interruptions but I still hope to get a good bit of sewing done around them.

Since I finished the hand quilting on my Row by Row quilt I have gotten started up on my Cathedral Window Quilt again. It is coming along nicely, if slowly.

4 years in the making

I finished it last night!(Okay, it isn't actually finished. As I was posting the detail pictures I discovered about 1.5" of hand quilting that I missed.)

This is my Row by Row Round Robin quilt finally finished. It was started about 5 years ago or so. I had all the rows in July of 2005 and got them together soon after. I sandwiched it and machine quilted the border with a small stipple and the strips between the rows with a wavy line and got the binding on and then started on the hand quilting. Each row has a little different quilting except the three flying geese rows. If you want to see a bit more quilting detail you can go to my flickr page along with the other quilts from the round robin. There were 13 in the group ranging in age from about 11 to around 70(?). All the quilts that have been finished have turned out so well.

I have started working on a t-shirt quilt for a friend's son's graduation. First step, cutting all the t-shirts and getting interfacing fused on to stabilize the knit.

The top and distractions!

Here is the wedding quilt top all done.
I was a little slow getting a picture taken because of distractions. Two of which are show here.

My granddaughter, Clara, who is about 9.5 months old and yes, she is standing on her own and thinking about taking steps.

The other distraction is her big brother, Layden, who is almost 3.5 years old. Unfortunately, they have not been feeling the best but still are adorable. Layden had a rough day yesterday but is feeling better today and should be fine to go to "Walking with the Dinosaurs" tomorrow.