Signature Quilt With Popcorn

After helping Dottie with the construction of a couple bags this morning, I got out these signature strips. The fabric strips were taken to a baby shower for the guests to sign. I intended to make them petals in big daisy-like flowers. However, the signatures got too close to the edges to round them off to look like petals, so I just sewed them in chinese coin strips alternating with these cute brights. I found this background fabric in my stash and it seemed to go with it quite well, so I was finished putting it together in no time. Then I loaded it and used the popcorn panto(which was already on the table), white permacore thread, and warm and white batting. I just cut the strips for the binding, so the little baby girl this quilt is intended for can pretty much make her entrance into the world any day.




Lost Socks
I finally laid out all my socks and then boxed up 18 sets to go to Mar for our exchange. This was a long project....starting in February. I love having some hand work to do in the evenings, whether it be binding or an applique project like this.

Making a List

I need to make a list! Seems like the only time I make a list is when I'm headed to the grocery store. Most other shopping is all in my head and more often than not, I forget something. Lucky for me we live close to shopping areas. But, back to my list...
On Saturday I am going on a road trip to Madison, Indiana with Linda, Sossity, some others from guild and some that I don't even know yet. Linda has been talking about it on her blog and I commented that it sounded like great fun and was pleasently surprised when she asked me to go along. The trip will include fabric, wine, fudge and new friends........Oh what fun!

When visiting a new-to-me quilt shop, I'm often overwhelmed and can be "Megged" into buying very easily. So, I'm going to make a list before we leave and it will look something like this:
1. Wine
2. More wine
3. Fudge
On a more serious note:
4. Straw needles
5. Be Attitudes by Nancy Halverson (JulieK is doing these blocks and I just love them)
6. Feedsack solid yellow to repair a Double Wedding Ring for a customer

That's about all I can think of right now, but I'm sure I will add to it before Saturday.

Block 1

I finally decided on my fabrics for JudyL's block of the Month. Now, I like purple just as much as the next quilter, but when I first saw this quilt I thought of Christmas. So mine will be done in reds and greens. I finished Block 1 last night, just in time, because Block 2 will be out on Friday.

This my first attempt at 1/16th inch cutting/piecing and I had to take my time cutting.

Burger Queen - Have It Your way!

Well, I got the blocks put together and the center of the top and I am not thrilled at all. Hopefully, I can put one of JudyL's borders on it to make it salvageable. This one may go to a local charity.

I know that I have a really hard time with random and I think that's part of the problem with this one. I also think if I had chosen a block that had background around all sides, like a friendship star, that it would have looked better.

Also, I admit that I am spoiled with pattern instructions that tell me which way to press my seams and have them come out in nesting perfection. Since this one was "have it your way" there was no way of knowing which blocks were going to be next to each other and the back has lots of seam switching.

When I've used Bonnie Hunter's quilt patterns I have pressed to the dark and my Carolina Crossroads quilt has nesting seams at every single intersection.

Stashbusting Report - 8/11/08

First of all....thanks to all who left me sympathetic messages regarding my migraine. I'm happy to report that it seems to be gone.

Fabric Added This Week - 21.75 yards (YIKES)
Fabric Added Year to Date - 71.375 yards

Fabric Used This Week - 3.625 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date - 258.25 yards

YEAR TO DATE TOTAL: 186.875

Can you believe that I bought that much fabric? Well, let me tell you why. Rossville Quilts was having an 8-8-08 sale in honor of Berninas NEW 8 Series and they were having hourly specials. We got there right around 6pm and the special that hour was: all clearance fabric for $.88/yard. I planned on looking for some fabrics to use in JudyL's Block of the Month and found a couple in the colors I wanted and it seemed a shame to only buy a yard of 88 cent quilt shop quality fabric. So, I bought what was left on the bolt of 6 different fabrics for a whopping $20.48. At least 3 of these will be backings. The pink and white stripe will be a backing for the next watermelon hearts quilt.



FYI: Rossville Quilts is having a back-to-school sale. Check it out!

Next week will be a big stashbusting week for me as I only have a couple Lost Socks to finish and then I can count the fabric for all 60 socks.

DOWN and OUT!

That's how I felt all day yesterday. I woke up with a migraine and instead of staying in bed, I thought that maybe I could beat it. So I took a shower, got the paper, a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. I was almost finished with the first section of the paper when the nausea took over. I was back in bed with the sheet over my head and there is where I stayed until noon when Dan came to see if I wanted a butterburger from Culvers (a weekend lunch tradition at our house). I said yes, having a hard time believing it was noon already. If you know me, you know that I don't get sick very often. When I have had migraines before, they were gone by noon, so I figured I had this one under control. I finally got out of bed about 1:30 and joined Dan in the living room watching something on TV. I had to move to a different chair to eat because the I was facing the TV and it was just too bright. I ate a few bites and it didn't taste very good so I took the lettuce, tomato, pickles off. I was really hungry so I finished it. (bad mistake!) I laid on the couch for a while, dozing and Dan suggested a warm bath. I enjoyed the bath and then the nausea was back. I gave up and went back to bed. Dan made some jello about 8:00 and I had a bowl of that and some ice chips. Slept all night, my headache seems to be gone and I had some jello for breakfast, so I think I'm all better now.

Circle Lord Spirals

This is a Heartstrings quilt made by Melva and it is so pretty with the lights and darks. I tried the spirals template on it this evening and I'm not sure that I used it quite right, as it wasn't continuous. I wanted to have a full spiral in each square and a half size one in between, which meant a stop/start between each pair. I think I probably could have figured it out, but I ended up having company....my granddaughters and a friend of theirs.