Sew-in results...

This past Wednesday, my quilt bee came over for an all day sew in.  Everyone brought their machines and worked on their own projects.  I started sewing the blocks for a quilt for my Grandpa.  I started with this Berry Bliss Bali Pop.

Berry Bliss Bali Pop

This is such an easy quilt to make that in just over 4 hours, I managed to make all 40 blocks for the quilt center.

20 light, 20 dark blocks for the quilt center

After another hour or so today, I laid out the blocks and sewed them together.  There are very few seams to match up, so everything goes together lickety split.

Rows laid out and ready to be sewn together

Hopefully tomorrow I can sew the rows together and have the center completed.  Before adding the borders, I want to applique my Grandpa's name and DOB on them.  He's living in a nursing home right now and I've been warned about problems with theft.  I'm hoping that having his name prominently displayed might dissuade someone from walking off with it, but I know that it's still a possibility.  My Grandpa is also suffering from dementia and could end up just giving it away.  He has a tendency to do that.  But I'm making this quilt for him, knowing all those things could happen and I'm OK with that.  I just want him to know that I love him and was thinking of him when I made it.  And to be honest, it's also why I chose a simpler pattern (although one I still really enjoy making).

Our animals are a mixed bag when it comes to company coming over.  A couple of the cats will hide away until the last guest leaves, while Jack and Sam love to interact with them.  On Wednesday, Sam made herself at home in the middle of Susan's sewing.  Fortunately, Susan has several furbabies of her own (including her own Sam) and didn't mind the intrusion.

Sam lying on Susan's sewing stuff

I think we all had a fun and productive day!

Until later...

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. 

John 13:35 (NLT)

An update...

Still crazy busy around here.  I think it's just the new normal.  As a result, some things have fallen by the wayside and obviously blogging is one of them.  Here's just a quick post as to a few of the things going on...

I picked out my fabrics for May's Another Year of Schnibbles, but haven't started sewing yet.  I have decided this will be another donation quilt though.

My big sewing accomplishment has been to finally assemble my Baltimore Halloween quilt.  I spent 3 years hand appliqueing these blocks.  All that's left is to applique 20 bats in the borders (and of course to quilt it) before Halloween.  Unfortunately, I ran out of fabric and it's on back order.  Hopefully it'll come in early next week.

Baltimore Halloween by P3 Designs

My mom and I also got started on a quilt for my Grandpa who recently turned 89.  However, we ran into some issues and I've decided to make a different quilt altogether.  I'm using this Bali Pop and one of my go to patterns.  In fact, I'm hosting my quilt bee for a sewing day tomorrow and this is the project I'll be working on.  I'm hoping to finish this one by the end of the month.

Fabric for Grandpa's Quilt

And last, but not least, a very special girl had a birthday last week.  Gabriel turned 6 last Tuesday.  We racked our brains trying to figure out how to make it special, but finally determined that we treat every day like her birthday!  (She's awfully spoiled.)

Happy Birthday Gabriel!

Plenty of other stuff going on, but this post is long enough for one day.  I hope you're enjoying some beautiful weather in your neck of the woods!

Until later...

You will keep him in perfect peace,Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3

D is for Drummer Boy....

I've just finished the next block for the Snowmen A to ZZZZ quilt by Crapabble Hill Studios.

D is for Drummer Boy

Another fairly quick stitchery with the exception of all those circles on the drum.  I probably could have used French Knots or Colonial Knots, but I liked the look of the open circles.

Closeup of Block

I've gone ahead and started on the next block, which is a combination of the letters E and F.  I'm still trying to get a hand applique project ready, and as soon as I do, I'll take a break and switch over to it for a while.

Just as a recap, here's all my snowmen blocks so far....

Snowmen A to ZZZZ Blocks 1 - 4

Warmer weather has made an appearance here lately.  It was actually 94 degrees today!  I caught Jack enjoying some of the sunshine, after a bit of catnip earlier.

Jack on the cat scratcher

Until later...

In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

Colossians 2:3 (NLT)

Feathered Friends...

aka Summer Days ...aka the April Schnibbles selection from Another Year of Schnibbles hosted by Sinta of Pinkcushion and Sherri of A Quilting Life.

Feathered Friends - 37" Square

I'm happy to admit that I didn't wait until the last minute to make this quilt (unlike January's, February's and March's).  This was by far the most time consuming one of them, so if I had, I don't think I would have finished in time.  (Despite having finished the top almost a week ago, I have of course waited until the last minute to post about it...)

Feathered Friends Quilt Top

The pattern this month is Summer Day by the incomparable Carrie Nelson.  I used 2 Charm Packs of Luna Notte (love that fabric) and added some applique to the center of mine.  I taught a class last year and had this little bird applique sitting around waiting for a project to use it on.

Starting Materials for the April Quilt

This was also the first time I tried the Mini Fit to be Geese ruler.  There are a mountain of flying geese in this quilt and while it didn't make them any more fun to make, they did come out perfectly in the end.  Assembling the quilt went smoother, but it still felt like I spent days making those flying geese.  Wait, that's because it actually was days!

Because I wanted to ensure a nice variety of flying geese in the quilt, I went overboard on making them and ended up with an extra gaggle or two of them.  I was able to use a couple dozen in the label....

Future Label for Feathered Friends

But still had quite a few left.  Well, with the current price of fabric, I decided to piece the back as well and found a spot for all but one lonely goose....

Future Backing for the Feathered Friends Quilt

Now this quilt will join the multitude of others waiting to be quilted sometime in the 'near' future.  Although funny enough, I already know exactly how I want to quilt this one!

Until later...

And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. 

Hebrews 13:16 (NLT)

Temptation...

Could you walk by this or would you have to stop and rub that belly?  What if I told you it's as soft as it looks?

Until later...

For we live by believing and not by seeing. 

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT)

Someone needs a nap...

The last couple of weeks have been insanely, crazy busy and I'm having trouble keeping up.  Obviously some things are falling by the wayside (including blogging and getting enough sleep).  It started went I traveled to visit my family to celebrate Easter and my niece's birthday.  I always have a wonderful time visiting them, but this time, one of them followed me back.  This week is Spring Break for my niece Gracie and she came to stay for a few days.

Gracie and Sam

This is the first time she's stayed over and the pets didn't know what to make of it.  The cats weren't quite sure if they liked it, while our dog Gabriel loved having her own 'kid' around.  Unfortunately, Gracie is very allergic to cats and we weren't sure how she would do around 4 of them.  Especially when one of them climbed on top of her luggage within minutes of her arriving...

Sam on Gracie's luggage

I was very careful to keep all of her stuff in a plastic bag for the rest of her visit and she didn't have a single issue with her allergies.  Praise God!

I had SO MUCH FUN while she was visiting.  We ate, worked out, sewed, played, ran errands and basically did everything except sleep.  Having no children of my own, I also learned 2 very important lessons: (1) kids are very expensive, and (2) kids are exhausting!  I now have a much greater sympathy/empathy for her mom.  (I'm also hoping she'll let her come back and play for another week during the summer.)

Gracie is just now interested in learning to sew and has finished her very first embroidery block.  It's from one of the Nancy Halvorsen books although I can't recall which right now.

Gracie's First Embroidery Block

She's working on her second one and has told me that I need to send her another one once she's finished with it.  While she worked on hers, I managed to finish my 3rd Snowman A to ZZZZ block...

Block 3 - C is for Candy Canes

The Candy Canes took a little while to stitch up, but otherwise this block finished pretty quickly.

Block 3 - Closeup

I was planning on putting these aside and finishing my Baltimore Halloween quilt now, but I'm going on a quilt retreat next week and this will be great to work on in the evenings.  Once I return though, I really, really have to finish the Halloween quilt - after I catch up on all the missed sleep that is!

Until later...

"But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!" 

Habakkuk 2:3 (LB)

Stash Report Week #9 - 12...

March 4 - 31, 2012

Soooo much more sewing going on here lately.  I finished 1 quilt, a quilt top and a handy dandy coupon organizer.  Oh, and I also bought some fabric this past week too.  Surprisingly, I actually have stuff to report this time!

Let's start with what I used.  My last couple of posts have shown the bulk of it.  I finished La Maison a couple of days ago and I used 1.75 yards for the back and binding.

La Maison - First completed quilt of 2012

Yesterday I also managed to finish the quilt top Child's Play.  This will be a donation quilt once it's quilted.  I used 2.75 yards for this one.

Child's Play Quilt Top

Finally, a couple of weeks ago while visiting my mom, we each worked on making a coupon organizer.  We used the pattern Coupon Organizer by iSew.  This was a fun little project.  The directions were very clear, but of course, we made a few changes of our own.  Unfortunately, when I was done, I realized it was a little too small for me to use.  I'm going to have to make another, much larger one in the future.  My mom decided it was useable for her, so she's keeping the one I made and gave hers as a gift to a friend.  I used 1.25 yards to make mine.

Mom's Red Organizer and My Blue One

A look inside...

Those are all the projects I finished in the last month for a grand total of 5.75 yards used.  Coincidentally, this almost perfectly balances my fabric purchase of the past week.  I bought 2 Layer Cakes of Butterscotch & Roses by Fig Tree Quilts.  I have a lap quilt in mind for these.

2 Layer Cakes of Butterscotch & Roses

So...
Purchased-this-week: 5.5 yards
Used-this-week: 5.75 yards
Purchased-to-date: 15 yards
Used-to-date: 26 yards
Net used: 11 yards

Not very impressive numbers this year, but I have spent more time in my sewing room this past week.  It's a trend I really hope to continue.  And lucky me, I'm also going on another quilting retreat in a couple of weeks.  I'm bound to get lots of eating talking sewing done then!

Until later...

“He is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you” 

Exodus 34:14 (NLT)