Trying to catch up...

 
I finished the Project Linus mystery quilt Gracie's Get Well Garden...LOVE this quilt! It was so fun to make.

I even did some blanket stitch applique on the owl - a first for me.

I got three quilts back from my long arm quilter almost three months ago...finally finished the binding on Island Chain...

This picture is blah...the quilt and quilting is much more interesting in real life. I need to get my behind in gear as my long arm quilter just finished three more of my quilts. Yikes, lots of binding.
 

Lots of Quilty Stuff Going On

 
Yesterday I would have said I was almost caught up and almost done. Today I can say I'm all caught up and done.

The medallion quilt is done! The best description I can think of is eclectic. None of the borders "go together" but it all works - or I should say it works for me. It has all the things I wanted in it - the tree of life block, flying geese and star blocks - but doesn't look anything like I originally envisioned. I love it! It ended up bigger than I originally planned also - 83 inches square.
 

I started a new mystery quilt called Gracie's Get Well Garden, it is a Project Linus fund raiser. So far this has been a very fun project with great instructions and a video tutorial for each block. This week's block is a sun with ray's. I've picked the fabrics for it and will hopefully get started on it tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the finished quilt looks like. If you'd like to learn more about this mystery quilt, or join in, you can find more information here: http://www.projectlinus.org/contest/

I'm also all caught up on Temecula Quilt Company's Circa 2016 block-of-the-week. You can see the finished quilt on their blog banner. Next week we get the finishing instructions.

I have lots of binding that needs hand sewn down and a large pile of wall hangings / table toppers that are pinned and ready to be quilted, I'm trying to resist cutting out something new until a few of them are done...but we all know I'm weak - the rotary cutter is calling me. ;o)

 

A Finish

 
I seems like forever since I've actually finished a quilt. Lots of little gifty things, but no quilts. Technically...this one isn't finished either but a least it's a top.

Ta da!

I decided to have the blues go from dark to light...

...or light to dark. Either way I'm really happy with this quilt. I've been wanting to make a blue and white scrappy quilt for ages so when Beth at Love Laugh Quilt asked if I would be interested in testing a new quilt pattern it was a no brainer - I just wish it had made more of a dent in my blue fabric stash.

Odd and Ends

Yikes, over a month again. I've been sewing but most of it has been cutting, sub-piecing and squaring up. Nothing very interesting to show.

Last month I made this cute little pouch...which Nancy quickly acquired (she LOVES Kaffe fabrics).

So I made a few more...along with some pocket tissue holders.

Then I made some box tissue holders. These were fun and easy to make. It's a free pattern from Connecting Threads. I may make more of these for Christmas gifts. Three fat quarters makes two holders.

A few weeks ago my side fence went from looking like this...

To this...MUCH better.

Beth at Love Laugh Quilt asked if I was interested in testing a new pattern for her. YES! After a few challenges cutting (I over cut one block - guess who will be making two quilts). The blocks go from this...

To this...kinda like a disappearing nice patch. The piecing and sub-cutting and re-piecing is really easy. LOVE how the blocks are turning out. Sorry these are not ironed, it's been over 100 for the last 8 days and is not going to get below 95 for another 5 days. No ironing for me, too darn hot.

I also won a fat quarter bundle from Paintbrush Studio. The fabric is Garden Rendezvous by Ro Gregg. My picture isn't very good. The colors remind me of spring.

I'm still working on my medallion quilt star blocks and the Circa 2016 blocks but don't have anything interesting to show yet. Maybe next month.

Yikes!!

  
Wow, it's been over a month since I blogged. Lots of little stuff going on. I sent three quilts out to be quilted. The oriental Refracted quilt - queen sized.

She quilted an all over orange peel.

Scrappy friendship quilt. 

The center is meandered (too dense to do much else), with a serpentine border.

And the rose trellis quilt...

With lots of swirls and leaves.

It's so nice to have these done.When I picked up these three I dropped off three more. I have two more I'm going to send out later this summer - it will be so nice to NOT see a bunch of unfinished quilts hanging in the closet.

I had a sewing get together a few weeks ago. Stephanie working on microwave bowl holders...

and this adorable table runner. If I coulda figured out of way to steal it I woulda. ;o)

Stacy made a BQ2 quilt. I think Nancy was leisurely pinning sets of something together. 

Dawn finished up piecing bento box blocks  - she finish putting the quilt top together before she left.

And I worked on the butterfly quilt which hasn't been touched since the last time we all got together.

Gotta show all the food. There was also lots of stuff in the refrigerator. Nobody wanted dinner that night.

Have to show off my pretty girl.  She is my joy.

 I've done some other odds and ends sewing also but I can't show it yet. With regards to the medallion quilt I've decided to stop being indecisive and go with my original plan. The next row will be the star blocks. I've got about half of them made.

There will be no changing of the mind.
  

Somebody Make Up My Mind

 
All the wild goose chase blocks are done and the borders are attached (without too much pulling adjusting to get everything to fit).

Now I need to decide on the next round...this has possibilities.

But I also like this...

I think I like this border set better...strong possibilities...

Now I don't know... I like this one too...

Both have the same background fabric and I don't have enough fabric to use it for both borders, nor do I want to use it for both so some alteration will be needed.

 

Maybe the on point florals first then the stars? Maybe something else? How do quilt designers do it?

 

Siddi turned 17 on May 1. She celebrated by taking a nap in her new favorite spot.

More Progress...

 
... and one very small finish. Let's start with the small finish. This was a Temecula Quilt Company free pattern that I added a couple of borders to (it was just too small and mine was kind of blah without the added borders). Fun and quick.

 

I haven't decided if I'm going to bind it in this blue or something else. I'm also trying to decide if I want to try hand quilting it. I've never hand quilted anything.

 

More Temecula Quilt Company...my latest Circa 2016 blocks.

I have four more Wild Goose Chase blocks to make. I'm paper piecing the blocks which makes them easy to make but it takes about 30-45 minutes to make a single block. I have no idea what I'm going to do for the next border. I know it needs more yellow, blue and red...I'd like to find another floral to tie in.

 

Stephanie and Nancy have been over recently. Below are their recent finishes.

 

Stephanie's colorful pink quilt is a baby quilt for her cousin's first baby - cute, fun quilt. I love this pattern, quick, easy and every one I've made/seen turns out great.

 

Nancy has an obsession with Kaffe fabrics AND Jaybird Quilts patterns, combine the two and you get her version of Science Project. The picture doesn't show it very well but the background fabric is a light gray tone-on-tone with a hexie print.

 

To close I have to show you my roses...

 

 I love the first blooms of the year!

 



Making some progress

 

I'm keeping up with Temecula Quilt Company's Circa 2016 block of the week. I changed my mind on the original background fabric I chose - it was a gray taupe. I like this light gray much better.

 

My latest blocks...

I'm also working on the next border of my medallion quilt. I really like the wild goose chase blocks. I'm paper piecing them and it is a very slow process. Five done, 31 more to go. This may take a while.

 A wonderful friend gave me these beautiful daffodils with a card that said "Happy March".

They definitely made my March very happy. Thank you again Barbara! With all the wet dreary days we've had the last two weeks (not complaining, we REALLY need the rain) the flowers really brightened up the day.
 

One Finished Quilt, Three Finished Tops and...

... LOTS of progress.

I gave Nancy the Spools quilt top as her birthday present (after lots of hints on her side) with a promise to have it quilted before the end of February.

I love the scrappy binding although it was a bit of pain as two of my seams ended up in corners.

Nancy and took a class last weekend at our local quilt shop Runs with Scissors. The pattern is Rock Candy by Jaybird Quilts.  It was so quick and easy to make I had time to make a second one.

 

 

I also finished up this lap quilt. I love the border fabric with all different greens.

 

 

I made progress on my Circa 2016 quilt. I haven't made the center yet as (until today) I could not find a setting fabric I liked.

 

And my not very Westering Women block (oops, forgot to turn the block).

 

 

I haven't made any progress on my medallion quilt. I started making another pieced border and after getting all the piecing done decided I didn't like it. So back to the drawing board on that one.