Another one bites the dust...

My friend Jo made this quilt for her son and fiance for their upcoming wedding. She made one for herself a few years ago when I taught this as a class, and they had seen it, and wanted the same pattern. She did a fantastic job...the colors just pop out at you!
Another thing off my list of things to get done. The back for this quilt is actually darker than this, a pretty black and brown mottled fabric with a sheen to it.
I hope to work on the Lone Star tonight. Happy Monday! (I'm trying, believe me!)

Cottage Swap

I got my Sept. cottage from Betsy...this is so cute and fallish...
there is even a cute acorn button to put on after the project is finished.
She also made a label for the quilt....on her embroidery machine. She is getting pretty good at this! If you visit her blog, you know that she is really into that these days, plus I thought it was funny that she cut it in the shape of a hexagon! She is also really good at them and maybe that is her hint that we need to learn how?

I started quilting a quilt for a friend yesterday, it is a wedding gift for her son. She used a pattern of mine that has a 3-D effect that I taught a few years ago. It is bold in blacks, burgandy and brown. I will take a pic when finished. It is gorgeous.

I have no classes this week so maybe I can get on here a bit more. Maybe I will even get back to the Lone Star. Last week was crazy, in a good way of course!

odds & ends & pix

I remembered to take a picture of the kaleidoscope quilt the other night while at the store for class. It's funny, because when I look at it the light circles pop out, I have to refocus my eyes to see the dark ones. Which did you see first?
I haven't gotten any more done on the Lone Star...hopefully this weekend.
Pat brought in a show and tell...her Sampler #2 top all put together. Very soft and pretty. Her group has started a new Sampler, the Garden Window.

Keeping me honest!

Ok, here are the 5 blocks I have finished. I have 3 more to do, then I can put it together. That square of tannish fabric is the background I picked out for the background the other night. I like how it looks with the outer points, as well as the inner. Once I get the setting squares and triangles cut out, I will take another pic, as I realize that I should've hung it closer to the outer points, but I don't want to keep messing with those diamonds as they are pretty stretchy at this point. I spent a lot of time agonizing over the colors, and the order they should be in. I wanted them to blend to some extent, but also to stand out, if that makes sense.

The first full week of school went well. I am ready for the weekend, though. I am going to Earling tomorrow to visit and attend a little party for my niece's 21st birthday. Should be fun!

Just a quick post and update...

I got 3 more diamonds finished Monday night, but haven't taken a pic so you will just have to take my word for it! I want to get the background tonight so I have it when I am ready for it. I have class tonight, so won't get any sewing done...maybe tomorrow. Mom and Dad were down last night so went out to eat with them, then came home and went for a bike ride. I worked on some class stuff for a little bit too.
That's about it....sorry no pix!

Started a new project...

I cut out and started sewing a new project yesterday. I have been wanting to make a Lone Star quilt for a long time. Awhile back I found a pattern I liked, gathered the fabrics and they have been just waiting for me to begin. Not sure how that stripe is going to fit in, but I just had to use it....
I wondered how hard it would be to sew, as everything is on the bias, but so far it is going well. She (designer) recommends not pressing these diamonds until you get the whole thing together, as you risk stretching it out of shape. That makes sense, so I am not pressing them. This is as far as I got. I only have one class this week, so hopefully will get the rest of the diamonds done.

Off to work...tata!

Busy day

The first days of back to work at Roosevelt School went well. I have lots to do to get the library open, but I got a good start on it.

My sister Deb came down yesterday so ended up shopping with her all day. We got some visiting in while shopping. Not sure what I will do today, there are many things to choose from! Will let you know!!!

Back to school for me & a finished top

It's back to school for me today...we have a big welcome back district meeting this morning then it is on to school to work. The kids come back tomorrow.

I finished this quilt top yesterday before class and will post a better pic when I get one. I love the secondary circular pattern that you get with this block. I also finished sewing the binding down on the new quilt I will be using for Beginning Quilting...a Double 4-Patch. So I got it hung on display last night too. Whew! 2 handsewn bindings in a week...that is a lot for me!

Lazy weekend

I really did nothing much over the weekend, not even sew. My SIL Denise did make me go with her to our favorite quilt store in Plattsmouth, Ne, Seams To Be Quilt Shoppe on Saturday. One of the best things about this shop is that besides having great fabrics of all kinds, they also have a sale wall ($3 & $5 a yd), and sale FQs. They were having a great sale on the sale Fat Quarters....94 cents apiece! So we went digging through them and managed to come up with a few. I was happy to find some more dots to add to my collection and found some lighter, mostly blueish colored batiks too.
This beauty was on the sale wall...so I had to get a piece! Isn't shopping for fabric sort of like quilting prep?
I think the reg. priced FQs are on sale all month too, but we didn't get that far, as we only had about an hour to shop.
I have been working on these blocks off and on for a week or so, so want to get them sewn together today. This is my first time at using the kaleidoscope ruler by Marti Mitchell, have to say it made the cutting very easy to do. I will be doing a class on it at some point, so went with just 6 fabrics ...though I know it would be pretty scrappy too. I hope to find time to do that at some point, too.

I have classes 3 nights this week and go back to school on Wednesday....not ready for this...lol..I am as bad as the kids!

Memory Quilt

I have been working on a memory quilt for a friend of my daughter who lives in Seattle. She had seen pictures of one we made my mom and dad 9 years ago to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. We had everyone make a block, kids too, and then I put them together to make a very large wall quilt. She wanted something similiar for her parents for their 50th Anniversary, so she contacted me to see what to do and if I would put it together. So that is what they did, using pictures and other things to invoke memories of each person. It was fun working on it, though I worried a bit about choosing the fabrics for them, but in the end I went with colors that went with the blocks they had made. I finished it yesterday and sent it off.
Here is a picture of Mom and Dad with their 5oth Anniversary Quilt. I scanned the picture in so it is not as good quality as a digital picture. They will celebrate 60 years in Feb.

Fun day with sis & finished quilt!

My sister, Sharon, came down today and spent the day with me. We took this pic of her with her quilt. (She was standing on a chair) She loved the quilting. We spent the day talking and sewing. She worked on appliqueing some star blocks and I worked on the memory quilt...the good news there is that I finished sewing the binding down on it, so it is almost ready to go. I wish I would've taken a pic of her blocks. Someone gave them to her, they are handpieced 9 point stars. She is appliqueing them onto off- white squares.

Here is my Circle and Spin quilt, I finished the quilting yesterday.
Sun shining in on it....maybe looks a little brighter & yellower than it is.
Here is the back....After I finished I was looking out the window and noticed the shade from the tree in the yard looks a lot like the back of the quilt.
Refreshing, huh? Kind of like my day...

At least I have pictures today...

Hope this doesn't look too topsy turvy! I started quilting one of my quilts yesterday. I am trying out a panto I haven't used before which is called Mini Chaos. It sort of jags up and down into the next row, which I like. I am anxious to get it finished so I can see the whole thing. Here is a peek at the back and you can see the panto too.
I am hoping it interacts well with the circles.

Now if you think I was standing on my head to take this one, you would be close. I was trying to get a pic of the pantograph, quilt and machine. Several people have asked me recently about pantos, so this shows it pretty well. This panto has 2 patterns on it, so if I want to make the flowery circley one, I just flip it around. I used it on a baby quilt awhile back.

My machine is an older APQS, called an EZQ. It's not the biggest or the best, but I got it at an estate sale, so the price was right! No front handles or controls, no stitch regulator... so it took me awhile to get the hang of it, but we have a good rhythm going now. Most days anyway!

Judi of Judi's Crazy World does some wonderful work dyeing fabrics. She has been snowdyeing again, so pop over and see what she can do. She is also having a giveaway to celebrate 300 posts!

Elaine is having a Quilter's Stimulus Giveaway, so run on over and check that out too.

I worked on the new blocks Monday and got most of them finished. Off to quilt!

What's up with Monday?

I spent the whole weekend cleaning...yes, you heard me correctly. I did all kinds of icky cleaning, like taking the blinds down and washing them outside, washing curtains, fans, even cleaned out the fridge. So now I'm back to the business of sewing. I started a new quilt Friday, so might work on that.

What no pictures? sorry I didn't think you would enjoy pictures of my clean blinds all that much, though I am sure enjoying them. I will try to come up with one later.