Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

What a joy to have some days at home with no meetings, duties or chores to attend.  Just trying to finish up some UFO's.  Also working on Bonnie Hunter's Mystery quilt.  And that takes time to cut and sew so many units in a busy week.  Not complaining just commenting.

This is all 80 of Clue #4 units.  It is mostly perseverance and a strong back to do all the cutting.
I am doing everything scrappy even the yellows.  Have 66/100 of clue #1, Half of Clue #2 and over half of Clue #3.  Going to work on finishing them today and tomorrow.

This is the top for Harriet's Sampler which I did as a BOM ( I know I said no more but I really liked the store sample just did not realize how small some of the pieces were) for 2014.  This year will be no BOM.  I am committed to finishing all the ones I have started and to do two quilts that have been in the queue for a year.

I have had the border material for a while and really like how it looks with the fabrics in the blocks.

The inner border is dark brown which is homage to all the brown in the blocks. The border is wild because the quilt is not.

Cold, windy and rainy quilting.

Sally

Waiting

Well we are on the way with Bonnie Hunter's winter mystery.  It is fun if hectic and a real change from fighting the crowds for shopping.  I am nearly through and thinking about this time last year I am not surprised to realize I do not remember anything about Oct, Nov and Dec of 2013.  Maybe it is just as well.
November this year found ML SB and me winging our way to the International quilt show in Houston.  If you quilt and have the chance it is mind blowing.  Talk about fabric overload and the talent that went into putting fabric and thread together was amazing.
Anyway we came home with our bags twice as heavy which was ok since they were only half full when we left.  We stayed with SB's sister and her husband who were both so kind and we had a wonderful stay.
I have been trying to finish up some of my UFO's and am well on the way.

This one is waiting for me to finish the binding.  I just love all the oranges and pinks.  It is called Bento Boxes.

These are more of the BOM's at ME's and I am going to do the last one tomorrow and put this together.  I want to get it quilted and put over my sewing table.  It has been fun but some of those blocks had 20-30 pieces and they were small.

This was the batch for September.

December found us at the Vets removing a growth on Mr. C's lip.  He is showing off his stitches.

Someone donated some tops to the guild and I quilted this one with some swirl type quilting.

Here are some of last weeks units for BH mystery.  P and I worked on them Thursday.  C was sick with a cold.  We missed her.

Well that is enough for now.  Have to make my 5th batch of fudge ( the one with evap milk, butter and marshmallow cream) yum.

Tomorrow is a stay in and eat soup day.  Hope you can too.

Chilly quilting.

Sally

Another day in weather paradise

I am really enjoying this beautiful weather.  Back is better but still trying to take it easy. I need to be in good shape for two trips later this month.  I did not get up early enough to see the eclipse of the moon.  Cecil decided to sleep in and did not wake me until 7:30am and that is after a nap yesterday afternoon.  Did get binding done on veteran's quilt for undercover quilters bee.  Also got binding done for guild challenge.  Have started on putting Bento Boxes together but not sure if I want a border or borders.
Here is the donation quilt.

Did not even realize how it would look and should have done sashing rows for top and left side.  Oh well.

So tired of all the campaign ads.  I think there is a point at which people seeing the same add 20 times in one day will say enough and will not vote for that person.  I have watched the debates although the first between Tillis and Hagan was just a repeat of all their ads.  The Aiken- Elmers debate at least was interesting and both seemed to have knowledge about issues.  The second Tillis-Hagan debate was an improvement but I also don't want to hear 96% again either.

The good thing is we have less than a month to go until it stops.

Happy cloudy quilting.

Sally

Will this BOM ever end????

I have been quilting a lot but don't seem to get anything finished.  I have a challenge art quilt still to bind, a donation quilt to bind, and a donation quilt to quilt.  Have finished with the borders of the Hatteras quilt except to do 3 more 25sq patches for the corners of the borders.  It took so much time for this quilt for it to be unusable on the bed.  Too small.  Oh well it will be pretty.I did finish the habitat girls quilts and delivered them.
This is the September BOM from Thistle Bee I started in January.

And the two blocks for October.

I am ready to finish with this and get it quilted.  Have enjoyed it.

This is the Hatteras quilt.  So named because I started it 2.5 years ago at Hatteras.  I have finished the center and borders except for the corner blocks.  

This was taken at the harbor in Oriental NC.  It was a nice day to walk around the houses near the water and listen to different bands playing on some of the porches.

And finally this was my favorite quilt from the Durham Orange Show in September.  It is a wonderful quilting interpretation of Van Gogh's Starry Night.  The work  is amazing.

I am going to try to sew the blocks for Bento Boxes I have had made for 2 months.  We will see.

Cool and Crisp Quilting.

Sally

Last days of summer

I can only hope that summer's back is broken and things will be bright and coooooler.  This is one person who will not dream of the heat of summer in the dead of winter.
Moving along on projects to complete here is a picture of the quilt for Lulu the older of the two girls in the habitat house.

The next picture is of my block for the fall block exchange.  I have finished 10 and hope to finish the rest by tomorrow.

Each year the Arts Council asks us to donate two 6inch square canvases.  We can put anything on them we wish.  I am not as creative as many so I use something I have done.  Here are the ones for this year.  

Sorry I can't seem to turn them around.

Finally here are the BOM sampler blocks for August.  Never thought I would be sewing half square triangles to make a 1.5 inch block.  One thread can really make a difference.  Oh well only three more months.  Some are putting it together as they go but I will wait.

I have nearly finished the blocks for September but will wait to finish them all.  I like most of the fabrics esp the dark blues.

Have a beautiful sky blue day and 

Sunny quilting.

Sally

Rain again

I will forgo the repetitive comment about how time flies but September????  I have been trying to finish up some projects and have started some new ones.  This is not my comfort zone.  I like to try to finish what I start within a reasonable time unless it is a BOM.  The DOQ quilt show was really nice.
I can't believe all that volunteers have to do just to put it on.  It was so well done and they made it look so easy.  The vendors were so different it was nice and so many beautiful quilts to drool over.
It was the first time C and I had entered a show and it adds something when you have a dog in the fight.
I have nearly finished the two quilts for Lulu and Yaritza who are the girls moving into the Habitat house we worked on last May.  I just quilted a veteran's quilt for Undercover Quilters Bee donation and am working on my exchange fall blocks.  I have finished five of the fifteen.  I am nearly finished with the challenge quilt using the "ugly" fabric.  Have one more border on the quilt I started in Hatteras in 2013 and have 10 more courthouse square blocks for Bonnie Hunter's Smith Mountain Morning blue/brown quilt from her workshop in June.  September will be the last slow month and then Christmas will be here!!!

This is the quilt for the younger sister Yaritza.

I finally got a sewing table and moved my drop-leaf table to the front bedroom for a cutting table.  I do really love quilting on this where the quilt does not get caught on the edge of my extension table.

I think the wall behind is crying for a quilt.

Love love love it.

I need to send some pictures to the computer so will close

Cooler quilting

Sally

The sun the sun!!!

What a beautiful morning after so much dreariness and rain.  I, being selfish, would take the rainy, cloudy days over the 100+ degree days with 70% humidity any day but I realize those who look forward to warm weather and beach trips have had a difficult time this summer.  I also sympathize with merchants, owners of restaurants etc at beaches who might not have had a fiscally great summer, especially my nephew with two restaurants (Havanas) in Wilmington and Carolina Beach.  Maybe the rest of August will be good for a last hurrah.
This time inside has provided an excuse if I needed one to sew sew sew.  I have finished some projects and started new ones.  This is a quilt from the Missouri Star tutorial on disappearing hourglass block.  I like it but the measurements took getting used to.  It is a quilt for a lady at church.  I really like the way the pattern makes a secondary block and with the sashing it is a different look than without it.

This is Karen's 5th quilt.  It is for her cousin's baby.  I really like how the bordered blocks look.  The quilting was in the ditch around the blocks, a double-sided X in each block and straight lines in the borders.  A great job.  She pieced the back and used a scrappy binding from each of the border fabrics.  The sashing is a white with a light blue dot.  

In proof reading this I realized I write as I think which is to leave out the little words.  Arrrrgh.

Gorgeous Day Quilting

Sally

Love the rainy days quilting

Well what else is there to do.  I am getting so much sewing done I might just be able to finish some of my UFOs this year.  Don't know if I will get to the Japanese Fan but that is the ultimate goal for UFO completions.  Just saw the new arrangements for disappearing pinwheel on Missouri Star Quilting tutorials.  She makes it look so easy but getting a pinwheel measurement which is easily divisible by 3 and more to the point able to be cut into thirds (try cutting 12 and 7/8 inches into three equal sections and btw sewing around the outside of two 10inch squares is not a piece of layer cake either) is not easy.  Anyway for better or worse I have made two quilts with the disappearing hour glass and will make two with the new dispin arrangement.  I do like the quickness of making the blocks and the look of the quilts.  Oh well nothing comes cheaply.

It seems as if I have no control over where the pictures go.  Wanted to move them side by side.  Oh well.  I have finished the red/cream one and am ready for the label.  The navy one is a donation quilt.  It has been quilted just waiting for binding.






Below acting on its own power is the scrappy Irish chain quilt in blue civil war fabrics with a header of blue Wonky stars.  REally like to do these and hard to beat blue and creams.   Had 2inch strips left over from BH Smith Mt Morning.

I am going to try to get a picture of the Safe Child quilt.  I still have to do the binding.

For some reason this picture did not show the bright colors of the prints.  anyway the binding will be in a pretty orange grunge I got at ME's.  The grunge is not grey but fuchia.  And the quilt is upside down.
Karen finished her baby quilt and it is really cute.  I will try to show pics next post.
Cloudy/cool quilting
Sally

Picture challenge

Here goes trying to use a new way to put pictures on my blog.

I think this might work. These are the blue star blocks from Bonnie Smith Mt morning. But doing this on the phone will not be easy.

I will see what I can do on the computer.

These are bento box blocks called after the Japanese lunch boxes with many compartments.  Easy to do. Not sure if I will use all 30 or make two quilts.

 this is just one of the four July BOM kits from Thistle Bee for the Sampler quilt.

 This is a sampler of the BOM from Quilters Cache we did at guild last year.  I added three more to make 12 for this donation quilt.
Now if I can just remember how I got these I will be ok.  Guess I had better write down the steps.
Lots of quilting
Sally

success at last

I am sure that the dictionary of terms will have next to "waste of time" a picture of a computer.  I have spent an hour trying to figure out why I could pull up my blogs but not add a page and my dashboard said I was not an author of any blogs.  Seems as if I have too many email addresses.  I think I get a new one each time I change phones!!!
It has been nearly a month and it was so busy but I can't remember what I did.  No it is not age????
I have too many quilting projects going but am trying to finish them so I can get to some new ones.

It seems as if I have spent the morning trying to mess with pictures.

Did I mention I hate change.  Too many choices and places to look.  Anyway here is precious.  This maybe the only thing I put on today.  Oh well he really is.

I actually think the sun is trying to break through.  Don't mind the rain if temps stay in 80s.

Cloudy quilting.

Sally

sampler BOM

I vowed not to do another BOM this year but when I saw the sample in ME's shop I really liked that the blocks were different sizes.  Also the fact that this BOM came with fabric made the decision easier.  I like to have these to do when I don't want to go through fabric decisions and there is already a piece cut to use.
Here are some of the ones for June.

They all look the same size but the first three are 4.5 inches.  Yes those little triangles in the first two were half of a 1.5 inch square!!Yikes. The last block is 12.5 inches square.  

I am taking a workshop on Saturday with Bonnie Hunter.  The quilt is Smith Mountain Morning so I have been cutting and cutting.  It has always been one of my favorite patterns.  Of course the blues don't hurt.

Now to finish up two donation quilts.

Hot quilting.

Sally

art quilting

So much time has passed since last I posted, I hope I can remember all the steps.  I have been quilting and reading, going to quilt shows and visiting with friends.  I have enjoyed the spring (cool  weather) and avoided the warm days.  The best quilt show for me was definitely the Vintage Quilt Show in Raleigh by the Capital Quilt Guild.  The number of outstanding quilts and quality and quantity of vendors has not been matched in my short experience.  I enjoyed the Symposium as I do all shows and it was nice to get to the beach.  That is not to say I did not leave money there.  I really like the Sew Happins shop and enjoy seeing their dogs.
Spending time with friends is  tops in my book.  M and I are gathering fabrics for a quilt in Fons and Porter's latest "Quick Quilts" using various hues of pinks and oranges...batiks of course.
I have taken two workshops with CQG.  One was with Susan Brubaker-Knapp ( of Quilting Arts fame) which took us through the steps of making a beautiful art quilt using fusible applique and thread stitching.  The other was with Sue Nickels a free motion quilter extraordinaire who encouraged us to forgo our crutch (BSR) which I did and amazingly found free motion easier especially the little stippling. Excuse the feet. I decided to try again the fabric painting that we did at Ps house two? or three? years ago.  I really enjoyed the time it took to do this. It is a break from piecing.

The next picture is from our church at the 8am service.  The sun comes through the newly cleaned stained glass windows behind the altar and the colors are wonderful. The Red is for Pentecost.

I finally finished the spring garden quilt while it was spring and it is hanging in my den/living room for me to enjoy.

And finally a picture of the quilt I made for a soon to be grandson for my friends M and C.  It is patterned after the one in a previous blog I made 34 years ago.

I just need to make the label.

If you made it this far you have too much time on your hands but thanks.

Cloudy quilting.\

Sally

Great day it is spring

I think we are all afraid of counting on nice weather that we cannot enjoy it when it is here.  Walking Cecil in the morning at 6:30 is nice when I don't have to put on a heavy coat, scarf and brave the wind and cold not to mention the view of newly budding redbud trees, dogwood trees and cherry blossom trees.  Could do without the ubiquitous carolina jasmine hanging from everywhere and in all my struggling azaleas.
This picture is is of a shrub mom called a pearl tree and a rooting was given to her by a dear friend in Farmville.  Mom rooted one for my sister-in-law and for me.  Richard my neighbor and gardening guru trimmed it back last year and this year it is glorious.

The next picture is the whole tree.  It is the first shrub in my yard to bloom in the spring.  I don't count the crazy camellias because you can never tell when they are going to bloom.

I am working on a spring quilt hanging to go in the den.  I got the pattern at the vintage quilt show and decided to make it smaller than the 42 sq inches.  This way I did not have to do all the flowers.  I hope to have it finished by next week.

I am also working on the BOM with sampler blocks.  I like that they are different sizes but I wish I could remember when to cut on one diagonal or two???
The last picture is of some hexie blocks? that I found when I was looking for something else.  I did not make these but I think my grandmother did and by hand.  I will put them together this year. There are 23.

Time to do some more applique.  I am taking my Stitcher's Garden top to Heather Friday to have it quilted.
I can't wait to see what she does with it.
Spring quilting
Sally

Faith restored; spring is here

Being deprived, no not depraved, of something surely makes it more appreciated when it arrives.  Isn't the sun just marvelous.  I know don't remind me this summer that I said that.  It just makes you feel good to see the sun shining and temps in 70's not 90's.  Each day brings something good and bad.  This beautiful weather comes with the passing of C's mom.  She will be missed.
I have finished the final calendar hanging for my neighbor K for April. Here it is.  She likes Pink.

The next two pictures are blocks for the BOM at M E's.  After the second one I have had thoughts about my decision to take on this quilt!!! I learned on the first one that you had to look at the second picture to see how to put the units together.  Silly me put the square in a square together then the dark border with corner stones.  Had to take that apart because cornerstones are part of the unit with dark green and cream.  Oh well.

Those feathery things do not all go the same way!!! I had to take them apart and when they start at triangles from a 1 and 7/8 inch square that is not easy.  If you lose a thread or two yikes!! You will notice I did not show the back.  It is suggested you press the seams connecting the units open which leads to burned fingers.
I do like to see how blocks like this are constructed.  Now to some smaller ones.
Tiny quilting.
Sally

blast from the past

Here is a quilt that I had forgotten I had done.  Well no it wasn't done last week!!! It is around 35 years old.
My friend Margy was having her first of two daughters and I wanted to make a quilt for the baby.  Not knowing anything about quilting I had an idea for doing the alphabet.  Margy let me borrow the quilt for show and tell tonight and it was a "well loved quilt."  I had zigzagged the letters on a background of some kind of material sewn the blocks together and hand yes hand quilted around the letters.  Anyway here it is.

I told her that I would repair it before getting it back to her to send on to her daughter who now has three daughters.
I just started a BOM I signed up for earlier this year.  The blocks are fun but some are so small.  I did two of them yesterday.  I like that you get different sizes in the same month.  I think there are 35 or 36 blocks.  I have to catch up with Feb and Mar packets!!!yikes.

And last but hopefully not least is the donation quilt with Baptist Fan.  I started on bottom right corner but by the time I got to the left bottom there was a struggle between me and the fabric under the machine and the machine usually won.  Not sure how to change that.  I like the process but will have to do a lot more to make it look good.  I did the top in straight vertical lines which was a lot easier.  Have finished the binding and will put on label before guild.

The sun is out and time to sew.
Sunny quilting.
Sally