Design Wall Monday

This Memorial Weekend my sewing time has been spent on this donation quilt for the VA Hospital, here in SW Washington.  Makes my weekend quite special as I think of all the men and women that have fought for our freedom.  

I'm using the free Boxy Stars pattern from Quiltville.  During retreat last week, I had planned to get the blocks all done but that didn't work out.  Some of these blocks were made my my friend, Sonya during retreat.  Now I will get the sashing, cornerstones and borders cut and this top will be handed off for the quilting and binding.  I hope it makes someone feel special.  Because in my eyes, they are.

Hey Annie

Annie, of Annie's Musings, had asked for a full sized picture of my quilt.  

So like a good blog-friend, I took the quilt outside, 

spread it on the grass and took a picture.

Your welcome Annie.

I Cannot Resist

Carol Doak has started a new Mystery/BOM.  This is my block for May.  I tried so hard to resist, really I did...like 10 whole minutes!!  Life is too short to resist a mystery.  That's my story...

I love her designs and I love a mystery and I love a good BOM.  This is a 2 color quilt.  I think this will be my third 2 fabric quilt ever.

I had to go shopping--I know, darn!  because I don't have much yardage.  I found this seashell print first and loved it.  Then the pink kind of fell off the shelf. Really it did, I was pulling out another bolt and this one came with it.  I think it's perfect.  It took me all of 5 minutes to find my fabrics.  I did wander and pet fabrics and found 3 other pieces to finish a UFO.  Great day in the quilt shop.

If you want more info on this project, go here.

Finally Finished!

Sometimes I feel like the least dedicated quilter there is.  But then I look at Mt. ToBeQuilted and I realize I am a dedicated top maker.  All the quilt designs are like shiny pennies, I must have them.

I'm on a mission now to make room for more tops on the mountain.  This morning I finally put the binding on Roll Roll Cotton Boll.  I finished the quilting on this March 6th and folded it up all nice and neat with the binding tucked safely inside for the next rainy day.  Ha!  It's been raining off and on for weeks.

But now it's finished.  It's mine.  I don't mind having my binding stitched down with a triple zig zag so that's what I did.  I had a partial spool of some beautiful King Tut green thread and thought there would be plenty to stitch the binding with.  Wrong, I ran out about half way through.  So I picked up another participial spool of a different green, used all of it and put on spool #3.  I also don't mind  using up thread.  That's 2 more empties to add to the spool bag.

Thanks Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville for another fabulous mystery quilt design.  I can't wait for the next mystery.  Hopefully I'll have the last mystery quilted and bound by then....or not.  I'll still do it.

This morning has been very productive.  Now I will get to that quilt for the hunting club because I probably shouldn't put that off any longer.

Design Wall Monday

Several weeks ago I made up a kit to work on at retreat.  I've wanted to make the Pineapple Blossom Quilt from Quiltville (found under the free patterns tab) since the first day Bonnie posted it but you know how that works out sometimes.  Imagine my surprise when I found out that was to be our lottery block for this retreat.  We were making the 12" block with brights and whites and/or blacks and brights.  Most people chose blacks, 2 of us chose whites.

I made 1 block, the other gal/my tablemate made 11.  She made so many because it's such a fun block to make. She wanted to win the blacks so only put her name in for the whites 3 times.  I was shocked when I won stole won them.  And very happy when DeAnn won the blacks!  We were sitting at the lucky table.

These are some of the 12" blocks.  My lonely block is the top, middle one.  I have to go back and sew the bonus triangles and trim them off.  I have no problem doing that.  Then I'll see how many more I need to make.

These are the 9" blocks.  This is all I made at the retreat, I was busy sewing other things.

See other fabulous design walls here at Patchwork Times.  I love Mondays in Blogland!

Retreat Report

I got home from retreat today full of new ideas and energy.  I can't wait to get to the sewing room this week.  I had great plans to do so much but only finished 2 of my planned projects.  

This is the quilt top that I sent home with my friend for American Hero Quilts.  After some consulting with friends, I changed the borders using fabrics from 2 other quilters.  There were several quilt tops completed and 1 gal brought a finished quilt to donate.  Pretty cool!!!

And I love my Carpenter's Star top.  It's hard to see in the photo but it has dark purple borders.  Now it needs a good press and a backing made before the feather lessons start.  I'm hoping to find my favorite flannel in pink for the back.  I love a cuddly flannel back.

I didn't work on my Boxy Stars but a few blocks were made and donated.  I'm hoping to have the top  completed so I can deliver it on Wednesday.

My stomach hurts from laughing.  I made some new friends, have a new favorite desert that I dare not have in this house and won some fabulous prizes.  The strip swap was awesome.  I have new strips to add to my collection and a new pattern to use them with.  I had a really fun time and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Retreat Prep

Tomorrow is day 1 of our spring retreat.  I'm a bit anxious for it to get here.  We are doing another 2 1/2" strip swap.  I love strip swaps!  This time it's batiks and fall flannels.  I'll come home with 56 of each!  Doesn't take much to get me smiling!!!

With the project kits I have put together, it will be like having 2 of my favorite quilters--Judy Laquidara and Bonnie Hunter--there with me.

These are the first projects I plan to work on.  Both are Judy L projects.  On the left is my version of her Sweet Treats and on the right is the Carpenter's Star for the feather lessons. 

Next I'll work on Bonnie's Boxy Stars for an American Hero Quilt and then I'll get busy on my Pineapple Blossom.  Or that's my plan.  See that orange in the Boxy Star kit?  (Sorry, didn't realize it was so blurry until I posted, but you'll get the idea.)   That's one of Ernie's hunter's ed business cards.  After reading Bonnie's tip for accurate bonus triangles (read it here), I knew these orange cards would work perfect and be easy to find.  I'm even bringing extra cards to share my friends--and I'll promote hunter's ed classes.  Pretty clever, huh?  And that piece of masking tape that's on it, that's my pick it up easy tab.

Now that I've written most of this post, I realized I haven't cut my bingo squares and I don't have a leader/ender project.  I better go do that right now--because I know me, I'll forget!.

Design Wall Monday

My sewing time has been spent working on blocks for American Hero Quilts.   At the next retreat (that starts Thursday-I can't wait!!!), several of us are working on American Hero Quilts.

In my DWM post last week, I said I was going to use the Awesome pattern for my quilt but after figuring, drawing and thinking, I've changed my mind. I  decided to do Judy L's  Sweet Treats Quilt Along, but I now have to do it my way.  A girl can change her mind, right???  Since my blocks are at 6 1/2", I have to do some math to get on the right path with her.  That's ok, I can do math--really, I can do EQ7.  

This star block is my version of Bonnie Hunter's Boxy Stars.  As a group, we will make sections and then create the stars.  I am very excited about this project.  I made one 2 years ago -- I can't believe it has been that long.  I loved the way it turned out.

Check out the Design Wall Monday posts that are linking up at Patchwork Times today.  I love Mondays in Blogland!

Mail Call

As I was walking down the driveway to get the mail, I see a white something on the ground by the group of mailboxes.  I had not clue what it could be.  Then I picked it up and it's my package from the Arbor Day Foundation.  It's trees, 10 flowering trees.  There are 3 Goldenraintrees, 3 Eastern Redbuds and 4 White Flowering Dogwoods.  I received them by joining the Arbor Day Foundation.  Or you can choose to have 10 trees planted in a National Forest.

I am so excited.  I am going out now and get my gallon pots ready.  I'm going to give these trees a year in the gallon pots and then I'll plant them in the ground.  Why don't you join and either plant your own trees or have trees planted.  Trees.........they are a good thing.

Today, life on the farm is good.

Design Wall Monday

Hello Design Wall Monday.......how did you sneak up on me like this?  I have nothing on my design wall.  I am designing.  Well not really designing, I am getting ready to cut 2 projects into kits. 

First I have the Carpenter's Star that will be used when Judy L does the feather lessons.  Oh how I want to make great feathers!  My fabrics are all in 1 yard pieces so I am going to make a scrappy border using the  fabrics on the left or buy a piece that will go with what I have because I think those pinks are too pale for a border.

At our retreat, we are going to be working on some American Hero quilts and this is going to be mine.  I need to cut some red 2 1/2" strips.  I might use the gold for the centers of the squares--I'm not sure yet.  This pattern is Awesome from Moda Bake Shop and is for a lap sized quilt.  I will get the correct measurements for the AH quilts and make mine according to their requirements.  

The sun is going to be out again today-high 70s-so that means not a lot of sewing or cutting time.  You know the old saying about making hay while the sun shines.........I have yard work/hay to take care of.  

Visit Judy L and see her Carpenter's Star and then visit other great quilters around Blogland.  

Date Night

Saturday night was date night.  We don't often go out on weekends but this date was special.  A while back, Ernie joined Safari Club International and the local chapter was having their banquet and fundraiser and did I want to go, there was going to be a guest speaker.  Who is it?  Lt/Colonel Oliver North USMC (Ret).

Duh!  Yes!  Sign me up!  Then I found out that Lars Larson was going to be the Emcee.  He is somewhat of a local celebrity to me.  I remember when he was my favorite local TV newscaster.   I was looking forward to this date night.  

There were 5 of us in our group and that meant a lot of pre-dinner talking, looking at auction items, buying raffle tickets, deciding where to place our raffle tickets to give everyone else a better chance at winning the prizes we wanted....can you tell we won nothing!  But our 3 friends left with great prizes!  Lucky them.  Wah, wah us.  

After dinner, the auction started with Lars Larson as the emcee.  I felt a bond with him as he reached for his reading glasses he kept close by on top of his head.  That's where I keep mine too.  He was pretty funny.  

Then Oliver North talked.  He was very interesting as he told stories of the brave men and women fighting for our country.  Some were funny, some made me cry.

After all the festivities were over, he autographed books and a bear.  He was quite comfortable talking to all of the people.  Here is Ernie comparing the number of grandchildren.  It was funny to listen to.  The guy in line in front of us had a huge brown bear used in a taxidermy display that he had him sign.  That was a great conversation! 

You know I can't just sit, so I took my to go sock project and worked on that while sitting and talking and during the auction.  I got a good 5" knitted while just sitting there.  See that paper with the yellow under my bag, I doodled the wall paper design that I thought would make a great quilting design.........

It was a pretty fun evening.

I've Changed My Mind...

...and that means I am unsewing.  (Dear Spell Check, unsewing is a real word! I love that I can decide when a word is real.)   The Wicked Easy pattern calls for a flange.  I don't like the flange but I decided I would put it in  because I seldom follow a pattern and thought maybe it would be fun for a change.  Well, I don't like the flange. So I am unsewing it.

My friend Sonya introduced me to the flange.  It soon became known as the (bed)bug catcher.  Heebie Jeebies!  (Heebie and Jeebies are now real words.)  After that conversation, I came home and vacuumed my mattress.  And I have never put a flange in a quilt.

And I never will.  I only sewed the flange to one side.  I kept looking at it and looking at it and I decided NO.  I am not going to use it here either.  I have now taken it off and I'm ready to add a 1 1/2" inner border and then do the adjustment to the outer pieced border.

Today the quilt top for the hunting club will be finished, the backing and binding will be made, bobbins will be filled and the long arm will be prepared for quilting on Friday.

Unless I change my mind.........