Working, working, working

I subbed the black thread for red and finished a holiday Twister quilt that had no designation. I am in a 13 Days of Halloween swap that it is going in for the final gift. Twelve were more Halloween seasonal, however, the last gift gets opened ON Halloween if my partner saves it.

Either way, the 60" square quilt is on its way to a new home. This one seems a bit busy for me and I like them bright, so hopefully the partner I get will be ok with it in her home. This is a good size to toss over a chair or take a nap under whenever the desire takes hold. The binding is machine sewn on and I thought I was going to hand sew the binding, however, my clips are on the Heart of the Piano quilt. It needs to be finished first.

I put away the paper projects for now and am headed to the Ocean again in the early morning. I do plan to stop at JoAnn's on the way home to pick up a few things

Binding for Heart of the Piano

For as strong a faith as I have, there are times when I find it hard to believe in positive outcomes for our world and the people in it. I want to believe, and someday I will again. There is this fear factor out in the world. Fear that the wrong person will get elected. Fear that everything one has will be lost. Fear. It is more contagious than Love. And why is that?

This year, my quilting theme is BE THE LOVE YOU SEEK. Love is the answer for fear. And yet fear holds us by the throat and even when it lets go, we remember how it felt. Love is what feels good, and fear makes us think we will loose love, never have love or that we don't deserve it.

This is one of the FB14 projects I have been working on. It needs to have binding finished, a label put on and loose threads clipped for a once over before getting shipped to its new owner. It uses the larger of the Twister templates and lots of scraps. I am enjoying the colors in this quilt. Red with white and black really speak to my heart.

I've started the Row of the Month quilt too. The author of the quilt pattern lives in Australia and reports that this has been their heaviest Winter rain in years. As a result, the first row is made with Umbrellas. It makes me smile because we sure could use the rain here in Southern Cali.

Paper Crafting Swaps

I took a break from quilting for a couple of days and turned my attention to Paper Crafting for some Swap-Bot exchanges. In one way, it is still 'shopping from my closets' because there is a lot there bought to create scrapbooks for my Grandkids, and one for my family, and the last one for my own photos. It takes me such a long time to get into it and I have taken several classes.

Working with paper helps me work with fabric. I cannot say why this is so, yet it is.

One of the swaps was for an altered cigar box for Hallows. This one was free from a smoke shop and is sturdy cardboard rather than wood.

You can see a Black Widow Spider crawling out of rolled paper in the corner. I used 2 different patterns so rolling one over the top of the other created this interest. Then some pulled poly batting for web. Inside is more batting that cushions the jar, sanded for aging, with a label saying 'Miss Muffet's Magickal Ingredients Spider Eggs'. I snipped off the ends of Qtips and pulled at the cotton to form a nest of....ugggh. They look mighty real.

 The other project is called a Halloween Pocket Whimsey. It is also an altered project, this time, altered from an empty toilet paper roll as its base. It is cut down half an inch, glued at the bottom, decorated with small scraps of paper and accessories added to the outside and small gifts on the inside. These are not finished.

I spent a fair amount of time sorting supplies because I don't work with paper much and had to find items that were of the Halloween theme. I did end up going online to print off certain things and also watched a lot of tutorials on You Tube. Most people who make these items work with Paper Crafting the way I do with Fabric Arts. Most of them are more grrrlie-grrrl than I am, so both that and the lack of supplies have my end products almost tailored.

When I do a vision board, I usually glue things off the edge of the page. Yet, here for these, I am still a bit conservative in my efforts. Some of the tutorial facilitators talk about making their own decorations and its definitely more work than I care to get into.

My plan is to back off all the rabbit trails I got onto...making mini matchboxes, doing more altered cigar boxes (I do have another one started), creating apothecary jars. I've signed up for several more swaps for Hallows and will put them together first, and stick with making those Pocket Whimseys for the Grandkids on Halloween.

I have several quilts going and need to stay at it if they are to move out of my hands and into the hands and hearts of people I love.

Finishes for Two

Many people like those fleece throws and some call them quilts. I suppose they are, and have made several over the years.

Among all the friends & family I saw, when I was back in MN for two weeks in June, I met two new members, one of whom is my eldest Granddaughter's Beau. Nice man. Very sensitive. Empathic. He was wearing a Twins Teeshirt and hat, so we had a mini discussion about MN sports. He is a devoted fan.

I looked at MLB fleece, finding the Twins pattern and bought a safe dark blue for the backside. It took 2 1/2 hours to layout the fleece, cut the selvages, pin it, cut the strips and tie them twice. Thing is, that is all there is to this throw. Done.

Then I finished Jer's Wild Cat quilt. Well, it needs a label, but is finished. I was given two panel prints & some supplemental fabrics for a project someone thought they would make and never got to it. It sat in my stash as I wondered what to do with it. I found a panel pattern and had to add two side panels to make it the required width for the pattern so that the top, bottom and side borders would fit. Of course it is scrappy. Then I added a small black border to separate colors and continued with that pattern for the last border.

After spending time in my younger Son's home, two things were apparent: One that he liked Cats and has two; Two that he loves the quilts I make and remembers the kind he had as a kid.

The backside of this quilt is made by cutting the length of the horizontal print in half and joining it. I took more of the black with white dots and extended sides so it would be a correct fit for the front. It also carries out the extension that was needed for the front panel. After trimming the sandwich, there was enough black with white dot print to make the binding and make it more coordinated. It was hot to work under, but the heat is what he will love.

Small Things

Binding this Wild Cats quilt is taking longer because, even with the AC, its hot under the quilt.

I did finish the Hallows Mug Rug for a swap. The upper most photo is the top and the lower pic is the back. Again, the top was made from scraps from one of those Lil Twister quilts I made last year. All of it, actually is scrappy.

Here is the embroidery project that came with me to MN in June. Of course, they need to have borders, batting and backs to finish them off as a project. I used an iron-on transfer paper that was printed from the computer. It washes off and this was a test. It passed! I love it and plan to use it when I re-do one of the Bird Quilts.

I am off to the clubhouse this morning to layout and cut a tied fleece comforter. While the temps keep rising here, and there are fewer projects with a deadline, I want to keep going on them. I am also doing some paper crafting for Hallows swaps. I will take photos as I go. My hand is shaking too much to use the IPhone and am back to the old Kodak.

Ok..a New Mystery Quilt

I've joined a new Mystery Quilt. This one is a Row By Row BOM mystery. I have wanted to do a RBR for a long while and tried on my own.

Several things about this one caught my attention. 1. Row by Row; 2. Scrappy; 3. Row of the Month (like a block of the month BOM only in rows); 4. The intentional focus or theme is SEASONS; 5. We work from our stash to make each row.

The first thing the facilitator had us do was to gather at least 200+ squares cut 2.5". I did that and it barely touched using contents in the box in my stash. There is a joy in using these because of the long hours I have spent cutting this and other sizes just for this purpose.
The facilitator told participants to start saving for this and I feel so ready to start!

The entire process for making the quilt has me giddy!

Measuring for Batting

I got outside in my gardens about 6 am and cut more of the dead plant matter, and then filled the trash container. Once inside, all the chores beckoned me, and I made potato-leek soup. Yes, it works for me when the AC is on.

The quilting task on my plate today was to measure projects waiting for batting. Then I measured the batting pieces in the bin. I know that if they were to be joined and used, it would take more than two pieces to create the batting for one of them and that is too scrappy. I need to buy batting.

As I bind the one using poly, I realize there is a different sort of weight and warmth to that type and am considering which to purchase, either poly or cotton. In truth, I prefer the cotton and after measuring know I will need to buy at least three packages.

I am headed to the ocean at sunrise. It is a three hour drive no matter which beach we head for. Surprisingly, there is a lot of coastline that is privately owned and has no public access. The drive takes me through Bakersfield so I may stop at JoAnns and pick up some heavy weight fleece to make a single fabric Quillo. I need to look at the online pattern again to make sure what I want to do for it, and see if there is a sale or coupons.

The computer issue is still frustrating me and I need to text the geek to see if he ordered what I need here yet and if so when it is coming. I have learned a lot and adapted to what is here, but am still whining about it all.

Wild Cat Binding

Working on this quilt brings me joy.

Most of the fabric (both sides are panels) was given to me, some comes from my stash, and the black with white dots I bought to supplement the concept. It is for my younger Son who really loved this style as a kid. When his Son was born, he asked if I would be making them again. When I visited with him this summer, I saw how much use all the quilts get in his home. I also saw how valued the furbabies are there. And remembering that I had this fabric with the cat theme, I realized it would be perfect for him. I found a pattern online that used panels for the front part and used that as a guideline, making my own version. Then, the back needed to fit the front and so I carried out the way I used the B&W on the front for an extension of that fabric. I almost think the original buyer wanted to make a baby or youth quilt. Most recommendations say to make the back a good 3" beyond the measurement for the topper, and in doing so, there was enough after tying to make the binding.

With as hot as it is here in Southern Cali, my AC is on. I worked in my Northern Garden early this morning to clear out dead plant material and pull what weeds I could. It was exhausting. So a nap under the yet-to-be-finished quilt was a natural. I do not usually use the quilts I make. This one is going to be warm.

I remember how my Sons wrapped themselves up in quilts and usually they were worn out and ready for replacements the following year.

I also recalled how my Grandson begged for another because "everyone steals" his. This is a FB photo of one of the cats in Jake's Santa quilt after a bath. This one is poly batting and tied, so gets lots of washing.

Some folks have issues with pets using quilts. I do not. When I had the Wild Cat quilt on my bed to measure for binding and left it there, my own cat Rico found it right away.

I am always sensitive to people who have allergies to cats and make sure if I am making a quilt for one of them to keep it away from cat contact. I keep the WIP quilts in plastic bags in covered bins and will close the door to my studio when working on it. He has no access to the inside of closets. AND the room gets vacuumed daily. It is the best I can do with a cat in the house.

Halloween Banner Swap

I am not sure what I am doing yet with the new electronics in my home. I downloaded them from my IPhone to the PC, and also uploaded them here from the phone, yet they do not post. I sent them via email and saved them to the desktop and still they will not post. I am going on with this blog. If the pics come, great, if not, oh well

WOOOHOO!

I cut a length of 90"+ for the rope, had knots put on either end of it and then cut 150 strips of Halloween fabrics 1"x9". Those were folded in half with right sides out, and then the ends were looped over the rope and through the fabric loop to make the tassel.

The tassel banner hangs with a loop over my biggest window. It took me very little time to knot the fabric pieces over the rope. When I put up the swap, I gave three types of banners to choose from. One was printables, one was sewing and this one was a no-sew option. I had so many scraps that would have been tossed so opted to make this.

The pattern instructions for it are found at: http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/halloween-fabric-banner-tutorial-and-a-huge-announcement

And then with the leftover burlap with spiders, I made a bag to hold it in and found a box for mailing.

I am still not happy with my photos nor have I figured out how to get them onto the blog. These got emailed and downloaded to the desktop. Its a learning process and I am simply whining about not having my IMac.

Red One

I finished Red tonight. I had forgotten that it has gone through a couple of name changes and I am still not sure this is the last.

It is actually hot to work under a quilt even doing the binding from an angle. Interesting to see some of the smaller print blocks read more solid white. They are all prints in the 'whiter' blocks. I thought about washing it but have decided to send a box of Color Catchers with some instructions. That way, if the red bleeds to pink, she will have seen it the way it was meant to look.

Technically, this would have been the last of the family quilts, except that they keep coming in with the Grands as they partner up. Children are not being born so no baby quilts in the near future.

I got invited to an October wedding and so might consider making a quilt for the newly weds. She is the younger Daughter of my high school friend, no longer with us. I cannot fly back for the MN event, but can send a gift.

Another thing that is starting are some swaps that are more interesting. I am hosting one that is for a Hallows banner. I listed three different styles and made one up today and will take a photo of it in the light of day as it is meant to hang over a window. It turned out so cute!

Tomorrow, I need to take measurements of several of my projects. I might have done that on the IMac, but am working on a PC now and don't have them. I will measure Red too.

Basted and Tied

I brought Wild Cats into the clubhouse this morning and it took me three hours to lay it out, pin baste, tie and trim off the excess. It is ready for binding.

My photo on my phone still reflects my shaking hand, and the shot is so small I cannot tell if it is in focus or not. It is something I need to work on and will.

This quilt is done with a high loft batting so it is more the coziness my Son remembers from his childhood. It also means he can wash it repeatedly and not have issues with cotton batting. He wants that. 

I didn't know that tying was a legitimate form of quilting and believed that those made with ties were more comforters. Poly batting was something I looked down upon too. I am changing my thoughts and I am sure there is room for all the different methods. Each is a preference...a choice. And that is a good thing.

Small Squares Quilt

The swirly pattern quilt that I took the class for is made of 6" altered log cabin squares. That means logs that are 1.25" and 1.75" width. And then they are cut in three rounds with the template to give them that swirly look. As long as they are the same, however they come out, it will give them a uniform look to piece them the same, to trim them the same. It may not be the same as the pattern because I changed the number of joined blocks to enlarge it. They will fit together.

I laugh at myself now, because the pattern said it would take 6+ hours. Hah! I spend at least that every day I work on it and am in the PLUS portion of the project time frame.

It seems that every scrap quilt is a mystery quilt because its chance-y from beginning to end to make it work. I can imagine, go from past experience, and yet, the outcome is TBD. It is important to get in the game and do the best possible. 

Right now, all my quilting is about just doing it.

Mental Quilting

When you think of it, most things do start as we think, what we think. I suppose that planning anything means we have to dream, to imagine, to recall what worked and what didn't. It is so for me as I quilt.

The quilts I am working on right now are the wrap-up to the family project (every family member gets a quilt) I started so long ago. One of the Bird Quilt backs got so wrinkled that I decided to keep it and do another, however, doing another one means embroidering 15 blocks for it each with a state bird/flower. Each block takes a week to do, so in my thinking process, I decided to hold off giving them to the Grands until next year. I want them to all go out at the same time.

HERE is the rub. The Grandson's family was going to get three quilts this year: His, my Son and his Partner. 

The choice was to either rush with a Bird Quilt or come up with an easier quilt for the Grandson. I found this link for a fleece quillow and think this is the perfect way to go. 

I can make it for the PurpleShep theme he likes right now, and the quillow itself is easy to take wherever he goes.This is the Exploding PurpleShep logo and would be easy to replicate for the pillow envelope.

Special Characters

Special Characters. Not people we meet or know, but those on a sewing machine. I saw this set-up before buying the machine, and have tried a couple of times to use it, reading the manual and doing a practice run...well several actually.

I know it can work to make labels if I can ever figure it out. Evidently, it will save a letter in memory because it is a computer-generated function. AND it stitches vertically rather than horizontally. It is a challenge for me to wrap my head around the steps that are involved. I learn much better when someone shows me.

The text I want to do is simple enough. 
      For Jane
      2016 - Red
      From Bellezza 

Three lines. 8-10-13 / letters with spaces. There is red thread on white. Well, I have until mid-November to figure it out.

Early Delivery

It was a sweet surprise to get the MN Wild focus fabric a couple of days early. I just bought more of the tone-on-tone background fabric so was able to cut for the extra 3 blocks. I cut only two strips each for the color part.

I also made an appointment at the clubhouse to work on the Wild Cats quilt next week. I want to tie this one and am using poly batting. My younger Son loves the feel of these kinds of quilts and so I did get a high loft version.

The making of binding is an interesting process, and the word itself has many meanings on so many levels.

With quilt binding, I cut 2.5" strips, join them, roll the joined strips into a ball, then pin on the right side of the quilt for sewing. This part will be done yet today. The hand sewing takes longer; usually a night or two while I watch a video.

This one has a working name that doesn't please me and so I have been spending time considering all sorts of phrases with the word 'red' in them. Hopefully, the name will come and I can make a label for it.

After-Class

One thing the instructor said was to work on this quilt for a few days after getting home so we would remember the process. Its like putting something into body memory.

I spent the day, first calculating how much more was needed if the quilt were to go 3 blocks wide by 4 blocks long. It was already extended 3 wide, so there is only need for 3 more blocks to finish off the bottom and make it the perfect size for a lap quilt. First I cut more red center squares and then looked for coordinating fabrics to add to the logs on all blocks. The focus fabric is scheduled for a Friday delivery and I will need to buy more background fabric. Both are needed for the blocks so I don't want to do a lot on the project until both are in the house.

What I did do was to add the first 2 logs to both the background center and the color center, and then sorted the colors into lengths. My guess is that there will be some waste because the pattern uses FQs or yardage rather than scraps.

It is a bundle of pieces at this stage. I feel like my life is like that right now too. Pieces. Pieces with parts. Pieces with potential. And so it means being clear with myself, organizing once and then again.

My computer geek is coming tomorrow to look at the set up here. The router channel need changing or replacing to get the house off a channel that has high traffic. I need him to look at the state of the Mac because (whine here) I love my Mac. This SmartTV is a shit-storm to try and use. And the little PC laptop with 10 loaded on it is...well, not the Mac. And while my new phone is so much better than what I had, my expectations for what it can do might be too high.

Sunday Catchup

The quilting class I attended yesterday was just what I needed. None of the participants were familiar to me, so the conversations were nice. The project itself was complex only in that it was new. I am going to spend the day piecing. Blocks in it are 6" square to start with, so its a lot of putzy work.

Basted 2

Someone once said that what comes from the heart touches the heart. I created a theme with my quilts for the year that said be the love you seek.  In both cases, it is about creating from the heart, giving from the heart and receiving from the heart. While I cannot control what others do, it is still my responsibility to be true to these values.

I did get into the clubhouse and was able to baste the Peppermint Kisses, and the Heart of the Piano quilts.

My photos come from my phone. Everyone says these pics are so wonderful. Well, with my essential tremors, my hand shakes so much and I cannot see what is in the small screen. 

I am just figuring out how to send them to my email and plan to go into AT&T again to see if there is a way to send them to the blog. Neither of these photos are clear, and some of the other ones I took might be. HOWEVER, following along with electronic challenges for the summer, the IMac is over-heating, locking up and a replacement has been ordered.

Now, for that replacement, I decided to order a SmartTV which means...something...what I am not sure. I think I can set it up as a WIFI to receive things I use like You Tube, Hulu, and Crackle. What I don't know is if it will work with Google to get the blog or emails, or Swap-bot to keep doing the swaps, or find the History Channel to watch The Vikings. What I know is that this has to be replaced even though it might sit on the desk as a back-up.

I am in a phase for personal growth and am here for the ride. Eeehah!

Not Until Thursday

Due to miscommunication, I didn't get to the clubhouse and have an appointment on THURSDAY to baste. Getting right communication between people is like being able to work and wait for inner harmony. It is especially difficult in this era of electronics. We lose facial clues and seeing body language, relying only on what either we see or hear.

It has taken a lot of work for the Rainbow Baby back. Photos, at this stage just seem like a pile of fabric.

I had a huge bag of muslin scraps and cut uncounted 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles plus have 30 of the 4.5" by 12.5" pieces. I've used all the scraps now and do have a larger piece to cut more from if needed to finish the back. The next round was pulling out my scrappy squares to cut down the 6"-ers to 4.5" squares for the color families. 

This particular 6" size isn't one usually called for in patterns, so there were a lot of choices to be had in it once they were trimmed. Right now, its a cut-as-you-go in order to use scraps.

The first round of piecing was to join a small muslin piece to a color. Then there is a pattern of three-together, what I have is pinned in threes and will be joined and pressed. Next, that part gets pinned with the larger muslin rectangles. Even though it is a beginner's pattern, there is a lot to do with it.

I really didn't know a lot about muslin and wasn't sure what to do with the small scraps I had, and so did some research. It gets its name from Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured and was imported to Europe for much of the 17th- and early-18th centuries. It was heavily manufactured in Bangladesh as a handwoven material and to this day is made with varying weights and widths. It is surprising how many uses there are for it depending upon the weight and weave.

What I had was made for quilting and pieces were both unbleached or natural, and bleached to get more of a white (shows up in the photo). It all coordinates so I just cut and cut, pinned, pieced, unpinned and pressed. Up to now, I have not bought muslin myself and have a new respect for it as an addition to quilts where a white is needed in a pattern. Guess this is still a test.

More Scrappy Ideas

In a continuing effort to use up remaining scraps in my closet bins, I know I need to plan ahead. There are still a lot of fabric options in my closets, yet, making the most of what I have that I can use for quilt backs could be a challenge. 

The Fonz & Porter Quilty Fall 2016 (Scrappy Quilts) issue just hit the stands and came home with me. 

It is exciting to find stash busting patterns that use easy squares/rectangles. Both concepts are what I want for my quilting work. I am most interested in making some up for BACKS that #1) use stash; and #2 are easy square/rectangle patterns.

For instance, this MN Wild quilt I am making in class uses a white tone-on-tone print with lots of scrap strips, and I had been thinking the back should be plain, so was going to go with just muslin. I used random muslin scraps, and am making this as a back to fit the front. This pattern is called Rainbow Baby. How easy it was to simply gather color families, and make those blocks. Of course, it will look different from the picture because my scraps are relatively random in the color groups.

Because the entire magazine is dedicated to scrap quilting, everything in it has a quilter shopping from her closet. I am quite sure there was a portion missing from the Rainbow Baby pattern, yet, I was able to figure it out. The line telling how many squares to make is missing so I looked at the picture and made an educated guess, all the while wondering if most patterns have this proofing error or if it is just me.

There is another quilt I know will work for either a top or back called Strawberries and Cream. It is made with reds and white, but I have a bag of blues I've gathered just crying out to be used in that pattern. WOOOT!!!!

I will baste the next two quilts on my list and take photos to show in my next blog. For today, sorting cutting to pattern sizes, and pinning the white to the color is enough.

Another FB14 Finish

I feel almost on hold waiting for my basting appointment at the clubhouse on Tuesday. I am taking in two projects. 

Its like gaining personal freedom and being able to choose whenever I take the next step. One of the prices of freedom is being able to name our slavery. I know I dig my heels in when I am faced with being honest about this. I have deep habits and compulsions for doing what I do and resisting change.

I finished this scrappy holiday table runner for one of the FB14 who signed up saying they would like something for the holidays. This friend is also a quilter, and I was surprised she wanted a quilted item from me. When I found this table runner pattern, it seemed perfect. Scrappy and a little different. I was able to use some of my metal buttons for the flower centers.

Where this project comes in regarding freedom of choice and recognizing where I am held captive is in resisting the finish, resisting making anything that goes to a quilter who would SEE mistakes or anything 'less than perfect'. I will need to find a shipping box that the 3D poinsettias will fit into and do have enough time.

Let freedom ring for sure. Let all the things that hold us captive be healed as we take our next steps in protest of change.

Change is inevitable. 
Except for vending machines.

I am ready

All the cutting is completed for class on Saturday. Tomorrow,  the 4th of July is a New Moon in Cancer, which brings to us all this sense of calmness and compassion. I feel that in the moment.

I put the various cut pieces in baggies to keep them clean and contained. And then put the baggies and folder with the pattern (and a copy) in a basket to take with me. Like all quilting classes, we bring our sewing machines and any supplies like rippers, scissors, thread on bobbins and a clean machine. I had calculated how much fabric needed for the background and got to the very end of it. The color strips came from my stash, and I did save extra pieces of fabric in case I need more. That part was an estimate or eyeballed. Most likely, there will be leftovers.

I've been thinking about a back for this and may resort to using a plain muslin. It is going to be intricate, and using anything too complex on the back would diminish the effect of the top.

Today, however, I need to spend time finishing the PurpleShep pillow for my Grandson so that it can get shipped to him on Tuesday when the PO opens. He is excited for it and texts me several times each day, probably when he first wakes up. I am glad for the electronic connection.

Sunglasses were not wanted on the PinkSheep Pillow when I first made it last week. Its in his hands now and a request for sunglasses came up. Measurements are 'about 3-4" wide. Wait. What? How will they get attached even if I can figure out how to make them? This is a Lego-like stuffed pillow, and who is going to sew the glasses ON??? I looked at the graphics again, and the lense parts each have a Lego-like design in them that I do not know how to replicate. Jeeze.

Fabric

While it is exciting to think of using more of my stash and shopping from my closet, the process is as exhausting as shopping in a store, if not more so. Scrap quilting is adaptive and thought-provoking.

The one bin of uncut scraps is thinning out as they get used. Cut scraps, designated by sizes, get pulled for specific reasons. What I needed today is the equivalent of 12 brighter FQs. These stacks in the picture are my choices toward cutting for the class project, and if more is needed, then I will go into the cut container. I will 'eyeball' what I have in color against what I cut for the background. They are supposed to have a balance in the quilt. 

It actually took me about 45 minutes just to sort and press my selections, and if I had simply gone into the fabric store, I might have gathered those 12 FQs in less than 15 minutes. 

Cutting needs to be spot on because pieces are so thin at 1.25" and 1.75" with 1.5" squares for the centers. The pattern says this is a 6-hour project. Hmm.  Would it be different if everything was new from the store?

Joined a Class

When I walked into the fabric store, my intention was to buy the black and white fabric for the binding on the Wild Cats quilt. I did.

All I have left of the pink were these two very small strips. Talk about using what is in the closet!  I wait for the batting now that the top is finished. I will look at putting the back together with what pieces are left. (What was she thinking? is still the question at hand.) Whew, whatever it was, I lucked out. Still. A very good example of writing those notes-to-self so that anyone can pick up any project and take it to completion.

Meanwhile I have an appointment at the clubhouse on Tuesday to baste the Peppermint Kisses.

Progress is flying for those FB14 projects too, and I will soon be done. My Grandson requested the PurpleShep pillow and I got the pieces cut and will machine quilt them onto white and hand stitch the white to a purple pillow form that I laced with Lavender flowers as a dream pillow.

My younger Son suggested that I make a quilt for his school friend who was always at our home when they were growing up. 

At first I thought I would make a traditional Log Cabin, but when I walked into the fabric store, I found this quilt advertising a class for Saturday, July 9. Looking closely, it IS a Log Cabin variation. I ordered the MN Wild Hockey Team fabric for the border, and have plenty of scraps. The pattern came with the template, and I bought the background fabric. It measures 58" square with the border, so I plan to add extra blocks to make it rectangular and useful as a lap quilt.

Once I figure out how the back will work on Wild Cats, I can start cutting the pieces to get ready for class. I am super excited about this and can see that it will be a scrap-buster type of project. The pattern says it takes 6 hours. The class is 10-2 on a week from Saturday.