its all sorts of biege

A little while ago I made a decision on the quilt design for my bed.

Today I found the fabric for it!

It was fantastic to find a bunch of great fabrics in one spot. And I had fabric shopping company! Not that Dave doesn't try, but a fellow quilter is like way more fun!

2009

Number 1 for '10

I have decided to give the Juki the rest of the year off!! I finished up the top for the 40s filmstrip and decided it would be a great stopping point. My little guy and I are heading to Michigan on Thursday, and my big guy is heading overseas the day after that. Maybe I could have basted and quilted it before we left but I would have been rushed. I don't like that feeling. So the filmstrip will be the first quilt I finish in 2010! And she sure is purdy. I love this quilt. I'ma thinkin' it will end up on the guest bed.

I greased my machine and covered her up. I straightened up and swept up too! It will be refreshing and relaxing to come back in a few weeks!

Its been a good year!

40s Filmstrip

I was going to lay it out a bunch of different ways to decide, but I laid it out like this and I love it. In real life the brighter yellow doesn't stand out so much. Maybe if I finish baking soon I can go get sewing!!

The Exciting Part

I am getting ready to bake Christmas Cookies today. I love setting everything out. ALL THAT BUTTER. Eeeek. I only make these cookies once a year since they have three sticks of butter in them!!

I am baking a double batch this year. So we will have lots to give away! I am going to only do trees this year.

this and that...blah

I am on pins and needles waiting for the next part of the Round Four Quilt Along. I suppose I could wing the strip pieced blocks, but I am going to wait.

I have been working on a 40s Filmstrip quilt. This is the backing, it makes me happy.

It seems I have been working on lots of little projects lately. I love finishing something the same night I start it!! I've had my ear buds in listening to Ray Lamontagne, and James Taylor, and Rod Stewart. LOVE LOVE LOVE

I am running around trying to start packing for the trip to Michigan on the 17th. My hubs is going overseas and we will be apart for Christmas and our anniversary, but at least the monster will get to spend Christmas with family. I bought a load of Leslie's peanut patties to take home.

AND I am giddy about the new suitcase I bought for myself yesterday!! The outside looks unisex, its black and gray. Then inside...Its so pretty!!!

I made Anna a little Christmas Quilt. She has been curling up with the Change Purse quilt, and it makes me a little nervous since its one of my favs. So I just whipped one up for her using scraps.

The backing is flannel, tricky to do stippling with flannel. I won't try that again!!

Four Quilts, Three Table Runners, One Tote Bag.... And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

I think I have all of my Christmas sewing done now! I made four quilts.... one king sized, one queen sized, one throw, and one baby. Three table runners, and a quilted tote bag!!

I finished this table runner last night. Its for a complete stranger, so of course it turned out perfectly, while the gift I was working on that disastrous night with all the quilting ripping, is for someone I know well. Go figure!

But I am very happy with this one. All of the spinner points meet perfectly!! That hardly ever happens for me.

The recipient will be hosting our dog Anna at Christmastime. I am sure Anna will be delightful as always, but I really wanted to send a gift along as a Thank-You.

Sometimes everything just goes to crap!

Ever just have a freaking rough day?

With plenty to do before we travel for the holiday, I am starting to get a bit stressed. I was trying to finish up a Christmas gift the other night, and it was just one disaster after another in the sewing room.

I am constantly running over the basting pins when I do free motion!! The other night my needle pierced one. I was so pissed at myself. I really need to be more careful.

It ended up I hated the free motion quilting so I spent 2 hours ripping it out. Gurrrr.....

Love U Faith

This one was finished up a couple of days ago.

I love it.

I love tumbler blocks now.

I love the way the flannel backing feels.

I love having just one Christmas gift left on my To Do list.

P.S. I used crazymomquilts' tutorial (LOVE IT)

It Is A Little Ridiculous

I have turned out 20 quilts this year, and I still have a store bought coverlet on my bed?!

I've had a tough time deciding what I want in there. I love the coverlet, so I wanted to really make my mind up before I make a giant quilt to replace it. Then I saw this quilt in the Summer 2009 Quilts and More. I have been thinking about it for months and I have decided this is IT!

The pattern in the magazine is for a 65 x 80, and I want lots o overhang on my queen, so I am aiming for 93 x 104. This one will be sent to The Finishing Touch for sure. The first thing for me is being able to see what I'm doing, and thankfully Dave put Office back on this computer so I could make the pic above. Now I am going to crunch the numbers to figure out the yardage I need. I am going to be hunting for the fabrics while I am in Michigan since there won't be a 100 mile distance between quilt shops. I think I will have better luck there.

Crazy Blocks

I got my Crazy Nine Patch blocks done tonight. I am in LOVE with them. They look great. I can hardly wait until the strip pieced block instructions come out. With the 12 crazy nine patch blocks and the 9 blank square blocks this quilt's blocks are half finished. I hope it is finished before Christmas.

I am pretty sure that none of the fabrics were supposed to repeat, but I got a little lost so I just had to wing it. I still love them.

Black Bear Cabin Quilt

My mom requested I make a quilt for one of the beds at our family's cabin in northern Michigan. So ask and you shall receive. It shall also count as her Christmas gift this year.

My cousin's little boy has named the cabin, Black Bear Cabin. So I have named this quilt Black Bear Cabin Quilt. Original eh? Haha

I used the pattern Dana taught us in the first round of her quilt along. This is my second spin using this pattern. I LOVED the first one, and I LOVE this one too!!

And I especially love this guy. He has been making me laugh ALL DAY!

I HAVE A PUPIL!!

I HAVE A PUPIL!! Can you believe it? And I think she is hooked!(insert evil chuckle)

I designed this top, and cut out most of the squares. I saved one of the fabrics and showed her how to 'square up' the fabric and cut out the squares. Then I showed her how to pin and sew and iron and all that jazz. I sent her home yesterday afternoon with half of her top done and instructions to finish the rest. She did! So tonight I showed her how to baste the quilt, and started her on machine quilting it.

ISN'T THIS EXCITING??????

Oh my crap I am beyond excited!!

one and a half

I got this cute top finished. Its for my niece. I am going to wait until the Love U yardage comes out to buy the backing and binding. It shouldn't take me long to quilt so I'm gonna not worry about it until later. The pattern was really easy. I think I am in love with tumbler blocks now.

This monster is overwhelming. I started it in Sept '08. I can only work on it for a few days at a time before it makes me feel like I am growing a brain tumor. This is the top half. It is going to be fabulous, if I ever get it finished that is. WOOF

ROUND 4

I kinda feel like a cheater. I am gearing up for Old Red Barn Co's round four quilt along and here I didn't finish round three. Don't tell. I cannot pass this one up though. I am going to do option 3 Little of this, Little of that. I am really excited.

I bought my fabric yesterday. They are a blend of 12 days of Christmas and I believe in Santa. They all go together really well. The backing is the gold fabric, and that green stripe is for the binding. I can hardly wait to get started. She said she might have the instructions ready tomorrow! How will I sleep tonight?!

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween!

Today I seem to be super motivated to use up the leftovers from this quilt.

I named it Jack-o-Lantern Glow and I finished it last spring.

I have been kicking around ideas for the loads of leftovers I have from it. Seriously like 1/2 a yard of each and 2 yards of the black backing. This morning I started making tumbler blocks with it. I know its dumb to start a Halloween quilt on Halloween, but I just couldn't stop myself!

This year we are going to take the monster, I mean baby elephant, out trick or treating. Probably just to a couple of houses though. I think he will have fun!

Change Purse

I really love the way this quilt turned out. The coin stacks are the leftovers from the Old Red Barn Co quilt along. Its long and narrow, but perfect for lounging in the recliner. Its going to stay here and live with us.

Off to the long arm

A girl could get used to piecing huge quilts and shipping them off for someone else to quilt them. Seriously. So this pile is off to The Finishing Touch. She did such an awesome job on the Paisley Path quilt that I didn't think twice about sending this one off too.

My quilt flow is feeling great right now. Other than the strips of fabric for the wonky log cabin blocks, I don't have anything else in limbo. I have a few piles of fabric ready to go when I am, but nothing is stressing me out or making me feel rushed. It feels great!

Doggie Days of Summer

We took a trip to Amarillo, Texas today to get a few things. I finished up the binding on the zig-zag in the car. I am so happy to have another project finished. I have one last small quilt to finish the binding on. Maybe by the middle of next week it will be finished up too. It feels fantastic to be geting these off my list. WAHOOOO

Can you believe I used black for the binding?! I love it. I still have a lot of this fabric and a pattern in mind. Maybe next summer I will bang it out. Maybe.....

Bullseye

Today I finished this quilt.

It is my 20th quilt! That feels like a milestone. I'm happy.