Things have been happening

it was close one.  add to my list...need new gloves. AGAIN?!!!

 I've been busy!  Like GETTING CRAP DONE!

 And life is still going on around here.

 I have quilted four of those five quilts I basted a couple weeks ago.  It feels like crazy success.  I'm putting the fifth quilt aside until after we move.  I'm just ready for some patchwork and my shoulders are ready for a FMQ break.

 Fun

 Cleaning

Pretty things.  

check check check

I'll surface again soon(ish).

Dresdens

please pardon the puppy with her tongue hanging out.  She isn't a fan of these warm temps.  She misses the snow.

I finished up the binding on this wall hanging last night.  This quilt makes me so happy, and I feel really dumb for setting it aside for so long!  I love making these.  I am thinking I must make more!!!  Maybe with the Buttercup layer cake I have been holding on to.  

I love that this wall hanging was made with just one charm pack, the kona I buy by the bolt, a hunk of fabric my friend gifted me for watching her cat, the backing was the print I wanted, which I found in the bargain room of my LQS, and the binding was something I found in the bargain room as well!  Its seems fated that this quilt came together so easily and was so enjoyable to make!

I'm sending this quilt to my cousin.  She's an elementary teacher. So this punctuation fabric is appropriate.  One day she was listing off the months she didn't have wall hangings for yet, and having just finished my twelve I offered to make her one.  I think this was meant to be her August, but I'm pretty sure she just keeps a fall quilt up all the time because its her favorite.   

Its nice to scratch another project off my list, but now my list has big quilts on it.  Like what the heck was I thinking really BIG quilts.

The Bakery Fabrics

 This early morning, after a night of Bud Light Lime-a-rita and Bunco, my two friends and I sneaked out of the house with kids and husbands still sleeping and we hit up ihop.  After breakfast we headed west to Belle Fourche to visit one of my favorite fabric stores.   

The Bakery Fabrics is housed in an old bakery downtown, and the owner is awesome and always helpful.

 The selection is one of the best I've seen. 

 The displays are adorable and attractive.  I always stand at the huge flour bin petting the fabrics

 The building is seriously historical, last time I was in I was given a peek into that huge oven and it was awesome.  

 The kids fabrics are awesome.  

 Today I picked stuff up, walked around, found something else picked that up, put everything back because I couldn't decide, then I picked up something, carried it around, put it back when I saw something else....and this went on and on.  I finally picked up a couple fat quarters and a charm pack.

Since I'm still in the thick of my huge Ruby bow-ties quilt I decided I would just enjoy one charm pack of vintage modern and call it good.  I've seen the peeks of marmalade online and I think I'll need some of that as well!  

I only have about 10 quilts worth of fabric waiting to get their turn. I need to get a move on!  Summer means longer days, longer days mean the monster needs naps again.  

longer days + naptime= time 2 quilt

Right?! yep.

Bloggers Quilt Festival

Its that time of year again.  I love looking through the bloggers' quilt festival!  Talk about LOADS of inspiration and fun things to look at!

I wasn't sure I had a quilt to share, but then I remembered I DO have a quilt that I love and that means a lot to me.  

This is my patriotic barn raising.  While I was working on it I called it my homefront quilt.  As my husband was getting ready for a six month deployment I was gathering these blue and red fabrics.  While he was packing his big green bags, I was washing these fabrics.  Once he left, it took me a few days to pull myself together, then I started this quilt.  It kept me sane, gave me something to do, made me a little less weepy.   We didn't have a patriotic quilt yet, and being in the military for ten years, that seemed silly to me.  

It took me about a month to finish, and right in time for a visit from my folks.  I knew I wanted to take it to Mt Rushmore to take photos of it. (with the other visitors we had during the deployment the monster and I ended up visiting the monument a whopping 5 times! My three year old would say," Mt Rushmore AGAIN?!")

 The monster and I got through the deployment fairly well with lots of Skype with my hubs and lots of visits from family.

I love the backing and binding.  

This quilt will always remind me that I am stronger than I think.  

Union

 Last month I went to visit my family in Michigan.  It was a short trip but somehow or another we started talking about family, and my mom pulled out a genealogy my aunt did in the 70s of their grandparents, great and great great grandparents.   It said in the papers that my grandpa's great grandpa was born in Ireland and moved to Ontario when he was 4, then moved to Detroit when he was 19 to enlist in the civil war.  He served in the Union.  

I had this quilt in strips at home when I found this out. 

I had mentioned to my friends while piecing this quilt using Civil War Reunion charm packs, that I was happy the one print said Union, since I'm a northerner and all.... and we won.... and here I am with a three times great grandfather that was indeed a Yankee. Yay! 

 So here is my civil war reproduction quilt which I really love, and makes me wonder if I'm a quilt black sheep for loving civil war reproductions and modern bright fabrics.  Is there a special grouping for "like almost anything quilters".  I hope so.  

It's Not a Tumor

I woke up this morning with an odd feeling in my abdominal area... I freaked out a little and thought maybe I have a tumor or appendicitis or something horrible.  But then I realized my 'abs' were sore from pin basting so many dang quilts yesterday.  FIVE.  

I'm going to need some Bob Seger to quilt this pile!

Time to Mop

 Somehow while I wasn't paying attention four quilt tops have stacked up.  Needing to be basted.  So I guess its time for me to get out the mop and baste these babies.

my giant star with a polka dot backing-love

My civil war snowballs

my dresdens-love love- and my local quilt shop DID have punctuation for the backing :)

My sampler from HELL.

 Pretty much all I have in the thick of assembly is my Ruby bowties.  I have a couple ABU bags almost done, I'm going to finish them today and then I can get these bowties made into block.

My mom asked me to make a table runner so I have this small project waiting too.  I think it will only take me a few minutes since its just solid top and backing.  

I feel productive all of a sudden :)