A Big Quilt Begins

While I wait for that backing I need to buy I thought I would carefully start something else.  I don't want to end up with a dozen wips again!  However I have the backing for this summery picnic quilt, so it can cut in line.  

Yesterday being our first official day of summer break here in our homeschool. I spent the whole morning and afternoon cutting and piecing these blocks.  It helped that the monster slept in!  I had leisurely coffee refills after I watered the garden and ate breakfast.  I tuned in the radio and enjoyed some quiet time!  Even once he woke up he played outside or with blocks and marbles.  It was a delightful day.

Today after finishing up those four strip blocks, I laid the quilt out.  Organized it so I can start sewing it in rows when I get time.  I can take my time on this project.  I don't really have anything pressing.  I love this situation!  This is how it should be.  I'll update with progress soon.... remember years ago when quilt bloggers took 'the process pledge'?  I love that kind of blogging.  I'm going to try to get back to that with this one.  

Outta This World

The space quilt I've mentioned a few times is completed!  My sewing night friends and I each purchased this panel and fabrics during our Shop Hop around the Black Hills.  We started working on them this week at sewing and I finished mine up today.  

I love that the monster is at an age where space is cool and he is totally interested in the planets and stars. Since we homeschool and I'm his teacher I've been learning a lot about space too!  Mostly it makes me feel small and insignificant, but still space is an awesome study.

Best of all this quilt glows!  It's so fun!

I hung it up and I bet the monster stays up late recharging it and watching it glow. No doubt, tonight we will be yelling to turn his light out until ten.

In other quilty happenings I was going to start that summery quilt, but I took an impulsive detour and started hacking up a layer cake instead.  A quick project to be sure.  I started cutting the hourglass blocks the other night.  Spend a pretty decent amount of time pressing and trimming last night and this morning.  Trimming is so important.  I often skip it and regret it.  But for this one I took my time.(And I've got an awesome audio-book keeping me entertained)

Between yard work, shaving the springer, and making dinner I sewed the top together.  I am going to my LQS to look at their Mirabelle selection.  I'm sure one of the prints will go well with this Honeysweet line.

It's happy sewing at my Juki lately!

  

This Star

I finished this quilt's binding last night

Waiting for it to come out of the wash this morning was torture.

 I'm very pleased with this quilt.  A new method obviously, and I'll never enjoy 'Y' seams.  When I was first assembling the big diamonds I tried my best to avoid pinning, but it was impossible.  I could certainly tell the difference while I was quilting in the ditch and that one diamond with the off seams showed that my points didn't meet very well.  But the other 7 diamonds were much better, and I learned pinning was a must.  Although try as I did I still managed to chop off 5 of the 8 star points.  Poo.  Next time I would have cut a size larger of setting squares and triangles, having 'just the right size' lopped of my points.

Oh well, it's good that I still have things to learn.  I like trying new things once in awhile.  I love this three pointed star.  

And this would be my 25th for the year folks.  

The tomatoes go in the garden tomorrow though, so my pace is sure to see a drastic slow down.

A Summer Throw

please pardon our grass blankets.... droughts and dogs don't mix.

I finished this fun throw recently.  Using charm packs from a quilty friend I had a ton of fun making this quilt.  I saw the pattern on IG, totally loved it.  So I did some math and got started.

I love the lighter backing. 

And the black binding!  I think this is only my second or third black binding but I always love them. 

Wrapping up homeschool has kept my sewing machine quiet the past week or so, but I have managed to steal quick moments to make a Quilt in a Day Radiant Star.  It really was much faster than I imagined.  For this project I went through my stash and found some fun prints to throw together.  I really love the colors and I love that this top came completely from my stash.  I'll share more on this quilt when I finish the binding.  

Next up for me is a solar system quilt for the monster's room. 

(THEN THE SUMMER QUILT!)

The Slow Go I-spy

I finished up that birthday quilt after all.  It was a dragging my feet, complaining, type of project.  They don't happen very often, but when they do it's miserable.  I bribed myself with 15 episodes of Switched at Birth (my new vice), half a bottle of wine(a long standing vice) and two audio-book Amish tales by Beverly Lewis.  

I'm not sure what my problem was.  The recipient is a special girl, and the fabrics are adorable and fun. My friend Kristen has been seriously collecting I-spy fabrics.  She makes I-spy quilts for commission.  Luckily I benefit greatly from this.  Some of the prints are from my friend Miranda too.  

I love these prints for reals!

I went with a thin multicolored striped border, and an orange binding with polka dots.  

The backing is fitting for a one year old.  Cute.

Hopefully this quilt will get years of snuggling and enjoyment.  

I did get my Juggling Summer quilt basted(no photos, sorry) and I hope to start quilting it tonight if it's rainy.  The boys have stuff going on this weekend so I might get a good hunk of time to myself.  Thankfully my attitude is improving so I won't be a grumpy quilter. 

Big and Bright Summer Ahead

Nothing much happening lately in the sewing department.  The top I've been working on, leisurely, is a seam away from being completed.  The pace I've been keeping is so reasonable for the other parts of my life; like housecleaning, and dinner preparation, and nap taking, and laundry getting put away, and family movie night, and evening walks.  My five week tomato seedlings remind me daily that soon I will have morning watering tasks and yard work to add to that list, so starting this pace now is smart.

However, I have a birthday quilt to make by the end of the month, so really I should get my Juggling Summer quilt basted and quilted so I can get working on the quilt with a deadline.  I also have a space quilt wall hanging approaching. 

 Today I decided I want to make another big and bright quilt.  I knew I had seen a perfect print at HoLo for a backing, and went to get it.  While I was there I picked up a quarter yard cut of solid in each of the colors I want to have in the top.  At home I went through my stash to fill in with prints.  I'll begin this quilt this summer, maybe in June. But boy was pulling fabric fun!  I needed that.

When I baste the Juggling Summer tomorrow I will snap some photos to share.  It's a really stunning quilt!

over and out

-T