A Birthday Surprise

The craziest thing happened to me today!  

My local quilt friends and I tried to have a morning of sewing, where our boys play outside and we sew inside.(It worked out really well!)  

But there was a birthday gift section of the visit, since my birthday is approaching this weekend.  So Kristen brought two gifts which made me very uncomfortable.  But it turns out I got fun charm packs from her, but in the other bag was a group gift from all of the sewing ladies I virtually keep in touch with and quilt along with.

Everyone made a row of this quilt and sent it to my friend Jamie to assemble, she assembled the top and the backing which is really equivalent to two quilts!  

   

The backing has letter blocks and 13 signature blocks and a row key!  The messages were so fun to read, and I think it's amazing that I know these women in so many different ways and from different areas of my life.  But this group has somehow come together and they make sewing so fun!

 So if you've kept track of the other group projects and wonder whose is who.....let me refer to my key.....

(from the top)

Row 1 was sewn by Amber

Row 2- was sewn by Miranda

Row 3- was sewn by Melissa 

Row 4- was sewn by Rebecca

Row 5-  was sewn by Julie 

Row 6 was sewn by Erin

Row 7 was sewn by Jamie

Row 8 was sewn by Lisa

Row 9 was sewn by Bri

Row 10 was sewn by April

Row 11 was sewn by Kristen

Row 12 was sewn by Eva

Row 13 was sewn by Erica

I love that the ladies that did the challenge quilt included bits of the scraps in their rows.... and I recognized a little of the fabric from Eva's first quilt where the life changing event took place..... and I didn't know Melissa was still hoarding some of her favorite Bliss and it is very kind that she would give some up for my quilt..... and Rebecca used scraps from her Central Park quilt which was way back from the first ever quilt along.... and Erica included some of the batiks she is known to use in her quilts..... and I could go on and on....

Each row is so thoughtful and I will enjoy this quilt forever!

Strings

I've started something new!  

I wasn't planning to make this quilt so soon but I have been putting it off long enough.  

This scrappy project will probably not even put a dent in my scrap bin.  

I have 6 rows left to make.... If I want to use up ALL of my scraps I need to make 60 more rows.  

She's Ready

I spent several HOURS yesterday adding the last two borders to this quilt.  Borders shouldn't take hours in my opinion. 

Since I'd spent my whole dang afternoon working on it I figured I might as well get the backing and batting ready.  So I did, and it is.  

I'm dropping it off on Tuesday. 

PTL

On to something else! 

I Have Sewn

Despite my BOM procrastination I do have a new sewing development!

My friend Miranda recently took the plunge into zipper pouches and it convinced me I should give it a whirl.

  

So while I was at Hancock I picked up a flamingo colored zipper.  One afternoon I got started.  Twenty minutes later... 

Success! 

I made a trip back to Hancock to get a few more zippers!

The next morning I was supposed to meet Miranda for breakfast and I got a message that she was running thirty minutes late.

So obviously I made four more pouches with that extra time!  They are so fun, and I cannot wait to try boxed pouches and other designs.  I didn't think I should go back to Hancock for more zippers until my next quilt allowance rolls around.  

  Then I ran into Miranda and she gave me a little box stuffed FULL of colorful zippers!(The wine is from Kristen, I have super awesome friends)  

I am giddy and excited.  I've also told myself that I am not allowed to make a zipper pouch until my BOM is ready for the long arm lady.   That sure is a good motivation because I cannot wait to go through the rainbow of zippers!

I also made a baby softy...See!  I've been productive!

I put the PRO in Procrastination

I don't know what my beef is but I have a big procrastination problem going on over here.  I started the sashing on my BOM over a week ago and I just finished it up this afternoon.  I added the first two borders, but still have two borders to go. 

 I'm not sure why I've been stalling.  I think it's because I do not want to quilt it.... and I didn't want to beg the hubs for moola to send it to my long arm quilter.  Luckily I purged through the house and made the moola at our yard sale. So now I should get the top done and send it off.  

Maybe I'll add the flying geese border and final border tomorrow.  I have the geese made, just need the motivation. 

Isn't that always the way it is?

On to the Next Beast

This big ol quilt is DONE. 

I think I ended up using 8 or 9 bobbin, but I pushed through and finished the quilting yesterday.  I machine closed the binding today.  It's been washed and came out of the dryer crinkly and wonderful.  

I hope it's new family will have lots of fun with this big picnic quilt.  

The next quilt on my agenda is my Block of the Month quilt, which will be a bit larger than this.... I'm glad I have a few days to wait for the backing to arrive, quilting another big quilt isn't something I'm looking forward to. 

That Big Picnic Quilt

Last time I blogged this beast was a while ago, right after I had the columns ready to sew.  I obviously took my time assembling those columns and sewing this quilt top.  Its BIG.  That means more ironing and lots of wrestling with the bulk.

I pieced the backing only to find it too darn short!  It wasn't cute, and I was frustrated so I put off fixing it for a few more days.  At least, I had enough fabric to fix it!

Finally my backing was ready.  Then clumsy me, I was loading my crockpot one morning and I dropped a heavy plastic cutting board on the top of my foot.  It hurt like a mofo and I cried; but then I got over it and went on with life.  Until I was getting the batting ready for basting and I realized my foot hurt too much to crawl around on the floor.  So I shelved the quilt AGAIN.  Thankfully my husband got sick of hearing me complain about waiting out my painful foot bruises and he basted for me!  Isn't that sweet?!(the bruises on my foot really were terrible)

So finally I have this beast basted.  It's in my machine!  Talk about wrestling!!  It's taking a long time because it's large, and now I'm out of Switched at Birth episodes to watch.  Plus life interrupts, like when you have to spend the afternoon in the ER with your 6 year old who's face is bloody and in need of stitches, or you have to buy food for the family, or go pond watching.  Also, I'm about six bobbins in and usually after five I loose interest and can only quilt in short spurts.  

I'm in the home stretch though..... really I am.  

Wish me luck.

Spring Honey Sweet

I finished this quilt last night!

A Christmas gift from my sweet sewing friends, my Honeysweet layer-cake came together beautifully for this easy peasy quilt pattern.  I used the free tutorial at Moda Bake Shop.

I quilted it in the ditch and I love how it turned out.

This is gift. I'll miss it.  

Luckily I have this bad boy....

Soon to be a quilt for my bed.  I'm very excited about it.  I have everything cut out, I'm just waiting to begin sewing until I finish the big summery quilt... soon very soon.....