I finished my Guild Block Challange!

My guild meeting is tomorrow night and I made my block for our April Project today. The blue paisley fabric was the challenge fabric that we were given to use and add anything from our stash to it to create a 12.5" block of our choice. - instead of using a white or WOW background I used the same Kona Ash color that I've been using for my Banister's SOW-along blocks (aka Farmer's Wife) and I think the grey background turned out nice.

Does the block look familiar to you? Why yes, it is the same as the charity blocks "Louisiana" that I posted photos of earlier this week.  Here I had been racking my brain trying to come up with a block to make for the project - and there it was on my design wall staring me in the face. *Ding*Ding*Ding*  talk about a light bulb moment. lol

I got an email today that before the guild meeting they will be giving a workshop on making bow tie blocks. Nothing to bring, just show up early at 5:30pm if you want to learn about it.  Not sure if I'll be there that early.... but maybe?   Tomorrow night is also the last night of swimming for the kids - I'm gonna miss their "BIG JUMP" off the diving boards but David will be there to see it.

 Next up,  moving on to getting caught up on the SOW-along... they've given instructions for 24 of them... and I've made only 13 so far - that top right basket has to be remade b/c it turned out too small..... and the top left strings block was just a leader/ender bonus block as well as the log cabin block below it.  

Randy's Blog has a nice SOWalong button that I added to my sidebar - clicking it should take you to her blog.  She gives us 3 blocks on the First and Third Wednesday each month so it's not so overwhelming.  Also she shares the cutting instructions for how she makes her blocks.  

Bonnie Hunter has also been participating using shirt parts that I mailed her for her birthday this year - and she's shared paper piecing templates for two of the blocks in recent blog posts. *just make sure when you go to print them you set the Page Scaling to NONE.*

Janet over at Rogue Quilter has added a tab at the top of her blog page that points you to all the blocks that have been given by Randy so far.  CLICK HERE to take you to that page if you think you might want to participate ----or if you are like me and need to catch up. ;)

 .... and in case you're wondering - no I've not started machine quilting PT's Dino quilt/rug yet.... call me a procrastinator, yep, that's me!! LOL  This week and weekend is just not the time to get started on it.... the kids have gymnastics and swimming 3 nights and on Friday night Nora has a dress rehearsal and photos for her First Holy Communion that will be Saturday afternoon.... which also means a house full of family on the way....  So maybe next week will be a better time to start machine quilting that quilt ;)  Remind me though in case I forget. lol

Love from Indiana!

Aahh! Therapy!

I know that I'm posting this long after JudyL's Design Wall Monday - but yesterday like so many Mondays, there were just other things to accomplish and sewing wasn't one of them.  After picking up Nora from school and overseeing her homework, it was then time to quickly help get the kids changed for gymnastics so they'd have time to eat before their classes started.  I then spent the next 2 hours with them at the Gym, and because I promised them that if they did well during their class - as in pay attention to their teacher and follow instructions - that I'd go by McDonald's and buy them a dessert - it was 8:45pm by the time we made it home last night and just one look at my husband after walking in the door told him that "I had reached my limit of kid time."

They still needed their doses of antibiotics, and baths.... oh, did I forget to mention that last week Paul Thomas had ear ache pain come on strong one afternoon and so we found a Walgreen's Take Care Clinic and yes, he indeed had double ear infections and tested positive for STREP and so did Nora, Olivia and I. 

Anyway, back to last night....  David said, "I'll give the baths to the kids and oversee books and prayers, why don't you go do something for you..... go relax."  Well maybe not exactly those words... and maybe it wasn't his idea to even offer the baths ;) but in the end he obliged and all was good.  I got to spend some time "In Therapy" with my sewing machine and I made some blocks for charity. 

The double pinwheel blocks will be mailed to KC1930 for the HGTV Sunshine Quilters. She uses this "Louisiana" block often and makes up the cutest quilts for children. The other 2 at the top are for the April drawing for the www.BlockLotto.com and are called "Hot Cross 9-patch"

After I saw her post showing the blocks set on point I couldn't resist! Don't they look nice? And this setting only takes 13 blocks to make.  They are so easy to make!  Hope to make up a few more to increase my chances of winning ;) maximum is 9.  

http://www.blocklotto.com/2012/04/sophies-bakers-dozen/

So I'd say my therapy session was a success wouldn't you?  Tonight is swimming and *maybe* just *maybe* I can talk David into another night of overseeing baths???  Well I won't hold my breath.... lol but I do hope to do some more sewing and make more blocks for the BlockLotto.com

Love from Indiana!

Basted

 A turkey isn't the only thing that can be basted in the kitchen!

I wish my fingers were numb, instead I'm afraid I have made at least 3 tiny blisters. Should had a long BASTING needle instead of a regular sewing one. :/. Lesson learned. 

I was gonna get the regular duct tape but for only $1 more the pink had 5 more yards. PT helped tape it down today and never once commented about it. Guess that's to be expected growing up with 2 sisters and living in a "everything must be PINK" world. LOL

I bought BAMBOO batting for the first time. It's so soft. I think I'm gonna like it a lot.  
 
Love from Indiana!

Boarders are on the Dino Quilt :)

Dino Quilt for Paul Thomas 51" X 51"

Ta-Da!  I added the dino fabric boarders onto Paul Thomas' "rug" yesterday afternoon. The dark green inner border I cut at 2.5" and the dino at 6.5" which helps to make it a great cuddling size for him for many years.  It won't fit a bed, but wasn't meant to - just right for wrapping up on the sofa or down in the floor to watch TV..... or taking with him to Kindergarten one day.... or building forts....

Now, I just need to buy batting and get it layered and basted so I can attempt to machine quilt it myself.  Stitch in the ditch or use my guide for some 1/4" from seams quilting.....?

Happy Weekend everyone!

Love from Indiana!

Nora's Banner

There's a special occasion just around the corner for our 2nd grade daughter Nora.  In just 15 days she will be making her First Holy Communion and joining us at the Lord's table.  Tonight she and I worked together to make her banner which is due to her teacher Friday.

I think it turned out very nice and I'm so proud of her and the person she is becoming as she matures.  She was our miracle baby..... and still is a miracle to us.  We love you Nora Anne!

Love from Indiana!

What's On Your Bed?

I nearly missed it, but on Monday, Bonnie Hunter from Quiltville shared a photo of what was on her bed as she did her Monday morning routine and changed the sheets and quilt on her beds at home.

She also decided to ask "What's on YOUR Bed?" and host a little link up party.  I read her blog daily but she sometimes posts more than once and I had actually missed it - it wasn't until I was clicking over to visit Jo's Country Junction that I saw her post about what was on her bed that I found out about this linky party.

So where did I leave my camera???  LOL  Some of my readers will remember that last August we moved from Texas to a rental home in Southern Indiana.  This home we are in really has been enjoyable and it fits nearly all of our stuff.  Although we are looking forward to moving soon into something that is *ours* I admit that I'm gonna miss this old house! 

You really can't tell from the photo but our bedroom we are in is pretty small.  What you see is what you get - only room for 2 nightstands and the king sized bed.  The dresser/mirror and wardrobe cabinet are being stored on one side of the garage.

 

This is the only quilt I have that will fit our King sized bed.  After inheriting my grandmother's sewing machine after she died in 1995, this quilt was one of my first projects.  I was in college at the time so I worked on it off and on for almost a year.  I wasn't one to come home every weekend but when I did, I spent time tracing a cardboard square on the back side of fabric and layering it so that I could pin in the center and cut about 4 layers at once....  did not even know what a rotary cutter was back then!



I was enguaged at the time to my high school sweetheart who had a king sized waterbed.  Remember those TV adds, "...If you aren't sleeping on water... you oughter!"  lol  anyway, my goal was to make David a quilt for his bed using dark fabrics so as to not show dirt.  I'm sure it was so hard for my mother to resist sewing to make blocks for it in between my visits home from college.  When I was home and sewing on it she was there to help cut chain piecing and press seams. :) 

After I got the top completed, my mother found an Amish lady and daughter who hand quilted it.  I didn't actually know that this was going on and it was kept secret from me until Christmas when I opened a large box that said to Bonnie from Mom...  When I saw my quilt inside I was confused, but then noticed it was quilted!  My gift from mom was that she paid for the quilting :)

David saw it too that Christmas for the first time and loved it.... but because it wasn't bound and finished, he'd have to wait until his birthday the following April.  Not sure the year..... I'd have to google when the UK Wildcats won the NCAA with Rick Pitino as coach to find out - but that was the year that I gave him this quilt.  I know that b/c my mother sat each night during the final games and hand stitched the zig-zag binding around each square.... with denim blue fabric that I had chosen.... the UK Wildcats had also worn special denim blue uniforms in that final game and she said she'd never forget it.  (1996 b/c I googled it)

We've used it on our bed for the past 6 years now year round and I love it!  It's nothing pretty to look at but it's special.  When we moved to Texas in 1995, shortly after we had our first experience with evacuating for hurricanes and I was touched when David who was staying behind to lead setting up the area emergency response team and shelter said not to pack it with me and the other quilts, b/c he wanted to take it with him and use it for his sleeping area. :)  I know he'd thanked me for it many years earlier on that Christmas before we married and even on his birthday, but when he wanted to take it with him for the evacuation it meant more to me than any "Thank You" could have meant. :)

I do love seeing blogger/quilters who have a different quilt for their bed for each season or month even, and I think perhaps if my bed weren't KING sized, I would have different quilts too!  I do have another quilt that I've been working on called "My Blue Heaven" that I'm making large enough for our bed.  maybe you remember me showing it in this post in February?

If you haven't visited the other link participants already, click back over to Bonnie's post "What's on YOUR Bed?" and take a look. :)

Love from Indiana!

Paul Thomas' Dinosaur quilt / Guild Project

I've been away from the computer for the past 40 days, but there are a few things I've been busy with at my sewing machine.  This is one of them, a Dinosaur quilt for my 4 year old Paul Thomas.  He choose the dino fabric first and then helped me pick colors to match it.

This year, instead of doing a mystery quilt, my guild decided the group project would follow along a past Fons & Porter article that showed what they did while out to sea on a cruise ship. It's where everyone choose 5 half yard cuts and used 4" cut strips and then cut using the EZ Angle Ruler and Companion Rulers.  

There are many design possibilities, just takes some planning.  The handout worksheet did have 3-4 examples.... and honestly that is what I used to draft up my design plan in EQ. 

Paul Thomas even helped me after I got it drafted in EQ, and helped arrange the color placements.   He's so funny calling it "his RUG"  hahaha.  Nora helped snip apart chain piecing and handed me pins and took them out... she wanted to learn to use the iron to press but with Paul Thomas playing in the same room I wasn't comfortable letting her use the iron yet.... maybe another time when there's not as much "help" in the room.

About 2 days later this is what it looked like on the design wall.

Now I just need to decide if I want to add borders and if so buy it and add. Then I can machine quilt this one (I think) just simple stitch in the ditch type of quilting. Only thing is, PT wants to use it NOW.

The dino fabric beside the top is what I bought for the backing but now I sorta think it might look good on the front too.  I think I have enough blue to make a small 2” cut border before a 6” dino fabric border….  Without border it’s only 40” square and I’m afraid he’d outgrow it too soon with feet sticking out the bottom… but of course if he might still be using it when he’s that long, then perhaps dinos need to only appear on the back and not the front?? Decisions. :) 

It’s bright which is so unlike anything I’ve done before. It still makes me smile thinking of how Paul Thomas keeps calling it his rug. lol  Guess I need to finish it up soon - the next guild meeting is April 26th and I'd love to share it during "Sew-n-Tell" ;)

I'm linking up with JudyL's Design Wall Monday linkup today.  It's been about 6 weeks since I've got to sit at the computer and visit everyone who shares a posts' blog and see what they are working on.  I know I don't have time today to play catchup from what I've missed out on, but I will get around to it in the evening hours after kids are in bed.

If you found me from Judy's link up, please leave a comment and say Hello. It's always fun to welcome new visitors to my blog! :)

Love from Indiana!