Ta Da! - Celtic Solstice is officially a top!

Celtic Solstice is a top finishing at 82x82. There are 2302 pieces in this quilt!

I went with a mottled blue. Guess I need to go shopping and get more of that fabric for Alex's graduation quilt. His quilt is due for June 2015. I am trying to determine a pattern so I can start on it next month. His request was white and blue - not light blue or dark blue but a medium blue. I was thinking bear paw on point or a 12 inch block that has a plain center - nine patches in the corners and opposite 3 way sashing in the other four parts... not sure of the name of the block but I can see it in my head! Then... hunter star popped into my head this morning. I've always wanted to make that pattern and have the specialty rulers for it already. Do you think that would be boyish enough with blue and white? This is for a high school graduation present. I make a twin size quilt for each of the nieces and nephews as they graduate from high school. I've done 5 years in a row and this makes year 6 and then.... I get a couple years off! The next one is a Freshman this year.

Want a trip down graduation quilt lane? Well....you are going to get it anyway =)

Ben's quilt - leftovers from Greg's quilt using the Nickel Quilt book.

Kristin's Yellow Brick Road in batiks.

Star Struck for Mindy

Jillian's Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope for Becky

Home with a sick girl today. She has decided to pop a fever yesterday afternoon and tossed her cookies all over last night around 9:30. She finally got to sleep around 11 and slept until I had to wake her to bring brother to school this morning at 7:15. She is a little warm but seems better. It will be a day resting on the couch with the tv and hopefully back to school for her tomorrow. Lots of hand sanitizer for me today along with clorox wipes and lycol. I don't want this bug =).

Off to press the backing for hugs and kisses...... maybe I can get that pinned today finally? I'd love to start hand quilting that one this week. I used my 60% off coupon at Joanns yesterday and got 300 pins so I don't tie up all mine on that quilt. I did a text and also got another 60% off some citrus thread to quilt Celtic Solstice and a 20% off everything! Spent $45 and saved $45! Not too bad. That much more $ to spend on my Joann's gift card......

What a whirlwind!

It has been a busy month. We have had an 18th birthday and 47th wedding anniversary, a HS graduation, 8th grade graduation in VT and DH's class reunion in Ohio. Yes, that involved a 15 hour car ride with a 2 year old and a 1 year old and a week in hotels. We survived (the adults!) and the kids did really well on the ride and adjusting to the suite. It was so nice to come home.... although I can't say I care for the heat wave we had last week.

No time in the sewing room, but I did make a couple of knitted dish cloths and went to knitting night with some of my old neighbors last Wednesday night. I think I'm going to attempt a little sweater for Emily. We'll see how it goes.

While in Ohio, I got away for a couple of hours (Thanks hubby for staying in the hotel with the kids while they napped!) and visited Stitches Quilt Shop. Jill had given me some shops in the area and a link to a shop hop. This is the one that seemed easiest for me to get to in the traffic and it was a wonderful little shop. I was able to pick some pretty batiks in purple and yellow for my next graduation quilt for my niece next year. I picked up the Yellow Brick Road pattern and think I will use this instead of the jewel box. Might do a scrappy jewel box sometime though....


I also visited a Hobby Lobby. Sort of like the Michaels/Joanns we have here. I just had to buy some things.... like this Thomas the Train flannel and the John Deere flannel for Aidan. I also got a pretty blue/purple swirl fabric that will be made into something for my Ohio visit memory. DH had a good idea on the way home (Why didn't he mention this before I went shopping?) to create a quilt block for each of the kids of places we go... and make it into a memory quilt when they are older. Guess I'll have to use my blue swirl fabric for that... or do photo transfer.