Slow Stitching Sunday....

I did a bunch of prep work yesterday so I would have some hand work ready to go for the next few weeks.  Four Midget blocks ready to go.

Tonight, everything should be packed and ready for vacation so I plan to do a little hand quilting on my firework's quilt. No progress has been made on that one since I last showed it. Poor thing is feeling neglected.

Head on over to Kathy Quilts and see what other projects are being worked on slowly today.

X and O's....

I've been working on orange peels this year as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and I believe I have decided that I will group four of one color together and make some X and O's out of them. I still have quite a few yellow's to work through from this month but they travel well and will be taken with me on vacation to work on. I'm going to cut out some maroon, red,  brown and maybe some blacks to take with me as well since none of those colors have come up yet in the challenge. It can't hurt to get ahead a bit on these..... right?

Here are the five yellows I have gotten done and some blue ones I finished off this week from last month. I'm also including a dish cloth I finished this month. I finally found it hiding under some baskets that I had set aside while I was trimming up the bricks and cornerstone quilt. I have enough sugar and cream yarn left from this skein of green and cream to make another one which is in process.

We had a great time at SeaWorld today with Erin and her girls Hope and Ella. Hope was in Aidan's PreK class last year and Erin and I helped with making some of the costumes for the dance recital in April. We left in a downpour but the kids had a great time. We got there around 10 and left a bit after 1 I think. Emmy fell asleep on the way home. I just love watching them when they are sleeping.

I think all I need to do now is pack me and the kids up for the carryon bags for Monday night, grab a few more snacks to take with us on the plane and prep a few Midget blocks and cut and prep my orange peels for travel. Oh - I also need to box and ship up the Bricks and Cornerstone quilt tomorrow so I can finish the binding while I am up there. That will go to my nephew Charlie. I plan to get a shot of the completed quilt on the bench swing down by the lake. I don't think I will get the log cabin quilted in time so I'll work on that one when I get back. I think that one may just have to stay down here and live on my bed.... he he. Sorry Mom. I really like how it came out. Maybe I'll do a green and cream one and that one can live up at camp.

Head on over to SoScrappy on Saturday to see what other yellow projects are being worked on.

Log cabin top is finished. Now to get it pinned and quilted!

Thanks for all the comments last week on the border question. I decided to pull a slightly darker tan for the inner border and then used the brighter firework fabric for the outer border. Not a single piece of fabric was purchased for this quilt - completely out of the scrap bins. I have a feeling this is about 86.5 square. I love how it turned out and my big pile of blue and cream scraps has gone down considerably. I may have to do one in green to tame that pile later this year! Now to get this one pinned for some quilting..... it's a good thing I have a kid free day on Saturday.

Grandmothers Choice - week 43 - Gentlemen's Fancy

I had fun picking out the fabrics for this weeks block. This would make a great Amish type quilt with alternating black background with some solids or brighter colors.  I could also see this as a pretty stash buster quilt with lots of scrappy fabrics. For me, I pulled some green and purples from the closet and came up with this block. I have it sitting on a fully pinned Bricks and Cornerstone quilt that is all set to get quilted on Wednesday. I found a brown linen backing fabric at Joann's on Sunday and used my 50% off coupon to get it. No piecing since it was a 108 wide fabric.

I also picked up this cute bright blue butterfly print to make a pillowcase for J to go with her graduation quilt. It was 50% off a one day sale. I must really like this print since I have it in pink and purple already!

I also picked up a nice soft feeling cotton solid at 30% off in cream for the backing of the blue log cabin quilt. That one is 90 inches wide. Just wide enough so I don't have to do any piecing. I just need to put the last borders onto that quilt (the second firework fabric is all pieced and ready to be sewn on) and then it can be pinned once the B&C quilt is done. I think the lady cutting the fabric must have thought I was nuts... I tried a white solid first and the feel was so nice and soft. Unfortunately there was not enough of a single cut on the bolt. I went back and was feeling all the bolts and found a cream that was soft. That one had enough for my needed cut and came home with me.

Time to get moving... I think I'll go throw the borders onto the log cabin and then change to the walking foot for quilting this afternoon....

Tiny Tuesday - 125 - Betty's Choice

This week I selected an easy one. Eight paper pieced sections in two colors. This one went together very quickly on Friday while I had a sewing Mojo going on. I've pulled some applique and hand piecing ones from the bunch. I just need to prep them and get them into their baggies to take with me next week.
Swim lessons again this week and I really need to clean up the house, prep a package of clothes for vacation and ship it up to VT so we don't have to wait in the check baggage line at 5AM with 2 kids that I am sure will be cranky from not sleeping Monday night in a hotel. I'd love to also pin and quilt a quilt or two. I'm throwing in a trip to SeaWorld on Friday with a friend and her two girls... just cause I am crazy! Oh - I also get to do my month end at work next Sun/Mon and mail that to the accountant. Yup - another hectic week at my house. For now - we have 30 minutes before I need to head out to swim lessons. I think I'll go press the backing  that just came out of the dryer for the bricks and cornerstone quilt. Straight line quilting is planned for the inner part so that should go quickly once it is pinned.

Your opinion please.....

Ok, so instead of working on the backing for B&C quilt from last post I decided to finish the last 8 blocks for the wonky log cabin since they were half way done. I now have a 6x6 setting which should be about 72x72 when I sew them all together. I like the layout like this. The question - would it look strange if I just add a blue border around all the sides to get it to the size I want? Maybe a cream/tan and then a plain blue border? Thoughts?

I found 2 yards of these two fabrics in the closet.

A medium light with flowery prints on it.

The firecracker print with medium bright blue and fireworks in white and red and silver. I think I like this one better...... Hmmmmm

Bricks and Cornerstone top is finished.

Now to get it quilted! I wish I would have done cream for the inner border but it is done and I'm not taking it out. I really wanted to hit Joann's to get a backing but I'll either steal one from another project or attempt to piece one together today. I'd love to get this one pinned later today so I can try and quilt it on Sunday night. This is a twin size quilt and is finishing at 82x60. I have a plan for the quilting already so that part won't hold me up like it usually does. It has been pressed I just didn't take the time and spread it out before snapping  a quick photo of it last night.

Now to get everyone dressed and find something to tire them out today. No swim lessons today but I have a feeling we'll be spending a bunch of time in the pool.