Pictures!

Here is a couple pics of the 'finished' quilt. I just need to trim up the threads and finish the last side of the binding tonight. I just did a big meander in the middle blocks, outlined the block border and did a vine/leaf in the two white borders.


I made the two hanging sleeves yesterday, just need to attach them to this quilt and the green/brown one I made for Greg a couple of years ago.
I also made my guild BOM yesterday - a 3-D turtle! The head and tail are 3-D.

Almost Done!

I just have the outermost border to quilt on my 'Summers at the lake quilt'. Then make and attach the binding and the hanging sleeve. I should get it done in time for the show in April! I also have to make and attach a hanging sleeve for my DH's quilt to hang in the show as well. They were short on quilts so I decided to show that one too. That will be a bunch of hand sewing for me the next couple of weeks. I'll post a pic of the quilting later this weekend when I am done.
Just back from stroytime at the library with the kids. Everyone has had lunch, just need to change Aidan's diaper so we can go outside for a walk/stroller ride and then some outside playtime before they both take naps this afternoon (OK, I'm just hoping that Emily will take another nap since she had a short one this morning rather than her 3 hour one).
Happy quilting everyone!

Wonderful March!

The time sure does fly by. Aidan is now 2...and I know it! Emily will be 11 months old on Sunday... where has the time gone?
I have had some progress - Mom's 'Summers at the Lake' quilt has the top finished and it is pinned and the quilting has started. I really need to get that done in the next week or so. That way I can get the binding done and the hanging sleeve attached well before my April deadline. I decided on a plain white border, then a 3 inch square block surround then a wider white border. I am just doing a meander on the middle, might do some specialty quilting on the borders... depends on how many needle breaks and thread breaks I get. I'm on needle number 3 and too many to count thread breaks and only 9 blocks (of 36) quilted. I just cleaned the machine, changed the bobbin thread to bottom line and hopefully I'll have better luck this evening.


Emily is awake - need to go get her changed and fed some lunch.

Guild BOM's and the flu bug.

Well, we got hit with the flu. Everyone is recovered, finally. Not fun with both adults sick, 1 kid sick and one raring to go!

I have 30 blocks done for my lady of the lake quilt! I have 2 more in process and 4 more to cut out and sew. I think I will just do 36 and then figure out borders to finish it to the size I want. We'll see what I can come up with.

I've been plugging away at my monthly guild BOM's despite not attending the last 2 meetings. (Thanks Elaine for letting me pick them up at your house!). I am planning to attend tomorrow night as I should be fully recovered. I really want to see the paper piecing demo, that way I can do the one month's block I haven't done yet.

After the 'champ monster' came the dragonfly and duck below.



Then the paper pieced boat which I haven't done yet. The castle was next:

and then this month was the froggie! I love this one and thanks to Maryellen Therrien for drafting and providing the pattern to us. I made 2 - one for the guild BOM (I really hope I win this stack of blocks!) and one for my quilt.

and mine:

Darn it, they came up sideways. Sorry about that - Em just woke up so need to grab her before she wakes up her brother who just went down for a nap. If I get back I'll try to get them to appear correctly.
Happy quilting everyone.

Happy New Year!

It's been a long time since my last post. Things get busy with the kids and I've been sewing/quilting when I get a few minutes rather than getting onto the computer.






The kids are getting bigger... they will be 23 months and 9 months by the end of this week. Emily has hit quite a few 'milestones' this last week. She now has 3 teeth popped through - 2 bottom and one on top. She started crawling on Tuesday
AND pulled up to standing on the same day. By Thursday... she was crawling all over the house way too quickly for Mommy. Needless to say... the tree came down Thursday morning before it got toppled over by Emily pulling on the branches.
Grandma (MIL) was up from Dec 22 until this morning from Florida. It was wonderful having her visit..I got to sleep in pretty much every morning until 7:30 or 8 as she got up with the kids. The kids have been battling colds the last month and Aidan was diagnosed with a sinus infection on Tuesday morning. One dose of antibiotic and he started eating like his old self and is much less cranky. I think he is feeling better and back to his old happy self. Now if I can just get him to say more words instead of Naaaw (his No) and Uuuhhh with a pointing finger at what he wants. He does tend to say a new word or two a day now.

I finally quilted my charity quilt over the last 2 days. Just need to hand finish the binding.

I did a quick panel for the kids for xmas. I love the fabric and the quilting went well on my new 24x24 quilting table for my machine. That was my birthday present in November and I love it.

I've also been plugging away at the Lady of the lake blocks for Mom's quilt and keeping up with the BOM that my quilt guild is doing this year.

This is just the 4 I did while my MIL was here over the holiday. I think that gives me either 20 or 22 completed 12 inch blocks. I have 4 in process and another 10 cut and ready to sew. I hope to have all the blocks done by the end of January, together in February and quilted in March. The 'goal' is to have it done for my guild quilt show in April... but we'll see what happens.
Hope everyone has a prosperous and healthy new year!

Autumn is here!

And the very cold to freezing temps prove it! I've actually been able to get some sewing time in this month around the kids naps and occasionally in the late evenings after they are both in bed.
I did pretty well with my challenge to work on my UFO of leaf blocks I started quite a few years ago. I got the final 2 blocks made and all 7 connector blocks... which are made up of lots of 2.5 inch squares - each a different fabric. I just finished putting the rows together this evening so the 'middle' is completed. Now I need to figure out what I want to do for borders... but that will be sometime next year. I'm thinking something like a split triangle for one border but need to think about it. I think I will use this as a practice hand quilting next fall but we'll see.

I also started a scrap quilt for my Mom and Dad. I will mostly be using my existing blue stash of fabrics to create a 'Lady of the Lake' quilt. This will be for their bed at their camp on the lake in the summers. I have 3 more blocks ready to assemble and about 3 more cut out and ready to sew into triangles. I would like to have this finished for next June... but reality will probably be the following year.

Quilt Guild started this month and there is a block a month themed in the 400th Anniversary of Samuel D Champlain discovering Lake Champlain. This is our local monster 'Champ'. It was designed by a member of the guild. I didn't have fusible web when I was making it, so I just need to hand stitch down the green 'island' and remove the white basting thread. There are 2 blocks for October - a dragonfly and a loon... I hope to get those done in the next week!

I have also signed up for a fall mystery quilt - a queen size starting Oct 3... I am debating about getting out of this ($28 in so far - but no fabric purchased yet) but am still wavering on it. We'll see how the week goes first. I just worry I won't be able to get the sewing done in the 2 weeks between the classes.....
At the end of the month, I will be doing an all day class with Sharon Schamber on how to do free motion fans without marking. That is my early bday present to me - a full day 9-4 of sewing and no kids in sight!
Ok, its getting late so need to get some sleep in case someone wakes up in the middle of the night wanting a bottle since she went to bed early - 7:30 tonight. Oh - I felt a top tooth poke through today for Emily and Aidan is still working on getting that first molar through.
Happy quilting all!

Woo Hoo!

I got all 7 'connector' blocks done already! They are 5x5 of 2.5 inch squares and they are all done! Now I just need to connect them with the leaf blocks and see how it looks. Then it will be border decision time. I just love making progress on a project.
I've decided to work at a blue scrap quilt in the 'lady of the lake' pattern. I figure if I can do 1-2 blocks a week I should have a bunch ready to make a quilt for my parents for their bed at camp for next summer. I am thinking it might be an Anniversary present if I can get it done by June 15 next summer. I measured their bed yesterday and a 80x80 should do the trick. It is a pattern I've always loved and Mom mentioned something in blues... which I have a ton of as they are my favorite color. I got the cream this weekend, just need to wash and iron it.

Emily has been sleeping better... from 8:30-9PM until 5:45-6, so not too bad. Aidan had a touch of something again on Friday.. just as we got to the fair he fell ill. So, we were there a little over an hour and then headed home to get him to bed. They both turned this weekend - Emily was 5 months yesterday and Aidan was 19 months on Sunday. He had his 18 month doctor appt. today and he is doing great. just under 30 pounds and 34.5 inches tall!
Pictures next time I promise!
Happy quilting
Deb