Star Struck blocks...

This is what I have so far for the star struck quilt. I need 3 more blocks to set this 5x6. Time to go cut up a few lights so I can finish the blocks. I'd like to get the top done this week and quilted sometime next week. Fingers crossed that I can get time to work on this during nap times.

I can now officially say.....

I'm moving from Vermont to Florida sometime next month. Phew..... it has been in the works for a while now (we started thinking of this in January!) but I have been unable to say anything until DH gave his 4 week notice this morning. Does that explain the mention of packing and movers I let slip?
I have 3 projects packed with me at our interim residence - the L&E quilt which became the 'main' one with a person in mind for it; Emily's quilt in the 30's prints and my box for the midget blocks. I've been focusing on the L&E quilt for Miss C and hope to get it done and delivered before we head south. This will be a little something for the young lady who has been watching my kids at the Playspace while I go to the gym and get my workout. She has been there since September 2008 when AT was just 7 months old! The kids just love her and know Mommy is working on a quilt for her. Emily even helped pick out and match up the dark squares for me while I sewed! I just need to get back to working on it... in between doing all the other things associated with moving and starting a new business while having 2 toddlers underfoot.
I've got 116 sewn into patches with the dark triangles sewn on, re sewn for the little HST and all trimmed off and pressed. The light squares are sewn and I am working on the resew for the creation of the little HST's. Then I just need to trim and press and start making my blocks. I do need to make 4 more for the 5x6 block setting for a lap quilt.... then get some fabrics for the borders. I think I'll wait and see what it looks like together before I get the border fabrics. I'm thinking a brown small border and some blue print with a geometric pattern on it for the outside but we'll see.
Will post pics next post, I promise!

Have a great day everyone. I think I'll take the kids to the play ground at my old elementary school for a bit this morning. Tomorrow is Santa's Village in New Hampshire... if the weather cooperates! Think sun and no rain for me!

L&E... becomes the main project ... right now anyway!

I didn't feel like cutting yesterday... I felt like sewing. So....(no pun intended) I pulled the 4.5x2.5 guys and got 116 of them sewn together. Just need to find the iron and an ironing board so I can add the squares to each end for the star struck pieces. Excuse Miss Sophie - the white blob on the side of the picture... she was wanting some attention from me since the kids are down for their naps. They seem to only come out when the kids are not around lately.

I think I'll be in the mood to start cutting out Em's quilt on Sunday. Saturday will be a BBQ for the professional group I am part of at the President's house on a lake. I think my kids will be the only ones there.....so hopefully Aunt D and Uncle D will help me keep them entertained for the afternoon. I have a feeling Em will be in the water up to her ankles picking up rocks and AT will be running around making everyone tired just watching him!

Have a great weekend.

Emily's quilt and a new L&E project

This will be my 'next' project over the next little bit. We will be getting her a new 'big girl' bed in a couple of months so I'd better get moving on her new quilt to fit a twin bed. I had picked out the pattern 'Spring Valley Log Cabin' from the Judy Martin book 'Piece and Play Quilts'. After collecting the 30's prints and some solids I am ready to start cutting this one out. Wish me luck!

Today was packing day.... so to keep out of the way, I took a rubbermaid bucket overflowing with scraps - mostly blue but other colors got in there too - and cut up a bunch of 2.5x4.5 and 2.5 squares in light and dark. I have at least 100 of each size in both light and dark after hours of cutting. I figure that will give me a start with about 20 blocks finishing around 8 inches. Not big enough for a quilt but a start. These will be the leader/ender for Emily's quilt project.... and fitting that it will be a Bonnie Hunter pattern at Quiltville. This will be the star struck and I do have someone in mind for it... lets hope I get some sewing time in over the next few weeks so I can get a good jump on both these projects.

All 12 VQF blocks done.....

I decided to just finish that one without getting the replacement fabric. I decided I can live with it. Heck..... it will be something to look for in the quilt... find the boo boo!

I also did another one Sunday while everyone napped.... after I mowed the lawn. I haven't mowed the lawn for about 4 years I think.... but G lifted Miss Em when we got back from the play ground so she could hit the garage door button to close it and did something to his back.
Here are the final 3 blocks. I just called Maplewood Quilts in Northfield, VT and she has the finishing kit but is waiting for more of the background fabric to arrive. She has my name and cell number so hopefully I can pick that up sometime next week. I haven't been to her actual shop, but I did get some pretty FQ's from her a few years ago at our guild quilt show. I am looking forward to checking out her shop.. without the kids in tow!




I bought a batting for hand quilting for the patriotic 'fireworks' quilt. Someone commented asking if I meant it to look like fireworks going off..... I was unable to go to their blog to leave a comment or e-mail so the answer is - nope... I never noticed that until you pointed it out! Thanks... now I have a name for the quilt. Just need to get it basted for hand quilting. That will be my project for a trip we will be taking next month.

While making the VQF blocks I was able to make these 9 patches from my stash of scraps. I'm trying to figure out what other 'colors' I need to grab so there is a good variety.. I have some purples cut and ready for sewing so will lay it out again when the others are sewn.... I think I have 6 more ready to go.


I'll also start something NEW...... next week as time allows. More about that later...
Have a great week everyone..

VQF Blocks - 4.5 more done....

Don't you just hate when you cut something wrong... and don't have enough fabric to fix it?

I got 4 more of the VQF blocks done over the last week. The .5.... well, that one used the stripe fabric and I cut like they said... but when I went to put it together the lines are going the wrong way for 2 of the sides..... so I am holding off on finishing that one until I find it and order some. Arrgghhh.

On to good news.. I did get these pretty ones done.

From Traditions at the White Swan...


From Quilter's Confectionery


From Country Quilt & Fabric in Castleton, VT was Country Flower Star.


and this last one didn't have the quilt shop's name on it but it was pretty.



I had to pop out today and found my $25 gift certificate to Joann's Fabrics. Since I still have those 2 tops that need quilting... I got 2 fabrics for backings. They are in the washer now and I hope to get them ready for pinning tonight after kids are in bed. I think I can get them quilted this week around naps. One will be easy... just straight line quilting. We'll see what mood I am in for the pink top... it may become an 'easy' one too depending on how much time I have.

Something quilted and almost done!!!

Sunday, while everyone napped I decided to try quilting this yellow/blue log cabin quilt again... after picking out a bunch that I had already quilted. I was getting frustrated with thread breaks with the King Tut and the Bottom Line thread combo. I had picked up a Superior Thread for the top last weekend (which is a combo that always works for me) and decided to give it a try. With the limited time I just did a meander on this quilt and then applied the blue binding to the front while Daddy got one kid up from his nap. The other woke up once the binding was finished... yup, my girl has good timing. It finally cooled down at night so I will work a bit more on finishing up the binding in the evenings after the kiddo's are put to bed. I hope to have it done with a label on by Wednesday night so I can drop it off to the library on Thursday for Story time. I am donating this one to the 'Friends of the Milton Library' for their fall raffle in November and December. It is a beautiful library that was just enlarged and remodeled and has a great kids section and story time. The librarians are all wonderful and have been great to talk to over the last 3 years. They also didn't mind me taking a baby or two there so I could have some adult conversation during the day in the freezing winter months while they cuddled a baby. I hope it raises a few dollars for them to use on the library and their programs.

I also finally finished this mug rug a few weeks ago.

This is a close up of the quilting.....

I really need to practice on feathers since that was my attempt here. Need to grab the practice piece and play a bit before attempting the pink string quilt. I've been putting my ice water on it in the afternoon's while I sew and it is great at wicking up that water from the outside of the bottle. Just one more to go and those challenge ones will be done... just a few months late.