Midget Block 33

#33 is Merry Go Round.
This is paper pieced and I still got the middle parts off a bit. Oh well... I am not redoing this one.
This one has 52 pieces in it. I did forget to put the orange in between the blues... I guess my O for Orange looked like the C for cream...



#34 is Rocky Glen... and I worked on it this morning before heading out to story time. In my hurry I did an oops when putting it together. I may just redo this one..... we'll have to wait and see. This one has 64 pieces in it.

Progress and a package...

I made some progress and a decision on the Starburst quilt for the graduation girl. I have the diamond borders on.... and you'll see from the picture that yes, I didn't have enough of the diamonds and did not want to make more of them. So.... there are 4 black squares in the corners. I am just going to add one more outer border and call it ready for quilting. I am going to do the sides of the quilt about 2.5 or 3 inches and then the top and bottom at 5.5 inches. The binding will be about 10 or 11 inch lengths of each of the bright colors going around the quilt. That's the final decision! Here is the quilt so far without the outermost borders on.

I also got a package in the mail...from Connecting Threads.



Yippee. I got a lot for my $56 dollars. 3 different colors with 3 yards each - blue, chocolate and a pebble. These will be used in the Sow along quilt that Randy is hosting. I'm a little late joining but will plan to start that one next week after I wash the fabric up. I also got some single yard cuts - a chocolate floral that goes well with the sow along quilt, a blue cornflower leaf pattern that coordinates with the above and a brown pioneer marble... that could also be used in the quilt. I'd like to keep it solids and see how it turns out with just the three colors above.... we'll see once I start looking at the patterns. I also got two threads..... and need to decide which one I'll use to quilt up the green Jacobs Ladder quilt. I think either would work well.

All in all a very productive day last Friday.

Pink birds in the air...

It is getting to the end of the month so I had to get started on these birds in the air blocks for the pink rainbow challenge. Having company come back Friday.... I had to get this cutting done today. I was also able to actually sew these 12 blocks together too! I guess having 2 kids with fevers I'm letting the tv limit slide a bit today. The medicine finally kicked in and they are starting to act more like themselves now.

I also had cut extra strips while making the scrappy borders for the pink top, so I can cut the extra 4.5 strips into a 2.5 and a 2 inch strip. One for the binding and one for the 2 inch square drawer for the next years L&E colorful quilt. I really like that I am making progress on my rainbow scrap challenge this year and am prepping projects for the future as well.

I should also do some quick seam sewing of the two backings so that maybe I can pin the green and pink quilts while my parents are here this weekend sometime. That will get them ready for quilting and I can just use a day when Grandma daycare is in play at her house - drop the kids and drive the 40 minutes home and sew for a few hours and get some things done next month. I can see myself out on the porch at night (since is it rerun time soon on tv) and hand sewing the bindings on while enjoying the nighttime noises and watching my solar lights in the back yard. I may need to move my little waterfall out to the porch so I can listen to the water while I sew.

Tiny Tuesday #32

#32 Arrowhead Star

Ta Da! A completely hand pieced block...made by ME! Yup, I am pretty proud of myself and am having fun with the hand quilting and hand sewing that I challenged myself to this year. So far, applique, a hand pieced quilt block and a little quilt square hand quilted. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

I was able to make a quick template of a manila folder and cut the pieces out on Friday. I started sewing it on Friday afternoon and finished it off on Saturday afternoon. It does take a bit of prep time with the drawing, adding the 1/4 inch around each one and cutting them all out but it was a fun little block to put together. I do think I need to iron as I go next time as it was a bit of a bear to iron down after. It does measure 5 inch unfinished so I did pretty good!

The next two have the fabrics all pulled and are ready to sew.

Starburst progress...

I was able to get a few more of the diamonds sewn this afternoon and also conned... I mean convinced Aidan that if Mommy got to sew the blocks into rows today, I could start putting his together that much sooner!

So - here are the rows and some of the diamonds around the edge. I am thinking a small black border on each side of these guys so they will frame the quilt. Then..... I have something in mind but want to see how it looks once those borders are put on. I don't think it will be long enough so it will need another outer border... just not sure on a single print or a pieced border right now.


I also was waiting around for them to pick up the play room so I was able to cut out my next midget block and get that all set for hand sewing.

This afternoon while they were riding bikes in the driveway I started putting it together and have one corner completed.


I should be able to get this done for Tiny Tuesday so will stay on track for one a week this year. I also pulled the fabrics for the next two blocks.... the kids fiddled about for 2 hours before they finally picked up the play room so I hope to stay on track with these guys this year.

Shopping....

It seems to be a shopping day today.
From Sentimental Stitches... I got the midget applique blocks 1-52 and the free sample applique block. She has a deal going on right now for National Quilt Day (March 17) where you can get the applique blocks for 16.60 instead of $20.00.

Then some new sneakers from Zappos so my feet will be comfy while working at the store... I have a feeling there will be no sitting down at all in the next few weeks as the temps are in the 80's and people are opening their pools up.

Then.. I hopped over to Connecting Threads and got some fabrics for Randy's quilt along over at her blog Barristersblock. I am a little late to start but should be able to catch up pretty easily. I am going with a blue and brown for the quilt along and will use the mirage prints with a cream or tan for the background. Chocolate and cornflower blue. I think they'll look pretty together and I got a couple of other prints that might work well with them if I decided to not do complete solids for the quilt.

Now... off to get dressed so we can run errands. When I asked Em this morning what she wanted to do today, she said 'ride the jeep, ride my bike, go get veggies from the farm stand, go to the play ground, take a short nap......' I'd better get moving so she can get all that done. I wanted to hit Lowes too, but I doubt that will happen. I got to go there a couple of days ago and have the boards for the garden and just need hubby to drill those together after I rotatil my spot and then call the guy to deliver the soil. I can't wait to get my garden put in and the kids love helping plant and weed and then pick our veggies.

Tiny Tuesday #31

Ok, this one was a bear. I really want to know how the heck this was done by hand by anyone.......
It is not perfect but I am so calling this one done. Part of the problem... a boy who was not feeling 100% Saturday when I made this and wanted to watch me work on it. Nope... that just didn't work. Then..... I read the directions through earlier this week and thought I was to piece the middle 4 together first. Big OOPS! After I had done that and had my first corner part together I read that I was to attach one of the middle parts to make it a square so they would go together easier. Yup.. I ended up with 4 partial seams. Not fun.
Oh well, live and learn and I will be reading the paper piecing directions a few more times and as I put it together for the next ones coming up.
This one has 64 pieces in a finished 4.5 inch block. #31 - Painted Star of many points.


I am so happy to be moving onto #32 for next week. I'm going to give hand piecing a shot with that one. Wish me luck!