Random Flowers and Stars

The pace has really slowed down here at the old homestead lately. Both DH and I are still trying to overcome the creepy crud  --  head and chest congestion along with deep, bone-rattling coughs. We are a sorry pair, let me tell you.

I have busied my needle a bit, along with the sewing machine. I've a trio of scrappy stars to show for my efforts, along with a trio of hexie flowers. Neither set of blocks has a definite plan. Since I still have quite a to-do list, I don't dare let myself engage with a NEW project! In the very near future, I can see myself a bit more free to start a new quilt.

These stars are fun to make, but like any scrap quilt there is an endless pile of scraps on the cutting table. I have a total of 13 stars now made and another 5 ready to be sewn. The 5" blocks are meant to be sewn with charm squares for setting blocks. I will make these until I grow bored with them and see what I do with them. In other words, I don't have a plan; I'm just making stars.

And speaking of not having a plan, I continue to make random hexies and haven't a clue as to their future. I am leaning toward Grandmother's Flower Garden, but I could change my mind at a moment's notice.

I have much on my list; I don't have time to be under the weather! Hopefully I will get back in gear soon.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Upper Respiratory Infection

Throw me a pity party??

Since Wednesday, I have been suffering mightily, readers. After living with DH and his 13-day bout with a respiratory infection, I figured it must not be a contagious thing or I surely would have caught it. On the 14th day, I did. And boy, has it packed a wallop. I got my antibiotic early on in the hopes that I would catch it before it got as bad as hubby's. Well, perhaps in duration, mine will be shorter, but the effects have kept me housebound for four days. Energy to sew?? Barely an ounce.

I glue-basted some hexies one evening. Sewed some hexies another evening. Made three scrappy stars today. Each effort was exhausting.

I had to miss sewing on Friday morning with the Frankfort Girls, doggone it. I had some stuff to share and always love being with those gals. Terry sent me a picture of one of her recent finishes. Since I haven't taken photos of my small recent accomplishments, I will devote this post to comparing three versions of the same quilt.

Long Road Home by Red Crinoline Quilts is a quilt that I first saw when Sheryll showed us her finish of it back in 2011. I went bananas for it, and so did Terry; she then suggested that we make one together. I was all in. Below is Sheryll's version.

As things often do for quilters, some projects get going right away while others have to wait their turns. I did start pretty soon after that initial discussion, but it took me about 4 years to finish it. Mine looks quite different, too, as I did not have nearly the variety of neutrals required for the setting blocks. Because I was trying to use from the stash, I decided that I would simply use what I had in very scrappy fashion.

Here's my version of Long Road Home - hand-quilted! Yeah, I did, and it took me forever.

And now we can add Terry's to our collective efforts. Hers, like Sheryll's, is much more in keeping with the pattern as designed.

I have always been fascinated by the different looks a pattern can take simply by the choice and placement of fabrics and colors. I love this quilt in both the original pattern and in my "off-the-rails" version.

Hopefully, I will be back tomorrow with improved health and an update on my meager stitching.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

October UFO

My task this month in the UFO challenge is to finish Tell It To The Stars, a quilt-along project I began in 2014. Judy at Patchwork Times hosted the year-long event, and I did okay until about October of that year when I just fizzled out. After sitting in storage for three years (the quilt top, not me!), I am ready to finish it off. Click here to read my original post about this quilt.

The photo above shows how far along I am - and I truly had forgotten how much of it was done. What a pleasant surprise. I've just this morning pulled it out of the closet. This should be an easy UFO to complete.

I vaguely recall what forced me to halt my work on this quilt. After piecing that spiky green border (which was very detailed, as I recall) I thought all that was left was to do a solid outer border or perhaps a small containment border and then a larger outer border. I was wrong. I had to do one more pieced border. Having just finished what I thought was the last of the piecing, I wasn't in the mood for more apparently, so I quit.

Doesn't take much to turn me off a project, does it? Below is the pieced border that forced my shutdown.

Thankfully I had the good sense to print out a copy of the remaining steps. I have spent some time studying the instructions and I do believe I can finish without too much effort. I look forward to being able to claim another small victory in the UFO challenge. Getting this to the flimsy stage will make me quite the happy gal. Wish me luck!

Just to keep things interesting, I am joining the One Monthly Goal challenge at Elm Street Quilts blog. I did one earlier this year, and figure I am sufficiently ready to try again. It's fun to see what other quilters will be finishing this month. And, I have also snuck in to the party at Silly Mama Quilts.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Scrappy Stars

Three days into October and I find myself in that place where I have finished up some big stuff, have more big stuff to tackle, yet I am not quite ready to face it just yet.

So, I play.

Scrappy Stars, the pattern by Thimble Blossoms, seems to keep me entertained at the moment. Those sweet little 5" blocks are just so easy and fun, and by going scrappy with them I am allowed to grab any random fabric that strikes my fancy and work at making some magic with it. Here are my most recently made stars. All in all, I have made 8.

By zooming in on them like this you get to see that I have not been particularly diligent at matching those intersections in the center. From a distance they are fine, but close inspection - well, that's another story. I may try pinning more accurately, but truly in the scheme of things, those won't bother me too much after they join the other 142 stars. Yeah, I have a ways to go.

What I ought to be doing is digging out the parts and pieces for finishing off the October UFO. And I need to get going on quilting the baby quilt that Emma and I made on Sunday. As long as I'm itemizing things, coming up on Saturday is History Day in Greenfield and I am once again going to demonstrate hand quilting, so I need to get that project all ready to go.

With a sizable list of "oughta' do's" I seem to be very content with playing in the stars. I'm gonna' have to get in gear here shortly.

Linking up today with Free Motion By the River for her Tuesday Linky Party.

Hope you get a chance to take some time to play!
Happy Quilting, Friends!

Baby Quilt In A Day

Look what we made yesterday!!

DD Emma sent a request a couple of weeks ago for assistance in making a baby quilt for her boyfriend's sister. She ordered fabric to coordinate with the theme of the nursery and had an inspiration picture saved from Etsy. We got started around 1pm yesterday afternoon, and by 4pm we were sipping beverages and prepping the batting and backing. It was a very satisfying 3 hours of work.

The fabrics shown here are what she ordered. I had another red/gray plaid that we added along with a solid gray. The red/black buffalo check ended up not being used. We cut 6" squares.

Emma arranged them on the design wall in a way that suited her. We decided that since it was going to be a square quilt, we'd make it so that there is no obvious up and down. It will look okay from whatever angle it is used.

We both sewed in assembly line fashion and had the rows together in no time.

Emma pinned each intersection and sewed row to row. I commend her; not one intersection was out of place.

We used the gray flannel from my stash as the border and popped in those black arrows for the corners. It came together exactly at the measurements we projected - 49 inches. We grabbed scraps of batting and sewed them together and prepped the backing. It will be my job over the next couple of weeks to quilt and bind it for her. The baby shower is on the 14th. I can't foresee any problem with getting it done in time.

What a great way to start the new month! A finish!! Whoo-hoo!I will link up with Monday Making on Beth's Love Laugh Quilt blog. Go have a look! She is using her stash to make a Christmas quilt. I've also linked to Midweek Makers over at Quilt Fabrication blog.

Hope your October has begun with a bang!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Welcome October

Having had a rather satisfying September as far as finishes go, I am rearin' to go this month and I start today! This afternoon, DD Emma is popping in to begin work on another baby quilt, this one for boyfriend's sister. She has her fabric and an inspiration photo - all big squares - so it will go together fast. 

Tomorrow I will post pics of our work and perhaps by then I will have finalized my goals for the month. 

I hope you are as eager to get going in October as I am! Let's do this!!

Happy quilting, friends!

Closing The Door on September

It seems impossible that another month has slipped by, but the calendar does not lie. In saying goodbye to September, I have to remark that while I had some serious issues with making myself blog regularly, I more than made up for it by getting a whole lot of stuff done.

If I revisit that list I made and shared as we began the month, I see that I set some rather lofty goals which did not even get touched. Item 6, for example, is one that will be moving to October's list. (Fortunately, that baby is not due until late December!)

But rather than focus on what I did not get done, let's see what I DID accomplish. Remember, minimal work is still progress, right??

1. All three baby quilts are quilted, bound and ready for babies. Yeah!
2. See yesterday's post for the reveal of June's UFO which is at last finished!
3. September's UFO is also revealed in yesterday's post. I had a really satisfying Friday morning, you know?!
4. I regret that I haven't made much progress on Emma's wall hanging, however I did get my triangle papers and have fabrics cut out.
5. I selected the wedding quilt from those hanging in my closet, but have not decided on a backing. You will recognize it, as I have recently finished it, but I will keep mum about it as I want it to be a surprise.
6. Nothing, as explained above.
7. 8. 9. Random stars, hexies and pincushions. Yes, yes, and yes. Some are featured in the collage below.
10. Block Swap blocks - only minimal work done here; I do finally have all the fabrics for the two or three blocks I still have to finish.
11. No one would ever accuse me of overdoing it on cleaning, but I have done some stuff; several tubs have been straightened and rearranged. As my cutting table is heaping with clutter at the moment, it just isn't all that visible to an untrained eye. *wink*

Some accomplishments that were not on the list include getting to spend a day sewing headbands with my nieces. We had such a great day together. My high school graduating class had a very impromptu get together with a classmate who was in from the west coast. On short notice, we had a decent turn out of about a dozen friends to reminisce with. And last, we served as kitty-sitter for our daughter's cat Rocky. He loves coming to the big house in the country, quite a change from his small apartment in the city.

I didn't include it in my collage, but Sharon and I did a jelly roll day together. For her, it went well. For me, well, there's a reason I've not blogged it. I promise to fill you in on the ugly details soon.I'm fixing a few things first.

Hope your September was fabulous! Let's see what kind of mischief we can make in October, okay?

Happy Quilting, Friends!