NOVE

It is wonderful to have my amazing sewing machine back in action!  I started another kit from my friend.

The bag contained a pile of strips all pinned into groups

 which are numbered and some large black rectangles.

And here is the goal!  It's fun to stitch it up and just follow along with her plans!

Nove means nine-so the pattern begins to make sense when you know that!

 

A BOUNTIFUL GIFTING

I had a wonderful time with my quilting friends for lunch yesterday!  I was given two kits from one lady to make for the kids quilts we do--doesn't this look like fun?!

This is the second one--

all of the pieces are cut and ready to stitch!

There is also a layer cake of kitties!

With very nice coordinating fabrics--I think I will make the slices I did for the QOV but it will look very different with the cat prints!

And she even gave me several yards of batting for them all and some extra!  A bonus!

 

STUDIO ATTRACTIONS

One of the charms on point tops were loaded on the frame for quilting.  I will tackle that today with a meander pattern.

I cut up several more fat quarters into layer cakes;

then cut two long strips from one side of the 10" piece,

and then two shorter pieces from the remaining piece.

These cuts yield this pile of pieces to sew up 

which happens very quickly when I chair sew!

And it was fun to throw them up on the design wall.  

I think it will be fun to cut them up with other fabrics and rearrange the pieces so there is less order--that is one of the things that is so interesting about quilting--just a little change can produce a block that hardly looks related!

 

*REWARD TIME IN THE STUDIO

It was nice to add the blocks we made at my daughter, Marsel's, house.  I added a few blocks to complete the row. 

 Now it is time to make another red star block!

I also started a new project--a way to use layer cakes.  I 'made' these layer cakes from two fat quarters and I will be using the rest of the fat quarters to make a bunch more! 

 9" blocks, unfinished.

*the reward is for getting all of my luggage taken care of and new homes found for all of the extras! lol

 

STUDIO TIME

I do miss sewing pieces of fabric together when  I am away from home! lol  I have this 45" x 60" top finished and will be loading it on the frame today.  This is going to be for me--most likely a wall hanging during our summer months to celebrate our nation's anniversary!

I also received two kits from Quilts for Kids, which I haven't made in a long time, so I thought it would be good too make a few to send to that charity.  The Sesame Street print will be used for a border and also is for the backing.

It's off to a fun start with 4 striped rail fences!

 

DONE WITH THE RUNNING AROUND!

After the dr visit yesterday, I spent a few hours in the studio to unwind.  I have all of the border pieces cut and ready to put together today.  What a nice way to accent the stars!

I put the last of the rows together and cut the two borders to frame the charm squares!  I can stay home today and enjoy the things I love to do. What a good feeling!

 

AHHH, STUDIO TIME!

I loaded the quilt top I made on QOV sew day to get that quilted up.  I also volunteered to quilt a top from the group on Thursday, so I need to be disciplined to have them both done by next meeting in a month.

And to prove I can follow directions, I present to you, several new and corrected star blocks! Once I knew I understood what to do and that it worked, I cut out all of the pieces to make these blocks!  I hope to catch up with the gang from Alycia's QAL soon!  And I am aware that she has also only instructed us to make the red blocks so far, I was worried I didn't have enough of the specific colors so I cut to find out now instead of later! lol

 

STILL SORTING OUT

A little bit of digging uncovered these blocks--

there were 5 and I added 4 more during the week. 

 I also have a pile of squares cut to make the last 3 blocks.

I also added the Whimsy quilt to the frame. 

 I hope to be able to work on it today.  

 

SUCCESS

Something old is new on the design board;  I have had this panel and the jelly roll to match for years.  Well, its day has come!  I have had my pencil and graph paper out and have made a design which works with blocks and borders to make me happy!

 I bought some new backings on my reward shopping after the rheumatologist appointment yesterday.  I can't believe how wonderful it is to find two new-to-me doctors who are both thinkers and not just robots in a white jacket!  I have high hopes for this year and working on building my body better to be able to participate with less pain and fatigue!  Thank you, Lord, for bringing me to a good team of doctors!

GOOD AFTERNOON IN THE STUDIO

The binding was cut and pressed 

but I didn't attach it to the quilt yet.

I did load the small Contessa quilt onto the frame 

and began quilting it with a feather panto design.

Then I enjoyed some more piecing of the shadow blocks!  

The morning was spent at the doctor's in town, just a check-up, and a good report was appreciated!

 

ALMOST TO THE BORDERS

  I worked at the quilting frame until my laser light died,

 then I was able to concentrate on piecing the rest of the blocks.  And when I finished all of the blocks, I pieced the rest of the rows and have all but a few sewn to its neighbors!  

A LOT OF CUTTING OUT!

I finished the rest of the blue/white blocks-48 in all.

Then I tackled the red and white blocks and only completed one--there are a lot more pieces and it's a bit more fiddly 

but it will really bring the quilt to life! 

 (The pic looks like a duller red than it really is!)

I also cut up the halloween fabric--6" squares almost randomly sewn into 9-patches from the 6 fat quarters.

And then I chopped them up into a disappearing 9-patch! 

 I will most likely have enough for a table runner 

and will sew the blocks together when they are all cut up 

so I can play with them!

 

A NEW LEASE ON LIFE

Today marks the one year 'anniversary' of my brush with death from Septic Shock due to a misdiagnosis of appendicitis!  It has been quite the year but I must say, I am mostly feeling better for several hours each day at least!  I am very thankful for the extension of my days to spend with family and friends!

This set of Fat Quarters was from last year and since I was not doing any sewing at that time, I dug it out now to contemplate a project for it!  I am not a halloween person so I could just leave out the snake and skull fabric because I do like the black/white and orange of the other fabrics!

I also pulled out this QUV project and began to actually cut and piece!  (I had done all of the instruction deciphering several months ago but that was as far as I got!)

Now I have the first 18 of 48 of these blocks sewn!  I will be doing more of this today!

 

WORKING IT OUT

I only have three more blocks to make for the QAL but....

I was concerned that I didn't have enough reds to finish the other quilt but by the skin of my teeth, I eked out just enough! 

 Only 6 more to go and now I can savor the piecing without worrying about being able to finish it!  

I'm also working on cleaning out the old toy closet--it takes a lot of physical and emotional energy!

 

PEACEFUL PIECING DAY

I thought I needed to make another block for this quilt--

I got sidetracked with Alycia's QAL!

The instructions for The Wave for Alycia uses strips but since I am making mine with scraps, I lay the squares on top 

of the white strip and stitch the 10 down.  

Two blocks worth of squares fit on one strip--

I just turn it around and add the next color.

I match up my pairs and the odd squares on the ends and in no time, I have two blocks finished!

I'm pleased with my progress! 

 Only two more blocks and I can begin to piece the rows!

 

MIGHTY STITCHING!

I cut all the pieces I needed, and all that I could eke out of the Jelly Roll, for the Christmas in July quilt.  It will be 56 x 72" which will be a nice size for a wintertime snuggle!

I put all the pieces in a shallow box like this so that I can grab and stitch a block when I have a minute!

I also decided that the diamonds needed to be bordered

 so I cut the pieces leftover from the fat quarters do make it.  

All of the squares are attached to the central panel now! 

 I only have three rows of borders to attach now!

This morning I will drive into St Augustine to have the other 'spot' on my ankle removed since the first skinning didn't remove all of the cancerous cells.  Mary is going with me so we can do some shopping and lunching afterwards!  Nice way to sweeten the day!

 

NEW SCENERY

The large units are built and how much more quickly it went together the second time around! lol  It also helps to have the monster headache back under control so I can think and read directions!

Now to continue building the two sizes of square in a square blocks.  I work on a few at a time and then move on to something else-like the quilting frame!