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Ok, I NEED to get things done for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!  That quilters ADD is kicking in again.

I was on the boards last night and the ladies there are making 12” x 18” quilts for presents for needy children NEXT year!  They  are going to have 1 from every state, and you know, IL was not taken.   What was I suppose to do?

I’m making Bonnie Hunters Maverick Stars, and they looked good!  but I had to go and make them dance.  :)

This is 8” x 12” right now – I think the rest is going to be boarders.  I know the green star in the bottom right corner has the corner cut off.  ugh! 

Clue #2

I have been busy – but not sewing much.  Here are the firs 52 blocks for Clue #2 of Bonnie Hunters 2011 Mystery Quilt.

I just may have to redo them – I think there too light for the quilt.  hum…..

2011 Bonnie Hunter Mystery

I was NOT going to do this – I have wayyyyy to many other projects going.

Who am I kidding, I love the mysteries.  Sunday I started cutting and today I finished Clue #1.  I’m off and running…. 

223 - 2” hour glass blocks (black and neutral).  I started by just cutting lots of pairs.

 

 

I cut, sewed, ironed, sewed, ironed, and ironed some more.  I HATE ironing.  But Bonnie’s #1 rule is NO WHINING! So lets move on.

I did need to cut a few more pairs, but this time I took a tip from Subee – she mentioned using starch to pair up the 1.5” strips before you cut.  More ironing!  Really. 

Well, it is suppose to make the cut much more accurate, and because the pairs stay together your seams are more accurate.  WOW! I can tell you that works GREAT!

Christmas Gifts Started

Two little gifts have been started.  Crayon Rolls to go in the snap bags that are yet to be started…  I need to find 2 buttons next.

It’s Just TOO Big!

Too big for the design wall, too big for my sewing table, too big for the fence!

But it looks pretty good on our king size bed. I will post a picture of it on the bed when I get it quilted. That give me a little time to clean the bedroom for pictures. ha!

You’ll have to take my word for it, those borders cover the bed frame WITHOUT the bed skirt.

SUCCESS!!!!

2012 Row Robin

I am going to the 2012 COF Retreat next September.  To get ready for the fun, a bunch of are doing a quilt challenge that will be revealed at the retreat.

Being the crazy person I am, I signed up for both the wall hanging and lap size quilt. The process is a secret but we can show our center rows. 

The wall hanging – the thought is winter (blue and white)

 
The lap size – red, white and blue.

 
They need to be in the mail by Tuesday, so this is the last you or I will see of this project till next year.  I can’t wait !!!

Weekend Project

Jacki came down for the weekend and this is what we did…..

 
Well, we shopped for fabric Saturday and we cut and sewed today.  I will try to get this sandwiched this week so I can quilt it before Thanksgiving.

A Day Out in Florida

Joanne wanted to see Harry Potter.  So we went to Universal’s Islands of Adventure, TWICE!  Hogswart did NOT disappoint, I highly recommend the entire experience!

We also saw the new Spiderman exhibit, but the Hulk Roller Coaster wins hands down as the best attraction in the Marvel Section of the park.

The next time you plan a vacation to any of the Florida Theme Parks, the week AFTER Labor Day is the time to go.  There are NO lines during the week and even a nice Saturday only brought out 60 min wait times at some of the most popular attractions.

   

Even if the lines do get long – the barkeeps at the Porch of Indecision and the Lone Palm keep the drinks coming with little or no wait.   Ask me how I know!  :)

Where I spent the 2nd week of September

A little while ago I spent a week visiting Tony.   He has pretty much had it with Florida.  His apartment is ok, but our digs were a little better.

This is also where our daughters wedding reception was held.  We love Hilton!

Jo and I kept busy most days.  This is when I just can’t do without my nook.  It was hot, high 90’s each day, but that isn’t a problem when you can cool off in the water every 15 min or so.

The last morning was pretty.  I will enjoy it even more in December when we go down for Tony’s graduation.

Another Top Done

This is the last of the Christmas presents.   Mom’s scrappy ladder is about 1/4 of the way quilted.   Then this one.

And I will NOT be starting any other quilts with the delusion of getting them done for presents.

I did not say I wasn’t going to start any other quilts – just not any for Christmas presents.  Just saying….

Crumbs

Looks like I have joined Jo’s Crumb-Along… 

I really should be working on quilts that I have to get done for Christmas.  But instead I made a mess today.  Look at this……

 

I did not even make a DENT in that basket of strings and crumbs.  And that pile to the right, it’s work to be pieced and/or quilted. 

I don’t know if I like the red or purple blocks better.  Maybe I will make them into 2 quilts, goodness knows I have enough crumbs!

Again

You may think you’ve seen this before. I know I have!

I made a scrappy Jacobs Ladder quilt with recycled shirts and muslin for myself. And my mother really liked it.

Soooooo, this one is for her. Shhhhh it’s a Christmas present. (The plan was to give it to her last year – but it’s sandwiched now.) She has a real good chance of getting it this year.

I’ve been busy

Just look at this Mess!!! I have been trying to finish up a few projects. Because in the winter I have little desire to piece, and when I do – the den is COLD!!

(ok its become my sewing room, but I do share it with the household bills. That counts for something doesn’t it?)

But I did get something done,

Without any more delay – here it is – the second quilt for the Demning girls ….. Two down, one to go.

I’m not crazy about the small star blocks, but with them the top is almost the same size as Riley’s. And I used up a lot more scraps this way too.

There are more tops to show in that pile – but they will have to wait until later – its getting late and I’m falling asleep.

I had every intention to get some quilting done on this top, but that’s not going to happen either. I will take this to FL later this week. We’ll see how much I get done there.

DVD or recycled shirt shelf ??

I have been cleaning.  I think this is a pretty good use of an old DVD shelf.    

    

Doesn’t the closet look so organized.   All of the shirts I have are dis-assembled and folded.  I don’t think there is much room for more.  And those blue draws have 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3.5 inch strips.  And they are all FULL TOO!!

A few of the shirts ended up here  -  its far from done, the goal for this one is to cover a queen size bed with NO bed skirt. 

Who came up this that idea?  Isn’t a bed skirt just an excuse to not finish a quilt?

I’m back

A quick update on the girls quilts.  Their baby sister has one coming too, so I think they will not see these till their birthdays in Feb.  

Riley’s will be quilted by Labor Day – and with any luck Audree’s will be sandwiched so that I have something to keep me busy on my trip to FL.  (if I have enough of that blue – I’m sure it will be pieced.  ugh…)

Its a block – a BIG block

I like it!

the garden

Have you heard?  We want to move to our property in MO….  But with all the issues with John  arm were here till he is released by the Dr.  And then there’s selling the house.

So this year we planted my snow pea and a little lettus. Yah, you cant see the lettus – it did NOT grow. 

  

And then there’s the rasberries.  These pics were taken 2 weeks ago.

We have taken about 6-7 cups in the last week and a half and there still comming.

 

Partially done,

This one is 8x8 and I really don’t like square quilts – so I’m not sure what I’m going to do about the boards.  Why is this always the hardest part for me? 

My husbands grandmother use to make scrappy 9 patch quilts for everyone in the family.  And she used ANY and ALL scraps.  I think that every one in church that sewed gave her their scraps.  This is what I’ve been working with!

   

 

The pattern is Florabunda – Bonnie Hunter has the pattern posted on her blog.

July 2011 Storm – Northern IL

Did you hear about the storm that went thru the Chicagoland area last Monday?  Over 850,000 were without power for extended periods of time.  Our house was without power for 2 and 1/2 days.  But there are still some without power today. 

We had 2 trees that were “topped”.  The wind was so strong that the tops of MANY trees were just sheared off. – hence the no power.

And here is the top of this tree – It took John 3 day to clean and then burn this.  Now we can work on the choke cherry tree that landed on the fence.  There’s always something to do around here. 

Buried Treasure ….

My husband has been spending a lot of time with his family recently. They are going thru his grandmother’s farm house. No one has ordered a dumpster so, last night he came home with a pickup truck full of trash to be set out for our local collector!

But he had a few small boxes to bring into the house???

Look what he found mixed in with old news papers and to do lists.

Can you see that group. This is the group of ladies that stated the Piecemakers Quilt Guild out of Springfield MO. There is a nice story about how the guild was started.

 

 

And a pattern for this!

Come back to see what else is in those boxes….

I need boarders

Any ideas?

another quilt

shhhh….  this one is a surprise,

I received a ruler as a door prize at the quilt retreat in NC this spring and I wanted to give it a try.   Jacki brought down a few shirts she saved while helping a friend clean out a closet.  And I decided to make a small quilt.  I am shooting for Christmas, but I’m waiting to sandwich it for the next time Jack’s here to help.  

It will go to one of the girls.  There are 2 girls so you know this means another one.  hummmm

update: Quilts

I see another project in my future – these 6” blocks are sooooo cute.

I’m thinking the red and white will be the only constant, the star will just be Dark and Light.

 

And, the star blocks are together, but its about 6inches too small for the bed.  So this Smoky Mountain Stars Quilt is waiting for boarders.  (pattern on Bonnie Hunters site – Quiltville.com

What do you think, scrappy or RWB strips (one color each) hum…..