It only took me about 10years to finish this

I saw this quilt at a retreat several years ago and just had to have it. I went around and collected fabrics everywhere I saw them (LOL Boy did I collect them)

And you know, I started this so long ago I can't really remember the time line BUT

I made my 7 year old grandson's first baby quilt with these fabrics before he was born, and I'm making a quilt of stars with the left overs from the blocks. I remember working on this when I had to help my stepfather after his hip replacement surgery and he passed away a few years ago. I remember finding some great backing fabric that I knew would be just perfect - for $1.00 a yard... LOL and I still have it and just pulled it out (ha! Already washed, too! )

That's sad ,,, to keep something that long before finishing it! And there was no reason, when I pulled it out, all it needed was the borders and the stars in the corners.

I know a very talented quilter that can do great things with the plain borders - that were intentionally left plain so she can do her magic - and I think a red binding will be a nice finishing touch, don't you?

Now I'm inspired. I'm going to retreat in a couple of weeks,, wonder what I can finish then?!?

 

He likes a quilt!

He never likes my quilts. I hear him say "why do you cut apart fabric just to sew it together again? You could save time by just going to Walmart" How do you explain it to a ... (Well, the word I was thinking of can't be said here ) LOL. How to explain this to a ... Geez, can't even say MAN cause there are great male quilters.

This pattern started off as an idea for the 2012 New Project Challenge that CATPATCHES started. I shad the fat quarters, saw the pattern at OH FRASSON ( it's called birthday cake) took everything to retreat the first weekend in April and did the top in one day---cut it out and sewed it up in one day. I did just easy straight line quilting, nothing fancy, and it's done==Yee Haw!

And he likes this quilt.

I knew he would come around one day ;) <vbg>

 

My Lazy Sunday

We went out to eat last nite - at Outback Steakhouse, yumm! BUT, either it was the Bloomin' Onion that I ate some of, or maybe it was just too rich all around, but I spent most of today not feeling real well,,, geez,, I hate getting older and not being able to eat what I want... Maybe too it was because I really watch what I eat and haven't eaten anything greasy or rich in such a long time. Who knows...

But you can't lay around all day or at least I can't so I did get a little sewing done.. and finished the One Block Wonder! I'm real pleased with how it came out. I like how I left the ends and worked the inner border into the design itself... sorta looks like it floats. The outer boarder is a dark mottled blue and I think sets off the design - sorta like a real frame in a picture.

Anyway,,, I'm happy!! NOW I can work on some of the other fabrics I have that I bought with this type of quilt in mind ( NO, I didn't buy them this year so my resolution of not buying fabric is still good ).

What do you think? OH, here is another closer view





...

Quilting with Judy Neimeyer

I'm taking a class from Judy Neimeyer this weekend,,, really looking forward to learning from her! I'm going to do the Sea Urchins quilt and have been gathering and buying fabric for a couple of months now. -- OF COURSE all before my resolution to NOT buy fabric! I have enough to start the quilt and work on it this weekend in class, but not near enough to finish it. I'm thinking about making it be a queen size, too, so I KNOW I'm going to have to buy more ( of poor little me! ) Now, isn't this just the coolest looking quilt!?!? I had to make copies of the template pages tonite,,, that is part of the directions and I just can't wait to get into it.... it will look so cool on my bed....

of course, I'll keep progress posted!

Header Picture

Ok, I really really tried to put a picture across my header as a background.... I am NOT html literate and could not figure out how to get the darn picture across the whole top of the page. gggrrrrr....

had a cool picture of a quilt of squares, I think it may be a Kaffe Fassett design that I saw completed at a quilt show - either Dallas or Houston, can remember. Would have been so cool!

If anyone knows just how to do this - please! let me know!

here's the picture I really wanted to use....

One Block Wonder

Well, finally got the blocks sewn, half together like they are supposed to. I hung them on my design wall and started rearranging. This is really fun! I moved them around, trying to get a pleasing look, left them for a couple of days, moved them some more and this is what I haveBecause they are hexagns you just sew them in half-sections then you lay them out so that there are 'rows'. When the layout is to your liking, they you take the 'rows' ( actually half hexagon blocks ) and sew them together. Then you sew the rows together. I'm trying to decide if I want to leave the edges jagged like they are now and put in triangles of the border fabric, or cut them straight across. Hmmm,,, maybe I'll decide when I get it sewn together.

Thought... use a small inner border of a solid fabric ( red or blue or green or yellow, or something ) and use that fabric for the set-in triangles for the edges.... maybe?

Gotta find a border fabric, too.
But this was fun! Can't wait to finish it and try another fabric - maybe the one I have that is a bunch of chickens!!!

OH, the design wall,,, it is a vinyl tablecloth with a flannel back that I hung over my double closet door in my sewing room. The blocks actually stick to the flannel backing so you don't have to pin them. Best of all, I can take it down when I don't need it - just fold it up, put it away!

till later

Beth

Quilt Retreats

Retreats! Oh they seem like they are oh so much fun when you are packing and planning for them. Imagine! Days away from the phone and TV and your normal everyday life - days to spend with friends and your sewing machine.... Sounds wonderful, doesn't it!

And for the most part, it really is! The creativity that is in the room is explosive - everyone feeds off everyone else and things just happen! I see the prettiest quilts get completed at retreats and ideas for new ones bloom.... I love sitting with my friends and talking about "things" all the things that you talk to your girl friends about. I just love it.

The retreat that we ( the bee I belong to ) go to is about a little more than an hour away from here. It sits out in the country and there are cows out in the pastures by the house. We have a huge room for all of us to sew, three big bedrooms, 3-1/2 baths and a big big full kitchen. We cook, we snack and then we cook somemore! 'Sew a little, cook a little',,, just like the song that is in The Music Man - but the only words I can remember are "cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot" something... got to remember that song or it will drive me nuts!


So, if anyone is reading this,,, how do you like retreats? Tell us your tales....

Happy New Year - and Resolutions!

Happy Happy New Year everone!!! It's the day for putting all the Christmas stuff up, cleaning house, and the last day to relax -- LOL doesn't sound like much relaxing is going on, does it??? Thankfully there is not TOO much christmas decorations out... the tree comes apart in three pieces and I didn't put too many ornaments on it,,, there are a few trinkets and snowmen sitting around, but it should be real easy. He is home to help me move furniture back to where it belongs.... Guess we will do this later this afternoon (( he is plunked in front of the tv and I hear football.... groan! )

OK -- New Years Resolutions!!

1. NO MORE FABRIC BUYING !! I have so much fabric and fabric bought with the quilt already in mind, that I have to use it up!! This will help with getting my sewing room cleaner and also save me some money! Yipee!!! I want to save money! Now, thereis an exception - I can buy A piece of fabric just for a particular quilt IF nothing else will work. But that doesn't mean SHOPPING and it doesn't mean stocking up because there is a good sale!!! I think I need to rejoin that STASHBUSTERS group on Yahoo.... bet they have great ideas!

2. LOOSE WEIGHT !! I have NEVER weighed as much as I do right now... the crazy office I work in has 4 women that just love to eat! And NOT healthy stuff like fruits and veggies, either. Everyday they get stuff for lunch that is fattening ( like burgers and nachos )... there is always always snacks around. I just can not stand it or myself any longer! So, I'm going to join the WeightWatchers Online program. I have done WeightWatchers before and it worked,,, very very slow but it worked - I did do about 2 lbs a week which they say is what you are supposed to do. I'll also have to start excercising. I think we will start with walking the dogs. Maybe one at a time, that way I will get more exercise!

3. SAVE MONEY!!! I really really want to retire in about 5 years or less. I have to have a certain amount of money to live on between the time I retire and the time Social Security kicks in.... so I have to save it NOW!! Not buying fabric will help alot! That could be as much as $200 a month! I also need to look into where to put the savings so that it makes the most interest.... but that is for later!

So, these are my goals! I think they are very possible - hey! I quit smoking many years ago and that was a 3-pack a day habit!

I HAVE WILL POWER!!!

Stay with me,,,, it's going to be a long ride!

One Block Wonder

Ok, I started a new project - from the book ONE-BLOCK WONDER by Maxine Rosenthal -- I am thinking that a lot of people have started a quilt like this or want to - they are SO cool! It's sorta like the MAGIC STACK-N-WHACK QUILTS by Bethany S Reynolds ( trying to get all my credits right! ) except you put ALL of the hexagons together, not individually. Don't get me wrong,,, I like the Stack and Whack idea,,, what you can do with the material is just great! But I also like how you combine ALL of the hexagons into the quilt and not as seperate blocks.

Ok, confused? You find the really cool fabric that you wonder "What would anyone do with this?"... you have to buy enough fabric so that you have so many repeats. You cut the width of fabric from repeat to repeat then you cut that into strips. THEN you cut those stips into 60 degree triangles - this gives you the hexagon!

This is what two of the 'blocks' look like

they are really really cool! Now, I have to put up a design wall so I can put them up, move them around and see what looks best.

Until then!

Christmas Weekend

Whoopee !! Four whole days off -- aarrgghh but SO much to do! We have the tree up ( it's pre-lit so I don't have to worry about that,,, ) but no ornaments on it. They are still in the storage shed and have not been gotten out yet.
Light outside just got done last nite - and he's not happy with them so I bet he does more !
Presents are almost purchased but wrapping will happen tonite during the Cowboy game ( or so he says) Personally, I'm all for those cute gift bags! SO easy! Just stick the gift in,, roll up a piece or three of tissue, stick it in and VOILA! you're done!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we are home, will entertain family and friends who come by... my idea! They can come see us as their time allows. The grown kids have families and wives and all that goes with that and bunches of places to go - I didn't want any specific time frame for them to have to show up.

We will have spiral ham - yes, I will doctor it up with honey, maple syrup, and the glaze topping, along with potatoe salad, pink stuff, cole slaw, pickles, olives, etc.... just all stuff that can be gotten out really easy. Think I will even get out the good china! Why not use it? I've had it for almost 40 years and have used it maybe just a handful of times.... we need to see it more often!

Oh, think I'll get out the Spode Christmas stuff, too, the little dessert plates and cups - they are so pretty! ( too bad they are not really Spode but the knockoff.... oh well, still just as pretty! )

Mother in law will probably be here most of the days, too.... I'll put her to work making stuff!

Ok, gotta get ready for the Christmas Celebration! But First!

Let me tell you about this really great site I found while browsing for quilt things... it's FAT CAT PATTERNS and she is from
Garland TX... the site is http://www.fatcatpatterns.com and she has some of the cutest machine ( or hand ) applique designs!!! They are in Adobe format and it looks like most are free to download! If you use them in something, please acknowledge where you got the design.... no, I don't have anything to do with the site or designs, I just think that if we use someone's imagination,,, we should give credit.

Anyway,,, check out the site and

Merry Christmas!!!

Header Picture

LOL Another rambling -- the header picture,, took me FOREVER to figure out how to do this,,, and I am not sure that I like what happened,,, it is a block that I made for a round robin.... just wonderful group of people and the blocks that I am seeing are just fantastic,,,, any way,,, here is the full block...... It is from the QuiltMavens Yahoo Group,,,, I've had more fun making blocks for the swap,,, beautiful batiks and great spikey designs.

Check it out! Quilt Mavens,,,, there is even a book, Quilt Mavens Perfect Paper Pieceing... I highly recommend it.

LOL I have lots of material already purchased to make all the quilts - now where do I find the time???? I know! Get off the computer!

Mall Crawls, Treasure Hunts and Bunny Hops

So how many of you do the three quilting hunts on the internet? I admit, I'm a sucker and do them..... get the free patterns, see the web shops and idle away the hours. It's fun! And I just love finding them all. I'm tempted one time to sign up at each and every shop for their give away prizes and see if I get anything -- maybe I should be POSITIVE that I will get something and it will come true. Worth a shot, right?

So, who else does the Crawl, Hunt and Hop???

I'm off - lets see what I get!