I wasn't too happy with them, the arms seemed so stubby and I had to trim a bunch. I went back to some of the instructions and decided to add the extra 1/2 an inch width to the white fabric and try it on another fabric (maybe if it was one that I might use, I'd do a better job at it). Here's what I got.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
New Whirly Giggle Quilt
I wasn't too happy with them, the arms seemed so stubby and I had to trim a bunch. I went back to some of the instructions and decided to add the extra 1/2 an inch width to the white fabric and try it on another fabric (maybe if it was one that I might use, I'd do a better job at it). Here's what I got.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Flagstone Quilt Done!
Saturday we ran a bunch of errands before heading to FDL. One of those errands was to drop off the quilt top for a Trip Around the World that I finished back before Thanksgiving to the woman who will machine quilt it. The quilt is queen-sized and one of the few full bed sized quilts I've ever done. I've done lots of baby quilts, several wall hanging or lap quilts, but I think this is only the 3rd full size bed quilt I've ever finished. I didn't have any pix before I took it over there, so I shot a few of it draped over the quilting frame while we were discussing the various options.
I know it looks a little funny at this angle all bent like that, but there wasn't room to take a bigger picture.
Well, I need to start a baby quilt. I have a baby shower for a woman at work in two weeks so I'd better get cracking. I think I'm going to try the Whirlygiggle (windmill) pattern that everyone is talking about. I have a bunch of Moda's Butterfly Fling that I bought last fall that will be perfect.
Have a good week everyone!
Laurel
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Friday at Last
Last night I finished quilting the border of the flagstone quilt and machined on the binding. We're going out of town this weekend, so I'll take it with me to hand sew the other side of the binding down.
Tonight I'm going to sew on the borders onto the Bento Box quilt (see post below). I've decided to go with a red inner border and then the dark blue outer border (I went and bought another 1/2 a yard of the blue). I'll post the results soon.
Katie and I are pretty excited about going to the Holidome in Fond du Lac for Saturday night. We love the pool and just getting away. I won the free overnight stay last year and since it expires in two more weeks, I thought we'd better go now.
Have a good weekend, all!
Laurel
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thursday - Not Much Going On
Tuesday night I went to a class on long arm machine quilting. I wasn't too surprised about what I learned, but it was rather anticlimatic. I guess I'm looking for something that doesn't exist yet: a quilting machine that will quilt the entire top without having to forward the fabric and can have continuous all over quilting. Like diagonals, etc. I'll use my $20 rental credit one of these days, probably on the Bento Box quilt when I get the top all done.
I have a blue and pink queen sized Trip Around the World top that I completed before Thanksgiving. I had hopes of quilting it myself on a rental machine, but after the class I've determined that I don't want to use it to learn on. The LQS gave me a name of a local lady (no shipping cost!) who does really good machine quilting and I'm taking the quilt top over to her house on Saturday.
Last night I didn't get any quilting done. I feel a little bit guilty, but I'm a big fan of the TV show "Lost" and last night was the season premiere. Its one of those shows that you really can't sit and listen to (and who can do 100% listening when the machine is whirring away) and miss the visuals. So I veg'ed in front of the TV watching Lost and enjoying myself. DD was playing on the computer in the other room (she's very active in Webkinz) so I just sat there watching my show.
Tonight I plan to finishing the quilting on the flagstone quilt and at least get the binding sewn on so I can do the hand work this weekend. Yes, I'm already thinking about the weekend and not focusing on what I have to do today.
Laurel
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Flagstone Quilt 80% Quilted
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sunday Night....Ahhhhhh
I still haven't decided what to do about the Bento Box borders, but I really like the pop of the red, too.
DD pulled a fast one tonight. Just before going to bed, she announced that she has a sore throat (there's strep going around her classroom; of course, she hasn't been there in five days). She admitted that she had it earlier today (when she went to the movies with a friend) and yesterday (when she went swimming at the Y with said friend). Funny how she didn't mention it before doing any of those activities. Oh well.
Back to the grind tomorrow. Hope you all have a good week.
Laurel
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Need Advise Fast....
Saturday Noon
Saturday.... Yeah!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Cold Enough to Freeze Spit
This morning when I let Molly, our golden retriever out, she went out and peed, then turned around and looked at me as if to say, "boy is it cold out here". I let her back in and she came without a hesitation.
Its so cold here that school is closed today. DD is at after school care for the entire day. She took her DS and all of her games and is very excited to have a day to play with her friends without the school part. Tomorrow is also supposed to be very cold, so we'll see if they cancel school two days in a row.
My car needed a new battery on Tuesday, then last night (Weds) the "check engine" light came on as I was entering our small town. Of course, the garage that I had the previous repair done was already closed for the night, so we drove up there this morning on my way to work. I didn't want to take any chances that something major would go wrong since its so cold out. It didn't look like they had very much work there this morning, so one of the guys was able to get right on it. He came back out to me about 10 minutes later (I only had time to read two sections of the paper) and said that the "EGR" pin had been stuck but that he cleared the problem on the computer and couldn't get the problem to duplicate itself. So, with no charge, I was on my way.
Last night I pieced 8 quarters of a new Bento Box quilt (I'm still waiting for the border fabric to come in for the flagstone quilt). I just used some of my stash of blue fabrics. I'll post pictures of the 8 mini blocks soon. Now that I have the method down (I had to figure out my own sizes, etc since I didn't have a pattern and just copied what I had seen in others' pictures), I should be able to put together several more tonight.
Keep warm and take care.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Car Trouble and Cold
I have also mentioned that I was going to try paper piecing. I got the pattern off the internet. Its called Triple Star and is an original design by Marcia Hohn.
I like the block but have determined that I did not like paper piecing. It did make it tons easier, but I still had trouble lining everything up. So I don't think I'll make another of this particular pattern. What I think I will do is find other star patterns that I've always wanted to try and make 8 or so different star blocks using the same colors and then put them all into a quilt. But in the meantime, the block and all the fabric is back in a storage bin waiting for the day when I want to tackle that.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Searching for Fabric
Of course, while I was at the other two quilt shops today I managed to buy more fabric for my stash. And some batting.
I'm working on a paper pieced block. Its the first time I've ever used that method. I can't say that I enjoy it, but want to see what this block looks like finished. If I like it, I might make 3 more to make a mini quilt.
But tonight Katie (dd) is having a friend over to spend the night, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to sew.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Weds 1/7/09
After Katie came home, I made a huge pot of chicken vegetable soup for tonight's Soup & Salad dinner at church. I tasted it and it sure was good. I dropped it off at the church on the way in to work this morning. Hopefully there will still be some there by the time I get there after work.
I spent my lunch hour today looking for a quilt guild. I looked on line and will be calling the shops near home to see what they recommend. The last guild I belonged to was in 1985 in the north Chicago suburbs. I can't even remember the name anymore.