Jared Progress

Well, I have 9 Jared blocks done and laid out on the living room floor to see how I like it.  I really like how the dark pink chains "link" it all together, but I see trouble brewing where I'll have to match all the blue points where the blocks meet.  So I think I'm back to considering a sashing between the blocks again.  I just saw another Jared where the sashing was the beige back ground color and I liked that it added space without throwing another color into the mix.  I'm concerned if I have enough of the background fabric, tho.  I'm pretty sure I know where I bought it (Banner Crafts in the next town over), so maybe since I'm on a vacation day I'll pop over there and see if they have anymore.  All of their fabric is in the flat, so its a little harder to find things, but the quality is quite good for not being a LQS.

DD is in summer school every morning (mostly fun stuff:  sand volleyball, band, choir, and math) until the end of July, so that helps out alot on the day-care bill for the summer.  She just turned 11, so this is the last year of day care anyway.  Her maturity is nearly to the point where I'm thinking of letting her come home everyday after school (in the fall) by herself, unless its a no-school day or an early release day.  Some days she acts very mature, and some days she acts like she's still 2.  I guess that's par for the course. 

We're going to my dad's for the weekend as soon as DD gets out of summer school at noon.  We spend nearly all our holidays with him, its good for both us and him!

Have a wonderful, exploding 4th of July!

Jared Progress

Well, here's what I decided to do for my center square (boy, that sounds like Tic-Tac-Toe) on my Jared quilt.  I've got 5 blocks totally together and 3 more 85% together.  If I get to work on it tonight, I'll have 8 done.  I'm not sure how many I'll end up with.  I was thinking 12 (3 x 4), but I'm thinking of not using sashing anymore and letting the chains butt against each other.  So maybe I'll end up needing more.

Regardless, I'm still loving this block and the fabric I picked.

Have a great day!

Need Your Opinion

I started on a Jared Takes a Wife from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville.com site.  I need your opinion on which fabric to use for the center of the star in my blocks. 

              

Center is the same as the star "arms"

Star center is the same as the star points

Star center is a lighter shade from the star arms

(sashing is a darker version of this fabric)

Please leave your comment as to your choice.  I need to start cutting centers in a day or two, so your fast response would be appreciated.  Thanks!

Evan's Quilt Done

While I was recuperating, the quilt I made for my nephew's high school graduation got quilted and when I got home all I had to do was sew on the binding.  Yes, I got it done on time and presented it the day after his graduation.  He seemed to really like the colors and he and his mother started talking about what color sheets he should get for his bed at college to go with it.  So, I think it was a hit!

Back to Work!

Well, after 7 weeks of double knee surgery rehabilitation, I'm back at work.  I know you'll all wondering how much quilting did I get done.  Well, quite frankly, not much at all. 

I was in the hospital for about 1 week, then in a rehab facility for 3 weeks (and didn't even have internet access!).  After I got released from rehab (boy, that makes it sound like I was in a drug rehab, but I can assure you that was NOT the case), I picked up the quilted top from my long armer and my sewing machine from the sewing repair shop where it was getting its annual loving care.  Since then, I sewed the binding strips together, attached them to the quilt, and have been hand sewing the back of the binding down.  Its about 3/4 done and only needs maybe 45 minutes of hand sewing and then it will be DONE!  But life (as always) has been pretty hectic and I just haven't had time lately.  Of course, the graduation was last weekend (but we didn't go), so I need to finish it this week so I can give it to him soon.  I'll post a picture later this week.

I signed up for a swap over at Quiltville swap, so I know I need to get going on that very quickly, too.

I just wanted to let those of you who follow me know that I'm among the living and am getting my strength back from the surgery.  It went well and the pain is much better and I'm working on my stamina.

Hope you all are having a great spring.  My garden (although very neglected) looks great!

Quilt Top Done!

This quilt is for my nephew who is graduating from high school later this spring.  I'm hoping he'll take it to college with him.  I created the layout (I know it's nothing original) in EQ, then executed the design pretty close to how I did it on the computer.  I didn't realize it would be so big.  I think its big enough for a full size bed.  I had to go shopping for more black to do the last border (ah shucks, right?) and I think it turned out pretty cool.  Sorry the bottom corners are cut off.  My living room isn't very big (floor space wise) and I had to stand on the ottoman AND hold the camera over my head just to get this picture.  I felt like one of those photo journalists who hold their cameras up when the stars go by in the hope that something will turn out.

I called my longarmer earlier in the week and she's on vacation until after I leave for the hospital.  So once I get out, I'll have to give her a call and set up a time to go up to her place and give her the top and backing.  I would just leave it on her front porch (she lives in a pretty isolated area), but I want to pick out and discuss the quilting pattern, so we'll need to talk face-to-face.

My surgery is in 4 days. Double knee replacement surgery.  I'm getting kinda scared, but speaking quite frankly, I can't get around very well at all anymore, so this is the best decision.  My boss isn't very happy about me having to take the time off, but he sees me hobbling around the office and I think that he knows that I don't have much choice.

Have a wonderful and blessed Easter and I hope your Spring comes soon (our crocuses are in bloom and there are tight buds on the trees, but that's about it).

Laurel

March Madness

Okay, it's time for March Madness, but I'm not talking about basketball. I'm talking about everything else.

The weather has been wild. Two weeks ago we still had 6 inches of snow in the yard (see my last post). Then over the past 2 weeks it melted away. Last week it was great, in the mid 50's a couple of days! Yes, I said 50's! Then Friday night a cold front came through with some rain and on Saturday morning there was SNOW on the ground. Just a little bit that was melted by noon, but good grief! My poor crocuses can't decide if they really want to come out here or not. Today it looks beautiful; I was out at 7am with the dog, but haven't gone out again yet. Right now I can hear the cardinal singing his wonderful song.

Here's what I've been working on most of the day. This quilt is going to be for my nephew Evan, who is graduating from high school this Spring. It will be a twin size so it can go on his dorm room bed. I still have to sew the blocks together then add the borders. My goal is to have the top all done by next Saturday morning.

Earlier this week was St Patrick's Day. DD's 5th grade choir had a Celtic concert and toured the 3 elementary schools in town performing their concert. This picture was from the concert they gave for parents and family. Yes, I tried to take out all the red-eye, but it wouldn't all come out.

Another reason that I'm going through March Madness is that right after Easter I'm having double knee replacement surgery. My parents are coming here for two weeks (each and separately) to care for DD and the dog and when I get out of rehab, me. So this month I've been getting ready for that; everything from getting the house cleaned up enough for my parents to see, setting up appointments, taking the hospital's pre-surgery class, visiting the rehab center, changing dentist appointments, and just plain planning ahead.

In the meantime, it looks like Spring is finally here (even with its ups and downs), so that's the best part of March Madness (even if I think we might still get more snow).  Have a great week!