My entries in the show

Here are my entries in the show------you followers have already seen these 7 button ups but it was unusual for me to see them up in one spot. I have 4 more at home---and 4 more that I want to make.

I also had a finished bed quilt to enter this year.  My Pioneer Sampler Plus.  It was in the pieced and quilted by one person category and won a blue ribbon.  I surely did not expect that!  My Daisy Chain from the year prior I thought was fair better executed but it did not get any recognition other than Gary telling me, it would have been his choice in the judging.  Anyway, my points and joins are good.  It hangs straight and flat.  The quilting is pretty basic stitch in the ditch though I did a nice cable in the outside.  30's fabric often solicit the comment that it "looks like a quilt" since it reminds them of something their granny made or a quilt they grew up with.    The little sliver of fabric that had to be added to the Single Wedding Ring block must not have counted against me.

Over the years I have gotten quite a few 3rd place ribbons for various wall hangings and misc. items.  I have 4 -2nd place ribbons also tacked up on my bulletin board.  This is my first blue ribbon of a quilt made by me.  I may have gotten a blue one before at their very first show but it was a quilt that was made FOR me and I sent that one on to the woman who had done the assembly  and quilting . It is a reversible pink and purple log cabins on the front and SBS with the remaining log cabin blocks on the back and the members of a quilt list I used to moderate made it for me.

I got home last night and told DJ that I had been awarded a 1st place ribbon and opened up the quilt so he could see which entry.  Skyler wasted no time at all in getting his kitty self on the quilt and playing with the ribbon.

Here are my two boys with the quilt.  Of course, DJ's interest was far more involved in whatever was on TV.  Skyler would have stayed on there as long as I would let him.  It was far too warm in the house to have a quilt on the lap!!

 They say that parts of north Alabama might be down in the high 30's tonight.  Doubtful here but guess we'll see come morning.  It was 54 degrees when I got up this morning.  Definitely a fall feel in the air.

I never did get any sewing done today though I certainly intended to do so.  I had finished block 17 of my FWIS yesterday morning and started 18 (Four T's) before Jane and Terri came to pick me up to go for take down.  I took one look at the floor this morning and knew I would have to vacuum up my mess.  I had foundation pieced the last two blocks and it looked like it had snowed in here.  What's more, I was tracking that mess all over the house.  Between laundry, grocery run, fixing meals and finally typing up the guild minutes now blog posts, the day has really flown.

There you have it--------

back to sewing

Skyler has made himself quite comfortable on the newest quilt.  I cannot get him off of it long enough to make the bed, as you can see.   I wanted to be sure it was completely dry before I put it up in the armoire or hung it on the quilt rack so slept under it last night.  I want the darker Scrappy Bargello on the bed though for the winter months.  Surely he will get up at some point, LOL.  I would say it certainly passed the kitty "tested and approved" criteria!

I am giving my fingers a break from tons of binding and finger cracks to sew.  Oh, I could quilt up my Thanksgiving turkey button up but not when I am in a Christmas frame of mind!  The expansion project of the Christmas Patience Corner, it is then.  I thought I was done with this LAST year about this time.  You can see it HERE in this post.  I know that picture makes it look like it has a dark green border but that is the aforementioned bargello quilt underneath the top.  I like the looks of it but I have elected to go borderless.    Here are some of the leftover charm squares and two packets I got recently from Connecting Threads to add a little variety to the mix.  The stripe you see cut on the bias will be the binding so some of those bright greens and such will work with this perfectly!

I've got three of the 14 blocks I need completed as I am making the top 7 x 8 blocks set for a finish around 84 x 96.   I have to be mindful not only of the colors on the right side and bottom of the quilt (when I get there, LOL) but how the seams are pressed as well.

Really Patience Corner is an easy block and a fun way to use focus fabrics or charm packs but you DO need to be watchful about where you put the sashing bits, esp if you have a directional print.  I totally messed up the 4th quadrant of the 3rd block in the column, where you see the white trees on the green background.  We made a bunch of these at Bama Belles one year.  The mantra was a" laying down figure of 8" should be the result.  If not, get out the ripper.

And sew it goes-----this won't be a long term project.   I am considering what I will work on to follow it up this week.  I have sort of promised myself that I would get those 6 donation quilts in the closet quilted up and outta here.   I do not want to start the New Year behind already!

It can be so nuts this time of year so I hope you have found some time to savor the moment.  If you aren't enjoying all you "hafta" do, then you have to wonder if it is worth the time and effort.

Done, done, done

Actually the quilt is in the washer right now to get the blue marks out of the border but it does not look a whole lot different that this picture.   If you are seeing pins, then that is why, LOL.

This is a BOM started in Pell City in 05, blocks added to and completed in June 2006.   The source:  Eleanor Burns Pioneer Sampler but I added 18 other blocks in the public domain, etc.   I machine quilted a good bit of it several years back and stalled out with 5 to go.  

Then I made the commitment to get this done this year back in November----and I did with about two weeks to go.  My husband may not be excited for me or proud of my efforts but I am!  

I'll get some other shots so you can see the border cables at least.   Now to move it from the UFO tab to the 2011 finish tab.  

getting closer

I am getting there!  Yesterday was borders day.  Today's goals are hanging sleeve, label and binding application---and that is doable.  This whole deal with need washed to remove the blue marks but not till the hand part of the binding is done.  I COULD sleep under this one tonight if I want.

I swapped out the fall wall hangings yesterday and put my Christmas log cabin quilt on the back of the couch.  That led me to take a peek at one of my other Christmas tops----Patience Corner last seen HERE, last December about this time.   I don't know what I was thinking but this thing is too small as is at 72 x 84.  I am guessing I was considering a fairly deep double border but didn't have the yardage I needed for that.  Since I like the looks of it as shown on the bed, I need to make 14 more blocks to bump the size up to 84 x 96.  Norma has offered to quilt it for me AFTER the holidays are passed and then we both will have one to grace our respective beds NEXT Christmas.  (THX, my friend)  I did have some background yardage on hand yet, but it might be close.  It will either make a substitute or go with a square quilt if I am short.  I am thinking I will cut those bits out when I deal with the sleeve thing in a few minutes.  It is possible that I overcut, (I often do) and I have some of the sashing stuck in my strip bins containers or scrap basket.  Worth a look anyway.

And sew it goes----today's goals in place.  Thoughts of what is to come and a mental list check list is in place.

WIP Weds

Actually I am not all that sure if this will BE a WIP project today.  I am proud to announce that I did get the last 5 blocks that remained to be done quilted yesterday.  It was no easy task either since I do not free motion (rarely) and I stitch in the ditch on a domestic machine, my old trusty Viking 500.  Definitely a two ibuprofen night after wrestling this thing around.  All that might get done is to quilt a line under the little flap of red.

Still, I am happy that I got this moved forward.  The borders still need to be done, of course.  I would dearly love to hand quilt it but I DO want this thing finished and off the UFO "list".  I have used one of the Quilter's Dream poly in low loft in this thing and I honestly do not recall if it recommended for hand quilting.  That is a definite consideration before I put the time into it.

If I am going to do this on the machine then I need a cable with a fairly gentle curve.  The braid will work better than the egg and dart.   The dark fabric will make it harder to mark and then to see the marks.   I am debating about marking it on tissue paper or seeing if they have this made up in Borders Made Easy.   I have used  it in the past on smaller projects. I know you don't want the adhesive on the quilt for long. It is messy to get the paper off no matter which paper stuff you use too.  Then too, you have to be very careful about the safety pins underneath.  Ask me how I know?  Will the standard blue wash out markers "Mark Be Gone" work?  Looks like but I will need a couple more as the one I have is a bit dry and the tip blunter than it should be.  I see a Hobby Lobby run on the horizon after lunch.  I need a couple yards of white on white for another project too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah---I know you are supposed to mark these before you pin then.  The batting is pretty flat so I will probably be okay.

And sew it goes at my house-------marking, not quilting for today.