a finish

..........well, actually two finishes but I can't show you one of them till later in the month.

Shown, Christmas log cabin circa 2000 something as I just took the last stitches in the binding a few minutes ago. I quilted it in late December. I had a little more than half of the binding done last month but got back to it today. Learned my lesson on one thing on this project: I had used a sheet on the back which makes for a seamless backing but it was not easy to needle especially where I had the extra thickness of a hanging sleeve at the top. My fingers are a little needle bruised so I think I will switch to quilting one of those pinned tops tomorrow. I am guessing it will be my cat leap frog, last seen HERE in Sept 06 when the top was completed. Antiqued enough, you say?? What to put in that large open square--shape of a cat's head?? I think I can find a model around here somewhere.

NOT shown a FAB birthday challenge piece from the Joined at the Hip Button Up collection. That was my Wednesday project. It is okay to say that much, LOL. I told her to give me a choice between two that she liked and I would make her one of them. Yeah, she knows what but not which one till she opens it.

looking ahead and a finish

Norma asked me over the weekend if I had considered what goals I wanted to reach this next year with regards to the UFOs and such. We were going to try to commit to completing 10n10. Of course, that led to some re-examination of whether those goals were attained or whether they got shoved aside in favor of something new that attracted our attention. How many things are we going to carry over into next year?? Are we even interested in continuing with them or is it time to give them away, make it a smaller project, whatever. Would we be biting off more than we can chew it we call it 11 n 11?

I know how I work and having to list every blessed half done project or kit I have in my possession would depress me no end. I have better luck if I work on the reward system---for example quilt my way thru a stack of some donation quilts and then I get to piece something that I have wanted to do. Similar to a carrot dangling in front of me, LOL.

Because I want to move two of the cut strips bins into the new storage drawers I just got I would like to commit to " sewing my way to space" and empty out two of the UFO drawers to replace them with strips. Each month I think I will pick a project from either the storage drawers or one of the pizza box kits. That seems do-able. I have a good idea of what the "rewards projects" could be. There will always be deadline work (gifts to make, quilt group challenges) There will always be a BOM, either piecing or stitching but I should be able to make this plan work for me.

So what are you looking at above?? My Pieces from the Heart calendar cat blocks (designed by Sandy Gervais) pinned top that has been living first in my bedroom closet and then the armoire top antiquing. I was unhappy with the setting. What was I thinking making it a landscape rather than a portrait set? It will never fit in the hanging space above my bed like this!

I got out the ripper to make it "right" to my mind, anyway. It took me most of yesterday afternoon and evening but it is ready to be re-sewn in a 3 x 4 set. To put the blocks in order by month, I had to take the whole thing apart. I had sewn the blocks in vertical columns with a long piece of sashing between columns which is something I never, ever do. Yeah, it was work but I will be more happy with the quilt for doing it. Sewing in the opposite direction, right?

Saturday and even this morning I was still dinking around with the Oxmoor quilt designs but more of less, trying to patch draw. UGH but I need more practice there. EQ7 has a nice free hand drawing button but I have such problems trying to work with the bezier curves. I feel like a cowboy with a wild lariat with that thing! I have declared myself done, for real this time and will start piecing on it next week. Should be fun to see that sketch come to life. A couple of my pals have some extra time off between Christmas and New Years so no doubt we will spur each other on as we often do.

Now this one you see is a Joined at the Hip pattern that I pieced who remembers exactly when. I quilted it during my last quilting siege in late November. I got the binding finished right after supper. Cross another thing off the 10n10 list. If I decide to do the binding on my Daisy Chain, I can cross something else off my list but I sincerely doubt that will happen tomorrow, LOL. My fingers are not happy with me after a small project let alone a queen sized quilt!

Just looking at the list I posted about a year ago, the specific Dinosaur UFOs I wanted to work on were not touched. My Two of a Kind/Cheap Trick is still half done. One that I wanted to finish quilting is still waiting.

BUT I refuse to beat myself up about that. I still got a lot done this year though less donation quilt work than in past years. Even that is okay as my own stuff has been put off long enough. I had a ball working on the redwork hearts earlier this year. That top is waiting to be pinned but it IS done. I am still working on my Santa redwork too but the main blocks are done and WILL be a flimsy next year sometime! I loved working on my 12 BOM quiltlets too. I made birthday gifts for each of the FABs and participated in two challenge projects, three counting the quilt group one. DJ has a new made by me quilt on his bed (strip twist) and I will have another one soon. (Daisy Chain). I just whipped up that Christmas Patience Corner this month---still needs borders but that will be done at some point.

So one a month will work for me-- 11 in 11 and use the reward system so I don't get bored.

THX for stopping by-----till next time.

How did it get to be Labor Day weekend already? The year seems to be slipping by so quickly and here we are changing the calendar page again. It will be a quiet weekend around here---DJ and I aren't going to any cookouts or family gatherings. He'll play golf, I'll walk and work on whatever quilt is in the works---same as usual.

Here is one that I took the final binding stitch in Thursday evening and pressed Quilt Holder to work before he could plunk down in the recliner after lawn mowing duties. Nancy sent a half done top and a gob of blocks to Pam who just didn't have time to finish this one up so she passed it on to me and the Bama Belles. I've shown the top before (with the door behind him open and the sun shining through the top making the fabric glow like jewels ) but here it is all quilted up and bound. I have about 40 blocks leftover as I think Nancy intended to make a much larger top. I have decided to just make some of these 4.5 inch finished rail blocks as I go with my scraps----an ongoing project and when I have enough, make a top or two.

DJ called me outside to see what the sky looked like the other night. Storm clouds were gathering and we later did have a bit of rain. :ast night it was mostly cloud to ground lightening and a lot of it. It was just as pretty on the sun going down side but by the time I went back in for the camera it was out in full blaze---before it looked like silver and gold lace with the sun barely peaking out from behind the clouds to the west.

This is our little ranch in the picture, obviously. The window you see between those two overgrown bushes is my sewing room. Pippi was supervising the proceedings from her perch in the sewing room as I came back towards the house. The picture looks back towards my computer if you can see anything through the screen and glass window and know what you are looking for.

I started machine quilting a bit yesterday afternoon on THIS top. It was a Joann's BOM that Nancy had started and one of the projects I worked on at the retreat a few weeks ago. I have the pieced blocks machine quilted and spent some time marking the borders with a wide cross hatching. I plan on hand quilting a heart motif in the alternating blocks.

Other than that, not much going on----and that's fine with me.

Hope you all have a happy and safe holiday weekend in whatever you chose to do.