Done, done, done

I finished the quilting on Thursday afternoon and snuck back into the sewing room after I got Oscar in bed to press the pile of binding and sew it on the quilt. Friday I trimmed it, pressed the binding back and started hand finishing the binding getting most of it done that day. Saturday, I finished the remaining 56 inches (yeah, I measured it, LOL) and tada! It is finished! I've got a call in to arrange a drop off time.

Without a quilt holder (and I've got another quilt hanging in the design wall spot) I cannot get a decent picture of it so I just tossed it over the bed in the master over the quilt that is on the bed (Cheese and Crackers designed by Terry Atkinson).  As I said on Facebook to a comment of "do we get to see a picture?" It may not look a whole lot different than the top since I stitch in the ditch mostly. The pieced blocks are quilted and a few others have other quilting lines in there---a few hearts, X's and square in a square deals.   The binding and backing is blue as that is the little girls favorite color.  Well, that and turquoise and there isn't much of that in the quilt while there is a bit of various shades of blue.

There is quite a bit of quilting in it however when you view it from the backside.  The pieced blocks are quilted and a few others have other quilting lines in there---a few hearts, X's and square in a square deals.

Another attempt but closer in

Since there was enough backing fabric left I was able to whip up a pillow/presentation case for it yesterday afternoon.   The blue dot and red tone on tone stripe is from my stash, of course.  Robbed some backing yardage stored in one of the closets and the red, don't need much for an accent piece.

So, I'm done with another commissioned project---woohoo!  Let the happy dance begin.   I should sweep, dust and vacuum my neglected house before I start making more mess by sewing but I believe that will wait till tomorrow.  Rain is on the way in the early part of the week.  Translation:  Oscar will remain in rather than out.   No heading into the sewing room if that is the case.  I do want to get started playing with that lovely Block Party fabric.  I've earned a reward project---in spades!

As I was in the home stretch with the quilting, I felt like getting out of the house for a few hours and went to the JOY Quilt Guild meeting.  Bev had invited me months ago but we could never quite get it to work out.   Marilyn had said they were having a program with a couple of ladies from an East Atlanta quilt shop so it would be a good time to visit.   They were demonstrating the use of several rulers and such.  One of the items was developed by the demonstrator for using two nine or ten inch squares to make HST's and 4 patches by marking it through a stencil type thing.  Really clever!  Jewel Box, Milky Way, Buckeye Beauty, Jacob's Ladder as just a few patterns that require these elements.  I didn't get one but wished I had!  I need to get the contact information from Marilyn.

What I did get was Creative Grids Sweet 'N Sassy Templates developed by Phyllis (PJ) Anderson for doing diamond quilts.  Rhomboids really, in three sizes.  One (Mattie Bea) actually creates two quilts at once, one a mini version.  I want to go sew some 2 inch strips together and play with that a bit.  The demonstrator says you can use larger as you are just going to trim it off anyway so if you have some leftover bits bigger but long enough to accomodate the template, go for it.   You don't have to use strip sets as there were some cool quilts that were not pieced at all.    I've got a bunch of strip leftover from my PopStix quilt so those might be the ones I grab to play with.

 

I SHOULD also get outside ansd trim back/rake back or spray the kudzu but we are headed up to the 90's today.  It is already way more humid than it has been, maybe with the fronts pushing in or up from the Gulf.  Not my idea of a good time ----back breaker or dehydration, here I come!  Honestly, everything I like to do is inside, not out.

DJ's grandson has finished his undergraduate degree at SIU-Edwardsville.  He wants to go into dentistry in some form so more work is ahead.  I cannot help but think how proud DJ would be to see how well Josh is doing.

This being May,we also celebrate Mother's Day.  Have a Happy Day, all my readers who are moms.  To my mom, I love you and appreciate all you have done to make me who I am.  It could not have been easy to raise 6 kids but I think we all turned out pretty well, thanks to you and Dad.  Love you both.

finished to flimsy

I am finally finished with the 100 Good Wishes quilt top having assembled the top and bottom halves today and applying a small border of the same muslin that I used to frame the handprint and Grandma's embroidered piece as well as make the 15 inch Patience Corner blocks.

I would have to move the command strip hooks to raise the curtain rod I have mounted on the master bedroom wall in order to get this up off the carpet.  Ain't worth it, McGee!   Maybe you will able to see the fabrics a little better in this shot of the lower 3 rows

Here's the upper portion of it though you saw part of this on Tuesday, LOL

And here's the long shot.    Truthfully it is a bit of a hot mess but that's what you get when you have people giving you fabrics and pieced blocks.  I had to interface the backs of some of them as they were not good quality quilters cotton.  There is also too much poly cotton in here to suit me but no choice there.  I did my best to incorporate the handprint and embroidery pieces.   Best thing, it is done to this stage.  Grandma will meet me next week and she'll have to tell me if she wants another border (Good heavens, I hope not!) and pick out the backing.

It measures 63 x 78 now, certainly large enough for a throw for a 10 year old girl.  I left the extra tables set up around my sewing table "just in case".  I think she wants this "birthed" and no batting.  That part is okay but I think the blocks should be locked in at the very least and bind it even if I am the one that has to do it.

Tomorrow I most definitely have to dust and run the vacuum as it is horrid in here.  The temps this weekend are dropping down to the low 30's-high 20's after 50's lately for overnights.  I've had the heat shut off for over a week but that's gonna change, I'm thinking!

Oscar is wanting to go walk.  I am happy to report that he was a good boy and napped while I got the side borders put on.  I told him he could go in the back yard but he hopped in his crate rather than do that.  He goes to the carport door when he wants to walk and thought I wasn't getting the message.  HA!  I cannot stand the whimpering and whining though.  Only one way to stop THAT---get up and walk!

Meeting day and so on

Today was Belle's meeting day.  Off I went and on time today even though I still didn't get to sleep till after 1 a.m. but woke without benefit of alarm or nagging cat.  Though it was a little cool early this morning, we were headed to the low 70's and a sunny day.  Oscar could stay outside while I was away.

The others were mostly involved with pinning.  Bev had two adorable baby panels in colors for each sex that she had picked up for a song at a garage sale.  Lois had two tops done from sections they had worked on sew day last month.  She said it is called "Rolling Fields".  I told her she will probably have to remind me when she had them quilted.    I found an image on google search and there is a pattern for sale.  It is jelly roll friendly using two of them- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/418131146627975431/ but the girls did them scrappy.  I saw a bunch of my Popsicle Stix leftovers in it.    The third top was an Arrowhead quilt from Quiltmaker Magazine using Anita Grossman Solomon's techniques and layer cake friendly.  The link will take you to a free pdf pattern for this.

I didn't get any pictures today and Shawnee had a pretty one to turn in.  Purples and yellow but we did not recognize the patternm maybe Turning Twenty but there seemed to be at least two different blocks, Shawnee thought there was 4 different blocks.  Linda C had sent the tops some time back and this was one Shawnee promised to finish up. She emailed a copy of picture she took of it but so far it seems to be lost in cyberspace.  I'll get one taken to share if it doesn't show up but the space on the bedroom wall is currently occupied.

I had started piecing the 100 Good Wishes quilt yesterday afternoon, putting the top three rows on the "design wall".  I got 4 blocks done before I packed up the car so I could work on it at the meeting.  I joined the blocks in row one and started piecing row two, joining it.  The others left for lunch though Julie kept me company while she waited for her son to pick her up (he had borrowed her car).  I sewed the two rows together once I got home.

Anyway, you can see where I am sort of headed with this.   I have placed the Oriental fabric squares and blocks around the little girl's hand print at age 3.  Row 3 will carry that out a bit more.  I have to use what I was given and it will be what it is and try to bring some order to all the disparate elements.  I've got 10 more large Patience Corners blocks to make.  Grandmother's embroidered piece goes in row 4.    I should be done by the end of the week.

Other than that, there is not a lot going on.  The days go whizzing by in spite of it.