oh, Fransson Paintbox Quilt Along Weeks 6 and 7 and Busch Gardens

My pictures are all in different places than I wanted, but I give up, they are where they are. The other day DH and I decided to go to Busch Gardens Tampa, as our passes were about to expire, and even though we have lived in Florida for years and years, we had never been. The freezes that we have had recently weren't kind to their flora, but they brought in some new flowers to cheer the place up.

We didn't get to see a whole lot, as we were only there a few hours, but DH did get to see the gorillas, he's always been partial to them. It was funny to watch them, as they reminded me of humans, daddy would do something, and then the little guy would have to do it, too. (Not DH, the other little guy)

We took the train ride, and passed the restaurant where we ate dinner. The food was so so, but the restaurant was very nice. Below, are the stairs leading up to the restaurant. When we ate I had to take the requip that I take for my restless legs, so I was having a tired attack by the time we finished, and didn't get any pictures of the actual upstairs. Unfortunately, then I just needed to go home, and slept all the way while my husband drove.

This fellow was at the beginning of the park and really seemed to enjoy his job.
(this note goes with the gentleman on stilts)

Blocks, 43 through 50 and 51 through 58 of the Paintbox Quilt Along. I'm getting there. It's really strange to be ahead for a change.

oh, Fransson Paintbox Quilt Along Week 5

I bought 21 fat quarters of Fairy Frost, and now I've used them all and have 42 blocks done. On to the second half. I'll end up with 4 extra blocks, but I'm sure I'll find something to use them for, maybe the back. I have done well so far, and all the coordinating prints are from my scraps and stash.

I have heard on different blogs and forums about Queen Anne's Lace in Kissimmee, and so decided to check it out today with DH. I only bought this yard of clearance fabric and one fat quarter. I'll use them in my Paintbox quilt, and a few other quilts too probably.

I have a Bernina 1130, and I have one of the #37 1/4 inch feet. They had another 1/4 inch foot there that has the vertical piece for keeping the 1/4 inch. I think that I would like to have one, as I'm not that perfect on my 1/4 inch seams, but I hope to get a few opinions before I invest fifty something dollars. If anyone has a Bernina and that foot, would you leave me a comment of how you like it.

oh, Fransson Paintbox Quilt Along Week 4

I thought I was moving along on these blocks, but someone in the group has already finished all 80 blocks, this makes 32 blocks done for me.









There have been posts on several blogs about a quilt along of snowball and nine patches, here's an example from Quilterscache. I like this one, and think that I may do something like it with my leaders and enders, unless I get a better idea from Bonnie's new book. I'm not going to join, as I have too many projects going already, but it gives me something to think about.

oh, Fransson Paintbox Quilt Along Week 3

It's really week 2, but I'm ahead for the first time in my quilting life, lol.








See, more leaders and enders, too.












I have to confess that I should be doing MacKenzie's monkey quilt instead, but I have to watch the videos to refresh on my basting boards, and this was fairly mindless.

Housecleaning Day?

Today was supposed to be housecleaning day, but DH isn't feeling well, and I got sewing this morning and didn't stop. I guess the dust will still be there tomorrow.

I started out by cutting out my next 8 Paintbox Quilt-Along blocks, and then decided to cut 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch squares to sew together in Leaders and Enders. I used some today, and as you can see, I still have quite a few left in my basket for next time.
Here is my sewn together patches from today, a good start for something I think, but not sure what. Yesterday, I ordered Bonnie Hunter's new book "Leaders and Enders" and hopefully there is an idea for them in there.












Now, I am a little ahead on the quilt-along, I have the second weeks blocks done.
Next project is to hopefully finish the Monkey Quilt. MacKenzie and her parents are out of town now visiting her family, and it would be nice to have it done when they get back.

MacKenzie's Monkey Quilt and Giveaway

Yesterday, when I discovered the benefits of Bonnie's Leader's and Ender's, I started thinking maybe I could use my little 4 patches to do my new great grandbaby Mackenzie's quilt. I did a swap with Bluebird-Lyn, and acquired some sock monkey fabric (my grandson wants the babies nursery in monkeys) and wasn't quite sure what to do with it. This isn't very imaginative, but I think that it is good that I now have a top finished since the baby is almost a month old. It will be about 37" by 48", so will hopefully be a good drag around quilt when she is a little older. I have a yard each of 2 baby print flannels that I washed last night and will do a strippy on the back. To me, monkeys aren't very feminine, and I'm trying to girl it up a bit with the pink sashing and border, and the pastel flannel back. Now I have 10 tops that are priorities. By the way, if you click on the link to Bluebird-Lyn's blog, she has some really cute blocks for Amy's 2010 BOM quilt.

Now to the Giveaway. It is from another favorite blogger Nichole.
Nichole in Real Life is celebrating it's 100th post with a giveaway of some really pretty fat quarters. You have until midnight Sunday, January 17th to enter.

oh, Fransson Paintbox Quilt Along Week 1

I've been a sewing fool the last day or two, and have gotten my first Paintbox blocks done. I'm pretty pleased with them, and hope to keep up. I discovered that I was cutting threads like mad, and I had a lightbulb moment. This is why people do Bonnie Hunter's leaders and enders. I remembered some half done leftover 4 patches, dug them out of my closet, and now have a nice little stack done and pressed.

oh, Fransson Paintbox Quilt Along

I've been corrupted, but by generosity and sweetness. I used to do one project at a time, and finish it. Now I belong to Yahoo quilting groups and blog, and I constantly see beautiful things, and I think I want to make that, too. I already have about 11 tops that need to be quilted, 9 are priorities, and I have several tops in progress, so what did I do, I started Amy's 2010 BOM, and now I couldn't help myself, I have also begun oh,
Fransson's Paintbox Quilt Along. My Iowa (Carolina) Christmas is at the stage of looking like 5 giant tablerunners, and yet, it is temporarily put aside while I do this week's 8 Paintbox blocks. Yesterday, I drove 50 miles to a quilt shop where they sell Fairy Frost, as I love the shinyness and have been coveting it. I don't think that the love of shiny objects is necessarily a character strength, but what can I do. Most people will be using jelly rolls for their solids, but I got 21 fat quarters, and plan on using them. I am hoping to get all the hopefully coordinating prints from my small stash and scraps, and the second picture is of my first week's choices. The bottom right is light yellow and black, and it matches the light yellow fairy frost perfectly to my eye, but doesn't show up well in the picture. I hesitated to blog about this, as I fear I may tempt others who have been similarly corrupted, but I had to share.

Here is a link to the Flickr group photos:

2010 BOM BY AMY - January Block 2 and 3 - Iowa (Carolina) Christmas Fabrics

Blocks 2 and 3 of Amy's BOM are done now, whoopie I'm not lagging yet.

































My fabric came yesterday for the sashing (the black and gold in the bottom right of the last photo) and the backing of my Iowa Christmas. I love it all. I hate it when people like the backs better than the fronts of my quilts, and this one is for me, but I hope that I can resist liking the back at least as well as the front. I got a yard of each, and am going to cut them into fat quarters and sew them together for the back. I wish that I had had the gold in the top right to use as the gold in my Iowa (Carolina) Christmas. I wasn't happy with my gold to start with, and still am not, although it will be ok just doesn't show up much.

Sea World Christmas Show

We decided to brave the cold, and even DH who hates the cold was glad. The park was beautiful all lit up, and the cold even made it a little more fun, I do believe. My daughter drove us in her new (used) Chrysler Town and Country van, and it has all the bells and whistles, even a heated seat, which DH enjoyed on the ride home. Two of my grandsons went along with us, and I think that they were glad that DH and I gave them extra jackets to wear with their hooded sweatshirts. It's really fun to spend time with them.

The ice rink was beautifully decorated and we had front row seats to enjoy the show. The barbershop quartet was excellent, and we really enjoyed their show. We ate at a barbecue place, and there was music there too, also excellent.

The skaters were wonderful, and the show was beautiful.

I had to get a picture of the penguin, as my granddaughter loves them.

I liked all the skaters, but was partial to the one in the gold shirt. My daughters fiance works at Sea World (hence our year passes) and I guess that there they call him the rock star because he is such a showman.

I didn't really get any good shots of the fireworks, but this was about the best. I didn't take my good camera, and the one that I had has quite a lag after you push the button until it takes the pictures, and a lot of times it is a whole different (not as good usually) picture that results.




This tree is at the beginning (in this case on the way out) of the park, and it's pretty in the daytime, but absolutely gorgeous at night.

2010 BOM BY AMY - Block 1 January

This is my first block and in spite of sewing the wrong sides together about 3 times and ripping it out and doing the same thing twice, it is done. I think that I like the colors well enough to proceed, and have the next 2 cut out and ready to go.

P.S. I was going to get all 3 blocks done today, but now I'm tempted to go to Sea World this evening. It is cold here, high 48 and low 32, but they are having the last night of an ice-skating show, and it sounds like fun, cold but fun. My daughter and her fiance went last night, and she is willing to go with me tonight and says it is wonderful. I'm in the process of talking myself into it. It is awful cold!!

2010 BOM BY AMY - January

Amy is having a block of the month, and I decided to join. I haven't done one before, and my mind tends to wander, but as Amanda says, "I'm going to give it a go".

Amy is doing hers in red, white and blue, but I have decided to use yellow or gold as a background, and lavender or purple, and blue. I hope that it turns out pretty. I had lots of the gold left over from my Iowa (Carolina) Christmas, and I think this is just the place for it. So far, Amy's blocks are calling for 2 1/2 inch strips for the background, and I have lots, in addition to another full yard. I think it will be fun, and Amy is very imaginative, and her quilts are beautiful, so I have confidence that the blocks will be very pretty.