No More Eyesore

We've been in our house about 25 years and the back porch had gotten pretty bad.  We had renters who put a few small holes in the screens and then last year we had the house pressure washed and the pressure was too much for the old screen fabric and the holes were bigger and more plentiful.  The rug was also about 25 years old, so you can imagine that it was needing replaced, although it held up really well and the color was still good after all those years.

The old carpet was blue and I was ready for a change so this was quite different and I like it.  I hope to spend many hours back here just chilling.  On a different subject, last night I worked on my piano key border for my Sunrise Sunset (Orca Bay)  I thought probably this should be about enough, WRONG, I have about 140 inches done and I need about 334.  Oh well, it's not a race.  I'm making each key 1" by 5" finished size, so at least, it is fairly easy to figure.

One Down

One down.  It's girly.  I have tried Kona solids and now Moda solids and they both seem to fray to the max.  Does anyone have a good quality solid fabric that comes in nice colors and frays only a little?  I have one more border to put on my leader and ender quilt, and two more still on my Sunrise Sunset (Orca Bay).  I am half done and then need to work on the backs and bindings.  I'm not exactly racing to the finish, but I'm moving slowly. 

Three Ready With Two To Go

I like this pattern if it has a name.  I just used this to use up my leaders and enders with the 16 patches.  I don't remember if I saw another quilt on someone's blog or just decided on the other block myself, but it is easy and I've used a version of this 4 times before here here here here.  It's good for a quick attractive quilt, I think.  Also, it'll go almost anywhere due to the scrappy 16 patches, but it looks like you gave it some thought with the other block and it feels like a real bargain since so much of it is scraps.  I really like this, I like the dark blocks, I used lighter colors before.  Now, I have 3 quilt tops to the needing two border stage.  It kind of reminds me of "Blue Suede Shoes", lol.  I hope to have these finished and basted and ready to be quilted when I get my new sewing table then I'll 'go cat go'.   (For non Elvis fans, it's one for the money two for the show three to get ready now go cat go, but don't you step on my blue suede shoes.  You can do anything but stay off of my blue suede shoes)
 

I decided to play a bit with the collages on Picasa so this is a collage of the ones that I have done with this simple 16 patch from Leaders and Enders. 
As a bonus, a picture of my great granddaughter studying in front of her version, the first one.

A Break from Orca Bay

Since I ordered my new sewing table for my Juki and FMQ'ing, and since it isn't due to get here for 3 or 4 weeks, I decided to take a break from Orca Bay and orange.  I had wanted to have a finish for January, and chances are 50/50 that I can finish this one.  It is a smaller quilt than my Sunrise Sunset, Orca Bay and so easier to quilt with my current set up, too.  I had all the blocks made and waiting from "oh Fransson's Paintbox quilt along" and so yesterday and today, I've been adding sashing and cornerstones.  I still have the 2 borders to do on Sunrise Sunset, and now I have 2 borders left to do on this one.   It also has a fancier back than my normal, so that will take a little time.  As I said, I 'may' be able to finish this this month.   I divided my blocks up to make two quilts, and here is my first one.  As you can see, they look rather different.  This is the first time that I've done a quilt with cornerstones, and I'm not sure they are right for this quilt, but they are staying, lol. 

I must say, in some ways it was easier with the cornerstones.  It's always a challenge to get the blocks liked up in rows, and with the cornerstones that part was a breeze.

Prior Blog Post Explanation

This is really strange, Blogger isn't liking me today.
I got permission from my granddaughter to share the previous post from her blog.  I think that it's adorable.
Her blog is here
I also got permission from my niece to share her 15 year old daughter's first quilt, it's the post prior to the one about my great granddaughter. 
PS  I had been thinking of either a SewEzi table or a Gidget II
Today, after googling like crazy, I ended up ordering this:
http://www.sewperfecttables.com/sewing-table-original.shtml
and getting a really good deal for it on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Janome-Bernina-Viking-Pfaff-Singer-SEW-PERFECT-Table-/230586030613?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35afff9a15



It was more than I had planned to spend but it looks so sturdy and it got a really good review:
  http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/notion/826
I'm very excited to get it for my Juki and hope that it will make free motion easier.