Change of Pace

My granddaughter took this today.  I think that she is very talented, and it goes without saying that  my great-grandchildren are adorable.  Guess which one had to be bribed with marshmallows.

My oldest grandson is getting married this Friday and a couple of days ago I realized that I have gold and black heels, but somewhere along the lines I must have given away my black and my gold bags.  Yesterday I made a trip to Joann's (which was nice as while out I had lunch with my grandson and his soon to be wife) and tried to find something dressy that would go ok with both colors, as I think I'll wear black for the rehearsal dinner and gold for the wedding reception.   My daughter was in the same boat, I thought if she wanted I'd try to make her one too, so I came home and cut them out and today has been pretty much dedicated to making the bags.   They aren't tiny, but they are much smaller than my regular bag. 

Just in case I can fit my stuff in here, I went ahead and did lots of pockets, I need those.

They are about 12" tall and 10" wide and 4" deep.   Tomorrow is dedicated to hemming my husband's pants, cutting his hair, coloring my hair washing and getting things ready.   The wedding is only about 45 minutes away, but with my husband's poor health it seemed wise to stay at the hotel nearby to the wedding venue.   He can only stand short periods without putting his feet up.   They are quite swollen. 

And Now It's a Flimsy

I promise, no more pictures until it's finished.   I don't promise to buy glasses for anyone who's eyesight has been injured by this quilt though. 

Not Quite a Flimsy

The rows aren't sewn together and it's on a lumpy surface, but this is the general look of it.  It will have the green inner border and the paisley border.  It should end up about 70 by 94, which will probably shrink 5 or 6 inches, so it'll still be a roomy lap quilt.  It would either need a very eclectic person, or a very neutral room.  Hopefully, the borders and the quilting will tone it down a bit.

New Baby Going Home and Twenty of Twenty

First trip - On his way home.  Little Maddox three days old. 

Amanda and I started very late, but will finish well in time for the next step on November 1st.  The next steps are putting it together and quilting, and this is the last block 'twenty of twenty', yay!  I already know what I'm doing about cornerstones and sashing, so since Amanda is also working on her last block (may have finished before me) I'll just go ahead and not wait for the class.  I don't think that I would have kept up if it weren't for Amanda.  Working along with someone else, even if they are an ocean away and on a different continent has been fun and an incentive to keep up.  Yay, Amanda.    

A photo collage of my 20 blocks.  There will be some rearranging, and it will be 4 blocks by 5 blocks, not 5 blocks by 4 blocks, and there will be cornerstones and 2 borders, but this looks pretty much like it.  I think I'm on purple, orange, green and blue overload.

Baby News and Drunkard's Path

We have a new great grandbaby, unfortunately, we won't see him for awhile as we are here in the USA and he is in Germany, but we will enjoy him just the same.  Not like the old days when pictures and letters were all there was to communicate, we have the instant gratification of texts, phone calls, skype and facetime.   No pictures yet, it seems that Germany doesn't allow pictures to be sent  the first few days, but his name is Maddox Colwell, he is 6 lbs 10 oz, 20.2 inches long and was born 2:29 pm their time, and 8:29 am our time.   I'm sure that he is adorable.  Mama, Daddy and baby are fine and his big sister is fine too, but yesterday she thought they should just leave him at the hospital, lol.   She only got to see him from several yards away, I'm sure she'll change her mind when she sees him up close.      
Yesterday my drunkard's path templates came, and this morning I cut them out and did one block to see how it went.  Not bad, it's the right size and not too wonky.  I was scardest of  all of these curved blocks and now only 29 more to go for my two blocks.  
About 2 1/2 hours later:
                                                              

It took about 2 1/2 hours to get from the point of 1 little drunkard's path to 16 of them to make a block.  Here they are pinned and ready for assembly line sewing.  Actually, I added 2 more pins each before I sewed them.  On the right is 16 more ready and waiting for the second Craftsy BOM. 

                              

Here's the finished block.  I'd be really proud of myself, except there are some doing this as their first quilts and theirs look good too.   

                     

New Baby? Trip to Joann's

First matter of business.   I received a text from Germany that my new great grandson may be born today (maybe tomorrow, since they are 6 hours ahead).   I'm sure we will get updates, they are getting ready to go to the hospital.   My granddaughter just called and she thinks it is time, she is having major contractions.  Wish we could be there to help.

We were just getting back from Joann's when I got the text.  I was in the act of taking a picture of my new fabrics for my wild and crazy Craftsy BOM quilt.   The inner border and cornerstone materials I already had, but I got the sashing material and outer border fabric today.   This quilt isn't going to be bashful at all.

Two to Go

Second Craftsy BOM for October.  Now waiting for the drunkard's path templates and then I'll do the September blocks and be ready for sashing.  

Walking for the Cure and First Craftsy Paper Pieced BOM

It was a beautiful day, it started out a little cool and then turned to perfect.  Good thing, this old one hasn't done much walking lately and we had 3 miles to walk. 

Some of the walkers were really into the spirit of things, with costumes and everything.  It was a little fun added to a very serious intention. 

After the walk we had to shore up on calories so we stopped at Toojay's Deli for a very delicious breakfast.  There was also a little horseplay by the grandkids who went along to walk.

Doesn't the bakery section look delicious.  My grandson isn't bad either.

We were going to make the sacrifice of purchasing some pink and white cookies, but they were out so we got some black and white ones anyway. 

When we got home I delivered my Quilt of Valor mystery to a friend of the grandkids who got his honorable discharge this month.  He seemed to like it.  After he left I did the first paper pieced block.  I'm glad that I did it, in the future I can see a block or two in a special quilt, but I discovered that I don't like string blocks, I don't like wonky log cabin blocks and I don't like paper piecing.  Paper piecing seems like a big overuse of fabric, too.   I do like the block though, and now I just have to gird up my loins and forge on to block number two.   Not today though, I think I'm done for the day.   The boob tube beckons. 

Just 3 more blocks to go - there's supposed to be 17 here, somehow I missed 2, but they will be in the quilt.   I think I missed February. 

Stars In My Eyes

Only 4 more blocks to go.  I went to Joann's today coupons in hand, but they didn't carry drunkard's path templates, so I ordered some off of Amazon when I got home and decided to skip to the last blocks and wait for the templates.  I did the Dresdens with my home made templates and it worked fine, but I sliced things up pretty badly.  I decided that as much of a pain in the behind as I anticipate the drunkard's path as being, I want to start off with better templates and hopefully I'll like them well enough to make more at some point.  I feel that way about the Dresdens, in fact I picked up the template today.    Meanwhile, this morning I made these blocks and I'm wondering what kind of a finished product I will have, cute or garish.   I was thinking of black sashing and then I remembered my husband's crack about Halloween concerning my Sunrise, Sunset (Orca Bay) and I don't want a repeat of that.  Maybe, I'll look for a large print with hopefully all four of my colors in it, turquoise, green, orange and purple.  

Rolling Along on My Craftsy BOM

What can I say, I have a gypsy soul and a hee haw sense of humor.    I'd like to think that I'm catching up with Amanda, but I have a feeling that she's still ahead of me.  

Only 3 more months to go to catch up and to be on schedule to finish with everyone else, August, September and October.  Not too bad since Amanda and I only started on ours mid September.  We really are 'rolling' along.
These weren't nearly as hard as I thought they'd be and I only had my home made Dresden tool.  I liked making these, so I will be visiting Joann's with a coupon and the intention of getting the store bought tool.  We hee haw people can be quite modern.  I wonder if I'll feel the same about the drunkard's paths.  

I Like It Better Now

I started to like it better when I was basting it and by the time I finished quilting it I actually downright liked it.   I think my quilts are kind of like my kids, I know their flaws, but I can't help but like (love in the case of my kids) them.   It's not bright and fancy, but sometimes men like plain better.

The dark brown back coordinates nicely I think, but it sure does pick up everything, and show everything.

The dark back also makes the label and tumbler strip show up better.   It's for a friend of the grandchildrens who just got his honorable discharge from the army this month.   I hope he likes it and isn't a quilt critic who can recognize all it's flaws.   If one of my children, this one may have been the black sheep, lol.
I linked up to Crazy Mom Quilts finish it up Friday.  Go here.

Not My Favorite Flimsy

My flimsy from  Alycia Quilts, Quilt of Valor Mystery Quilt-a-Long has borders now.  I can't say it's a favorite, as it doesn't satisfy my gypsy soul.  My colors are drab and my answer to the empty spaces was embroideries, and one is too dark and one is too light.   The mystery was designed to be followed up by a quilting class, but it looked to be geared for longarms and since I don't have one I thought I'd try this.  It still has to be quilted, which as I've said before even my meandering seems to improve things, so I still have hope.  Evidently the tan fabric should have been all turned the same direction to avoid the shadings, but it doesn't show so much in person.   As the saying goes, done is better than perfect, so I hope to get it done soon. 

More Purple, Green and Orange - January thru June

I don't know if adding blue toned it down any (maybe not) but I'm not as bored with using just 3 colors, lol.  Twelve down, eight more to go. 

Table Topper No. 2 Finished

I'm kind of enjoying these small quilts.  This one I think will be good for winter.    
If You've thought brown to be drab go to Scraphappy here and see if you change your mind.

Ant the back, I think you can probably guess.  Same combination of wonky log cabin and Hidden Wells.  I think next will be Valentine's and Easter, but a different combinaiton of patterns.    Meanwhile though, I hope to catch up the June Craftsy BOM tomorrow.  Amanda has already done hers.

Second Hidden Wells Try

I should have been working on my Craftsy BOM today, but I got curious to use another method for the Hidden Wells.  The last one had 7 rows in the stripset and this one has 9 rows.   That and my choice of fabrics has made for a very busy quilt, but with borders and quilting I'm hoping that it will still be an attractive table topper for my living room. 

Too Short a Visit

My brothers came for a short visit this weekend.  They got here yesterday about 3 o'clock and left today about 1:00  Very short, but look what they accomplished.  This light wasn't on my list, I thought it would be too time consuming, even though I've probably had the lamp and the kit that was needed for a couple of years now.  My brother said something about did I have enough light that it was dark in that corner and I said yes, it is kind of dark but I have a light for it maybe next time you come and have more time.   Pretty soon, it was spread out on the floor and on the list of jobs.  It makes a world of difference, and hopefully since I'll be able to see better when I'm FMQ'ing, I'll have less crossed seams.  No promises though, lol.

Next, a small job to them but awfully big to me since I couldn't reach and my husbands back wasn't up to trying.  Luckily, the light in my sewing room closet went out just a couple of days ago and now I have light again. 

This job was on the list, I've probably had these shelves for almost a year and wasn't able to get anyone to put them up conveniently.   Now I have shelves for my spices on the inside of the pantry door, it'll be much more convenient and it frees up the small cabinet between the stove and refrigerator for necessary medications. 
I'll spare you a picture of the toilet seat which is now tight and secure in its appointed place.  
Yay for brothers who are so handy and so willing to help.  I am more and more grateful for them and not just because of what they do, but because of who they are.