Yay! I Did It

I had to piece the batting for Maddox's quilt as I had enough left over of the wool batt from my Orca Bay (Sunrise, Sunset), I was pretty sure.   I was right, but all that was left was not even enough to make a potholder when I was finished.   I decided on a pieced backing with 10 inch squares for my Roll Roll Sunshine Rivers, so I had 70 squares to find flannel for, cut out and sew together.   I have the bindings ready and the other batts cut out and ready to go, so I'm ready for the Easy Money mystery.   I feel pretty sure that even with that going on I have a good chance of finishing these 3 by the end of the year.   For now though until Friday, it's time to think about Thanksgiving.  I have fudge to make, some odds and ends to shop for, stuffing to make and dinner to go to and then we'll see if Bonnie does like last year and starts off with an easy clue or two.   
I probably won't blog again until at least Friday, so for all those who celebrate it:

Happy Thanksgiving!!!   

Craftsy BOM Back

A wild and crazy back for my wild and crazy Craftsy BOM.  The purple looks more raspberry here, and the blue looks more aqua here, but this is basically it. 

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.  

May Craftsy BOM

For better or worse, I think better, Amanda helped me decide that I needed a little different direction than just purple, orange and green.  I added in a bit of turquoise and navy to lighten things up.  After all, I do have a scrappy gypsy soul.  I think (and Amanda, too) either a white or cream sashing with turquoise cornerstones. 

It's ok, it's supposed to be wonky.   After the June BOM's I'll take another picture to see how they mix in.   
PS   I think these are the messiest blocks I ever made, my sewing room is a disaster.   
PPS  I hesitated to add my funny little blocks to soscrappy's Rainbow Scrap Challenge, the others are so awesome, but I did anyway, so go here to see the awesome ones.  

Growth is Painful, Really Painful, LOL

I think that I'm just a piecer, the fancier things, not so much.  I'm sure that my tree started out straight, but I managed to make it tipsy.  

I know now I won't be part of the hexi craze in blogland.

My first 4 months of the Craftsy BOM.  I think I must have read the color wheel wrong.  Not liking purple, green and orange so much.   Oh well, we live and we learn.  Good thing I'm doing this with Amanda, or it might go in a box for 'later'.

Craftsy BOM March

I really like this block, but I still don't like making string blocks.  I think I've given it the good old college try, but I just can't make myself enjoy making them.  I do love string block quilts though.  
This block also fits in with Soscrappy's pumpkin color for this month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge.
You can see more orange here.

This block didn't turn out so well.  I know that I'll lost at least one point, but I just don't enjoy making them, so it'll have to be good enough.   Wish I did though, cause I sure do like how string blocks look.  They appeal to my scrappy nature. 
I'm making these along with Amanda of Amanda's Musings and she has finished at least January and February.   Her blog is here and Crafty BOM is here.

February Craftsy BOM

January Craftsy BOM

January Craftsy BOM is done, I'm a late starter. 

Craftsy Block of the Month

I signed up for the Craftsy Block of the Month class and have been rather bogged down, as I didn't know what colors and I didn't really have enough solid fabric (except for tan, which I used for the Quilt of Valor mystery and I wanted something with a bit more pizazz).  It's not a solid, but the lavender is going to be my background color and orange and green my other colors.  I tried to look online and pick something by a color wheel, and I wasn't too successful.  As far as I could figure, I think these 3 colors are supposed to go together.   I don't have a good eye for color, but I know I like green and purple together, and adding the orange is ok with my gypsy soul.  
Can someone tell me why I'm doing this (lol).   I still have several other projects to finish, and instead, here I am starting 2 new quilts, this and the Granny Square.  I don't know why but it reminds me of a joke that I heard a long time ago.  "A Chinese gentleman was expressing his puzzlement about tea preparation.  First they boil it to make it hot, then they add ice to make it cold.  Next they add sugar to make it sweet and lemon to make it tart.  Americans are crazy people."   I think quilters must be crazy people too, I told you I didn't know why it reminded me of the joke. 
I went to Michael's today.   My x-sister-in-law used to say you could find everything at Michaels.  Not so much.  No zippers, no zipper pulls, no color wheels.  I did get some ribbon, but that was all.  My daughter and I are making cases for her new Kindle Fire, which will come the end of November, and my new Ipad.   This is the one, Craftsy again.   We will be sizing it down a bit, and hoping for the best.  
I finished meandering my Holland quilt this morning.  My binding is all prepared and I do the binding by machine, so I'm hoping to finish it today, wash it and hopefully deliver it in the next day or two.