Gators and Dowrys

I started it Monday and I finished today, Friday.   It's an easy quilt, but still not too bad.   Sorry, it's upside down.  It's big, almost twin size.  I tried some new batting that I got half price at Joanns, plus 25% off.   $30.00 batting for a little over $11.00, not bad.  It is Pellon brand cotton batting and I really liked it.  It's very flat, and very uniform and sturdy.  I'm wondering if it will fluff a bit when it's washed. 

I used the leftover fabric on the back, so it's almost reversible. 

Four blocks down, and probably a fifth one done tomorrow.  These go quick, since I'm using leftover bonus HSTs.

Shopping and New Projects

Not too much sewing going on the past few days.  Went to Camp Blanding (a military camp where there is a beautiful lake) and had a family day with my brothers, nieces, nephews, etc.  It was beautiful, but some kind of little bugs had hatched over night, and they were thick.   I brought about 100 home in my car, but I think they are all dead now.   These fabrics are for initial pictures (hopefully, like the ones Joanna did, below) to be gifts and decoration at the baby shower for my new great-grandbaby Everlee.  The blue and robots are for her big brother almost 4 year old Dominic.

Here are two from Joanna's blog Applique Today, and another one here.   And so I can remember where to find it later, a delicious looking recipe that she shared, Bacon and Egg Pie.  I think these are so cute, hope mine turn out half as cute.

One of my nieces requested a Gator Quilt (University of Florida) for her husband, so my brother bought the fabrics and I'll be making the quilt.   I'll use the same pattern "Just Can't Cut It", that I have already made several Gator quilts from.  Here are the ones I made for my brothers.

Yet Another Gator Quilt

My son-in-law loves the Florida Gators and so does my new granddaughter.  My daughter wanted to do something extra nice for Christi's Christmas this year, so I think you can guess what she came up with.  Yesterday we got everything cut out, and today after some machine problems she sewed and sewed.  Here is the result, a top complete except for the borders.  I wanted her to be in the picture, but she said she didn't have makeup on, so she is holding up her creation.  We are under a time restraint as we start training this coming Wednesday for our new jobs, and she is going to have different hours and different days off (after training) from mine.  We will have to work something out.  Also, Christi will be here for Thanksgiving, but not Christmas, so that also means hurry every chance you get.

Misc. Pictures

My previous co-worker sent me a picture of her daughter with her quilt.  She had some dental surgery and wasn't supposed to lie down, so Laura brought in a chaise lounge, and she looks very cozy in the chaise lounge with her quilt.  Hopefully, it brought her a little comfort along with her ice pack.

We met my son Robert and his son, our grandson, Kevin at Cracker Barrel today, had a nice breakfast, and gave them their quilts.  here is Kevin's on his bed.  They had a fire a while ago, and have an apartment now, but didn't want to replace a lot of stuff, so their beds are on the floor, for now anyway.  My son seems to like it that way, says simple is easy to take care of.  

My son's room with his new quilt.  His wife is out of the area right now, and when she's back, of course he will have a fancier room.  

 

Today was Dominic's birthday party, and his chair was ready.

He was having a very good time.  

Sometimes it's nice to see the things that you have made and given actually in use and many times you don't get to see them.  This time I was lucky enough to get some pictures, so I thought I'd share.
Also, I'm shamefully behind in answering and acknowledging comments, and I intend to rectify that soon.  I apologize and will catch up.

A Small Finish

The little Gator quilt for Dominic is finished.  DD came over last night and after a few suggestions from me began her first free motion quilting.  She went like a house afire, and I told her that her quilt pattern should probably be called 'Slinky', as it reminds me of the children's toy.  It worked, and it is finished, but since she has more quilting to do she figures that she needs a less intensive pattern of quilting, so I'm going to send her some You Tube links to watch.  I think she did well for a first attempt by someone who had previously not given quilting done by herself a thought. 

Finish 7 and 8 for the Year - and it's only the 9th of May

I have 2/3 of May left and I have finished two quilts.  Very easy quilts, but they are finished.  The pattern is "Just Can't Cut It"  by All Washed Up quilt patterns.   They are for my brothers and now we'll need to get together to deliver them, which is a good thing.  It's surprising how little you get together when you live 3 or 4 hours apart. 

University of Florida Gator Quilts

Upside down seems to be my thing lately.  This is one of my two Gator tops, just upside down, the other one still needs borders and then I'll put them aside for a few days as I need to work on my house and we have relatives coming for dinner on Monday.   Tuesday we will probably be going to Tampa with our grandson and granddaughter-in-law.   With any luck at all, keeping my goal of a finish for May should be a piece of cake (knock on wood), in fact I should have at least two.  I have to keep things even for my brothers or they'll say that the other one is my favorite.  Finishing only one would be unacceptable, lol.

Gator Quilt that Goes Along With The Previous Post

Here's a picture that Ruth, my possible quilting buddy, sent me of her Gator Quilt.  We had cut out the big blocks and the solids and she had sewn the solids.  She hadn't received her white and blue Gator fabrics yet when she was over, so she took it from there.  I think that my brothers would enjoy one of these.

First Camping Trip in About 35 Years, Gator Quilts

Oh Yeah, as you can see from the title, DH and I are big outdoorsy sorts.  My brother in Jacksonville camps fairly frequently at an army base called Camp Blanding, it is for the National Guardsmen.  When I was younger I spent many happy hours across the lake, which also borders Camp Blanding, at a couple of recreational parks and even when we had a boat to get there, had a picnic lunch at Camp Blanding.   My brothers are both able to get on the base, and one had gotten a campsite for tents and the other a cabin.  Because of DH's health, our life has been pretty restricted, but I thought we should give camping a try anyway, we aren't getting any younger and we spend way too much time indoors.   Our intent was to tent camp, there is water on the site and a bathroom about 50 yards away or so, and my brother has lanterns and flashlights etc.  Unfortunately, we picked a time when a storm was rolling in, lol.  We had a really nice time the first day and sat by the fire above until about midnight.  The young man in the picture is my nephew Robert who was a perfect kid the whole time even though he's 15.  Our intention was to tent camp, but a storm with winds and lightning was expected in the middle of the night so we all slept in the cottage.  The cottage was a really nice little two bedroom house with a screened porch, all the amenities and a beautiful site on the lake.  It is such a beautiful place and the water so clear and beautiful.  I waded and the water was cold, but my brother from Georgia and his son even did a little knee boarding.  We were supposed to take a boat ride the next day, but it was still windy and a little nasty, exhilarating though, I enjoyed the portion of the second day that we spent there also.  We left about noon and drove home.  The little tent is what my brother uses when he's by himself, he has a larger one that we would have used.   To make this quilty, last week the lady who came and quilted with me came back and we worked on two of her quilts, a flowery one for her that still needed some cutting out, and a University of Florida Gator one that she is making for a grandchild (if it turns out well she plans to make several more for other grandchildren).  Anyway, it happens that both my brothers are Gator fans, especially the Florida one, and so I'm going to make them Gator quilts also.  My Florida, tent camping brother had his quilt that I gave him a few months ago with him, it seemed the perfect size for sleeping on the ground with a twin sized air mattress, and it made me feel good that he's using it.  I thought that Gator quilts would be excellent thank you gifts.  I have really good brothers.   Many times when my brother camps he goes with buddies, but sometimes he goes alone, and hopefully he will invite us some more, and it would be even more perfect if my other brother and his son could come too.