OOOPS!

It was taking forever to cut out the 2 1/2 inch squares for my 72 blocks that I plan to use to make a queen sized granny square quilt.  OOps, I think I need 936 colored ones and I miscalculated and did 2499 colored ones.  I also cut 864 white squares.  I didn't have enough of the fabric I started with so I had to improvise.  I still need fabric for the sashing and cornerstones, but think that I may use a small print with a white background since they aren't going to match anyway.   I figure it's ok, if I run short of squares I'll cut more from something, and if I have too many I'll use them on something else. 

Hancock's of Paducah has been doing better about complete orders on their clearance, but this time I only got 2 out of 4.  I had ordered two possibles for the borders on my Holland quilt, but only got the two on the right.  The Holland looking fabric will be for the large border and the pretty gold and blue fabric will be for the small border.  I may add another even smaller plain border to kind of quiet things down a bit.   Next project though will be to do step 4 of the Quilt of Valor Mystery Quilt-A-Long.  It shouldn't take too long and then it's on to doing the borders on the Holland quilt.  I'm hoping to finish it in the next few days, I'm anxious to give it to them and to see the baby.

Strange

I bought a package of embroidery patterns for the Howes quilt (the family that I'm making a quilt for) and I liked the first few so well that I decided to use the rest kind of willy nilly.   I decided to make a taggie for the baby, looked on Amazon and it seemed that the parents liked good sized ones and the most expensive ones were lined with batting.   It's about 19 x 19 inches.   I did the remaining embroideries from the pack and then started getting 'strange'.  It is made from fleece, and the odd little tail is made from velvety cottony fleece.  I wanted a handle but was afraid of danger to the baby, so I did a straight handle that is soft and feels nice.  The odd looking thing at the other end is the same fabric rolled up so that the baby can feel the outside and the inside of the fabric.  I told you it was strange.

The other side.  The odd looking half circles are satiny feeling shoulder pads that I found when looking in my dresser drawers for something to feel interesting to the baby.  Again, I didn't want to cause injury so they are secured, but the baby can put her little hands in each side.  I scrounged for what ribbons I could find and the pickings were slim.  I even resorted to 2 pieces of elastic, they filled in a spot and have a different feel.  The center has the feel of the embroideries, plus it is quilted and the borders are unquilted.  Strange, strange, I don't know if I'll get the courage to give it to them.
Maybe my time would have been better spent getting started on my Granny Square quilt, lol.

The backing fabric (a Lands End Sheet) and the label.  The blues are actually a bit darker.  
Notice I put the finish for September 2012, it shouldn't be a problem as long as the border fabrics hurry and get here from Hancock's of Paducah.

One of the four embroideries that I did for each corner of the borders. 

No. 8 Breanna's Quilt Finished

It's not award winning, but it's finished and it is kind of cute.

It finished up at about 59 by 77 inches.

The back is cozy flannel.

And the label. 

Kerri's Little Girls Quilts

Logann, Maisyn and Kolbie with their mother at their big brother's HS graduation.

Now I have 7 quilts done for this year so I've caught up and exceeded my goal of one a month by a little.  These are about 57 by 76 so should be good for a long time.  No cold ears or toes.  The first one is Kolbie's, the middle Logann's and the last Maisyn's.

And the backs.  Logann's, Kolbie's and Maisyn's.

Tender Index Finger

My great granddaughter and three of my great nieces could be here at the same time in July.  I made Mackenzie a new bigger quilt and I decided that my little nieces could have outgrown the quilts that I made for them, too.   I had three strippie quilts done in girlie colors and they had backs made but Mackenzie's quilt has a fleece back so is very cozy.  I couldn't really get enthused about doing more fleece quilt backs, but I think that flannel is also cozy so I went to Joann's and these are what I came up with.  Now they are basted and ready to be quilted.  The next problem is I still have those three backs.  I have an accuquilt go and a 2 1/2 inch strip die and it is kind of fun to do strips three at a time, so, I think that I will do 3 more strippie tops and use the backs.  I have a couple of people in mind for them and it would be nice to have a quilt in reserve for emergency gifting.  I seem to keep making projects for myself, but hopefully I will get to my other two ready to be basted  projects, my Orca Bay (Sunrise Sunset) and my paintbox quilt soon.  Meanwhile, my tender index finger can have a few days rest from basting while I get these finished and put away for gifting in July.   I know that the strippie quilts aren't popular with many quilters, but I guess for me this will be the year of the strippie since it looks like I'll be making six of them.  I'm still working toward quality over quantity, but it always seems like there is someone needing a quilt, lol. 

Strippie Quilts and Granny Square Info

Three more ready to be basted and quilted.  I think that the pink and yellow and pink and red borders unpurpled them a bit.

My great granddaughter enjoying her rocking chair and small quilt, watching Beauty and the Beast.  Makes it all worth it.   PS  I need another project like I need another hole in my head, but I sure have been eying the Granny Square Quilt Along.  I even ordered 4 yards of white Moda muslin over the weekend while Hancock's of Paducah was having their free shipping sale.  If you haven't noticed them, here are some links here and here.   Of course, I ordered mustard fabric a while back for bowties to take part in Bonnie's Quilt Along, and I haven't started those yet, but I still intend to.    And yet, a couple more methods on the Granny Squares.  This is for my benefit so I can find them later.    This and This And This too.

Strippie Quilts

  I recently got an accuquilt go and a 2 1/2" strip cutter.  I have been looking at you tube and the jelly roll races, so I thought something along those lines would be a good place to start experimenting.  I went to my long quarters and used most of them cutting 32 sets of 3 strips each and then decided that the size they were making wasn't what I wanted so I cut the long long strip into 40" sections and started sewing them as they had been cut.  The first picture I messed up a bit, and the second I think I got all sewed in sequence.  Then I started thinking that they were using 40 strips not 32 and so if I sewed them as they did that maybe the size would be about what I wanted anyway.

 The third one, I sewed their way, with one long long strip sewn together and then together again, etc.  I was right, the size wasn't much different from the first two.  I decided that in a real jelly roll race I am not likely to be even close to a winner, and that long piece with all the unpressed seams made me fumble fingered.  It does make a difference in the look.  Also, theirs have the seams on a slant, but I messed that up twice and decided I'd give that a try next time.   As far as the accuquilt go, I think that I'm going to like it, I can see where there is a learning curve, but I also can see that my strips were more exact and It was quicker, too.

This third one has its first border, or as my daughter calls borders and bindings, trim, and I used the pink to try to unpurple it.  My other three flimsys waiting to be basted and quilted are predominently purple, and I thought that was enough for awhile.  Here I am with 3 more purples.   I need to get busy on my great-granddaughters hers doesn't have any purple.