oh, Fransson Paintbox Quilt Along Week 1

I've been a sewing fool the last day or two, and have gotten my first Paintbox blocks done. I'm pretty pleased with them, and hope to keep up. I discovered that I was cutting threads like mad, and I had a lightbulb moment. This is why people do Bonnie Hunter's leaders and enders. I remembered some half done leftover 4 patches, dug them out of my closet, and now have a nice little stack done and pressed.

oh, Fransson Paintbox Quilt Along

I've been corrupted, but by generosity and sweetness. I used to do one project at a time, and finish it. Now I belong to Yahoo quilting groups and blog, and I constantly see beautiful things, and I think I want to make that, too. I already have about 11 tops that need to be quilted, 9 are priorities, and I have several tops in progress, so what did I do, I started Amy's 2010 BOM, and now I couldn't help myself, I have also begun oh,
Fransson's Paintbox Quilt Along. My Iowa (Carolina) Christmas is at the stage of looking like 5 giant tablerunners, and yet, it is temporarily put aside while I do this week's 8 Paintbox blocks. Yesterday, I drove 50 miles to a quilt shop where they sell Fairy Frost, as I love the shinyness and have been coveting it. I don't think that the love of shiny objects is necessarily a character strength, but what can I do. Most people will be using jelly rolls for their solids, but I got 21 fat quarters, and plan on using them. I am hoping to get all the hopefully coordinating prints from my small stash and scraps, and the second picture is of my first week's choices. The bottom right is light yellow and black, and it matches the light yellow fairy frost perfectly to my eye, but doesn't show up well in the picture. I hesitated to blog about this, as I fear I may tempt others who have been similarly corrupted, but I had to share.

Here is a link to the Flickr group photos:

2010 BOM BY AMY - January Block 2 and 3 - Iowa (Carolina) Christmas Fabrics

Blocks 2 and 3 of Amy's BOM are done now, whoopie I'm not lagging yet.

































My fabric came yesterday for the sashing (the black and gold in the bottom right of the last photo) and the backing of my Iowa Christmas. I love it all. I hate it when people like the backs better than the fronts of my quilts, and this one is for me, but I hope that I can resist liking the back at least as well as the front. I got a yard of each, and am going to cut them into fat quarters and sew them together for the back. I wish that I had had the gold in the top right to use as the gold in my Iowa (Carolina) Christmas. I wasn't happy with my gold to start with, and still am not, although it will be ok just doesn't show up much.

Sea World Christmas Show

We decided to brave the cold, and even DH who hates the cold was glad. The park was beautiful all lit up, and the cold even made it a little more fun, I do believe. My daughter drove us in her new (used) Chrysler Town and Country van, and it has all the bells and whistles, even a heated seat, which DH enjoyed on the ride home. Two of my grandsons went along with us, and I think that they were glad that DH and I gave them extra jackets to wear with their hooded sweatshirts. It's really fun to spend time with them.

The ice rink was beautifully decorated and we had front row seats to enjoy the show. The barbershop quartet was excellent, and we really enjoyed their show. We ate at a barbecue place, and there was music there too, also excellent.

The skaters were wonderful, and the show was beautiful.

I had to get a picture of the penguin, as my granddaughter loves them.

I liked all the skaters, but was partial to the one in the gold shirt. My daughters fiance works at Sea World (hence our year passes) and I guess that there they call him the rock star because he is such a showman.

I didn't really get any good shots of the fireworks, but this was about the best. I didn't take my good camera, and the one that I had has quite a lag after you push the button until it takes the pictures, and a lot of times it is a whole different (not as good usually) picture that results.




This tree is at the beginning (in this case on the way out) of the park, and it's pretty in the daytime, but absolutely gorgeous at night.

2010 BOM BY AMY - Block 1 January

This is my first block and in spite of sewing the wrong sides together about 3 times and ripping it out and doing the same thing twice, it is done. I think that I like the colors well enough to proceed, and have the next 2 cut out and ready to go.

P.S. I was going to get all 3 blocks done today, but now I'm tempted to go to Sea World this evening. It is cold here, high 48 and low 32, but they are having the last night of an ice-skating show, and it sounds like fun, cold but fun. My daughter and her fiance went last night, and she is willing to go with me tonight and says it is wonderful. I'm in the process of talking myself into it. It is awful cold!!

2010 BOM BY AMY - January

Amy is having a block of the month, and I decided to join. I haven't done one before, and my mind tends to wander, but as Amanda says, "I'm going to give it a go".

Amy is doing hers in red, white and blue, but I have decided to use yellow or gold as a background, and lavender or purple, and blue. I hope that it turns out pretty. I had lots of the gold left over from my Iowa (Carolina) Christmas, and I think this is just the place for it. So far, Amy's blocks are calling for 2 1/2 inch strips for the background, and I have lots, in addition to another full yard. I think it will be fun, and Amy is very imaginative, and her quilts are beautiful, so I have confidence that the blocks will be very pretty.

Step 7 Carolina (Iowa) Christmas Mystery - Bonnie Hunter

I'm still waiting on my sashing fabric, but I have finished my blocks for the borders. Mine is different from Bonnie's, as I jumped the gun (was I the only one) and cut my fabric into 2 1/2 inch strips. I had lots of green strips left, and I had 2 red fabrics that I thought would be pretty larger, so I swapped the red and the green. I also think that I'm going to skip the blocks in the corners and use a 4 1/2 inch piece of fabric instead. I have another Christmas fabric that I think would be prettier bigger. It didn't really fit into the red, green or neutral, but has all three and I think is very pretty.

I just heard on the news that it will be New Year's in an hour in Australia. We still have 13 hours to go, but HAPPY NEW YEAR to the Australian's and all other's who are already into the New Year. On second thought, it's probably not too early to wish everyone HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Step 6 Carolina (Iowa) Christmas Mystery - Bonnie Hunter

I'm as far as I can go on step 6 until my sashing fabric arrives from Thousands of Bolts. My 25 blocks are ready to go, the sashing fabric is pictured below. While I'm waiting I'll work on step 7, the border.

Step 5 Carolina (Iowa) Christmas Mystery - Bonnie Hunter

I didn't finish all the blocks, but I have enough of the fox and geese blocks to get the idea. I think in my case there is a fourth reason for sashing, my fabrics are very busy, and I think it will calm things down.

P.S. I hope this hasn't spoiled anything for anyone who is doing the mystery and hasn't gotten this far, but hopefully if there is anyone, they stopped looking back on step 1.

Step 5-A Carolina (Iowa) Christmas Mystery - Bonnie Hunter

I thought that Step 3 was the biggie, but I think that all of the steps are biggies in this mystery. I have finished the first blocks, the pointsetta stars, and this is 30 of the 48 that I made. The others are laying on the ironing board below. Now, on to the fox and geese blocks. When I get to the next step, step 6, I think that I will use Bonnie's layout, but around each big 4 block combination block, I will add sashing. Three reasons; I like sashing, it makes the sewing together easier as far as matching, and I want a bigger quilt for my queen sized bed. My DH is always partial to black, so I may try to find some black with gold for the sashing. I have some that would be perfect, black with gold mini dots, but alas, I only have about a yard, and need about 3 if my figures are correct.

My brothers visit was very nice, short but nice. Even though we all live within about 4 1/2 hours of each other, we don't get together that often, and it was wonderful to spend time with them. I think that I will go to Jacksonville in the next couple of months and maybe visit. I'd like a little road trip. Hopefully, DH will be up to it.

My brother from Jacksonville, brought an old machine in a cabinet for my granddaughter-in-law, and after we oiled it it zoomed along. The only thing is, it is missing the bobbin case and it's not a well known brand. That's my next project is to try to find one that will work. She, Marcy the new mom, said she'd like the machine if I'll show her how to use it. She made a real cute quilt when she was younger, so I think that it will come back to her when we get her up and running. There's no hurry, as she has plenty to do for now. See what I mean.