One Center Down Three To Go

One center down, three to go, and then on to the borders.

Getting Going on my Manly Quilts

I've got four to finish before the end of next month, so I figured I'd better get started. They don't look like much now, but hopefully the finished product will be good. They'll be colorful anyway, but hopefully not too colorful, as I don't think most men like that.

Finished Nine Patch

My nine patch from Crazy Mom Quilt's quiltalong is finished and will be delivered today. It has its flaws, but I hope that she likes it, it will be a surprise. It is the last of the three that I had to do, and some time in the future I may do another, as DH said he thinks it is one of his favorites that I have made, and they are certainly easy enough.
Sorry again for the terrible lighting. I need to make an effort to take them outside, or at least in my sewing room, the lighting is better there.

Misc.

My grandson was having a boys night out with his brothers, playing cards and watching fights, so DH and I got to have a visit from his wife and their baby, our great-granddaughter.

As you can see, she is a cutie, and is 8 months old already. She didn't smile at me once while I had the camera and was taking pictures, but she was all smiley most of the time while they visited.


















This morning I got to see my son and my youngest granddaughter. We took a class together at a nursery making a hanging cone basket. I didn't get a picture yet, but will try to include one in my next post. It is hanging in a tree in my backyard. Unfortunately, it tipped over in the car on the way home and we need to take the car to the carwash and use their vacumn.
I have the top done for my Crazy Mom Quilts white quiltalong quilt, now on to the borders and then a back and binding to make, and then my "favorite" basting. DH was kind enough to hold it up for me.



















I ordered some thread from J Hittle, they have very good prices, also got the bobbin holder from them, the bobbins and scissors are from Allbrands, and the fabric is from Hancock's of Paducah. My last 2 orders from Hancock's have been complete, maybe they have a better inventory system now, used to be if I got half I was lucky. It was a fun mail week. Nothing else coming now, although I am using up all my Kona Snow for the nine patch quilt, and may order a small stock of it if I find a bargain.

Nine Patches

I've made a good start on my nine patch, cut all the sashings and have them sewn on one side of each block. I'm anxious to get this one done, I think if it's half as pretty as Crazy Mom Quilt's versions, it'll be a pretty one.

P.S. I mailed my packages on Saturday the cheapest way not priority mail and I was surprised to get a call from my brother that he received his package Monday and on Wednesday I heard from the lady who received the package in Pennsylvania that she received hers. I got a text and then when the kids got home from day care a call and many thanks from them all. I think that they really liked the quilts and were happy to receive them. My brother probably won't open his until September when the birthday girls have their get together.

Taking a Break From This Project

Here are the blocks for my 4 manly quilts. As you can see there isn't much to them, but it still seemed like a job, lol. There are 45 different fabrics and just about every color, so either they will look scrappy or chaotic, I'm hoping for scrappy.
A family friend has done a very nice thing for us, so I thought how can I say thank you? I'm sure that you can guess what I came up with. I was trying to think how I could make a quilt quickly and I decided to use my nine patch blocks and finish up my last nine patch quiltalong quilt from Crazy Mom Quilts. I think this time I'll go with her original colors and use the white sashing. There are blocks in every color, so hopefully she will have a place for it, it should go with something, lol. She has 3 homes so I think there should be some place to use it.

No Imagination!

I've decided on my next project and gotten a start on it. I think that the strips pictured will be enough, if my figures are correct, for 4 manly sized quilts. The reason that I have no imagination is that they will be the same as the big boy quilts (which I made 5 of) except for the fabrics are different and they will be a little larger. It is such an easy quilt, and I need 4, 1 for each of my 2 brothers, 1 for my grandson Jacob, who is the only one of my daughters children who I haven't given a quilt to yet, and 1 for my brother in Jacksonville's son Joey, who also hasn't received a quilt previously. I told my brothers that I would probably have them done by the end of October, so they need to be time friendly. Last night I made an order at Hancock's of Paducah. Fabrics for borders for 3 of the quilts (I already have some USM fabric for my brother who was in the marines). My brother from Jacksonville and his son are both avid fishermen, so I ordered fish themed prints for them and my grandson Jacob is another musician in the family, so I ordered some fabric with guitars and other instruments for him. Instead of red narrow border fabric, on these it will be a shade of green. I hope Hancock's comes through this time. Last time I ordered they had everything, but I have had orders in the past that were very disappointing in that they were out of much of what I ordered. I was lucky in that the only fabric that I ordered that wasn't on sale was the musical themed.
We made a short trip to Ikea this past weekend, didn't look around much, just went straight to the section that we were looking for, and the green trash can was my main purchase. I have a large white one in my kitchen which I like very much, and every time I go back I covet the small ones. I don't care too much for green, but this cheerful little trash can appealed to me. Now, I have 5 trashes in my small sewing room, I think it is probably enough. They are all necessary though I'm sure, 1 by my Juki, which I quilt on, 1 by my embroidery machine, 1 by my faithful old Bernina, 1 under my cutting/ironing table, and now 1 by my desk. I must be a trashy person, lol. We had originally gone to look at their fabrics. I didn't get any of that, but I got a little bud vase for less than a dollar and a wire curtain hanger to hang the small quilt over the fuse box. That was Saturday, yesterday was DH and grandson Jacob's birthdays, so we met him for lunch. It was a nice day although not as planned. We were supposed to go to Busch Garden with my daughter, her fiance and some of the grandkids, but DH had one of his sleepless nights so we had to cancel. Hope you had a nice weekend, too.

About to be Out of Here!

Finally, everything is finished for this round. Hayley's and Naomi's (above and below) will be on their way to Jacksonville soon. The dark blue in the photo above is the bottom of the tote bag. It isn't exactly blending, but it hardly shows when the tote bag is sitting. It is leftover flannel from the backing on my Carolina Straightaway.
The pink and blue 9 patches will also be on their way to Pennsylvania soon.













The fleece blankets and travel pillows and cases will be out of here in the next day or two also, but we will deliver them locally. I wasn't too satisfied with the machine embroidery after they were washed, but they aren't horrible, just not as good as I'd like.







































Last night, my granddaughter and one grandson came for dinner and since my grandson and husband are both musical, they played with my husband's trusty old accordion for awhile. It is about fifty years old. I thought my grandson did pretty well for a first try. It is nice that my grandchildren are feeling more free to come and visit more, we enjoy their company. These are my daughter's children, unfortunately my son's children live farther away and we don't get to see them very much.
Today's going to be interesting. My daughter's non-profit is supported by doing paperwork for other non-profit's and it was very slow for awhile and now has picked up a lot. I volunteered to help her catch up. I've already warned her that the old brain is not as quick as it used to be, but it'll be interesting to go to "work" after being retired for about 4 and 1/2 years. Wish her luck.

Little "Bits" to show for the Day

I had done the machine embroidery for these two labels the other day, and today I started out by finishing them up and sewing them on. These are on the two nine patch quilts from Crazy Mom Sew's Quiltalong. They are ready to pack up and send off as soon as I finish my niece and great niece's fleece blankets. They are going another place, but I might as well get them ready for the post office at the same time.
Ethan and Savanna are the children of my grandson's former girlfriend.














Next project, sew the small and large pillowcases for my great niece, Hayley's birthday. Now her tote bag and pillowcases are done, only the fleece blanket to go.













Then, it was on to her mom's and her bindings for their fleece blankets. Guess which is flannel and which is cotton? This flannel is very soft and cushy, hopefully Hayley will like everything.













Last project (I think) for the day (unless I get a second wind). I made the 3 pillowcases and 3 bindings for our Chinese friends little girls. I'm afraid everything may look a little more Japanese than Chinese, but all I could find specifically Chinese was things like dragons. I hope that it is ok. Since they are from a different culture and one that they are very proud of, I hope that it isn't any type of offense or anything. I already had the fabric because I liked it and probably would have used it for a granddaughters gift if I hadn't used it for this. The oriental girl embroidery is on one of the fleece blankets and will look better when washed and the stabilizer gone. Each of the three has a different oriental girl. The girls are 7, 5 and 5.
We got travel sized pillows to put in the pillowcases, and the fleece blankets are quite puffy. I hope that we can find some gift bags large enough at the dollar store.













Sorry about the mess, it's sort of a semi-organized clutter. Getting better organized is a goal I'm working toward, and every project hopefully is getting me closer. More and more "closet clutter" gone.
PS My oldest grandson stopped by today and had lunch with us and he had asked me previously to help him with mending as he has split all his pants except two. I remembered the come back "would you ask Picasso to paint your shed", but since he needs them for work and is on his own, I agreed. He's bringing them Saturday morning. Why is it even when we enjoy sewing we don't enjoy mending. Oh well, it will be my good deed for the day, lol.

Mackenzie is So excited about Grandma Wragg's Quilt

Day before yesterday, we had my daughter, my grandson Nathan and his wife Marcy, the baby, and my other grandson Micah over for lunch. We had a really nice visit and Nathan mentioned that he liked my green and purple quilt, so I gave it to them. This little video was on Marcy's facebook today with the caption "Mackenzie is So excited about Grandma Wragg's quilt". I thought that it was really cute, and wanted to share. She is such a little cutie and has a really sweet personality.

http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1626113340&k=ZYGZX6TXQ5TFY1AIQA5YU5PQ2TKE46YG&oid=1375201539775

Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to bring the video over from facebook, but above is a link for theose who are on facebook. The video is cute, she kicks her little legs repeatedly and then feels the quilt, and then does it all over again 4 or 5 times in the 30 second video.