Table Runner - What a Surprise

This is one side of the table runner I'm making for my coffee table.  I think with the other red, white and blues that I've made this year that The Fourth of July will be well represented.

I'm not sure if pictures like this should be tall or wide. 

Collage of a group of collages, the table toppers that I have made this year.  You'd think I'd had enough, but I still have a few spots, and then there are always holidays. 

April Rainbow Scrap Challenge and Hiddenwells Goof Up

This is what a hiddenwells looks like when the blocks are put together wrong, oops.  I don't feel too bad though, it will be mostly covered up with a lamp and knick-knacks.  This one is only about 21 by 21 inches. 

And the reverse side.  I didn't do as well as I would have liked centering it, but I promise, it is square, although it doesn't look like it here.   This side fits right into Angela's Soscrappy, which you can visit here to see lots of green, as it is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for April. 

Since I made my hiddenwells smaller, I got 5 cuts out of each stripset instead of the usual 4.  With the leftovers I decided to make mug rugs.  These are only about 5 by 9 or so.  These are the first mug rugs that I've made, I always wonder if they are actually useful.  I wonder if anyone really uses them.  I made 2 and this is the front and the back.   I can do better when I take time, but these were hurry up jobs. 

Hiddenwells Table Topper Finished

It's not great, but it is finished.  It's about 35 1/2 by 35 1/2 inches.  Two more red, white and blue smaller table toppers to do and my living and dining rooms will be ready for summer and the Fourth of July.

I always try to do reversible, and this is the other side.  I think it'll do nicely for part of spring.  It has to share with St Patricks and Easter.   I guess technically Valentine's is still winter, but it seems like spring here in Florida.  
For more Finish it up Friday posts visit Crazy Mom Quilts here.

Progress on Table Topper

The back of the table topper is ready, yes, it's wonky, it's supposed to be. 

I went to our new Hobby Lobby and picked up this fabric for the border of the Hiddenwells side of the table topper.  With a little luck, tomorrow I can finish it.  I should be working on BOM's and RSC, but I'm off on another tangent.  I still have 2 more smaller tabletoppers to figure out and make. 

Misc., Hidden Wells, China Cabinet, Sandhill Cranes and Vomit, Oh My!

Just one more picture of my Throwing Up Scraps (Scrap Vomit), all washed and crinkly and on my bed with clean sheets.  DH is enjoying them all now. 

We decided that some more red, white and blue on the tables in the living and dining room would be nice when our friends get here, so this is No. 1.  Another hidden wells, I think it's going to be nice.  This one will have borders and the reverse I decided will be purples.   Maybe another wonky log cabin, as that takes the stress out of trying to get things centered. 

When my husband was in the hospital we received the little Shar Peis as a gift from our grandchildren in Germany.  I promised a picture of them in use, it took me long enough.  They have magnets in their lips (do dogs have lips).

The sandhill cranes were right in my front yard, the closest I've been to them.  I was only about 10 feet away, I would guess.  I need to get some corn or something from the feed store, maybe they'll visit again.   They make a racket, I decided that they sound like pinking shears cutting thick fabric, but much louder. 

Two of my favorite things, the big birds and my car. 

Throwing Up Scraps (Scrap Vomit) Finished

My second large finish for the year, and it is large.  I don't mind that it will shrink a few inches.  I haven't run it by DH yet to see if he thinks it's too busy for our bed.  If yes, it'll go back on my sewing room bed after washing, if no, my Easy Street will come in here and this one will go in the master bedroom.   The back is just a sage green flannel sheet, it was a king set, so I had a good start, but still had to do a little piecing.

It sure is nice to have it done.  the fabric in the bottom right is my two coin quilts, they will be next after I do April's BOM's and RSC. 

Redneck Dingbat Quilter has a Tutorial and a Giveaway

If you'd like to see how to make this, and maybe even win one, go here.

Basting and Thinking, Oh No!

I started basting at 9am, as you can see on the clock, and I just finished at 8pm.  That's solid basting except for a couple of hours when DH and I went to lunch.  Early morning light.

Early evening light.  This quilt is so big that even folding it was hard, lol.   Now to the thinking part, that's the bad thing about thread basting, lots of time to think.  When I finish this quilt and the replacement Scrappy Lattice, I'll have seven large bed sized quilts, and I have three queen sized beds.  I only have a smallish house, so I think that is probably enough.  I also have several large lap sized quilts and I'm working on more quilts that are already started, at least one of which will be another large queen size.   I always have known that just because I love quilts doesn't mean that others could care less.   Recently, a couple of things have reminded me of that fact, one was my son, who can't see any pattern to my quilts (except for the Scrappy Lattice and a Quiltville mystery.   Those two he thought could be good enough to sell in the store, which seems to be the equivelent of saying that my quilts at their best are almost as good as a bedspread off the rack at Penney's or Sears)   He says he loves his quilt, but I know if that's so it's only because I made it for him, not because it has any other value, except to keep warm.   The other was my brother who had forgotten that I had made him two quilts.  He uses one regularly, but the other evidently came home, was set on the floor beside his desk and forgotten.  After we discussed it, he remembered that he had seen something on the floor (his house is neat and clean, but he's a bachelor, so things sit where they land for a while sometimes, and he has housekeepers, so they do the vacuuming and moving things to clean under) and it turned out to be his quilt that I had given him back in May of 2011.  I don't feel mad at anyone, I can't expect that others value what I value.  I think that I've decided to cut way back on quilting though, maybe even give it up.  I have projects that I have started that I want to finish, but  I've given quilts to almost everyone I know, and I don't need more.   I will hopefully get more exercise, eat better since I may start cooking again, and have a cleaner house, more room and money , too.  My house has always been pretty clean, but it hasn't been as clean since I have become obsessed with computers and quilting.   Anyway, that's my plans, maybe I'll go back to sewing clothes and such, but I think I have enough quilts.  I enjoy making them, and I may have to wean myself, like a drug addict or alcoholic, but it is starting to seem like enough is enough.

Craftsy Re-Piecing the Past-Lesson 6

Since I don't know when our friends are visiting, I decided to get a head start on April.   I can do this series and the Craftsy BOM 2012 series ahead of time, so this was my choice.  Not my finest hour, I cut off some points and I just can't seem to get the hang of not ironing as I go, which is what the instructor recommends.  Maybe, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, lol. 

Southern Pride Block

Union Pride Block

Rally Round the Flag Block

It was fun adding them to my mock-up.  Next lesson is the house on the bottom right, which I'm looking forward to.  Only 3 more blocks and then it's on to the sashings.  I don't know if I'll go strickly with how Kaye England, the instructor did it, or branch out a bit.   I also got the back and binding done for my Throwing Up Scraps (Scrap Vomit), so I'm hoping to get it basted and quilted soon.  It's even more of a monster than my Easy Street, about 108 by 108.  I guess I'd better get ready for a backache. 

Just Wondering

I purchased these flannel sheets from ShopNBC on sale, it's good quality 5.6 ounce flannel and it was on clearance for about $30.00 and then the shipping was $10.00, so total around $40.00.  I know that many don't like to use sheets for backs and none of us like to pay shipping, but I figure if the price is low enough it is still a good deal.  I started wondering how much fabric I actually get from a set of king sized sheets.  This flannel has been washed, so it has shrunk already and I ended up with 2 pieces 13.5 by 72, and 2 pieces 36 by 40.  I also have 1 piece 100 by 100 and another 68 x 104 inches.  All of my measurements were under rather than over and I figured about 21,896 inches.  Since a yard has 1296 inches, I figure that I got 16.9 yards from my set of sheets.  That comes to about $2.37 a yard, which isn't bad at all and I have mostly nice big pieces to start off my back.  All in all, I'm happy with what I feel was a bargain.  If only I could figure out some good use for that brand new elastic.  
PS  Another thought.  This is for the back of a quilt for my bed, but if it were for a gift, or if I liked to sleep on flannel (which I don't, but I live in Florida), I could not cut up the pillow cases (the 2 pieces 36 by 40 inches) and give them to the recipient of a gift.  I know some ladies make pillowcases as gift wrapping.