Whew, Little Is Much Easier Than Big

Yes, that is Christmas fabric.  It isn't a Christmas quilt, but I couldn't resist using my little half square triangels left over from my Iowa (Carolina) Christmas.  There is also some Christmas fabric in the string blocks, but hopefully the over all effect will not be Christmas.  I have all the steps done now as far as making the components, except for adding the triangles to make the trapezoids (I think) for the borders.  It's definitely scrappy, and only 14 of these to go.  That's sure easier than 29 more to go.  This block was rather wavy, but I was able to press it pretty flat.  Hopefully, I'll do better on the others.  

Ooops!  I just realized that the browns are supposed to match, too (in addition to the greens).  I'm too far on this block to redo it, so I guess I'll have 10 that are correct, 1 that's really wrong, and 4 that are sort of wrong.  Oh well.  If I were a perfectionist I'd make 16, but I think that it'll just be unique (or so I tell myself). 

The String Block Saga

I'm kind of stuck on my purple sashed paintbox, as I'm waiting for some fabrics that I've ordered from Connecting Threads.  I've used their fabrics, but not their new solids and I've seen good reviews.  The sale price was $2.99 a yard, so I'm going to give it a try.  Anyway, I thought maybe I should get back to the string blocks for Roll Roll Cotton Bowl while I wait.  I've tried to like making string blocks, and now, I've made 24 and I still don't like them.  I know that many people do, and many people find them mindless sewing, but I find them boring and stressful, as I am constantly worried if the strings are long enough.  Even on these two I had to add a bit before I cut them out.  I decided to make a smaller version, and googled and found this one, she didn't really do string blocks, but I liked the size and the looks of her's about 56 x 74, and I like not needing to make any more string blocks, lol.   Maybe, if I get busy, I'll be able to make some good progress on my RRCB while I wait.  I've probably got more than I need of the little half square triangles since I'm making it much smaller, and that seemed to be most people's second stumbling block.  Anyway, I feel much happier about my RRCB and less string blocks.   Not only that, I've found another nice blog.      

PS   I almost got to go to a Bonnie Hunter workshop.   They were having one about 50 miles from me and when I was going to sign up they said that they hadn't had enough sign up (unbelievable) but that there were two 75 miles away.  Unfortunately, the one 75 miles away has a quilt with lots of string blocks.  I decided not to take it, for the reasons above concerning string blocks.  However a friend and I are going to go to the Lecture/Trunk Show which is still on at the 50 mile location.  I am really looking forward to seeing Bonnie's program, it's on June 16th at 7 pm.  We are going to make a night of it, go early and have dinner, do a little shopping at the fabric store, and see Bonnie.  She is a new quilter, but after the lecture, I'll bet she's a Bonnie fan, too. 

June Goal Quilt Finished

My first paintbox quilt is finished.  I could have finished it a couple of days earlier but I had already put June on the label, and I liked the idea of finishing it on what would have been my parents wedding anniversary.  Sixty-six years if they were still here.

The back was a little fancier than my normal ones.  I've gotten to where I have backed several of my last quilts with 100 percent cotton sheets.  This one is a Moda solid, and somehow it seems heavier to me.  Maybe it's partly due to the piecing on the back.  It seems to weigh a lot for its size.   It hasn't been washed yet, so maybe that will lighten it up a bit.

Another embroidery machine label.  No recipient's name on this one.  I haven't decided what to do with it yet.  There are a few possibilities.  For a while it will live at my house, probably at least until I finish the other one, which will probably be this month.  I've ordered some lavender solids for it, so it will be lavenders and purples instead of browns and tans.

PS   I gave this quilt Last night (June 10th) to my visiting teacher, Becky Thomas, who has been visiting me for over 4 years.

Paintbox Flimsy

Oh, Fransson finished her Paintbox Quiltalong back April 2010, and I've finally gotten one of my smaller lap sized quilttops to the flimsy stage, without the borders.   Hers had 80 blocks, and mine has 54.  Hers has no borders and mine will have a small and a large border.   Hers is gorgeous and mine I hope will not only be half sized, but at least half as pretty.   I will end up with 2 quilts, but I don't know yet whether the other will have this color sashing, or maybe white or some other color.  I delivered my Gator quilts to my brothers this week, and they seemed to be happy with them.  It was very good to see them.

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.

I Made it for April!

I made it, Saturday was basting day, Sunday quilting day, and this AM binding and now just washing and drying and delivering left.   I think that it doesn't look quite as busy now, and hopefully it will be liked.   Quilting day is always too much thinking day for me.   I can't hear the TV or the Ipod, so I'm on my own and then I start to think my arms are tired, my back is tired and I think that half the people who I make quilts for would just as soon have a blanket from Walmart or a $10.00 gift certificate.   If I weren't quilting I'd have a cleaner house, more nourishing food, and more money, such are my thoughts.   Then when the quilt is finished I feel better again.  Does anyone else have these heretical thoughts, lol.

The label.  I did well keeping all the directional fish fabrics swimming in the right direction, and then this guy is upside down on the back.  Oh well, nobody is perfect.

I need to find a new way of photographing my quilts.  Until then this is my number two pose.   For me keeping up my goal is new and different, and here it is a finish for April.

A Little (Maybe a lot) Busy

I hoped this quilt would be like this one, this one, or this one, only different.  After all, I did use my leader and ender 16 patches.  However, it turned out looking much more busy.  It was supposed to look a little beachy (although I couldn't find any beach fabric that would seem to work in my mind, so I chose fish since they are in the ocean and she has an aquarium) and her favorite colors were blue, purple, and white.  Check, check, check, only when put together with my 16 patches, chaos.  I am going to use a narrow green border and then a wide border from the fish fabric.  Hopefully, it will be toned down a bit.  It's for a young girl about 14 who is moving and decorating her room with a beach theme, so if she doesn't like it I guess I'll make her another one.  

PS  I'm supposed to get the rest of my Gator Fabric today, and then I'll try to get them finished and then back to my Paintbox quilts.  The Gator quilts are for my brothers and my Paintbox quilts don't have any destination yet (maybe, one for me) so they keep taking a back seat.   I'm hoping to finish Alex's quilt (the one in the picture) before the end of April to keep up my goal of at least one quilt finish a month. 

PPS  We went to visit our new great grandbaby but it was a short visit.  We had a flat on the way, and a 100 mile trip on the toll roads turned into a 5 and 1/2 hour journey with tow truck and trip to Walmart to get a new tire.  We took them to dinner and got to see the and hold the baby, Cecilia, and she is tiny and adorable.  

Last Six Done

Last of the 24, I now have 108, 54 for each lap quilt.  Now on to the 3,500,000 sashings, lol.

Yea, for leaders and enders, now I have lots of 2 patches. 

Six More to Go!