{Scrappy} Trip Around the World

The Scrappy Trip Quilt has come back from the quilter and made its way back to be bound before it goes off to live with its owner.  This is one of the quilts I made Leona as part of our great bargain.  Yesterday, before the hubs left for Tallahassee I managed to get him to hold it for long enough to get its picture taken - at 84 x 84 it's too big for the fence!  He wasn't exactly patient, however, so I didn't have much of a chance to get creative. 

Leona chose all dots from her stash in bright, fun colors, and they look stunning in this setting, don't they?  I don't have nearly this many dots in my stash, but the temptation is strong to go dot shopping and make myself one just like it!  I really love how bold and bright these colors are together.

I think one of really fun things about the way this quilt goes together is how it looks like it's done on the diagonal, but in reality the blocks are square.  Bonnie Hunter's method for putting this quilt together is genius!

This is one quilt I'll be sorry to drop into the mailbox.  

Lazy Sunday Quilt - On Friday {is that a problem?}

A little over a year ago, my friend Leona and I came up with a bargain - she would "sell" me her Accu-Quilt Go! cutter and I would make her four quilts.  What a deal, huh?

First I made this scrappy Flea Market Fancy Hugs and Kisses quilt.

Then I made this Neptune Snow Globes quilt.

Then I made this dotty Scrappy Trip Along quilt.

And the whole time I was kind of plodding along with this Fat Quarter Shop Vintage Modern Block of the Month Mystery quilt.  About the time I was finishing up the blocks and starting on the finishing kit, she decided that this quilt had some difficult memories for her and she really didn't want the quilt after all.  And this after I had made doubles of all the blocks!  Note that FQS BOM kits are so generous, I got two blocks out of almost all of them - I was thinking "a quilt for Leona, and a quilt for me."  But since she decided she didn't want this quilt, I've been feeling a little guilty....  I didn't feel like I had lived up to my part of the deal we made.

So when Leona decided she wanted this Lazy Sunday quilt (pattern by Lee of May Chappel Designs) made from Anna Maria Horner's Dowry and True Colors lines, I agreed to make it immediately.  Even though there were 112 blocks required to make the double size quilt, they were fast and easy and fun.  In a day I had the blocks made and I put the quilt together over the next couple of days.  Then it took me another two days to get around to taking the pictures.  Less than a week from start to finish, and on top of a bunch of other stuff I was doing.

Since I was trying to take photos between rain squalls, I asked my friends Bob and Billie to hold the quilt up off the ground for me, rather than my usual pin-it-to-the-fence method.  And it's sideways for the same reason.

Here's the quilt right side up, but everything else is kind of topsy-turvy.  Anyway, I love how these fabrics in this pattern make just a riot of color!  I think it will be truly spectacular when it is quilted.  I just can't wait.

Meanwhile, I finished up another baby quilt, this one for Billie's new grandchild, Locke.  Mom and Dad decided not to find out the baby's gender beforehand, so neutral colors were the thing.  Their nursery is green with a monkey theme, so I used a really cute monkey fabric for the backing.  I really had fun making these two hexie flower baby quilts (click here to see the pink one).  They're super fast and a blast to make.  I think there will be more of these in my future.

I'm linking up with crazymomquilts for Finish-it Friday.

So what have you been up to this week?

WIP Wednesday... 4 finishes and a WIP

I'm not exactly sure how it got to be the 10th of October already, but here we are.  It is officially fall, the weather is cooler, the leaves are changing, and here in Florida, the humidity has dropped to reasonable - even pleasant - levels in the wake of quasi-Tropical Storm Karen.

I finished the string block quilt which was my October goal in my 13 in 2013 challenge.  It went a lot faster than I thought it would.

Barely an afternoon's quilting and it was finished!  I was amazed.

I tried a wood-grain quilting pattern, and I have to say, it was kind of fun.  Certainly nowhere near perfect, but I'm satisfied with it.

I did a herringbone design in the first border.  Looking at it now, it might be further apart that it should have been, but I don't dislike it at all.

And the outer border is kind of a wonky diamond design.  And frankly, I really like the stripey binding.

So, this one is a wrap, and I'm ok with the results.

And I finally sat down and finished the last of the scrappy trip along blocks.  I really love the combination of dots and solids that Leona chose.  So happy!

Since Leona only wanted a quilt top, this one is a finish also.  I love how the square blocks look like they are on the diagonal.  I love how the colors play together.  It took me a bit to decide how to lay this one out, but I'm glad I chose the traditional layout.  The quilt is 7 blocks square, or 84" x 84"  Glad I'm not quilting this one myself!

I finished my latest Weekender Bag.  This is the one I started as the demo for my class at Derrel's of Pensacola in September.  I did this one in blue, and used Lizzy House's Castle Peeps as the focal fabric.  I must be into stripes lately.  I really like the stripey piping on this one too.

I had a lot of fun with the Castle Peeps in making this bag.

And I finally took photos of the last of the citrus quilts.  This is the one I kept - mostly because Abby liked it.  It may yet be a Project Linus quilt, but somehow I just couldn't part with it.  I love how the blues in this quilt make the citrus colors pop.

I tried a leaf design on this one, and it was a lot of fun to do.

Yup!  I kinda like this one.

I got the rows put together in my Starflower quilt.  Would you just look at those points???  Amanda's method for perfect points is, well....  perfect.  Honestly, they all look like that.  How did my daughter get to be so smart?  Now all I need to do is to cut and attach the borders....

So, that's what's been going on around here in the last week or so.  I'd love to know what you've been up to. 

WIP Wednesday in a Week of {Wonderful} Distractions...

I have to admit that I've been a little distracted this week, and that not much quilty progress has been made.  I had a rare and wonderful visit from my daughter and son-in-law and the grands, and so quilty things moved down the priority list a ways.  It was great to have them visit, if only for a short while, and in fact, I'm a little mopey today, now that they're gone.  I'm missing them terribly - especially the little people.  They were so fun!

Although we only live about 8 miles from the beach, I seldom go.  I can honestly say that I've spent more time at the beach (and seen more HUGE jellyfish!) in the last 5 days than probably in the last 5 years. 

Besides the beach, I got to spend some quality time with the grands.  Their daddy's birthday was Monday, so I babysat while mommy and daddy went out for a little adults-only birthday dinner.  We laughed and read lots of stories and had a blast.  Britton even went to sleep on Grandma's lap - funny how the beach wears them out.  And Britton thinks my rendition of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is just hilarious.  Now THAT was pure joy!

I really meant to make some progress on my Starflower quilt, especially since the Starflower guru herself was here to give me an in-person tutorial, but I never did...

I did get some more of these made.  I have a total of 37 (out of 49) done.  I've developed a snazzy little chain piecing method that works for me and helps them go pretty fast...

And since we had a little after-the-kids-went-to-bed movie time, I worked on this project a little bit, and I feel like I have made a lot of progress.  I have this quilt top to the size I want it in width...  I think I have 2 rows to go in length until the top is finished.  Then I have to figure out how to quilt it.  Decisions...  Decisions...

My one finish for the week was The Woodland by the Lake II quilt I am making for my photography teacher.  I quilted it with Loops and Leaves, and I'm actually pretty excited about the quilting.

Loops and Leaves seemed appropriate for an outdoorsy sort of quilt, don't you think?

So that's it.  Maybe this week I'll get back in my groove.

But I'd rather be at the beach with the grands!

WIP Wednesday - Or, How the Heck Did it Get to Be Wednesday Again??

It's another Wednesday, and as usual, I find myself wondering, "How did that happen?"  The weeks just whirl by, don't they?  School started this week and so did early morning Seminary, meaning I have 8 high school students that show up at my door at 6:25 a.m. ready to do a little gospel study.  Needless to say, aside from lesson preparation, my sleep cycle is a little disturbed this week.  But I have to say, it's a great way to start the day.  My little den is full-to-bursting every morning, as my class doubled again this year, for the third year in a row.  If it doubles again next year, I'll have to find a new classroom, I think.

So here's my big finish for the week...  This cute little stitchery is winging its way to it's new home.  It was my offering in the Super Swaps swap on Flickr.  The assignment was to create something for your partner with "embellishments"....  If the embroidery didn't qualify, the buttons should.  I thought about rick rack and ribbon, but decided to let this little piece speak for itself.  This little cutie is part of my friend Ellyn's Stitchalong.  Too cute.  She has done one a month in 2013, and I had a difficult time deciding between August and February.  Maybe I'll get to February soon.  I haven't done a lot of embroidery lately, but it's so relaxing just to sit and stitch.

I FINISHED FINISHED the bookshelf quilt top the other day.  After giving it serious thought, I decided did want to add borders to the bottom and the top of my Bookshelf quilt (it's hanging sideways on the fence so it won't drag in the dirt).  It really bugged me that it was wider than it was long.  It was such an easy fix - especially because Leona gave me a couple yards of the fabric last week when we met for lunch.  I added a 3 -1/2 inch white border and a 5-1/2 inch pink border to each end.  I am so much happier with this quilt now!  As it happens, I am out of batting after my marathon sandwiching session at the ECMQG meeting, so quilting this will have to wait awhile, but I am happy with it now, and will put it away for a bit.

The ECMQG is doing a Modern Maples QAL, and of course, I need to be a part of that.  I cut out the focus fabric before I left on vacation last month, but hadn't done the background fabrics because I didn't know what I wanted to do.  My friend Krista suggested doing some low volume fabrics as the background, and as soon as she said it, I knew it was perfect.  Not only that, she shipped me the fabrics to use, since I'm more of a brights kind of gal and haven't really invested in low volume fabrics (aside from one "Inside Voices" bundle from my favorite fabric shop).  I really have wonderful friends, don't I?

I mis-read the instructions in the pattern, and cut 72 4-1/2" squares for the blocks.  Not sure why I thought that was such a good idea that I didn't say "huh?" and go back and re-read it, but apparently I was in a cutting mood, and cut I did.  Needless to say, I had a BUNCH of low volume squares left over after I finished the leaves.  BUT, making lemonade out of lemons, I decided to piece some of the background-only blocks, and I'm really glad I did.

I really like that ghost of a leaf right in the center - can  you see it?

So here's another top finished, and in to the to-be-quilted pile, right behind the other 5 6 waiting to be quilted...

In other news, I've been playing along with Amanda's Starflower QAL, and I'm so excited.  I'm actually keeping up!  I usually stink at QALs, but with this one, I was determined not. to. get. behind.  Amanda's instructions are superb and almost every block came out with perfect points.  I teased her about using the word "obtuse" to describe the angle, and she said, "That's what it's called, isn't it?"  Yes, of course, dear, but I honestly haven't used that word to actually describe angles since I graduated 9th grade I think.  I had to really stretch to remember what it meant. 

I now have a lovely pile of beautiful stars, just waiting for the next step in our QAL.  (See, perfect points!)  The fabric, by the way, is Beechwood Park, by Jeanean Morrison.  I am really loving it in these star blocks.  Of course, you can buy it here. 

As I said, I must have been in the cutting zone that night, because I kind of over-did the diamonds for the stars as well.  There is surely enough here to make another quilt. Oops!

And I finally got to work on the fourth (and last) "commissioned" quilt for Leona in repayment of my Accu-Quilt debt.  This one is a Scrappy Trip Around the World, all done in dots and solids.  I really LOVE these blocks.  They are so bright and happy. 

And I'm actually getting to play with my new design wall, which is really fun!  Maybe it will be useful after all.  (I really love how bright and happy these blocks are!)

So here's where I am on this project...  Again, sorry about the lighting - an electrician is on the list when the budget allows. 

So, that's what's been happening here.  What are you working on?