I finally started it!

I finally started quilting the church quilt.  This quilt was a collaborative effort.  One lady's mother embroidered the blocks, then she put them together and put a border around them.  Now I am quilting it.  There are actually three borders on it and they had me roadblocked.  I couldn't figure out how to quilt them.  I was all ready to go, just could not make that first stitch, when Johanna dropped by Saturday morning.  She came downstairs and I bounced some ideas off of her.  With her suggestions and encouragement, the dam was broken and I was able to start quilting.  And once I did, I gained a lot of confidence, because it really didn't look that bad!  I am my own worse critic, you know...

Here's a peak at just a corner that I have done.  There's still a long way to go before it's done, but at least I know what I'm doing on it now!

I have quilted all the border areas now and have to begin on the embroidery squares.  They have blue lines to follow, so that gives me some guidance at least.

Yesterday I had a real nice Mother's Day.  The kids came over and we grilled out.  After they left, I was sitting on the front porch just admiring the moon.  I thought it just looked so pretty and it was so peaceful.

Friday morning

Here's what I did before work this morning:

I sewed the white strips together for the final border on the Paducah Swap quilt.  It may be all the sewing I get done today, but at least it was something!

Last night I went into the bedroom to go to bed and here's what I found:

Yes, Ivy was laying on top of my pillows, after having moved the quilt out of her way, and was looking out the window!  When I went in she just looked at me like "What?  You want me to move?"  Oh well...that's my puppy!

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Lunch with the hubby

Went to lunch with my hubby today.  We haven't done that in a few weeks and it was nice. 

I couldn't get the propane tank off of the grill and was pretty sure it was empty or very close to it.  I asked him to bring it with him when he came up here for lunch and we would get it filled.  Worked out real well.  I prefer to get my tank filled rather than do those swaps.  You just don't know what people have put in them or done to them.  I really would like to have a spare tank and have it filled, just in case I run out of propane in the middle of a meal. 

Didn't do any sewing last night.  Went home and was going back and forth on what I wanted for dinner since Ev had said he was eating a big meal at work and I didn't need to cook for him.  Well, I wanted a BLT (again, my very favorite sandwich in the world) but didn't have the ingredients.  I ended up taking a quick ride over to Staunton to get a few groceries.  I got the fixin's for my beloved sandwich and also a small package of bratwurst.  Cooked them up for Ev to take for his lunch at work today.  Got to keep the hubby fed, you know...  hee hee hee.

Nick stopped by last night.  He was out on the motorcycle for a ride since it was such a nice night.  I was glad he came by because while I was at the grocery store UPS dropped off our replacement receiver for the t.v. and I was able to con him into hooking it up for me!  He's a good kid.  Now Ev doesn't have to worry that the receiver will quit recording in the middle of the hockey playoff game tomorrow (like it did last week!).

I'm going to force myself to go upstairs tonight and at least get those strips sewn together for that final border.  It's so close, I just have to do it and get it done!  Then this week I definitely have to quilt the church quilt.

I like it

Last night I put the first border on the Paducah scrappy quilt.  It's a light purple print that I used in Johanna's jewel box quilt years ago.  I can't even remember how many yards of it I must have bought because I really have a lot of it left!

Now another border of white will go all the way around it and the top will be done.  Yup.  I like it a lot!  I was a bit concerned about going from a dark cornerstone fabric to the light border, but it transitions well and gives it some depth.  The white strips are all cut, they just need to be sewn together.  I'm hoping to do that tonight.

Ivy has a new thing.  Seems like whenever I get on the phone, she barks at me!  Maybe she thinks I'm talking to her, but it's getting a little bit aggravating (even though it is cute!)

I mean, really, who could resist this face?

Hubby's birthday

Today is Ev's birthday.  We aren't really doing anything today because we are both working.  This weekend we plan to go to a nice restaurant with the kids, maybe Saturday. 

I went to the quilt club meeting last night.  It was nice.  I took the top from the Paducah swap for show and tell.  There were a lot of nice things people were showing.  Many of them were made from thrift store finds, which I think is pretty cool.  I like to rescue hand work like that.  It seems a shame for someone to put so much time into a project for it to be discarded into the junk pile.

No sewing last night, but hopefully tonight.  Want to make burgers on the grill for supper right when I get home.  That shouldn't take too long.

Mary and I are already talking about next year's block swap.  We are thinking of making all different kinds of houses and buildings.  I think that will be really neat.

Decisions, decisions

I have the Paducah Swap top all sewn up except for the borders.  Here are a couple of options I am considering:

As much as I like the purple floral print fabric, it just doesn't seem to go with this quilt.  The dark purple under it doesn't have the same pattern as the cornerstones, but it is close.

The second picture shows a lighter purple for the first border which I really like.  I think that is what I'm going to go with, then a white outer border.

Not sure if I will be working on that tonight or not.  May go to quilt club with Sandy this evening.  I was up in the sewing room before work this morning pressing the center of this top and auditioning fabric.  That was thanks to Ivy getting me up earlier than usual.  I was ready to go and had some time on my hands.  The problem with that is that I want to stay home then, instead of going to work!

And just for your viewing pleasure, here's the porcupine fabric that called my name in Hancock's of Paducah.

I just know, somewhere, sometime, I am going to want to make something that has porcupines in it!  hee hee.  Johanna saw it and already wants a rice bag out of it to go with her other rice bag that has penguins on it!

Hope everyone is having a good Monday.



One of three

I picked up one fabric for a friend's quilt.  It's Green Bay Packer fabric (which goes against my Chicago Bear's soul, by the way).  Then I found two other patterns for that team online and ordered it today. 

I did a little sewing after work today, but not too much. Had a lot of running around to do.  Picked up a gyro sandwich for Ev for dinner.  That's my 27 year anniversary gift to him.  I think that is the traditional Hallmark gift....  haha.

Mary's progress

Mary has been working on getting her top from our Paducah swap made.  She is using scraps for her cornerstones and it really looks nice!

She has the top halfway put together.  I'm sure you will recognize some of my blocks.  Isn't it amazing how all those different colors play nicely with each other? 

My favorite block is still the house block.  We are considering doing another swap next year and making them house blocks.  Mary is considering using teal as a border, which I think will look very nice.

A sashing we will go....

Here's what the sashing and cornerstones look like for the Paducah scrap quilt.  I finished all the sashing strips then started attaching them to the rows of blocks.  Four rows have sashing strips attached and just two are left. 

Johanna stopped over for a bit.  She picked up some of her scrubs for work, then wanted me to take in the sides of one of the tops. 

Happy May!

Can you believe it's already May?  Wow, this year is just flying by. 

Went upstairs last night and sewed the last of the squares into rows for the Paducah Quilt and then cut sashing and cornerstones for in between the rows.  Started sewing them also.  Tonight I should be able to spend a couple hours upstairs, so hope to get a lot more done.

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary.  27 years.  Pretty cool.