Gratitude flimsy finished-

We made it throught the holiday just fine. My hand has improved and what I couldn't do, my Daughter-in-law did for me. The grandkids were extra well behaved, the food was yummy. My Marine didn't get to call, but did email that he is headed back for the states, should be here sometime next month. YES! After everyone left yesterday, managed to get up to the sewing room to attach the last border to my gratitude flimsy. Also spent the evening finishing up the applique on my Jo Morton project, today will attach the first row of blocks bordering that.

Speaking of borders, thanks to all of you who shared your thoughts on the borders for my batik challenge quilt. I agree with the group that the batik border is the better choice. One of the things that I have noticed, and that I admire so much with JudyL's quilts, are her borders. She doesn't just slap on a plain strip of fabric, she makes them interesting. I've always just been happy to have gotten that close to completion! LOL Quiltpixie made me aware of Quilt University. While investigating that site, I found a free sample course which was on borders. Kismet! I like Judy's interesting borders, ya'll recommended the more interesting border, a free course in borders.......hmmmmm. I'm going to mull this over for a while and think of what I can do to make the batik borders just a little more interesting. Can't think it over too long as I have a deadline to meet, but I plan to stretch my imagination and my limits just a little bit on this one. Ya'll are growing me!

A quick post

to say that I am still among the blogging. Life has gotten busy, I've had several doctors appointments in the last two weeks, plus babysitting the grandkids since dgd's school is closed this week. Then I jammed my hand and can't hold a pen or scissor-that sure slowed down the quilting! I only have the top and bottom final borders to go on my gratitude quilt. It would have been finished much sooner if not for the hand. I hope to have pictures by the weekend. Today will be a long day at work (how come they don't need me for weeks on end, but the day before a big holiday, they need me extra!?!) Tomorrow family will be filling the house for the holiday. I'm also hoping that my Marine will have the chance to phone home from overseas. I wish everyone a marvelous holiday.

While waiting for the next installment

Of the gratitude quilt instructions, I finally got started on my guild challenge quilt. Last spring we had a guest speaker who did a trunk show of quilts made by her group using this procedure, and we decided to give it a try. Each member brought in uncut yardage of a batik fabric. For example, I brought in a yard, some brought 2 yards, etc. At our meeting how much everyone contributed was recorded, then the fabric was cut into 10" squares. Each yard produces about 12 of these squares, plus some Chinese Coins. The squares were then given to each participant according to how much they had given, so I received 12 squares back.

In trunk show everyone had used the method from Stack a New Deck. Our guild recognizes that a number of our members wouldn't participate if mae that specific. Our challenge was simply to make a top using those squares. We are allowed to use any amount of those fabrics and we may add to them. Some are doing more traditional blocks, some are doing the Sack a New Deck types.

This is what I did. It is from the pattern (and ruler) Boondoggle. I didn't follow the instructions exactly on all the blocks. I wanted to use as much of each as I had, so after doing it using their measurements, I put together some new measurements (on the striped blocks) to make the fabric go further. I also added background and more batiks for the solid diamonds. I'm not totally thrilled, I might have done better to use a Stack a New Deck pattern, but I do like it.

I also got hubby to help me put the center into Photoshop to play with finishing possiblities. The second two are the photoshop mock ups to give an idea of two choices I'm considering. I'm debating between just putting a border of the background and calling it done, or bordering with batiks.

What do you think?

Neopolitan Delight...

That is the name I'm thinking of for my gratitude quilt. It reminds me of Neopolitan ice cream with the three flavors: vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Actually, these pinks make me think a little of Cherry Garcia. (can you tell I've been dieting for the last 6 months?) Many of these fabrics were earmarked for another quilt and all were just FQs. I was able to do all the little patches and still have enough from each FQ that I can still use them much as originally planned. Anyway, after the last two hour-a-day-quilts with their very brown/tan/gold/orange colors, the change of pace was fun. While I worried about how some of these pinks would go together, I love the way it looks. AND....no calories!

Goooood weekend!

I have had a terrific weekend. Saturday I had lunch with some lady camper friends. We all met through an internet group for our type of camper. There are three of us that live within a close distance, and we have all visited each other at campsites and grabbed lunch together now and then. A fourth woman from Florida had ordered a camper from a dealer local to us (in N Georgia). She has been talking about when her 'baby' would be delivered. We all met for lunch on Saturday to celebrate the arrival of her baby. In the middle of the resturant, at noon on a Saturday, we held a baby shower. We did get some odd looks. At our ages we are all a little old to be having a baby. And then she opened the packages- things like wheel chocks, step stools, bungee cords, fix-a-flat, and a porta potty - all wrapped in baby wrappings. What a hoot!

Today I finally worked on Leaf Season again, and it is now in the flimsy stage. AND ...Gratitude is up to date. I'm flying high- yippee. I'm up to date until Judy gives us the next installment. I'm guessing it will be to start putting the 25 patch together, and I haven't cut the little squares yet, so I'll be behind again pretty soon. For tonight, I'm a happy quilter.

Gratitude progress

While I have not gotten the leaf season to the flimsy stage (just need to connect a row and put on borders), I thought I'd better get moving on the Gratitude quilt before I'm too far behind on that one. I spent today cutting, and I have to tip my hat to Judy. I have gotten some good cutting instructions in the past, but these were SO on target, I can't believe how little 'waste' there was! I haven't cut the squares for the 25 patch yet, I'm thinking that I may do those by strips. I'm still pulling a few extra fabrics to include for some spark, although I have most chosen and ready. Tonight I will draw my little lines for the HSTs so that I can do them later this evening or in the morning-its a good TV project, and yes, I need to sew on the line. HSTs are the bane of my existence! I need to be very careful, or they get wonky while my back is turned. This isn't just another conspiracy theory...its real, I've lived it too many times!! LOL no photos yet-nothing worth taking a picture of yet