I just finished piecing together all 90 blocks of my Marimekko quilt last night. It's huge. It will be 106 by 117 when it's finished. It's the largest quilt I've ever made. What a lot of fabric to wrestle with! I'll put the border on when I get home from vacation, and then it's ready for the LAQ. I can't wait to start the birds of paradise wallhanging. That will happen this weekend.

I'm off to the pool now for some water aerobics. I love Hawaii!!! Yikes, my husband just told me it's minus 9 back in Minneapolis!!!

I have been cutting out fabric off and on for the last 2 weeks and finally had enough cut to separate in to blocks. With my son's help last night we counted out pieces of pre-cut fabric for each individual Granny Square block and when I bagged them up we had 12 blocks worth of fabric cut and bagged. :-) I think this weekend I may try to handsew a block or 2 and then maybe cut fabric for more blocks. Hope everyone has a great, relaxing weekend.

Lois that's a lot of blocks, congrats on getting them all finished!

Best to you,
Sandra

This post was edited by quiltingfox on Fri, Feb 1, 13 at 13:17

I have GOT to get the binding on my step-son's quilt!

But then we have a friend coming into town today and staying for the weekend, and we have a birthday party Saturday night at an inflatable playplace.

I also need to get pattern instructions written for the president's quilt.

I'm going to work on the hand quilting on the crib quilt I'm making for my great-nephew. I thought I would be able to work on it during my trips to and from work with DH driving, but I found out that there are too many dips and bumps in the road for that. Nearly every time I'm about to put the needle to the material it jumps, so that didn't work out. I'm knitting during the ride instead and working on the quilt in the evenings. Looking forward to having more time on the weekend for that. I'm making a large water drop shape in alternating 4" squares. Not sure what's going into the other squares - maybe the same, maybe something different. I'm making it up as I go along, LOL.

Lois, that does sound like a lot to wrestle with... may the force be with you :o)

Does going to a quilt show count as quilting? I plan to go to my first one tomorrow!

I decided to practice sashing since I'd never done it before before I wasted good material. I just used what I call "ugly" fabrics" from my stash... things I likely woudn't have a use for or things I had too much of anyway and just made a small quilt. I've never hand sewn binding before and it always looks awful when I try to machine sew it... so I watched a great youtube tutorial and found out how everyone hand sews their binding so the stitches don't show... and I did it! I was up until 6 this morning working on this, but I'm pleased with the way it turned out. The hand sewing went much faster than I expected it to. I would have used good fabric if I'd known it was going to turn out so well. I quilted it with the transparent nylon thread and it worked well, to my surprise.

Still have to clean up the thread tails that show and I want to press the binding so that it covers the machine stitches from where I sewed the binding to the other side... my initial stithes were too shallow, but I learned quickly.

Look at that miter... so proud of myself LOL

Hope everyone has an amazing weekend.

Working the quilt show again tomorrow (I was there all day today). Treasurer is a big job!

I did put a few squares in place on the color wash quilt...hopefully I'll get some time Sunday & Monday to work on it.

Donna

Hopefully will get some quilting done when I get back home tomorrow. We met up with a friend DH worked with 30 some years ago (and his wife) and we jabbered for about 5 hours. Sure was exhausting.....

SharonG/FL

Donna, how was the show today? I was planning to go today, but I just couldn't get out of the bed in time... I'm setting the alarm clock tomorrow :o)

not exactly quilting...but quilt related: Our Cabin Fever of Central FL is having their quilt show...so I have done lots of prep and such. Yesterday was mostly all day and today I will be there at 1 for the rest of the day. Such nice people to work with (Our Donna is one of them, but you knew that already!) and the quilts are outstanding! Come on down, yall.
Gwen

Glad you had fun learning the new skills. It is invigorating having things work out. Great miter! I still work mine to death. Maybe I'd better view your video. Who's video was it?
LindaB/CA

I'm just about to leave for the quilt show, but this is the link to the video that helped me with hand sewing the binding to the back... the mitering I found in several videos a long time ago and just remembered what they said to do, those are all over youtube...

Here is a link that might be useful: The video

Thank you. Have fun at the quilt show.

This weekend I plan to start quilting the blocks from my birthday block exchange. I decided to use these blocks for a quilt for my niece. She is getting married in April and just got engaged in November so not a lot of time to plan a quilt. My block choice was "quilter's choice" so it has the sampler look. I decided to use the QAYG method. I' m think it's going look good.
Darlene

I finished the binding on this little quilt yesterday so I guess it qualifies as weekend quilting.
A few years ago I was given a bolt of fabric which had preprinted bibs in the Precious Moments design. No way was I going to make 6 dozen bibs, so I "fussy cut" a 9 in. square from each bib panel and made this quilt. It is a repeat of a pink one made a couple of years ago but I liked how that one turned out and I was in a bit of a hurry, so easy way out. I do like how the green is the right colour. I thought to use blue first, since it is for a boy, but I did not have enough of any one piece but had a lot of the green. Serendipity!
Theresa

Whoops! And the green is softer in real life.
Theresa

Just finished a baby quilt top. Will try to get a table runner done tomorrow(units already cut).
It's been snowing here since about 10 a.m,. so it is a great day for sewing.
Snow has held up now...we got about 10 cm. Thank goodness there was no wind.
Need to get a meal on the table(homemade spaghetti) but once the dishes are washed I will head to the sewing area and plan my next project.
I am loving these small projects!!

~Geraldine

I thought quilting was supposed to be a genteel pasttime, but the sailor in me came out last night. My husband, who was reading in the bedroom, said he heard quite a stream of profanity coming from the living room. Between using the wrong color or stabbing my thumb with a pin or trying to get a directional print to run the right direction, I think I used every swear word I know.

That being said and over with (I hope), my paper-piecing project is coming along beautifully. It's quite a challenge for me. Some of the pieces are only 1/4" wide. I will try to post a picture of the pattern cover. It's a really cool design by Eileen Bahring Sullivan. Our wifi here isn't the greatest, so I'll try to post it in a separate post. When I tried a few minutes ago, it timed-out and I lost my narrative.

Birds of Paradise

That is gorgeous and you are allowed a few "choice" words when things aren't going well.
Been there, done that!!!
Theresa

nannykins, Green looks perfect. The quilt is adorable.

loisif, there's something challenging about paper piecing. It sounds so simple, but I can really empathize. Been there, done that, and said much the same blue streak in the process.

LindaB/CA

I managed to find time to spend about 2 hours at the quilt show this morning. Wonderful quilts! We're leaving on a 10 day vacation on Thursday so this is a busy weekend for me. I'll be doing laundry, packing and cleaning house. I will be putting together a little kit to take along so I can work on some hand applique.

Donna, it was so much fun to see your quilts at the show!

Kate

Just back from the quilt show... what a blast. I talked with several people and saw some amazing work. I sat down at the Bernina booth and test drove a 10,000 dollar machine... I don't know why I torture myself so!

I wanted to take pictures, but I didn't know if it was allowed... I went to the strawberry festival one time and took picture of a candle that looked and smelled like a pie and the lady who was selling them almost had me sent to the electric chair, so I didn't want to repeat the experience.

There were some applique patterns and mini-quilts that I liked... also a magnetic seam guide for the machine, but I didn't buy ANYTHING because I really am saving for a new machine... I shocked myself when I walked out empty handed, and it took a lot of self control! Came very close to buying rotary blades, but the prices are better at Wal-mart than they were at that booth...

Donna, it was very nice to finally meet you face to face! Your quilts were beautiful and I don't know how you got such small pieces of fabric through the machine on those microscopic half square tirangles.

Lois, I too have said a few curse words when quilting... when that happens I remind myself that it is supposed to be fun and take a break. I rather enjoy paper piecing, but have to make the same pattern about 3 times to get the hang of it... I usually flip to the wrong side and cut the part I'm supposed to flip... not good! Hope things get better for you. The Birds of Paridise is beautiful!

I'm looking for a paper pieced pug design for a gift for an aunt that loves pugs, so if anyone knows where I can ifnd one, please let me know. I found one that was 5 dollars, but there were no instructions on how to pay for it or download it...

Here is a pug pattern

I also found one in a book, but couldn't tell if it was just a pic of a quilt the author had made or if it has a pattern.

http://www.softexpressions.com/software/books/4C0458.php

Here is a link that might be useful: pug

Kate, I'm sorry I missed you! It was great to meet Bobby - I'm glad you had a good time! I wasn't as good in the not-spending department... (hehehe) but I did resist buying a new machine LOL.

Lois, your bird of paradise will be beautiful! Theresa, the baby quilt is just adorable!

Hubby should be home soon to take me out to dinner. I think I deserve it! :)

Donna

Karpet, thank you... I bought that pattern! It is perfect, except it's been 24 hours and they haven't e-mailed it to me yet. If it doesn't come tomorrow I will write them.

Donna, not buying a machine at the show is a feat in itself... they had so much temptation with Babylock/Brother, Bernina, and one booth even had a couple of Janomes. Did you see the booth with the custom Featherweights with glittered paint and flames painted on them? Very cool!

The only major brand that wasn't there was SVP (Singer, Viking, Pfaff) (and Juiki)...

The bird of paradise is beautiful. I'll always remember seeing those as I stepped off the plane my first trip to California.

The baby quilt is precious, (pun intended),
I worked on the FMQ on my daughter's quilt. I know I keep saying I hope to get in done in the next couple of days, and I do, so maybe this week.

I took advantage of the Blue Bamboo one day sale of 65% off and bought a bunch of fabric for more quilts for the children's home. I sure glad I look at my email as soon as I get up in the morning. Fabric was bought before I left for church! I notice it is no longer on the site, so maybe they sold out.

I've scheduled a quilt day next Saturday and I know at least a couple of women are coming. One is an experienced quilter so that will be helpful. Hopefully I can learn more from her.

Glad the pug pattern worked - hopefully you get your email today now that the weekend is over.

Yes, I did sew this weekend but nothing all that exciting. I'm just doing the hand finishing on my pink crazy quilt where the blocks meet. I basted the backing fabric over the quilt-tip along the seams where you bring it to the front on machine (fun and done) but I want the back to be stitch-free other than the quilting, so I am tunnel stitching them down now by hand and removing the basting. If one is careful NOT to include the batting in those center seams, it makes for that section to be very supple and the quilt not stiff and no thicker on those seams than the batted part of the quilt.