Linda, I don't recommend quilting with dilated eyes! At least keep away from the rotary cutter. :)

I have a pile of HSTs in progress for depression blocks for a swap, so I'd like to get those finished this weekend. First thing up tomorrow is bolster pillows for the day bed to finish my spare bedroom.

Donna

I plan to do some more hand-quilting on my Grandma' quilt which I want to have done by Christmas. So far I have hand-quilted 113.5 hours and am now working on the last 3 rows. It's going to be raining this weekend so will definitely be an indoor weekend; I may also work on my son's crochet Ripple afgan and cut more fabric for 8" Granny Square quilt blocks - am doing them a little scrappy and working from my stash, finally using some of my fat quarters that I have been saving for a special project. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Best to you,
Sandra

I had a "down" day this week so to perk myself up, I pulled out a kit I bought 2 years ago.
Everything was precut so spent part of a couple of days getting the units done.
Now to lay it out and decide on which block goes where.
First time using batiks. I thought it sewed and pressed well.
Theresa

My dd wants to redo her room and picked out a quilt in Pottery Barn that she liked (too expensive). Very simple strips and I told her I would make her one instead. So I hope we can shop tomorrow for the fabrics she wants. I'd like to get it cut out so I can put it together at the retreat.

Otherwise, organizing everything for the retreat!

Robbi

I spent the day cleaning the house. My sister is coming for a couple of days and DD's room (now guest room while she is away) needed a good cleaning. I am slowly moving sewing machines into her room....think she'll get the message? lol

Donna, I like the idea of bolsters for the bed. DD's bed is a daybed and even if I do get the room as a sewing room I will leave the bed.
We are going to an auction tomorrow and then to the library and grocery shopping so I doubt I will get any sewing done....maybe a few hexagons sewn by hand. We may go to my brother's on Sunday so no sewing then either.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Mary

On my own with my girls this weekend, and have a 'get organized' mindset around the house. Would like to tackle the son's room while he's gone, as well as other areas that are a mess.

Got the car inspected today, and hunted for sneakers for me and the girls. Did you know that it's virtually impossible to find little kid shoes (pre-school size) that actually tie!!?? The lady at Payless today told me that a mom was in and said that her son's kindergarten teacher had a 'rule' that the kids must have velcro shoes! And here I have a 4 1/2 year old who has taught herself how to tie, and I can't find shoes to support this!!!

As for sewing goes, I hope to get binding on the baby quilt that I've been working on,and binding machine stitched to a quilt I'm going to donate for Christmas.

Then there's organizing for Retreat.

I have a bunch of denim jeans to cut up for future rag quilts and have been working ahead on a couple of the block lottos. Last week saw me really go through fabrics again and get everything sorted and put away neatly in the proper bins. It also saw me get the UFOs done. You bet I'll find some time to be up in the clean sewing room! I think I'll be working on a few more blue and cream jewel box blocks. I've decided I'm getting sick of making them and want to get them out of there in a finished product, instead of hanging around as a UFO.

So, Calliope, where are the pix of finished UFO's???
I might get some sewing done this weekend. I'm in the process of piecing a backing for this Star top. (As usual, going through my stash.) I was hoping to use some red pillow ticking for it, but that stuff is so pricey. We used to be able to buy this utility fabric so cheap, I guess those days are long gone.

I've been on gardenweb for years now but this is my first time in the quilting forum. I'm new to quilting and loving every minute of it. I have taken on my first 2 quilts simultaneously as Christmas presents. This weekend I'll be putting the backing on the twin top for my niece and ironing more squares for the cathedral window lap quilt for my dad. I just hope I can finish it in time!!!
P.S. don't mind the white stuff all over that one block, I heavily starched to keep things in place. It worked well.

Welcome to the Quilting Forum biinaboo! Your blocks are beautiful. I hope you continue quilting and sharing here.
You look like a Natural!
Starch is Very Good! :~)

I got sidetracked by those beautiful blocks~I may quilt a little today~but mostly I need to get ready for Retreat.
I need to oil and lubricate my Featherweight, and make sure she is sewing nicely.
I hope to cut out some setting triangles using a special Creative Grids Ruler-but that is last on the list-and I may take it to Retreat to figure out how to use it. Anyone use one before?

Marsha, we had a local quilt shop at our guild meeting just last Monday showing us how to use a variety of Creative Grids rulers... I wonder if yours was one of them. Anyway, they said there are a lot of 'how to use' the rulers on the Creative Grids webpage...

Biinaboo~ Welcome to the forum! Your cathedral windows blocks are great! Looking at them made me think that it could easily be used for a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. The ladies here are fantastic! If you have any questions, just ask...Some are bound to have an answer for you.

Thanks Mag. I recently purchased a new machine and I've been a stitching fool. Purses, clothing, kitchen towels, jar cozies...I just can't stop myself! Hahah.

This is the twin top I did for my niece. She turned 6 this week. I was thinking about doing a decorative wave stitch in a diamond pattern to quilt it. Thoughts?

Although I continually shuffle piles to pack for retreat - and deciding what will fit in a carry on - I want to ready my blocks for the wedding autograph quilt that must go with me as soon as I get home from retreat.

I have the blocks all made and am pressing them now. I also will press freezer paper to the back for signing. I hope to make the center motif in camp.

With a memorial service and some other local things I must do, I won't be doing any sewing, though.

biinaboo~ That is sure to be a hit with your neice!! You have a good eye for color.

I think a wavy quilting line on the diamond grid would work very well. I did that on similar quilt for my daughter at that age (straight stitches, not wavy, but on the diamond) and it works very well. I used painter's tape to mark from one corner to the opposite, then stitched along side of it. Moved over and kept going... Very fast and easy.

Welcome Biinaboo... you do nice work! :o)

I got mad at the quilt I'm working on and wanted to take a break, so I did a bit of applique. I want to make a grocery tote bag for a friend, who is a vegetarian, so I thought it would be fun to practice with some fruit and veggie shapes... I think that I'll use the blanket stitch rather than zig zag next time, but it was really fun! Of course I wouldn't use those colors of material and thread for the actual project.... some of them are OK, but more variety is needed... we should play a guessing game and see if anyone can tell what fruits/veggies I tried to make! I put a piece of paper under the material to help stabilize and it worked well. Now I don't have to put the lease renewal notice down the shredder :o) It was fun to make the stems with the black thread and zig zag stitch. :o)

As for quilting, I don't know if I've cooled off enough to get back to it... might break something if I try again so soon!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Hello and welcome biinaboo. I love the cathedral window blocks. They look really tricky. I think your quilting idea for the quilt sounds great. Someone else here suggested something similar and I really want to try it out.
Vacuumfreak, like the appliqu�, sure hope the quilting smooths out for you.

LindaB/CA

Vacuumfreak~ I think I could identify each and every one of those fruits/veggies! THey turned out great!

I cut out the setting triangles w/ the Creative Grids ruler. I really like the ruler. I don't ever cut out a complete project ahead, so I will love the ruler if the triangles turn out to be the correct size :~) I also cut the borders. I am trying to avoid taking large rulers on the plane.
Cleaned and oiled the Featherweight, and packed it up.
I hope I get alot done Sunday.

Marsha, I can bring my 12" square if you need it. I can also bring a 6 1/2" X 24" if you might use it.

Welcome biinaboo. Great work on the Cathedral Window.

I made and finished one of the blocks of a blue/cream BOM/UFO I've been working on for over a year. It was only 9 1/2" but had 37 pieces! Not my best work, but at least I was sewing. There are four or five blocks that still need to be done and I plan on taking them to retreat.

SharonG/FL

I always bring my 12 1/2" ruler, 15" ruler, 6 x 24, 6 x 18, plus all my small ones...

I also have a variety of triangle rulers that I've never used, but I bring those too!

I throw them all in! So don't worry about the big ones!