Another Finish!!!

After more than a year----I have finally finished my "Paint Box" Quilt!!!! I like how it looks! As I mentioned, there are some colors that are together (see the two blues) that would have looked better spread out a bit, but I don't not like it enough to take it apart. The linen does really ravel, so I am going to need to quilt it quickly or store it carefully. I plan to wash it with some color catchers, since it is a LOT of bright colors here, but I think it will be fine.

NOW---on to the new project!!!!

Status Report----

Crumb blocks! I literally just picked fabric up from the floor (from the picture below you can see I have LOTS of fabric on the floor----LOL). I did these to give myself a little rest and I like how they look. I think that with each project I may just make a couple of these blocks from the scraps (since I can't seem to throw any of it away). Who knows, in a little while I could have enough for a quilt.

I have been able to quilt almost all morning putting this quilt together. This is 5 rows of the 10, so I am essentially half done. As I am putting the rows together I can see where I could have been a little more careful in the placement of colors, but you know what---I don't care---at least not enough to take the rows apart. I think that is what makes a quilt (or anything) "home made", the spontaneity of it all (at least that is my story and I am sticking to it). I am going to work on it again later today so I should have it finished within the next couple of days. I am going to use a plain white background and I have batting, so I should be able to quilt it as soon as it is finished.

Just wanted to give you a little update---see I have accomplished something!!!!

Hey!

I have again been very remiss in my blog postings and I am sorry. Since I don't have pictures I get lazy, but I realize that pictures aren't always necessary, so AGAIN I will attempt to do better.

What have I been up to? Actually a lot---I crossed something off my "Bucket List". I ran in a 5K race!!! Well, not really a race for me or my daughter but we finished it!!!! Not as #1 (of course) but not as LAST either!!!!! It was great fun! and we even ran about half of it. My ankle started to bother me a little so I had to fast walk the remainder (and I was walking as fast as some people were jogging). They had little girls giving water along the way (it is really hard to drink water AND jog at the same time). I even tossed it to the side like the professionals do LOL!!! Anyway, we finished in a decent time (a little over 45 minutes) and I feel like I have accomplished a lot!

On the sewing front---I am putting the "Paint Box Quilt" together now. All the rows have been completed (10 rows of 8) and it looks nice. I am using a linen for the sashing and although I have to be careful of the ravelling, it is a nice contrast with the block fabrics. After I finish I think I will do a simple meandering. I actually really like meandering (or stippling) on quilts. I imagine that once washed, the linen will crinkle nicely so I am going to do the quilting "tight".

Today is a rainy day and although I really should be cleaning----I just don't want to. I am going to try really hard to relax. School begins next week, but my class doesn't start until the following week. I have already started to put my PowerPoint together and even have made up the first test. I am really going to try to stay ahead of the game, even more so than I had before. For some reason I have been feeling stressed and even a bit melancholy, don't know why, but I do know I really don't like it, so I am going to try to take charge. My DIL is a Herbalist, so she has put me on some herbs to help, so once they get here, I will add them to my regime and see how it goes.

Well, I am going to my "very messy" quilting "studio" and see what I can do. The cable is off due to the storm, so I think I will put on a couple of CD's. Have a wonderful, productive and blessed Sunday. "See" you later!

Back From A Too Short Vacation!

Made it back from DC last night after a delay because of bad weather. I love DC because I love history which DC has lots of. I visited several museums including the Museum of American History where I got to see President Obama's wife, Michelle's gown she wore to the Inaugural Ball! Very beautiful---the pictures in the mags didn't do it justice!!!

I got to do some fabric shopping and found this wonderful quilt shop in Maryland where I filled up on African fabrics. There were so many to choose from----definitely this spot is on my itinerary for future visits. The shop owner was wonderful---lots of stories of his time growing up in Ethiopia and when he moved to DC. I came away with 38 yards, but had to use restraint to limit it to that. I also went to another shop I have gone to for years and was so very disappointed. The fabric was very expensive, and the "quilt" section was very small with a poor variety (actually Joanne's has a better choice); the back was filled with "junk" thrown up on a table. The patterns were yellowed and torn and numbered less than 15. Clearly it has gone downhill and where I would usually spend hours browsing and come away with yards and yards, I was finished after about 10 minutes and left with nothing. So sad!

Unfortunately, when I got back home and was unpacking, my fabric (and clothes) were damp and wet in some spots. It looked like the airline had my bags sitting in the rain! I know there isn't anything I can really do about it-----I guess I will have to pack my things in plastic "just in case", which seems "unnecessarily necessary" to me. It looks like the color ran on one piece of fabric a little, but I am not going to obsess about it----I am NOT!

School begins again tomorrow so it will be back to the old grind stone. I so appreciated my little respite though and really am going to figure out a way to fit more in!

Have a great Sunday!

Too HOT!!!

Just checking in. Much too hot to do much of anything really. I have been completing an occasionally block, but my energy is way down! I am excited because I am leaving for Silver Springs on Wednesday. I will only be there (to visit son #1 and pick up my GS) until Saturday, but you know I will get at least one quilt shop visit in.

Have you checked my visitor meter? I am seeing some interesting places come up! Wow---I have had to Google some of them to find out where they are!! Thank you so much for visiting!!! I don't get a lot of comments, but when I look at the meter, I know that people are visiting.

More later!!! Stay cool!

How Does It Look?

These rows are just laid together with the "blossoms" on top (I haven't even put the centers of the flowers/plates/blossoms on yet). While some quilters will finish all segments of a quilt first and then put it together, I have a hard time doing that. I always want to see how it is going to look. That has often helped me though to figure out what needs to be changed, but most of the time I use it to keep my momentum going.

I am going to add a border to this (I don't do small) so I can use it on my queen-size bed. I am liking it. I am thinking I might put it together in sections, applique the blossoms on each section first and then put the whole thing together. It seems it might be better to handle in my sewing machine.

Now, back to the quilt I am suppose to be working on between wash and cleaning. Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!