OK, Flori, masterpice may be stretching it, but I usually just get an all over quilting pattern, and I guess I didn't realize how following the quilting would make the difference. I may be spoiled from now on and want them all done this way.

In all spaces that had a lot of open space, there is a design. The blue had 3 blocks in each corner, and it looks really nice.

Each of the tri-rec (shudder, can't stand to mention them!) blocks are all quilted in a different pattern. It sure adds a lot of interest. All of the tri recs ( ugh) triangles, all million of them, are done 1/4 inch.

Most of the regular blocks are just 1/4 inch quilted or in the ditch. I'm really pleased with it. And the little boat quilt turned out real cute. It has a wave pattern.



Here is as far as I have gotten on the Mystery quilt. This is clue 1 and 2 for the small size.

Ooooooo, the excitement!

Quiltaholics Mystery Quilt starts today at 10:00. I'm ready!

On another note: remember the Quilt of Which We Do Not Speak? I don't think I told you, but the long-arm quilters loved it. Thought it was beautiful. I think it's in their job description to oooze over quilts, but I digress. I really think they liked this one 'cause Norma says, "Let me play with it. I'll make you like it." So, of course, I say, "And how much will this cost?" and she tells me just the basic like an all over pattern.

The quilt. Is. Beautiful. Patterns in all blanks spaces. All blocks different, some outlined. Beautiful. And I do love the backing fabric. Makes me wish I'd done a better job on the front.

Maybe I should name it Quilting Confessions???

Sigh

156+ rows made ready to assemble into 52 blocks. This is why I make samplers. I can't stand to do the same thing over and over. It's driving me crazy. I would work a few minutes, take a break. Work a few minutes, take a break.

Attention deficit.

Here are my quilt squares made from my t-shirts. High art, huh? Eventually I'll have enough to make a quilt, but right now I'm just happy that the bulk of those shirts has been cut down to a nice little pile! Some of them can be cut down to the same size, but it will be a job.


PS I thought I had a handle on the Follow Your Heart medallion quilt. Now I figured out that I don't have the last month's finishing directions, and when I turned the page of the instructions I do have, it's to make 52 blocks. 52!!!!! Sheesh. I think I'll change the name of this blog to "The Bumbling Quilter". Or maybe "Better Finished Than Perfect". Seriously.

I am sewing today and decided to take a picture of the medallion quilt. I completed the center. These pictures show where I am and where I'm headed with the quilt. I thought I was about finished with blocks, but, of course, organized my instructions and realized, oh no....I'm not. I think there are 3 or 4 different blocks to do. I won't get bored doing a bunch of the same thing!


I've tried to upload pictures of my t-shirt blocks. Blogger will not cooperate. Wish I had another site. Anyway, I tried to make the blocks bigger than I thought I'd need them, but no two are the same size. Electric Quilt is going to get a real workout when I get enough of them done.

I'll end with this bit of advice: Never sew in black knit pajamas.

Progress

Well. There hasn't been much. Progress, that is. I have puttered. I have cut some scraps. I've washed my mom's clothes that I want to put in a quilt someday. I'm going to try to get nerve to cut them up...it's so emotional and sad.

I've also washed T-shirts that I want to put in a quilt and I'm going to buy some interfacing this weekend and get some blocks cut. At least I'll get rid of the bulk of fabric of the shirts and just have a stack of different sized blocks.

I never realized I should be buying tshirts according to the design size! I have huge designs; I have tiny designs. I have many, many, pocket decorations and small designs from shirts that my husband got from work. I could do a whole quilt in just M&M designs, and as I wrote that a lightbulb went on over my head. I think I have 2 tshirt quilts....a travel one, and and M&M one.

Thank you, Internets, for making me think this through.

SO did I talk anyone else into doing the Quiltaholics mystery next weekend?

Have a fantastic weekend!

So I've tried all day to show you these pictures. Here is the fall quilt I've talked about. I need to piece the back and it's complete.

Here's a little better picture of the fabrics.

And this fabric....oh good grief...is the fabric for the new quilt that I wasn't even thinking about yesterday. It is for Deb's new Quiltaholics mystery quilt that will be the last weekend in September. It's already cut and ready to go. She just does good work, and I don't want to miss it. If you are interested, got to the project section and take the Mystery (duh) link from her page. (I also laid out 3 quilts I want to do. Now. )
(The left side is light, light green, not beige.)

Why oh why oh why....

can't I finish one quilt before I want to start another? Are you like that?

I worked today on the fall/Halloween quilt. I have to finish the final border. This is the very first quilt that I've ever done without washing the fabrics. I made it from 5 inch charms and I was afraid to wash them. I'm going to get it all done and then throw it in the machine on handwash with one of those color grabber things that I never knew existed until I read it on one of my Yahoo groups.

ANYWAY....I'm resting while Littlest Quilter naps in the sewing room, and I find this beautiful quilt. I just love it! I've always wanted to do a Maple Leaf quilt and this one has pizazz. I've even collected all the fabrics for the fall leaves. I will need to buy background, probably, and definitely will have to get the "sashing" fabric. Judy Laquidara gave directions to do this quilt working an hour a day. I don't know about that, but I think I'm going to have to do this one.

But the problem is that the beautiful medallion quilt needs me. It's calling to me. I keep telling it to just hush, and it ignores me. Maybe if I make a few blocks just to see how it looks I can go back to the medallion.

WAIT! That's another started but not finished project. ARGH. I'm hopeless.

(Picture tomorrow of the fall quilt when I get that last border on. Or day after if we go to story time at the library! Priorities!

It's home, it's home!

The laptop is home! However, I haven't had time to take any pictures! I will; I promise. It's just that I have a houseful of company this weekend. We are all in napping mode this morning as our little one kept us up late last night.

Anyway....I have been sewing quite a bit. I am really loving the plain, ole vanilla 5inch charm quilt I've been doing. For once, I have no issues with matching seams. OK, it's hard to have issues with plain square matching. I admit it! But it's really nice to just showcase the fabrics. I am afraid I won't have it quilted and back in time to have out during the Halloween season. We have a big hayride with friends and family coming from all around, and I'd like to have it done then. I should have it finished the next time I can get into the loft to sew, but the quilting might take a while.

I talked to my longarm quilter again about my problems last time with the backing not covering the front. I hope that solves the problem as I took 2 more quilts into her last week. One was the- quilt-we-will-not-speak-of.

I am going on no buying binge. I just gotta' stop buying more fabric when I have tons. I have whole projects in bags with patterns, ready to go, and I buy more fabric and start new quilts.

Goals:
Finish Fall charm quilt and get to quilter
Finish hand stitching binding on blue/yellow quilt
Work on medallion quilt. It's been so long it may take a while to even find my place!
Get out the hand quilting and get started. It's cool enough now to sit covered with a quilt.

Hope all is well with all of you! Check in when you can.

So...

still no laptop which means no new pictures. I am, however, using that 'sitting in front of the tv surfing time' into 'sitting in front of the tv sewing time'. I finished the baby quilt binding, am about half-way finished with the blue and yellow quilt binding, and made one of those funky fleece blankets for my son's birthday. He lost a really cool fleecy blanket he'd had since he was a little boy, so this is my effort to replace it for his 28th birthday (eek!). It's a striped, sorta' Navajo pattern in green, rust, and white, and the back is rust. I'd show you a picture, but...

In an effort to not bore anyone to tears, I am going to show you some pictures from the past. (Laptop sicker than thought...new motherboard, big $$) I retired from teaching to help with a precious little girl, my Gracie. I've been keeping her since 2 days before she started crawling (seriously!), and she has helped me sew from the very beginning. She is three now, and she has a little red basket filled with "fabicks" that she loves to play with and insist that I sew together. I was just thinking this morning that it's probably time to sew a doll quilt or somthing that she will have made herself. My daughter who's 30 still treasures the things she and her grandmother sewed together.

Helping me with a mystery quilt by quiltaholics.

My design wall is the floor. So is Gracie's!

I am still working on the Halloween quilt and ended up ordering the fabrics for multiple borders and backing from the same Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet line of fabrics by Moda. I haven't gotten to sew for a couple of days as we have been working trying to empty our house in town to get the darn thing sold. Real life gets in the way once more!

Happy quilting to all!

Goals

Well, I thought I'd posted the completed ship quilt, but, obviously, I didn't. I did take the pictures....how's that? I won't be posting them anytime soon as the laptop has gone on a little trip to get its fan replaced.

Anyway, here is what I'm focused on at this point:

* Finish about 5 hand stitches to complete binding on baby quilt
* Play with embroidery machine and get some kind of cute label for baby quilt
* Get fabric for backing of ship baby quilt. I know just what I want!
* Start hand sewing the binding on that blue and yellow sampler quilt that I posted
* Keep working on charm Halloween quilt

I bought 5" charms from the Moda Halloween fabric, Trick or Treat Smell My Feet. I really like it. It's "halloweeny" without being skulls and cats in hats. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.... Joy, get it?) I'm going to try to get 1 set of charms done a day, but we intend to work at the old house this weekend, so we'll see. I did get 1 set of blocks done today. This is just an extremely easy pattern. Just sew 'em up in "twosies" and "foursies" and then set them on point. I got the fabric from the Fat Quarter Shop. They always have good service. (No connection, just like them.)

Hope everyone has a happy Labor Day!