ANOTHER FINISH

I spent all day yesterday, machine quilting, and managed to stitch the binding on and trim the excess fabric too.  I sat and hand-stitched the binding while chatting with friends, and watching TV, and was able to complete the binding after breakfast this morning!

I took this picture on an angle, to show some of the quilting.  I stitched a "double stitched" grid in the centre of the panel, then echo-stitched around the flowers.  There is lots of stitch-in-the-ditch elsewhere, as well as accent stitching around the flowers in the borders.

Here is my completed project.  I named it Victory Garden, after the line of fabric.  I had fun stitching the mitered corners on the two floral borders.  I had to add some compensating strips to make my flying geese border fit.  Now I have to decide what I want to do with this project! 

FINALLY, TWO SMALL FINISHES

I completed 2 cloth books - panels from my stash.  One has shapes and the other is in three languages, English, Spanish and French!
 


 I also completed a baby quilt, also from a panel.  I forgot to pack fabric for binding when I was packing in the fall, but I found that one of the striped fabrics that I picked up in January looks just great.Panel quilts make great quilting warm-up!

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

DH helped me pin baste 3 projects yesterday.  The largest is my Grand Illusion Mystery, then a quilt made with the Victory Garden panel and borders, and finally a baby panel, ready to quilt.

I plan to work from smallest to largest, getting my quilting "warmed up" as I go.

DH started yesterday by vacuuming and shampooing our rugs, and washing the floors!  Then he still helped me pin baste - what a guy!

During the morning, I dug out some panels to make cloth books.   I cut out 2 and stitched them together.  Last night I turned them right side out, and pinned them together, ready to be finished.  I'm sure my new grandson will enjoy them when he gets a bit bigger.  All our family are avid readers!

Check out all the creativity shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

FABRIC REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  0 yards

Fabric used year to date  0 yards

Fabric added this week  5 yards

Fabric added year to date  42 yards

Net used 2015  -42 yards

 

Nothing finished, but that should change in the next week.  It is so hard to wait until quilts are completed!  I added 5 yards of lovely blue fabric.  I had to order a larger batting for my mystery quilt, and I prefer to add fabric to my stash instead of paying for shipping!

 

Check out all the reports at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

SECOND BORDER ADDED

I'm pleased with the flying geese border - it really adds to the quilt top.  I've added the third border - using the wider flowered stripe, but haven't taken a picture yet.

My king batting arrived from Connecting Threads today, so I "booked" DH to help me pin baste quilts tomorrow.  I have my Grand Illusion, the victory garden, shown above, and I've added a baby quilt panel lined up to baste!  I love having an assistant - helps the work go more quickly, so I can get to machine quilting!

DH took me to the quilt show at The Villages today.  They have a huge guild, with 18 chapters and around 1000 members.  They were selling a photo CD at the show, so we only took a couple of pictures.  I looked at all the vendors' wares, but came home empty-handed, although there were several fabrics that were crying to come home in my tote!

WE'RE GRANDPARENTS!

After waiting, anxiously all day, we finally received a call from our younger son around 10:30 last night......

 

Welcome David Alexander

born January 19, 2015 at 10:08 p.m.

 weighing 5 lb. 12 oz.

We are two happy grandparents!

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

I decided to add a narrow yellow border to the panel, then use the narrow stripe of the matching border print for the second border.





I spent my sewing time yesterday making flying geese in 4 different colours.These are sewn together, and will be the third border, followed by the wide stripe of the border print.


I'll be happy when this is together, as it waited much too long in my stash!
I spent the morning making split pea soup from my Mother's recipe.  I had a ham bone waiting in the freezer, along with some diced leftover ham to add.  It smells wonderful, and will be dinner tonight along with toasted English muffin bread.  I read on another blog about making this in the oven, but I make mine in the microwave.  It cooks in 6 minutes, and is wonderful toasted!

Check out all the creativity shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

FABRIC REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  0 yards

Fabric used year to date  0 yards

Fabric added this week  0 yards

Fabric added year to date  37 yards

Net used 2015   -37 yards

I don't count fabric as "used" until the project is totally completed....

I did complete my Grand Illusion quilt top.  I still need the piece the backing fabric (part of the 37 yards), but I'm waiting for batting to arrive - mine were all too small, and I didn't want to piece the batting.   

My next project uses a panel and matching striped border fabric that has been in my stash for a long time.  I decided to make one of the borders with 4 different coloured flying geese blocks circling the centre.  My next task will be cutting apart the striped border fabric.

My quilt group was busy last Wednesday, with many choosing to make the mystery quilt.  The variety of fabric being used is wonderful.  We have some new members, so there were lessons in cutting, pressing and stitching with a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance.  They are all anxious for the next installment, and several wanted it early, but I plan to email it just the day before we get together.

Check out all the fabric reports at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

FABRIC REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  0 yards

Fabric used year to date  0 yards

Fabric added this week 37 yards

Fabric added year to date 37 yards

Net used 2015   -37 yards

We left our southern home on December 28, and returned on January 10th.  We headed to the cold and snowy north to help our son and daughter-in-law, (8 1/2 months pregnant),  move into their new home.  We had a great time, lots of hard work, lots of helpers, lots of laughter.  I love spending time with family!

That is my excuse for not sewing.  Of course, we stopped at a couple of quilt shops along the way.  At one, I hit the motherlode of older quilt panels, so I stocked up for my guild's community quilts program.  I also ordered the backing for a quilt, so that will get used soon.  I've spent this morning catching up on mail, bills, and filing, and will follow with laundry this afternoon.  That way, I can get back to sewing ASAP!

Check out Judy's blog, Patchwork Times for more fabric reports!