A few more finishes...

I spent a chunk of time working on a prototype for a tutorial. It didn't work out exactly the way I wanted it to on the first run, but I think I have the proportions down now. It will be fat quarter friendly! This weekend, I got sunburnt at the Inman Park Festival, caught up on a few Psych episodes I never knew I had missed, and got some lovely fabric chosen for the back of my Cosmic Burst/Precious QAL top. I have yet to piece them. But...I did finish two more quilts!! First, the Prayer Flag Charm quilt: Then the Skill Builder #1: I've kind of let that project fall by the wayside. I learned a lot. Realized how badly some of these blocks were pieced while I was learning. So...both of these quilts will become picnic/car quilts. One for me and one for the Pirate. He claimed the Prayer Flag one. Not a huge shock as the obnoxious red/coral is much more me. The Traveling Stash arrived! I have to say, it's a rather mixed lot. There is some Habitat, some Kaffe, some Morrison...There is some country themed Moda. A book or two and some notions. Some vintage fabrics. There is a big piece of Christmas fabric and some seersucker (vintage, I think) that I pondered removing, but they might be someone's bag...so I'm leaving them in. I'd say there is about 2/3 major brand quilt shop quality, and some vintage/Joann's. None of it smells like smoke or anything. I have taken out the City Weekend. (I needed some to add to my supply for a quilt I have planned.) I also took some Kaffe and a scrap of Amy Butler. I've added a magazine/booklet, a charm pack, a few fat quarters, and some yardage. It's a full box. I may have to sit on it to tape it shut. I'll try to take another pic this week with my additions. So, if you'd like to win, please leave me a comment. (This giveaway is limited to the US.) I'll randomly pick someone by Thursday night to mail out Friday or Saturday! There are only a few rules. RULES: Be an active blogger. Post about receiving and the giveaway on your blog in a timely manner. You may take anything you like from the box. Just replace every item with comparable quilt shop quality items equal to the amount taken. Ship the box to the next person in a reasonable amount of time. Due to the amount of postage shipping is only within the USA. I'm will try to add in a log and the rules...but, to be honest, the box is pretty darn full. If they don't make it in, I'll email them to the next person to add.

Not a lot to show today....

My conferences ran late, and I was wiped when I got home.
After a quick run to the post office to get the blocks for the Heal circle quilt in the mail, I came home and passed out.

Other than pondering an add a border block and a pattern tutorial I'm working on (as well as playing with the supplies I'm using), all I got done tonight was the final installment of the Cosmic Burst/Precious QAL top.

I love it.  I kind of wish I had made the bigger version.  I'm debating borders.  But I really like the idea of it going all the way to the edges...I may just have to make a bigger version this summer.  Maybe with Prince Charming this time.


That is all for today.  I have many things I may or may not get done this weekend.  I'm trying to get a bunch of stuff together for mailing this week.

Finishes for Friday...

Even though some these have been done for a bit, I'm finally getting around to posting pics. Here's my finished Sew.Happy. I'm not posting a pic of the back as my hand quilting is far from stellar.

 I got the lucky chance to pattern test for Bijou Lovely. I made two versions. I'm debating holding on to one of them for a faculty member having a baby. I want to make her a quilt, but I'm not sure I'll have time to start one from scratch between now and the baby shower. We'll see.
Vintage #1 and 2
 

 I finally finished the Pirate's last shopping bag!!!
He uses them religiously at the farmer's market.


 Other items finished today...two blocks for an emergency quilt from the Heal Circle at do.Good.Stitches.

 

 I've also made some progress on the Charm (Prayer Flag) Quilt:

It still needs sashing, but I have backing fabric and binding fabric picked. I want to get the top done (and maybe basted) by Sunday.

 I've not made major progress on the Red, Grey, and Black. I'm still hand quilting the first block. Blarg. There are 16, I think.

 On tap for tomorrow:
hitting the post office.
8 pt star
finishing the Cosmic Burst top (trying to get back pieced for Sunday as well)

 Other things in the works:
still need to quilt the Skill Builder
I've stuck the interfacing on the Boxy Bag, but that's as far as I've gotten with that one.

 I'd really like to get two more finishes this weekend, whatever they may be. Still feels good to have four down!

Crazy productive weekend...

The Pirate was sick, so our weekend plans were tabled.

I mostly sewed...tried to keep The Pirate hydrated.

Ironically, I didn't get his orange bag done. It will get done this week.

Because a certain Quilter in the Gap *Cough* mentioned that I was behind, I kicked it into high gear this weekend.

I quilted and bound Vintage 1 and 2. They are in the wash right now, so I haven't gotten pics of them yet.

I finished the Sew. Happy. I have to repair a pop in the binding and then I'll take a whole quilt shot. Here's a teaser:


I am caught up on the Cosmic Burst/My Precious QAL:

I pondered trying to figure out the missing bits so I could finish it, but I was also feeling a bit icky, so I thought better of the maths.

I did Sew Bee Blissful blocks for April:



I started sewing up sections of my Prayer Flag quilt. It's not for me. I'm going to finish it up and send it on its way.


I basted my Red, Grey, and Black Bee block quilt. It took a bit of wrangling because it's wider than I usually deal with.

*cough* I'm thinking of hand quilting this one, too. What?! You say. S'true. I don't want to straight line this one.

I bought thread to mess with the Stained Quilt. I'm pondering straight lining it since I don't know how to FMQ....yet.

I put together my first Skill Builder play quilt.

I ran out of Coral...so it's a bit smaller than I had originally envisioned.

There was also fabulousness!

My Pretty Little Pouch swap item arrived.
*cue Choir of Angels*
I was so so excited. This one was one of my favorites in the photostream, but I didn't think it would be mine.


Val from http://dayinthelifeofval.blogspot.com/ had me. She does amazing work. Thanks, Val!

Also....drumroll... I won an ipad. Yes. An ipad. Long story, I entered a contest, didn't have the winning number. Apparently no one did, so they did a random drawing. I won! I got the letter on April Fool's Day, so it took me a lot of research to trust the letter. Just picked it late last week. I'm still getting to know George, or Jorge, as I call him.
Lily's Quilts recommended Touchdraw, so it's one of the first apps I've purchased. So exciting! Look forward to me learning how to post from the blog from it.

Finish A Long update:
Done for Q2:
Sew. Happy. Quilt. quilted and bound!
Vintage 1. quilted and bound!
Vintage 2. quilted and bound!
and much progress on Skill builder, Red, Grey and Black, and Prayer Flag quilts.

Hope you all had fabulous weekends!

Personal throwdown...

against myself.
Because I *finally* get to come home tomorrow right after work. (Well, I do have to make a post office run, but still...pretty much right after school.)
Tasks for tomorrow:
FINISH THE DANG Sew. Happy.
I have like 1 1/2 squares left to finish. Which is ridonkulous. I have one block that I think needs more handquilting to stabilize it.
I have to cut up and sew the binding.
It will be sewn on TOMORROW, dammit...at least the machine sewing.
Finish the orange bag...get something done.
Blarg.

Today was pretty damn cool, y'all.
I had a major prize win that I will share tomorrow.
I got to meet an astronaut who has been on 4 space missions.
My math class did AMAZING on their first geometry unit.
I ate lunch with two ladies from my class and swapped scar stories.
I had my PB chocolate ice cream fix.
I napped with a smooshbeast.
I'm gearing up to teach my spring sex ed unit. (I have the boys and the girl groups.) As ridiculous as it sounds, it's one of my favorite things to teach because I taught AIDS ed WAY before I knew I was going to be a classroom teacher.

slightly craptasticness:
cat woke me at 3:57am. Again. Kraken is evil, yo.
I am waiting to see if one of my students exposed me to poison ivy. She may or may not have tracked it on her shoes..and I go barefoot in my room because the clogs I usually wear make me taller than I really am and then I tend to whack my head on the loft above my desk. Yes, I am EXTREMELY coordinated. I live in fear of what kind of itchiness that could unleash.
I'm peeling...like bad facial peel. I think it's sunburn. It's making me itchier.

Blarg, y'all. On the upside, twill be the weekend soon and I can sleep!

*sigh* just keep swimming...

I'm *still* handsewing the Sew. Happy.
I have about 5 more squares to sew...then onward to binding!
While I hope to have a finish by Friday, I also need to workout tomorrow.
Still parent conferencing.
Love my students...but rain makes them squirrelly.
I have fallen into the pattern of napping with snuggly beasties when I finally get home.
Hence the lull in sewing.
MOJO, WHERE ART THOU?!
Still trucking on a template for a project.
There will hopefully be pictures soon.

On tap for this weekend:
FINISH THE SEW.HAPPY.
Finish the orange bag.
Quilt at least one of the "vintage" quilts.
Test drive the template/tutorial.
Pick and cut an 8 pt star for Michele.
HST Bee block for Sew Bee Blissful
Assemble next quadrants of the Cosmic Burst.

Got a bit done this weekend...

I've been handsewing with Perle. I'm so slow!
I have, I think, 3 more blocks left to decorate and 6 mini blocks to outline. Then it will be time to sew the binding on, which I haven't made yet.

it's not the best pic, but I was doing an inner outline on the orange star.

I got the first 2 quadrants done on the Precious/Cosmic Burst quilt out of Parisville.



I broke out in hives today...I don't think it had anything to do with almost using up all my pomegranate eyes from the Parisville. I blame the "crack" almonds. The Pirate makes them from time to time, but he used succanat this time. I may be allergic to it. (It's the only thing new I ate in time to link to the hives. Of course, it could be something I touched in the sewing room.
Blarg. I had to Benadryl up for the first time in weeks.
I think the high pollen levels and spending time outside threw me off into reactivity land.
I wish I could get retested for a food panel of allergies, but it is CRAZY expensive because it's not covered by my insurance.
Itchy. Is. Not. Fun.

Also noteworthy from this past weekend.
We took the dog to the Festival on Ponce.
Mmmmm. food trucks.
We went to Selvage. I got some bakelite buckles and vintage buttons...and another model for a bag I'm trying to draft.
Got my test fabrics from The Intrepid Thread....so much loveliness.
There will be a tutorial in the next month...
That's it.
*smooches*

I haven't fallen off the face of the planet...

I just haven't had a lot of updating to do. I'm set for bee blocks until more fabric arrives. My May blocks are almost ready to be posted for Neutral and Not for May. I'm ready to sew on my Cosmic Burst/My Precious QAL, but I haven't yet.
I've fallen into the black hole of hand quilting. I'm hand quilting my Sew. Happy.
First, let me say that I'm not a stellar handquilter, but I couldn't find a good way to machine quilt it using straight lines. (I'm still stuck on what to do with my Stained.)
I have two small quilts I may or may not get to quilting today.
In the meantime, I REALLY want to get the hand quilting done.
Also on tap, a run to Hancock's because I need more Pellon for a project for The Intrepid Thread...

Guest post from Alissa from hmm-well!

Hello there!  My name is Alissa and I have a blog:)  This is my first time participating in a swap of any kind.  It was a lot of fun being a part of the Covert Robin exchange.

I was a bit nervous about my choice of creation for Ella.  I "stalked" her blog a bit to see what she liked.  To my chagrin, I discovered that all of the fun things I make are the type of things she makes.  What do you make for someone who can make the same thing with their own preferences in mind?!  And then the inspiration happened!

I watch/teach a group of 2-5 year olds for our local MOPS (Mothers Of PreSchoolers) group twice a month.  A few months ago the moms did a craft and I was gifted with one of the excess projects.  They made simple coasters from a regular, white bathroom tile.  Although they simply modge podged on a single square of scrapbook paper, I was given a bigger idea.

I purchased six white tiles.  I googled traditional quilt blocks, choosing six.  I shrunk each of the six blocks down to 4 inches and printed them off.   Using these as templates, I traced around the block pieces on colorful scrapbook paper.

With all the pieces cut, I carefully modge podged the blocks together atop each tile.  They really went quite quickly once I got started.

It was really neat watching each of the blocks come together!

I was really happy with how each of the quilt block coasters turned out.  After the final coat of modge podge was dry, I glued a square of felt to the backside of each tile.  Tada!

Here is the last picture I took of them.  I was in such a hurry to send them off, that I forgot to take another shot of them once they were completely dry:S  Alas!

Hurray for fun projects to pass on to others!

Thanks imaginegnats for running such an amazing swap! Thank you, Alissa, for such a fabulous gift!

2nd Quarter FAL project list

Ok...even though I didn't finish my list from the First Quarter,
I'm still going to aim big this quarter.

Mostly because this is helping me keep track of my UFOs...and it's helping me funnel a lot of stress energy and allergy craziness.

Projects (in no particular order):

1. Red, Grey, Black Quilt from bee blocks. This made it a little bit farther from last quarter. The blocks are pieced into a top. The back is sew together. But...it's still not basted or quilted...
New Progress photo:


2. First quilt using Skill Builder Blocks. The Top is pieced in rows but not complete. I have one block have to re-do. No fabric chosen from my stash for the back yet.


3. Vintage-y quilt 1(from pattern testing). It's basted but not anything else yet.


4. Vintage-y quilt 2. It's also basted but not anything else yet.



5. Sew. Happy. Quilt. It's basted. I'm planning on hand-quilting this one.



6. Postage Stamp quilt. I've started rows in my random time, but I don't know what I'm going to do with it in terms of layout. I have an idea....


7. The Lawn Chairs Quilt #1, aka jellyroll quilt 1. I started this a while ago from a Moda tutorial using Happy Zombie's Lawn Chair Quilt pattern.
It's been living in a bag unfinished.


8. The Lawn Chairs Quilt #2. see above...the pattern yields two quilts.

9. The boxy bag for Trollop. This was meant as a V Day present. I think it may end up being part of a bday package. I cut all the pieces back when I was working on my Mouthy Stitches item...I sewed 2 boxy bags and kind of burnt out.



10. Cosmic Burst QAL/Precious QAL. I cut up my hoarded Parisville for this QAL. Still hyperventilating a bit about it.



11. My random Farmer's Wife blocks. The reality is that I fizzled on this one. I think I started it when I was too new to quilting and it just threw me. I think I'd be ok with it now, but I also know that the project isn't drawing me back right now. I'm thinking of doing the Civil War ones over the summer in Japanese fabrics. I need to do something with these three. Table runner?


12. Prayer Flag quilt. I made myself a double of the one (different charm pack...something that was Lila Tueller) for my mom that is sitting in the closet until I figure out how to quilt a quilt that big. I am thinking this one isn't even my style now. So I may make it into some smaller quilts for charity or for baby quilts.


13. The Pirate's last shopping bag.
I ran out of interfacing when I was making birthday presents.


14. Stained Quilt. The top is done. The back is semi-pieced. I have NO earthly idea of how to quilt this one.


Other projects not in my UFO list but on my list for this quarter:
some items for the Zakka sew-along (i'm going to make ahead for Xmas presents)
Modern She Made swap
May Nubee blocks
new 4x5 blocks, Q2
3x6 blocks, Q2
June block for New Bee on the Block (I'm not sure we have a May)
June block for Neutral and Not (I'm the queen for May)
June block for Heal Circle
Assemble and quilt May blocks for Heal Circle (Possibly 2 quilts!)
Go Anywhere! Bag out of this:

The POOR Pirate's UbERlate apron:



Realistically, I know I won't get it all done. BUT...I do like having a list in one place.
Linking up!

What I've been up to since Tues...

The car is now working.
It had to live in the shop for 2 days.
I couldn't really leave the house.

So, I sewed. A Lot.
I have three quilts pin basted, waiting for some quilting action.
One of them is going to be hand quilted. *gasp*
I finished all my April Nubee blocks:






I made my pouch for the Pretty Little Pouch swap.
Then I sweated because my partner isn't ga ga about yellow, but she likes it. So, off it went.



I pieced the top for the red, grey, and black quilt.
It isn't pin basted yet.


I started sewing up one set of Skillbuilder blocks into a top.

I had to dismantle a crappily done block. Which I haven't redone yet.


I did my April blocks for the Heal Circle at Do.Good.Stitches.



I mailed off a secret package.

I joined the Add a Border group on flickr. (I know..right?! Like I needed something else to do.)
I had WAY too much fun making these starters.






I tested a pattern.

Twice..because I made a boo boo the first time. (And figured out my 1/4 in foot was bent.)

Speaking of boo boos, I nicked myself twice on the rotary cutter.
I have a new HUGE bruise on my foot and a newly fixed foot (thank you, chiro!) because I slammed myself into the wall/fridge trying to catch something falling off the top shelf...something that turned out NOT to be glass and could have fallen without incident. *sigh* I have FAST reflexed, if not good ones.

I cut into my Parisville for the Cosmic Burst QAL on Distant Pickles. I'm doing the Precious QAL and Cosmic Burst as a twofer. The Parisville needs to be made into a couch snuggler.


I got an AMAZING package from Mommy Made It! as part of the Scrappy Mug Rug swap:


I also got an amazing package from my Covert Robin partner, who will be guest posting, I think, on Tuesday.

I cut up fabric for my May Neutral and Not blocks. I'm going to finish packing them up tomorrow, so I can have them ready to mail off. April is a crazy month with parent conference prep.

I went to the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild meeting and joined up. Woo!!!
I got to listen to the guest speaker, Melody Miller. I was uber excited to hear her. The Pirate has probably gotten tired of hearing me remind him to remind me to get up early on Saturday to go. I've been doing that for 2 weeks now. Hearing her talk made me want to buy major yardage of her next line coming out. I am still coveting the current one. (I got some typewriter fabric that is being petted. Still hunting on the red typewriters.)

On tap for Easter Sunday:
trip to the post office
dancing with bellydance partner (to Minnie the Moucher)
sewing the block for April's Neutral and Not (hopefully before the post office trip)
writing a vocab test
writing the post for the next quarter of the Finish Along.
Happy Easter (technically it is on the East Coast now)!