BUSY QUILTING!

Believe it or not I've been busy quilting!!  I showed you this string quilt a couple posts ago and I had to buy some backing fabric before I could get it quilted.  So, I took a trip to Joann's, deciding to go their first and if they didn't have anything I liked, I would then go to my LQS.  At first, I didn't see anything at Joann's that I liked, but when I looked a little more, I found something.  Of course, all the fabric in the store was marked down to a sale price, so I couldn't use the 60% coupon that I had.

I finished quilting the string quilt.  This is the backing I bought for the string quilt.

I found this paw print fabric for the cat quilt. 

So I moved on to quilting the cat quilt.  I love this one!  The fabrics were cut out probably over 10 years ago!  What a UFO!  I enjoyed making the blocks so much, that I have already cut out a lot of fabrics for another one.

With the spring almost here, I have been doing a little yard work.  I am old now, so I can't spend too long out there at a time.  I decided to hire someone to help get the yard in order and put down mulch.  But before he comes, I'm trying to clean up the flower beds.  I'm not going to plant any vegetables this year.  It's not worth it to me since there is a farm nearby where I can get fresh veggies for great prices.  I guess I'm getting lazy.  I have always dreaded the summer coming (especially when we lived in Texas) due to the heat and having to do yard work.  At least it isn't so hot here in Oregon!  I am weird, I know.  But during the winter, there's no yard work needed (except mowing the grass a couple times) and it is very cozy inside.  More time to quilt!!

The trees are starting to bloom now and daffodils are blooming all over town!  Happy Spring, everybody!

ONE FINISH AND ONE TOP DONE

A couple weeks ago I showed you some of the blocks for this scrappy string quilt and now it is finished!

This will be a donation quilt.  I quilted it with what Kim Diehl calls cinnamon rolls - a super easy way to quilt that turns out looking pretty good!  You can see how it looks in these two close up sections.

I finished the Pineapple Nine-Patch top that I showed you in my last post.  I'm glad I made it and also glad is it finished.  It measures 70" square.  I'm not sure if I will ever make another one, but I have seen some lovely ones in different colors.  It is very tempting!

This is what each block looks like.

I like how the lighter colored sections look like a circle when they are put together.  I made it mostly from stash.  The dark colored fabrics are mostly batiks and the lighter colors are not.  I will need to purchase fabric for backing.  I'll probably get it from the "sale" basement of my LQS.  

The backing is on my list for when I go to my LQS for my birthday shopping spree later this month!  The week of your birthday, they give you 25% off all regular priced items.  So, we smart shoppers, save up our punch cards from the shop, which are worth $25 of free merchandise per card (we get it punched for every dollar spent on regular priced items).  I have 2 punch cards finished, so that is $50 right there.  I also have some pennies saved up from a couple items I sold recently.  Can't wait!!

A WIN! AND SOME PROGRESS

I won a QCR Mini ruler (Sew Kind of Wonderful) from Randy a couple weeks ago!  It's a curved ruler and there was a pattern for a table runner included, so I decided to use it right away and make up the pattern.  I picked out 2 batiks to start with and since I didn't have enough of that fabric, I  picked out 2 more.  It went together very easily and I have the top done!  It is different from my traditional block designs, but it's fun to try something new.  They have some other instructional videos on Youtube that I might try too.  There is at least one book.

This is the mini ruler.   I'm not sure how many patterns are available for this ruler.  I'll have to do some more exploring.  Thanks, Randy!!

Several years ago - at least 10 - I saw this fabric in my favorite quilt shop in Texas, where I was living at the time.  I made a few of these wall hangings; gave a couple away and sold one I think.
I had some of the fabric left over and had always planned to make one for me.  Finally, I came across the fabric and decided this was a good time to make it up.

I changed the design a little because my math skills have deteriorated a lot in the last 10 years.  This is what I came up with.    I have the perfect place to hang it when it is quilted and bound.

Last year, I participated in the scrappy string challenge that Lori held.  Since I didn't finish the spider quil then, I thought it was time to get it done.  I didn't want to make it too big, so it measures 5 feet square for a lap quilt.

Do you see the cat in the lower part of this picture?

I used fabrics that were in my stash and used 2 different fabrics separated by scrappy pieces of fabric for the border.

This challenge was, of course, supposed to be a way to use up (AKA - get rid of) some scraps.  It did use some scraps, but of course, didn't really make a dent in my scraps.  I think I need to start making more string quilts. 

String Quilt Report, Etc.

My string quilt is all put together and quilted.  I'm stitching the binding to the back this morning.  This will be a donation quilt.  I have made a few quilts like this and from now on I am going to do something different.  I'm tired of this design.  The last row in the first picture is one of each color because I needed another row and didn't have enough of one color to finish it.

The other half hanging on the the shady side of the clothesline.  We have been having beautiful weather lately!

My quilting was mostly swirls and echo stitching around swirls randomly done all over.

Another finish is a patriotic round robin donation quilt.  This will be donated to a veteran in a hospital.  It's a project in my quilt guild for the season and last month we got the quilt we started back and I quilted it.  I'm always amazed at how good the round robins turn out.  I started it with the center panel - that part was easy!  I did a lot of straight line stitching around some of the borders, cross-hatched the flag block and quilted curvy lines and stars in the white outer border.

I pieced the backing as you can see.

My quirky little quilt is finished with the striped binding.  I stitched in the ditch for each pieced block and quilted the rest with navy blue thread, so it is hard to see.

The backing is a blue print.  It feels good to be getting some projects!

I'll end this post with some beautiful flower pictures.  The lilacs are blooming here and this is a bush that we walk past on our morning walk.  We had to stop for a sniff - just love lilacs!

The dogwood tree is right next door and is beautiful now.  Too bad it doesn't keep the flowers longer.

My clematis has it's first bloom - with lots of buds to follow!

I still need to get more done in the yard.  Yesterday I planted 4 rows of onions (short rows).  My neighbor had extra and gave them to me.  I have never grown onions before.  I still need to get a tomato plant.  Do you plant a garden?

March String-Along Linky

I basted this string quilt a couple months ago and decided I better get busy and sat least start quilting it.  I have quilted several of this type of quilts before, but I really didn't know how I wanted to quilt it.  So I started with some swirly quilting and continued with various swirls.  I got almost half of it quilted yesterday.

I also finished quilting and binding the flag quilt.

I will be linking this up to Lori's blog.  Thanks, Lori, for giving us the incentive to get busy with all the millions of strings that are hanging around our sewing room!  I'm trying to decide what to make with strings next. 

It's a beautiful day today, but I came down with some kind of bug, so I'm staying inside.  Hope you have a wonderful spring weekend!

STRINGS AND A FINISH

I am participating in Lori's Stringalong (see humblequilts.blogspot.com).  I have been making string blocks for a while, so I had a stack almost ready to make into a quilt.  I did make quite a few this month to have enough to finish the string quilt top though.

Here are some patriotic string blocks that I will use on a round robin for my quilt guild.  These are 

5 1/2" unfinished blocks.

I have made several string quilts over the years to donate and this top is now finished and ready for quilting.  Once it is quilted (by me) I will donate it as well.

Here is it all put together.

This is another quilt top that I will be donating to Quilts for Cops.  Please check out this link and consider making a top for them - or a whole quilt.  You can also donate money so they can buy batting and backings for quilt tops that are made for them.  It is definitely a worthy cause.

I also finished (except for label, which is waiting on the ironing board) my Jungle quilted wall hanging (that my sister gave me for Christmas).  It will fit perfectly on my quilt rack near the front door.

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you have a nice weekend.

BINDING BLITZ REPORT FOR JULY!

Today I have 2 quilts to report for the binding blitz that Julie has each month.  I will link with her as soon as she does her final post for July.  Both of them are donation quilts.

This one will be donated through the quilters' guild that I belong to - it goes to the hospital for a baby.

The next one is a string quilt that is larger for an older child and I will donate it to a local outreach.  I hope a teen-ager will like it.  

This will be my last one with the cow fabric backing.  It wasn't quite enough, so I added the plain green fabric.  The binding is scrappy, but mostly it's green and the vary-colored fabric.

Thanks for stopping by!