MAKING PROGRESS

I'm almost finished with the quilting on my basket quilt.  I need to think up a name for the quilt - any suggestions?

I did echo quilting in the medallion, quilted around each basket and did stippling in between the baskets and in the space that the handles surround.  I haven't decided yet how I will quilt the border, but I decided to do the binding next and I need to make it first.  It has to be bias binding because the edge will be scalloped.

Some close-up pictures….

Barb, at Fun with Barb, asked if anyone wanted to join in on a 9-patch swap and she had lots of response.  So, I am making 100 9-patches, 2 for everyone in the reproduction swap (which is closed, BTW).  I have over half of them made so far - they go pretty fast, especially with the new method.

She had a tutorial here on a new way to make 9-patches and I'm using that method to make them.  I really like it!  You can check it out and try it for yourself.

Have a great week and thanks for visiting!

HOME AT LAST

There are several things that I like about returning to Texas and the picture below is one of them.  Lower gas prices!!!  The price is higher near where we live, but still lower than most of the states we traveled in.  The picture was taken in Amarillo, TX.

Of course, I like it that we are getting closer to home and really like it when I see green grass instead of the usual brown grass this time of year.  Apparently, there was rain during our absence!  But, the big negative is the heat!  It will be 100° or more for the next week.  We will be staying inside as much as possible for sure.

Here are a few other things that I worked on while in Oregon.  I made about 30 of these 4" sawtooth stars which I am going to put on some pillowcases for our bed.

Then I used some of the leftover blue from my little baskets to make these 9-patches - about 23 of them.  I think I'll make a double 9-patch table runner or something with them.

One of my latest projects is knitting dish cloths.  They are so easy to make and I can work on them in the truck.

Here is my stack of little basket blocks, which I have shown you every month, but here they are all stacked up.  I had another months' fabric in the mail when I got home, so I need to get them prepped.

I'm trying to get all my stuff organized from the trip and have several important projects to get busy on, but need to clean house too.  Oh!  for more hours in the day!  What are you doing to stay cool and busy this summer?

Thanks for all the sweet comments.  I try to reply to them, but don't always get to them before I start getting more comments!