Oh, for goodness sake...

It just would not go right!  Ever run across one of those patterns?  I checked twice to be sure I had the right fabrics and the right yardage.  But when I went to cut the strips, nooooooo.  Fortunately, I was using unbleached muslin, so I was able to borrow some from a friend.  Oh wait, I guess you don't really "borrow" fabric to use in a quilt, do you?  I studied it all, and the pattern was correct, but I had a bazillion extra parts, and not enough of others.  Guess my brain was not engaged!  You can see where I inserted a piece of fabric to make the borders long enough.  BTW, the border's not really crooked, there are pins underneath on the design wall.  But the top is done, and I'm ready to start quilting!  Guess I'll make mug rugs or tabletoppers from the extra bits.  Go over to Judy's blog here: http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/10/03/design-wall-monday-october-3-2011/ to see dozens of other "design wall Monday" projects!

Our local airport had an open house on Saturday, and someone took a picture of my hubby in his Glasair II.  It was terribly windy, so he didn't fly it, but it drew lots of attention on the sidelines.  It was a great success, hooray!  Although it was quite chilly, it was much better than last year, when it was hot, hot, hot!

It was a great weekend!

Design Table Monday

Dieciocho!   Bless you :-)  Since I'm thinking of Cinco de Mayo for the pattern, I'd personalize it by calling it Dieciocho de Mayo (18 May, which is my birthday). Any Spanish-speaking people out there, feel free to correct me if I'm not using the correct word here!  Pictured above are the fabrics I've pulled for the quilt, using the Kaffe "Paperweight" fabric as my inspiration.  They're stacked and ready to be shuffled into block color combinations. This is my very favorite part of quiltmaking :-)  

Judy has finally shuffled her life around enough to put up her Design Wall Monday, here:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/08/29/design-wall-monday-august-29-2011/  Go see what else is new!

Design Wall 7/11/11

After making a bazillion geese, I decided the flock is as done as it's going to be. So I finished the blocks.  Laying them out wasn't making the top as big as I'd hoped. I've made enough geese to last a lifetime, and the blocks aren't big enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What is the deal here?????  So I added sashing and corner posts.  There!  That should do it.  Argh!  

My right brain said I've made enough blocks, adding more stuff around the sides would make it bigger, and they would fit together perfectly.  Just sash every other block, and they will fit together just right.  NOT!!!  I think the left side of my brain had a seizure or something, because although it made perfect sense to me, it just didn't work out that way.  Oh, I know! says the right brain.  I'll just add sashing on two sides of the plain blocks, and alternate them with the others -- that will make them fit. Hahahahaaaaahaaaaaaa!  Anyone know how to do partial seams when putting blocks together? 

You can't really tell from the photo, I guess, but I have a mess on my hands.  You know the expression, "Back to the drawing board?"  Maybe I'll have some answers tomorrow.  Sigh.

I guess Judy's not blogging about her design floor today.  Otherwise, I'd send you to PatchworkTimes.com to see quilts that people are making that are coming together at the seams!!!!!!!!!!

Design Ironing Board Monday

I'm still plodding along with the quilt I started to put together some time back.  Here are more bits and pieces for it. 

Man, there are a lot of flying geese!  And half-squares, and squares.  But I think I only have to make a half dozen flock, then decide how I'm going to lay them out.  I'm soooo loving the Sunkissed fabrics :-D


That's the story for today!  Go to Judy's website to see what other people are working on these days: http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/06/27/design-wall-monday-june-27-2011/

Whoop Whoop! 6/17

Remember the funky 70s girls quilt I was quilting?  I applied the binding by machine, so it was done-done right away.   My husband asked if he could take it out to show a friend who has a little pre-teen daughter.  "Sure!" I said, and off he went.  Came back with $$ instead!  He sold it, just like that :-D  I didn't even get a picture of the whole thing.  But I guess I don't mind -- LOL!!!

When I tried to put on the ruler base on my Avante, it went POP!  Split right in two, thought I'd been shot!!!  Oh, no!!!!!!!!  Well, my sweet dealer said she'd send me another one.  So while I waited, I made more geese from my Sunkissed project.  

I only need a bajillion of them, so I've got a few more to do :-)  I think these blocks are going to be set on point, so it will be big enough for my bed.  Right now, I have an old 30's repro quilt, and I need something modern.  Like me :-D  

The new ruler bed showed up yesterday afternoon, so I pulled out a quilt I started years ago.  When Amy Butler created the fabric line she called "Charm" I went bonkers!  It was my first experience with what I call "modern" fabrics, I think she started it all.  Fell in total love.  I made the center, but decided I'd add borders to make it big enough for the bed.  That only took me a few years to do -- I guess it had to rest in the UFO stack until I was ready.  Now it's big enough, I have the ruler base, so I'll start practicing my midarm quilting on it next week.   Also, on the advice of my Avante dealer, I've ordered a UPS for the machine.  We've been having power flickers, and terrible thunderstorms, so that should be arriving today or tomorrow. Just don't want to take the chance of burning up my new baby!!

But first, I'll be wrapped up in our local quilt show!  It starts this morning, lasts through tomorrow.  We have such enormously talented quilters here (authors and Paducah winners, even!), our show is just wonderful.  I put in some quilts, too, to fill the spaces :-)

So I've got to run!  I didn't get a chance to take pictures of my birthday present that arrived day before yesterday.  It's so cool.  Later!  

Yeah, Kinda Like That!

Whew, that's how I'm feeling these days!  Too hot, too hot.  There's no way I could survive in Texas anymore.  Texas?  Not just Texas, it's everywhere!  I heard it was 100 degrees in Central Park, in New York!  And yet, I have friends honeymooning in Bend, Oregon, where it's been in the 60s during the day and 40s at night.  That sounds so good!


Somewhere in the Wonderful World of the Blogosphere, I saw a picture of just the corner of a quilt.  For some reason, the idea stayed in my mind, and a few days ago I started playing with bits and pieces on the design wall. As you can see, it's all thrown up there, and then it's like a jigsaw puzzle, moving parts here and there, trying out this and that.  I have just one block sewn together, but since this is just a work in progress, it may be re-done, too.

I do have a little quilt on the Avante, in progress.  The focus fabric is a wonderful, funky print of women in their 70s-style outfits, very hip ;-D  The inspiration for the pattern is from a book called "9-Patch Pizzazz" where you use larger pieces of the focus fabric surrounded by smaller blocks.  Sorta like the "Just Can't Cut It" book.  

So there it is, a little bit of this, and a little bit of that.  

Design Wall Monday 5/30/11

Off the design wall and quilted and bound!!!  I got to play with my new machine just that long :-)  It's a simple pattern using 8 FQ and 1/2 yard for the border.  This is going to Habitat via one of the guilds I belong to.

While you're here, go to my previous post ( http://scrapsofhappiness.blogspot.com/2011/05/so-whats-it-going-to-be-giveaway.html ) for a giveaway!  It's open till tomorrow night.  


I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend, and that the weather is perfect for whatever you're doing.  Please take the time to send out a silent prayer and thank you to those who lost their lives, for us, for our freedom.  Thanks!