Comin' Right Along...

Another FBP block makes it into the Christmas Quilt! This one is "Lover's Knot" and it is probably the quickest block I've ever made (well, certainly in the top 5, anyway!). I think I can actually get all the blocks made and the sashing at least cut before Kerstin gets here. We will be working on getting my borders to fit (and lie flat) so they won't be giving her fits when she quilts my tops!

Been thinking, though, that I may just go with a giant "Star" setting... put the blocks on point and make the star from the setting triangles. Since this will be a lap quilt, nine blocks would be fine. I'll have to look at my stash to see what setting fabrics I have that would work.

Christmas Catching Up...

Lots of garden catching up going on here at the farm... but it is still too cold and wet to put in my corn! I've been outside weeding and preparing beds for when the plants can go in (if at all this summer! The weekend was beautiful and I thought we had gone right into summer - now it is again low fifties and raining. Sigh)

Since it felt like Winter anyway, I thought I'd do another catch-up block for the Christmas Quilt. This one is "Eight Hands 'Round" from week ten. Didn't much care for the block, too choppy, but I liked the little star in the center... and the Santa with his 'shades' struck me as funny.

Two More for FBP.

Too bad I didn't make a list, because I got lots of things done (or partly done) today.

Put kiln wash on my shelves, attacked the weeds in the spot where I'm going to plan the corn and squashes, helped Henry put the cowling back on the Ford tractor, printed some glazes so I can make tests to see if I like them, and made TWO blocks for Friday Block Party!

I'm not very happy with the photos I'm taking of the blocks... crooked and the odd lighting changes the colors! YYEEcch! That is something to work on: take good pictures, after all, it isn't "Rocket Surgery"!

I like the way the individual R/W/B blocks are coming out. This one is "Puss in the Corner from week 17, wuilte a while ago. I'll have to put them all together and take a shot of them... hopefully they will place nicely.




At first I didn't like "Broken Wheel". Maybe I just didn't like the name. Since it was a 12" block, I decided to just do it anyway, and be one block closer to finishing a quilt. It might make an interesting quilt on it's own, but it wasn't very interesting to make. That makes seven blocks for the R/W/B quilt, I'm a little more than half-way... 13 on point is my goal, but I haven't got a clue for the setting or borders.

Back to the Future.

I took R0ssie's "Process Pledge", so I'm allowing myself even more freedom to blog about what what I'm thinking while I'm doing my quilts. Since I rarely sketch anything, I probably won't be letting you see any design options before I've made my decision, though.

Friday Block Party choice for last week was a nice starry one, so I decided to do it in my Christmas fabric... and get closer to a finish with that one. Kerstin will HATE it when I'm done and I send it to her.... it is just too "Christmas" for words. Maybe the sashing will help tone it down a bit, but probably not since I've got light colored stars in the intersections of either green or red print 2" wide sashes (no color decision there, yet). I haven't decided on the borders.

I could have sworn I was almost finished with the blocks for this quilt, but I have only eight of the twelve blocks finished! I think the "Quilt Gremlins" are removing blocks from the box in the night!!! If that is happening, why don't they take the ones I don't like?

I'm getting very close to "being so done with this one"... why does that happen with all the quilts I make? Before I finish I begin not to like a quilt very much, and keep going just to finish it. By the time I've finished any quilt, no matter how much I liked it when I started, and how much I like the fabrics - the colors, the block pattern - I don't like it at all when I'm done. I think it is the worst quilt I've ever made. What is up with THAT???

I like this block a bunch, and with the BG "L" shapes, the big block of background fabric would become the primary focus if it was used for a big quilt. Hmmm... this block might be a possibility for Kaylin's graduation quilt, since I have two to make for next June and I need to get started on them ASAP!

Flashy, Splashy, and Just "So Alex" !!!

Here is Alex's quilt (in it's natural habitat - Alex's room) after I presented it to her. Kerstin quilted roses in each of the diamonds: black ones in the dark blue diamonds, and verigated ones in each of the colored blocks. I bound it last Friday and took it to Alex's party on Saturday...

Johnny spirited the quilt out of the car and stashed it up in his room (across the hall) without her knowing it was even in the house. Later, while Alex was out greeting guests, we crept up and spread the quilt out on her bed. She never missed us!

Her friends were in on the deal, so Todd (one of the Dads) asked if he could see her newly painted room. Several others wanted to see, too, so up they went. I expected a "patented AlexScream", but heard nothing. They said she stopped short and was SPEECHLESS. Very unusual for our Alex. "OMG!", she said... "it is BEAUTIFUL!" No scream, but the appreciation in her voice was thanks enough.

And now for something totally different.

Mulligan Again?

I really didn't like the contrast in my March block for the North Bay BOM... it was the last post. So I took a "Mulligan" and did it again.



This version is much better. The green looks far more 'dotty' than varigated in the photo - it is really pretty solid. Using solid colors with the Batik print background will work better than using prints. I have lots of bright colors left from Alex's Graduation quilt that I can use in this one.



I finished Alex's quilt and sent it to Kerstin for Longarming (is that a word? I know, I know... 'don't verb your nouns!' Thanks, Mom.) I'm really excited to see it, when it returns I'll bind it, take a picture, (and post it of course) then take it right over to her... Graduation is Sunday, so it won't be too early to give it to her.