Resting day.....

I made a feeble attempt to clean off the cutting table, but when I found this little stack of 1" wide strips I decided to play with them instead.  I didn't do much yesterday, paid bills, shopped for birdseed and groceries, knitted a bit.  Toward evening I decided to go out and start trimming my 2 forsythia bushes because brush pick up date is coming soon.  I chopped off lots of long branches since both bushes are really big.  I know I can cut them all the way down to 18" and they will come back fine.  Today I need to put away all of the quilts and quilt tops that I took to my program and to the workshop Saturday.  Then I can decide what I am working on next.

I'm still here.........

I have been very consistent to post every morning at 5 a.m. (actually written around midnight and set to post at 5).  Last night I went to the computer to do my post, answered a few emails first, realized how tired I was and went to bed.  It wasn't until 8:30 this morning that I realized I didn't do a post.  So....I'm OK in case you wondered.  I always have a couple emails from concerned friends when my post isn't there and I thank them for checking up on me.

All I had in photos was my retail therapy for June.  I took advantage of the 23% off sale at Canton Village Quiltworks last weekend and got a few new Australian fabrics.

There were some great light colored batiks that I needed.  She had 1/2 yard as the minimum purchase so that is mostly what I got.

I see the light lavender one sneaked into 2 photos....

Finishing kits...........

I still had 23 fabrics to cut for my workshop kits so a large part of the day was spent finding fabrics to fill out the variety of colors and styles of fabric, pressing out fold marks, die cutting, and then sorting them into kits and packaging them.  I took a couple breaks and mowed the back yard grass after lunch and the front yard at 8:30 when it was finally cooling off a little.  The three hour workshop starts at 10 this morning so I packed everything I will need last night.

 My niece sent me a photo she took at the program Thursday night.  I started this quilt top in June 2010 and sewed the top together in September 2010.  It has been waiting patiently for me to make a border from more triangles.  I wonder if that is ever going to happen....

Forgot my camera..........

I meant to take my camera for someone to take photos and I forgot it......maybe that is because I had 2 large suitcases, 3 rolls of quilts, 2 tote bags and 2 backdrop stands to load into the van.  One of my friends took photos with her phone but I was moving a lot so there were some blurry ones. We had 3 backdrop stands with 6 quilts displayed and the rest were held by wonderful volunteers.  I met some people who read my blog and reconnected with lots of old friends.  It was great!

Sewn together........

Even though I liked Beth's idea (in the comments yesterday) to make the last block lime green, that would have meant pulling out at least 16 pieces of lime fabric to cut one strip off and I already had black scraps ready to cut into strips.  If time hadn't been a problem I might have done it, but I needed it done for my program tonight and didn't want to be working right up to the last minute.  I might get the top and bottom background color strips sewn on yet today, but then maybe I won't.


Do you have a Google+ account and leave me comments?  I would love to answer you but you are no reply and I can't leave you a comment without joining Google+ and I'm not going to do that.  I have an email link in my profile and another on my right side bar.............

8 blocks............

I got the last 3 blocks pressed and put them up on the design wall.  I think the last block is going to be black like it was on the big quilt.  This one is going to be a petite 42" x 36" if I don't add any borders.   I think I might still put on a strip top and bottom so the color won't touch the edge.

Two more done, two to go........

The next two blocks are done, numbers 6 and 7.

 I cut the purple pieces to the right lengths so I can sew this block today.  I just have to decide what the last color will be and get the pieces cut.  I want to be able to show this top in my trunk show Thursday night.  If you missed the post with the information, here it is again.
I will be giving a trunk show program (about 60 quilts and tops) for the DeKalb County Quilters Guild.  If you live anywhere near here and would like to come, the location is St. Mary’s Parrish Annex, 210 Waterman Street, Sycamore, IL 60178.  There is a $5 guest fee.  Thursday June 26 2014 at 7 p.m.

Sewn..........

It took me until 11 p.m. last night to get this 6" block Northwind top sewn together and I'm happy I stuck with it.  You might notice it is flipped end for end from what I have shown up to this point.  I consulted my art expert and she thought this was the winning orientation.  Below I have yesterday's photo, also flipped so you can see where I made changes yesterday.  I replaced one block and repositioned a few others. 

 I thought the red ended too abruptly (bottom edge) in yesterday's version.  I also didn't like the pink/lavender block on the left.  The gold (top center) was too lopsided so that got changed a little.

These are the blocks that got pulled out in the last 2 days.

 Here are the triangles that were cut and didn't get used.  

I will add this post to the HSTeria quilt along link (right side bar) on Friday.

Almost there........

I have just a couple more changes to make and then I think I'll be ready to sew this one together.  I made 8 new Northwind blocks yesterday and used 5 of them.  I think I need to make 3 more new blocks for specific areas.  I have included Friday's photo below so you can compare the changes (if you want to).

Switching......

I decided to work on the other quilt yesterday instead of making any decisions on the Northwind blocks.  The 1" (finished size) strips are so cute!  I have all of the background pieces cut now and have just 2 more colors to cut. 

I mowed a little over half of my yard last night after 7:30.  It had cooled down a little but was still humid.  It is supposed to be hotter today and Sunday.  The grass in the backyard doesn't grow as fast because there is more shade so it can wait a few days.

Starting over.......

I had a little better luck with the 6" Northwind blocks yesterday and thought I might be done until I saw the photo and could see the line across the bottom.  Once again the camera wants to emphasize the orange and red.  It isn't that bright.

I really wasn't happy with the red and orange along the bottom either so I started over.  Now I see a line on the blue edge and vertically in the 3rd row in from the right.  I need to make more blocks.  That will be after I get home from replacing the 10 year old tires on my van.  I have only a little over 51,000 miles on the van but the tires were starting to show dry rot.

Click on the HSTeria button on the right side bar to see what everyone else is doing with triangles.

A few more blocks..........

This 6" Northwind quilt is harder than the first one I made.  I have lots more blocks to make to get the variety I need.  I cut enough pieces for 7 more blocks yesterday and pieced 4.  I spent most of the day working on my program that I will be giving a week from tonight for the DeKalb County Quilters Guild.  If you live anywhere near here and would like to come, the location is St. Mary’s Parrish Annex, 210 Waterman Street, Sycamore, IL 60178.  There is a $5 guest fee.  Thursday June 26 2014 at 7 p.m.

My program is called Exuberant Color and so far I have 57 quilts and tops chosen to show in the trunk show. 

Working on two.........

I made the first block using the 1.5" strips.

 Here you can see how small it is compared to the original quilt block.  If you don't remember this one, here is the book it is from.

I have been working on the light colored 6" Northwind blocks.  For the no reply people with questions, here is the tutorial on this block.  This time I'm using 4" and 2" finished size triangles.

 Here are 8 more of the 18 blocks I made yesterday.  It was too late to play with them on the design wall when I finished them last night.

New project............

I love making the Northwind blocks so I'm making a smaller version this time.  I put the 4 leftover blocks from the last quilt up there so you can see how much smaller this new one is.  The original quilt had 9" blocks and this one has 6" blocks.  I plan on making about 90-95 blocks from which to choose the 80 blocks I need for a 48" x 60" wallhanging.  I will be concentrating on light blocks now.  The contrast isn't as high as it looks in this photo; it is much softer looking.

After my company left I went out and pulled more weeds and a bunch of Goldenrod.  It is hot and humid and it's expected to stick around for a few days so I'll be doing more cutting and sewing in my cool basement after I get my hair cut this morning.

Cutting and sorting..........

While I was in the basement doing laundry and final pick up I cut some more triangles for the next project.  I sorted them into pairs and they are stacked on my machine waiting for me.  The art quilters are coming today.

Yard work, cutting fabric.........

If you look carefully right in the center of the photo you will see the start of my first tomato on the Early Girl vine.  All of the vines are growing faster now.

I mowed the grass, cut more fabric for current projects and mixed 2 batches of cookie dough to chill overnight.  It was another beautiful day in the 70s.  The hot weather is coming next week.

Circles..........

Remember these blocks?  I am going to end up making two wallhangings and there are more blocks left over for a third project.  I have been dragging my feet on getting the center circles made and ready for appliqueing.  Two friends came over to sew yesterday so it was a perfect day to tackle it.

The fabric is green cotton woven one direction and red metallic in the other direction.  They are turned 2 different directions here.

It will be a challenge to get them all turned the same way on the wallhangings.

I have two circles left to prepare.

Some cutting.......

I got the strips cut to length for seven of the nine colors I need for the quilt.  This is going to be a miniature version of one I have already made.  These are 1.5" strips and the other one took 2.5" strips.  That means this one will be 1/4 of the size of the other one.  We had good conversation and pizza at the sew in.  A good day.

When I got home I filled my bird feeders and pulled a few weeds.  The mosquitoes had a banquet with my blood.  I read somewhere that people with certain blood types are more likely to get mosquito bites than others.  I certainly have the type they like.

Little progress............

 There is not much to show for my day yesterday.  I was cleaning off the cutting table and found these little blocks and made 2 mug rug tops.  They go on the pile and some day I'll finish a bunch of them.  I had 2 dishcloths nearly done so finished both of them.  I'm cleaning up the basement for friends coming to sew Friday and the art quilters coming Monday.  Also I'm doing a lot of cutting on my Studio die cutter so lots happening but not much to show right now.

Errand day, sorting strips...........

I got my fiber fix by sorting my inch and half strips for a new project.  I will cut them into lengths at our sew in on Thursday. 

 I did my errands in the morning before the rain started.  This is the other stem of blooms on the white peony, outside in the rain, nice gentle rain.

Pretty flowers

All of the white blooms are on one stem.

Little sewing........

I brought home some squares from our last church sewing circle because we didn't meet a second time in May because of Memorial Day.  Both fabrics are poly/cotton, cut by hand in the 1970s and inaccurate.  The print is high majority polyester so it is slick and shiny and won't ease at all.  I have no love for fabrics from that era.  I need to press it and take it to sewing circle this afternoon.

 The Red Penstemon is in full bloom now.  The flowers are a really pale pink, almost white.

 The yellow primroses are also in bloom.  I have them planted in every flowerbed.

 When I was little we used to go down by the creek and pick wild buttercups.  These remind me of those flowers.  I love yellow.

Busy Saturday..........

My company had a flight to catch yesterday so they left mid morning.  I did 2 loads of laundry and mowed the grass in 2 sessions.  It was pretty warm but it cooled off with a gentle rain starting around 9 p.m. 

I started cutting a new project, triangles of course.  I will be cutting for a few days before I sew. 

Meeting his great aunt and uncle..........

My great grandson met his great aunt and uncle at my house yesterday.  He is so cute..........

Company leaves today.

HSTeria quilt along project 3.....

All 25 blocks are sewn together into a quilt top now.  I have to make a decision if it is done (at about 50" square) or whether I want to design more borders.  I love medallion quilts but don't like square bed quilts or couch quilts.  I think of them more as a wallhanging.  Click on the HSTeria Quilt Along button on my right side bar to see what everyone else is doing with their triangles.

 We went out in the backyard to see the lilacs but they were done blooming.  The peonies have lots of buds but the rain on Wednesday has stalled the blooming.  The red Weigela bush is just past the prime but this branch was still looking good.  The weeds are doing great (groan).  We had the most beautiful weather yesterday, mid 70s and a nice breeze.

2 more corners filled in.....

I got the top right corner and bottom left corner sewn yesterday while my guests visited my son in law's mother. 
We went out to lunch and then I laid out the last corner to sew whenever.

This is me, my son in law, his mother and my daughter.  It turned really cool yesterday with lots of gentle rain in the morning.  Today and tomorrow look like perfect weather, not too hot.

3 blocks on the bottom.....

I didn't get the corner blocks sewn but I had the iron on so I pressed the three bottom blocks that I made Monday night.  Then I moved the mountain of quilts off the loveseat, couch and coffee table.  Now I'm ready for company.

One corner block..........

I fixed the triangles that were facing the wrong way in the top left corner block.  I put the triangles up in the top right corner so I could be sure this is how I wanted to turn the corners.  I pieced 3 of the bottom border blocks but didn't have them pressed yet.  My company will arrive this evening so I might find time to piece the remaining 3 corners this afternoon.