Lucky

A run of luck in giveaways means I have two new favorite numbers--40 and 64.  Coming my way from Kim is a lovely pack of Christmas fabric (thanks so much Kim!).  She advised I go out and buy a lottery ticket, words I planned to heed.  However, when I was leaving my house today to head to the lottery counter, my car wouldn't start.  At. All.  So I guess my luck has already run out.  Dang, and I really wanted to win that GO Cutter giveaway I entered too!  Oh well, at least I am lucky in love...and family. 

Speaking of family, I unearthed a WIP that has a deadline of October.  My other older brother, Tyler, turns 50 and since I made my other older brother a quilt, of course I said I'd make Tyler one.  My design includes 50 bowties, each in a different fabric, some solid background squares, and double four-patch blocks made from scraps and stash.  I am trying not to buy anything specifically for this quilt other than the background--yet--though a backing will be in order at some point! 

I am calling that center block a double four-patch, not really sure that's the right description though.  Green, blue, brown, red and "other" are my color groups, 10 bowties of each. 

Got the browns all picked out.

And the greens.  I may have to break down and purchase more reds since traditional prints are depleted from my stash and scraps presently.  Happily there will be plenty of opportunity at the Quilt Festival next weekend.  Plans are coming together for the big day, which we have decided will be Saturday.  The show is open until 7 pm so that gives an extra 4 hours over the Sunday schedule.  With nine folks going, we will need some of that just to find each other at times during the day!

And now for something completely different

Monty Python fans, remember that line?

Erica came upstairs to the office this morning where I was working to ask me a question.

Erica: "Mom, have you had any of that Raisin Bran Crunch?"

Me: "No,why?"

Erica: "Because I was wondering where all the crunch was..." and drew her hand out from behind her back:

Erica: "and then this fell into my bowl from the cereal box!"

Me: "Ha ha ha ha ha!  Where's the camera?"

Well, she got all the crunch she wanted and more.  Lovely nails, no?  That girl loves bright! 

In other completely different news, I was just emailed that I am the winner on the I Have a Notion blog of a great tool and pattern set by Kim Templin.  Lucky Number 40.  Thanks for the giveaway, Kelly, and thanks to Kim for putting together an interesting new way to craft.  Can't wait to read all about it and pic out fabrics to use for a project.  Whoo hoo!

Finally, this is my 200th post.  Look for a related giveaway I plan for after the big adventure to the International Quilt Festival July 23-25th.  Sure to be some quilt show goodies I have to share!

A July finish

It's another small quilt, but a finish is a finish!  This one will hang in my work cubicle.  I have the smallest workspace of anyone in the office but it does have a nice window and high ceilings. 

This was a fun project and I'm sorry I took so long to get it together.  I could have been enjoying it brightening up my workspace for the past year!

Simple machine quilting with matching thread.

I like the effect on the back too.

Tonight I will be having a small Quilt Circle meeting at my house.  My SIL Laura has a similar cat pattern but it is an allover tessellated pattern and she's asked for my help.  A co-worker also wants help with a project.  This will hopefully be the start of many gatherings here.  I'll have to come up with a name...hmmm, pondering.

Design Wall Monday

On my design wall today is the start to the backing for Erica's quilt.  After some preliminary math and a bit of cutting and sewing--and a small mess up involving unsewing and recutting and sewing---the first initial was done.

Then, realizing I was going to have to square up a LOT more of the triangle squares, I took myself to Michael's with the "make your own sale" 50% off coupon and bought one of these rotating mats.

I wish I had bought one years ago--this thing is great!  I could layout and trim four pieces at a time, rotate the mat and cut the other two sides.  What an amazing time saver.  Kicking myself now for being cheap!  Also while I was out I had to hit the quilt shop for more of the background, being short just inches of the final piece I needed. Not that it's a hardship for me to go to my LQS...anyway, back home more cutting and arranging took place and by the end of the day I had the initials all made.

The squares are 7" finished and the triangle squares 1 3/4" so the initials are about 35" high.  The overall piece is about half the width of the finished quilt so will make a big splash on the back!  Not sure how we're finishing out the remainder of the backing.  Another trip to the quilt shop may be in order.  Oh, darn!

Had to have

My friend Tanya's mom is holding a fabric and craft sale this weekend.  I was given the privilege of a preview on Thursday night and boy, did I have fun!  Mrs. B sewed has sewed for a lifetime, even making a living at it when her girls were small.  She also does tole painting and taught classes for many years.  My shopping was confined to the fabric area but there were a lot of "had to have" remnants, patterns, and yardage that I picked up.

Aren't these cute?  I can see them made up in some of these fabrics:

I liked these folk patterns and the paper-pieced kitties and was happy to acquire another template.

A few repros. I love the red one at the top of the pic especially.

True to form, I came home with lots of green prints, reds, and dots!  There are a few novelty prints in there as well.  Note the two lonely neutrals at the bottom of the pic.  I have the hardest time with those.

This little box also enticed me.  Green, of course.  The cats both came over to inspect but someone had to take a swipe at the other so no sweet noses in the photo (bad Mini, bad!).

My wallet $110 lighter, I happily headed home thinking of what fun I'll have with all this cotton candy.  Today I am going to finish the binding on Twisted Tails , which has finally been quilted--a year later-- and work on Erica's backing.  I have not sewn but one night this week however you wouldn't know it by the mess in my sewing room!

One Mystery solved and another revealed

My proposed layout for the Mystery Quilt is what Judy had already designed, so I am happy!  She put on three borders but I've not yet decided if I will do all three--mostly because I am just barely gonna squeak by with enough of the red fabric if I do the two borders.  Playing it by ear--I guess that is a mystery still!

Erica's quilt top is complete.  I actually got this together last Sunday but haven't had a chance to get a full sized photo, so y'all will have to imagine it from these pics:

This is a big quilt!  It is nearly 90 inches square.  The binding is the same suede, cut at 4 inches wide, which is a bit alarming.

This one shows the texture of the silk and the suede better, as well as the color.  In foraging for something else in one of my quilting supplies drawer I came across a stencil with fleur de lis, which will be perfect for this border.  Erica loves that emblem.  I bought this and a bunch of other stencils at Tuesday Morning for super cheap, some years ago, but haven't used them.  I have a fear of marking quilts, I guess,  and really need some help with that!

And now, my brilliant idea for the back of the quilt:  I want to take this pile of pretty leftovers and this pile of bonus triangle squares from the flying geese and make Erica's initials as a big block.

See where she has signed off on this idea?  It's a lot of sewing but I think I have the math worked out.  I'll do a sample block before I cut for all--they will be 9" squares/rectangles so it will be a big block!  I think it will be a fun addition to the back, perhaps medallion style like the front. I'm excited about it and--fingers crossed--it will turn out as well as I envision.  Stay tuned...divine or disaster, I will reveal all!

I propose

I finished all the #1 blocks from Clue #5 of the Mystery Quilt and put them up on my design wall with  the #2 blocks.  This is the layout I propose:

Sorry this is not a great photo.  I had to lighten it up a lot so that the green showed up. There's one of each color pinwheel star on my design wall.  In total there are six of each. 

Again, this photo is subpar, but I really like the gray/black print with the green and cream.  This is a Kona fabric, ecru toned, not sure of the name.  Despite using a directional fabric for the green, the scale is small enough not to interfere with the graphic of the star. We'll have to wait until Tuesday to see what Judy's proposal is for the layout!  That will be followed by a border of cream and then a border of red, at least.  I'll decide after those two are on if I want to make it any bigger.  These are 12" blocks so it will quickly grow to a largish quilt (35 blocks total plus the borders). 

I hope everyone has nice plans for the 4th.  All my sibs and families except my sister will be over at my mom and dad's tomorrow night for BBQ and watching fireworks from the roof or backyard.  The community college where the city fireworks show is held is right behind my parents' house, so except for a street palm tree that is determined to block our view, we have pretty good seats. Oh, and we can see all the illegal fireworks being set off too.  Happy Independence Day!