LABEL AND BACK MADE

I started piecing the leftovers together for the back for Abracadabra and then decided I wanted a more plain backing.

So, I went to Pacific Fabrics on 4th and looked at every piece of cotton fabric there yesterday.

I started on the flat fold table because they are cheaper and funkier and was shocked that everything was $8.48 a yard.  I guess I haven't been paying attention - that seems expensive to me!

I couldn't find anything, of course, and moved on to the upholstery fabrics and then to the quilting fabrics.

I found one I sorta liked in the upholstery fabrics at $21.48 a yard. But at only 54" wide that seemed very expensive.

So on to the quilting cottons.  Nothing seemed just right, but I settled on a greyish, greenish overall that would work at $12.78 a yard.  Yikes.  I bought 4 yards of that and another 1/2 yard of the plain green to use for binding and a spool of green thread to use for quilting.  The total was over $78 dollars.

What happened to my plan to not buy more fabric and use up my stash?

I made a label and pieced together the back and now it's all ready to pin.

You can see the plain grey allover print in the corners.  I had to add a little bit to make the four yards big enough, so I did use up some of the leftovers.  There's a big cross on the back, with the label where they meet.

SOLSTICE QUILT CHALLENGE

I was intriqued by Pat Sloan's Solistice Quilt Challenge.  I've had this bundle of flannel plaid fat quarters in blues (Moda) for years and years now.  I think they are just perfect for this.  I took them out of their hiding place and washed and ironed them.  And here we go.  Pat is going to post a block each Wednesday between Winter Solistice and Summer Solstice, 26 weeks in all.

There will be 25 blocks and a setting.  I hope I have enough fabric!

First two blocks:

Week 1  - Churn Dash

Week 2 - Day into Night (I love this block!)

FOUND RED QUILTS

This morning in my studio, I noticed a project box with what I thought were red fabrics in it.

I know several years ago, we all collaborated and exchanged a bunch of red fabric squares.

I was thinking it might be fun to start thinking about doing something with those squares.

When I opened the box, I was surprised to see two quilt tops in there along with a few leftover red fabric pieces.

Sometimes having a really poor memory makes for some interesting surprises.

CINCINNATI QUILT ON THE WALL

I finished the last few blocks this last week.

I could hardly wait until today to put them up on the wall.

I have more than enough, even after I use some of them for half-blocks.

It took me a little over an hour to put them up and move a few around.

Now I need to start sewing the rows together.

BABY QUILT DONE!

I got the quilting finished Tuesday (woke up in the night with my right arm totally asleep - aarrgg).  Got the binding on and hand stitched it down while watching TV the last couple of days.

Here it is, finished and ready to go...

I made the binding before I could finish the back so I'd know how much of this fabric I could use on the back.

All pinned and being quilted

hand made label for the back

Here it is - finished!

BABY QUILT TOP FINISHED

Another almost full day working on this and I 've got the top finished.

I was sewing together two rows at a time - chain piecing them and taking the pieces off the wall two at a time.  It's a good system that works for me.

Of course, with an odd number of rows I end up having to do the last of them as a group of three.  So, I have to label them or I get confused.  Even then I have to pay attention and keep checking that I'm sewing the pieces onto the proper rows.

Here's the completed top.  It's still a little too wide.  I'll add a strip to the back with the leftovers and it will be fine!

I COUNTED!

Maybe I shouldn't have, but I counted the blocks I have made so far.

102.

I haven't been posting pictures of my completed blocks, but I've been making them all along.

I need about 110 (some of those will be half-blocks), and I have 4 more hexie patterns to go.

BABY QUILT STARTED

I need to make a baby quilt for my nephew and his wife who are expecting a boy in January.

I bought the fabric quite a while ago.  It's been washed and waiting.

Since I'm into equilateral triangles lately I decided to do another one.

Yesterday I cut out almost all of the triangles.

I finished cutting the triangles this morning, and then after lunch I put together a few rows.

After I got a few rows together I measured it up against the back and the top was wider than the back.  I don't get it - I measured and figured and still got something wrong.

I'll figure it out some other time.  Right now I can't argue with it, it is what it is.

So, I removed the light green outside half triangles and cut down the first triangle on each side.

Now it is the right size.  I'm so confused.  Each triangle is 4" finished, so I figured 10 across and I'd get a 40" wide quilt.  But it ended up wider than the 42" back.  So now it's only 9 triangles wide and and it fits.