FINISHED ON FRIDAY!

 I made the binding, in the morning, from the cutoffs from the backing on Nebula.  I sewed the binding on to it while attending this week's Finish It Friday.  And I finished it - it's finished.  It is Finish #7 for the year.  Done!

NEBULA OFF THE Q24

 Finally finished the quilting on the Nebula quilt.  It was touch and go there for a while.

WORKING THURSDAY

 I worked on quilting a little more on Nebula.

I finally got caught up with the Art East Quilting Mini-Block Sampler.  Here is #14 The Cyclone and #15 The Gem.

Then I recovered the ironing board with a new cover of a oatmeal colored wool fabric.  It definitely looks a lot better.

LOTS OF DOINGS

 I finished my Not Joe project this morning.  Then I removed the paper that was covering the other 'Gift' blocks hanging on the design wall to see how the new one went with them.  It works with them really well!

Then, I put the zippers onto the backing I made for Nebula and loaded it onto the longarm.  I put the batting on the machine, too.  Then I thought it might be a good idea to measure the top.  And lo, I discovered that it was 97" by 96".  Good grief.  That means the backing and the batting are too small.  I was so frustrated.  Luckily, the Monday Sewcial group was able to talk me down and I eventually got over it.  I need to make the backing bigger and buy a bigger batting.  No big deal.  Phfft.

Then I made the next month's part of the SeaMQGBOM2023 and added it to last month's.  It still needs a small border around it.  I'll get to that tomorrow.

Then I went onto Amazon and ordered a king-size Dream Cotton Request batting.  It won't be here for 10-14 days.  That will give me lots of time to make the back bigger.  I could even quilt something else in the meantime.  Life is good.

BACKING FOR NEBULA

 I worked on making a backing for the Tula Pink Nebula.  I started that top in 2021 as a block of the month, making one 'block' a month for a year.  I finished the top and it's been languishing ever since.  I got a lot done before Brave Patch Finish it Friday started.  I inked my name onto the pre-printed label that came with the kit.

NEBULA TOP DONE

 I finally got this huge (97" by 98") quilt top done!  Yoo-hoo!

I really don't like having to sew on things this big - they are hard to keep straight in the machine, always wanting to slip and slide off the table.  Jeez.

Anyway, it's now folded up and waiting for a backing (another even huger thing!) and waiting for my new bigger, longer quilting frame before it can be quilted.

I got a surpise in the mail today.  It was a letter from my friend Sabine, who lives in Germany.  She sent me a really nice card with a piece of fabric as a frontispiece.  And, inside there is a needle - it's in Germany, but I think it will come in very handy when burying quilting thread ends.  I'll have to have google translate some of it, that will be fun.

I love the stamps, too!

HALF OF IT

 Got this first half all sewn together.

The other half is two thirds done, too.

BIGGER THAN I THOUGHT

 I've been sewing the parts of the Nebula BOM, that I've made over the last few days, together. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

I'm not a big fan of sewing large chunks - they tend to want to fall off my sewing table and they are just plain hard-to-handle.

There will be six big pieces to the top - then those will be sewn together and it will be done!

Upper center piece

Lower center piece

Upper left corner

Lower right corner

These went together pretty fast!  It's Monday so I was with the Monday Brave Patch group while I did this.

Speaking of too big...  I realized I wasn't happy with having just a 9-foot table for my Q24, so I've been shopping around and asking questions.  Looks like I'll be upgrading to a 12-foot table.   Soon, I hope.  This quilt will be one of the first I quilt on it, too.

ANOTHER BIG DIAMOND

 I've been working on the Nebula BOM.

I completed these big diamonds.  

FINISHING A TULA PROJECT

I got out the container with the Nebula BOM blocks, fabrics and instructions.  The blocks are all done, now the joining parts just need to be cut out and made.

I cut out a lot of triangles, diamonds and a few other shapes - but not all.

And the sewing together began. 

Chain-piecing...boring.

OOPS - WRONG SIZE

 I spent the morning putting together my little version  of Nebula 9.  It should have been the last one and complete the set.

However, I discovered, after I was all done making them, that they are the wrong size!

I'm out of fabric and I need these blocks to make the smaller version.  Dang.

This is just so frustrating.  I hate do-overs.  And I really hate impossible do-overs.  (not enough fabric to do it over, unless I either take these wrong ones all apart and cut down each strip, or I buy more of these fabrics, or, I suppose, I could use similar but different fabrics - all very annoying choices that I don't want to do).

Here's where I was so happy that I finished the last of the blocks for the smaller quilt.

Here's where I discovered that those last blocks were not the same size as all of the other blocks.  Aaargh!

I think I'll just put them away and think about this some other day.

NEBULA 9

 I got the Nebula 9 block sewn together today.  That is the last block!  

Next will be the background and putting it all together.

ON A BREAK

 I took a break from working on the Rhythm in Blues quilt and started in on the next Nebula block, number 9.

I also did a little more quilting on the Equinox quilt.  

Jelly kept an eye out for the UPS driver and the cats in the yard.

NEBULA 9

 I finished putting together the Nebula block 9 parts and pieces I had made the other day.

Then I drafted and made the half-size blocks, too.

TULA SEWING

 I finally got around to making this last month's blocks for the Tula Pink Nebula quilt.  The fabrics have been waiting for me for a few weeks now.

I got all of the parts together, but I didn't have time to finish before lunch.

This is the longest I've sewn since my knee surgery.

NEBULA 7

 It was cool enough that I could finally get back into the studio after all the very hot weather we just had.

I got both of the Nebula 7 blocks and their small counterparts made this morning.

NEBULA BLOCK 6 MINI

 I put the parts together today for the Nebula Block 6 mini version.  

It got hot upstairs afterwards and I had to leave.  It's at least 84 degrees.  And having the iron on for several hours does not help.

FINISHING

 Today was another session with Joe Cunningham and his Quilt Freedom Workshop.  He showed some vintage quilts and then talked about using someone else's artwork as a jumping off point for your own artwork.  

While I watched that I was finishing up some projects.

Here is my Gifts block, Things That Get In The Way:  

I love it.

And then I finally finished this block for the Nebula quilt: Block 6

Then I did the drawing for the smaller version and got the parts cut out.

NEBULA NOT DONE

 I started on the next Nebula block this morning.  I didn't get it done, I had to run off and leave it.  I'll get back to it tomorrow, I hope!

SMALL NEBULA 5

 There was way  more than enough fabrics leftover from the Nebula 5 blocks to make the smaller versions.

I drew up the pattern on paper first to make sure I cut parts the right size.

They went together easily, same as their big sisters.

I got these made while zooming with my Brave Patch Monday Sew group.  We talked about Improv - how ironic.