Long time absent

I've been absent from blogworld for a while. My mother-in-law was ill and in a nursing home and she has now passed away. It has been hard to deal with but she was in such pain, at least we know that she is in a much better place. God bless you, mom, we love you.

On a much lighter note, my Frayed Edges quilt group have challenged each other to see who can finish the most projects this year. This is a buck-a-block quilt from 2006. I had about half of the blocks done so I got myself together and did the rest of it. Really, it didn't take all that long because it is a kid size quilt.
This is an Irish chain that is even older, I think I made the top around 2004 and just had it stuck away in a drawer.


This little table runner is one that I have had in the same drawer, just not for as many years. Wow, it feel good to get these old things done finally but I still have so many to do. Maybe I'll win the prize for most UFOs finished.

Been a while

I guess it's been a while since I have posted but life gets in the way sometimes. Here is a not very good photo of the cruise ship that we were on last week. We had a great time and the food was WONDERFUL!! Our table mates were a really nice couple from Utah and by the end of the cruise we felt like we had known them forever. I do have to admit that the weather was a little hot and humid but we managed to deal with it.

This is the fairy house that my sister made for me. Isn't it adorable? She and her sweet husband have made several as gifts and they are just too cute.

Gotta go

Another Project Linus blanket

Our local Project Linus chapter has requested more blankets that are boy-oriented and I just happened to have this panel with tools so I cut it apart, put sashing and cornerstones, added a couple of borders and ta-da, it's a quilt. (Actually I also have this with a navy blue background.) I am in the process of quilting it and then I have to do the binding and it will be done. I also have some John Deere tractor fabric that I need to do something with, just have to find the right shade of green to go with it. Sounds like a good excuse for a shopping trip!

We will be leaving for Florida soon. We're just going to take the cruise and then come right back. With my MIL in the nursing home, we need to be around to check on her. Maybe we will be able to go back south for a while later on in the winter. Gosh, this will be only the second winter in 10 years that we haven't been someplace warm. Hmmm. Guess I need a winter coat. Oh darn, another shopping trip.

Well, I'm off to finish quilting the tool quilt.

Autumn quilt & little totes

The Autumn quilt is pieced and waiting to be quilted. I'll have my longarm lady do it when we get back in the spring. It turned out to be a bit larger than I thought at first but that's okay. At least it will cover the bed!

Here are a couple of little totes that I made for my sister and myself. They will be great for use on the cruise. The straps are long enough to fit over your head and you can carry just what you need (passport, seapass card and a credit card)(okay, maybe some cash). It has taken me a while to get around to posting again because my mother-in-law has been ill but she is doing much better now so I'm back to thinking about what to take to FL for the winter. I'm getting anxious.

Well, I'm off to sort a tote of fabric or two. Bye

Bus Trip Coming Up

My local quilt guild is sponsoring a bus trip to four shops in northern Illinois this Saturday and I can hardly wait to go. I think it is going to be really fun.

The quilt below is for Project Linus and the pattern comes from Fons and Porter's Easy Quilts Magazine, winter 2008 issue. I cut enough pieces for two tops so I'll put the other one together this winter.
This block is for an autumn quilt that I will probably do this winter, also. I made a sample block to make sure I liked my color choices and I think it will be fine. The block centers come from a panel that I cut apart and then I found some of the coordinating fabric so I got some of that too.
You may wonder what's up with the purple but several of the center squares have touches of purple in them (eggplant, grapes, etc.) and I thought the purple would make them pop. There is a border fabric that goes with this also and I cut it apart and will use the green/brown acorn part for sashing and the wider part for borders. I'm anxious to get several blocks done so I can get some idea what it will look like when finished.

IBOL Total

Okay, so the Iraqi Bundles of Love count is 3,443. If you figure around 8 - 9 lbs. per bundle then approximately 14 TONS (maybe more) of sewing, quilting and knitting supplies were sent to Iraq for the women to use in their co-ops and homes. All because Major Art LaFlamme and his wife, Kristin, thought it would be neat to ask some people to send a few boxes of items. This simple request was passed on and on and on and became a world-wide phenomenon. What impresses me most is the unbridled generosity shown by so many people to benefit total strangers. I'm really proud that I was able to be a part of this. Women rock!

Carol Doak was here!

My quilt guild hosted Carol Doak a couple of weeks ago and I took both classes that were offered. The first one was a miniature paper pieced quilt with houses, trees and stars from her book "300 Paper Pieced Quilt Blocks. I have it all done including the quilting. Hurray!!

The second class was "Fire and Ice" using the Iceland Star from her Mariner's Compass Stars Book. The top is done but the sandwiching and quilting is yet to be done.
This is not a Carol Doak pattern but it is paper pieced. This is Lotsa Pops, Quiltmaker Magazine's Project Linus pattern from Jan-Feb '09 ( I think). My cheap digital camera doesn't do too well because the dark fabric is purple, not blue, but you get the idea. This was the last top that I pieced this past winter. Now we are about 5 weeks away from leaving for Florida so I have to get my self together and decide which projects to take with me to work on this winter.