Hand Basting That Curvy Edge

I have decided to draw my Seeds of Kindness quilt to a close. I guess this type of thing could go on and on. There is one last vertical row pieced to add to the body of the quilt. I have cut out enough apple core blocks for two or three more horizontal (the shorter) rows, which I shall also add.



Since I had some significant car time Wednesday night, I took this along and started basting the outer edge under 1/4". I plan to applique it to a rectangle of fabric, then hand quilt it. This is a lot of progress. Once my car time depleted a year ago, it was difficult to make time to work on this little gem.



Speaking of little gems...





This is what I had on the design wall as of last night. Forty-eight light Bull's Eye blocks. Remember, this is a project made of left over circles from my larger 3-circle original Bull's Eye quilt. I have webbed the first three blocks together already, which puts me half way through the webbing of the units. This might get put together this weekend...and it might NOT!



My oldest daughter's spring break sort of starts today. She has a friend staying for the week, so I'm not sure how my spare time is going to play out.



Hope you enjoy today and get to put a few stitches in something that makes you happy.



~Joan

3.11.10 Light Bull's Eye Update

Here is my layout including the blocks I sewed yesterday. It. is. growing!!

~Joan

For Sale Soon on eBay...

Soon I will be listing the above two quilt tops for sale. I am cleaning out some of my unfinished quilt tops that I can bear to part with.

The top is called Zigzag Star. It might be staying here. It is lacking two borders. I love the zigzag that runs down the quilt and can just imagine it with a large feather quilted there. I also really like the stars with the tiny 16-patch centers. But now that I've pieced it, it just doesn't scream "keep me forever". Well, maybe it's whispering. I think I'll refold that one and put it back in the drawer.

As for the bottom quilt top (Mennonite Mosaic), it definitely must go. I was this close (imagine pic of my forefinger and thumb a nanometer apart) to hand quilting it. I even bought the right shades of each color thread to correspond to the fabrics in the quilt. When I first saw this quilt top on two other blogs, I HAD to piece one...it was like an obsession. It is really an amazing design. The colors read as solids from a slight distance, but they are all actually tiny Thimbleberries prints. The problem?? There is no place for red fabric (in this large of a dose) in my life. I don't want to repaint any rooms or make new window treatments for the living room, so it must go. I am seriously considering making one with brown where the red is so I can use it for a bed quilt in my bedroom. Hand quilting has me in its grasp, and I should piece and hand quilt one before the grasp loosens!

If you are interested, check out my auction button to the left...might be a day or two before it's listed. I hope to do it today, but one never knows!

~Joan

A Few More Background Colors for Light Bull's Eye

I've been having so much trouble with my neck being out of line and causing terrible headaches and neckaches. So yesterday I went to the chiropractor to stay ahead of the game. It was noticably uncomfortable, but not out of control...yet. Felt like a million bucks last night. So, to celebrate, early this morning I slipped on a wet tile floor and rammed my head and shoulder into the door jamb while catching all my weight (and that was significant) on my right thumb and wrist. I felt like my right shoulder had been shoved into my neck. So, back to the chiropractor for me today. I do feel better now.

I sewed a few more of these leftover light bull's eye blocks today. I added in the remaining background square colors I plan to use. As with any scrappy quilt, I am liking it more and more as additional blocks are added.

Hope your day is accident free!!

I had heard house cleaning could kill you, but I don't usually risk it!

~Joan

Good News

No picture, but really good news on the quilt front. I hand quilted the entire last HST row from my row quilt tonight. Still have the majority of the last large block row to do, but didn't have a long ruler at hand.

One of the college girls that came over declined watching a movie. She mentioned that she had to study for a midterm that is tomorrow. I asked "what class?". She said it was sign language. I happen to be a sign language interpreter, so I spent the next hour or so helping her study. It was very fortunate for her. She had missed a class because of training for work, so she didn't even know the signs she was supposed to be studying for that unit. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

May I go on record to say that it pains me to watch college students eat. They can really shovel it in...and stay stick thin.

~Joan

Must Hand Sew...NOW

Here is an I Spy I am making for my sister's family. The colors are much more appealing in person. The orange stretched stars are a nice tangerine-ish orange color. I am going to put two borders on this eventually.

Here is a project that Rachel started from my leftover Bull's Eye pieces. She has lost interest in it (yippee), so I pieced a few blocks. Each quarter block is 4" square. This is an inverse of the coloration on my larger Bull's Eye quilt, and all the background squares are Thimbleberries (so far). The blocks are one inch smaller than my original. I am using the trimmings from the background blocks for my circles on this one. Couldn't just pitch them!!

What I should be doing is finishing up some of my hand-sewing projects. I allow them to languish while I work on other things. Why?? Why do I do that? I guess because machine piecing is satisfying because it goes so quickly. Unfortunately, that results in even more unfinished quilt tops and UFOs.

I'm going to spend the rest of my free time tonight hand sewing on my Seeds of Kindness top. It is fairly close to being finished. I am thinking about appliqueing the wavy border onto a rectangle, then hand quilting it. Susanna has already offered to baste it for me. What more could a girl ask for??

Soon I need to pick up my children from the nursing home ministry, then I think we are having two college girls join us for supper, then my oldest daughter will be home from work. I can't understand why I don't have an hour here and there to hand sew!!

~Joan