{Post 1,502} Ornaments for Grandchildren

These are 5" by 2-1/4". They didn't turn out as professional looking as I had hoped, but they are TINY places to paint.  I ended up using my label maker to put the sentiment on the back.  It is teeny tiny.

I painted them cream so they would show up on the tree.  I got them at Hobby Lobby.  I already have some ideas for the next couple of years.

{Post 1,501} Past and Present Finished...Next One Underway

This is Past and Present.  It is a pattern from a book.  I have a runner made from the little leftover HSTs that I recently also completed.  This is so beautiful in person.  It is 58" x 70".  I am starting to make larger quilts.  We have 2 queen size and one full-size bed in the house.

Below is the quilt at more of an angle, so you can catch a glimpse of the quilting texture.

My baby boy is 6'5" tall.  He just turned 16.  I have had this quilt (below) pieced for a long time also.  Story of my life.  I added two more rows of shirt prints on the top and bottom to make sure my little nipper can wrap up at night.  This ended up being 80" wide and 109" long.

You can see it here before the borders were added.

I am using up some odd fabrics, so this is half of the backing fabric.  I took the pic so you can see my free-motion design.

{Post 1,500} Fourteen Finished

Fourteen Disappearing 9-Patch blocks finished.  This is about 50" wide.  This goes so fast.  I might finish it much sooner than I originally thought.  This is about 1/4 of what I need for a queen-sized quilt.  

This could easily be made patriotic (red and blue squares with gold accent squares) or Christmas (red and green with gold).  It is fun to use the charm squares because there is so much built-in variety.

{Post 1,499} Disappearing 9-Patches

I have made two of these blocks each AM for the last 4 days.  I like how they look when placed side-by-side.  I already have a quilting design in mind!!  That's way ahead of the game for me.

They are 13" square finished.

I ordered a few more charm packs last night.  Eager to see them in person.  Yes, I lead a very sheltered and boring life.  It's OK to think that ;)

{Post 1,498} Wonky Again

Started quilting my Past and Present 58" x 70" quilt top today.  I used Wonky Feathers from Pajama Quilter AGAIN...it's a personal favorite.  I am over halfway finished, and it is looking good...

This will be ready for couch use this Christmas!!

{Post 1,497} Two New Projects to Share, and a Kid

Here are two projects I am beginning.  I have two Christmas quilts to machine quilt, then I'm home free for my own projects.

This first one is Bonnie Hunter's leader/ender for this year.  These are tumbler/thimble pieces.  Mine will finish 2" tall.  I spent a couple hours one day trimming down scraps for this.  There is not a lot of variety right now because I only trimmed down blues, browns, reds, and blacks.  I plan to remedy that soon...after I machine quilt the above two mentioned items.

This is a larger item.  I hope to make it into a queen-size quilt...my summer quilt for our guest room downstairs.  The blocks are disappearing 9-patch.  By using the blue fabric for the center square, it will repeat in that position in each block.  The blocks finish at 13" square.

During one of my insomniatic nights, I came across the top for this runner.  It has been languishing marinating since 2011.  It is fairly large.  16" x 46"...for my Christmas table.

I stayed overnight at my daughter's Sunday.  Got to spend some quality time with this little nipper on Monday.  He has my chin (s) !!

{Post 1,496} Little Quilts

I felt like yelling, "Pinch me!  This can't be happening!"  Yours truly finally got to visit the Little Quilts quilt shop in Marietta, GA.  My first quilts were from their first book.  I think I made ALL the ones in there.

I spent quite a bit of time there, but I didn't see it all the way I wanted...I was in a hurry to get home, which turned out to be ironic since I thought I'd be home by 5 PM and it turned out to be nearly 10 before I arrived. 

Here is right inside the door...your first glimpse.  Wow--they have packed a lot in that little space!

A fall display:

Bought two kits at this display for the next two years' Christmas ornaments for my children.

The quilts over the window are minis.  Notice the pattens below on the left that are 8-1/2" x 5-1/2".

I bought the booklet that has the two quilts on the rod on the left...the pinwheel in the middle and Lu Lu's blocks next to it.

The landmark for verbal directions in Marietta, GA...the Big Chicken.  His beak constantly opens and closes, and his eyeball rolls around!!

Here is what I purchased at the shop.  If only you could see all the things I left behind but wanted to get!!

I have been wanting the Hunter's Star ruler, and I saw they had it just as I was walking out.  The Little Quilts pattern beside it was $1, and it has 2 quilts I want to make.  "Another Slice" was the one that accompanied the blocks hanging on the rod above.  Then the ornament kits.  

At the register, they had a treadle sewing machine drawer with fat 1/8ths in it for $1 each.  I got two for a blossom for my GFG quilt to commemorate the trip.

Then, last, but not least, 2 charm packs of 30's prints for a future quilt.  Because I don't have enough fabric.  Shhhhhh...

This shop is p-a-c-k-e-d with goodies.  I was so close to buying a stitchery kit and frame, but that would have added another $50 to my bill.  And it wasn't worth THAT much to me!  I should have taken a pic, but I was experiencing sensory overload, and it didn't occur to me.

The trip home was going great until I came up to 3 bad accidents in a row on the last little leg back.  It easily added 1-1/2 hours to the travel time, but I did arrive home safely.  I was just glad I wasn't IN one of the accidents.  

Typing the above statement made me think of this picture I snapped going through Atlanta yesterday in an area that has 7 lanes going the same direction at 70 MPH...

If one was a dozing passenger, that would be a frightening wake-up call!!