eBay, Here I Come

After a long absence on eBay, I am ready to start doing some listings again. I just finished listing 3 quilt tops. They will need to be quilted by the new owner. No batting or backing is included. Above is one of my favorite quilts (I own its twin). I call it Broken Dishes. That's what the block design of the little block is called. I added sashing and cornerstones. This is a good size for a wall hanging or table topper.

Check out my auctions by clicking on the button to the left.

~Joan

Fourth Side of Border is On!!

Here is my Fall Festival quilt top finished except for the outer green border. After the outer green border it will measure 61" x 73", a nice size for a couch throw.

Tomorrow I need to alter a suit for my oldest son and hem a jumper for my youngest daughter, so this quilt will have to wait until those things are finished. Often people have asked me how I "get it all done" with eight children at home and home schooling. I think I know what they're asking. Just for the record, I never get it ALL done. Daily things are left unfinished or not tackled at all. But I do tend to finish the last tasks I need to do first when there is a solid deadline like the suit for church Sunday. I'll do that first tomorrow since it has to be done by Sunday AM. Last week I did alterations on one of my other son's suits and got it finished minutes before he had to put in on for Sunday AM. A little too close for comfort for me :)

My DH is (hopefully) finishing part of a remodeling project tomorrow, so I will stay down and iron clothes and hopefully finish the suit and this quilt top. He is making a new door into our boys' room and closing in the 2 sets of double bi-fold doors that formerly were their doors. This will give us more wall space in the sewing/school room as well as make the boys' room more functional.

The quilt has turned out even nicer than I had hoped it would. Fall is my favorite season, and I love anything with pumpkins on it. It would be great to get out some of my fall quilts and decorations. I'll try to share some of them here in pictures. It just dawned on me that I didn't have a blog last fall.

Off to enjoy some family time...I think I'll make popcorn (free from Harris Teeter--hi, Bette!) since we are watching a movie.

~Joan

Third Pieced Border In Place

The end is insight with these borders. The fourth, that will go on the right, is put together, just not attached to the quilt. That is what I'm headin' down to do now. Will post again with all 4 borders!

~Joan

Blogging Like Crazy

Fall Festival with 2 pieced borders on. I'm really liking this. So much that I am going to load it onto my Little Gracie frame when it's finished and quilt it so we can use it this fall. There's a hint of fall already in the air. This will top it off.

After the pieced border is another wider border of the same green as the pieced inner one. I like that color so much! All Thimbleberries fabric was used, as usual.

See next post for 3rd side of pieced border. I'm on a roll now.

~Joan

Sewing Again...Yippee!!

After a bit of sewing this morning, this is how I plan to lay out my Fall Festival's second pieced border. I am 3 flying geese short of a gaggle. I just picked random golds to piece the bulk of them, but now I'll be a bit more selective so I get a colorwash effect from light to dark. All the flying geese on the left with be "flying" north. This picture was the best I could do. I am in the process of redesigning my sewing room. I hope to have a bigger design wall in there at some point. This was taken in my 3 boys' room with me on tiptoe hoping the quilt was in the camera window. I couldn't tell because I was holding the camera above my head.

Why the sewing spree, you might ask?? Three reasons...Elisabeth is driving folks to work in Kings Mountain, and she is doing all my errands. The third reason is that I am too sick to go to Curves (I'd be wheezing and gasping for breath in minutes...even more than usual...for different reasons). I hope to go tomorrow, however.

Now it's nap time! I'm worn plum out. Back later!

~Joan

More On the Fall Festival

Here is the up-to-the-minute version of Fall Festival. There are a few more leaves on the sides at the bottom. I have all the flying geese and stars for the right side selected--I just need to sew them into units and then onto the quilt.

I am feeling better. Thanks to those who have asked. Last night I got very little sleep (even trying to sleep on my wedge pillow) because every time I'd lie back, I'd start coughing. That, and the dog next door (who I've named Yippy) keeps me awake with incessant yipping. High-pitched enough to penetrate the ear plugs I wear when I am trying to sleep.

Once this quilt top is quilted, the green border and the flying geese will appear seamless. *I* can hardly wait to see it!

~Joan

What's This? Something Quilt-y??

I feel like my life has turned upside down in regards to my free time since the beginning of this year. I've made a few changes that have nearly robbed me blind of free time.

This past Sunday, I started not feeling real well about 4:30 PM. By Monday I was so ill with a sinus infection and ear infections that my DH had to drive me to a doctor's office. Thank God I could get an appointment that same day. As a NEW patient, too! I got two shots (I can't remember ever getting a shot) that day as well as antibiotics and steroids for the infections as well as a super-duper dose of a prescription decongestant. I am feeling much better today, but am now at the coughing stage. Boo!!

All that to say that I stayed home from church tonight. Our mid-week services are such a blessing. The singing is just glorious. Since I stayed home, however, I was able to sew on 3 of the 4 flying geese triangle borders on my fall quilt. It's been soooo long since I worked on it that I forgot the name of the pattern. It's Fall Festival. You can see a picture as it appeared in a magazine and caught my eye here. If you want to see my progress on it, click on "fall festival" at the bottom of this post (in green letters beside "labels") to see all posts relating to it.

Happy clicking,
~Joan

Two of My Teens on the Road

This is James in the parking lot of the DMV letting Elisabeth know he also has his driver's license. James is older than Elisabeth. He has been so patient about getting his license. He has been riding his bicycle to work for the past year plus. I have never heard him complain about it. Now he can drive, which will save us from having to pick him up after dark. Not that *I* am complaining about that. It is a joy to have a son like James. I've enjoyed chatting with him after I get to Arby's while he eats supper. When one has eight children, having one of them alone is rare!

~Joan