What to My Wondering Eyes??

My husband and I went to bed REALLY early last night, as in right after 9 PM.  We have gotten into the bad habit of staying up too late to get up early.  We just ran out of steam last night.  He puts in many many work hours, and I just mess around for hours every day! 

When we awakened this AM, he said, "I think someone is taking a shower."  That would have been odd since it was 6 AM.  It was raining, so I thought that was the water sound he heard.  But when I came down to the sewing room (to read, of course), what to my wondering eyes should appear, but my daughters' handiwork, and a quilt so dear?

The three of us girls had a sewing night last night.  Emily is making a dress from her bridesmaids pattern to wear to Steve's brother's wedding in April.  I was surprised that she's never made a garment from a pattern.  She's pieced many a quilt and made tons of doll clothes (no pattern there).  That's it to the right.  The jacket on the hanger is not the one she is going to wear with it.  She hasn't started on the jacket yet.  It will be a short-sleeved jacket made out of silver shimmery fabric...beautiful.

Susanna was finishing the 30's print Rail Fence you see at the top.  That is the sight that met my eyes when I walked into the sewing room.  When I went to bed last night, she was still piecing the units.  I had been ironing for her during the "sewing" time, and then I hand appliqued a few more units for my Hearts & Gizzards.  She explained that they stayed up all night sewing.  I couldn't do that at my age and not have serious repercussions the next day month.  Below is Susanna concentrating on pinning a diagonally-set row... 

Yesterday I told her I would machine quilt that quilt for her.  Maybe that's what gave her the strength to stay up and get it done.  Well, that and a little Pepsi Max!!

I will post a picture of the whole top later.

~Joan

I'm Thinkin' Scrappy!!

Here is the block done in one background fabric.  This AM I cut out and appliqued blocks with three other backgrounds.  I am aiming for 81 of these units, so what is the problem with mixing it up??

Here it is with 4 different backgrounds.  Guess which one this scrap lover is going to make?  THIS ONE!!  Six down and 75 to go.  Won't be long now.

I have been searching (in vain) to see why this block is called Hearts and Gizzards.  Obviously I get the heart part.  Can someone help me figure this out?  Is there a resource online for such information?

~Joan

One Outer Border On

Here is my Scrappy Stars (have I ever mentioned that I found out the real name of the quilt in spite of STILL not finding the magazine that has the pattern?).  It is called Pick & Choose.

Here is one side with all 3 borders on...1-1/2" finished, pieced HSTs and then 4-1/4" finished.  I picked the light cream for the pieced border in hopes that it would bring out the cream squares in the center (plus, I had a chunk of it in my creams box and didn't want to cut out 50 different creams).

I am worn out.  My feet started swelling again yesteday.  They are not very good tonight.  I think I'll go lie down in bed and do my Bible reading. 

Sweet dreams...
~Joan

One Pieced Border In Place...AND IT FITS!!

What in the world are all these hieroglyphics?  They are the mathematical computations to get my quilt to a size that would allow my six inch unit border to fit perfectly.  My plan seemed perfect. But when I checked the numbers one more time before starting to cut the strips, I realized I had left the seam allowances out! Good thing I checked!

Once I did the math, I decided that I wanted the brown border to be the same width all around the quilt.  So I added the cream border on just two sides to make the brown the same width as the top.

I have the other short pieced border pieced.  I have all the other HSTs pieced.  I am going to add another brown leaf border outside of the pieced one that is about the width of the pieced plus inner brown (4-1/4"??). 

I used the Judy Martin Pieced Borders book a few times now.  My borders always come out perfect after following her plan, but I am ALWAYS SURPRISED!!

~Joan, who loves a good surprise once in a while



Recognize This?

Meet my new on-the-go hand piecing project. 

Anyone recognize this pattern?  I know what it is, but I want to know if YOU know. 

Do you think it would look better with a variety of creams or just one?  The blocks are pieced and appliqued, but the 4 blocks are just lying on my cutting board in the picture.