{745} H & G Coming Along

I didn't think I'd have time to sew or post while I was here, but I was wrong on both accounts.  Here is my H & G quilt in its entirety...if I knew more about Photoshop, I'd draw an arrow on the picture to point out the quilted area.  As it is, I'll just have to use row numbers.

I have the bottom four row of blocks completely quilted.  I have removed the basting stitches where the quilting is finished because it gives me a visual for where I am in the process.

When I was in Florida a few weeks ago, I quilted all around the border.  All half blocks and 4 quarter blocks.  Here is a closer picture.

You can see in the last picture (below) that I've quilted around each appliqued block (and between each section alongside the seam) as well as where the four "empty" corners meet.

On the way home I will quilt around more of the appliqued sections...those don't have to be marked.  The marking would be difficult in the vehicle.  I have the first 6 rows of appliqued shapes quilted around.  It really IS moving along quickly!

~Joan

Vacation Pics

Here are some pictures Susie took yesterday at the lake.  Fun times.  My dad--Captain Ted--at the controls.

Someone else's dad...also at the controls...



A beautiful view of a seating area near the lake shore.

Lake Erie

(http://www.picsearch.com/)

Some of you have asked if I'm really in Ohio, thinking Lake Erie was in PA or NY...well, I am, and it is!  Lake Erie isn't the largest of the Great Lakes, but it is huge.  It has nearly 10,000 square MILES of surface area.  It is bordered by Canada, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.  Oddly enough, when you go from one state to another, you don't go over any dotted border lines underwater. 

That is as startling as realizing that (when I was a nurse and working in the OR) the organs aren't color-coded like they are in anatomy books...they are all nearly the same color, which does make it a tad confusing!

Enjoying the R & R...

~Joan

{742} Quilting in Ohio

You've heard of ducks in a row...well these are my geese in a row.  Thirty for each top and bottom, 39 for each side.  In a bit I will mix them up and sew them into strips so I can attach them to my crumb quilt top when I get home.

Susanna took these pictures for me and of me.  I absolutely despise having my picture taken...  I hand quilted the whole way up here.  My son Ben just got his permit a week ago, and he got lots of practice on our way.





On the drive up I quilted around the 4 hearts so I would not have to mark anything.  So this AM I marked and quilted where the four blank corners of the blocks meet.  I sat outside for a couple hours and hand quilted.  Beautiful.

~Joan

Gone For a While

(Pic courtesy of http://www.development.ohio.gov/)...

I won't be posting much in the next week or so. It will be hard to leave my crumb quilt because you quilters know that once you start a project, it runs like a constant circle of thought through your mind until it's finished.



There are 10 in my family, and we have two foster girls as well right now (well, one left this past week).  Three of my children and I are going to Ohio Monday thru Saturday of next week.  My parents are coming FROM Ohio tonight for Emily's wedding shower at our church Sunday night.  Emily, Susanna, Rachel, and I are driving 5 hours to a wedding shower in Georgia tomorrow (and back tomorrow night). 


When I'm in Ohio, in addition to visiting with my parents and my sister's family (she has 10 children), I plan on sewing some clothing.  Hopefully I will complete Emily's flower girl's dress and the last bridemaid's dress as well.  Only two dresses...how long could THAT take (insert maniacal laugh track).

Our other foster girl is leaving this coming Thursday.  Since four of us will be gone when she leaves (she is leaving this afternoon to spend the weekend with a friend while my parents are here)...we are having a combined going away/early birthday party for her for lunch today.  I need to get hopping decorating the cake, making pizza crusts, cleaning the house...

So, thank you to those of you who keep in touch with me via my blog.  You have enriched my life with your friendships.  I will be updating from Ohio if I have time.

~Joan

138 Geese in a Row

This was the quilty part of my evening.  I finished piecing all 138 of the flying geese units I needed. 

My phone is in the picture because I lost my voice.  My sweet soon-to-be-son-in-law was texting back and forth with me.  

I'll look forward to starting to put my borders together soon.

~Joan 

Seventy-One Geese A Laying...

...laying on my cutting table, that is.  I know, "lying" is proper, but I wanted to reference the Twelve Days of Christmas so we could think some cool thoughts.

For the border for my crumb quilt, I need 138 flying geese units.  As of tonight I have 71 completely finished (pieced, pressed, and trimmed).  I often get questions about how to mix up the colors in a scrappy quilt.

You can see from the picture that I took the time to carefully trim each unit.  There was a time when I did not do that.  And I still don't do it all the time, but for borders, yes!  I will need to measure my quilt center as well as my borders to measure for "floater" inner borders.  That will be explained when the big moment comes!

Here is my plan for the geese units...I am pinning 10 of a similar color/value together.  That makes it easier to count where I am in the process as well as keeping the similar values together.  When I reach the magic number (in this case 138), I will deal out the four borders like dealing cards.  The sides have more than the top and bottom, but I will deal out all the greens until I run out (perhaps adding a few more to the side piles).  Then I'll continue with each color.

After the color balance is good, I'll arrange each border mixing up the colors.  Then I'll use the leader/ender method to sew each border together. 

Another good reason to pin together like colors is that since I'm cutting all of these from scraps, I can see if I need to balance things out with more of a particular color.  I know now I need some browns and oranges.  I have lots of gold, blue, purple (my favorite!), greens, and reds. 

~Joan, who is voiceless and still finds it amusing when people whisper back to her :)