Backing the dolly quilts

I didn't take pictures of the next 3 quilts after they were sandwiched but I did add them to the pile that needs quilting. Ugh. There are now 6 doll quilts that need quilting, which just seems like an overwhelming pile, and I hope to get the last two either sandwiched or close this weekend. I've got 51 days until my next trunk show. I can do it!

We won't mention the new doll quilt I started last week. Chantal said I deserved a new quilt since Mr Serious was finished so I ran with it and picked something from one of my hexie Pinterest boards. I should have a picture for you next week...

My math skills weren't quite up to par on this backing. I was trying to use as much of the horse fabric as possible, knowing that I would still need to add an orange strip to the middle. Didn't figure on then needing to add a prussian blue strip to get the math right, finally. The sides of this quilt will be cut straight and bound in the dark raspberry color. The top/bottom will have a hexie facing, allowing the hexie shape to remain. Any quilting ideas for this one?

This backing was a nice recovery as there was no math involved. LOL. I am using the teal for the "binding" but I'm not yet decided if it will be a true binding or a facing. I think I am going to quilt an outline of the "circles" the kaleidoscopes create.

The colors for this design started with a scrap pack from one of the LQSs.
It was pure luck that the Tula Pink fabric also matched perfectly.
And - woot! - the blue binding is already made!

This project started with 4 FQs and then I added in more of the purple to get it squared off. Not having much of any of the fabric left I was forced to go shopping to buy backing fabric. #Thestruggleisreal

I've finally decided to have the basket bottoms towards the center but the 4 blocks alone are not big enough for a doll quilt. Since I was forced to go buy the yellow backing for the previous quilt I also found some fabrics that should work with this. The blocks have 4 golds and 4 greens - I was able to get more of one of the greens but had to get a new gold. The burgundy isn't quite right but it had the same gold as the green so I ran with it.

Happy Solar Eclipse Day!!

I survived the fair. I help at several different booths and that often leads to lots of sitting and that means lots of hexies.

I also went to the doctor last week for my ankle. He said I need to rest it as much as possible for the next week so that lead to more sitting and more hexies...

I'm thrilled to say that, as of this morning, I've finished the center/color section!!!  Woohoo!!!!!!

Not bad, considering I started this little doll quilt on July 28th.
Tonight I'll cut the cream for the borders and get started on those...

Another part of my "sitting" was to work on the owl quilt. As you may recall, I made the top and bottom border wider than the sides to square up the quilt. I quilted piano keys in the narrower side borders but I felt that the top and bottom needed a little more than just the piano keys since they were so wide.

I decided to use the same curved ruler to create scallops and then I used another new ruler to create a line of bubbles along the scallops.

I think this has eaten up enough of the border to now add the piano keys.
If you don't mind my saying so ... this quilt is looking GOOD!!

Oh please, let the sun on the shoebox be an omen for good weather!

And most importantly today, Solar Eclipse Day, I have my pinhole box prepped! The Weather peeps keep waffling about what the weather will be but it's sun and blue skies right now at 12:37 so I can only hope this will continue until we reach max eclipse at 2:35. Happy Viewing!!

It's County Fair week and life is crazy...

Saturday was checking in the antiques (my family runs this division) and getting the open hearth cooking demo area situated.

Sunday was judging the antique displays in the morning and cooking with my SIL and nephews from 1-9pm. Thankfully my brother is a pyro (fireman!) and keeps the fires burning so we can concentrate on getting all the food cooked.

Just 6 more days to go!

I've had some time for hexies between the other chores but that's about it in the quilting department.

Sorry - I know the photo is dark but we're lucky I remembered at all as I was running to work today. Luckily, tonight is a "rest" day so I'm home from the fair but need to get the lawn mowed and pick blackberries. That is if the projected T-Storms hold off...

Wednesday Weather Report #12 - 8/9/17

Can you believe it?
We are officially one-quarter of the way through this project!!!!!
Woohoo!!!
Has anyone new joined in? We would love to have you jump in at any time!

81 - 81 - 75 - 63 - 72 - 75 - 75F

Be sure to join our linky party below...even if you aren't stitching along you can tell us what the weather is in your neck of the woods.

Julierose asked about my new Ott light so I thought I would share. I had the "flip phone" version of the Ott light for the last 20 years. It worked great so I had my eye out for that version again. There was a :modern" flip open style but it just seamed cheap when the old one had been as heavy and sturdy as a rock. Then I saw this goose neck version. I like the table models because my couch has a wooden frame that it sights nicely on and I can easily travel with it if I need.

Yes, the cat pillow used to freak out Midgie.
I even used to need to look twice to see who was sitting on the couch.

I've made great progress on my latest hexie obsession:

I've blacked out the completed hexies and, while I didn't do the math this morning, I'm going to go way out on a limb and say the colored center is half done!!! And now I'll get off the computer and take advantage of the rest of my lunch to get started on the other half...

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A busy Summer Weekend...

It was another busy, busy summer weekend and while some of it was quilting related, most was not.

I started my long weekend with a FART (fabric acquisition road trip) to the city to get the black for my latest doll cat quilt. When I got to Ivy Thimble, with my samples in hand, I realized it was a dark blue. Silly me. I bought the fabrics I needed for the doll cat quilt and a few other FQs for my woodsmen quilt and a couple oranges for my temperature quilt. I found out today that the weather peeps are saying that August is going to be below normal temperatures. Maybe I should have found more oranges...

Next stop was Patricia's Fabric House for a couple more woodsman fabrics. This is only the 2nd or 3rd time I've been to this store but I finally figured out why they ask if I'm on the mailing list. I told her no but lifted the coupons I had printed from their website. 10% off. Woohoo!!!

Next was The Bobbin Case, a Bernina dealer. I picked up a few quilting rulers, as opposed to piecing rulers. The lady in the store didn't understand what I meant - what do you guys calling quilting rulers?

At Joanne's I bought a new Ott light - my old one was ~20 years old and recently kicked the bucket. I used it daily for hexies and I really needed one ASAP. This one is LED and almost too bright compared to the old one...shows you how technology changes.

I got home just in time to turn around and go to hexie club. We close the store so I check out the girls with their new purchases and then I needed to do hexie paper inventory to place an inventory this week.

Saturday was our annual Fire Department golf tournament. I am in charge of registration, raffles and all things money. When I have some down time it's all about the hexies!!

1 ticket / $2
3 ticket / $5

Sunday afternoon was spent at the 145th annual Pioneer Picnic, helping mom sell ice cream and quilt raffle tickets. The quilt proceeds go to the new roof/siding fund for the Castile Historical House. You know, where I am VP. Hmm...my hand in the money again. Did you sense a trend?

Anyway...the rest of the weekend was spent with me sitting and stitching. I could really use a nap...but I need to finish getting ready for the fair to start on Saturday and as soon as that is over the following weekend I can start working on school taxes. Hmm...more money!

Wednesday Weather Report #11

Wow! We are almost 1/4 of the way through this Temperature Quilt project.
It feels like we started just yesterday...

75-71-69-71-77-79-81F

As this has been getting bigger and bigger it's been getting harder to find a place to keep it layed out so that I can try to not have the same oranges (I'm sooooo sick of orange!) or background fabrics together. I was trying to think of a random wall (stairwell?) that I could tack it up out of the sun. Duh! If I would just clean off part of the design wall, this would be the perfect place to hang it and it's more convenient when picking the next fabric square.

It's mostly fabrics or panels waiting for (more) inspiration so it was ok to put them back on a shelf for later inspiration.

And here we are with last week's rosette.

Uh, yeah, I added that FQ of hexie fabric, gifted by the LQS, so I can think of a design to use it with...maybe for my next trunk show in October.

Speaking of which, and since I've already told a couple people, I might as well let the cat completely out of the bag.

I. Started. Another. Hexie. Project.

I know. It's a sickness...

It started as another Duh! moment and instead of saying to myself that it was a good idea, I'll work on it later, the weekend plans shifted to get this project in motion.

After saving this $6 batik scrap for over 7 months, I finally realized it matched this Tula Pink FQ  I got back in June. Are they a perfect match? Not quite but close enuf when one is on the front and the other on the back.

And WHY do my LQSs not carry Tula Pink? Love her stuff!

I immediately browsed my hexie ideas on the evil website (ONLY possible cuz the new cell tower was finally activated. 4 bars is fantastic!!!) and found this idea. The colors didn't excite me much but when you insert the vibrant TP/batiks I think it's a much more exciting idea.

This is destined for the doll cat bed - I think I have the sizing pretty close but I may have to extend borders a little. In the mean time I've started stitching the center and outside corners, while I wait for a road trip to get some solid black and creams.

Now you see why the hexie Christmas fabric is waiting for it's own inspiration...

Don't forget to join our weather report linky!!

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