Progressing on Sampler

Making progress, of course I'm way behind, but at least I'm sewing again.  Both of these were paper pieced and worked out good.  So, enjoying this quilt.

Block 9 Jelly Roll Sampler

I'm think this turned out really good.  Boy, it was easy.  Love the background material.

Sylia's Bridal Sampler

The block I was working on for my sampler.  It looks good, somehow I'm thinking another red would be better.  But once again, not doing it over.

Sewing with Left foot

I sewed yesterday!!!  I've been whining about not being able to sew because of the boot on my right toe.  Well, yesterday I felt better and decided to see about at least straightening up.  Then one thing lead to another and I decided to give it a try and my left foot worked good.  I rearranged my stool and pressure foot to make the quilting easier and prop the foot at the same time.  Went great.  I worked on a booger of a block from Sylvia's bridal sampler.  Not finished yet, but made progress.  Picture later when I get it done.  I need to get ready for the granddaughter's visit, we are suppose to make a quilt.  I hope to start teaching her to sew.  We'll see how much I get cleaned up to make room.

Embroidery

My first project of embroidery. I've had this piece for a long time. Can't remember when I got this, but it kept floating to the top of the pile. I got this produce to transfer the pattern I wanted to try and it worked really well. I've been watching my friends at Polly's group and picked up a few tricks, such as putting muslin behind the background to keep the knots from showing through. Worked great. Only thing I need to do in the future is cut the background much bigger to give plenty of room for the hoop.

My plans to finish this are to follow a small quilt I saw in a Jo Morton book.  I'm going to cut 1" stripes in reds, blues and gold and go around the piece.  Not so much log cabin, just random.  I'll finish is up with quilting and finally adding buttons in the blank spots on the framing stitches.

Craving a quilt session

I'm missing my sewing so much.  As I sit here with my foot propped up reading quilting blogs and looking at pictures and thinking of quilting, I miss sewing.  My foot is recovering slowly and mostly I've been hurting too much to have the desire to quilt, but today I want to quilt.  I can't drive, and being as I sew with my right foot, I'm pretty sure that would be hard to do with my left foot. 

But....The 9th block of the jelly roll sampler was posted today and it looks fun.  I'm ready, let's go, but oh my foot hurts!  Hopefully, I'll at least be up to visiting a little while with Polly's group today, I'm going to try.

Great organization Idea

From the Stashbuster site:

I suggest picking out some scrap quilt patterns, writing the light/medium/ dark (or color or style) sizes of pieces needed on a label and put on the outside of the shoebox and start putting things cut to size into the box along with the pattern.
I have several on the shelf - they read something like:
Gaelic Garden (Title of pattern)

Green/Purple/ gold (or country or other style of fabrics or a color scheme)

Backgrounds/ light

48 - 2X2" squares

56- 2 X 5" rect

Mediums -

102 - 3X3"

Dark

56 - 3X3

24 - 3 X 5


Then as you add the pieces, put the tick marks next to the line to keep track of how much you have of each needed piece. Then you can add to them right away when you finish a project and then the scraps are no longer scraps, but pieces of a quilt. When you want to make the quilt you will know what you still need to cut from stash. There is little guilt about keeping things if you know what you are going to do with them. I do keep longer pieces in strips if I can, but am not afraid of cutting them up to add to these boxes. I have a bag of 1 1/2" squares to make Georgia Bonesteel's postage stamp quilt someday, so that is as small as I save.

Having several of these going helps to use up various colors or sizes of pieces, getting the best use of the scraps and not having to cut everything at once. This can be done as time goes on. If you really can't see a fabric going into something, esp if you have several of these going at once, maybe it's time to let it go.

Time with the Grand kids, Gotta love Summer!

Ashleigh played on my computer most mornings before going to school when I was up.  I went to Dallas to go to Wicked with Leigh and really enjoyed the show.  But, I really enjoyed my time with Ashleigh too.

Alex spent a week with us after Memorial Day weekend in Rustin with the family. 

The weekend in Rustin was wonderful with all the grand kids. I'm so lucky to have such great grand kids.

All of us, Ashleigh, Aidan, Andrew, and Alex and Mimi.

Delay in Sewing, Foot Surgery

Surgery was on Tuesday.  I know I'll have the boot on for 4 -5 weeks.  Naively I didn't think it would put me down much.  That was until Monday when I met with the doctor and he told me about a plate on my big toe and pins in the next two toes.  It's been painful the first two day, but is better every day.  I just keep icing it and John, bless his heart, is taking great care of me.  Oh, and the little turquoise beads are the pin art.

Machine sewing is on hold for the time being.

Block 8 of Jelly Roll Sampler

Hard to believe I'm keeping up with this sampler on line, but it is really great.  I really like how you go post your picture on line and get to see all the others that are making it.  So many different fabrics, which of course make so many looks.  The lady gives away stuff to block winners, but for me it's all about using my jelly rolls and enjoying the way others do their colors.  Anyway, here's block seven.

Sylvia's Bridal Sampler

I put all the blocks I had done so far on my little design wall to take a look at where I am.  I love this quilt!

Now, I'm am way behind and the group since I've been in and out of town and not feeling so well.  I got back to work and got 4 more done for the quilt.

All the blocks turned out well, except the last block is not what the pattern said, it should have background in the corners, but I like it anyway.  May make another, but not likely.  What some folks call creative license.

What's good about putting all the blocks on the design wall helps me see how the colors are going and what colors I need to use more of.  Love this quilt!

Lastest quilts finished

 Quilted and bound. It's always wonderful to get back a quilt from the quilter and see the quilt come to life.  It's also great to finish an UFO that's been setting around for so long.

This quilt has been in the works since 2002, although I didn't work on it steady until I decided to finish it.  The picture doesn't do the color justice, but it's pretty.

Block 7 of the Jelly Roll Sampler

     Block 7 was so neat to do.  It went together like a charm.  My trouble has been getting to it.  I went through a patch of not feeling well.  But today, got it done.  I really love working with stripes already cut.  The designs have been great, and I've like all but one so far.

Aidan's Quit Finished

 Polly, bless her heart, quilted this real quick for me so I could take it Memorial Weekend to Aidan.  He's 2.  He looked at it, not that interested, but his bigger brother, 5 , said, "Where Mine?'.  I reminded him he had gotten one already.  So, Alex came home with me for a week, and the first night he is here he picks out an airplane quilt in my new quilt magazine and says,"Make me that one".  So unless he will forget it, which isn't likey to happen, I'll be making an airplane quilt.  What can you do with a sweet grandson like him?