new tops

Since i was digging in my swap boxes I decided to set these blocks together. I ended up with 5 baby quilt tops that will need to be finished eventually. I found several more sets of blocks to set into tops. At least 3 lap size and 3 that will be at least twin when i get them set together. And thats before the 3 swaps i'm in now come back to me!

finish it in August part 2

I got more stuff done! I got the 2 with checker boards done first.

Then this one.

And 3 like this! All of them are going into the wedding shower stack to wait for new owners. Next up for tomorrow, quilting a king size jewel box on my regular machine. I'm going to do an easy meander which is about all i can handle on a big quilt like that. When the king is done it goes on MY bed! I've gotten 2 quilts for me done already this summer, this will be the 3rd. I feel a little selfish making things for me but I've been quilting for 8 years and did not make any for our bed till about a year ago. I guess it was about time!

Meet Mike the PIG

This is Mike the pig. He started life as a set of split 9patch blocks from a swap a while back. I think he was born about 2 years ago? I love the blocks and had them set together within weeks of recieving them. But then the project stalled-he wanted to be bigger but I did not want to make more scrappy blocks. So he sat on the shelf waiting for me to decide if i was going to work on him or find him a new home. Now he's participating in the Stashbusters piggy exchange and will be finished up for charity.

finish it in August

I finally got around to finishing up something to the point of done! i've got 4 Valentine's runners done now to put away in my stack of bridal shower gifts. There are 2 each of both colorways. I dont know if those swap blocks count or not since the project is not done but its as doen as it can get until october or so. Either way its nice to have them all ready to go to the post office this afternoon! Next up is to quilt and bind 6 Halloween runners.

swap blocks

They are done!! And they will be in the mail by lunch time tomorrow. I can't wait to see what comes back to me in a few weeks. Swaps can be so much fun to play with, you never quite know what the end result will be.

running ragged

Where is this month going? I cannot believe the kids start school on monday already! It feels like we have been running full speed since the kids got home from mom's almost 3 weeks ago. We did all the school shopping, went through closets, and cleaned house the first week. The secong week has been fair prep-baking a ton of cookies/cakes/breads, sewing a few small projects, printing and mounting photos, and all sorts of "domestic stuff". I put 3 quilty projects in the fair too, which is fewer than usual for me but it seems i've given away more this year or something because I did not find many to take in the stack. And in between all that i've been working dilligently on 4 swaps too! The first is 2 sets of 12 blocks in red/white/black. One set is done the other is 1/2 done with a mail no later than date of sept 1-i'm pushing this one! Swap 2 is apple blocks-4 sets of 6 blocks. These are almost done, I just need to finish the buttonhole stitch on the leaves and stems. These need to be mailed by sept 15 i think. The last set is 6 in batik blocks, 3 sets of 12. I have nto started these yet but i've got till nov 1 to mail them. I also need to make a halloween table runner for a swap to be mailed by oct 1 i think.

The good news is that the fair started today! So that big pressure is off. The kids are mostly settled back into the school bedtime so as soon as i quit hearing wiggles from upstairs i'm headed down to work on those swap blocks. I only have a pic of the one but it gives an idea of what i've been working on.

summer finishes

Now that my quilt holders are home I finally got pictures taken of a few of the bigger quilts I finished while they were gone. The top 2 are from a block swap I was in a few months back. Remarkably quick turnaround dont you think? Usually swap blocks lay around my house for a long time! The bottom 2 are going to the QOV project as soon as i can talk to the Chaplain here on base to see if he has a contact or if i need to get in touch with someone else.

These last 3 are BIG! the Valentines one's are 102x110 i think. One is for me, the other does not have a home yet. The St. Patrick's one is 98x104 if i remember right. It is also for me! Sorry about the lousy pictures-the wind was blowing again but it was nto raining this evening so I took them anyway.

finish it in August!

Kim has issued a challenge for whoever wants to join in to finish things in august. Sounds like a good excuse to see what i can do with those swap blocks sitting in that big basket! I'm not sure if she has a real classification for UFO's or if finished just means finished. I'm going to count everything that gets finished nomatter when i started it. So here goes the list:

1. M&M king size jacob's ladder(basted and ready to quilt)
2. Valentine runners(4 or 5)-ready to baste
3. Halloween runners(4 or 5)-ready to baste
4. heart swap blocks-need to be sashed together
5. pink and brown swap blocks-need to be sashed together
6. 30's round robin-basted
7. quilty ladies-basted
8. at least 3 row robins-still in rows
9. stack and slash hearts-need squaring and set together
10. stack and slash shamrocks-need LOTS of work
11. black and white swap blocks-need to be sashed together
12. christmas runners-3 ready to baste

This is not a complete list of my ufo's nor do i expect to get all these done in August but it is all i can think of off the top of my head. And in my case done means bound and ready to use even though Kim says tops count on big projects. Here's Kim's blog if you want to read the rules: http://kimsbigquiltingadventure.blogspot.com/2009/08/da-rulz.html

back to normal?

Although i'm not sure what normal is anymore. This summer has been anything but normal but i think we are on our way back to it. The kids and the dog spent 9 weeks at mom's so i was home alone-WIERD! They are home now, and in 48 hours have completely trashed the house. Yep! thats normal! We went to get groceries and they begged and we spent a ton. Yep! thats normal! I'm now back to hearing "hannah montana" and "pheneas and ferb" on the tv(yuk!). Yep! thats normal! i've had to change my diet because of a medical issue. Not normal, and really not fun!

But since the kids are back i have quilt holders again! I've got 6 that need to be held up and photographed but since its raining (normal for Sturgis week). We will have to wait for this afternoon and hope for the best.