End of Vacation

I did manage to finish this applique block for Green Tea and Sweet Beans quilt. This was pretty easy since the the curves are quite gentle and there aren't too many pointy pieces. I'm not sure how much I like the busy background but I thought it would be a fun addition to the quilt. I think my next blocks will be drunkard's path which will be machine pieced. So happy I figured out how to machine sew curves together.

I did visit a quilt shop this week and this is what I bought! I love string quilts but wanted patterns that were a little different. This book has lots of unusual string patterns. I thought it would be a great way to use up my fabric stash. I just loved the colors of these batiks and couldn't resist buying them. I thought I showed restraint just buying 2 items. My husband was waiting for me in the car and he didn't even complain about how long I took. 

We went to Walker Stalker Convention in Boston yesterday. My son and I are big fans of The Walking Dead. This is the second year we've gone to this event. We had a great time. However, I met a quilter! One of the vendors had quilts made with images from The Walking Dead.  They were wonderful! We started talking and found out we had a lot in common. She's hoping to take classes this coming April at MQX. It would be great to meet there. She was so nice and friendly. You just never know where you'll meet another quilter!

Back to work tomorrow. I had such a nice week. I hope I can actually get up on time. I'm expecting a rough time. 

Vacation!

Do you remember going back to school and having to write that essay, "What I did on my vacation"?

I'm going to tell you what I've done on my vacation, so far. It's only for the week but I'm having a nice time! Not much quilting going on but that's okay! This photo was taken at Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts. My husband and I spent the day there on Monday. It was so nice to be there. It wasn't crowded and we didn't hit much traffic on our way there. So relaxing!

I had an appointment in Boston yesterday. We spent the day shopping and eating! When I got home, I finished this cute lace sock for a friend's daughter. It's the cutest sock I've ever made. It's so small! It measures about 6 inches from heel to cuff. The actual foot is only about 5 inches. I've already started it's mate.

Today, we spent the day in Ogunquit, Maine. Even though we were on the Maine coast, it was still so hot! It's been in the 90's for about a week now. We're having great weather for our vacation as long as we're near water or enjoying air conditioning. 

We have a few more plans for the rest of our week. It's too bad it has to end. It's so relaxing to not have to rush all the time. That's okay, I have another week off coming up in August!

Hot Sunday Afternoon

It's another hot afternoon. I sat outside for a little while but prefer to stay indoors with the air conditioning running. I always have a few projects going so it's the perfect time to work on them. This picture is one of the applique blocks for Green Tea and Sweet Beans. 

I've already appliqued the stems. The other pieces are all ready. I use freezer paper to prepare my applique pieces. There are lots of methods out there but this one is my favorite. 

I'm also knitting a pair of socks for my friend's daughter. I have already turned the heel.

Here's the heel. I'm decreasing gusset stitches. Children's socks work up so quickly. I love making them! 

I'm on vacation this week and I feel this is a nice way of beginning my week off. I want to relax and beat the heat! Hope you are too!

Two Finishes! (Sort of!)

I finally finished my Pincha Shawl. The directions called for 12 "feathers" but I used up my yarn and ended up making 25 feathers! It's quite a bit larger. I wanted it to look more like a shawl and less like a scarf. If you don't mind short rows, this is an easy pattern.

Here's another view. I haven't measured it exactly yet. I still have to block it. It's close to 40 inches when laying it out flat, not curved as in the photo. I'm quite happy with the way it turned out.

I also finished quilting the blocks that make up Farmgirl Vintage. The Sawtooth Star repeats in each of the four corners. This is how I decided to quilt this block. I really like how this looks. I'm always buying books on machine quilting. It's worth it to me since I look through them for inspiration all the time! I took the ideas from 2 different books to quilt this block. 

I have to work in all my threads before I start the sashing. This quilt also has 4 borders. I guess I'll be working on this quilt for quite some time!

Scrap Quilt Finish

I finished my scrap quilt! I love the way it came out. It finished at 72 inches square. Even though I used mostly fabric from my stash, I still had to buy fabric to complete this top. I did use lots of scraps but I didn't even make a dent in my stash! I may have actually added to it since I made lots of extra scraps when making my half square triangles. I'm just happy that I used my stash as much as I did. 

I used these clips instead of pins when sewing on my last border. They worked out great. I feel they were easier to put on and take off. I always feel that pins distort the fabric but these clips didn't at all.

Here's the quilt top without that final border. I ran out to the quilt shop today and bought more of the blue gray fabric. I think it will make a nice binding! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find the fabric by the time I get around to quilting and binding it. 

I don't know about you but I have been keeping busy with my sewing and quilting. I'm tired of hearing about terror attacks,  presidential election and possible coup in Turkey.  I'm informed but hearing this stuff over and over again is depressing. I want to stay happy by keeping busy doing the things I love. 

Have a nice weekend and stay cool!!

Tuesday Fun

I was quilting this today and decided to take a picture! All blocks are quilted except the  whole bottom row and the corner stars in the top row. Eight blocks left! Of course, I still have the sashing, inner borders, outer borders, etc. I always feel getting the blocks finished is a big accomplishment and a big step in completing the quilt. 

You might think this is a bit of an odd picture. I just wanted to see how many blocks I have left to complete Sweet Tea and Green Beans. The answer is, " A lot!!". I completed one quarter and put all the blocks together. However, the other 3 quarters are coming together rather slowly. I have quite a bit of hand work left which will take some time. I am happy with the way it's coming out so I'll just keep trudging ahead. 

I brought Molly to the vet today for her check up. She wasn't as afraid as last year. You can see her making her way out of her pet carrier. Last year, she wouldn't come out on her own. We had to pry her out. She's 2 years old now so maybe she's getting a little braver!

Sewing Day

I declared today a sewing day for me! This is how far I progressed on my scrap project. I'm not sure why but this last border that includes the blue-gray fabric took forever!! Sorry that the quilt top looks so wrinkled. I had it all nice and ironed and then the cats started sliding and playing with it!

Here's the border I attached earlier today. There are a few seams to match up but not as bad as the previous border. Maybe I'm just getting sick of little squares! I cut each square individually. I arranged the squares to balance out the colors. I didn't make strip sets. I sewed them as individual squares. I guess that's enough to drive anyone a little crazy!

I also made my 2 Churn Dash blocks for Sweet Tea and Green Beans quilt. Very fast and very scrappy!

Almost done machine quilting Farmgirl Vintage. I'll post pictures soon!

Happy 4th!!

Happy 4th of July! The weather is beautiful here in Massachusetts. It's a lovely day to spend outdoors with friends and family. We'll be having a cookout later in the day. Right now, I'm relaxing with my second cup of coffee and enjoying the fresh air out on my deck.

No sewing today. I have too much to do. Plenty of time later on in the week to catch up on my projects.

Enjoy the holiday! Happy Birthday, USA! We're so lucky to live here. Enjoy!!

Couldn't resist this little kitty! Happy 4th!!