Road trip

I'm heading to Nebraska this morning for a visit to the International Quilt Study Museum and to participate in a HeartStrings sew-in.

I hope you all have a great weekend!


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#3 is on the machine and in progress

Been a while since I simply meandered a quilt -- this photo isn't the best but it's looking OK. The thread matches the fabric exactly so I've been quilting with the lights off with just the side lighting from the window but I'm losing the light so I probably won't get this done until I come back from Nebraska.



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Baskets and bins

Since I'm taking my design wall with me to the HeartStrings Nebraska sew-in this weekend, I had to finish assembling the blocks on it. I still have 3 rows of blocks to piece and add to this 72 x 72 section but progress is being made and the design wall is packed up and ready to load into the car.

Baskets and bins - I'm overrun with them! Is anyone else? I bought more of the wire mesh bins I store my strings in yesterday to hold strips - I plan to start cutting a bunch of 2.5 inch strips using the GO cutter and needed somewhere to store them.


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Tumblers

OK, I couldn't resist cutting some out but I won't be able to sew any of these blocks together before I leave on Thursday for Nebraska.

In the next couple days I've got 3 more seams to get the large center section of Adam's Boxed squares off the design wall so I can pack it up to take with me. I've got to load and start quilting a top I need to take with me to VA on May 6th, take Chesty for grooming, and get some laundry done.


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Look!

My friend Cecile sent me a box of novelty fabrics to play with - don't these look fun? I have a big honking 6 inch tumbler die for my Go Cutter that I've been wanting to try and use to make an I Spy Quilt and these added to the ones I have will give me lots of variety. Thanks Cecile!

My day so far has been making bindings and backings and I got a couple more bindings machine stitched and ready to work on over the next few nights. I'm going to run out for some dinner (Keith is still gone and I don't cook for one) and then may get a top loaded on the longarm tonight.


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Google Reader

Yes, another post on managing blog reading. I don't seem to do a good job of keeping up anymore and I'm in awe of people like VickiW who seems to manage a large list of blogs AND actually comment on many of them.

Today I separated all 130 subscriptions into just 2 folders --- daily and "whenever I have time" -- well actually it's called monthly but the goal is to read through some each day. Right now, I'm only 519 posts behind.

Google reader allows me to read newer or older posts first regardless of which blog posts them - this way I don't get part of the way through the list and then never get around to blogs that aren't in the top 1/3.

Now if I could just keep up with reading on my MQResources list and catch up on the online class I'm supposed to be taking....


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Another Happy Quilt done

Can you stand to see another Happy Quilt? This is my twisted version and although those blues look very blendy next to each other in the photo there is definitely more contrast from one block to the next in person. This one was also quilted with the pantograph Whirligig from Willow Leaf Studio.

It's the 5th of 10 bindings I want done by May 31 so I'm doing well on the binding front...just need to get more quilting done.



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How's your Sunday going?

It's a rainy day here and Keith is out of town - I'm feeling kind of mellow so reading and binding have been on my agenda although I did head out downtown for an early dinner and am now hanging out in the coffee shop.

I handstitched the binding on this top pieced by Liz as part of HeartStrings Happy Block project and sent to me to quilt and donate.

I love the quilting on this one - Whirlygig from Willow Leaf Studio.

I haven't decided what I'll work on later tonight - maybe more binding although I should probably be quilting.

Hope your weekend was as nice as mine!


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Sew-in

I attended one of our HeartStrings sew-in's today and we had a great time and got plenty accomplished. Of course, we usually manage to squeeze in a visit to a quilt shop and I took the opportunity to stock up on some of my Reds.

Some additional photos are posted in our HeartStrings album. I'm looking forward to a road trip to Nebraska to visit the Quilt Study Center and attend another HeartStrings sew-in next weekend.


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Top #2

I probably should have used a darker brown thread on this top so I could see the quilting better, the beige was really blendy but these Wonky Feathers are forgiving and I'm always surprised when it turns out better than expected. The top was pieced by the quilters at St. Mary's in CT.




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Binding #3

I'm making more progress so far with the binding on my list than the quilting and here's #3. A beautiful HeartStrings top pieced by Paulette and quilted with Dawn's Wonky Feathers from the Pajama Quilter DVD. I just LOVE the look of the feathers on this quilt.


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I'm having the best time

Reading all these comments on hair coloring has been interesting and fun. Thanks for taking the time to write.

I don't plan to color my hair -- I was just surprised to see in the photos that I'm more gray than I thought! I have colored my hair in the past for fun but it does take time and $$ for upkeep and I'd rather spend both reading or quilting.

Keith loves it the way it is and my hairdresser is adamant that I don't color it (he says it looks great as it is).

Of course, as I've gotten older and wiser - I try NOT to say I'll never do something. I'm just a little shy of 48 and I'll have to see how I feel in a few years when I'm more gray than brown but I'm thinking I'll be lucky because my hair is really more white than gray.


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I worked today

But no quilt photos to show -- you've seen enough photos of Adam's quilt in progress and as of today I'm half way through joining the rows for the 12x12 section and then I'll need to add 3 more rows.

I also made and sewed bindings on 3 quilts -- and have one already stitched down except for the corner where the label goes - I need to print some more labels so you'll see that one tomorrow.

So since I don't have much on the quilting front to talk about I'll ask a personal question. Do you color your hair? to cover gray?

I don't -- too much time and money and the gray doesn't bother me for the most part but....I'm wondering how I'll feel when I have more gray than brown. It was windy in Ireland and I was surprised at how gray my hair looked in a lot of the photos. This first one is what I usually see in the mirror and I'm OK with it.

As this next photo shows, I have a lot more gray underneath than I do brown.

It's not unusual for people to tell me I should color my hair but I don't think I'm going to change my mind.


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Another binding

Here's a cute little Happy Block quilt made from a leftover piece of cat fabric.
I love the wavy line quilting on this and it was quick and easy.
Look who started waiting for his dinner before 4PM today -- he's such a little piggy!


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20 years ago today

He looks worried doesn't he?

This may be one reason why...

and here's another one.

It hasn't always been easy but I wouldn't trade the last 20 years for anything and I'm looking forward to the next 20+.


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Celebrity sightings

Since I don't have anything interesting to report from my day (going through mail, paying bills, creating some collages for a birthday, talking to Mom on the phone, packing up quilts and gifts to ship out tomorrow) I'll share my celebrity sightings - tonight we had dinner in a neighborhood restaurant and saw both Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats and Al Franken.


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More Fans

This is Mom's quilt - very soft and feminine looking and the Baptist Fans look great on it. For this quilt - I used my Circle Lord template.

Don't you just love the texture?
This is top #1 of 10 and I also made and machine stitched the binding on the 2nd of the quilts waiting for binding. I'll start stitching it down tonight when we're watching a movie. You guys have made me a little nervous about whether I can get through my list by May 31 but I'm going to give it my best shot and today was a very productive day.


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One binding done

This was the HeartStrings top pieced by two male students for a class project and sent to me to finish and donate. Details on the freehand Baptist Fan quilting can be found at this post.
Since this is one of Judy's Quiltathon weekends I'm going to move on to loading a top on the longarm while Keith plays around on i-Tunes.

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From today's outing

I love lying on the ground and looking up through the trees

A bike ride this afternoon almost did me in -- 15.5 miles and it was all I could do to pedal that last mile and then I chased it with a migraine that put me in bed for the rest of the day. I did manage some progress on assembling Adam's Boxed Squares before the bike ride.


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Yes, I did sew today

On and off I read about people being in a quilting slump - I find for myself the more I get done the more motivated I am to work...so having not sewn anything in the last week or so I haven't really been motivated to quilt but today I turned on the sewing machine and worked on assembling the blocks to Adam's Boxed Squares. Of course it doesn't help that assembling blocks into tops is one of my least favorite tasks so it's easy to procrastinate.

Another motivating factor for me are my lists - so here's the new one. Since I've been traveling this month and I'll be traveling again in May, I'm going to try and accomplish the following by May 31st.

• Quilt 10 tops
• Bind quilts - I have 8 here that need binding plus once I start quilting that number will climb so lets set this goal at 10 quilts.
• Complete Adam's Boxed Squares tops -- I have to assemble what's on the design wall, make blocks for another 3 rows and assemble them, and put a border on it.
  
• Make more QAYG blocks for Australia - I have until the end of April for this HeartStrings project
• Make a set of 48 log cabin blocks from my strings.

Once I get going I should pick up some steam!


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Spring

It arrived while we were gone. It's 65 and Keith suggested lunch
downtown - outside!

A few photos of us

My best photos are of the scenery but I do have some of us enjoying ourselves too. Click collage to enlarge.



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A lazy day for me

We arrived home last night and after picking up Chesty this morning, I've had a quiet day. I took hundreds of photos but for now I'll just share a few.



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A walk and coffee along the Liffey

Heading out

Some drama around here has kept me occupied for the last couple days but Keith and I are heading out to the airport now. We're excited about the trip to Ireland which we've dreamed about and planned for over 10 years now.

See you in about a week.


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Can you tell not much is getting done?

Not making any progress on the binding or piecing front the last couple days. I've been transitioning my sleep schedule to nights again and finally feel like I've gotten a little rest. I did spend the afternoon downtown yesterday - a visit to Barnes&Nobles, lunch out, and a haircut. It was nice to be out and about for a few hours.


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