1 year? Really??

I cannot believe it has been almost a year since I last posted. I feel incredibly rude for ignoring the blog. To be honest, I didn't do much quilting over the past school year - I was placed in a different grade (8th to 5th) and I feel like all I did was concentrate on getting through a different curriculum. This summer, I was able to work on my quilting more and it has been a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I am under two weeks away from the start of the school year and I'm starting to feel an anxiety that only other teachers seem to feel. It is all the typical thoughts: Am I ready? Is my room ready? What do I want to accomplish the first day? first week? and so on...I need to remember to quilt at least three-four times a week, in the evening, once school starts. It is a relaxing activity where I can focus on one thing instead of 20-25 students at a time!     Okay, so here are a few pictures of what I have done:

The first quilt is a Serendipity quilt. I know it looks wild, but it is using a line of fabric called Poppy Modern. I received the fabric free, which is the best time to experiment! The next block is called Blazing Star. It is a 24" block and was Towne Squares Quilt Club's latest member workshop.  I really like it! Lastly is a blender quilt - these are some of the blocks I made, but I have many more to make! Thanks for stopping by!

  

My world in pictures

Sorry that I have been out of touch for a while...vacation, getting my classroom ready, sewing - time got away from me. So here is the photo version of my sewing life lately:

My Hidden Wells quilt, piecing through completed top:

Love these squares!

 This pieced top seemed incomplete.

So I added more blocks.. And borders! Done!

New project: a friend and I both collect batiks. We decided to make scrappy, companion quilts by sharing our batik stashes and neutral fabrics. I've made 5 of these star blocks so far. I should have a queen size quilt eventually!

Hope you are all well!

Hidden Wells beginning

I have had the material and instructions for a while, (no surprise there!), but am finally working on my Hidden Wells quilt. I played with the arrangement of the strips...

First,

 and then,

 before deciding on

.

So far, I have all but one strip set sewn and have begun cutting the blocks and diagonals.

The starching process has already seemed helpful so I hope not to have much trouble when sewing the bias edges. (I know - wishful thinking!) More updates soon!

Hexies

I have never been a huge fan of hexies. However, today at our family reunion, a cousin came to me with the beginnings of a Grandma's Flower Garden quilt. It had been her mother-in-law's project and the cousin wasn't sure what to do with it. I agreed to take it and now I'm trying to figure out how best to finish it! You see, the hexagon quilt blocks are not made well. They are wonky and puckered - some are bigger, some are smaller, and the fabrics are different. I think old dishtowels were used and who knows what else - linen, cotton, some woven material that reminds me of feed sacks. Don't get me wrong, some of the fabrics are very pretty and vibrant. Unfortunately, I'm trying to press them and found out even Best Press is causing some discoloration and color bleeding. Perhaps the discoloration will be less noticeable after I wash the quilt. Of course, I'll need to use color catchers in the laundry.

The quilt obviously has sentimental value. Maybe the best thing to try to do is just stitch the rest of the blocks together and then have it quilted. It won't lie flat but it should be better. I'm going to say that the wonkiness adds to the charm of the quilt. If I tried to take it apart and redo it, I would ruin her efforts and hard work. Please don't expect this to be a quick finish, though! :-)

Two quick finishes, plus an almost done...

A while ago, a friend asked me to make her a small purse, (based on a child's purse that I made), to use as a cosmetic bag. You know how these things go, I put it off, then forgot about it. The other day, I realized that I would see her tomorrow night, so I hurried up and made the purse. There are a couple minor flaws but I think it is what she wanted. Then I found out yesterday that another friend has cancer; it was not caught early but she is staying positive and has faith that chemo will help. I wanted her to know that I was thinking of her, so this evening, I made her a fabric basket. It is not much, but maybe it will brighten a moment or two. She can use it to keep little things within easy reach. Lastly, and although it is not quite done, I am on the last side of binding on a wall hanging that I am using as a gift on Saturday. I think I can finish it tonight! Have a safe weekend!

Happy 4th!

Have a safe and happy Independence Day! What is everyone going to do? We will grill out and watch the neighbors set off fireworks, (they already started tonight!) Very pretty. We keep it pretty calm these days. I'll remember to call my mom to let her know that I haven't forgotten the 4th was grandma's birthday. And we'll keep in our hearts and minds all those who serve and have served to keep us safe and free.



This weekend is a family reunion for my MIL's side of the family. We will go and wish all the "originals" were there with us - including my MIL - and enjoy catching up with extended family. Okay, mostly we will really enjoy all the yummy food that is carried in! :-) Enjoy the weekend!

Lazy Sunday

     I admit it, I'm having a "tough" day. It should be a pretty easy, lazy Sunday since it is too rainy outside to work in the yard. I just can't get into doing anything. I tried to square up some HST blocks but even that's beyond me right now. It took me half an hour just to do five. Maybe I'll lay down a while to try to get some more rest! :-)
     I don't have anything really new to share, so I'll share pictures from the BOM's I'm involved in currently. The brightly colored blocks are from the Virtual Quilting Bee. Amy Smart over at Diary of a Quilter is hosting/organizing that one. There is a new block every two weeks. I have managed to keep up with the schedule! We just received instructions for block 9 (of 16) this past Friday. The other blocks with white in the background are from the Sisters 10 Modern BOM. In this one, we make two blocks from the same design each month. There are a total of ten designs so we will have twenty blocks. The resulting quilt is to have a few "blank" spaces in the finished design. AnneMarie of Gen X Quilters is our host. Both groups have Flickr pages - make sure to check them out!