Ah...the back...

I met my long arm gal yesterday and dropped off a commission quilt... Then I felt guilty because I still hadn't bound the last quilt she did for me...
Yesterday I got the binding on and last night I finished doing the hand stitching.

I love it... This pattern is called "Wild Thing" by Camille Roskelly of Thimble Blossoms. It uses two identical charm packs and some background and went together so nicely. It's one of the those patterns that you can cut and then chain sew.



When I had the top together, I took it down to my local Hobby Lobby to find some backing. I never buy the backing for a quilt at the same time I get the fabric for the front. What am I thinking? That I won't do the quilt and the backing will be this big piece of boring fabric that will match nothing else. Probably why I don't buy the binding fabric either and have to frantically browse Etsy hoping someone has some matching to sell..

ANYWAY! I took the top to Hobby Lobby with my 40% off coupon and tried to match it with something there. I finally looked at the KONA cottons and picked one. I don't like it. I like my backs to look as nice as the front. I don't even mind solid backs, but this one doesn't Match. At. All. Your screen color isn't deceiving you, it doesn't match.



I DO however like the quilting. I asked for something flowy and circly...and she came through. It reminds me of the wind blowing across the prairie and the windmills...



Nothing on the agenda today. Maybe I will get another quilt done? I have 5 hanging in the sewing room to be basted and started...

Nancy

Beer'd out and The Downy Challenge...(not related)

Picnics need to be impromptu...then they wouldn't be canceled. Today was to be our Redwork Club's first ever picnic in the park. The Old Town St Charles Riverfront is a great place. There is a nice boat house with pavilions and picnic tables. I am glad I decided to stop at the deli on the way there cause now I'm not stuck with 12 lbs of coleslaw or 3 containers of bean salad... neither of which I eat...

So were we rained out? NO.... We were beer'd out!! (and no, weren't just too drunk to picnic!!) One of the ladies took a walk down by the riverfront yesterday and found all these workers lining up the picnic tables and moving them around and washing them down. huh? Apparently Anheuser Busch is having some kind of shing-dig this weekend and has commandeered all the tables and grounds (you can't officially reserve an area I'm told) and we would have no where to sit.... So there goes my blog post.

I did finish a quilt yesterday. I sent off for one of the Downy Challenge Quilt Kits and it came a few weeks ago. The kit comes with everything except batting and binding. There is plenty of backing sent and the kit is all precut into squares and strips. Very nicely done. Even the first border was precut. It comes with sewing instructions which they ask you send back to keep their printing costs down. I will get it in the mail today...




If you would like a quilt kit click HERE and then click on "How to Help" on the top bar.

Nancy

Ha Ha....did you get notice that I updated my blog and just saw BEER in the title?? I guess my finger slipped... but I bet it got you thinking??

the one where I actually show you the retreat projects....

I am ready to go back to retreat... any time...just wish I could.

We had a great time..

This is what Veronica worked on...



Well, this one was finished, but she is making another one for someone else. That's what happens when you show off a quilt at work..

And this is what Bev worked on... She is making this for her grandson who is sports crazy. The fabric in the top right hand corner is all different colored tennies on black. When I went to watch my granddaughter last week, we went over and got her some more so she could use it as the backing. It's so dang cute..



And here are the 5 projects I either started or finished...

I had 6 fq's that I threw in my project tote at the last minute and was glad I did... I also threw in my Yellow Brick Road pattern. It's one I use a lot. 6 fq's make a great baby quilt.

So that's ONE...


These are my last two First Saturday blocks.... You can see all the blocks here. I am going to use this as one of my guilds UFO challenges, so I haven't done anything more to it..

That's TWO and THREE...



This quilt is for my sister. She wants to keep it at her house for her grandson Joseph. She has him every weekend while his Mom works and his Mom won't bring over the baby quilt I made her cause she is afraid she won't get it back. I guess that means she liked it... :-) Since this photo was taken I have added side borders and pieced the back and it will go to my long arm quilter tomorrow...

That's FOUR..



And this is the first project I made when I got to retreat. One of my daughters friends ordered two diaper bags for baby showers and this was the second one. She requested the blue and brown colors... It has already been delivered..I haven't heard whether the new mom liked it or not.


That's FIVE..



And that's it...

Now what will I talk about tomorrow.. The only thing going on around here is the Son being bored, interviewing someone to cut our grass tonight (son can't do it til he has healed from surgery!) and I am still stitching on the same redwork piece.

Oh, I know...I'm going on a picnic tomorrow. Guess I will take photos..

Nancy

a little peak...

Just a quick sneak peak of the redwork I am working on. This pattern is from a magazine I borrowed from a friend. These are the setting triangles. I traced all 4 triangles onto a square so I wouldn't stretch out the bias while I was stitching. I will get all four stitched and then cut apart when I am ready to sew...




And two grandkids at the "redneck beach" (my daughters words)... They took them down to play Sunday and then they decided to go back on Monday at which time my grandson (who is 7) said "I feel like I am returning to my natural habitat". Isn't he a scream? And he knew what a habitat was and explained it to his sister...



I promise to show you the 5 retreat finishes tomorrow...

Nancy

design wall monday... 5-31-2010

I cut this panel apart yesterday and it took me quite a while to read and re-read the story to make sure it was in the right order. The panel was originally printed for a book and I will make a quilt for charity.. I need to find a sashing fabric and border in the stash and then I found a print with the three pigs for backing... It will make a smaller size quilt, but hopefully it will keep some child entertained..

Want to see more Wall Design Monday? See Judy's blog.

I also got the back pieced for a commission quilt and will hopefully get that the quilter this week.

On the way back from retreat last weekend we stopped at a quilt shop and they had a wonderful redwork quilt on display (they were using it to advertise their Redwork Club). Of course no pattern as it was in a magazine a zillion years ago. THEN. Bev said she had made the quilt AND might still have the magazine.. She did!! And now I have started a new redwork quilt. Like I needed another project..


Nancy

Twist and Shout....

So the story goes like this....


Trudi lives in the UK. I didn't know that.. and she was kind enough to fess up..of course I would have realized it when she sent me her mailing address...but anyway...


The Twist Part...

She said I should pick another name...but wait...could she pick? YES!! Ok, actually those are not her hands...but she knows who they belong to, so that's all that counts. And I bet the winner couldn't care less who drew her name...lol

The Shout Part..




So Bonnie is the new winner.. please email me your mailing address and I will get your package out Tuesday..

Let's all give a round of applause to Trudi....HIP HIP HOORAY!!

Nancy

stay tuned....

A little twist to surprise you...


Nancy