Pink Baby quilt

My daughter's group of couple friends are all at the marrying, settling down and having baby stage.

She has been dating for over a year and I think he is a keeper. 

So she has a baby shower this weekend  and I volunteered to make a quilt for her.  They already know it is a girl and even the name. 

I happened to buy a bag of pink and brown flannel scraps at our guild show in the spring and those are the colors needed. Additionally I added some other fabrics to compete it.

Then I found out they had already picked a name.  I blew up letters on a word document and then traced them to flannel with only a spray baste adhesive. Then I appliqued by machine as normal with a tight zigzag. But as the flannel does not maneuver well I put parchment paper on the back which tore out easily afterward. 

Then I found a simple pattern online and just made my own measurements based on 6 inch width panels. I played with the colors and blocks and the piecing

Until all is stitched together. Ta da ....... 36 by 40 inches.

It is fun to make a pink quilt.  I only have grandsons.

Now to quilt and bind it. And the last step will be to top stitch the pink ric rac.

Lost week

I think this is my motto at the present.  I have really had a hard time staying focused on any quilting OR anything for that matter this week. Good news: the cyber radiation for my spouse is officially done TODAY, Friday 

The low fiber diet ( which I also ate with him) was tough: no fresh fruits or vegetables, no meats other than chicken, turkey, fish,  and shellfish.   A whole 2 pages of what you can and cannot eat.  

And although it is done, we slowly will add things to his diet over the course of the next week  I think I will gravitate more quickly. I really missed my fresh foods.

And I saw this quilt started on Me and my Quilts. Julie is making all red birch blocks by Amanda Jean Nyberg variation.  I love hers.  And  I thinking I could make it.

But I need to make a baby quilt for my daughter to give as a shower gift. I happened to have bought a bunch of scraps at our guild show in the spring in brown and pink, the colors needed.  And then I needed to buy a few coordinates to add. (Seen together below.

And as they already know the baby's sex and name: this will be included. 

I am trying a new technique learned from our last guild presenter to just spray baste the figures and then applique as normal.  I will let you know how it works.  The cutting out was easy so far.

HOT HOT HOT!

Formerly ( before the change), I did not really have a problem with heat. Although I do recall the summer my daughter was born in '88 where I required my husband to buy a window air conditioner.  Going night and day in the heat with 2 kids was very tiring. ( The heat index was above 100)  I know that most of you have had the same.

But back to now, I just don't react well with the air conditioning. I put on socks and cover with a quilt.  My legs will ache. 

I don't know if it is me absorbing the stress from the radiation treatments for my husband Thursday and Friday, or what. We had our son over for grilling and homemade mac and cheese Saturday. He leaves for Louisiana on August 1 to be with the family. My life as it is. 

Anyway, I have started another new quilt for my grandson:

I have abandoned the quilt I started for him a couple years ago. Instead, I am making this design to coordinate somewhat with the one I made for his brother. I think they may be bunking in the same room. I will make the blocks into wall hangings.  I just couldn't get a vision into putting it together and wasn't thinking the theme was for him anymore. Here are most of the blocks I appliqued and designed using online photos.

And as the fabrics were from a kit I had purchased, I feel good using up stash.  Well, I did buy the light blue and then needed 3 more half yards of new solids. 

So pushing forward.

I also need to finish a baby quilt for August 3 and a small wool applique for tomorrow.  More to come. 

Henrietta: Squirrel!

This is an old UFO  ( not even on my July/August  list).  Squirrel!  Literally.

I don't expect to finish it right away, but keep the handwork going.  As you can see in the weathered paper copy of the layout: the pattern is from Bunny Hill Designs from 2011. At the time is was a BOM free download, and I started it with regular applique.  Those ears and points did me in, just too much detail to hand turn them precisely; so I transferred  to using wool instead.   

This is my lay out of 7 blocks done, so far.  The blocks and thread sit next to the end table where I watch TV. I pick it up when I have the concentration to blanket stitch the edges.  And I finally finished the 3 blocks that were prepped.  So I have 2 more blocks to complete, and then the  border which has additional crows and stars. It also needs various words and buttons for eyes and necklaces.

And, I am not just a one project girl.  

So here is the beginning of my 4th of July Stars and Geese. 

And lastly, the other project I  laid out is my Kim Diehl Simple Friendships 2 QAL. 

I don't like some of my colors, so I am going to redo a couple blocks and piece the small patchwork tucked here and there. And then I can put it together.  It is small. the little blocks are 2 inches finished and the largest in only 6 inches.

Progress

Progress:  

First, I have to say my hubby is set to have his treatments for his cancer and all are to be done in the next 2 weeks.  The preliminary scans and markers are done.  These appointments are draining, yet I do nothing.  We wait around till he has to go and then I wait while he goes through the procedures.  

What I have learned is that we are blessed. The Prohealth Care Cancer center is wonderful. The staff is nothing more than positive and helpful. The facility is very nice with beverages available and books and a jigsaw puzzle waiting to be put together. Even the music is relaxing.  Talking with the other spouses of patients has made me realize that we are younger than most; and that we are lucky.  Some are going on 5 years of treatments or 3rd degree burns. 

Quilting progress: 

I got right on my goals for July and August and got this baby quilted.

This quilt is only 25 inches square: with each little square only an inch finished. 

I had the perfect Christmas quilt for the back and binding in my stash. 

Then I ordered these tumbler blocks on my facebook group.  It was nice on only have something to lay out and put together.  Now for quilting it. I  think it will just leave it for a table covering.  Each tumbler is about 2 by 3 inches

But I had to also show a couple quilts from my guild meeting on Wednesday.
I showed this Escher quilt being put together back in January. The designer came to share his trunk show mostly for his family of kids and grandkids.  He was a former kindergarten teacher and then mentor for teachers. This is one of his original layouts. You can get or order  a kit of Kaffe fabrics for this at Quiltagious in Mukwonago, WI. This has 3 colorways and an additional 3 D setting.

I loved this one which is a variation of a Storm at Sea quilt called Woven Ribbons.  He said he used Deb Tucker's templates for the diamond in a square and square in a square. ( also for sale as a kit from Quiltagious.)

UFO July/ August challenge

I saw a great online UFO quarterly group on The Joyful Quilter in her July 7 post.  I think I missed the deadline last night, but I want to participate on my own anyway.  Summer is my best time to make progress on my projects.

1) Kim Diehl Mystery: from Simple Friendships 2

This is not mine,, but hers  All my 6 different small blocks are made from 6 inch to 2 inches.



2) My mini Christmas quilt. This patchwork frames the 3 inch prints from Holly Taylor.



3) Finish Jude's 2 year old quilt.  ( Yeah a little late, he just turned 5 in May.)
These are the applique blocks I have done.



4)  It is not started, but I have marked the July 4th mystery from Fort Worth Fabric Studio.

I am resizing it from a 14 inch block to 8 inch block.  ( 60 inches finished to about 36 inches)



5) Over the river embroidery  and quilt pattern from Crabapple Hill.
This is one of my finished 3 embroidery panels sepia on beige background.


6) O.K. one more:  my Thimbleblossoms pattern with the Woolies flannel fabric:
I just need this for my couch for the cold weather this year. ( Much later, I hope.

So....off to the races ( on the sewing machine, that is!)

Georgia and my blues

First, my dear DH and I  had a nice trip to Georgia for his sister's big birthday

Here is the home decor for the party with several surprise out of town guests (including us).

We had a grand time visiting with relatives: all her kids and the 3 grandkids. 

 We started out taking a bus for us all for 3 winery tours.  ( By the way the temperature jumped from the 70s for us to almost 90s down there. Nice change. )

This is the little grand niece who enjoyed everything.  So cute and such great parents.

This is the Monteluce winery in northeast Georgia.

 Beautiful facilities both inside and the surrounding lands. 

i

Our trip was a much needed diversion from having my grandkids leave Wisconsin to move to Louisiana.  I have a big hole to fill of time and snuggling. 

Then after we returned, my DH had the surgery to implant his markers for his radiation. 

The process has started.  But we are doing o.k. 

And I have been sewing: fits are spurts on this project.  This is my goosey blues.   Here is the layout for what I have started.

The blocks are comprised of 4 Wild and Geesey paper pieced blocks.  You can find it on Pinterest. 

Each square of the little geese and sides are a total 3 and a half inches; which makes this block 7 and a half inches. And each block like this has no blue fabrics repeated ( total of 28)  Some fabrics do get repeated in other blocks.  But I am going for 100 different different total blues in order to enter it in the Wisconsin state fair.  

These are the corner stones from the lattice.            And this is the lattice for between the blocks. 

                                              


Slowly, slowly getting there.