Country Kitties Quilt Sandwich DONE!

Today I finally got around to making my California King sized quilt into a sandwich.  It is now ready for when my husband has to work a lot of hours and I can take over the kitchen table for days.  The pattern is called Country Kitties (even though there are no cats involved in my quilt...)  I think it was named this because of the fabric print that was used on the pattern.  It is by Holly Daniels.  I got the free patern at http://www.free-quilting.com/detail.html?code=FQ00052&cat_id=1  I check that site every day for what is new--AND FREE!  I modified the pattern to measure 87.5" by 105".

I love the way everything was so nice and smooth!  What a difference Warm and Natural batting makes!  I did my Supernova quilt with a Mountain Mist batting similar to Warm and Natural thinking it would be too thin.  But we love the weight of that quilt and I ended up buying a whole roll at JoAnn's at 50% off.

I usually hate this part of the process, but today it went so smoothly and everything lined up and stayed flat.  Whew.  I was worried about that big quilt.  Hopefully with a pin in the center of all the blocks it won't shift on me.  I'm not sure how to quilt it yet.  I kinda want to try free motion quilting, but I'm still a little hesitant.  Maybe I will quilt a baby quilt that is in the works as a trial before I tackle this big one.

I started to do a pieced back.  The back is a pretty paisley color.  When I started to lay out the back it just looked like I ran out of stuff and didn't have anything planned.  I made another whole row of the diamond in square blocks and was going to run them across the bottom about 3/4 of the way down.  It just didn't match the paisley quite right.  So when this quilt is turned over it is just ALL paisley.  Hopefully I will come up with a good idea of quilting.  Maybe I will do a diagonal grid of just straight line quilting because it is just so big.  Decisions, decisions.

Ahhh.  Taking a deep breath of another stage of a project complete--feels good.

Now that I have this closer to be done I guess I won't feel guilty about starting not one, not two, but THREE more quiltalongs.  LOL.   I'm interested in:

GIVEAWAY!!!

For a chance to win an Accuquilt Baby GO! check out Quilting Along the Gorge at

http://quiltingalongthegorge.blogspot.com/2011/06/giveaway-of-baby-go-and-3-dies.html

WIP Wednesday

Wow!  Now this is a HUGE block!  It is 21" square (finished size).  It is for my Bluepatch Mystery Quiltalong. http://www.bluepatchquilter.blogspot.com/

I finished the quilt top for my niece that is having a baby in August.  I am still thinking about the pieced back in my head before I move on in this project.  http://new2quilting.blogspot.com/2011/06/jungle-babies-book-quilt.html

I finished two blocks for the block lotto for July -- Sorry, no photo... that's the rules.  It hasn't been released to the block lotto site.  I do say I really like them and they are a lot of fun (but that is true about every month of the block lotto!)

I finished block 2 of the We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler.  I really like my color choices for this quiltalong.

I worked on about eight percent of my 30"x30" quilt for the quilt show in October with our local quilt guild.  The big part of this is that I finally made a decision of what I was going to do and how I was going to do it.  Sorry for no photo of that either.  It's a secret too.  I do have most of the pieces cut.  It's going to be very time consuming and I really want to make it work because it is something that a lot of people will see.

Today I mailed the Sunflower Seeds Quiltalong baby quilt to my friend.  I hope she is excited when she opens the package.  I loved it so much I have to post a pic of it again just in case you didn't see it last week.  It was just soooooooo soft.

So here's the stats:

New Projects:  0 -- Although I am still considering joining Betsy's Kaleidoscope Quiltalong

Completed Projects --  2+  (We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler block) (Blue Patch Mystery Quilt block)  (A couple of the block lotto blocks for July)

Currently in Progress:  7
We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler
Bluepatch Quilter Mystery Quiltalong
Victorianna Fabric Party Quiltalong
30"x30" Quilt for the October quilt show
Block Lotto
Block Swap Adventure
Charity Quilt

Quilt Tops Awaiting backs and to be quilted:  4
(California King - Country Kitties)
(Jungle Babies - Baby quilt)
(Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt)
(Oh Susannah! Mystery Quiltalong - Queen quilt)

Projects on Hold: 1
Flower Basket Quilt
Charity Quilt #2

Have a great week, everybody!

Riley Blake Designs Contest

Jungle Babies Book Quilt

Here's the finished top for the quilt I am making for my niece.  She is due in August.  It has a Jungle Babies book as the theme.  It was a panel I bought at JoAnn Fabrics.  I'm not totally thrilled with it.  Each block could not be "squared" due to the way the picture was printed.  I tried to make them a little wonky so that they looked like they were supposed to be that way.  I don't think it is wonky enough.  But it will be fine for the baby.  It's a little bigger than I wanted, but it will be okay on the living room floor or park where I'm sure the baby will get plenty of tummy time.

Accuquilt Baby GO! Giveaway!  Plus THREE DIES!!!  Go to

http://vickibquilts.blogspot.com/2011/06/ready-set-go-baby-contest-starts-now.html

KookBeenz is having a cute giveaway.  You could win one of two fat quarter bundles!  Go to

http://koolbeenz-blog.blogspot.com/2011/06/fat-quarter-shop-give-away-14-who-wants.html?showComment=1309180017753#c2484330310103610845

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler - Block 2

Here's block two of the We Can Do It Skill Builder Challenge.  We learned about color values.  I like it.  AND it measured 12.5" square.  Whohoo!  I am really liking the colors of this quilt.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Leona has reached 700 followers.  Celebrate with her with her giveaway at

http://oneygirl-myquiltingadventure.blogspot.com/2011/06/700-follower-giveaway.html#comment-form



WIP Wednesday #32

Meg's Finish-it-up Challenge had me look at all the little (and big) things I have started.  Besides joining quiltalongs and block of the month-type projects (which is just always just one more block), I am going to try to finish some of my on-going projects this summer.  Check out Meg's challenge at
http://fashionedbymeg.blogspot.com/2011/06/finish-it-up-challenge-come-join-in.html

This week I proudly finished the Sunflower Seeds quiltalong with Jamie Mueller.  You can find her site at http://jamiemueller.blogspot.com/p/awesome-quilt-along.html

This week I also completed the We Can Do It Skill Builder with Leila at

http://sewnbyleila.blogspot.com/

I made this lovely Log Cabin block.  It is my first log cabin block ever.  I like the little owl in the middle.

Here are some UFO's that I will be trying to complete this summer

Quilt guild 30" x 30" Quilt for the quilt show... due in October.

California King Country Kitties -- needs a back, quilted and binding

Baby quilt for my niece.  Her shower will probably be in July.  Gotta get busy on this one.  At least I decided on the colors and fabric.  Now I have to come up with a pattern/arrangement.

Victorianna quiltalong.  LOVE the colors of this one!  This picture doesn't do it justice.


Red and white flower basket quilt.  This probably won't be finished this summer.  But I love to look at it.  I will probably also work on cutting out more pieces while we are camping this summer.  I won't take my sewing machine on the camping trip, but I will take my fabric that needs cut.

This Jellyroll Race Quilt needs a back, quilted and a binding.  I may choose to make it a little bigger.  My husband keeps saying that he likes the colors on this one.  I was planning on giving it as a gift but I guess we'll keep it.  You can check out 1Choice4Quilting's site at http://blog.1choice4quilting.com/2011/06/if-you-thought-jelly-roll-race-was.html  They are always having cool contests and special deals as well.

I might be just dreaming on this one, but it is a UFO.  I am not happy with the blocks.  There are only two.  I could turn them around and they are Bonnie Hunter's Boxy Stars pattern. 

Also this week I was able to use one of my new cool quality made labels from Jennifer's Jewles.  I won these from KoolBeenz.  Just had to thank them and show them off again.

I love this quilt that needs a back, quilted, and binding, of course.  My husband thinks it needs a gold border... not sure about that.  But I do have some gold I need to get from storage upstairs and we'll see what it looks like.  My husband is usually pretty good with colors and such (much better than me.)  This quilt was a Mystery Quiltalong with http://erikhomemade.typepad.com/erik_homemade/. 

Then of course I also have the beautiful pineapple blocks that I received from winning the Block Lotto.  It is a Bonnie Hunter design as well!

This week's stats:

New projects - 1 (Started sewing Jungle Babies baby quilt for my niece)

Completed projects - 2 (We Can Do It Skill Builder - Block 1 AND Sunflower Seeds quiltalong)

Currently in progress - 6

Sunflower Seeds Quiltalong Quilt Finished!

Ahhh.  The feel of another completed quilt.  This week I buckled down and worked and worked on the Sunflower Seeds Quiltalong with Jamie Mueller.  You can find her site at http://jamiemueller.blogspot.com/p/awesome-quilt-along.html

Jamie did a great job of designing this easy, jellyroll friendly, cute pattern.  I left one row off because I didn't like the colors I chose for that row... and it's a baby quilt anyways.  The end result for a baby quilt was fine.  I tried some new things such as more machine quilting that wasn't exactly "on the lines" and I also tried a scrappy binding.  I used the awsome binding tutorial from Crazy Mom at http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/binding-tutorial.html

Here's a pic of the final project.

It's not perfect, in fact the back has more puckers than I care to mention.  Even the name tag is a little crooked.  Hopefully that means that it will be used.  I know the baby receiving it won't even notice for a long long time.

GIVEAWAY!!! 

Linda from Stray Stitches IS BACK from her little family vacation.  Check out her giveaway at

http://straystitches1.blogspot.com/2011/06/did-someone-say-giveaway.html

This week's pineapple blocks

More pineapple blocks arrived this week:

I also received a squishy in the mail from Jennifer's Jewels.  These are quality labels!  I won thirty of them from a drawing on April's site at KoolBeenz.  April is always having cool giveaways!  Check out her site at
http://koolbeenz-blog.blogspot.com/  There are tons of Jennifer's labels to choose.  Check them out at her Etsy Shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/JennifersJewels
You can see more great labels from Jennifer where I won them on April's site at
http://koolbeenz-blog.blogspot.com/2011/05/jennifers-jewels-give-away-11-who-wants.html  Their photos are much much better than mine.  (My photo should be white like the paper it is on...)

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler Block 1 - Log Cabin Block

I am very very pleased with the look of block one for the We Can Do it Skill Builder Sampler.  It is a log cabin block.  I think the owls make it look modern (well, modern for me.) 

The We Can Do It Skill Builder with Leila just started today, 6/17/11.  Check it out!

http://sewnbyleila.blogspot.com/

KoolBeenz is having a great giveaway as usual!  LOVE LOVE LOVE KoolBeenz!  Go to

http://koolbeenz-blog.blogspot.com/2011/06/skye-reve-fabrics-give-away-13-who.html

This giveaway ROCKS too!  check out all the strawberries at 1 Choice 4 Quilting

http://blog.1choice4quilting.com/2011/06/our-next-awesome-giveaway-smells-like.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+1Choice4Quilting+%281+Choice+4+Quilting%29

Victoriana Quilt Designs Fabric Party Quiltalong

Yesterday I started the Victoriana Quilt Designs Fabric Party Quiltalong.
http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.com/VictorianaQuilters/BlockoftheMonth/VQDFabricParty.htm
What's one more row per week?  I am using JoAnn Fabrics half jelly rolls of Seaglass along with a few fat quarters and some odds and ends I picked up here and there when I needed to use a 40% off coupon at JoAnn's. 

Somehow I missed the first week.  It was easy to catch up to the second week because the 1st week and 2nd week were the same in different fabrics.

Here's both weeks together:

Here's the layout:

 

Cat Patches is having a giveaway.  You can win a fat quarter and a cool pattern book.  Go to:
http://catpatches.blogspot.com/2011/06/fun-fact-friday-freebie-500th-post.html

WIP Wednesday #30

I have been saving and stashing half jelly rolls and fat quarters in a cute combo from JoAnn Fabrics every time I don't know what to do with my 40% off coupon for the week.  Today I started the Victoriana Quilt Designs Fabric Party.  http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.com/VictorianaQuilters/BlockoftheMonth/VQDFabricParty.htm
It calls for tone fabrics, but you know me... I'm not going the route the instructions go.  Here's the  Fabric Central Seaglass colors:

Two more blocks were finished for the Mystery Quilt with Bluepatch Quilter

I love the way the top finsihed on my Oh Susannah Mystery Quilt with http://erikhomemade.typepad.com/erik_homemade/.   It is made from my husbands work clothes and jeans (and of course some colors from my stash).  It has a very masculine touch to it.

I expect to let my quilt tops build up over the summer.  It's just too much to move everything to the kitchen table for just an hour of machine quilting here and there.  I will get back to quilting them 3-4 hours at a time when school starts up again in the fall.

Pineapple blocks continue to arrive in the mail.  It was an awsome month to win the Block Lotto.  Here's a pic of all of the ones that have arrived playing nicely together...just waiting on more friends to arrive mostly from across the pond.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
California King Country Kitties http://new2quilting.blogspot.com/2011/03/country-kitties.html
Sunflower Seeds Quilt-along  at http://jamiemueller.blogspot.com/2011/04/awesome-quilt-along-week-three.html

Jelly Roll Race  http://new2quilting.blogspot.com/2011/05/jelly-roll-race-quilt-indy-500-day-with.html

Oh Susannah Mystery Quilt http://new2quilting.blogspot.com/2011/06/oh-susannah-quilt-top-complete.html

On hold ...
Flower Basket quilt (in reds) http://new2quilting.blogspot.com/2011/03/flower-basket-quilt.html

This week's stats:
New projects - 1 (Fabric Party Quiltalong)

Completed projects - 2 (Oh Susannah quilt top and Mystery Blocks with Bluepatch Quilter)

Currently in progress - 6

GIVEAWAYS

For a great giveaway go to the Happy Quilting Blog at:

http://happyquiltingmelissa.blogspot.com/2011/06/sponsor-giveaway-sew-obsessed.html?showComment=1308146922071#c8497853389438687436

This week we made two Ohio Star blocks for the Bluepatch Quilter Mystery Quilt.  http://www.bluepatchquilter.blogspot.com/  Being from Ohio I have always liked the Ohio star but did not want to tackle the tedius half squares and quarter squares.  The instructions for this one was WAY much easier and quicker.  Love 'em.

Check out The Burly Quilter's giveaway at http://theburlyquilter.blogspot.com/.  He's got an eye for color!

For another great giveaway of three Baby GO! dies go to http://talinscorner.blogspot.com/2011/06/go-cutter-sponsored-giveaway.html

Oh Susannah Quilt Top Complete

The quilt top from the Oh Susannah mystery quiltalong is done  You can find the mystery quiltalong at http://erikhomemade.typepad.com/erik_homemade/.  It turned out to be the perfect design for the fabric choices.  I think of my husband's laundry when I see this quilt--well, because it is!  There are a lot of scraps of old jeans with character marks of concrete and paint stains.  Every time my husband saw me working on the quilt he commented how much he liked the colors.  I thought to myself... he should, they are his clothes.  There is a brown/tan that looks like Carharts and there's a navy blue print that looks like his hankerchiefs.

I am not very good at photography.  The quilt was too big to hang on the clothesline.  Finished size of the top is 71" x 90".  Here it is on the side of the old barn.  It needed a masculine place.  I plan a pieced back in flannel (some fabric, some his shirts).  I'm not sure how it will be quilted yet since the denim is a little thick in spots.  But it surprisingly lays nice and flat thanks to the design.  If you have any machine quilting ideas, please please speak up!

April Block Swap Adventure block has arrived

I was so excited to pick up my package from the post office today.  It was a beautiful block from Evelina in Siena, Italy.  She also included a postcard which was a very personal touch.