Orca Bay Step 7

I finally finished Orca Bay Step 7.  I'm organized and ready to get sewing again.  It's been a rough two weeks (well, two and a half years...)  My mom passed away 1/1/12.  I didn't want to sew or quilt too much because I didn't want to associate any fabric or projects with her death.  I didn't want a quilt to be on the couch for me to constantly think, "That's the quilt I was working on when my mom died..."  I still have a lot of things to settle with her estate.  But for now my siblings and I are doing fine and feel that my mom is finally at rest. 

Enough of that.  But it needed to be said.  Here's Orca Bay Step 7:

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I'm also interested in the

Postage Stamp Quilt – 2012 Charm Swap Kick Off

You can read the full post at:  http://thecuriousquilter.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/postage-stamp-quilt-2012-charm-swap-kick-off/

I would be interested in cutting sets of 2.5" charms for the swap.  Each set would be 100 different charms.  This shouldn't take long with the GO! Baby and the value die.  Submission must be in between 1/6/12 and 1/18/12.  Let's see what I can get done by 1/15/12 before I commit.  By the calculations on the site I would need 2592 different squares for a total of 72 blocks for a 96" x 108" quilt.   I would make it in 16 patch section.  This could be a great leader/ender type project that would last all year.  Hmmmmm.  Very tempting.

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Check out the 900+ follower giveaway at Leona's Quilting Adventure.  While you are there, remember to sign up for the birthday drawing giveaway.  Here's the link!
http://oneygirl-myquiltingadventure.blogspot.com/2012/01/900-follower-giveaway.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LeonasQuiltingAdventure+%28LEONA%27S+QUILTING+ADVENTURE%29

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Sooner or later I'm going to win some Aurifil thread!  Maybe today's the day.  Sunni at Love Affair With My Brother is giving some away.  Check it out at:

http://loveaffairwithmybrother.blogspot.com/2012/01/giveaway-aurifil-thread.html

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Vintage Grandmother's Flower Garden

Here's another vintage quilt I got from my mom's basement.  I'm very interested in doing a hexigon quilt, but haven't gotten up the nerve yet.  I'm not in to hand sewing.  I need to practice some Y-seams before cutting all of the little hexi's.  Here's a few photos.  I am guessing this quilt was made by my grandmother in the 1930's.  It is very thin.  There is no batting???

Doesn't this blue one remind you of Denyse Schmidt fabric from JoAnn's?

Look how worn and used this quilt was!  I'm kinda in a toss-up of what quilt I want to make for my sister and when.  Someday I am making a quilt for her.  I don't think I will be able to get one done by May for her birthday with all of the projects going on right now.  But then again, she really likes trees.  I'm also leaning towards a tree quilt.  Decisions, decisions...

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Speaking of vintage, check out the quiltalong hosted by Reeze at The Grateful Stitcher Blog

http://www.katlovesquilts.blogspot.com/p/2012-bom.html

 

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2012 UFO Challenge

Judy at Patchwork Times is having a UFO challege for 2012.  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012-ufo-challenge/
For January we will be working on #5 from the list.

 5)  X's and O's baby quilt

Whew.  This one should be a good January project for me.  Here's my quilt top that needs to become a baby quilt.  The quilt top was done on September 5, 2011.

WIP Wednesday 1.4.12

Not a lot of quilty stuff this week.  But here's what I can post now:

Liberated Tree for Sophie

The Block Lotto participants made a quilt for the Lotto's creator, Sophie.I put this Liberated Tree block together for the quilt.  Everything was organized by Laura.  Awesome job, Laura.

Some fabulous ladies put together a group to make her this quilt.  You can see my block in the bottom row.  We each selected a past Block Lotto block for our pattern.  We were to follow the color rules of the original Block Lotto block.

If you are interested in the Block Lotto, the January block complete with instructions can be found here.

I've been working on Orca Bay Step 8.  The mystery has been revealed.  I'm not sure if I have enough contrast between my yellows and neutrals.  I'm sure it will be bright and pretty when it's done.  I have all of the flying geese sewn but none of the border pieces.  All of the Ohio Stars have been ripped apart and put together correctly.  I'm sure I'll bet my momentum caught back up after a few things settle down here.

I declared every Tuesday as Tiny Tuesday.  I will make seven little houses per week.  This is doable if I set aside one day a week when my son is in school.  I can chain piece the tiny 3" paper-pieced blocks.  I think the hardest part is deciding what colors/fabrics to use to make them look good.

 

For the UFO Challenge of 2012 I am happy to see that my X's & O's baby quilt is back on the adgenda.  I'm excited to try FMQ again.  This should be a good quilt to practice FMQ.

 

I'm happy with the circle appliques on the We Can Do It Skill Builder Block

 

 

 

 

New Projects - 0

Completed Projects --  3

Completed Step 6 for Orca Bay-Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt

House blocks complete this week - 3

Completed circle applique block for the We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

 

Currently in Progress:  7

Chasing Chevrons (need to make the pieced back)

Dutchman's Puzzle (awaiting border decisions)

Orca Bay (completed step 1-5 - currently caught up)

Bluepatch Quilter Mystery Quiltalong (need two stars and one braid)

Victorianna Fabric Party Quiltalong (need two rows to catch up)

Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need 4 more random blocks)

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler (need to do this week's petals and leaves applique block)

30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show -- Secretly started working on this again!

Quilt Tops to be quilted:  5

Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt
Oh Susannah! Mystery Quiltalong - California King
Kaleidoscope Quiltalong
X's and O's baby quilt -- Back on my radar

Projects on Hold: 5

Flower Basket Quilt

Charity Quilt for our local quilt guild (2 cut)
May Block Lotto Pineapple Blocks to be put together
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together

Crumb Along with Jo's Country Junction (still making crumbs)

Drunkard's Path Quiltalong

Stop by and see who else has what else going on with Lee at Freshly Pieced!

Tiny Tuesday

Tuesday is the day I have set aside to build tiny houses from scraps.  I am following the idea from the blog SoScrappy.  Every week she has Tiny Tuesday.  You can visit her blog at:  http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2012/01/tiny-tuesday-maple-leaf.html

Today is day three of the year.  I only have to have three houses done!  Here they are... my little 3"ers.

December Blocks from Sara in Austin, TX

Here are two beautiful December blocks from Sara in Austin, TX.  Aren't the fabrics yummy?

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Happy New Year

Here's a vintage quilt I snagged from my mom's basement.  Nobody really wanted the old rag.  I like it.  It really reminds me of what my grandmother did during her spare time.  I may try to re-create this quilt some day.  My mom turned 80 last week.  My grandma would have been 110.  I'm guessing my grandmother did this when she was about my age.  This quilt was probably done 65 years ago -- 1947.  I'm glad I am learning machie applique with my We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler.

I'm trying to stay away from anything special quilty-wise.  I don't want to relate any fabric or quilt projects to what I am going through right now.  My mother took a turn for the worse in the long-term care section of the nursing home.  She had only been there a month.  She is now resting peacefully in the local hospital on the 6th floor -- aka "stairway to heaven".  I pray for her comfort and peace.  It was nice to spend all day yesterday with just my mom, two brothers and sister.  We were all there together.  I know the start of 2012 will be bumpy.  But good things are to come.  On a positive note, Happy New Year.  Everything happens for a reason.  You have to have faith.