You know you are getting ready to move when this is the only decorated space left in your whole downstairs! I left these things just for a little spark of "happy" as I pack things away.
I finished up my little Charisma quilt on Thursday. It was a fun little quilt to make. I did all over stippling and bound it with a pieced binding (a combination of two fabrics from the Charisma line). I hadn't planned on piecing it, but they didn't give me enough of the stripe fabric in the kit. It is such a busy, scrappy quilt that I think the pieced binding worked well. I love this quilt. I had not prewashed anything since it was made with charm squares. I washed the whole finished quilt and I LOVE the way it came out. What fun!
It is hard to believe the time to move is just about here. We have been packing and working hard. Lots of boxes are everywhere. My walls and shelves and closets and cabinets and niches are bare, which just looks weird to me. It is an odd feeling to be boxing up your life, but I know it will be "unboxed" soon.
Today Brian is even dismantling the playset - what a job! Hey but we found an extra identical slide on the neighbor's curb. Now when we rebuild, we can have double racing slides!
OK. This one isn't terribly heavy, but isn't it cute? I saw this fabric at JoAnn's and bought myself a quarter yard. It might actually work in with some other fabrics I ordered from Hancock's of Paducah to stash away for a future baby quilt. Anyway, I like it.
Then here is another quilt in its beginning stages. I saw this quilt on one of my favorite quilting blogs and I knew right then and there that my life would not be the same if I did not have one of those quilts for myself. I got my hands on some Penelope Bird squares on ebay and most of the pinks, yellows and greens are from my stash. I picked up 5 or 6 other pinks and greens at JoAnn's the other day, but they were only 1.49/fat quarter. The blogger who made the birdie quilt pointed me towards this tutorial for making these "wonky" squares. A new challenge!
The other day I had promised a photo of another quilt top I had finished. I really love how it turned out. The 5" squares are from a Heather Bailey line of fabric and sewed them on top of plain off white fabric. I bought a wonderful green fabric at JoAnn's to use for the backing and the binding. Once it is quilted and finished, then it will be washed and the edges of the 5" squares should turn out raggy - I hope? Now it is in need of pinning. Yeah!
And last but not least, one of my favorite quilt tops of all time. It is gorgeous. I bought four Woodland Bloom charm square packs at the quilt show in November ($7 each - nice price). I separated them into color groups and then sewed and cut them in what is sometimes called a tossed nine-patch or disappearing nine patch. It is stunning! That is completely due to the fabric. It is impressive. Lila Tueller designed this fabric and is coming out with her latest one, Soiree - it is a winner too!!!!!! I finished sewing all my squares into rows last night and now it's time to sew the rows together. I bought one of the turquoise fabrics to use for the backing and binding - probably my favorite fabric in the line. The hearts are not appliques, just my sticky notes to keep my rows in order. I can't wait to finish this one.
Of course, I need to start packing for the move. I packed a bit of quilting supplies yesterday and need to do more. It is hard for me to pack it up, but I'll leave the few I have in progress here. That will give me something to work on!
And I have discovered that the sad fate of an addicted quilter is the fact that your warm winter clothes are constantly covered in little snippets of fabrics and threads. Sad.
Well, I joined an on-line quilting swap. This seemed like a fun one to join. I will receive a partner and we will swap 2 beautiful, gorgeous, springy fat quarters. I can't wait! Maybe you'd like to join too!
I sewed together the top to that Charisma quilt (the one on the table below) and it is more stunning than I could imagine! I LOVE it. I went and bought a fresh supply of batting this afternoon. I see pinning in my eveining ahead. AND I finished some squares to a quilt I am making based on this quilt. Mine is different, but then that's what I meant by "based on". Sorry. I think it will turn out wonderfully! I don't have the camera right now, so I will post a photo later.
It is amazing to me to think that we only have two and a half short weeks left before we leave our much loved first home. We have enjoyed every minute of our nine and a half years here! Even with the joy of a new home, it will be hard to leave our little house. Probably harder than I think.
We should close on our new home around the 18th and move that weekend following. It doesn't seem real yet even though it is so close. I am sure it will get very real quickly. I guess I have some packing to do. But why pack when you can quilt?
Here's a pic to share. Can't wait to live here. I pray there will be many, MANY more happy years here.
I have lots of landscaping to do - lots! And don't you just love the blue trash bucket? I think it should stay. Oh, and yes there is a black shutter missing. Can you find it? That's because they so intelligently put the hose bib too close to the window! Measuring tape and plans anyone????
Things are moving along quite nicely, even though things are moving at a pace I am not quite accustomed to. The offer we accepted with our potential buyers is going well, as is the final progress on our new home. Our days have been full of phone calls and inspectors and contracts and mortgages and decisions. And amid all these things is daily life - homeschooling, ballet, CCE, scouts and cleaning, etc.
And of course, to maintain my sanity throughout all the craziness, some quilting. I think if I didn't quilt, I'd be a raving lunatic, running up and down the street screaming and pulling my hair out. So, since that doesn't seem like such a pretty sight, I quilt. I must. It is my time for me. I so enjoy it and it brings me a visible sense of accomplishment and the fruit of my creativity to last for generations.
So last night I finished up a quilt I had been working on for several months off and on.
Technically this is a collaborative effort. My mother-in-law embroidered the redwork pictures on the white squares and gave them to me for a Christmas or birthday gift recently. She has an impressive embroidery machine and does wonders with it. I chose all the reds from my stash to border the white focal squares and then made a white border from my stash. She did each piece of embroidery on a different white-on-white fabric. When we were at a quilt shop near Dallas during Hurricane Ike, I bought another white-on-white to use for the backing and another couple of fat quarters of a different red for the binding. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the quilt (did I do the squares justice?), but now that it is all done I really like it. Thanks Mom!
After I finished binding the red and white quilt last night, I finished sewing together the squares for a little quilt made from a kit I bought at the quilt show last November. It was a wonderful little quilt - easy to make with a pack of charm squares and little extra for the center stripes. I love how it showcases one of my favorite fabrics - Charisma from Moda. If I have an opportunity tonight, I may stitch together the top (or at least part of it) in honor of the Super Bowl! I may have changed a couple of squares after I snapped this photo of my layout, but you get the idea.
Our Saturdays have also been busy. Last Saturday we were so pleased and proud as Jacob made his First Reconciliation! How wonderful. They had a beautiful Penance service for all the children and he had prepared so well. He did beautifully and was really calm. What a blessed time. We went out to lunch after that to celebrate. He had the opportunity yesterday afternoon to go with his Daddy and make his second confession. Yeah!
Also yesterday we had a lot of fun at the Pinewood Derby Race for Jacob's Cub Scout Pack. We did this last year with his other Pack and he really enjoyed it. So this year, despite our time crunch, Jacob managed to make his derby car in time for the race on Saturday. This Pack is much larger than our other one, so even though not all the scouts raced cars there was a total of 77 scout cars. If I'm not mistaken, all of the 8 or 9 boys out of Jacob's Wolf den made cars. There are two other wolf dens.
Jacob placed second in his den and second out of all the Wolves. This Jacob receiving his second place trophy. He received a medal for the other second place win in his den.
Jacob's car did really well!!! Out of 77 cars, he was in the eighth place. This qualified him to go on to the final race of the best 25 cars. And he couldn't have been more excited - he placed 5th out of all 25!!!!! He got another bigger trophy!!!!
Jacob we are so proud of you - not only of your car racing, but also who you are.
Keep us in your prayers. Many blessings to you all!
