Smith Mountain Morning is Done!

 This is the UFO Judy drew for October....funny enough I have been working on it the past few months and got the binding done this first week of October!  Here is Smith Mountain Morning with binding.  Still need to get a label on it, but I love it so!  I am soon sending this on to my best friend in Wisconsin.  It is about time she got a quilt..she has been there for me since we met at 15!  Can't wait til she gets it!

Saturday Night Sewing

 Here is my UFO for this month--Broken Crockery which I made a quilt camp close to two years ago I think.  Umm, it isn't all done being quilted.  I started it, but it wasn't coming out how I wanted (the other day) so I haven't decided what to do to finish it.  It is closer to done though so that is good.
I also made a scrappy binding for Smith Mountain Morning.  Used leftover binding in my drawer and grabbed a few more strips from the bin and whipped it up.  I wasn't in the mood to battle a big quilt binding tonight though.

 So I added binding to my other Modern Lil' Twister.  See I am using my new clips?

 Back is orange and grey and here is the front.  I got it all quilted and then bound it.

 Wanted to show you I added my little seam guide to my featherweight.  After using the tool I will say Becky helped me with a quarter inch seam perfectly!  I stuck this right on top of what she already had helped me with.  Yippee!

 Here is is done.  Kathy and I decided we liked this one better than the one I finished first.

 That one has purple on the binding.  It will now be a gift :)

 Here it is all hung up in its rightful place, for the moment.  I sure have been into making little quilts lately.  I just love them!

 I wanted to show you my Grandma Nan's earrings too.  Not sure where she got them, but the detail on them is incredible.  Those scissors actually look like mini stork scissors!  I enjoyed wearing them for shop hop, guessing that is going to have to be an annual tradition! 

Smith Mountain Morning is Quilted

 Ros quilted Smith Mountain Morning and got it back to me today (one week, what a turn around...she is AMAZING!).

 She quilted it in beautiful feathers.  This one is for my best friend Monica Bauer and her husband Bob.  I can't wait to get it bound and get it to them!

This is the backing I used...rather traditional but it is pretty and I think Monica will really like it.  Now to use my new clips and get it bound!

Smith Mountain Morning is a Flimsy--AMEN!

 Not the best of photos, but it is dark outside so we hung it over the loft and tried to get a picture...too bad you can't see me up top bent over trying to hold on to this quilt--hehe!  The borders went on surprisingly well--gotta say Bonnie is brilliant that way because I don't usually get along with pieced borders--at all!  Can't wait to get this one quilted for Monica!

Thought I would show you how stuffed my quilt cabinet is too.  Just squashed Roll Roll Cotton Boll and the NYE Mystery of Kathy's in there.  The top two shelves are future gifts (if I can part with the Bonnie quilts, lol) and the bottom two are mine.  I should spend some time making it all look nice, but I am always pulling things in and out of it.  Most recently I pulled out this one:

I am finally labeling it and giving it to Sarah for her housewarming...which was almost a year ago.  I promised her a little quilt and finally gave her some pictures to pick one and this is the one she chose.  Can't wait to get it to her.  

Now what to work on next?

Two Bonnie Quilts See Progress :)

 Last night I got the blue border on Smith Mountain Morning.  Next up is the outer border!  I tagged my best friend Monica on facebook and told her this one will be coming her way (it is about time she gets a quilt!) and this is what she said in response:   Andee, I saw this last night and I was speechless. I feel so blessed to have such a thoughtful, generous, and creative best friend. This quilt will be stunning in our bedroom, and I look forward to cuddling in it, especially this winter! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!  
This makes me oh so happy I have finally got just the right quilt to give to Monica.  Her birthday and anniversary are in October so with any luck I can get it out to her by then!
Then this afternoon I put the binding on Roll, Roll Cotton Boll!  I had to take the ladder outside to get pictures of it.  I am sure my neighbors think I am a nut!  I should have put shoes on because the cement was too hot to stand on!

 This quilt really has grown on me.  It was my first official string quilt and I was a bit worried about the wonkies, but in the end it is beautiful.  This one doesn't have a home yet and since it is a Bonnie quilt I am not likely to let it go too far!

Becky's House for Sewing Fun

 Smith Mountain Morning is together sans borders.  I did sew the borders together but haven't attached them yet.  Should be doing that soon!  I love this quilt even more in person than from looking at the picture.  It just really wows me.  This is the one I started doing for Randy--but then he got Orca/Green Bay, so then this was going to be for my oldest son Coleman--but then he really liked the leftover red/black Night and Day quilt so that one is destined for him...so my best friend Monica has commented about liking the colors on this one and I think it shall find its way to her place since she is on my list of people to give a quilt to.  I know she will love it and I look forward to visiting her and seeing it in her house in Wisconsin.  I haven't told her yet, but may just be facebooking her on that soon!  (LOL just took a blogging break and told her on fb!)

 Here you see Becky working on the binding for her Nines Surrounded (designed by Bonnie Hunter) which she finished up... I have this one barely started--as in nine patches that is all!.  Love Becky's!

 Here you can see Becky, Kathy and Barb.  Kathy was working on some bags like we made at Nimble Thimbles awhile back for gifts...I need to make some more of them and Barb was working on some really nice applique (she said from Eleanor Burns...I need to get that book if I ever want to try appliqueing again-if anyone can bring that down for me it is her!) and she also was working on a Majestic Mountains quilt like they do at Three Dudes Quilting in red, white and black.  It is the same quilt Margarite showed at Nimble Thimbles a few months ago.  http://www.3dudesquilting.com/documents/LetsStripItMajesticMountainQuiltPDF.pdf is the link to the pattern!  Barb also brought us a really delicious crock pot meal with chicken and wild rice in it.  I need the recipe, it is from Fix it and Forget it cookbook...I have one of those but don't think that recipe is in there!

 I cut and sewed up my little Lil' Twister which is just like the other one I made.  This one will be gifted to someone--have someone in mind, but not positive yet!

 Another picture a little later in the evening...everyone sewing away.  They are a fun bunch and Barb invited us all to head to her place Monday since it is a holiday...so we will be doing a repeat sew in there!  We also talked about shop hop and may wind up doing some of that together.  I haven't heard what the plans are with the Huggy Bunch, but they have expanded their horizons so I am guessing a big group will wind up doing it together.  They ALL live on the other side of town (45 or more minutes away) so I may wind up doing some of it with the gals from this end of town.  Kind of playing it be ear at this point.

 Becky was almost done with her Lil' Twister (in the size up from mine) when I left.  She did it in a thirties fabric and I think my picture is kind of dark but it is really cute!

We were invited to go to a pool party up at my folks' house but think we are staying home tomorrow.  I want to get in more sewing and we were just up there last weekend so...think that is our plan.  Thanks Becky for  a really nice day!  

Yay for the Weekend!

 I got another row on my Cheddary Challenge!  I have two blocks done but they may wind up in the back since I am really ready for this top to be done!  This picture is sideways, but for now you get the idea.

 I then started putting Smith Mountain Morning blocks together (really hoping this is the UFO of the month for September--if not I may switcharoo it!).

I have two more rows together and pinned to be added, then a few more and borders.  I hope to finish this up at Becky's Sew In tomorrow.  For now, I am taking a machine sewing break and watching "V is for Vendetta" with Kathy.  I brought some hand stuff down to do and my knitting, so never fear more crafting is happening tonight!  

So very happy for a long weekend!  I am working a few hours at the crack of dawn on Monday but other than that I am free to sew, sew, sew!

Edit:  This is the UFO that was pulled.  I think I can manage to get this quilted in September!

11. MY BROKEN CROCKERY this one is a flimsy which I love and didn't want to wreck by quilting it myself. I need to either bite the bullet and do it by machine or by hand or just see if Ros can do a tiny one for me.

Smith Mountain Morning Moves Along :)

 Had a short work day today (was thinking I was going to Deaf Expo in Vegas but plans changed and I stayed home) so I got to sewing when I got home.  I started out with the centers of the blue stars.  Had to trim a bit of width off them but otherwise they went together well  I trimmed the rest of the points and made the tops and bottoms and viola, 16 blue stars are made.

 I had to lay them out with a few of the logs..didn't look at Bonnie's actual layout to see if I was copying since I only have one brown star done, but just wanted a feel of what it would look like.

So I have 15 brown stars to go (all the parts are made but points need trimming) and then this top will quickly be coming together.  I don't suppose I will get lucky and Judy will pull this one for the UFO for August.  That would just be peachy!  

Kathy worked on more red, white and black bits from Night and Day too.  Then after Packer Waffles for dinner we did some serious fast forwarding through the opening ceremony of the Olympics and through the events we wanted to see.  I am all caught up now :) 

Sunday Sewing with Megan

 I spent a lot of time working on Smith Mountain Morning today.  I was making a zillion star points.  I put together one block to make sure I was sizing them right.  And I laid it out with the others to get a sense of it.

 That motivated me to go gangbusters on the star points.  I won't mention how I can't count and so I have WAY TOO MANY browns.  I think my border shall be a creative variation on Bonnie's plan.  Either that or I have a start on another one down the line.
And in other news, Megan made her quilt larger.

 Then we spray and pin basted it and she got to quilting!

 She did a great job and was very patient when the machine was giving her thread problems.  She would just rip it out and just keep on trucking.

 Then I taught her how to make the binding and she attached it all herself by machine.  It really looks great for a first quilt.  I am seriously proud of this gal!  Way to go Megan!  She is already thinking about what she wants to do for her next quilt!

Sewing Day with Becky :)

 Becky and I went to the Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild Meeting today and then we sewed away the late afternoon and evening!  First I worked on clue three for my QOV Mystery...here is is along with bonus hsts.

 Becky kindly offered to help me get my quarter inch right on my featherweight.  I think I am set now, thanks Becky!  Becky finished up her Anita's Arrowhead blocks and I managed to snag a picture of them, but not a picture of her Auntie's Anvil which she quilted and half bound!

 Kathy eventually joined us to do her mystery clue.

 Here is hers.  She is still working on the bonus hsts.

Meanwhile the reason I needed help with my quarter inch seam was these pesky blocks.  Do you remember Smith Mountain Morning?  I know, it has been a LONG time!  I think I put these away last fall when I started doing Orca/Green Bay because two complicated Bonnie projects at a time is too much for me.  And because I had discovered that my seam wasn't great and with these log cabinish blocks that is REALLY important.  Becky and I looking things over and came up with a plan of action and it seems to have worked. The picture above is the stack of blocks which are waiting for the last two blue logs and cornerstones to be added to them.  The logs are now together and the next picture is the four blocks that are done.  

 They will be set with another block alternating so this isn't how it will look.  This is one of my UFO's and I am trying to get a jump on it before its number comes up because there is still alot of work to be done on it.  This was supposed to be for Randy but since he got Orca/Green Bay, Coleman will be getting this one.  Would be nice to have it done in time for his birthday in December.
Randy gave DJ her quilt today but I haven't heard if she likes it or anything.  Hope it brightened her day anyway.

Progress from Awhile Back

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here are my Secret Santa Swap Two gifts from Shannon that I have neglected to post a picture on! I can guess the little tiny one because of the noise it makes when I shake it, but no idea on the other two! Thanks Shannon--oh and your next set of gifts is going in the mail today! Where did October go?

I got the fabric to make Hannah and I a Christmas tree skirt. The pattern is off Moda Bake Shop if I remember right and I liked their choice of fabric so I found a bunch on clearance and have been admiring it.

This is as far as I got awhile back when I still had my machine to sew on. This is Smith Mountain Morning for Randy. My quarter inch seam isn't what it should be (as always) and so there has been some fudging. It doesn't help that I am forever working on more than one machine. Doing the best I can with what I have! Both June and Ros did offer to borrow me a machine and I do appreciate that but am hoping to have mine back soon!