Rainbow BOM--A Finish and Aqua Progress!

 Ros quilted up Jack in the Box (Pattern in Quiltmaker Jan/Feb. 2011) and today I got it bound and labeled for my nephew Colton who will soon be one year old!  This block was my Rainbow BOM for two years and is the perfect size for Colton at his Nini's house where he is has a little bed.  I hope he likes it!

 The other night I managed to make another Trash to Treasure block in aqua.  This is not the easiest block for me to go a month in between making.  After the first month, I wrote notes to remind me how to do it and still this month things didn't quite come out.  They are going to work for what they are, but grrr!

 Here are the first three blocks.

Linking up with the Rainbow BOM!

More Bonnie Sewing! And thanks *Mary*

 I had to take Jack in the Box outside to get a picture of it by our blooming bush.  I love that thing!  Especially when it is -60 degrees with windchill back home in Wisconsin.  I didn't even wear a coat to work this morning, even though it was a titch cold!  Working a waaaay early shift since I will be sewing the NYE mystery all day tomorrow and wanted to have this evening to make sure I was all set.  I am set, but Kathy has been so focussed on her Celtic Solstice she isn't set yet, so that will get done tonight!  I stay stitched the edges of this quilt and decided to just do a scrappy (maybe wide) binding on it when I get it back from Ros!

 I did manage to sneak in one more Wild and Goosey block before bed last night--I tried to go to bed early!  I got a package of awesome little triangle leftovers from Mary (I think it was from Mary, I peeled off the return label to thank her online and lost it between the kitchen and the quilting studio!) so *Mary* if you are reading, they were the first bonus triangles to arrive and some of them are already in this block!  THANK YOU!  For the record I did try to go back and look for the email or message to *Mary* in which I sent her my address and couldn't find it.  Drats! 

So no sewing for me at least until tonight, happily taking calls at work--which is the slowest it has ever been at the moment so I had time to write this post already! :) Love my job!

Completion of a Rainbow BOM--I think!

 Finally had an hour or two to get the borders on Jack in the Box.  The pattern for the blocks (and bonus pinwheels) was in Quiltmaker's January/February 2011 issue.  I have been working on this quilt for two years as the Rainbow BOM and I am happy to finally have it ready for my longarmer!  I think this will find its way to my newest nephew Colton.  My mom watches him about two days a week at her house and has a little air mattress set up for him in her office, she currently has her own quilt on it but I think Colton wants something a little less purple!  So this bright fun quilt is about the right size and will give him plenty to look at between winks!

I am debating if I should add one more border to the outside--maybe the same fabric I used on the inner border (hard to see here but it has flecks of red, blue and yellow and some tiny black dots.  Any advice?

Rainbow Scrap Challenge for 2014

Every year Angela hosts the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and has Saturday link ups each week so we can see everyone's progress.  All you do is pick a block and then work on it in the color that Angela picks each month.  At the end of the year you have enough blocks for a quilt top or at the end of two years if you do a small block.  This past year and the year before that, I worked on my Jack in the Box blocks which will be coming together this month with any luck (and a little time).  I am excited to see this one done...I have enjoyed every block.  This pattern can be found in Quiltmaker Magazine...it was a Bonnie Hunter block, of course!

This year I added Talkin' Turkey (also a Bonnie Hunter pattern, found in the 100 Blocks magazine) in a rainbow of colors.  I may have to do this for another year, I haven't decided yet.

Talkin' Turkey



This next year I have a few blocks in mind that I might go with.  I love how the rainbow quilts come out and I love feeling like I have accomplished a goal each month when I get one done!  Are you joining in this year?  What block are you planning to do? 

Progress...

 Started off my day watching the Packers win and working on the Skillbuilder BOM Diamond Carat block which I had started handsewing a long time ago!  I got the center done and the outer fabric cut--still need to sew it on though.

 Then I finally got my pillow sewn up for my embroidery elephant.

 Love the backing fabric I found at Etc.

 I also sewed up six burp pads for future gift giving.

 After a trip to JoAnn's for pom pom fringe I hand sewed it on while watching "Once Upon a Time" and I love, LOVE, love how it turned out.  I basically totally copied Danny though mine is centered and has pom poms all around.  Thanks for the great idea Danny--and for teaching me how to do it!

 I was still in the mood to sew a bit, so I sewed my Jack in the Box BOM blocks into rows.  I have two blocks left (and I didn't make grey this month..so I may go ahead and make four more blocks before the end of the year so that I can add one more row.  I also have pinwheels for a border.  I didn't want to add sashing around all the blocks but may see what it looks like with sashing between the rows..or sashing, pinwheels, sashing, between the rows.  For now, it is back in the box as is but I do consider it progress on the Rainbow BOM!

Blue Saturday :)

 Baby Blue Rainbow BOM's  are complete.  I did two for Jack in the Box and then the pinwheels...

 followed by the baby blue block below--Talkin' Turkey.

 Then I finished up another Wild and Goosey block.

 Here are the six blocks I have (plus one modern not pictured) made.  Seems like for all the time I have put in on them there should be ten more...I love making them and know I am going to LOVE the quilt they make (maybe by my fiftieth birthday) some fine day!

I also spent some time cutting, pasting and condensing the tutorials over at Bee in My Bonnet so that I can finally get going on the Quilty Barn Along!  I picked out some fabrics today for barns and decided I will keep my eye out for more barn fabric on shop hop in a few weeks!  So much for the empty bin I had from finishing up Lazy Sunday, lol another project spied!  :)  Anyone else doing the Quilty Barn Along, or want to?  I know, I know, I need to get going on Hawaii Sunset!

Paint the Day Red!

 Didn't realize how blurry this picture is til now but there is the evidence that I sewed ALL day long and it was so relaxing!  So here are the Jack in the Box Rainbow BOM blocks for this month and the bonus pinwheels for the border.  So excited to get so close to getting this quilt all together!

 I also ironed, trimmed and sewed last month's bonus pinwheels which were never quite gotten too.

 Kathy cut out our Kalediscope BOM (four strips of flying geese with black on one end) which we need for next weekend already and so i sewed mine up, she is half way done with hers too.  She did some grocery shopping and cooked us dinner and let me sew, sew, sew!

 I also pulled everything off my shelf (except the bottom row) and labeled and folded and reorganized things by color, etc.  It is looking so much better.  I keep thinking I want to do shop hop in September, but frankly what can I possibly need?  LOL I don't have much yellow or purple, but I have plenty of everything else!

Tea Wallets and Teal Rainbow BOM

Today I made Hannah and I each a tea wallet.  I found the tutorial ages ago on
http://www.sewwequilt.com/2011/12/comfort-and-joy-with-jacque-tea.html 
and finally got around to making them.  Hannah's is purple--her favorite color.  Speaking of purple, I went today and had an eye exam and ordered new purple glasses--so excited because they are my sunglasses which are a must have here in Arizona year round and my last pair got run over a month after I got them!  Grrr.  These come with a one year warranty, yipppee!

Angela says our next color for Rainbow BOM is teal, so here are two teal Jack in the Box blocks I sewed while watching Extreme Weight Loss for the first time.  Which reminds me I haven't updated on eating better and getting more exercise....I have lost 18 pounds and Kathy 20.  So we are still doing well and trying every day.  I still need to ride my bike more regularily as that would help me but the batteries died and while waiting for Kathy to get batteries and change it..well it has been about ten days since I have been on the darn thing!  But batteries are in and I am ready to go again!

Finally got in a little YELLOW!

 I made a few more tissue covers (one for my cousin, one for me and two for the Christmas gift box) and then I trimmed up and sewed the yellow pinwheels for the Jack in the Box border.

 Meanwhile, Kathy finished up her other yellow block--so we are both ready for July's color!

 Here are Kathy's Rainbow blocks so far.  We won't talk about the seam allowance difference in the blue block--oops!

Here are Kathy's other Rainbow BOM's so far!  Looking cool.  We can now link up with Angela!

A Day of Sewing :)

Kathy got her yellow on today and made both her scrap jar stars for the Rainbow BOM!  

I too got my yellow on for the Rainbow BOM today!  Both Jack in the Box blocks are made and hst's are pressed and ready to become pinwheels!  I also managed to finish up the last of the blue spools for Bonnie's Spoolin' Around Yearlong Challenge!  Speaking of Bonnie I managed to catch QuiltCam live today too!  I counted them and there are about sixty!

I also put together two blocks together for the Drunkard's Path Quiltalong for the PHXMQG.  This pattern is called Learning Curve and has two different blocks in it.

 Not the best photo here, but you get the idea.  The curves are going together really easily!

I've Got the Blues :(

 I have the blues over this Talkin' Turkey block...ummm, got so excited putting it together I didn't follow Bonnie's pattern on the nine patch!  My colors are in the wrong place...GRR!  So guess I will either live with it or make another.  Time will tell.  That was all the sewing I got done today.  I did a volunteer interpreting gig this morning and was tuckered out after that.  Sewed this block and  then cleaned and cooked Egg Brunch (Grandma Char's recipe) which sits overnight and bakes in the morning.  I am so excited my mom, dad, sister, nephew, brother, sister in law are coming HERE.  In almost five years that I have been here they have only been here like three times.  We always get together up north, but I thought since my folks just moved and brother and his wife just adopted a baby we should do it at my house.  It is my mother's day gift to them...well that and african violets and handmade lotion too!

 Finally buried the ends on three dishcloths..whoot whoot!

Also laid out the Jack in the Box blocks to see how things are looking...not bad!  Hooking up with Angela's Rainbow BOM!

Sweet Saturday Sewing the Blues

 Yesterday Kathy and I went and babysat our new nephew Colton and in between watching him I did a little lace sock knitting.  :)

 Today I had a lot of fun in the sewing room.  (I have been having lots of migraines this week and today's went away around 2 PM and I was happy to sew without a throbbing head!).  I had to paper piece this cute little gnome guy.

 Did my two blue Jack in the Box blocks for Angela's Rainbow BOM with obviously is BLUE this month!  Kathy also did her Scrap Jar Stars in blue.

 I am a titch behind on the Skillbuilder BOM.  I have decided I am only doing the blocks I want and I have no plans to quilt them individually...that takes the pressure off.  So here is the Woven Star from Alyssa's Skillbuilder BOM which was a fun one to make.

 This is the Cheveron Block..I decided to do this one in Packer colors.  It will be turned into a pillow backed in Packer fabric and most likely will be a gift for my sister who has a Packer room :) GO PACK GO!

 I have been watching Centennial on the DVD player and occasionally listening to Great Expectations too.  I love having cable in my quilting studio again so sometimes I watch my TIVO stuff (now I can watch it in any room that has cable..whoot, whoot).

 I have a huge start on my blue spools.  Have more left to go, and weeded out the doubles I had.  I really enjoyed my day of sewing the blues!