THE MODERN DIARY A semi-modern quilter's blog about piecing, knitting, reading, and my grandkids--bits and pieces of my life in pictures and words!
Here is the back and then the front of my Roundabout Schnibbles, just beautifully quilted by Roslyn! I love it--will be using it for forth of July I suspect! I don't have it in my hot little hands yet, but maybe will get it tomorrow when I get to see Ros' quilting studio and fabric stash! I am so excited to see it!
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This is just the picture of the flimsy, but the sun has set and I couldn't get a good picture of Kathy's NYE quilt in the house now that I completed the binding on it. This one is Melanie (Kathy's niece in Mass).
And this one is mine which is for another one of Kathy's neices (Shannon in Mass). They are sister's and aren't expecting these little gifts which makes it all the more fun to suprise them! We need to stick labels on the back and they pop them in the mail.
I managed to get this little Tagalong top and the inner border together today. I did some at June's and more when I got home. My quarter inch seam is improving, because I used two or three machines on this and it all worked out okay. I have the outer borders to go and then it will be a flimsy! The fabric is Make Life by Sweetwater for Moda. I am not all jumping up and down over this one yet, but it is cute and I am happy I got some sewing in and some time with one of favorite quilting buddies!
Fabric on the right above is the backing for Walk in the Park...got it together this morning so it can go to Ros soon! Not sure who is getting this quilt but happy to have it almost to the next step! This one was my challenge that my readers voted I should get done by July, and it is looking like it is going to happen!
I also made and attached the binding for my Sunday Best Schnibble though it still needs to be handsewn. I had made a bunch of bindings awhile back and thought I was all caught up and last night I discovered I had forgotten to make the binding for this one, but have the binding done for the one I just gave to Ros to quilt! FUNNY...guess I am sewing too much to keep track of things or something. 
Last night Kathy and I cut out my next Schnibbles (my April one...way behind this month!) and today I managed to get these nine patches done in between sewing curtains and helping Tif sew tablecloths for her business' trade show. Hoping to continue with this little top tomorrow...pushing it to make the deadline...also hoping I might get to go to June's to sew tomorrow. 
Not the greatest of pictures but here is the backing for the 2009 Quilt History Quilt. It will wind up being the opposite direction of the front blocks. I passed it on to Ros (along with last month's Schnibble Quilt) for quilting and she gave me a Schnibble back all quilted! I need to get binding on it. I also stopped at Quiltz since I was going up to my brother's place which is near there...went in for backing for my Walk in the Park quilt, but wound up with the rest of the fabric I need for my cousin Patricia's baby girl (Isabella, born a few days ago!) and a backing for the kit I bought Kathy as well as some stuff I just fell in love with that reminded me of Norway!
After shopping I went over to my brother's place and sewed with his gf Tiffany. My sister joined us and made drinks and entertained our adorable nephew. My brother spend the day yelling at the Suns....apparently this did not win. A really bad picture, but I finally whipped up a tablerunner for my sister. It is a funky fabric (like a fake leather or something) but she is happy she can cover up her beat up dining room table. 
I made some curtains for their kitchen. Tiffany was very happy to have them done and hung. Me too!
Another not the best pic (camera batteries died and took this with cell phone) but I made two of these little valances...one for Sam and Tif's bedroom and one for their bathroom. Really pretty fabric Tif picked out, though Sam wasn't so sure!
I have now put together the first eighth of the strips for a queen size Night and Day quilt...only 7/8's to go..that seems like I have an awful long way!
Fifty-Four Forty or Fight is the last BOM for Amy's Passions April set. This one used my new Tri-Recs rulers which were great. I had made the four patches a few days ago and since I adjusted my quarter inch they didn't want to play nicely with the the other blocks but I am happy with it. Live and learn.
Last month my entry in the Parade of Schnibbles got me a win! Bear Paw Quilts and More at http://www.bearpawquiltsandmore.com/ sent me this fabulous prize!
I got a Cherish Nature by Deb Strain quilt pannel and two charm packs! I love the colors and know something special will be made from this..maybe even another Schnibble! I also got an very cool nail file with a quilt pattern on it and Bear Paw's info on the back! It was the best mail day and a big thank you to Bear Paw Quilts and Donna Henning as well as Sinta and Sherri for all their hard work in the Schnibbles Parade every month! Which reminds me, I haven't cut this month's Schnibble much less started sewing it! I am off work today (was supposed to be heading out to quilt camp, but some other important things in my life put that by the wayside...) and can spend it sewing...so here is what I have done already today...
This is a BOM from Amy's Passions Blog for April 2010. It took me an hour to do this Pennsylvania Parade block because I accidently put blue corners on ALL the background squares (well until I ran out of blue squares) and realized I need to read better, or drink more coffee before sewing in the morning! So I left them in case they come in handy elsewhere and and cut some more and continued on. I also took the time to put my new Angler 2 on my machine and I think I may have actually done a fairly accurate quarter inch seam. I bought two so that we can put one on the machine Kathy uses too as she struggles more than I do with that quarter inch. Hopefully this will improve my accuracy. I am also trying to iron carefully instead of ironing like I iron clothes. Both goals for this year and happy to say they are in place and it can only get better from here!
But first a few Disney pictures. From left to right...my son Mackenzie, my love Kathy, my daughter Hannah and her love Jeremy. This picture is in Toontown.
And here I am in the teacup. 
Meanwhile on the quilting front, I finished up the hand binding on this NYE Quilt designed by Ann B. Smith today. I got it back last week from Becky Klein who quilted it for me. 
I need to add a lable to it and then do the hand binding on Kathy's quilt from the same mystery. I can't wait for Thursday...I am planning to sew ALL DAY since I am not going to quilt camp and I have the day off work because I thought I was!
Kathy cut my three April Amy's Passions blocks (except what I need to cut with the Tri Recs rulers) and I whipped this one up and the four patches for another one. This is is called Housewife. It turned out pretty good! I am working on my ironing skills so as to make things come out nicer in the end. Pressing but not pulling. 
I also picked up our two quilted NYE mystery quilts from this last NYE. I trimmed them both the other night and added the binding by machine and last night while watching "Inglourious Bastards" I working on the handbinding on this one...it has a bit to go.
On the way to Disney I put these little hexagons together too. I thought I would make a doll baby quilt for Ayla for Christmas. Loving that little birdie! Earlier today I repotted my indoor plant and put two new ones in the planters outside. I will get a picture of it later on but it is an Oleandar is supposedly doesn't need a ton of water so it might live a bit longer than the last two things we planted in that pot. Turned on the AC today (and it works!) because it was already in the 80's in the house, or at least it felt like it! Off to see Kathy's nephew.
First here is me in my Mickey Mouse T-shirt at Imperial Beach on the pier. Love that ocean, loved the day with my love..it was the perfect end to our Disney vacation!
Tada, the April Nine Patch and Snowball blocks for the Quiltalong! These whip up fast from my strips...should have had a bit more variety, but overall I am happy with them! I am getting quite a pile of these blocks!
This eight inch Amish Windmill block is a suprise for someone (won't say who in case she reads my blog) but I am just making one block and others are making others and eventually it will become a gorgeous quilt and find its way to a special lady! I will post a pic when it is complete.
I need to get the next Schnibbles (Tag Along) cut out. I ordered a kit and it is patiently waiting for cutting...I also need to cut and sew my three April Amy's Passions BOM for 2010 and keep working on my cousin's wedding quilt (Night and Day) and decide on a pattern and cut and sew a baby quilt for my cousin Patricia and her hubby David before their little one arrives--soon! So much to do and never enough time!
Here I am with Mickey! Stood in line forever to get this photo but it was worth it. He is quite little in person/mouse. LOL. Have tons more photos of Disney I will share some of them later on, but I just wanted to wave to my blogging buddies and say I have not forgotten you or sewing!
This pic is of a bunch of fabric I got before I left. Just had to have it, no rhyme or reason...
We went to M and L fabrics (about 8 miles from Disneyland) a few days ago...I bought a lot of fabric, but only spent about 70 dollars...they have fabric for $1.98 a yard and up to around 9 I think. Most of it good, quality stuff! I liked these...
Have had that blue and black one and red and black one before..For some reason I do not think this Kathleen Tracy sampler ever made it to the blog after I quilted it with a baptist fan and bound it. Lov...
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