Sewing Progress

     This week I finally started the quilting on my long UFO four patch swirl. I am doing meandering leaves in the green and a flower type motif on the nine patch stars. 

I still have lots of quilting to do on this queen size quilt. 

     I have been working to improve my skill at curve piecing because a double wedding ring quilt is on my bucket list.  Wednesday was sew day for my church quilt group.  I finished piecing and laid out my curve blocks.  After I got home I continued sewing and pieced the blocks together.  In the photo you can see the fabrics for the borders.

*update*  It is now a top.

      I got the baby quilt ready to mail and decided to make a gift for the big sister.  I pulled from my stash and made this little dress.  It fits and she looks so cute. 

Hope you enjoy some time sewing or quilting.
I'm linking up with Whoop Whoop Friday. Check out what others are doing. 

Stash Report and a Finish

     Like many quilters I have a large stash of fabric, mostly quilting cotton.  For the past year and a half, I resolved to shop my stash and only buy fabric I needed and could not find something to use from my stash.  I have done well UNTIL Friday.  I had 2 things I needed from Walmart and happened to walk by the fabric department.  One lady was waiting to have fabric cut and another was searching through a bin of clearance fabric.  I have a difficult time turning down inexpensive good fabric so I decided to take a look.  It was too good to turn down.  There were many bolts of good quilting cotton for $1 a yard and some I really could use.  I pulled a few and started chatting with the other lady.  While we waited for the measuring, the fabric department head walked by and pointed out a shelf with more quilting cotton for $1 a yard.  I ended up with 50 2/3 yds.  Much will be quilt backs for church comfort quilts. This pile is waiting for the wash.  

Saturday I went back and found another 26 2/3 yds.  I found a great kids’ print to make quilts for the local children’s hospital.  I found a nice red, cream and blue strip that I can use for a quilt of valor. 

I have been busy washing, and now it has all been folded neatly.  Several pieces have already been put with projects for which they will be used. I hope I don’t run across another terrific sale on fabric anytime soon. 

    I finished the I Spy uneven four patch quilt for a baby gift.  I used a polyester batting with loft and quilted with a large meander so it is very cuddly.

  

The back is a bright dot flannel, and I thought this was a good time to use scraps of binding.

Hope you enjoy some time sewing or quilting.  

Week with No Focus

     After the week with granddaughters, I have not been able to focus on a project and the week has flown by.  I did finally find a suitable green fabric for the binding and finished this comfort quilt that began with donated leaf blocks. 

Yesterday I pieced a backing for another comfort quilt and pieced a baby gift I Spy top. 

      Wednesday was sew day for my church quilt group.  I did a little sewing on drunkard path blocks because I want to improve my curve piecing.  

 Much of my time was spent helping beginners sandwich a quilt, layout blocks for a top or troubleshoot a bobbin problem.  

       We will meet Monday for craft sewing and I was asked to lead work with some machine applique.  I searched my patterns and chose a couple, wrote up a tip sheet and started a sample for a demo.  I love this block by Carol Swift of justletmequilt.com. 

 My idea is to use the large bird on a twig or the flower alone on mug rugs.  You can find the free pattern link here: 

http://thermoweb.com/blog/spring-sew-along-flower-fun-baby-quilt/

I am thinking of working in the yard a little today.  Hope you enjoy being outdoors or some time sewing or quilting. 
Linked up with Whoop, Whoop Friday.  

  

Fun with Grandma Camp

    Today is half way through this week of “Grandma Camp” with my GDs spending the days with me, and we have been busy with many crafting and fun things.  We enjoyed a couple of mornings at the pool. 

They helped bake an apple pie and chocolate peanut butter cupcakes from scratch.   

             

 The girls went to cupcake camp last summer so they had used an icing pastry bag before.

     They also painted decorations on t-shirts for themselves.

Mattie finished the FM quilting on her first quilt that she started summer before last.  She hopes to sew on the binding by machine later this week. 
*Update*  Friday afternoon she had the binding finished.  

While she was quilting, Lily worked on her hand embroidered butterfly. 

*update*  Lily sewed her finished embroidery into a small pillow.

I found a little sewing time and hemmed the new dresses I made for the girls. 

          

  

My quilting can wait until next week.

Hope you enjoy some time sewing or quilting.