Another project that kept my attention during the quilt retreat

During the family quilt retreat I worked a bit on my quilting for the challenge quilt I've talked about before. The back is this navy batik and as you can see, I'm quilting with pink as the pink thread is not even noticeable on the front of the quilt. If I make any mistakes they will stick out like sore thumbs on this dark fabric on the back!

First I did go around all of the various pieced and appliqued elements with invisible thread on the top and navy thread on the back to stabilize the quilt (and keep the trapunto in place) and now I am doing the insanely tiny quilting in between the elements. I have a bit less than half of the center quilted and then I'll work around the outside edges of the quilt...lots of work! 

Sorry about how dark the picture is, I couldn't seem to get it any other way!

retreating

I am exhausted :) What a happy thing to be exhausted when doing soemthing that you enjoy.

I have been quilting at a family quilting retreat. I enjoy getting together with family. The shared laughter, good food, creative endeavors, more laughter...just an all around good time. I thinkwe *need* to make it a week long retreat...a weekend just isn't long enough!

Several of us made these lovely fabric baskets on Saturday. They all share fabrics, but we each chose to use different fabrics to showcase the Snippets strips that we used for the body of the baskets. And, since our 1/4" measurements  all seemed to be different, they ended up different sizes!

I'll be sharing pictures of other projects as I have time to get them up and tell the stories that go along with them.

Driving, driving

yesterday I drove to MI with Princess Sunshine and the Boybarian. I took the car because the van has some issues and find driving the car is not as comfortable. AND the children sat next to each other rather than in different rows so there is more potential for the Boybarian to bother his big sister *sigh* He spent more time with his ds lite and barely even looked toward his sister which made for a peaceful back seat.

I did make a mistake and ordered the wrong food for lunch so it made one of the children unhappy, but we still made it safely and everyone is happy to be with cousins. It is great that they want to see family, too.

We had an uneventful journey and took less time than usual as there were almost no backed up traffic and little congestion around the cities - YAY!

This weekend I'll be taking part in a family quilting retreat. I am SO looking forward to focusin on quilting!

Warning! Boring Picture alert!

I'm packed for my family quilt retreat this weekend. It was hard to pack away my machine and projects I've been working on (and one I'm itching to start...). I'd much rather sit down at the machine to sew than pack it away for a couple of days!

Here is my machine, the rigged up table, and my bags. One bag holds my challenge quilt, one holds my mystery quilt, one holds fabrics for a new pattern out of a book I just received (Weekend Quilts by Judy Laquidara) and the green bag has all the little things you can't sew without; pins, scissors, rotary cutter, etc.

I still have to pack my clothes...but they aren't as important as the materials and tools ;) I can always use somebody's laundry facilities. Since I'll be staying either with my mom or my sister, they will love me no matter what I wear (gotta love family!).

Quiltathon Saturday

It may not look like much, but this is what I accomplished on Quiltathon Saturday. I used my DSM as I am still not into fine details on my Voyager (I need more practice). I basted the batt to the top of my challenge quilt with water soluble thread and then I cut away all the batt from where I am going to be doing some tight freemotion fillers. What tedious work trimming batt can be. It took me all afternoon and most of the evening (short break for a Valentine's Dinner at church). Here's hoping it will all be worth it in the end!

The quilt is all batiks and I'm loving it...can't wait until it is done so I can see if it works out as beautifully as I see it on EQ and in my mind's eye. As this is the back, you can't see the fabrics I've got going...I'll reveal it all when it is finished :)

check out other quiltathon participant's blogs from the Patchwork Times blog.

Yes we got some snow

we got some snow yesterday.  Our back porch shows 12" of fresh stuff. The front porch has a roof :)

The boybarian shoveled twice yesterday, dh came home from work early (and shoveled), and Princess Sunshine had her theater practice canceled. It really wasn't too bad of a day!

The boybarian is outside now, ignoring schoolwork because he is "shoveling, Mom" even though the sounds he is making sound more like play!

Did you get any snow?

Design Wall ~ Feb 8

I am working on a challenge quilt. This is the beginning of three borders on my design wall. This is a revised design (my original was WAY intense) because two of the fabrics were on backorder and not due in until right before the challenge is due, I've already waited for three weeks and finally canceled my order. I didn't have enough time to do design I wanted in that short of a time, so I have simplified my design, found some alternate fabrics that make me happy, and started sewing.

I am loving the secondary design that is happening with this combination of border blocks :) Here's hoping the whole quilt looks as fantastic in fabric as it does in EQ!

This will be my obsessive quilt project this week. I'd like to get the top done and the trapunto started before a quilt retreat the 19th through 21st, as I want to focus on the quilting while with other quilters. They will give me good feedback on what quilting designs to use...I hope!

I'll also have to think of some other project to bring along that will be less intense...I hope to have Judy's book by then and can work on something from her book :)

Check out other blogger's design walls by visiting the Patchwork Times blog.

Stash Report...since I forgot last week

I forgot to update the stash report last week... so here is my update and an old quilt picture :)

Over the last two weeks I used 7.5 yards and purchased 3. So I'm still ahead of the game *whew!*

The quilt on my frame in the is picture is one I made for the Peanut. She chose the fabrics, starting with the bubble batik and she chose the pattern. It graces her bed at college :)

Time for homeschooling

On Friday, Princess Sunshine came across her first dissection in Biology class. It was a worm. There are other, more graphic photos on the memory card, but I won't share them with you.

I think this is where I am shouting :) I am SO glad for dh who takes over dissections. He works all day elsewhere and my job is to facilitate the learning going on at home, but I am thankful he steps up to the plate and takes over when I *need* him to do so. He's my favorite guy!

I am not fond of dissections. I did one frog in high school and our frog was empty...there were no organs to locate and show to the teacher. My lab partner and I didn't mind :P I'm doing my best to avoid them as an adult as well...

Quilting with children

quilting with children can be fun...or oh, SO frustrating. Last time I worked with the boybarian, he was so distractable and belligerent I was ready to tie him to the sewing chair so he could stay on task.

This week, he was easier to work with *WHEW!*

He now has the first of two borders totally sewn on his quilt. Next session he will be cutting the second border. It is directional, like all the other prints, so he will have to decide which direction the design should run. Maybe it will be every which way, like the field of the quilt :P

I am so glad I chose to have him work a really simple pattern and he chose the fabrics (boy scout, if you can't tell) so he is excited to have the quilt, it is the process that is so hard. Maybe when the quilt is mounted on the frame he will have more fun quilting it (bigger machine).

It has been a few days

and they have been busy! School, kids activities and a VBS presentation...I am looking forward to being home with my quilting!

This block and border blocks are for the guild's raffle quilt. We are more than half way done with blocks and then to get it together and quilted! I had to redo my block as I sewed it together in the wrong orientation :( But now it is all OK *whew!*

I have got the first part of my mystery quilt printed and gave it to guild members tonight. If you are interested in the pre-instructions for Waiting for Spring Mystery Quilt let me know and I'll shoot you a pdf :) I don't know how to attach one to my blog...