Sunday, March 04, 2007

Checking In

It's been a while since I last posted so I figured I'd better check in. Things continue to be busy at work and home and I'm mostly staying off the computer at home so I haven't been around to see all of you in a while. I do read thru bloglines but that's just not the same as coming to visit and commenting. I guess I'll just have to carve out a bit of time each night to visit with a few of you at a time. I had planned to at least go around the rings tonight but it's late and I have to get up early in the A.M. I will catch up one day!

As you can see I've been doing a little sewing. Making friends with my new machine. :-)
I belong to a small online group called the Material Girls and we're starting a row robin swap. With a twist. You don't send your rows around. Just make them and send them straight to the owner. After you post a picture so the rest of the participants can see what you've done on each quilt. I've chosen to make Square-in-a-square blocks for my rows. The blocks above are the ones I did for my quilt. I chose a color scheme I've wanted to try for a while just never got around to. Pink, purple and grey. And I really like the way these blocks came out. 8 of them will get sewn into the row. The other 4 will go in the corners of my final border which will be a piano key border using a whole bunch of pink/purple/gray fabrics.

Remember the fabrics that followed me home last month? Well I've finally started my blocks using them. I pulled a purple from my stash for the 4th color and am making a Card Tricks quilt. This is one of my favorite patterns and I've never made one. Not even a single block! So it's about time. All blocks will be the same and I'll probably sash with the pink background print so the cards will float in the background. Not sure what I'll do for borders. I'll worry about them when I get the blocks made. I cut them all out last week and made the one sample block. I'm thinking about making one block each morning when I first get up. That way I know I'll get at least a little sewing in each day. :-)

I've also got my red heartstrings blocks that were sent to me for my birthday sitting beside the machine and will start assembling that top this week. A few more people have said they have blocks ready to mail but I have more than enough red and blue blocks to go ahead a make a quilt of each and any more blocks that come in can go in subsequent quilts. Hopefully by next weekend I'll have a picture of at least a finished top.

What do you do with a new $800 sewing machine? Well if you're a cat you use it as a pillow. LOL! George seems to have made friends with my new machine. Doesn't look all that comfy to me but then cat's have been know to sleep in some really strange places.

It's late and I have to go in early tommorw so I'd better get to bed. Sweet dreams, ladies. :-)

14 comments:

Vinda said...

Glad to see your post. I enjoy seeing your work: great fabric & color combinations, plus perfectly stitched blocks.

Carole said...

Thanks for reporting in. Glad to read that you are quilting. Looking forward to seeing the finish row robin swap quilt. Keep well!

Clare said...

Glad to read that you are out of the slump. Gorgeous colours and what a bright cutting mat!

McIrish Annie said...

if you could just get George to do some piecing just imagine how many quilts you'd get done!! LOL

love your pic of little George!

Anonymous said...

I love the card tricks block, and your use of color is so pretty. I just posted on my blog about a Square in a Square project that was so much fun to make.

Elaine Adair said...

Great 'fluffy' white pin cushion! LOL

Glad you have had time to get some sewing in, to keep priorities in the right order!

swooze said...

Glad to see you back. Wow you have accomplished a lot. Love your work! Cute kitty! He is guarding it for you!

Susan said...

Seems as though you and George are putting the new machine to good use.

I really like the colors you chose for the swap quilt.

I am looking forward to seeing the Heart Strings quilt top.......

Good seeing you again.

Andi said...

Love that background fabric! The card trick block appeals to me too :-)

Sweet P said...

I love that row robin technique. Seems a lot easier to do than mailing a box all over the place.

I love your choice of colors in your row robin and your card trick nlocks.

Vicky said...

There you are! Shoulda known you were accomplishing a whole bunch of the quilty front! Beautiful blocks. Oh, my, that card trick is wonderful.

Of course, it's a pillow! Precious picture!

(Hugs)

Tazzie said...

Wonderful to hear from you, and I'm so pleased you've been able to get some stitching done.
I was wondering if my heartstrings blocks had made it across the Pacific to your doorstep, I started to get a little concerned when I hadn't heard anything. You must have a wonderful pile of them now!
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)

Samantha said...

Cats instinctively know the most expensive place in the house to sleep ;-)

Marlublu said...

Looking at your kitty really makes my heart cry for my kitty Sonia. I had her for 10 years and she use to stay right by my side whenever i would sew. My little Chi does the same by takes off running and barking every time she hears something outside. Not calm and easy going like my Sonia.