A Winter Stay-cation

Sunday they began telling us that we would have some winter  -  during the night we got sleet and some freezing rain.  We were very fortunate in that most of it was sleet.

Tuesday everything was closed. I started a new project.  I have been wanting to make this wall hanging for a long time.  

Wednesday our road hadn't been plowed until late in the afternoon and the driveway is still all ice with just a couple of small bare patches.

Day three at home (driveway still to icy to navigate) and I have finished all but the binding.  It is a pattern called "Something to Crow About" by Out on a Limb pattern company in 2002.  It is 41 x 57".  Now I have a nice size wall hanging to display on Patriotic Holidays!

Another Quilt Bordered

This is the second Barb's Barn Quilt.   It is bigger than the first one and the background colors are darker.  I also used one less fabric per block.  I made the center the same as the other solid patches.

The good news is that I used fabric I already had for the borders.  I also made the binding from the same blue fabric.  And  I sewed the backing - I used some blocks that I won in a holiday block party at Capital Quilters in Raleigh in 2005  to increase the width. ( I remember using some of the same blocks in another quilt somewhere along the way).  Neglected to get a picture of them. 

  I think the final measurement will be about 84" square. (A little too large for my design floor space.)  Another top for the Quilting Queue!

John's Tractor

I received these pictures of John's Tractor being received at the Ganta United Methodist Mission Station in Liberia.  Rev. Bill loaded it up here in late July.

I know John would be amazed and proud that his tractor will being doing service in Africa, helping them with their needs.

John would love nothing better than to be coaching them on it's uses and showing them how to care for his old friend.

Work On!

Visit to the Lake

This morning I finished the Arrow Star 2 Quilt on the Bernina.   For some reason I was having some thread issues in the border while using the long arm.  After unsewing a couple of areas I decided it was easier to do it this way.

After a couple of long phone calls  - I decided I needed to go to the lake to check on things as we are supposed to be in for a week of cold weather.  I like to make sure the heat is turned up a little warmer when we have a real cold spell!  John trained me well on that point - I can almost hear him say "we need to go to the lake to check on things "

Of course I made a stop in Warrenton!  The gal who owns Quilt Lizzy had some exciting news.

She and her husband bought another location that you can see from the shop. They aren't moving the shop but putting in offices and classrooms in the new building. (She already has the blueprints) 

 She sells Janome and Handi Quilter machines and has a quilting business also.  There are usually 2 machines going in the shop.

There are 2 Bed and Breakfasts in Warrenton so perhaps  it will be a good place for a retreat.

Borders

This is a quilt that I made a few months back.  I sewed the blocks together and set it aside. At Sit and Sew Tuesday, my friend, Marilyn got me motivated to add borders to it.   I added a 1" inner border and a 4.5" outer border.

It is now 72 x 86".   I even cut the binding (same purple as inner border) and made the backing also.

The backing actually looks much better than in this photo.

Will try to get borders on this one tomorrow.  A good project for a cold day!

Quilting -----

Finally got out to the little house for some quilting time.  

I got about two rows done before I had to attend to other things. Hopefully I will be able to get more of my quilts - in - waiting quilted before warm weather.

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Snowballs

Using the carpet as my design wall is pretty hard on the knees.

I sewed the blocks together in one direction and sewed four rows before I went to Bible Study this morning.

This evening I finished sewing the top and pressed it. 

  This is a different scrap quilt for me as it has only one red block.

I'm thinking about adding a border to enlarge it a little. It is 81 x 90" now,

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Pajama Overload

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I love my pajamas but Nobody needs this many pj's.

The pile on the right is going into a box for the Church Yard sale.

Another Liberated Star

It seems like I am addicted to making these liberated star blocks.  They are so much fun to make and so fast and easy.  I have so many 3.5" blocks that it seems like they are endless ( although I have very few reds at the moment).  A good mindless sewing project!

Arrow Star 2 - Ready to Quilt

I loaded this quilt on the machine after I finished the Patriotic Crosses Quilt the other day.

It was late in the afternoon so being in a hurry  - I cut the batting about 2 inches short (RATS) - by the time I recut and replaced it with one that was the correct size it was dark.  

So it is ready  - when I am ready!

Sewing blocks

Sewed 10 more of the BH mystery blocks.  All the blocks are sewn - now to sew more rows.  

  

I also sewed more of these star blocks - I had planned to put a border on the ones that are already sewn together but I didn't have any fabric that I really liked with them.  So will add another row of blocks.