20 more to make

On the final stretch. I have to stop now and cut 20 more centers and then I think I have enough of the smaller patches made to finish, but I will have to cut some more longer sides. 83 are ready to be squared up and final press on them.

This is sure a scrap buster. I have gone through piles of fabric scraps and really have pared down on my messy mess.LOL I think it is a masculine looking block. Then the borders will be dark. The boys name is Sage so I plan on making corner stones in a sage color. His room is colored sage green right now. I am finding scraps I forgot I had. The snow is melting slowly, but suppose to be warmer tomorrow. Possible flood could take place this next week with the warmer temps. Suppose to get to 50*F this next week. Haven't seen that temp for quite awhile. My husband had cabin fever and he is in the garage making birdhouses. I will get photos after he gets a little farther along. Chris

Almost done

I have made major progress. I have 1 1/2 blocks to quilt. It got so warm in the West room this evening and the warmth of the quilt on my lap I was sweating. I have the A/C on and it is way to warm in there. I will get up in the morning and get the last two finished and then the borders need some work also. Not sure what I am going to do with them. We have had a lot going on in our area this weekend. Air Show with John Travolta and his DC3 plane in it and also major flooding with the Mighty Mississippi raging and the Rock River flooding. My son is a Firefighter and EMT. He has been so busy this weekend rescuing people from the flood waters and getting them to dry ground. He is a 911 dispatcher in a small river town and he has been overwhelmed with calls and emergencies this weekend. He got home last night and shut his phone off. He didn't want to even hear it ring. Hopefully with the better weather things will crest and start to recede. I know other places in Iowa, Northern Illinois and the Chicago area are effected. The storms are headed for the East coast now. We aren't getting trouble from the hurricanes this year but from heavy rains in the interior of the states. Stay dry and safe. Chris

Another project done

Another project done. The garden picture is of the old wagon. My husband tore it apart and got rid of the old wood. He remade the wagon.

This is the finished project. I think it is great. He designed the wagon all but the under carriage. Hours of painting and fitting, but it looks great. Chris

Got it started

Famous last words. Wish it were done is the other set of words. Because the seams are so wonky I had trouble deciding how to quilt this. I think it will lay fairly flat by the time I get done with it. Now I see why a professional quilter gets frustrated with customers quilts.

The quilting is going slow. To many stops and starts. I got two blocks and most of the stabilizing done last night. Then I had to frog stitch. You know "rippit". I had not gotten the pin basting real taut in the outer border and it was bunching. But I stopped and got that done last night.
I had to just use my dictionary. I am getting to be such a bad speller. Well back to the quilt. If I can do a couple blocks each day maybe in a couple weeks I will have it done. Wishful thinking. My days never go that smoothly. Something always comes up. Yesterday I started to clean my machine before I started and got interrupted by my neighbor needing a ride. Today I need to change the needle. It started to ping by the time I was stopping for the day. The fabric in the quilt hasn't been washed and the white is a form of sheeting and that fabric is always hard on needles. It is densely woven. Off to the work area and get started. Chris

Scraps are being used up fast

Here are the fruits of my labors of late. I have been hacking up scraps and using them for parts and pieces. Some just because I want them and others for Christmas gifts for this next year. I am starting early to get some of this done.

This is a WIP. I have had this going for awhile. I am making a table cloth with these in the center of the cloth. I have everything to finish. But you know how you can get side tracked and not get back to things.
My husband as you know is not well and he uses a quilt on the couch all the time. The one that is there now is a quilt my Mom made for us several years ago. It is showing a lot of wear and tear so I am using up scraps for a 9 patch with in a square pattern. It will be sashed with a textured black fabric and perfect for a sofa quilt

This is a Christmas gift for my son. the 4 patches will look similiar to the Ugly quilt when finished. The only difference it the gift quilt will be all blocks and no sections of solid fabric. I need almost 400 of the 4 patches to fit his bed. Not nearly enough yet.


This is the process I have been doing. I cut up smaller pieces into usuable squares. Then I match them up to a colorful quilt block. After having cleaned I am trying to pare down on all the small pieces and make them into something worth while.

I am still going through bags from the cleaning session with my grandaughter. I have several piles of scraps to cut and sort through yet. But they will work out into a decent quilt when I get done hacking them up into usuable pieces.

My son said to me one day when he was a lot younger. Mom why do you cut it all up to sew it back together. I told him it was more fun that way. The only thing I need to buy for the quilts will be backings and battings. I may even piece some of the backs for the quilts to get more used up. So many times there are battings on sale online from a couple places it is less tempting to buy online than walk into a fabric or quilt shop. I need to stay focused and get some more of it done.

I was sewing last night in the sewing room and started to sneeze. I got up this morning and cleaned the ceiling fan off. I maybe was throwing dust out for me to sneeze over. Not maybe I know it was. It is 9:30 am here and I have cleaned three ceiling fans the carpet in the living room and the floor in the kitchen. Now trim to get the sewing started. I also need to think about what to fix for supper. I think maybe something with a chicken breast and a salad. That is another thing I am trying a diet that has a lot of veggies and basic food. It seems to be giving me more energy to get things done. Hopefully the weight will melt off with the proper food going into my stomach. I have outside painting to get done this Spring and I need to be able to work in the yard this Summer. The yard work is waiting for warmer weather. It is suppose to get to almost 80*F by Thursday no April Fools Joke. Off to another project now. Take Care Chris