Catching Up

It's been been a few months since I last posted, but trust me, you haven't missed out on much.  And the pictures I have to share are barely more than updates to the ones I shared 3 months ago. Sad.

 I've been SLOWLY working on my hexie English paper piecing project.  I'm almost ready to add one more large diamond section to this.

I gave in and did something I thought I'd  never do.  I sent two of my biggest pieced tops out to be long arm quilted.   Between my breathing problems and a really bad shoulder I just didn't see myself getting these done myself on a domestic sit down machine. 

So while I still find it hard to shake the feeling I've somehow "cheated" in calling these "my quilts", they are finally out of the UFO stack (and I have the unquilted tops down to THREE..WOW!). 

It's hard to get a good picture when quilts are this big and these were taken before either were bound.  Perhaps I'll get a chance to hang them and take better pictures later.

This stack 'n whack was made in 2009 after a workshop by a fellow quild member.  I told you earlier that it was outside my comfort zone colorwise, but Tom loves it so I told him it is his 25th anniversary present.  We are calling it "The Big Bang".

This is the Threadhead Quiltalong that I made last year.

I did manage to quilt the sofa sized top for my mother-in-law.  We'll give it to her on her 90th birthday next Saturday in Colorado.

I love the Vera Bradly fabric I found in my stash for the border and backing.

That's it folks...my quilting life has become pretty boring.  A fourth Dutch
Treat keeps calling my name!

Cuteness Alert

We're home after nearly two weeks.  It was wonderful spending time in Arizona with our son and daughter-in-law.  Our grandaughter, Kelley Ann, lives in Massachusetts.  She and her family flew out for a week's vacation and we finally got to meet our youngest great-grandson, Bryce, who is 15 months old.

It goes without saying he received a bit of attention from the grandparents and two sets of great-grandparents!  He's such a sweet little boy.

Four generations. How I wish my mother in Iowa could have been there too for a five generation picture.

Great-grandma Mary taught him how to use the doggy door!

It was hard to say goodbye

Great-granddaughter, Gabi, who lives in VA celebrated her 6th birthday on Sunday.  Isn't she a doll?

Grandkids are such a blessing! Great-grands even more so!!!

Spring Projects

I've heard from several online friends who were concerned that since I wasn't blogging I had also burned out on quilting.  Not at all!  I've been busy, though probably not as busy as I used to stay.  Don't know if I've become lazier or if old age is just setting in, but things do seem to take longer than they used to.  When I first started quilting 10 years ago I completed 10-20 quilts a year with ease.  I just don't think that is going to happen anymore. 

But I have been piecing and quilting.

First off I finished the little hexie table mat using the vintage hexies cut out by my grandmother. 

Some of these fabrics are really old and also thin and I wouldn't have used some of them if this was going to be a quilt that will be washed and used.  But I so wanted to use all these pieces Grandma had cut out. This is the last of this size of hexies and it will be a treasured piece.

Then I made three more T-shirt quilts for our daughter-in-law, using T-shirts that belonged to the brother she lost to cancer in April 2011. 

Nothing fancy about any of them..just t-shirts all cut the same size and put together without sashing.  I used fleece for backing and they are nice and cuddly.  Perfect recliner/couch quilts.  DIL Deb kept the first one I made in December; she gave the next two to her other brother and her mother.  The fourth one was for my son, Jeff.  He's a Steeler's fan so I used licensed Steeler's fleece on the back of his.  I'm glad to have these done as making t-shirt quilts is not my favorite kind of project.

Right after Christmas I started piecing a scrap quilt using the keyhole pattern I kept seeing all over the internet. I particularly liked this quilt so I drafted my own pattern and added cornerstones in the sashing. I quilted it a couple weeks ago and it is now added to my finished pile.

It was a fun way to use up lots of different 2 1/2" squares that were already cut and stored in one of my bins.  That makes for a super fast quilt.

Because I always like to have a hand project going to work on in the evenings I started a big (as in ultimate size of the quilt) project using small (3/4") hexies.  I designed the quilt in EQ5. Here is  what I hope to make (pretend it is all scrappy diamonds.

This is what I've done so far


Monday I started piecing a sofa quilt for my mother-in-law who will be turning 90 in June.  It's ready to be quilted.

It's been a beautiful spring despite a storm that brought 110mph winds through our neighborhood last month. This morning Tom found this tiny daffodil blooming in our yard.  I'd forgotten that I used to have a big group of them.

Next week Tom and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary.

 We'll be spending time in AZ at our son and DIL's.  We'll also get to finally meet our great-grandson, Bryce, who turned 1 last January. 

He'll be flying to AZ from MA with his parents.  So looking forward to spoiling him a bit!  We'll also celebrate Tom's 65th birthday as well as Easter.


Until next time..............

Blogation

I'm sure I don't need to point out that since finishing my Dutch Treat #3 quilt last month, I really haven't had much to share in the way of quilting.  I've been doing a little bit of piecing, both by hand and by machine on a couple of different projects.  Nothing to stir great excitement.  Truth be told I'm feeling a bit of burn out.  I don't see myself giving up quilting by any means, but I think I may slow down even more for awhile.  I have some other projects I'd like to work on. 

I also am feeling like I need a break from blogland.  So if you don't see me on here for awhile don't assume the worst.  Now that I've announced I'm taking a break I suppose tomorrow something will happen that I just have to blog about.  Then again, maybe not. 

I'll still be reading blogs so I can stay in touch with my cyber friends. 

Wishing you all a happy and productive 2012 and I'll see you all later!

Merry Christmas

Having a wonderful time.  Oldest son and his wife from Arizona arrived last Saturday and will stay until next Monday morning.  Youngest son and his wife from Iowa were here T-W-T but had to go home Friday morning.  Middle son, his wife, youngest daughter and her daughter, all from Missouri, were here for a full day on Thursday (those who work in retail don't get a lot of time off during Christmas).  We'll see the Missouri folks again tomorrow when we travel to our other Granddaughter's home tomorrow.  But I at least got one day with all three sons together and I am grateful.  It had been four years since it last happened.

With sons Jeff, Mike, Mark

Tom and I with all four sons (son Jean-Richard in the painting on the left is deceased).  We didn't plan the picture this way, but it is sort of cool it worked out that way.

Mark (middle child), Jeff (youngest), Mike (oldest)

Four Generations

Mark, Mary, Alyxandria, Caitlin

The daughter-in-laws

Deb (Jeff), Stephanie (Mark), Lindy (Mike)

Miss Aly--getting ready to walk

Aly in the cap and poncho I crocheted last week at her mom's request (not a lot of quilting going on lately, but I haven't been totally idle)

Lots of calories consumed

And lots of cards played

And because you can never have too many cute baby pics (at least I can't)

Wishing all my friends in blogland a Merry Christmas and healthy, prosperous New Year.