ORCA BAY WEEK 5

700 HST's are cut and 4 have been sewn to the HST square!  Only 696 to go. After I get some errands and chores done today I will return to the Mystery quilt.


I recently purchased the Studio Accuquilt when it was on sale.  I finally pulled it out and with the Go adapter tray was able to the use 1 1/2 "  HST die , and it worked great!  It was so nice not to have wrist pain when cutting like I usually do with the rotary cutter.  It is a huge expense but I love it already, and it really lives up to what Accuquilt says about it. 


Since my Bday was in Dec., it is my Bday and Xmas present from David. I think quilting toys have been my presents for years now!  


I am so glad that my 128 red string triangles are done, so I am not behind!!


We will be visiting relatives out of town over the Christmas weekend so, I won't be starting the next clue til after Christmas.


Merry Christmas!

ORCA BAY WEEK 4

I have six finished and will be working on the rest today! It's raining here so it will be a good time to stay in and sew. Once again I was super surprised at how many red scraps and big cuts I had. I had thought for sure I would have to pick up a few. Thanks Bonnie again for the help to cross over into scrap heaven!

 I love these red ones!!

Finished Clue # 3 in the nick of Time

I finished my 350, 1 1/2 finished HST's last night!! All ready for tomorrow. Since it is my Birthday ( 51 yikes), it is a great B-day present.

I need to finish one last customer quilt before I start though.....

Our electricity went out for about and hour this morning, and it was chilly here in So Cal, 30's!!  It was a blessing in disguise cuz I got off the computer and put the ornaments on our tree!  We got an artificial tree with white lights already on it, last year on craigslists.  I think it might be my favorite tree to date.  There are little sparkles on the needles and when the lights are on, it gives off the prettiest glow. I need to buy some new ornaments to add to our collection because some the old ones are looking really tired, but I love them, with all the memories of past Christmases. My most favorite new ornament I bought earlier this fall is my Honu ornament. I just love sea turtles and can't resist do dads or fabric with a baby honu or big honu on them!

ORCA BAY WEEK 3

I finished the 72 blue 3 1/2" strip squares!  Yeh!!

It was so satisfying watching all the strings and bits get used up. Some were for sure 10 years old.

I'm starting on the finished 1 1/2" black and white HST's tomorrow and hope to finish before Friday new clue release.

ORCA BAY WEEK 2

I have finished the 224 black and white quarter square blocks and have one blue string block done. All my blue strips are ready though so I hope to plug along and get finished before Friday!

This is my first time doing freestyle string blocks on telephone book paper or on anything for that matter. I have been nervous to start. Freewheeling is almost harder than following step by step and fabric by fabric. I'm so glad to be doing this project to get over that already!!

This afternoon, I need to cut some large quarter square triangles for another project in a class tomorrow, so I have to take a break from Orca Bay.

ORCA BAY WEEK 1

I'm so happy to have started on time. I'm not too far along but am giddy with how cute the black and white quarter square triangles are turning out. I am using the companion angle ruler and it sure makes accurate triangles quite easily. Lots to do to finish by Thursday.

I also am posting a pic of my little pilgrims. My LQS Grand Country Quilters is selling this cute kit and I finished it in time to hang for the Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone is having fun with Bonnie's new mystery quilt!

Progress on Insanity Quilt and surfer quilt and Die Cutter

I have 16 diamonds finished.  I got side tracked this past month for lots of reasons. Also,  I have a pic of the nine patches I am working on for the surfer quilt. Lots of other appts and general procrastination going on, but hopefully this week I am back on track. The close up shot shows the stitch lines I print with inklingo. You have to careful to make sure the freezer paper is nice and flat. Every now and then the printer will catch the paper and jam.

I have found another gadget I want. The Big Shot Westminster Pro by sizzix. It runs Accuquilt dies as well as its own and it is a little bigger than the go but not quite as big as the Studio Accuquilt. Just what I wanted! It's purple too. So pretty. I could cut a ton of hexagons with it really fast, but they just won't have the perfect stitch line printed, hmmm decisions decisions.

Design Wall Monday

Here are square in a square blocks with surfers in the middle. I have had this fabric for a long time to make this quilt for my youngest (21) son. He definitely needs a newer quilt since his latest quilt before this has noah's ark prints! I have lots of blues greens browns golds and other that have ocean and sand colors to make alternating quarter square blocks. The blocks are 8" unfinished

Progress September 17, 2011

I have 8 diamond shapes completed!

Insanity Quilt

"Insanity" is my latest long term project to start. It has 10,339 hand pieced 1/2 inch hexagons! It took the original creator, Rhonda Pierce, two years to complete. But this wonder gal from down under also runs a quilt shop and pieces a bazillion other quilts too. It's one of those ultimately satisfying type quilts that I need in my life right. The boys are grown and basically on their own. I find myself on my own more often now, and this is my "i can do it" challenge. I have never hand pieced, so in a way, I feel like I am becoming a real quilter like the gals of yesteryear, and what I call, you real seamstresses.

With Linda Franz's Inklingo, you print stitch lines right on the fabric and piece them on the stitch lines. There are no paper templates and no whip stitch like with English Paper pieced. so far, I love this method.

I plan on journaling my progress, and hope you enjoy it. I created a separate page which has its own tab on the top of my blog. Insanity

My official start date is September 1, 2011.  Three done.... here we go.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!  This Buggy Barn Pattern "Star Spangled Banner" has been waiting to be made for awhile, and I finally finished it just in time to celebrate this year, the birth of our Nation

We are so humbled by the sacrifices made by the original Pilgrims, the Founders, and current Americans to maintain the freedom and sovereignty of our Country. Thanks!

 and Happy Birthday America!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

While enjoying http://beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com today I visited the link to a retreat she attended and found this delicious recipe for butternut squash soup. Great directions and yum, is it good. Here is the recipe at Be My Guest's blog: Be my guest in alpine

I can't wait for David and the boys to try it. Be my Guest has a lovely photo of the finished soup!

New Notion- All Steel Flower spool holder!

Yesterday, our owner brought out yet another neato Quilt Market find, this hand crafted flower thread cone holder, made from steel scraps and polished to a beautiful deep brown bronze. 


Well, I just had spent three days diligently cutting my Bonnier Hunter of Quiltville.com strips and squares from years and years of scraps! Wow, what a job.  Okay, promise to self.....cut my strips immediately after a quilt project like Bonnie suggested at the Guild lecture that I saw her at (Still my happiest quilty day this year). That will make the next strip cutting session easier, phew.

Back to my new thread cone holder!  At least I didn't buy any new fabric......

www.paulsmetalpetals.com  isn't that a great name

The polished steel is shiny and beautiful

The right side peg is for holding bobbins!

Here's my scraps and some of my folded fabrics a little more organized:

Hope you have a fun quilting day!

Brandon Graduated from College

Our youngest son, Brandon graduated from college on Saturday. He attended Cal State University San Marcos which is about 15 miles from home. He will start his Masters degree in the fall.

We are very proud of Brandon and his positive, hard working attitude. Our three sons are the richest blessing in our lives.  Second son, Cory will be done with college next spring, and Our oldest, Kyle, is working full time in the work a day world, and enjoys being on his own.

I finished a second baby lamb quilt for a quilt shop sample and now I am back to a big flag quilt I have been working on. The pattern is a buggy barn one that has been around for awhile. Pics to come soon I hope.