Only six of us showed up for quilt group last night – you would think because of the low number there would have been little show and tell – wrong! We are a prolific group 
Here are the quilts – I think this first group of baby quilts was done by another Karen but I might have the name mixed up – CJ do you know if these were done by Karen W. ?:
More – CJ’s quilts:
And some more (mine you guys have seen these):
The next 4 are by Anna (my son-in-law Ric’s aunt by marriage) this is one of the mystery quilts from a couple months ago:
This is what she is using for the back of the above quilt top, I’m not sure how she will have this quilted to complement both sides:
Another of hers:
Another fancy back this is for the one above – this one was swirly quilted all over:
Dee is having a little trouble with the borders on this one and says she is taking them off and trying again:
This one Dee brought along to put on the floor (large space) so it could be spray basted. This is a technique that I have not used and think I will try it on my next small quilt top that will be done in a hoop (haven’t decided what that project will be but something with the charm squares that I purchased from Connecting Threads).
And last but not least I know I said I was putting Dear Jane aside for a day – but this was an easy one and I got done with it quickly – worked on it a little yesterday afternoon and then again this morning. This make 4 out of 13 needed on the second border.
I brought the charm squares that I bought from Connecting Threads to both last nights group and again this morning and we all went through the fabric and all agreed they would use it too and thought it was good fabric.
I had a half an hour left of quilting on the Christmas quilt to do today and I got it finished. I have it off of the frame and y’all can wait to see a photo until the binding is done and it is washed. I plan on getting to work on that this evening and for the next several days.
Thanks for all the opinions on the binding. After thinking it over I cut a strip of both of the red colors and pined them to the top to see what it looks like and I prefer the one that matches the sashing – it just kind of pulled it together. If I had used the backing fabric for some of the applique it would have looked good but because it was no where on the top I didn’t care for it as much. I really liked hearing your opinions and the reason you would chose the color that you did – it helped in my decision.
I’m glad to be done quilting on this quilt and in the next day or two I will get my portable design wall put together and start playing with the arrangement of the Bow Tie Medallion quilt and get that top finished and put away to wait in line to be quilted.
I am nearing the finish line for the Christmas quilt!! Well in hand quilting terms that means maybe one or two more weeks 
but really the end is very near in sight. I put in a couple hours of hand quilting this weekend and gave the rollers another turn last night then quilted for another hour before saying enough and went to watch tv in the living room and started to applique on the Red/Green quilt. That block is going to be a beauty I think. I really like the flower in the center but I’m not going to show it until I’m done.
Here is what is left to work on the Christmas Quilt:
I would say about another 15 hours of work possibly – a week if my fingers can last otherwise it will be two weeks. We’ll see how it goes as you can tell I’m getting antsy to get it off of the frame.
I have been really good about not starting new projects and really trying to finish a lot that I already started this year – but I am ready to start working on some easy scrap quilts and get some of these scrap boxes emptied out for next year.
For the remaining months of the year I will finish the Star Crazy BOM and be close (possibly) to finishing the Red and Green Traditional Applique quilt – we will see on that – I might get tired of it and put it aside who can tell. Other than that I will get the Bow Tie Quilt finished this year also (the top that is). Remaining projects are the second Dear Jane – Insanity Revisited which I need to make most of the triangles for the border I will be working on that one next year in between other things of course.
The next to go on the large 3 roller frame is the quilt “Going in Circles” (link to photo on that highlighted word) that I made last winter. Next year I will have a pile of quilt tops waiting in line to quilt so I think other then finishing the quilt tops already started I need to think small and just do some couch size or smaller for awhile. The scrap pile should be plenty to work with and will have one more year of trying to not buy much in the line of fabric other than backings and background. I did pretty well with not buying much this year and other than 2 bolts of background neutral fabric, a yard of pink moda marble & one package of 8 fat quarters I do not remember buying much (fabric that is) – but of course I might be blocking my memory somehow – I’m getting forgetful as I age LOL
I have been so busy quilting for the last 3 1/2 weeks that I have done little piecing. My fingers are saying enough already – I have to take a day or two off of quilting and let the fingers get some relieve! (maybe even a week)
Here is where I stand on the quilting:
The Christmas quilt is coming along so nicely. I hate to take a couple days off but when the quilting fingers get too sore from needle pricks it is not enjoyable.
I have put a lot of quilting into this sweet little girls quilt – it is in between crib and twin size. I am maybe just half way done.
For the next day or two I will get back to work on the sewing machine with the Bow Tie Medallion quilt that I started in late spring. I have not touched it since June. I cut all the pieces needed back in June so I could take it along while traveling. This was going to be my extra project to work on in case I ran out of things to do! I never even opened the box.
I also have a appliqué block that I started while we were traveling and have not touched it but once since we got home. Between these two projects maybe I will get a little something done in the next two days while taking a break from hand quilting.
Yes that is the instruction book for EQ on my worktable. I have been practicing a little but truthfully not all that much. It will for sure be a winter project for me.
Yesterday was one of those days when I just wasn’t outside very much. I was going to cut the grass in the morning and then it started to rain just as I was getting started. It didn’t rain a lot and not for long but I took it for one of those signals that say just forget it and work on your sewing instead
What it really was I think is that I was so close to getting these 169 – 4 1/2 inch blocks finished that I just wanted to get them finished – so off and on all day that is what I did -
Row 13, Block 11 - this block was supposed to be pieced with 31 pieces, I just didn't feel like it and I appliqued the diamond shapes on it instead. It is not perfect but who cares!
Really Jane saved some of the easiest blocks for last! This is Row 13 Block 12 and it went together in a flash.
Row 13, Block 13 - again this piece too was shown pieced - in quarters with curved piecing with what would have been 12 pieces with more bulk of seams. Instead I appliqued the cream piece to the red - so much easier and now all the blocks are finished
Now that the blocks are finished I need to sew row 13 to the body of the quilt and then I will show a photo tomorrow of all 13 rows sewed together. I got done with the blocks around 5 PM so I had time to quilt a little in the evening. I was close to the half way point on the Christmas Quilt and got there last night:
If you want to get technical I need to be half way up that center block to be half done with the quilting on this quilt - that gives me two more inches straight across - I'm just saying I am half way done now. I have put in 53 hours of quilting so far - it should not have taken me a half of a year to accomplish this!
In my defense I have gotten done with so many other projects this one just got neglected. I quilted two table toppers, a baby quilt, and a couch size quilt. I made a queen size quilt top, and started another (the Bow Tie), paper pieced several more 6 inch pineapple square blocks, made one Red & Green Applique block, made one more Little Brown Bird block and I finished I’m not sure how many “Insanity Revisited” Dear Jane blocks since the beginning of the year — I guess that explains why the Christmas quilt was neglected I feel that I have forgotten a project or two – I might need to get my list out. EDITED: I forgot to list my Star Crazy BOM – six months done.
The Dear Jane “Insanity Revisited” quilt top will now be put aside until the fall and I will work on the triangles for the border then.
Wow slightly over 50 comments already on the give away I am hosting for Teri – keep them coming!! Leave a comment on the post from yesterday. Some people have asked me how this give away came about and who is Teri? Teri is from Alabama and was one of the winners of my last give away. Teri says she is not computer literate enough to have a blog I think a lot of us feel that way. It took me sometime to get it figured out and I have my computer master in the same room with me most of the time and I am still bugging him with questions of how do I do such and such! It comes hard for some of us. I have asked Teri some questions and will try to post a little bio on her this week. I really do not know her real well and we can find out together. We have not met in person – just through e mails as so many of us do.
Sometimes when I have a giveaway I try to thank everyone with a e mail of thanks when I get the message – in this case so many having been coming in at the same time I have not had the chance to do so. Let me say thank you to all of you now for stopping by my blog and visiting. Such nice comments everyone leaves. Good luck to all of you. I am looking at blogs every chance I get to see all the new ones that I have not seen before.
I have a new photo of my Christmas Quilt which is coming along slowly as I am working on so many other projects all the time.
Christmas Baltimore Album in the works
You see this block in the center with the white flowers? When I get to the middle of it I will be half way done with this quilt. Like I say it is moving slowly - I'm not rushing it and in fact have been neglecting it - I have been working on so many other quilts but this is a Christmas quilt I figure I have until the middle of November before I need it - hopefully I will be finished with it before then!
Yes I need to straighten out under the frame once again – somehow things constantly get tossed under the frame – out of the way you know
Before I forget Jackie is having a give away on her blog Canton Village Quilt Works - go on over and see what she has.
