PINK string quilt for Sharon and a pillow

How fun!  Here's another one of those string quilts - this one pink.  Sharon is a Mary Kay lady and has been a friend for many years.  She gifted me bags of fabric, books, etc., when she decided she wasn't going to quilt anymore.  She knows I love to gift my work to lots of different causes. 

She's an organizing, clean person.  (Someone has to be, right?)  Me, I hang on to EVERYTHING for EVER...actually, I've been planning to get rid of "things" someday soon, but we'll have to wait to see if that ever happens.

I listened to a time management speaker years ago who said the way to clean off your desk was to simply swipe EVERYTHING into the garbage!  IF there were possibly any papers you actually needed or a bill that needed to be paid, etc., someone would let you know.  I laughed at the time but now I find that probably makes a lot of sense.  I'll let you know.

I'm trying to get to boxes of scraps I have accumulated to strip them to useable size and get back to making some real scrappy quilts.  They may have to wait just a little longer as I want to try an ORANGE centered strip quilt.  If I can get it finished soon, I'll have  quilt surprises for Carin and Cathy for their birthday - my VALENTINE's girls. We'll see!!!

Grand Illusion and string quilt

I've been busy with Nan the last few days as Stefani has been off.  We now, I think, have a helper for when Stefani is gone.  Her name is Brenda and she worked with Stefani today.  We'll see.  Mom normally likes people but once in awhile...  Anyway, it was nice having Stefani back to free up some sewing time.  The last few days, sewing time has been stolen away in little spurts!

Grand Illusion is not a finished top.  I think it's rather busy and I'm glad I didn't make it scrappy ....instead choosing to use one fabric of each color.  I'll be putting the backing fabric together soon and then on to the quilting!!

As you can see by these photos, Beau LOVES to "rest" himself right in the middle of my quilts.  I need to make him a scrappy quilt, too.  He seems to love color almost as much as I do...I wonder if dogs aren't supposed to be color blind??

Yesterday's sewing time was really productive!  I took left over pieces of batting, sorted them by kinda size, and then sewed them all together into larger pieces.  Hopefully, I'll be able to use these "new" large pieces when I'm quilting the 7 tops I have to do!!!  A new goal for before I begin new projects.  Of course, that won't happen as you see here:

This is the newest string quilt, done with those black/white fabrics with turquoise as the accent centers.  I love it!  I'm not sure just who will get this one, we'll see.  I may put it in my Etsy store first for awhile.  I wish these photos showed the contrast better - the centers are stunning, using a variety of white on whites, the more the merrier.

I started another of these today, with pink in the center.  It'll be going to my friend Sharon.  She gifted most of the black and white fabrics plus some additional ones to me when she decided she wasn't going to quilt anymore.  I think it only fitting she receives one of the string quilts too..????  She's a Mary Kay lady so her centers are going to be PINK!!

Back to work now, I need to give Nan a feed and hopefully get her up from her afternoon nap.

My mystery quilt blocks

Last year I participated for the first time in Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt Celtic Solstice.  It became a quilt for Don.  What a wonderful way for me to stretch my abilities, REALLY know how important that seam the perfect size is, and although I probably wouldn't have worked with those colors....I love the finished product.

Now it's the end of another year, time for a NEW Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, Grand Illusion.  This one honors her visit this year to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  She shared MANY photos of the Hotel while she was there and was mesmerized at the beauty of the hotel and it's surroundings.

I know I'd be in for doing this year's mystery quilt as I so enjoyed, and learned from, last years.  Well, here are my completed squares for Parts 1-5 - all finished, in the box, waiting for the next instruction.  Last year I did the Bonnie Hunter "thing" - scrappy!  This year I wanted the laying out easier so I simply used one fabric of each color - no scrappy.  I'm now hoping this quilt top won't be too boring!!

 Some of the link up photos I've seen have the quilters guessing just what the pattern will be and what the quilt will look like.  For me, that just ruins the entire process.  I want to let Bonnie TELL me what it will look like!  I do love the colors for this year:  yellow, turquoise, pink, and green, with white and black accents.

Last year we received our final "put it together" email just before New Year's Eve.  I'm hoping that happens this year, too.  That way, you'll know what I'll be doing on New Years DAY!!

Curtains for Mindy and Kyle's restaurant are finished - hoodies cut out and ready to sew.  Then the curtains for Carin's living room (started way back in the summer sometime) HAVE PRIORITY!!!

At that point, my JOBS should be finished and I can get back to just doing WHAT I WANT TO DO!  Actually, as you can see by my timeline, I pretty much probably do that anyway.

Mom is getting slower now.  Doesn't like to converse much, and seems to need to rest more and more.  That gives me more time to sew as long as I'm close enough I can keep an eye on her.  I hate that she's spending so much time down but Stefani assures me it's normal.  These life normals aren't my friends!!!  I don't like them.  But then, they are what they are.

Mike and Peggy leave Maine tomorrow for their trip West and South for the winter.  We are lucky enough they will be visiting sometime in February.  I SAY I'm going to leave for a few days (like a week) to go visit Mindy and Kyle and see that restaurant....but we'll see.  I'd love the time off as we haven't been away from Mom for over 2 years now, but then I'm not so sure I can leave her.  In any case, safe travels you two!  Enjoy the trip!!!

Off to sew those hoodies now.  Back to enjoying my day.  Can you believe it's already the END of 2014?  I remember when I was young, doing the calculations to see how old I would be in 2000!  Now I'm 14 years older than THAT OLD NUMBER!  Amazing!!

More Christmas photos

We had planned to have left-overs in the way of French Dip sandwiches yesterday.  Pat was even here with his new doggie, Lucky.   (Beau was pretty well-mannered - I'd give him a "B".)  HOWEVER, like all good plans, we had our kitchen drain back up and so...Pat bought In & Out burgers and fries for everyone and they took the left-overs from Christmas  home to enjoy!

Here are some photos of the group.  Nan enjoyed her day with all the busy-ness and then we had a quiet evening. 

Today I finished up Part 4 and Part 5 of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, Grand Illusion.  It's in honor of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan.  There are NO motorized vehicles allowed on the island, so everything (including people) are delivered by horse-drawn carts.  I must add this to my bucket list.  I've been close.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to the reveal - when the top is finished I'll let you see it.  Colors are turquoise, yellow, pink and green with white and black accents.  I think I'm going to like it!  I decided NOT to make this one scrappy, instead using one fabric of each color.  I hope it's not tooooo boring!

Actually, I have about 5 or 6 quilt tops waiting to be quilted so after curtains are finished for Carin's living room and Mindy's restaurant, I plan to get started on nothing but finishing up quilts!  Wish me luck!!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope this finds you all well and enjoying Christ's birthday.  We had 10 for dinner last night - Carin's friend Tom and his boys Jackson and Connor joined us plus Carin, Zach, Amanda and Josh.  It was a full house and since Josh arrived to help with dinner, all went well.  I think even Nan enjoyed the evening!!

Amanda and Josh brought crab and sourdough bread from San Francisco to add to our prime rib.  It was wonderful!!  I think Carin, Zach, Amanda and Josh will be coming back tomorrow for french dip sandwiches  - so we'll enjoy the left-overs, too.

Stefani (Nan's caregiver) brought over a suitcase a few weeks ago.  It contained squares and pieces her great grandmother had sewn.  She asked me to make a quilt for her Mom from some of them.  There was a large, completed top too.  I quilted it and bound it for a completed quilt for her Aunt and then the real work began.  There was a top started - only a couple rows.  There were lots of started and completed squares also in the suitcase.  She helped me completed enough squares (lots of seam ripping here) and I finished up a quilt for her Mom.

Aunt Kelly's completed quilt

And one for Stefani's Mom!

It was a pleasure making these quilts and I know her Mom and Aunt will cherish the work started by their grandmother and finished by Stefani and me!

My design wall today...

So, I've finally pieced the 36 blocks together, just finished as Stefani left for the day.  At this point the quilt will measure about 48" x 48".  I think that's too small.  I have enough strips left over (I saved the repeat strips from the jelly roll to use for the binding) that I think I can make an additional 12 squares (16 pieces each square).  That would make the quilt more like 48" x 60" - I think that will be better. 

This jelly roll has been in my stash for awhile.  It's Paula Nadelstern's Palindromes line from Benartex.  She also designed the fabric I used for purses last fall.  LOVE the jewel tones of this one.  I also used a jelly roll of whites (lots of different whites here).   

I penciled out the design on graph paper and I'm happy with the layout - just don't think the square size will be enough.  

I've wanted to do a half-square triangle layout for awhile.  I must remember to remind myself HOW MANY POINTS HAVE TO BE JUST RIGHT here.  Actually, I learned to double check my 1/4" seams to make sure they were correct.  The seams (so far) have come together nicely.  But then, look how many seams must meet just so, with joining all of these blocks!

I need a rest!  Today I cut out a fleece top for Nan, a fleece vest with hoodie for Carin and still have a long sleeve jacket with hoodie for Stefani to cut.  Can anyone say "crazy"?  I think these will be quick though (I hope).  I'll let you know tomorrow.
 

Ice Cream, anyone??

Yeah, another quilt finished!  This one is from the Disappearing Hourglass tutorial at MissouriStarQuiltCo.com.  I love this site - have found many tutorials I'd like to follow someday - when I have time....but this one grabbed me right away.  I used fabric called Ansonia by Denyse Schmidt for FreeSpirit.  It's in a brown/pink/cream combination and reminds me of neopolitan (how do you spell that?) ice cream, or a banana split!  I even had a cone of King Tut variegated thread in brown/pink/cream to MATCH!  How about that?  Thanks Carol!!!

This was a fun block to make - although I incorrectly cut many squares in the beginning....they became part of the back of the quilt.  There was an interesting stripe in this collection - I love stripes, especially for binding, and this one is no exception.  However, I didn't like the blocks I made with the stripe fabric - they went into the back of the quilt, too.  As Peggy would tell me, "it's all good!"

This one is a rather large lap quilt - 64" x 75", large enough for a couple laps.

I finished up a box of microwave-a-bowl sets to send to Jamie for her craft fairs and yesterday I almost completed another top.  I had my Bernina serviced this month and it's been wonderful being able to sew with it again.  My Brother 1500 is getting a well deserved rest.

However, rests are sometimes short!!  Stefani asked me to put together a quilt for her Mom for Christmas using blocks made by her Great-Grandmother.  She brought the suitcase over the other day and we found an abundance of blocks, some partially completed pieces, a couple fairly large hexagons and even a LARGE 80" x 96" completed top.  We'll be putting together a quilt for her Aunt, one for her Mom, and working on shadow boxes for her Grandma and Grandpa and another Aunt, I think.  Anyway, the suitcase will be pretty empty when we're finished and it should be fun taking these pieces that have been sitting for so long and helping them come to life and bring a little of her Great-Grandmother back.  Wish me luck - I'm already dreaming of what to do, oh, what to do!!

Mom continues to do well.  All of our home health providers are gone now, and I worry a little when she coughs...but we'll have to keep an eye on it.  Stefani is now only going to be here 4 days/week as she needs a weekend day to spend with her fiancee (how dare she???).  We're taking the hours from Sunday and adding them to Thurs/Fri/Sat so that will give me a little more time on those days.