Whole lot of quilting NOT going on....

Seems life has been flying in a zillion directions lately... add that to extreme heat and humidity... and you find a quilter too tired to quilt!  That is a sad thing.  I have continued to get some flowers made for my GFG and am working on piecing another section together. And I have 2 other projects in the works...

First... I worked on some blocks for a quilt being made for a friend with cancer. This is the Starflower Block found at Quilter's Cache. I love the way it looks and it really isn't a difficult block... this from someone who hates matching up points with triangles!  My friend loves calicoes, so that is the fabric being used. I am not a huge calico fan, so don't have a lot on hand... and what I do is pink and green (Gee, I wonder why! LOL!) I think the blocks I whipped up this weekend turned out well..

Second, I will soon start cutting those t-shirts below to make a t-shirt quilt for my son's girlfriend. I have made one other t-shirt quilt in my 6 years as a quilter. Love how they turn out, but whew!  they are work.... she is worth it and I have an idea to do something a little different, at least different for me, so that is motivating me.

See the GFGs in the picture? They are coming along. I need to make more white ones!

I have several other projects I NEED to get started and more than I can list that I want to do!

Our temps are still high, but the humidity has dropped.. so maybe my energy will come back and I will get motivated to spend more time in Sewing Central getting things done!

Keep Stitchin'

"Belle"

Progress...

Finally got to work on some projects this weekend.  I whipped up some blocks for a quilt I am doing with some friends. ... Nice crisp reds and whites (the dark ones in the photo aren't that dark in real life)... the pattern is Double Wrench from Quilters Cache (Check out the pattern here ).  Very easy and quick and cute block! I especially love it on point (look on 2nd page of the pattern).

I started a Grandmother's Flower Garden about a month ago. The plan is to make a Full Size quilt with 1930s / 40s repros for my mom for her 80th birthday (Sept. 2011)... all by hand.. piecing and quilting.  I have no doubt she will love it.. she has hinted and hinted for a repro quilt for a while now.  :-)  I am really loving making it... I just think I am wired for handwork. My Mama Rush (Paternal grandmother) never owned a sewing machine. She made a number of quilts.. did a lot of crochetting.. and sewed some of the lovliest dresses for me when I was a wee one all by hand.

No doubt machine work is quicker, but I love the control and creativity I feel when doing handwork.. and the connection I feel with my Mama Rush.

This will not be my last by hand project!

Anyway... I've been whipping up hexagons... and zipping them together into flowers... I really wanted to see what they would look like put together... so I pieced a small section, just to see. I think it turned out very nice. Ready to get more done!

I also did some non-quilt sewing this weekend. My son (college freshman) was looking online at Urban Outfitters for some shirts and shorts. Found some things on sale. The shirts were a good deal, so he got a couple, but even on sale the shorts were $40... and they were essentially non-denim cut offs.  I mentioned that he might have some pants here that he no longer wears that could be cut off. He remember some gray cords he bought a year ago that are way too short these days.  He used another pair of shorts as a guide.. added a 1/2"... marked a cut line and used my rotary cutter to whack them off.. and then I hemmed them. He doesn't like the ragged edge you get with cut offs.  Took about 10 minutes total and cost nothing!  Now that is a deal.  I have a feeling I will be hemming some more in the days to come.

"Belle"

A New Addiction....

I have started a new hand project... and it is now an addiction!  The same bunch who got me quilting in the first place encourage this new project... I think it is their plot to keep me in bondage to fabric and thread just like they are! 

So here is what I am doing..

First I played with some 1930 repros (I have decided it is impossible to have enough of these!)...

Then I cut some fabric squares and some templates..

A quick bit of sewing while watching tv produced these cuties...

And a bit more sewing and you have a flower... I have 8 so far...

I have always adored the Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt and had no idea it was as easy as it is!  I am sure it will get cumbersome as I start putting flowers together, but still. This is definitely one of those quilts that looks more complicated than it is!  I am doing a single flower wiin repros.... each flower has a color scheme, but different fabrics make it up.  I will surround these with white hexagons and white flowers. My inspiration can be found here... http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3321/3211500976_b0acb3c7c0.jpg

Isn't that a lovely quilt?!  I have no white hexagons of flowers done because I haven't gotten my white fabric. The yellow centers are Kona Cotton - Lemon.  I plan to use Kona Cotton - Snow for the white. 

My goal is to have this finished before my mom's 80th birthday which is September 21, 2011.. yes 11.  I am going for a full size quilt for her bed.  She has seen the flowers and loves them, but has no idea the quilt is for her. She will love it! She has hinted (boldly I might add) that she wanted a quilt in repros. 

I have to add that I love dong this by hand.. I plan to quilt it by hand also.  My dad's mom made quilts before I was born... she also sewed baby clothes  for me.  She never owned a sewing machine. Everything was done by hand. I feel very connected to her when I am working on this... it is almost as if she is looking over my shoulder watching my work. I think she would be pleased.

One more picture.... Mac kept trying to help me with the GFGs and really wanted in the pictures.. after I told him no he went and pouted a bit... poor Mackie... I am sure a little throwing of the ball and a cheesy treat will make it all better. 

"Belle"