Challenge Award

I am now able to replace my summer stash picture with another one showing that I did finish the challenge! I've been working on another large wallhanging using mostly fabric from my stash. I must admit that I did buy one yard of orange but I am only using about a quarter yard...thus my stash increased. Oh well, my stash has gone down quite a bit. I'll soon be able to share a pic of my new work.

Wizard Done!

I finished it this afternoon. I can't wait until I can give it to my granddaughter in a couple of weeks when she visits. The close up shows the center panel and the longarm quilting that was done by a member of our guild, Sharon Jobin. Sharon just started a longarm quilting business. I was very pleased with her work.

Has it been this long?

It has been a while since I posted. I spent the last few days at my son's babysitting while he was in CA fighting fires. He was in the northern part of the state. His staging spot was Redding. He got home today...safe and sound but very tired. He said it was a great experience and the people in CA were very supportive...but it was very hot and smoky so he really couldn't appreciate the CA views.

I am finally putting the binding on the Wizard of Oz quilt. Should be done by tonight. I need to hang my Log Cabin quilt then I am ready to start a new project!

Attic Treasure 2

Before...

I finished the wallhanging from the attic treasure block that I posted about earlier. All of the fabric on the wallhanging is vintage except for the batting and backing. The circle for the small brown flower was already cut in the stash. The button embellishments are from the same house and era as the fabric. The project is the second one done for our guild's UFO contract. Three more to go before January!!

and after...

I will probably spend the next few days putting hanging strips and binding on completed projects since I am going to get two quilts back from the longarm quilter tomorrow. These are not my favorite things to do since I have so many quilt ideas hanging around in my head. Yesterday I went to a yard sale held by another quilter. Unfortunately, many of my quilting buddies got there first and she didn't have much fabric left. However, I got some nice pieces and have some ideas about what to do with them. Hmmm, maybe the bindings and hanging strips can wait!

Bindings redeemed

After my last wallhanging I thought I had lost the ability to do decent bindings and mitered corners. This time it worked! I finished the sailboat wallhanging (Stashbuster 2) and have it hanging. Now I am ready to continue working on the dresden plate vintage block!

Attic Treasure

This is a picture of a block that I found in the attic of my aunt's home when we prepared to sell the house a couple of years ago. I believe that the block was probably made by my grandmother or an aunt who died in the mid 70s. I am guessing that the block was done sometime in the late thirties to 50s based upon what I know of the family and the fabric. The block was hand pieced and appliqued. I am going to put a border of fabric that was found with the treasure stash and hand quilt it for a wall hanging. This is just one piece of many that I found. I hope to complete other projects from the stash. I am also using this as one of the items I am doing for my guild UFO contract. I said I would do "vintage" pieces this year.

Been busy and some great blogs to visit.

Still quilting away but at a slower pace. This last weekend I went to my son's to babysit. He was called to CA to do wildfire fighting and his wife was scheduled to work at the state park so they needed someone to help out a little. I loved spending time with my grandson! I am thinking about my son and the other firefighters as they help the people who are in danger of losing their homes. Keep them all in your hearts for me, OK?

Last week I learned about a great site (Glenna's Gabfest). Glenna specializes in vintage fabrics and since I have a bunch of vintage fabric I want to use, her site was right up my alley! Thanks Eileen (from Summer Stash Challenge) for suggesting the site.

I also heard from Belinda at Brown Dirt Cottage. She has a great site, too. I added them to my favorites list!

You might also want to check out Purple and Paisley!

What was I thinking?

Yesterday morning I took a good look at the photo of the orphan square (churn dash) wallhanging that I posted on Tuesday...the binding looks terrible! Did you ever have that feeling all along that the project wasn't going right? The plaid fabric design didn't match the grain lines so I couldn't get the binding to cut right. Then when I was putting it on it wasn't sewing well. But I just kept going. I knew better but I kept dreaming that it would magically look ok.

So yesterday, I took the hanging from the wall and ripped off the old binding. I searched through my stash to try to find a green that would go just right and still with the other fabrics...I was lucky...or maybe it is just that I have so many fat quarters of green. Anway, I replaced the binding. It still isn't the best - I think ripping the old off may have stretched some of the border fabric out of shape but I think it looks better.

Stashbuster update

I have my second stashbuster ready to quilt. It is approximaterly 30x40 inches. I am going to hand quilt it. It will hang on the wall in the "kids room" - the bedroom I have for the grandchildren when they visit.

I also had a chance to hang the first UFO I did for my guild contract. All of the materials are from my stash...buttons, trim, etc. It is a far cry from the lonely orphan block I pulled from the pile.

Now just 4 more UFOs to do before January. I committed to another orphan block and two vintage orphan blocks in addition to finishing the quilt that I started 30 years ago! It was my first attempt at quilting and I am going to call it "Groan" - a play on words...it will show how much my skills have grown and how I groan over it!