Boxed Blessings finally done!

Boxed Blessings the "big" quilt retreat quilt I was planning to work on is finally done. I thought I could get it all pieced and in a top by the time I came home. I could have... if I hadn't waited to start until Sat night! I found too many other fun, quick projects and didn't quite get done with the blocks. I had them about 3/4 done, and shipped them home. Over the past month, I've had to make a number of bags, so this kept getting pushed to the back burner. I quilted it in about 5 days, and spent 6 hours ripping out three rows of quilting because of bad tension issues. I think I was rushing too fast to be done on Memorial Day weekend. I put the binding on last Fri night and have worked all week to get the binding hand sewn down. After I got home from class last night I finished the last side of binding up while I visited/watched TV with Paul. He starts his new job on Monday, so today's his last non-working day to stay at home and veg, so he stayed up late last night while I sewed. The back and the front of the quilt, with the cool binding. I have enough to make a pillowcase to go with it too. I'll get the quilt to the store today so it's there for strip club tomorrow.

This is the finished quilt

Boxed Blessings/ Pop Parade Quilt Top Done

Tonight my goal was get the blocks finished for the Boxed Blessings quilt done. I had them done by the time Dancing came on, so while I was watching that I put them all out on the bed and played with them. I talked to Jill for a while and then went and sewed the blocks. I was so excited to get the opt done. Now I'll just have to quilt it. I don't think I'll end up putting borders on it. It doesn't call for them. I'll decide tomorrow when I'm at class and have some opinions.

Here's a close up. I'm very happy with how my corners matched up, even though I didn't have a very consistant 1/4". I didn't square them up, but they went together well. I'm using the lime green check on the back and the same lime/purple stripe in the block centers as the binding.

Boxed Blessings/ Pop Parade Quilt

My main project for Quilt Retreat with my peeps was the Boxed Blessings pattern by Ingrid Barlow. Mom had bought the pattern in Sioux Falls because that's the one thing I really wanted her to pick up on her trip. We had just gotten in the Pop Parade line, so I thought it would make the perfect line to make these blocks.
I only got about 3/4 done at retreat, because let's face it I got distracted with other fun and easy projects. I left this one till late Sat. night and all day Sun. and I couldn't concentrate, knowing the time with my peeps was almost over. I had the main stack on the left done by the time I left, and all the matching pieces (the ones in the middle of this picture) sewn together. They just needed to be attached to the main part. Last night I started attaching them. I got about 1/2 done with attaching one side.

This is how each block will look when I get them put together. Hopefully I'll get all the blocks done tonight. We were watching the Survivor finale when I was trying to do these, so not as much done as I would have liked. With Dancing with the Stars and Bachelorette on tomorrow night, I know I could be easily distracted. My second and final night of Bag Ladies is Tues. night, so it's going to be a busy week.

Peeps Retreat Day 5 - Sunday

Sunday morning I awoke just in time for breakfast. It was another wonderful, filling meal. Then I was ready to tackle my Pop Parade- Boxed Blessings blocks. I spent all day working on them and only got about 3/4 done before it was time to quit and pack up our stuff. We took lots of pictures of the peeps too!

Jen, Jill, & Moneik

Regina D/S, Jen, Moneik, Regina A, Jill

I rode back to Jill's with Jen and Sherry which was a lot of fun. Angry White Woman sure has some great stories to tell! Some how we missed the turn and went the wrong way, but with the GPS we found our way back to Best Friends, the shop Jill works at. I saw so many cute fabrics, but had to refrain as I knew I had way too much stuff. I did pick up a pattern for a purse I'm really looking forward to trying.
We had supper at Panera Breads which was a treat for me and then headed back to Jill's. I packed up my stuff and got ready to send some home. It was 1:30AM before we headed to bed, but we were having so much fun talking & laughing. Jen and Jill couldn't understand why we watch the local news, so I said "because it's stuff that really happens"... they thought this was hysterical!

Peeps Retreat Day 4- Saturday

After a two hour nap, I was awaken and ready to start sewing again. I worked on a cutting all my Thangles HST's apart. Then I worked on the pie pin cushion Jen had brought for us. I got mine done and then I moved on to a couple runaround bags for Jill and Cindy.

I also showed Jennifer N. how easy runaround bags are to make.
I started on my Boxed Blessings quilt and got the squares all done on Sat. It was a late night, about 2 AM before we called it a night, but we were all having so much fun.

I also won one of the Fabric Calculators, so I was super excited. I already had one, but I wanted a new one. I gave my old one to a friend, and I hope she'll get a lot of use out of it as well as she is new to quilting.