April Piecing

I've been doing a bunch of random piecing as leader/enders while I was making other tops this month. I finished all the Rhododendron Trail B blocks and started getting the side blocks done. 

I finished a few more Rhod Trail side blocks. These go together pretty quickly. 

I am getting caught up on Christmas In Europe blocks. This is block 5.

I also finished block 6. 

I made new curtains for my MIL for her birthday. She loves red and butterflies. 

Another block for the CIE BOM is done. 

More side blocks of Rhod Trail Mystery

I also pieced two quilt tops, but they are already quilted, so I will share those soon. 
 

Binding Week

 This week was dedicated to binding quilts. I have lots of quilts quilted, but they were sitting waiting for binding, so my goal this week was to get 4 quilts bound.

I started binding the Twister table toppers I made for Julie. The little one is 17" and the big one is 25". They turned out great, but the binding on those inside corners was a nightmare. I should have stitched and flipped instead of quilting them. 

I used a Sweetwater fabric that has brands and barbed wire on it. 

Here they are stacked on top of each other. I hand-stitched the binding on these this week. 

I also made a wall hanging for my friend Pat for her birthday. She loves the Sakura fabric and while it's a month late, she completely understands. I hand sewed the binding on this one too. 

I added the binding by machine to the 3rd ABC quilt. I now have 2 baby quilts for when I need them for gifts. I was one piece short and had to look hard to find the extra binding fabric. 

I also did the binding on this Quilts of Valor quilt I made for a family member. It turned out super cute and I think he'll like it. 

I did loops and stars in RWB King Tut on this one. 

This weekend I put the binding on June, the quilt along from last year with GE Designs. I love this one, but I think it's going to be a teacher's gift. 

I used Glamping Gypsies fabric for this one. It's 73X93, so it's big! I quilted it the long ways as I had extra-wide red backing. 

Yesterday I got new struts put on my car. Look how shiny and pretty they are!

My brother has a new auto business and he put them on for me. It gave me a chance to visit with him and catch up without the whole family around. He does such good work. 

Last week I did my last gig of the school year with a career fair at Spearfish High School. I also did one at Stevens High School the same night. It was a lot of fun and my co-worker Susie went with me to the event. 

Saturday I helped 15 4-Hers make tote bags for our Pizza and Craft Day. It was a lot of work, but the kids had fun and they made some adorable bags. There were 4 sewing machines, a mom, dad, and a grandma who helped, and lots of different outdoor fabrics for tote bags. They were simple lined totes with webbing for handles. This is the 3rd year in a row that the kids have done a sewing project. 

Last week of February

This week is already flying by so quickly. We've had 2 late start mornings and I feel like we may have another one tomorrow. Monday was President's Day and I had big plans for a quilting day at my dad's house after the kid's dentist appointments. The weather was supposed to be bad (6" of snow and below 0 temps), so I changed the plan. I decided Friday that I would go out on Saturday afternoon, after morning haircuts. I worked on the side borders for this quilt until 10:30 Friday night (after my birthday supper at Fuji Steakhouse). I couldn't get them on right, so I went to bed. While Paul took the kids to haircuts, I finished the borders, mopped the floors, cleaned up the kitchen, and sorted laundry. 
Saturday after lunch the kids and I went to Dad's house to quilt. I quilted this little boy quilt for Jace, the son of our work-study student Megan. Then I quilted my pillow swap (which I'll show after it's received) and the HST Valentine L'Amour table runner. 

It was going so well and it was only 2:30, so I loaded my Hey June quilt which is 73"x97". It is a big one, but I knew I had time to quilt it. The machine would not work! I messed with it for 30 minutes before giving up! I set up mom's sewing machine and fixed my dad's shirts and a couple things for his wife. I put everything away and decided I'd come back another day. I moved the quilting machine and it worked! It literally was like God said, "fix your dad's mending". I would have otherwise put him off. 

Thursday I had a foot doctor appointment and had enough time to finish sewing this quadrant of my EPP quilt. 

So I quilted Hey June horizontally (as I had 1" of backing and batting on each side). It was meant to be quilted this way. It quilted up beautifully after the break! I couldn't find anything else that could or would have caused the issue. I don't know who this will go to, but it's quilted and that's what matters. I used wide back red and 124" wide white warm & white batting from the Sewing Center. After it was done, I quilted a 40" square of purple Homemade fabric to make some more by Annie bags/patterns. I didn't have a plan, but I just quilted up the fabric and will cut it out later when I decide what to make with it. 

Last night I sewed the binding on my pillow swap pillow, my valentine's table runner (but was short, darn it!) and then I had put these by my table to finish as needed. I ended up sewing the binding I had cut on these 2 table toppers. I just gave them to a student for an adoption fundraiser he is helping with this weekend. I didn't have any other thing planned for them and it just felt like they would help that cause. 

Monday night I finished the binding on Jace's quilt. I think it turned out pretty cute for a "scrap quilt". I was kind of kicking myself for spending $40 on backing and more background for a scrap quilt (which I think of as a free quilt), but I know it was the right decision to spring for the minkee backing. I did frankenbatt the batting together from scraps, so that was free too. 
 
Sunday night Mathew and I played his new Monopoly game. Friday was the 2 year anniversary of my cancer sister's DMX. I wore my Heidi shirt to work as I celebrated what being a survivor means for me. Harmony is the background quilt. 

Harmony

I think it was 2 years ago, GE Designs did a quilt along for Harmony. I cut everything out, but wasn't able to sew along that day. I started piecing it last year and finally got it together. I quilted it back in December, but it wasn't a priority to get it finished, so it sat. 

Monday I decided I wanted 1 more finish for January, so I put the binding on by machine. This fabric is Nova and a cream Grunge for background. I really love how it turned out and I'm looking forward to gifting it. I'm not sure who will receive it, but it's done. 

My SIL says it looks like barb wire and has asked for a King Size quilt with blue, green, and browns. I'm going to start collecting fabrics and see what I can come up with for them. 

My friend Emilee bought me this shirt for Christmas. It is so me! I absolutely love it. 
 

Quilting and Quilt Retreat

 My sewing friends and I decided to get away for a few days to sew at the Passionate Quilters retreat. We ran into a snag when they wanted everyone to make all day, every day at the retreat, so we went to our friend Tammy's home. She kicked her hubby out and we enjoyed 4 days of sewing. I worked on several quilts. 

This is a picture of all of us together. It's been 8 years since we all got to sew together for a weekend. 

I finished the Swoon 16 top. 

I also finished the Harmony top in Nova. My SIL thinks it looks like barb wire, so I'm going to make a quilt for them in these colors. 

I made the Threadology top and planned to give it to my hubby's aunt, but my MIL loved it, so I made it a little wider and she received it for Christmas. 

I finished Mathew's quilt top Marina and quilted it with a blue minkee backing and wide back flannel. 

I made this RWB Jelly Belly quilt for my co-worker Myron who is a veteran. He does so much for me, that I thought he would like it. 

I finished the inside of Frolic and am working on the border. I'm doing it as a leader ender, so it's taking a while. 

I finished the Hey June top. This one doesn't have a home yet, so I'm not sure what color I'm going to use on it. 

I finished the Phoenix top in Little Snippets. I quilted this one with a red minkee backing and I gave it to my MIL for Christmas. 

I finished my Meadowland quilt top and I got it quilted before Christmas. I just need to get it bound. It's for me. 

My dad's wife wanted a baby quilt, so I quilted up this panel and she was able to gift it the next day. 

I quilted a couple of Quilts 4 Kyds quilts.

I quilted a couple of Quilts 4 Kyds quilts.

It was a very successful retreat and quilting day at my dad's house. 

Central States Fair

 

This year the Central States Fair was good to me. I had 19 items in Quilts & 14 in Sewing. I received 24 1st place ribbons, 9 2nd place and 2 Best in class (Bags & Embroidery). 

Mikaela received a Best of Class for her embroidery bear. 

She received a Best of Show for her pillowcase. 

She received a Best of Class for her cat doll quilt.