Virtual Quilting Retreat

This weekend most of my closest blogging friends are all at a quilt retreat in the WI Dells. I had planned to join them, as I did last year when I got to meet them all for the first time when we went to OH. With the challenges my family has faced this year, I decided it wasn't meant for me to go this year. I made the decision in early January and things have significantly improved, but I had already decided not to go. I miss my blogging friends so much!
Jen and Regina wouldn't leave me out though! I decided I would do a virtual quilt retreat with them. Friday night after work I got started. I made 4 red project bags and 3 mini black project bags. These will go to my dear quilting friends. I've had them cut out for months, but just got around to finishing them. The Keep On Quilting logo was from fabric I got at retreat last year.


Then I made a bigger project bag for my UFO's. It's already been filled with my latest UFO from Sat. I used the Winding Ways fabric for the applique. I also used the teflon foot to sew all these, including the applique and zipper and it worked great!

Then I moved on to my snowball/9 patch blocks. I needed to get my April ones done and ended up making 15 which is what I had cut out. I ran out of the gray rock candy, so I guess I won't be making any more blocks. I figured out I needed 2 more after I layed it out, so I quickly whipped those up with the few leftovers I had.


Then I layed it out on my design wall. It's 5x7 and I think will make a nice throw quilt for playing I Spy. It's so fun to look at all these fabrics and remember the projects I've made with them. I piled them all up in order so I can sew them together in May.

I really wanted to play with the new 60 degree ruler I got, so I used the scraps I had from the Al Fresco line and started cutting. I'm really not sure how I'm goint to lay them out. I was going to go with random and then I layed them in the hexi's. Not sure I like them this way either. The pattern I saw had them all random in a tablerunner. I'm thinking mine will be more short and fat like a table topper.



Throughout the evening, I was texting with Jen and Regina and keeping up with their projects and showing them what I was working on. It was so good to hear from them even if I couldn't be with them. I finished up a nice pile of each, so I have plenty to play with. I saved enough backing and binding, so now i just have to figure out how to set them.

It was after 1AM when I finally called it a night, but it was so fun to sew again for once! It feels like I haven't been doing much all month.

Snowball Quilt Along

Today was a productive day! We stayed home all day, which gave me lots of time to do things I normally don't get to do. I started the day with making Eggs in the Hole for breakfast.  They were deamed great and we'll be having them again. I picked up Pioneer Woman's new cookbook this week and made a list of all the ingredients I needed to make several of the recipes. Paul and I went grocery shopping for the things last night, so I could cook all day today! After breakfast I started laundry, then set down and made my 9 patches and snowballs for the Quilt Along. I have 18 done so far and figure it will take me 3-5 months to finish it. I'll finish it by Christmas and give it as a gift. I'm making it to be an ISPY quilt.


I put them all on the design wall to see how it would look and then put them away until April.

I started working on some block butlers before lunch and I got about half done when Paul woke up from his nap. I headed up to the kitchen to start cooking. I made dough, cinnamon rolls, and Red Velvet cake, all within a 4 hour period. The kitchen looked like a tornado went through, but in the end I had lots of fun and we had some pretty spicy Calzones for supper. The Red Velvet cake was quite the undertaking, but although a bit dry, it is pretty good, though really sweet. The cinnamon roll batch made a lot of rolls! I think I have about 70 made. I did freeze some though. All the recipes were from the PW cookbook and very easy to follow.
After supper I started printing out the pictures for my quilt journal. I have 75+ quilt pictures to print since August when I did it last. I got about half done before quitting for the night. I finished up the block butlers and then loaded my siggy quilt on the frame. I'm hoping to get it quilted tomorrow.


I feel so good about all I accomplished and look forward to being able to sew tomorrow.

Thangles BOM Month 2

My monthly goals are really helping me stay on task and finish up some of the UFO's I accumulated over the past couple years. I decided I was going to try to do 2 blocks a month. I started in February and so far, so good. Tonight I was able to make up blocks 3 & 4.
Block 3

Block 4

Blocks 3&4 together

Blocks 1, 2, 3, & 4 - I'm really pleased with how these are turning out. I still haven't figured out if I'll end up making the full size quilt or just a wall hanging, but I'm enjoying the process of finishing a few at a time. They are quick and easy, and I can put them away in my block butler and they are all neat and easy to find when I'm ready to do another one.

I pulled out the Block butler fabric and materials I have to make them. I decided the fabric I bought to make them needed to be washed, so I threw it in the wash. I should be able to make these up tomorrow. I'd like to be able to give them to my friends in the next few weeks.
My weekend looks pretty open which is highly unusual. I bought lots of supplies tonight to make several recipes from Pioneer Womans cookbook. I haven't had time to cook/bake in a long time. My sewing goals include quilting my big siggy quilt, make 3 block butlers, finish the 9 patch/snowball quilt along blocks (they are laying out ready to sew), cut out log cabin wanna be a cowgirl quilt, and work on Paul's wolf applique wall hanging.

Snowball 9 Patch Quilt Along

Last night I did the hand sewing on a quilt binding and finished up the binding while I was watching TV. It's amazing how much I can get done while The Bachelor is on. After it was over I headed to the studio to work on my quilt along blocks. I made 6 9 patch blocks and they turned out pretty cool. I'm doing an ISPY quilt using the snowballs and 9 patches. So far I haven't repeated any of the fabrics, so we'll see how far I get doing it this way.

Here are the 9 patch blocks with the first set of snowballs.

I bought this book and am looking forward to trying to sew a few doll clothes. I have a porcelin doll my grandma made and the only clothes I have for it are two very fancy dresses. When I saw this book I decided I would try to make some clothes for it. Has anyone made doll clothes before? Are there any tricks I should know? I've made clothes for myself, so I don't think it will be too hard.

Snowball Quilt Along

Since the quilt along came about I've been anxious to get started. I knew exactly what I was doing with my big snowballs. Several have already gotten their 6 blocks done, so I was really itching to work on mine and I didn't think I'd have a chance this week. Patti hit with her snowballs and Jen was right behind her today, I figured I'd better get busy with mine! I had an unexpected night off, so while I watched the Bachelor with my family, I cut out lots of 6 1/2" fussy cut squares and 2.5" squares. I'm not sure exactly what I'm doing, but I decided to outline my snowball blocks in silver rock candy fabric. I'm going to have to play around next month with the 2.5" squares to see what kind of pattern I can develop. I'm loving this quilt along and I'm so excited I was able to get mine done! Thanks for all the encouragement ladies. Your support and friendship means the world to me. Who will throw out their snowballs or 9 patches next???