Check Out My New Bee

Some people I'm acquainted with over at the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild and I have decided to start a virtual sewing bee.  Check us out and keep an eye on us!  We'll be doing some fun stuff!

Jayden's Quilt

Here's the back of Jayden's quilt:

I think I like the backing more than the front:

It's basted... but I'm not quite confident enough to quilt it just yet...  Need to practice some more...

Picnic Quilt

I've had this UFO going for a while now... Trying to finish it up in short order!

Am 1/3 of the way finished with tying it... and then I will have to bind it and wash it...

This is what I'm bringing to work on this weekend to my KCMQG sewing afternoon.  Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is working on and getting away for a few hours.

It's made from batik charm squares that I got when one of my guilds (Blue Valley Quilters' Guild) did a charm square exchange not too long ago.  I signed up for a couple of packs plus I added a few from my collection.  It's pretty big.  I wanted something we could spread out and sprawl out on.  The backing is a darker batik, which should hide dirt nicely.  This one will be used a lot, I think.

Color Class

Last Saturday, my good friend, Parthena treated me to a quilting class.  Some ME time....  And I pounced on the opportunity to go.  Prairie Point Quilt Shop is where the class was and I had such a great time.  The teacher had all of these pre-cut 2 1/2 inch squares and we delighted in designing these blocks...  Which are your favorites?

I like the yellow one and the last one with reds/oranges/yellows/green....

So much fun.  I put the yellow one together, basted it and quilted it on my machine with my new darning foot.  That's a great name for this particular foot because I was saying, "Darn!" a lot...  My tension on my bobbin must be screwed up or something because I did an awful lot of "unsewing"...  

But I stitched the binding on with a machine and I just need to tack it down by hand.  I'll have myself a new little wall hanging for my bathroom in no time, thank you very much!

And by the way, Parthena, if you're reading this, I appreciate your friendship more than you know and I've missed you since you've been out of town.  Come home soon!

Passing the Time...

Making biscuits... Endlessly...

Jayden's Quilt

My sister, Laura has 4 daughters and lives in Houston.  Olivia is 7, Cameron is 5, Natalie is 3 1/2 and Marley just turned 1.

That's a picture of the girls with  my boys during Easter weekend.

Since then, they've opened their home up to a little boy named Jayden.  He is 2 1/2 years old and they will be fostering him for an indefinite amount of time.  They would like to eventually adopt him, but it's too soon to know how that will work out...

So I've made him a quilt.  Here is the top:

I pieced the back and it turns out, I like it more than the front.  I haven't had a chance to snap a picture of the back just yet...  

I'm going to have to find some safety pins and get serious about quilting it.  Not using batting.  It's hot in Houston.  Going to use my new darning foot.  Maybe some free motion circles or something...  We shall see...

A New Foot!

I forgot to mention that I got a new darning foot for my machine.  The lady at Joanne's in Overland Park was very nice this visit.  By the way, they never called me from my last visit when I left my # and told them I needed one...

She showed me how to drop my feed dogs (I had no idea that I could do that) and demonstrated how to meander.  Looks like exactly what I want to do...  Will let you know how it goes!

Updates

I'm back from my Easter travels.  Saw family and friends and drove a LOT.

Now it's time to get things back in order so that I can SEW!

I am halfway through the laundry (2 1/2 big piles left)...

I need to switch out winter/summer clothes for the kids...

I am making two new raised gardens in my backyard.  Still need to finish up lining them with landscape fabric and filling them with dirt...  Then I'll put more of that landscape fabric stuff on top and we'll be ready for planting...  I'm hopeful that I can be ready to plant by Friday or so...  Will need to top everything off with mulch once I've planted, I think.

Had a very successful birthday party with Wyatt and his buddies.  Stick horses were a hit.  Now that his party is behind me, I need to start thinking about Owen's birthday party in late May.  Also, my in-laws are having their 50th wedding anniversary over Memorial Day weekend.  We'll be having a big party and I'm going to be pretty busy with getting ready for it...

But I bought new fabric for a new project.  My sister, Laura lives in Houston.  She has 4 girls and is about to get a foster son.  I think he needs a quilt of his own.  I bought some cute puppy dog fabric with a blue background and several solids to compliment it... Going to try square in a square, I think.  It should come together pretty quickly.  I think I'll make 12 1/2 inch blocks... Probably 12 of them.  I have some fun weenie dog fabric for the backing.  I don't plan to use batting since they live in Houston.  I have some satin ribbon that I plan to use for binding but I've not tried that before.  Sorry I don't have pictures of the fabric yet, but the door leading up to my sewing room (attic) is blocked by laundry.

One thing that's cramped my style lately is that the hubs has been traveling.  He went to DC last week and leaves for Toronto Tuesday...  Will be gone till Friday.  Ugh.  Good thing my in-laws are around to stop by to visit.  Always helps to break up the day when we go on an outing.  Anyways, there's been no time for me to have "me" time...

But hopefully that will change starting Saturday.  Am going on a road trip (all by myself, blissfully) to Abilene, KS.  Going to meet some Quilts of Valor friends from Wichita and visit the Eisenhower Library to talk with them about an upcoming project they're doing.  For Veterans' Day, they are going to be displaying quilts made for the Quilts of Valor Project and will then be donating all of the quilts to Kansas military people.  So excited about that.  If you'd like more details, let me know.  The more quilts, the better!

On The Road

I'm in Houston visiting my sisters.  Drove to Little Rock Wed...  To Houston Fri... Going back to Little Rock Mon... Then home Wed...

Has been good to see everyone, but I'm so very tired.  I miss my husband and I miss my bed.  My boys aren't sleeping as well since we're not at home and I don't have much help in the wrangling department.  It's leaving me very weary.

I have decided to treat myself to a lot of extra quilting time when I get home.  I need that therapy.  Have been looking all around online for inspiration and I've found lots.

Cannot wait to get home to sew!