Ashley's All Fenced In is REALLY finished :)

A while ago I "finished" my daughter Ashley's quilt for her birthday.  I decided that it would need some hand quilting to REALLY make it look nice ;D  ...those darn Quilting Ancestors really know how to haunt us into doing the hand quilting stuff ...thanks to Konda, I now know it's the Quilting Ancestors who argue and speak to me ;D  It took a while, just quilting a little here and there, but finally, last night, I got it done :)

Here is my beautiful Ashley with her finished quilt.

The hand quilting is VERY organic ;D ....organic means: "not perfect" or "not straight" or "not even stitches" or in my case, all three :)

I used a fun, slightly variegated, pearl cotton that I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby :)

The quilting shows up very sweetly on the minky back.

Ashley will be taking this to college with her. 

We are going to MISS her terribly!!! :( :::.......

PS- In case you were wondering what our door sign says, here is a close up.

Ashley has been dating a few new boys and we wanted them to know that they SHOULD NOT KISS Ashley, because she has COOTIES!! :D ...we aren't sure if the sign is helping or not.. :\

Ashley IS All Fenced In!!!!

Within a few days of me starting my quilting adventure back in January, my 17 year old put in her order for a quilt of her own.  She loved the All Fenced In by Elizabeth Hartman from her book The Practical Guide to Patchwork (The first quilt book I ever bought).  We bought the fabric and I just himed and hawed because her birthday isn't until July, and let's face it, a quilt needs to be given at a very special occasion... like an 18th birthday party :)
Well, July is fast approaching and she was gone this week at Girls Camp, with our church, so I decided to get it finished up :)
I have to confess I cried and cried as I basted it...like the sobbing kind that you don't want anyone to catch you doing.  I can't believe that the little baby who would sit on my pillow and sing her sweet baby songs as I tried to get 5 more minutes of sleep is going off to college.  I am really not a very sentimental person, but man, I cried HARD!  ..oh no, I am going to start again!  I'd better show you my pictures :)

I decided to do a sampling of quilting styles on each block, leaving the turquoise unquilted.

Every other block was stippled.

Sorry this picture is so washed out.  You can only see half of the quilt in this shot as the quilt is pretty big.  The majority of the back is cream minky with a stripe of color along one long edge of the back.

I am thinking now that I am going to go get some matching turquoise pearl cotton and do a big stitch along the sashing and borders.  We shall see :)
I got this baby bound this morning, not quite before the girls got home from camp :p  I finished it off with another quilt over the top of it so she couldn't see what I was doing.  I watched The Vow while I was stitching :)

I am going to be linking this up with Elizabeth and SHOW OFF FRIDAY over at a Pieceful Life :), Sew & Tell Friday with AmyLouWho, Sew Many Ways Find a Friend Friday and Sarah over at The Fabric Addict for CAN I GET A WHOOP WHOOP???

Just a teaser ;)

Guess what's almost finished?

I have about half of the binding finished :)  Ash should be home before 11am tomorrow, so I need to get up early and get this baby done!

WIP Wednesday ..so much to do... so little time...

Yesterday, my head was still tender, so I just chilled.  I did get all of my curved petal pieces pinned, sewed and pressed :)

Now I am working on sewing the sashing on the square petal pieces...

So here is what I've got simmering on my burners...

I've GOT to baste and quilt Corrine's quilt.  It is driving me NUTS that this is not finished.  As soon as I finish this post, that is where I am heading.  I can finish my quilt later.  I've got to get this bad boy DOnE!!
Here is the other spur in my boot...

Ashley's quilt.  I was thinking that I'd give it to her for her birthday in July, but on second thought, I think it will be her graduation present.  I've got to get it off of my "to do" list.  I don't like a long WIP list.  It makes me anxious and I feel like I am accomplishing nothing.
Also on my WIP list is some sort of knitting project out of the AWESOME yarn I got for my birthday from Suzy...

I am thinking a throw.  Here is what I have so far... DO NOT LAUGH!!!

I'm going to have to undo it and get longer needles, but I have been playing with a pattern to see if I like it.  This is a "no hurry" project, like the Retro Flower quilt is going to have to be.  I can live with a few of those, for a period of time, but not too many.  I am always in a hurry and I want everything done NOW ;D  My poor kids :(
Oh, I have to get my hubbies quilt finished for his birthday next week.

I am using Emily Herrick's brilliant "Going Coastal" to make her equally brilliant quilt "Surf Shop" quilt for him.  He's going to LOVE it!  THANK YOU, Emily for the pattern.  I am SO excited to make this quilt :)  I am also making the same quilt, different fabric, for my nephews room.  I need to do some figuring for fabric as it is for a twin sized bed.   ....another thing on my list :)

So here is the action plan for the week.  I am going to get Corrine's quilt basted and start quilting on it today.  I'd like to have it all finished by tomorrow night.  100% possible.  I need a big finish for this week.

I'll work on David's quilt Saturday while he is at work.  I can probably get it cut and the top pieced.  Quilting can be done next week while he is at work.
I am sure there are more plans that need to be made, but these will work for now :)
I am linking up with WIP Wednesday

Ashley's Topped

I finished this quilt top late last night :)  YIPPEE!!!  It's been cut out for a LONG time!  I seem to think that I don't want to quilt this today.  I am not sure what color thread to use.  It will probably have to be white or cream.  Hmmmmm......
I am off to go see my dad.  He had knee replacement on Tuesday.
Have a GREAT Thursday!
Quilting plans for the rest of this week....
AUSTIN's Quilt!

I hope to at least get it cut out and the top sewn.  It's going to be a simple patchwork, similar to Reagan's quilt, except bigger squares and no chenille flowers.  Maybe a chenille block or two ;)  Austin is blind and severely autistic.  Texture is everything to him.  His mom picked fabric that she likes but is masculine enough for a 16 year old boy ;D  Hopefully he will like this quilt.  He has gone places with a pink quilt because it is the right weight, size and texture ;D  My sil doesn't care much what color it is, so long and Austin is happy :)

I also found a group of new quilt bloggers that are linking together to support each other :)  Link back and check out all of the new enthusiasts!  marciascraftysewing.blogspot.com

I am linking this post up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict WHOOP WhOOP!!
and Crazy Mom Quilts finish it up Friday!!!

WIP Wednesday...so much to do, so little time....

Here's what's in the works for the rest of the week.
I would like to finish Ashley's All Fenced in quilt by Thursday night, but before she comes home on Sunday.  Here is what I've got going so far on Ash's quilt...

The blocks waiting to be sewn.

Sewn, pressed and starched blocks waiting for trimming.

Trimmed blocks waiting for sewing all together to make a FABULOUS quilt :D

I'd also like to get on top of Austin's quilt...

and Corrine's zigzag quilt...

All three of these quilts should be done next week.  Well, I should say that Austin's NEEDS to be done next Friday because he's coming to town to get it ;D  I suppose I could chill and just do one quilt a week and that would be fine ;)

Oh, I'd like to make some make zippered make-up bags for the girls.

WAIT- STOP THE PRESSES!!!  I need to finish cutting out my retro flower quilt!  

The fabric I bought for the background is HORRIBLE, so I need to get some new fabric.  What do you think about using grey for the background instead of white?  Hmm... I think grey might be pretty cool.  I am also waiting for the invisi-grip to come in the mail from JoAnn.com along with a bunch of thread and a gallon of Best Press.  I have a serious crush on that stuff!

I think that is all for my WIP Wednesday.  I am linking up with Freshly Pieced for

Zakka SAL House Pouch

I was a SUPER good girl today :)  I exercised and did yoga and went to PT :)  Along with all of my good for my body stuff, I also sewed the Zakka SAL zippered house pouch and got a few blocks of Ashley's All Fenced in Quilt done :)  Get ready for the pics :)

 I have to say that I think it's pretty dang cute.  I am going to mail it to my mother in law in Germany for Mothers's Day.  I was pretty worried about making a zippered pouch but it was pretty easy and I will probably make some more this week for me and my girls.  I love acquiring a new skill ;D  It was pretty easy to make, BONUS!

So what is next?  Oh, yes, Ashley's All Fenced In quilt.  The pattern is from Elizabeth Hartman book The Practical Guide To Patchwork.  It is the first quilting book I ever bought and she is my HERO!

These are my blocks above, and this is Elizabeth's quilt from a pic I took from the book below.

 Oh, and as a follow up from Saturday, check this out!

My baby figured out how to ride his bike!!!  GO GO GO!!!  I came up stairs to get something and low and behold, he was out two wheeling all on his own!  BEST DAY EVER!! ;D

I am linking this post up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict WHOOP WhOOP!!
and Crazy Mom Quilts finish it up Friday!!!

Cutting, Cutting, Cutting!

These are the piles of fabric for Ashley's All Fenced In Quilt. These are 3.5", 2.5" and 1.5" strips by 12.5". There are 10 different fabrics and the stacks are REALLY tall. I should have gotten a shot of that :p