starting to look like a quilt

I found myself with an unexpected block of time this afternoon and - Voila -  my Bird of Paradise top (minus the side borders) is together!

The blocks required very little trimming and went together so easily.  I'm excited to get started on the side borders now  :0)

Happy Quilting!

trimming the first border

Once again I must thank my embroidery encouraging friend for coming over.  I was unhappy with my owl eyes and so last night she came over and my embroidery needle got busy again.  

 Mostly I made the eyes larger with less outline - more owlly  :0)  Whew!!  Am I ever glad that is over with.

 I lost no time in getting blocks trimmed today and the bottom row assembled so I could attach the border.  It looked like it needed a couple empty spots filled.

So I added another leaf and a butterfly tonight - much better.  The blank space over the horses is being reserved for my initials and the year of completion.  (this year hopefully)  I'm just so excited to be putting these blocks together finally. 

Happy Quilting!

more leaves

Wow, does a week ever go by fast!  Of course this is all a matter of perspective as my youngest turns 7 this weekend and for her the last week has crawled by :0)

I don't have much to show for myself.  I am happily stitching leaves for my Susan McCord Trailing vine panel #11.  Any time I've had at my machine has been spent piecing leaves together.  It was a long break from this project and now I am excited to be back to it.

Happy Quilting!!

a new year - old projects

I'm not a big goal setter.  But so far this New Year I have been working on existing projects.  I finished all the blocks for my coffee table cover up and put them together on Monday (first day the kids went back to school) 

  I was worried it would be a bit boring compared to the other one I made but the variety of prints makes it for me.  I could enjoy a full sized quilt of these 2 blocks  :0)  It goes perfectly with the rug in my living room.  Now to decide how to quilt it.

 I tried forked pins for the first time.  Another quilter gave them to me for Christmas.  (Thanks Liz!) I just love them!  Why ever did I not get some before.  They are wonderful for matching seams and holding seam allowances down.  I include the picture for my Mom who will ask "What are forked pins?" 

 I am much less happy with my owl eyes.  My embroidery encouraging friend came over last night and I finally got to working on these eyes.  Now that I see them in the light of day - they are too small.  I will fix them up tonight now that I know how to do them.

 The other horse's embroidery I was much happier with.  I decided that the horses do not need eyes.  Who would notice eyes on a galloping horse?  This means that once the owl eyes are fixed I am done with embroidery for this border and I can start assembling the top - yippee!  This way I can design the side borders to fit.

I also stopped procrastinating about my vine quilt and started drawing panel #11.  I had an enlargement made of the picture in the Fons and Porter book and acquired a fabulous magnifying glass from my husband so I can see the details better.  Can you believe that he had this perfect tool just sitting around?  I have 3 branches drawn so far.  Its actually pretty fun!  Why do I put these things off so long?  I know I said I'm not a goal setter but I would really like to see both the Susan McCord Vine quilt and the Bird of Paradise tops finished in 2015. I am just dying to start a new big applique project or 2 and these are both pretty close.  Don't ask me how long ago I started them...

Happy Quilting!