CGQC-January Finishes

I don’t feel like I accomplished too much this month. I did complete 2 quilt tops, but neither one of them are quilted yet. I was able to get my Bee & Round Robin blocks done, but I haven’t sent out my fabric for the bee yet. I will be doing that tomorrow or Tuesday. Here are pics of what I have done for January.

Top made…not quilted

Top made…not quilted. I am thinking about taking this one apart. I don’t care for the way it is laid out.

Donna’s block finished and mailed

My sample Bee block made. (all the fabric is ready to mail to the ladies…not pic)

 

My Round Robin block made and mailed.

Top is FINISHED!!!

I decided to go ahead and add the border. When I measured the fabric I had left from the sheet I used, it came out to the exact size I needed to do a border without an inch to spare. I decided that the border was meant to be. I am so glad I added it :) I hadn’t planned on this quilt taking so long. It was a lot of work, and I thought about giving up a few times. I sure am glad I stuck it through :)

Now for the hard part…quilting it! I still haven’t decided on a FMQ design. Suggestions??

Finally and HELP

I finally have all the strips sewn together (imagine me doing a happy dance). It is suppose to have a 3 inch white border, and I am trying to decide if I am going to add it or not. I probably will end up adding it, what do you think? Also what about the quilting design. I want to FMQ this one (because it didn’t come out straight and I don’t want to mess with trying to get the markings right). Any ideas???

If it's not one thing, it’s another!

Ok, the Valentine Quilt Top is ALMOST finished. I have 4 more strips to add before it is done. Just one thing, I was ironing the seams on the last strip I sewed on and there was red wax from a candle I had sat on the ironing board this morning. I guess a small piece came loose. Guess where it ended up??? Ironed onto one of the WHITE squares of my quilt!

Please, does anyone know how to get red wax out of white fabric??? Of course it had to be the white square and not a RED one!!!

see just half a square up and it wouldn’t have been noticeable :(

I’m at it AGAIN :)

After an encouraging comment from Pat I have taken a break and a DEEP breath. I am feeling much better and I am ready to give it another go. If all goes as planned, my quilt top WILL be finished tonight :)

Do you ever…

feel like the quilting gods are against you??? I swear if it could go wrong, it has gone wrong while making this Valentine quilt! First the interruptions, then the seams not matching up just right, and now the Starch can is broke! I just dropped it. In fact I have dropped 2 brand new starch cans in as many days! UGGG…I am beginning to think that this quilt is just not meant to be!

By the way, I decided not to rip out all those squares and redo them so the seams would match up. I am stretching and making it work! There is NO WAY I am ripping all those squares out…Not sure what I did wrong, but I tell you I sure was consistent at it. They are off in the exact same places in each strip. If it were not so frustrating it might be funny.

Well I am off to buy yet another can of starch…maybe I will actually get to use this one. I know starch isn’t all that expensive but when you only get a few sprays from each can it starts adding up!

Just in case…

Anyone is wondering, I am STILL working on my Valentine Quilt! It is coming along, slowly but surely :)

Busy Day

I wasn’t able to work on my Valentine quilt today :( This was a very odd day for me. Usually my Mondays are pretty quiet, but today was another story. Everyone I know decided today was the day they would call. The house was a mess, the laundry behind, and to top it all off we had to go to the grocery store and the library too…thought I would never get it all done!

I plan to work on the quilt now for a least a couple of hours (family permitting).

Day Book Entry

FOR TODAY
January 25, 2010
Outside my window... The sun is starting to go down.
I am thinking... It has been a long busy day.
I am thankful for... I don’t have to cook tonight, we are having reconditioned leftovers :)
From the kitchen... Barbeque sandwiches from the left over rib meat from last night. 
I am wearing... Capris, black tee-shirt, and black flip flops
I am creating...A Valentine Quilt 
I am going... To bed as soon as I can :)
I am reading... The Bible in 90 Days
I am hoping... That tomorrow won’t be as busy as today.
I am hearing... The washing machine in the background.
Around the house... everyone is doing their homework and resting.
One of my favorite things... The family all home safe and sound.
A few plans for the rest of the week:

• To finish up my Valentine quilt and keep my sanity!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

This is how I found my pup this afternoon. Isn’t he cute?

If you would like to join the Simple Woman's Daybook, please visit http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/.

Valentine Sewing Party-CGQC

UPDATE

Sunday 10:07 pm

This will be the last update of the night. I worked off and on all day and managed to get 15 rows of squares and 4 patches sewn to the background rectangles. I still have 8 to go. Tomorrow I will finish them up and sew the rows and then finish the top. I am glad I stuck with this, but man I am getting tired!

 

 

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UPDATE

Sunday 6:30 pm

I am STILL working! It is starting to come along. I have 7 rows done now…only 16 more to go :) I have had so many interruptions today that I really should have just given up, but progress is progress. I have better hope for tomorrow!

 

 

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UPDATE

Sunday 3:44 pm

4 rows sewn…just 19 more to go! Not going as fast as I had hoped. I keep getting interrupted. One of my son’s had a friend stay over last night, and the boy is still here…I had planned on him going home fairly early this afternoon, but his Mom is no where to be found. I guess she likes to turn her phone off…UGGGG (taking a deep breath and trying to find my happy place).

Here is a pic of the 1st 4 rows…

the other 19 are still in piles of pieces waiting to be sewn :)

 

 

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UPDATE

Sunday 2:00 pm

I didn’t finish my project last night, in fact, it still looks just like it did in the last UPDATE @ 9:50 pm. I plan on working on it this afternoon, but I am getting a late start. No good excuse for why, I am just feeling lazy :) I will post pics as I progress, but to be honest, the couch and TV are calling my name and I am not sure how long I can ignore them!

 

 

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UPDATE

9:50 pm

I’m still partying…am I the only one not finished?? Not sure if this is going to be my last update for the night or not…depends on how much longer hubby works on his dragster. I want to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie before bed, but we’ll just have to see. I still need to go make a final visit to all the guests to see how their projects are coming along :)

I have all my pieces for my rows stacked and ready to be sewn. There are 23 rows, and I have 2 finished and pressed! I had to complete at least 2 rows to make myself feel like I was getting somewhere. Anyone else do that? Anyway, here are the pics.

I still need to go make a final visit to all the guests to see how their projects are coming along :) Then back to sewing!

 

 

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UPDATE

8:35 pm

I am still working and making progress. I have laid out all the pieces and now I am stacking them into piles to be sewn so I can make my rows…

I think this quilt has more pieces in it than all the quilts I have made put together! There are just so many. I think I am going to like it when it is done. I keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end :)

I have to take another break. It is time to pick the boys up from their Church party. I will work some more when I get back.

 

 

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UPDATE

6:03 pm

I’ve had a few more distractions since the last post, but the 4 patches are finished (finally)!

Now to assemble the top, but 1st I have to get the kids ready for their party and get them there!

 

 

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UPDATE

3:45 pm

I am swimming in 4 patches! I feel like I might never get finished sewing them together. As soon as they are done, this quilt top will start coming together fast…seems so far away :( Shhh don’t tell, but I needed a little pick me up so I ate a snicker…I gave up sugar and soda last week so that was a BIG NO NO…but a girl has gotta do what a girls gotta do!

These still need sewn…

These have been pressed…

So have these (test layout)

off to finish those 4 patches!

 

 

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UPDATE

1:48 pm

Not much progress since the last update as far as my quilt goes. My youngest son decided he wanted to go swimming so I took a pool break.

We had fun. I am now energized and refreshed and have everyone busy.

Hubby is outside working on his dragster.

Kyle and Parker are in their rooms playing games.

Hunter is at a friends house. And I am back to sewing those 4 patches!

 

 

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UPDATE

11:05 am

I am getting a late start this morning (guess I stayed up way to late last night), but I am here and ready to go. I have my first row laid out and ready to sew. Before I get started I am going to go say HI to everyone :)

 

 

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UPDATE

12:45 am

I managed to get my strips sewn together, seams pressed open, and units for the 4 patches cut.

 

I am ready to sew the quilt top tomorrow!

 

 

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Friday 10:46 pm

 

It’s Friday night and the party doesn’t start until tomorrow, but I am going to be working on a pretty big project so I wanted to get things going and in order. I decided to cut out my pieces and start sewing my strips together so tomorrow I could work on assembling my Valentine quilt top.

So far I have all the little white rectangles cut, all 241 of them…

I have 132 corner squares cut

  

Right now I am trying to get 14 sets of strips sewn together so I can get the pieces cut from them. Here are the ones waiting to be sewn…

 

And here are the few I already have sewn together. They are waiting to be pressed.

 

I am going to finish sewing the strips together tonight and see how I feel. I may have to cut those pieces tomorrow.