I give up on the strings!! They just won't end

Oh my I certainly didn't expect to get 5 string quilts out of my string bucket.  But honestly, I think there's another 5 quilts in that bucket.  I had some help from my sister this weekend, we got the pink done in a day!! There's still all of August and all of Sept to participate.  See the button on the side bar for details, and there's prizes too!!

100 Quilts for Kids - #5

100 Quilts for Kids #6

And there are so many strings left, look at that bucket.  That bucket is not a small bucket though, 21 inches across the top and about 12 inches tall.  5 string quilts out of it and there are still so many left.  They're just gonna have to wait for another day.  I need to get these quilted and the binding on before starting another.

Bottomless pit of strings

Linking up with

Never Ending Strings - Design Bucket Monday

Yep, it's all in the bucket.  That bucket was full.  So far I've made 3 string quilts for 100 Quilts for kids (see button on side bar).  You can see the first two here and the third one here (I had some help on that one which was awesome!)

And I just finished another 40 string blocks.   All of those strings came out of this bucket.  It looks like I haven't even touched these strings.  Oh boy I was trying to use them all up, but man I don't know if I have enough quilt backing for as many quilts as I can get out of this bucket.  I give up even estimating any more.  I wonder if it's like a bag of salad spinach.  You know when you get it home and it looks like it's not really a lot, but then you bring out the bowl and holy smokes the whole thing is full and ya might need a bigger bowl.  Like tossing them around, sorting, finding the really big ones all kinda loosens' em up so they can take up more space.  I don't know how many more string blocks I can do.  After all those, I'm looking for something a bit more challenging - like maybe Common Bride????  I think I'm pretty close to having enough courage to get that baby started.

Linking up with

A couple more quilts for kids

2 more tops done!!  My sister-in-law came by this morning and got two more tops completed!  I'm gonna finish up those strings and a couple more charm packs.  I think there's still 3 more quilts that can come out of those scraps.  That brings the total tops completed to 4 for 100 Quilts for Kids (see button on sidebar).  It's not too late to join in.  Thanks for the help Nancy!!

100 Quilts for Kids - #3

100 Quilts for Kids #4

Linking up with

Hexie Friday

Still haven't gotten the courage to start Common Bride.  But I was working on a few hexies and it occurred to me that Hexies are nothing but Y seams.  So why not just quickly baste the seam and then when I'm happy with how it looks, go back over with the machine.  The seam will already be marked, oh this just might be the the thing to get me started on it.  I'm getting closer.  Here's my hexie work for the week.  A few more white ones around the border and and all but two of the purple colors are ready to go.  Linking up with Angie for Hexie Friday

My procrastination knows no bounds - Hexie Friday

I've even been working on Hexies in the evenings which normally are car travel activity only.  I only have one more blue diamond for the center to be sewn to the rest.  All the yellows are done for the next round, but each of those yellows needs purple on the out side.   It's getting there.   

And Mr Smiles is having a sleep over today.  He just found his little glider and he loves it.  He can get in all by himself when he wants. 

Linking up with Angie for Hexie Friday, I've gotta get me some bears, they look so adorable next to every one's blocks.

It's that time of year again - 100 Quilts for Kids

Ok I think have perfected the art of procrastination.  I wanted so badly to start Common Bride.  I have the pattern, have the fabrics laying out nice and neatly on in a sew room that had scraps under control thanks to  Mission Scrap Attack.  But I'm afraid, I'm scared, I'm not quite but almost terrified of starting this absolutely wonderfully beautiful quilt.  I will go to drastic measures to not start it. Such as curved piecing.  Yep I got 25 more blocks on Center of My Universe.  I like how it's looking   Seriously curved piecing has nothing on Y seams - yes the dreaded *Y-Seam*.  I really need to learn how to to do them.

Center of My Universe - almost 1/2 done

 And then I got bored with the curved piecing, ya can only do so much with that.  I still have 50 blocks to go....but hey I'm 25 closer than where I was before :)  And then I saw that it's time again for 100 Quilts for Kids.  I LOVE making kid quilts.  They aren't too big, they're bright and cheery  - and then keep me from starting Common Bride.   So out came all the strings I have .  I huge tub full.  I made 8 giant 18 inch blocks and you can't even tell there are any missing.   Funny I like the Boy quilt and my husband likes the girl quilt.  Either way, plenty more strings so we'll have at least a couple more boy quilts and a couple more girl quilts.  I may be able to get 6 out of the strings and 4 charm packs I found laying around.  Maybe more.  All I know is that those 18 inch blocks didn't use up nearly enough strings.

100 Quilts for Kids - boy Strings 

100 Quilts for Kids - Girl Strings - purples and yellows are really brighter than what I see on my computer.

You should really join in the fun for 100 Quilts for Kids - the kids need some quilts and you donate to a local charity for kids. Details can be found here -

Baby Smiles is having a sleep over on Sat and Sun is fun in the City - Taste of Chicago. So this may be it for sewing for the weekend.  Linking up with Sarah, go see what everyone is whooping about this Friday.  Linking up with Judy for Design Wall Monday -

Project Scrap Attack is complete!!

Yep that's right.  My Scrap Attack project was making 4 quilts from my scraps as there were getting completely out of hand.  And yes I made 4 quilts and still have enough scraps to make another 4.   And there's a prize for me at the end of project scrap attack.  I get to start a quilt that I just absolutely fell in love with the first time I saw it.  So 4 quilts huh?  Yep Scrap Attack number 1 can be seen here.  I won a bag of scraps that had the coral and brown fabrics.  I never put them away so I used them up.  I added the greenish yellow color.  I love the combination of colors in this one.   Not something I ever would have planned for myself.  And that's what I love about using up scraps, you do things that out of your comfort zone.

Scrap Attack #1

And then there's freshly squeezed- scrap attack quilt 2 - I used left over strings that were just sitting there looking all pretty and a charm pack that I never put away.  Front and back are all scraps

Fresh Squeezed back

Fresh Squeezed

Scrap Attack #3 is a QOV quilt.   Just used 2.5 in strips.  I even got the binding out of my scraps on this one.  Not sure how I ended up with so many 2.5 in strips of the same fabric but they were all in the scrap bin.  And now put to good use!

Scrap Attack #3 - QOV 

Scrap Attack #3 back

And the final Scrap Attack is a graduation gift for a friend.  She's going to University of WI so I made a quilt in her college colors.  The reds are completely exhausted in the scrap bin. I had to break into a few fat quarters on this one, but the Red, White, Black and blue (from the QOV) scraps are completely under control and waiting to be replenished.  I have the EQ file that I'll post on the EQ and Tutorials page later in the week if anyone is interested.

Scrap Attack #4 

Scrap Attack #4 back - love Ikea fabrics for the back

Isn't there just something so satisfying when you make a quilt from your scraps?  I just love the feeling of making a whole quilt with the left overs from other projects.  So nice.

I also finished a QOV that was sent to me from Marian.  What a great pattern she used.  I wanted to create motion in this so I had the feathers winding around the blocks.  I was in a feather mood!!

Now with all that done, here's what I am going to start on next weekend, so excited!!!

Happy Independence Day!!

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Independence Day.  The weather here in the Midwest is starting to feel just  little bit like the fourth of July!!  Sunny and in the upper 70s.

  

I was able to get up early enough and get a little quilting done.  I'm working on a QOV - now that's appropriate right? :) Someone suggested I do a video for how I mark things and get them quilted.  Well that's not gonna happen.  But I did take some extra pictures, so you can see how I mark things, tools I use and what I mark.  Hopefully this will benefit someone!  On this particular quilt, I have a center motif for the red and blue patterns, and background feathers for the background.  I start by marking the center of the block with a chalk pencil.  

I then place the stencil using the center mark

The stencil has a rough side and a smooth side.  I place the stencil rough side up, then rub (not pounce) my pouncer across the stencil.  I got this new pink chalk that just rubs off with a paper towel ( I use a small scrap of batting and it works like a charm!) at the quilt show a few weeks ago.   I also have the white magic chalk that comes off with steam, that works great too.  The pink I really like (I don't need steam) and I can use it on white and light color fabrics.  It does tend to come off from the vibration of the machine.  I've used this stencil a number of time so very familiar with it.  Not sure how the pink chalk would work on a stencil that I'm just getting use to simply because it does have a tendency to come off while quilting (which is what I kinda like about it - easy removal).

LOL this picture has ALOT of chalk on it!!  Normally I don't have *that* much on there.  But for illustration purposes, we used a *little* extra.  I also like to mark the lines for the ruler work - yep I tend to mark AND use the ruler.  I use a regular chalk pencil for this part.   For the back ground feather I mark the spine with the air erasable marking tool.  The line just goes away over time.   You may have to click on the picture to see the purple lines.

Here's  a picture close up of the purple line.  I just free hand roughly where I want the spine to be.  In this case the feathers are going around the block so all I have to do is mark roughly in the middle making sure there are nice gentle curves all the way around.   Now that the marking is done, it's time to get to some quilting.

Here's my marking tools that were used.

And this is what it looks like when quilted.  You can see the chalk is gone and the purple marks erased.  I'm hoping with the feathers going around the block that there will be a bit of motion in the quilting when it's all done.

I hope everyone enjoys the day and enjoys the freedom that we have which allows us to choose how we spend this day!