A Finish and a Question…

Ok, first, I DID finish the quilt I was quickly quilting last week for bee on Saturday.

I sewed the binding down at bee and even got the label on it, too….  do love sewing down those bindings…

which is really weird and surprising to me ‘cause if it can be done by machine, that is sooo me!!

OK, soooo, I’ve got a question for you all!!

Here are some yummy 16 patch blocks from Amy Butler’s gorgeous Soul Blossoms collection… D E L I C I O U S N E S S!

I’m using them in a new jelly roll quilt design I’m working on.

I bought this awesome large polka dot to use for the background…and I don’t like it now that the blocks are made… it’s too busy…sigh…  :-(

Sooooo, my question is what color solid fabric would YOU use if you were picking one?? 

I don’t think I want white or beige…  but there are soooo many choices….

What would you pick???  HELP!!!!

Gettin’ Jiggy Wid It!!

OOKAAAAY… not sure why that title just popped in my head for this post…  but I like it!

I am torn!!  I had this Amy Butler “Soul Blossom” jelly roll sitting on my sewing table calling my name BIG TIME since I got back from the quilt show, so I ruminated a few days, designing a quilt to make with it and came up with one that I think will be a good one.

I sorted the strips into sets of four

I sewed them together into strip sets and then sub-cut them into 2 1/2” strips which will be sewn together to create 16 patch blocks.  I got this far then remembered that this Saturday is our March bee day and I need a quilt to bind there!!  ACK!

So, I am torn between dying to get on with my new quilt design and getting a top quilted to take to bee… which goes along with my goal to quilt at least one top a week until my pile is gone…

So, the top won, sigh, and I have quilted about 75% of it so far.  Will finish it tomorrow after work and get the binding prepared and sewn on ready to do the hand work on Saturday at bee.

Then I can get back to my new quilt!!  YUMMM!

Oh, and one more thing!  I had a little “light bulb over my head” moment the other day chatting with my bee friend Lorraine in the car going to the show.  So, I tried out the new idea today while quilting.  I took one pair of my favorite Atlas quilting gloves and cut the fingertips off the thumbs, and first two fingers on each glove.

I HATE having to take my gloves off each time I need to snag a stray thread or rethread the needle or pull up the bottom thread. 

And with just those three fingers out on both hands, I can leave the gloves on do anything I need while quilting!  YAY!  Why the heck did I never think of this before???  Well, DUH!!

So, what are you working on these days??  Has spring arrived in your area yet?? 

Yogi and I are dreaming of spring!!

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!! I have all next week off for Spring Break! YESSSS! I have sooooo many things on my list to do next week. See???

1. sleep in

2. sew

3. read

4. trim back my dead peony stalks

5. sleep in

6. quilt

7. shop

8. get some fresh air if it stops raining

9. walk Yogi

10. sleep in

11. sew

12. sleep in

See any patterns developing??? :-) Just NOT being at work is such a treat! I can't wait to retire!! This is my 31st year teaching... as soon as my youngest son is done at Virginia Tech, I am soooooooooo retired!! At least another year of grad school for him. Retirement can't come soon enough!

Anyhoo, back to quilt stuff! I love sewing up jelly rolls... being pre-cut into strips makes the cutting and sewing so quickly. I have about 6 of them collected and have sewn up several already.

Have you sewn up quick projects with jelly rolls? Do you have a favorite pattern to share? Here are some patterns I've made.

This pattern is called "Field of Flowers". It's a five strip rail patch block set on point. I've made it several times. It makes a really good sized lap quilt.

This one is from a Halloween jelly roll. The border is not pieced- that is a patchwork print from the collection. Here's a close-up of the pumpkins I free-motion quilted in the green setting triangles.

This one is from a Moda jelly roll in gorgeous fall colors. It comes out at Thanksgiving time! I also have the blocks all done from the Moda Roman Holiday line but will sew them into a top at our next retreat. I like to finish up UFO's at retreats!

This one is from a book called On a Roll by Anka's Treasures. I made it out of the first American Jane collection. Love it!

This one is from a store made jelly roll in Christmas fabrics of my own design called "Ribbon Candy".

This jelly roll quilt is from a pattern called "At Home" with a more traditional look. I made it at one of our retreats, as well.

I've got a jelly roll from the Blossom collection, a Kaffe Fassett one, a Mary Englebreit Christmas line one, a 30's prints one....and a few more I can't remember right now. So, I think I may work on a jelly roll quilt this week that I'm off... maybe two... who knows how many I can get done in a whole week off???? Let the sewing begin!!!! God Bless! Polly :-)