Scrappy Projects Update

This week I only managed to get a few projects worked on, but definitely enjoyed our mini vacation in Las Vegas!

2011 SCRAPPY QUILT

I sewed 4 blocks together thinking it would be the top row of this quilt, until I measured it... 75" long!  This is going to be one HUGE quilt.  So now my row has become my column... I'm going to make it a 3 x 4 block quilt... which *should* measure about 56" x 75" (in theory)

 TRAVELING QUILT - new project!!!!

Back story about this project.  I saw this idea of a traveling quilt on the blog, Life Under Quilts, here in this post and I just knew I was going to HAND SEW this quilt.  Basically the idea is to use these 1.5" diamond quilt pattis (plastic templates) and baste the diamond shapes together using a few backstitches, then arrange them so they become a star.  Simple.  Easy.  Goes whereever you go.

Here is a great video tutorial of how this lady stitches her diamonds/stars together.  I've only watched it about a MILLION times!



So when we decided to take a road trip to Las Vegas, I immediately dug through my stash and started cutting up diamond shapes to make on the 3.5 hr drive.  And being the left brained nerd that I am, separated them according to where they go in the color wheel.  :D

Here's a nice picture of my nerdiness.

And here is my very first star for my traveling quilt!  I'm hoping to use bright colors and keep a very fun feel to the entire quilt, however, my scraps will pretty much determine the overall color scheme.

Neatest thing about the above photo ↑ is the pin cushion.  It belonged to my Gramma Kocher.  I bet she never thought her pin cushion would make it to Las Vegas!  She died some time ago, long before I ever got interested in sewing.  But I have a feeling she's keeping an eye on things from up there.

Whilst in Vegas, I managed to finish 2 stars!!!  I wrote on them Las Vegas, Nov 2011.  Hoping to turn this into an heirloom for Emma of all the fun places we went.  I plan on taking this traveling quilt with me next fall when Brian and I go to Germany to visit my brother. It will be interesting to see where I was when I finished a block over there!  Such a FUN project!

BABY BURPIES

These are so fun and easy to make!

BEAN BAG

My cousin Kyle LOVES dinosaurs and informed me when he was out here this summer that I could make him a bean bag for Christmas!  :D  He just turned 6.  So cute!  So I hunted around and found this adorable line from Timeless Treasures and got started on a bean bag chair for him.

CRISS CROSS QUILT - on the machine being quilted.  Hope to have it finished before the week is up!

CHRISTMAS QUILT -  is next to be quilted.

Well that's all for this week!  Hope you all had a great weekend!

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"Every quilt tells a story."

Author Unknown

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Sew many updates!

Oh sleeplessness nights...

Having lupus is funny sometimes.

• Your body is so confused.
• It's tired. Wants to sleep.
• Can barely function. 

And yet, sleep does not come to you. 

• Your mind goes off into a million directions.
• Your joints start to stiffen and ache because they are not in motion.
• Your medication has the effect of either hallucinations or restlessness/anxiety, therefore making it difficult to relax.

Sleep, I miss you.  I lay down at midnight and sleep does not happen till about 5:30 to 6:00 in the morning... then up again at 8:30 to 9:00 with the little one...

I can not keep going on merely 3 hours of sleep for much longer.

So until you come back to me, I will continue to crank out these little nuggest of quilting treasures.  My how they are coming along.

FARMER'S WIFE QAL:

#99 - WCTU

#100 - Weathervane

47 blocks completed
64 blocks to go

I saw someone on the Flickr group using this layout so I thought I'd give it a try.  I REALLY love it!  I think I'm going to stick with it.  Not sure how it will end up, because I still have 64 more blocks to make... but I like the way it looks.

Also, with the help of my quilting friend Marilyn, I changed the sashing and background color to this teal and dk blue polka dot fabric.  I think it's really pretty.  Thanks Marilyn!

PINEAPPLE SURPRISE QAL:

Cranked out 4 more of these blocks. 

12 blocks completed
8 blocks to go

CHRISTMAS QUILT:  all my individual drunkard's path blocks are sewn!!

144 blocks completed
0 blocks to go!

Now it's time to start assembling this quilt!



And since I'm up anyways, I started 3 other quilts.

CRISS CROSS QUILT:  found this pattern from Moda Bake Shop

Took me forever to get the *look* I wanted for that scrappy look.  Don't mind the plaid sheet underneath, just using it to keep the fabric off the floor.

I am using Prayer Flag by April Cornell as the fabric for this quilt.

Soooo pretty!  This one is for my Aunt Janice.  She has been patiently waiting for me to start/finish this quilt.  ♥

MILITARY MEMORY QUILT:
My brother is in the US Army and has kindly given me his old uniforms that he no longer wears.  I've been working on a design to incorporate his first 9 - 10 years in the military.

What do you think? 

The photos along the bottom are of the following: 

• fabric from the boots he wore during his deployment,
• a boonie hat, also worn on deployment,
• and socks (ewww gross - I KNOW! but that's what he wanted :D - they are washed of course!)  

I plan to applique those items as well as the 2 hats along the sides down.  And the fabric panel in the middle was an idea my cousin Lori had.  I will embroider a star over all the locations he's been stationed or deployed.  Cool huh?

2011 END of the YEAR SCRAPPY quilt:
Last year I did this and really loved how it turned out.  Here check out last year's scrappy:

So this year, keeping with the "Irish Chain" theme, I'm using this pattern:

Already cut up my scraps:

... and started sewing a few together.  I use them as leaders and enders in between sewing my other blocks.  Great way to save on thread!

I think it's going to be great!

Well that's about all I've got for you this week.  Hope you enjoyed the update.

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A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars.

author unknown
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