Star Crazy

 Star Crazy (Plan B) is complete. It started in January 2010 with the Star Crazy Block of the Month at the Quilt Show. I kept up for three whole months! Then I decided to get organized and put all the parts and instructions in a binder on the shelf and forgot all about it. In late June, I found the binder when I was looking for something else, and back on the WIP pile it went.

At about the same time, we were invited to the wedding of one of Bill's coworkers. After a little redesigning to use what I had (Plan B), it didn't take long to complete the top. After buying the border and backing fabric, I had to set it aside for some reason (cleaned off the dining room table for company?) and forgot about it again!

Last Tuesday, I realized that August and the wedding were just days away and panic set in. Borders were added, backing was pieced, and layers were basted. 

Thursday was quilting day. It was fun, but boy, are my arms sore. I added the binding Thursday night and buried threads while watching Hollywood Game Night (our new favorite show). Instead of adding a label, I wrote directly on the back of the quilt. It's OK but not great.

 

Dave and Kimberly and their new family were radiant! (They are all lighting a candle together, get it?) We wish them a lifetime of happiness!

I hope they enjoy snuggling under this little quilt.

Star Crazy (Plan B)

Started: January 2010

Completed: August 2013

52" X 62"

July Wrap Up

 I did it! I actually sewed something every day during the month of July. Thank you, Pat Sloan, for issuing the challenge. I probably won't sew every day in August, but I don't want to lose this momentum.

Day 31: Added the outer border to Star Crazy. Pieced the back, layered and pin basted.

August 1: Quilted and bound.  This quilt will be a wedding gift tonight. I'll show you more tomorrow.

 Just because it's fun to make collages, here's a look back at what I worked on in July.

Ninnie Nines top, Mod Bento completed, Improv completed

Vintage Modern top, Chevron & On top, Star Crazy

More 9-patches, Girl Scout camp ties, Fabric Box hostess gift, paper piecing demo

A whole bunch of album blocks

I might not get much sewing done next week. I will be working on a slide show for Pete's Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Yay!

WIP Wednesday - Sew Every Day

 Sewing every day uses up a lot of thread! Here's my first empty Aurifil spool to prove it. Yes, I think I will be saving the empty orange spools.

Day 25-28: I only managed to piece one block each day.  I was painting Pete's room while he was away at camp. At the end of each day, I'd be ready to crawl into bed and would see my machine waiting for me.

Day 29: Four blocks in one day and that brings the total to 40! There is one block I might replace, but for now, the album blocks are done.

Day 30: I realized that the wedding we are attending is THIS Friday! Since I am planning to give the happy couple Star Crazy Plan B, it jumped to the top of the To Do list. I added the inner border last night and will spend all day today and tomorrow finishing this small quilt.

 Here's a little peek at Pete's room. That was a lot of work. Stripping wallpaper border, prepping walls, and painting trim. Painting the walls is the easy part. I tried to throw away that pole lamp, but it was the first thing he noticed when he got home. He said I can get rid of it after he leaves in September.

These little beauties have been our breakfast visitors for a few days now. 

 

I'll be doing some WIP surfing later, when I need a break from Star Crazy.

Red, White and Blue

 Our son is an Eagle Scout! He passed the Board of Review last night at camp and we were there to congratulate him. I couldn't stay away! Now we can focus on planning his Court of Honor.

This was the most "liked" picture I've ever posted to Facebook.

On the Sew Every Day front, I pieced 2 album blocks on day 23. Day 24 yielded an all-time high of 7 blocks. I hope to have the remaining 9 blocks done by the end of the weekend for a total of 40.

 

Here's a little bit of Random Thursday... When we were on vacation, I spotted this flag quilt hanging in the Marine Corps Museum. It is titled "God Bless Our Wounded Warriors" and was made by Betty Harland in June 2012.  You can read more about it here.

Have a star spangled day!

Old Italian Quilt

Julia finished the Old Italian quilt for her boyfriend, Fred, on Monday. She did such a great job! We enjoyed the process using Anita Grossman Solomon's techniques from Rotary Cutting Revolution. She can't wait to show the quilt to Anita in a few weeks when she visits Ninigret Quilters!

Most of the prints came from the Big 10" Charm Swap. For the first round, back in May 2012, we swapped manly prints. It was fun (for me!) trying to match up prints that worked well together. 

Julia wanted to maximize the 10" squares to make larger blocks than in Anita's instructions, so we had to tweak the dimensions a little. These blocks finished at 7-3/4". (Julia was not happy with that. She prefers nice round numbers, but we couldn't squeeze another 1/4" out of them.)

The blocks in the center of the quilt incorporate Army prints. 

She used a piece of Army camo for the label. Fred wears a lot of plaid flannel, so that's what she chose for the back. It is one heavy, warm quilt! You can almost see the argyle pattern created on the back from quilting in the ditch.

 

After an 18-hour drive to South Carolina with his family, Julia presented the quilt to her Army boy today during Family Day. Tomorrow is boot camp graduation, then they will head home. While he finishes college and ROTC, Fred will be a musician in the National Guard band.

Congratulations, Fred!

Sew Every Day 20-22

 There was a lot of sewing going on this weekend, just not by me. Julia finished the quilt she's been making for her boyfriend, Fred. I'll post all about it on Wednesday as soon as I get a picture of them together.

Day 20: Quilting day.  Julia was having trouble wrangling the quilt, so I sat in for a few minutes to show her how to lift the weight off the bed. I can't convince her that the machine quilting gloves actually help. She was quilting straight lines with the walking foot, so she was OK without them.

Day 21: Binding day. Again, I sat in for a few minutes to get her started, but Julia wanted to do the job herself. She was happy to learn how to complete the binding by machine. She was afraid she'd be hand stitching the binding in the car on the way to South Carolina. This morning, she is on the way to Fred's graduation from Army boot camp.

 

Day 22: While Julia was preparing the quilt label, I made a fabric box. (My tutorial here!) Julia is traveling with Fred's family, and they will be spending a night at his aunt's house. This will be a hostess gift for her. I think it looks pretty cute filled with salt water taffy and wrapped in cellophane.

While Julia was busy quilting, I was removing this wallpaper border in Pete's room. It was cute when he was 7, but not as appropriate for a soon-to-be Marine. While he is away at Boy Scout camp this week, I'm hoping to get his room painted. And work on his quilt.

 

Stayed tuned for the boyfriend quilt reveal, coming soon!

Scrappy Quilts

I almost forgot to tell you. I entered the Quilting Gallery's Scrappy Quilts contest this weekend. Hop over for the scrappy inspiration and look for Ninnie Nines.