QUB - Quilt-A-Long

Today I am playing over at Charlie Scott's QuBee Quilts - quilt along.

He's designed a mini quilt with "Count Down to Christmas", but I want a little summer quilt to hang on the wall. So I am using a mix of Connecting Threads 'Sip of Summer' and Moda 'Happy'. Have all my prep work done.

I just could not grasp the circle tutorial that was for the centers. I just don't DO circles! I do know how to make 3-D flowers with circles, so will use them, but as part of the quilting/finishing.

Christmas Quilt A Long

I have my fabric tote pulled and ready to work on some more blocks for my Christmas quilt over at Sue's. Hope you will join in.

I finished the Friendship Stars. I guess it is whether you are right or left handed on how you like your stars to spin?

Oh, my - it kind of looks like snow???? Dense Fog!!

Double Friendship Stars - just had to have snowmen.

I thought I would lay the 6 blocks (2 of each - so there are 12 done) out on some pretty poinsettia fabric. Lookin' good!




I think I am going to straighten out the scraps in the tote, do a little clean up, and call it a day on this project. It has been fun - need to go check out how everyone else is doing. Thank you Sue for being an excellent hostess. Will be back tomorrow.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

July Lilies

July has two birth flowers - the larkspur and the water lily. The water lilies are just starting to open on our ponds. The Water Lily can be found throughout the world. They are divided into two main groups, hardy and topical. The hardy group only blooms during the day, while the topical group blooms night and day. Colors depend on the air and water temperatures, and type of soils - yes they root in soil and the leaves and flowers float on the water.

And the heat of July brings the hillside alive with these naturalizing Day Lilies. Gosh they have been on the farm as long as I can remember. From yellows, light and dark oranges, to rusty browns. It is a shame they are short lived, but with so many of them they are a sea of blooms for the next month.

REMINDERS

The Rockin Robin Quilt along has started - see side button
The Modern Quilt Contest as just announced the 4th entry - Express Yourself
Tonya's paper pieced Heart blocks
And Blocks for Kaaren

FINISHES

'Cookie Crumbs' - July's UFO for Judy's Challenge List

Sunbonnet Sue - UFO for one of my yahoo group's challenge list.

SQUARED UP

Our 'bricks' made from our 3.5" squares are now being combined with a solid brick - 3.5" x 9.5". I'm using from my stash and made 30 blocks. (180 squares) The solid bricks took a little more than 3/4 yrd so I would plan a yard for safety and errors.

I pressed my squares (when forming my twosie bricks) in one direction, so when I add the solid piece and sew, I make sure those seams run facing me to keep the seams from bunching when they run under the pressure foot and feed dogs. Smooth sailing!! Then I 'set the seam' with a hot iron - press the seam to flatten the threads and supple the fabric. Then I press the solid brick out. Makes for a flatter, smoother seam finish on your completed block. You have just made a variation of the Broken Rail Fence block. Play with lay outs - I will have my top sewn together for next post.

AND A BIT OF FUN

One day when I was feeling sad,
I found a little frog upon a lily pad.
I took him home and named him Tim,
I put him in the bathtub,
To see if he could swim,
He drank up all the water,
And gobbled up the soap!
And when he tried to talk
He had a BUBBLE in his throat!

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

The Fourth ...........

"This land is your land, this land is my land
From California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me." - Woody Guthrie






With droughts in areas, and rain in others, there is little fireworks for today. I will be quietly sewing today as most of family have other plans. Then a dinner with brother and SIL - weather permitting - maybe I will get my smores.

I made these hearts for Tonya who is giving basic lessons in paper piecing. The heart pattern is available and Tonya is using them for a charity quilt (will be quilted my Marcia) - so join in.

My green and blue scrap drawer is over flowing and I saw this over at Bonnie Hunter'sand will use this as a 'in-between' project. I don't have a lot of yellows, so may have to 'swap' something with my MOM or see if any of our sewing class ladies has some scraps to add.

Finished the 'Summer Thyme' stitchery - not sure I like the border - so it's sitting. It will be hand quilted up and bound with black - when I'm happy!

A little more progress - I actually spent a day taking out a section as I didn't like the look. Now back to re-design.

I managed to quilt up one of my monthly list's UFO Challenge pieces - a Sun Bonnet Sue. Waiting for the inspiration on binding.

And while things were already set up - quilted this UFO Challenge list piece - 'Cookie Crumbs'. I think I will use scrap binding up on this one to follow thru with the pattern.

And I received my Santa Sack from Cheryl which I just love. Not overly seasonal fabric so I can use this bag year round. Yes, it is going to sit at my hearth and make everyone jealous. I just love this fun swap.







SQUARED UP

Remember the 3.5" squares that I made twosies with? Well they were pressed and trimmed. Then they were sewn into 2 x 3 bricks (6.5" by 9.5" unfinished size). There is still one more step to make a 9.5" square block for our quilt. I am making the top with 30 blocks - 5 by 6 row - and then 2 borders.


CLOSING THOUGHT

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~Erma Bombeck

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon