Bandwagons

There are lots of people who have started the Hawaiian Sunset 1845 quilt.  I resisted for a while because I have plenty of projects going on.  Today I finally succumbed to peer pressure.  I just went to the Quilt Sew and Shop website and downloaded a digital pattern before heading over to Connecting Threads and loading up on fabrics in lime, avocado, pink and navy.  I like the sites that let you shop by color or by theme.  I won't start until a couple of projects on the list are done, but this one can go on the list for later.  Maybe as leaders and enders?  Time will tell. 

Hawaiian Geese

I'm not starting a new quilt yet.  I am definitely going to finish off a few things first before I "officially" start something new.  This isn't a start you see, it is just trying out a pattern.  The geese are supposed to be 1.75 by 3 inches.  That seemed kind of fiddly to do with the sew and flip method, so I decided to try drafting a paper piecing pattern.  I drew it out on graph paper last night and made a few copies today at school.  I don't have any official fabric picked out, since I haven't actually started yet, but I did dig through the scrap user drawers to find some things that might work.  Tonight I might dig through the drawer of 2 inch squares and find some that will work for the nine patches in the middle.  They will only be leaders and enders of course, so that doesn't count as starting a new quilt quite yet. 

Familiar Conversation

Him: That's a pretty bright quilt. What is it for?

Me: It is for being a quilt. What do you think it is for?

Later the same day....

Me: I am finally done with my quilt.

Him: Which done is this? The top done, the back done, the layering done or the real done?

Me: All done

Him: Wow, even the quilting?

Me: Yes, even the quilting.

Him: That's great, what was this one for again?

I just finished putting the binding on Buttons and Bowties. This is my second charity quilt for the Girl Scout project. I used up a bunch of random Hawaiian prints on the back. I'm not sure why, but I thought having a theme would tie it together better. These were gifted from my neighbor who moved away, and she would appreciate having them used in a charity quilt. So that is my March UFO officially done with a full day to spare! Three months and three UFO's finished forever. I'm liking this resolution.

I checked Patchwork Penguin to see what the UFO for April is. It is #4. For me that is the Pineapple in Brights. Yea! I have to admit that I cheated on this one. I didn't have 12 UFO's so I put one NSY (not started yet) on the list. I saved all the extras from my Elm Creek Quilt because I really liked the way they looked together. I had planned a much larger quilt when I started that one. I guess that is part of the fun of 6 inch blocks. Anyway, I loved the pineapple block and wanted to make a whole quilt out of it. I have not done a ton of paper piecing, so this will be good practice. Since this is a new project, I think I'll keep it small. A 6 x 7 setting will fit nicely on the quilt hanger by the front door. That's 42 blocks. Thankfully spring break is next week, maybe I'll have time for some power sewing.

Welcome

The pineapple quilt was destined for the front foyer, therefore it has evolved into the welcome quilt. It says welcome in English, Hawaiian, Irish, Japanese, French and Kiribati. I think it still needs a skinny bias strip and maybe the English welcome needs to be bigger. I haven't fastened anything down yet. It started as applique, but I decided to cheat and use fusible. I used my scrapbooking sizzix to cut out the letters. I have gotten more use out that thing than you can imagine. I even used it to cut fruit roll ups to decorate a birthday cake one year. I really hate fusible, but I spent an hour preparing the first flower and decided I needed to finish more than I needed to create delicate needle turn. This is supposed to be my April project after all. I'm still pondering the scalloped border. I'll get that figured out before I start ironing. Speaking of ironing, mine burned out last night. I guess I do more ironing than an average person, but it wasn't all that old. A leg fell off the barbeque grill today and the chlorine generator for the pool just got replaced. Groups of three right? I should be in the clear now.

Switching Again

I made just a few more green blocks this afternoon.  Little nine patches from one inch strips.  They will finish at 2.5 inches when they all come together.

Also, a quick picture from the father daughter dance on Friday.  It was a Hawaiian Luau.  Kurt took the girls while Ryan and I hung out at home eating pizza on the couch.  Now I'd better get to work on grading some essays.  I promised my AP students I would have the free response questions from their last test ready by Monday.  Maybe I can add them all up while I watch the Oscars. 

And Then There Were Three

I remember putting this quilt away hurriedly because I was out of time.  Maybe winter break?  I was smart enough to leave a note though that said I had pieced a back but it was too narrow and that extra fabric was included to enlarge it.  

 So I pressed the back and inserted an extra strip slightly off center to make the back large enough.

 Here is the front which was a motley collection of strings and crumbs that had been collected over time.  This will go in the stack.  Actually I think that I will quilt it first and I will use it to try out the Baptist Fans that I am thinking about for Hawaiian Sunset.  Not tonight though.  Tonight I am done! I think I will settle in with some handwork or maybe a good book.