Slow Stitching Binding Time

I just pulled the anniversary quilt off of the frame.  Now it is time to settle in with a little celebratory binding.  This one is done just in time for the in-laws to show up next weekend.  It was so nice to have a little time to sew today and even nicer to be able to cross this quilt off the list.  DH has been giving me the "evil eye" anytime I sewed on something different wanting to know why his mom's quilt wasn't done yet.  Not really, but it did seem that way.  Now I will be able to sew without the lingering guilt of knowing I should be doing this one instead.  For now though, happy binding!

Finally!

This anniversary quilt has  been haunting me for a while now.  I finally got all the blocks sewn together into a top.  Now I'll do a nice press to get it all to lie flat and add a wide simple border to tame all the bias.  Several of the blocks got scrambled while it was in the layout stage, but I am moving on and getting it done.  Just one more T-shirt quilt on the "need to do" list and then I can sew without quilt guilt again.
Yesterday was full of driving.  Lacrosse, play practice and an afternoon meeting with teachers took up most of my day.  Kurt was busy with Odyssey of the Mind though which left me with a bit of sewing time in the evening.  The teacher meeting was exciting though, we are finishing up an application for a program to bring rainforest ecology lessons back to our classrooms.  If we win, we'll all be headed to Costa Rica for two weeks this summer.  For today though, there is nothing on the schedule and I am going to enjoy every single minute!

Puzzles and Plans

 I am trying to remember the last time I had both time and energy to sew.  Its been a while.  First on my list is the anniversary quilt for my MIL who will be coming to stay with the kids when DH and I take our vacation for spring break.  I had the rows all pinned, but now I need to get everything back in the right order to get the rows sewn together.

 Before I could jump into that, I needed to do a bit of cleaning up in the sewing room.  I haven't quite gotten settled in after the closet organizer collapse that happened several weeks ago.  With all the clutter I was having trouble finding what I was working on.  Never a good thing.  While I was organizing, I found this highly technical sketch I had made for the rainbow scrap challenge sampler.  It is making me feel better about having made only 6 pink blocks last month.  Look at how small pink is in the corner there.  I'll pretend I did that on purpose rather than admit that the flu and work and life all got the better of me last month.

I also managed to sneak a few teal squares in between rows of the anniversary quilt.  I am really liking teal more and more each time I work with it.  So soothing and welcoming.  

Slow Stitching Sunday Time

 I am amazed at how often I use all the scrapbooking supplies that I collected while I was still doing albums.  I had a nice collection of circle and oval templates that were just right for getting to photo fabric ready for reverse applique.  I tried to find the biggest size that would still fit in the diamond shapes that will go into the quilt.

 Those got traced onto freezer paper and ironed to the front of each diamond.

 I then cut out the oval with a quarter inch seam allowance and turned the edges under with a bit of disappearing school glue.

The frames are all prepped now and I am ready to settle in for a little hand applique work.  I am hoping that Netflix has some new movies to enjoy, otherwise I'll continue on with the Sherlock episodes that I discovered last Sunday following Downton Abbey.  

Anniversary Quilt

I've been putting off the anniversary quilt for Kurt's mom.  First I didn't have a sewing machine, and then I didn't have the photos.  Since Kurt's mom was diagnosed with lung cancer at Thanksgiving he wants her to have the quilt sooner rather than later.  Kurt printed the photos for me this morning on some of the special printer fabric.

 Now I need to prep the photos for reverse applique and sew them behind some plain cream diamonds that I have ready to go.

 Here are the other blocks so far.  They are a combination of crumb diamonds in cream, gold and brown along with the ones that I had signed by guests at the anniversary party.  I'll add the photos in as soon as they are ready.

Here is the inspiration quilt which belonged to my mother-in-laws mother and was passed on.  It is was made in 1884.
So, I have some reverse applique in my future.  It will be nice to settle down with some handwork as soon I finish the preparation.