Wiggly Whimsy & Scrappy 9 patch

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I finally got another hexagon diamond finished, only 2 left and I can attach to the main piece.  I really like the colors I picked for this one, but I can’t stand the maroon fabric.  I don’t remember when I bought it or what I bought it for, but I really can’t wait until it’s gone.  It is really stiff and hard to work with, especially when working by hand.

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I decided to finish up the rows for Wiggly Whimsy.  I still need to iron them and put all 7 rows together, but at least these have been finished.  I really think I’m going to like this when it’s all put together.  Still haven’t decided what I’m going to do with it, or how I’m going to quilt it.  I might give it to Alex for his bed, he’s started wanting a blanket in bed lately.  I think it might fit in his toddler bed without being too huge.  We’ll have to see once it’s all put together though!

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While I worked on finishing up Wiggly Whimsy I pulled 2.5″ squares so I could start working on the scrappy 9 patch quilt.  I needed to cut more black squares with my Go, but that’s so easy and fast it really wasn’t a big deal.  I now have 120 twosies that need ironed so I can make the 4 patch blocks that make up the border.  I’ll need to cut more black squares for the 9 patches, but that can wait since I have the 4 patches to put together.  I’m thinking that I’ll work on this a little in the afternoons while Alex naps, along with putting Wiggly Whimsy together.  I can listen to the tv or a podcast while I work and time just flies.

Alex has finally hit the terrible twos and has little tantrums at stores, usually when I tell him no I’m not buying him something.  I’m at the point of ignoring him even though people are always looking at me because he’s screaming and crying.  All of a sudden he doesn’t want to nap, he plays in his room for hours until I finally let him out.  He’s locked his door twice in the last week, the first time I FREAKED out and had to call hubby to find out how to get the doggone door open.  I just could not think clearly or rationally.  There is now a wire hanger outside his door for easy access :).

I guess I better go start gathering things for the trip to the in-laws for our Easter celebration, tomorrow we’ll be at my parents all day.  Hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

Designing Quilts

9 patch with black squares_1I don’t know what the heck I was thinking in designing another quilt today, but I did.  I was browsing ebay and saw a quilt I liked that was just 9 patches alternated with solid black squares.  So I decided that since I have so many 2.5″ squares to use up that I’d just design the same thing so the 9 patches would use my squares.  I’ll have to manually rotary cut the black alternate squares, but that will be pretty easy since they are cut at 6 1/2″.  There are 41 9 patches, 40 alternate blocks, and 60 4 patches for the border.  It will take awhile to complete this, but I can use the 9 patches and 4 patches as leader/enders while I work on other projects!  I have plenty of black since I just bought that bolt at Joann’s, so I should be able to do all of this from what I have at home.  I’ll worry about backing and binding once it’s complete.  Maybe I’ll use some of my equinox for the back, I don’t know.  I have quite awhile before I have to worry about it!

Small Updates

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I have been trying to work on projects again now that everyone is on the mend.  I spent the afternoon putting binding on some baby quilts for the guild.  These are just pre-quilted pieces of fabric that needed binding so I said I’d take 2.  Granted I brought these home in February and should have finished them already, but that’s ok.  Binding is now attached to 1 side, and I’ll work on sewing it to the back this weekend during all the family travels for Easter. I can return these in April so they can be donated to one of the charities we support.

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I’ve gotten another hexagon diamond done this weekend, I have 3 more and I can start adding the next row. Hoping to have another overall picture by Monday, but I’m not counting on it!  I am planning on working on another diamond tonight, might be able to get it done while I watch tv.

I did manage to get all the squares put together into sets on Sunday afternoon.  So next time I can sit down and work on Wiggly Whimsy I can attach the rectangles on all of them.  I love that this is a SAL, however these rows go together so fast I just can’t wait until the next month to work on it.  So I’m thinking I’ll just work on it in batches when I can and see when I get it done.

We had our taxes done last night and are getting a refund.  Hubby said I can get a Mac mini since my PC is getting older and having issues.  Instead of reformatting everything I’d much rather get something new.  I think we are ordering it tonight, I hope it gets here fast!!!

Wiggly Whimsy – Row 3

I am FINALLY able to sit at the sewing machine and work on a project.  We’ve had a lot of illness in the house the last few weeks and when we weren’t sick we were either packing my sister’s apartment or actually moving her to the house.  The move is all done and while Alex and I are still sick, we are feeling much better!

2013-03-24 16.31.19So while Alex napped today I decided to work on the next row for Wiggly Whimsy.  3 rows are now completed and I can’t wait to see this completed.  I think it’s going to look really cool with the black background. I’m really happy with how this quilt is turning out.  I just finished sorting the rest of the 2.5″ squares into 4 piles for the rest of the rows.  I might see if I can get all of the squares put together tonight – unless the hubby wants to watch shows!  I took a picture of all 3 finished rows together, just looks cool! 2013-03-24 16.32.54

Since I have a lot of projects that I’m working on that are using black as a background, I decided to get a bolt of the black Kona from Joann’s.  A bolt is 8 yards and while it’s 7.99 a yard, I got a discount on the last 3/4 yard since it wasn’t a full yard.  Plus I used a 40% off coupon and paid less $45 for 7+ yards of fabric plus a couple of water soluble markers that I need for my hand quilting.  I shouldn’t need anything else to finish Wiggly Whimsy, and hopefully nothing else for the hexagon diamonds quilt.

I don’t have an update on hexagon diamonds, since I haven’t really been working on it lately.  When I was sick I just didn’t feel like working on any hand work. I was working on the hexi prep during the last guild meeting, and it just sat for a week or 2.  I almost have 1 of the 4 diamonds completed that I need for the next row, hopefully will be putting that all together by the weekend.

I’ll try not to be a stranger anymore, Alex has finally hit the terrible twos and I need the sewing to keep my sanity!

Design Wall Monday 030413

I haven’t had an update in awhile.  I’ve been busy working on putting the next row of diamond hexagons together and finally finished the fifth one yesterday.  Here’s my excuse 🙂  hubby decided we needed to reorganize all the hard drives on our network (including buying 2 new ones!).  So I spent quite a few days moving files and renaming things. Then I was sick over the weekend – as in I was so cold that a blanket AND a fire didn’t help!  Feeling much better now, but not much got done while I was sick.  Oh yeah, I did read Jennifer Chiaverini’s The Giving Quilt that came out last fall.  I liked it, but would have like more story around the main Elm Creek Quilter’s.  Hopefully the next book will have that!

Hexagon Diamonds 030413

So I did get 2 of the diamonds attached last night, the other 3 are just in place and I hope to get attached tonight.  I had originally planned on getting this done by the end of March.  I am finally realizing that I was WAY too ambitious.    Since we still not sure when the RV will be ready I guess it doesn’t matter.  Besides, we don’t have the first camping trip planned yet!  So I will keep working and see what I can get finished.

2013-03-04 17.34.23I was looking for something the other day (can’t for the life of me remember what it is now) and found a ziploc baggie with yo-yo makers and some fabric scraps.  Red, white and blue of course!  I’ll need to get these ironed up and run them through the Go, just need to decide which die to use.  2.5″ squares, chisels, drunkard’s path….so many choices!  They really aren’t big enough to do anything else with, I’d rather make them into a size I can use.

2013-03-04 17.34.33I spent some time on ebay recently and found some really cute Valentine’s Day 2.5″ squares – 200 of them and for less than $10!!  Of course I had to get them!  Haven’t decided if I am using them as squares or if I will turn them into hexagons and them make something out of them.  I’ll decide eventually, too many other projects in line before them!  I have something else coming that I finally won, I’ll talk about that once it gets here!