I am so inspired by my sister and her husband.   She is like the person I wanna be when I grow up.   We didn’t know about each other most of our lives as my dad moved away and didn’t mention to her mom he had other children.   Once she heard she put a lot of effort and time into locating me and I’m so grateful she did.  She came along at a time I had given up on family.

While it’s only been 4 or 5 years and we only see each other a couple of times a year, she and Mark are like people you feel you’ve just always known.  There are few people I am completely comfortable around and they are 2 of only about 4 or 5.

She always seems to be in a blessed mood no matter the circumstances or no matter how she is feeling.  She has struggled with so much just in the time I’ve known her and yet she stays so positive and upbeat.  She’s the first to compliment or encourage someone and always has your back.  He is the first to jump to your defense if someone has something crappy to say and the one you know you could always depend on.   They say God has a perfect match for everyone and I once I met these two, I not only believe it, but I think they are some of the rare ones that actually found that perfect someone and were in the right place to realize it.  She couldn’t ask for anyone more loving or helpful and he couldn’t ask for anymore more supportive and loving.  It makes my heart happy every time I get to see them interact as a couple.   They simply enjoy each other and I think that’s what God intended when He put them together.

Ever known that one person you could look at and say “I wish I was like them”?  Well, I’ve met two.  I love those 2 and can’t wait till I can move closer.

Obviously I have planned projects and don’t have to rely on randomly chosen numbers for all my quilts.  Although that could be fun.

This one is a quilt along that the designer is starting mid-November so I’ve purchased my pattern, purchased my fabrics and spent just over 4 hours cutting all the pieces so I am ready once the project begins.   My colors won’t be exactly the same, cause you know I like to throw in that odd color every now and again.

I didn’t have anything particular on the I want to do Now list so I pulled a number from the bowl and started a new top last week.  Out of 49 numbers in the bowl what is the chance I would pull out number 1 the first time I use the bowl?  Pretty good I guess since that’s what I pulled.  Turns out it was another 4 patch posey.  Normally I would put it back because I just made one but the rule is, whatever number comes out is the one I’ll be making.

It’s a fabric I just kind of bought on a whim and wondered how it would look as a 4 patch posey.  I ended up laying it aside as I thought it was really too busy but it actually turned out very nice.  My original idea was to make the posey then sash the blocks using the coordinating stripe.  Once I saw how the blocks came out the strips just washed it all out so I decided to use black with a small cornerstone in the stripe.  I’ll use the rest for binding so it’s not wasted.    This is one of those quilts that you love it or immediately think it’s too loud.  I personally love it.  It isn’t quilted yet and I normally only share completed pictures so I will only share the beginning row.   The fabric is called Brooke Fabric by Studio 8.   It will have 8 rows and I don’t think I even have 2 identical blocks.   I was really surprised how this look finished.  Nothing like I expected.

Want a laugh?  I pulled the 2nd number out of the bowl so I’d have something to play with evenings I’m not cleaning.  I pulled number 2.  That has to be like 1 in a million odds.   But, at least it wasn’t a 4 patch posey and it’s actually Christmas fabrics.  Perfect timing.  I’ll give you a hint of that one once I made some of the blocks.

I made my hairdresser a quilt 3 or 4 years ago and I have to say, I haven’t found anyone that appreciated it so much.  Nearly every time he uses it he will post something on facebook or send me a text reminding me how much he appreciates his quilt.   I know he loves anything paisley so when I saw this Kaufman print, I knew it was time he had a new one.  I only found 2 solids I really like with it so a simple disappearing nine patch worked great.

I wish the colors showed up better in pictures.  The blue has a slight mottled look and has such a deep, rich hue to it.  For such a simple pattern it really is beautiful in person.  I didn’t want to overpower the beautiful paisley pattern so it’s quilted in a small meander only in the solid fabrics using a gold poly thread.

I am slowly working my way thru a pile of tops that I let accumulate that needed to be quilted.  Once they were basted I realized there were 7 of them and as you can see from prior posts, I’ve been working my through getting them quilted and bound.  I got so excited when I realized they were all quilted and after these 2 there was just one left to bind and I was caught up.  Then I realized this month I was piecing 3 more tops (2 are now done) so I again have a basting pile started.  I enjoy being a home body and I enjoy sewing so I think there will always be a “waiting to be basted” pile.   I’m not even done binding the last one from that prior group and I have 2 back in that pile.

This 4 patch posey is one I was practicing the technique on and realized I left out a green strip in one corner.  Since it’s just a new floor quilt for the pups I didn’t worry about going back and fixing it.   I asked and the boys said they didn’t mind it like that.  LOL.   The border is the original fabric and all the blocks are made with that one fabric.  I wasn’t sure about the green but it really came out pretty.

Tora is one of the young women that work with my daughter that I have been wanting to make a quilt but I just keep forgetting.  Those ladies work so hard for half the pay they are worth so I like to do something for them every now and then, even if it’s just lunch.

This fabric is from a Kansas Studio layer cake package I got in WV and the colors are so pretty.  The green just happens to be the color of her sofa.   Super easy pattern I wanted to do for an online group – Missouri Star Starburst I think it’s called.   Quilted with a simple outline in the colored pieces and a ribbon border.    She loved it and that’s all that matters.   Didn’t get a picture but it has a pretty chocolate batik backing.

Sen the rest of the layer cake to my sexy sister Jill.  One day that same fabric will likely pop up in one of her quilts.

As quilters I think we all have more plans than we have time. We all buy that amazing must have fabric then we buy more and many times it’s years before we see pieces again as they are buried so deep in our fabric stash.   In an attempt to organize, I tried making a list but found it seemed overwhelming.  There were so many planned quilts and pretty fabrics bought that you get to a point where you find you put it aside as there are so many, you don’t know where to start or you can’t make a decision on which is next.  Then, they end up buried again as it’s easier to start on that new fabric you just bought.  At least that’s how it works in mind.  I’ll grab a pattern then think of another or decide I don’t wanna make that one right now then I end up getting something new as it’s easier not to decide.   I also have some eye issues and I don’t know for sure how long I will accurately be able to cut pieces out.  I started worrying I’d have all this amazing fabric and can’t make up my mind, or I can’t cut them.

With that in mind I decided to start pulling patterns and finding fabrics for them.  I especially wanted to cut up all those red, white and blues I had purchased.   So I set about a plan for when I didn’t want to sew.  I took the plastic shoe boxes my wonderful sister Jill gave me, pulled a pattern, added fabrics and set to work.  I cut the fabrics, marked what pattern I was making then made myself pre-cut quilt kits.  This way if I can’t cut later or I don’t want to cut, I have quilts already cut, boxed and ready to start sewing.  Unfortunately by the time I stopped to organize them I realized I had made up 49 kits and never touched the fabric in the cabinet.

This still didn’t resolve my problem of “I can’t make up my mind”.  I pulled one out and immediately said oh I don’t wanna do that one now and put it back.  SOOOOOOO, I had a brainstorm.  I took the labels off all the boxes and added a number instead. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.  Then I made a ticket with each number on it and put it in a bowl.   I’ve committed to myself to make whatever number comes out of the bowl each time. I’m even going to post what it is on my quilting group as a form of accountability.

I have a couple of projects that are already on the to do list like a quilt along starting in November, a queen panel I want to design a quilt around and a few to quilt but whenever I’m at a nothing planned stage, I will pull a box and that one is up next.

Now I just need about 100 more plastic boxes.

Just finally finished this up for a co-worker of my daughter.   I’m not sure why I decided to make her one except I thought of her when I saw the fabric.  When you see her you immediately think of that one cool chick you knew in the 60’s and she wasn’t even born then.  I saw those dots and they were so outside my normal fabric choices but I thought I have to try them.

That was about 2+ years ago then I realized I had lost the pattern.  Turns out the designer had a you tube video so it is finally done and Shannon delivered it Saturday.  Never heard from her so just hope she liked it.   I think it turned out great.

I took the picture outside and it really made the fabrics look drab so I included a close up that shows how bright and fun they were.

Over the past 5 years I’ve raffled one or 2 quilts a year and donated the money raised to a local family that has serious medical bills.  They have always done pretty well just passing it around facebook but this go round it seems to have possibly run it’s course as we have only a handful of tickets sold.   Based on this go round, I may end up putting it on hold for 2019 or simply discontinue it.  I know even if we only sell $100 in tickets that still helps a family but it doesn’t make sense to spend $200+ on fabric and months of work to raise less than the costs to make it.

This is the quilt we are raffling for the 2nd half of 2018.  Tickets sales run thru December 9th with the drawing December 10.  So far we have about $80 in sales and an additional $220 one person purchased.  I was oping to equal the May one that hit $1,300 but it looks unlikely.   It’s a bargello heart made in blues, greens and browns.   Queen size – 100% quilt shop quality fabrics and quilted in white poly thread.  The fabrics are so much prettier in person.

Last year we made quilts for Houston after Hurricane Harvey went thru.   My friend Wess who lives in Houston was kind enough to help us distribute them so I thought he needed one for his new apartment as well.   Unfortunately we had Hurricane Irma after that so I didn’t get any more made so I used some of the red white and blues for his as well.   Hoping to get it washed and in the mail this week.    Quilted this one with an all over star pattern in white thread.