Emptying the Cupboard I

This will be the first of a few posts on finishing projects. I have this cupboard that Jess gathered all of my unfinished projects into and I couldn't get the door shut. It made me sad. She basically told me to either throw it away or get the silly things done. She can be tough but she did finish a rug for me to get me started. I whined a bit more and then I got started. This is my first finish, now I just need to remember how to go to the post office.

I could also have titled this, "Sorry I Didn't Answer the Phone Mom, I Was Working On Your Quilt" or maybe..... "Yes Mom, Your Quilt IS Done But No, It's Not In The Mail".

 Please, please ignore the lint.

When my mom was out for a visit last year she asked if I would make her a quilt for her guest room. I told her yes, but only if she'd help. So she decided she wanted a Turning Twenty, picked out her fabrics, helped me cut them up, and before she left we almost had the top done. I finished the borders fairly quickly and started quilting it, and then I started working  and my life went kinda topsy-turvy stopped. About two months ago with Jess, Micah and You Know Who keeping me company, I finished the simple (really?) straight line quilting. I used a blue variegated thread which made a nice grid pattern on the back. It finished out queen size with a bit of overhang, I hope..
I should have taken pictures of Micah and Grandpa "helping" me mark the lines... I hollered a lot, they thought it was funny. Sorry mom, even after a washing it'a a bit used (and still full of lint).
Oh, and Mom, it is in a box... I need to set it in front of the door so I won't forget to take it to the post office...

For those that are still reading, and asked where I work and what I do now, this is for you. Through a series of strange timing and weirdly connected events I am now working as an office manager for a small company that specializes in an area of building, both commercial and upper end residential. I really like it and if I can learn everything they need me to do in a timely manner, I think they'll really like me. No, it's not in the crafty creative vein that I love so much but it is a position where I take care of things and people, so now I concentrate on the part of me that likes organization. Judging from the first part of my post I've neglected that side a bit too long eh? It is funny though, I did manage to meld a bit of what I learned about display to make the books that hold the jobs legible. Such a little thing and it made me happy.

It only took a million years

At least that's the way it felt. It did take me too long. Why is it I start with great intentions, I will finish this project before I start another, but it never works that way? Ever. I'm learning to live with it.

To help myself along, I decided to bind this on my machine. I don't mind doing it by hand but it would have taken forever and I was kinda over it. I like the way it turned out and may do all of my "everyday" quilts this way. This one is for me.

I used Basic Grey, Urban Couture for the top.

You know who and I had fun out in the snow. I seriously can't believe how deep it is and it's still coming down.

The back is purple Kona cotton with my left over fat quarters of Basic Grey.

Have a great day!

Turning Twenty finished

I started this in March of 08. It hung in the shop unfinished until last week when I finally got brave enough to quilt it. Leah quilted Jennifer's Turning Twenty in this same pattern and I really liked it. I completed the binding this morning. My quilting is a bit wonky in some places but how do you improve if you don't try? Took me almost a year to talk myself into that one. It's not perfect but nothing is and I'll do better next time. Until then, start to finish, I made this!

Retraction

At this time I must admit to having half of my faculties in order. I surround myself with clever people to try and cover up this fact. In my last post I gave credit to Jennifer for the idea of getting the Turning Twenty quilt pattern when it was in fact my daughter, Jessica. Last night, when she kindly pointed this out to me in an email, I felt terrible. I am trying to figure out how to blame this on the two of them. I know, they are both clever, talented people who give me so many good ideas that I get confused!! Does that work? Anyway, I blogged about my Mema and told ya'll that I have been surrounded by talent all my life. What I haven't said yet is that I managed to produce three talented people. Much more clever than me most days. I hope Jessica doesn't mind but I am putting up pictures of something she has done. They are growth folios. They can be hung on the wall or stored in their compact 6 x 6 size on a shelf. She painted each one with cool bugs and plants leaving enough room for notes. There is a pocket for a picture on the front. She has also personalized them. So said all of that to say, THANK YOU Jessica. Oh and BTW you need to pick out fabric cause I feel another quilt top needs to be made....

No time to blog

It was a long week...... I started off with so much energy and today feel as if the life was sucked out of me. Monday we got a pattern in that Jennifer told me about. It is called Turning Twenty by Tricia Cribbs. I was so excited about the pattern, I bought fat quarters from our Fresh Cut line and went home to sew. Around 8 that night I finally had time to start cutting. I cut and sewed for three hours that night, then got up, sewed for two more the next morning and was done with the top. I really like the way it went together! Even though I only had eight different fat quarters instead of twenty, it looks great. Kelly told me to hang it in the shop, I complained that it was not complete but did it anyway and before I could get it hung, two people asked for the book! Kelly loves being right... I have yet to get a good picture of it but I will post the one I have. This is an addictive quilt style, I have started picturing all of our lines done in it. Anyone out there need a quilt? I may have several to choose from.....