July Wrap Up

I guess July has been a little more productive than I have been feeling! These hot lazy days, with my major effort directed to keeping a little more comfortable than sweaty-sticky, leave me thinking that I'm not getting anything done. However, in addition to keeping myself clean, fed, and somewhat orderly, I've been able to sew.

This is a new project--of course. The Quiltville group on Facebook (there's a link to my FB page over there on the sidebar) is doing a year-long challenge with their leaders & enders making Tumbler quilts. You may remember my adventures with tumblers over the last couple of years; it was so much fun making that quilt (later two quilts) that I mentioned to Anne that I wanted to do it again. She agreed, we ordered templates, and as soon as they arrived we started cutting. 

I managed to get 600 cut out of 4 different fabric lines I just happened to have fat quarters of; she used 30x prints. She made 5" tall tumblers; mine are 3". I sewed them all into pairs and then realized... I need 600 PAIRS of tumblers. So here's the next 600 cut. 

I enjoy the cutting so it's not a chore at all. What amuses me is that the Color Council has done its work well--the four fabric lines, from three different manufacturers, all use basically the same colors: orange, teal, navy, and gold.

My little furry friend has been coming out of her shell recently and has decided to take over the job of quilt supervisor. She's not quite clear on the concept, though.

This is another project, sort of an amuse-bouche if you will. The Big Bear Quilt Guild, of which Anne and Sandy are members, has set themselves a challenge goal of 100 pillowcases and 100 baby quilts by Christmas, to be donated to a local charity.

Of course I have to help out... So some baby ragg quilts are in the pipeline. Great sewing for a hot day, and a good excuse to get out the Brother and vroom-vroom a little.

This machine is a lot like my mother's industrial machine--straight stitch only, knee lift, winds the bobbin while you're sewing, no bells or whistles, just fast efficient stitching.

Giant stack of batting squares. Used them all up! Not to worry, found more batting, was given some scraps, so this is all basically "free" since it was leftover from other projects!

Community Quilt top is done and ready to go to the longarmers. This is it spread out on my queen bed--so it will be a good twin size when it's done. I'm really happy with it, but I think the next time I would make it one row across shorter. Not changing it now though!

And then there are the completed quilts. This is where it starts to get really impressive, at least to me! 

First up, Picasso's Puzzle. This is the quilt that was a little box of triangles, which I put together one week on a whim. Sent it to the longarmers with a batch of other tops that I'd made but not quilted.

The backing of this quilt is lime green with bubbles on it, and there are lots of circles in the Picasso print. Hence lots of "bubbles" in the quilting.

Woven Ribbons. Finished sewing the binding on this one down at the beach when my daughter and her family were here.

Ditto with the Shadow Study I quilt. I had wanted to quilt both of these myself originally, but decided that it would be better to have them done, so longarming it was! I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out.

And what could be better than sitting on a deck at the beach with a little hand sewing?

Otherwise, I sew binding while I'm watching TV. I got the Hunter's Star Christmas quilt done--after all, Audrey decided she loves it and really wants t o take it home! What's a grandma to do?

And... I just realized... I also finished up the tile quilt, and it's gone to its new home and the spot it was designed for. I'll have to see if I can add a picture of it here!