I am so blessed - Life is Good!

My Husband is the greatest!   After 29 1/2 years, I think he's getting the hang of giving gifts.  Crazy man that he is, he went out yesterday afternoon to do his Christmas Shopping.  Now mind you, he only has one person to buy for, but still he waits until the very last minute!

Hubby is so supportive of my quilting habit - he bought me a 5 pack of rotary cutter blades, and 10 yards of Red and blue fabrics.  How cool is that?  He knows I want to do more quilts for soldiers, and figured that red and blue would be safe.  He picked it out all by himself from my favorite fabric stores.

My Mom also got into the act with several fat quarters of red and blue and cute pirate cats,  a rotary cutter blade, template and scissors.  She was so cute - she wrapped all our gifts in these wonderful snack boxes.  I asked her to save me a few from Dad's favorite snack.  I use them to put parts of my quilts in to keep them organized.

Right now, I'm using several to keep my Celtic Solstice parts organized...

Speaking of Celtic Solstice - Check this out!  I have to date made the following:



Clue 4 - 2 patch Segments for my 4 patches

Clue 1 - Tri-Recs Triangles: 90 of 380 total. Long way to go yet
Clue 2 - Chevrons:  70 80 of 288.  Long way to go here too
Clue 3 - Half Square Triangles:  420 440 of  488 - Almost there!
Clue 4 - 4 Patches:  I don't have any finished, but I'm almost finished sewing the 120 sets of  10" x 2"
strips and cut them up into 2" segments of 2 patches.

Clue 1 Tri Recs have been put aside to work on the others.  I'm about ready to get them out because I'm kind of bored with the Chevrons. 

Clue 2 Chevrons

Neutral Squares for Chevrons

Clue 2 Chevrons are coming together, and I'm getting the hang of getting the stitching lines to work out right so I have very little trimming to do.  They are very intense though so I'm finding it hard to do more than 5 at a time. 

420 Half Square Triangles

Clue 3 and 4 are all cut and I'm using them as leader/enders for the others.  I find that I'm making steady progress.

My favorite tools right now are the little red wonder clips to hold my parts together in groups of 10,  my Bloc Lock HST ruler which is getting quite the workout, and my shape cut ruler which is helping me cut multiple strips at the same time.

Linking up with Bonnie Hunter's Linky Party over at QuiltVille. Take a look at all the other's progress.  Even a few guesses at what the block might look like!

Gatitude & Appreciation - Finished!

 Last week I was able to finish the Red White & Blue quilt for my client's son.  She commissioned me to make this back in July after their wedding.  It was a real labor of love, since it turned out to be 69" x 79".  Big enough for both of them to snuggle on the couch with. 

I added words of encouragement in the inside border, love, family, freedom, peace, country, courage, grateful, etc.  I hope they are as pleased with it as I was to have it finished.  It is winging its way to Mom to be presented as a Christmas Gift this year.

I'm still working on the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Celtic Solstice.  You can see my progress in Part 1 and Part 2.  I have yet to start part 3 since I still have some Christmas stuff to do.

Linking up with Can I get a Whoop Whoop from Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

FMQ Friday - A great finish and other fun stuff

It's been a busy week here at the family homestead.  Our son and his lady friend were going to make an appearance with their two fur babies (very large dogs) so we needed to pick up and dog proof our home.  To say Buffy and Sassy were not happy is an understatement.  But the deal was he'd come to visit if he could bring his friend and the dogs.  Since we haven't seen him since July - the joys of having adult children - we agreed. It's interesting how the dogs are attracted to me, and are at my side every time I'm in the same room.  I'm a CAT person!

On the quilting front, I was able to find the fabric I wanted for the Quilt of Valor I'm working on for a client.  I love how the flag fabric sets off the blocks.  Now to make the time to piece the rows together and get the border on!   Because of all the white in the top, I decided to pre-wash the border fabric.  Good thing, because it took 3 washings with color catches to get the red to stop running!

I'm really excited to get  this finished and given.  I'm hoping they'll have many hours (years) of snuggling under the quilt.

 

 

My little quickie project this week is a fabric box.  We've been talking about them a lot at the Missouri Star Quilters Forum.  They are so quick and easy to make!  Check out the Tutorial from Seaside Stitches.  Tina Craig shows us how to make them.  I have plans for many boxes in the future for gifts and giveaways. 

This test box was made from a 10" piece of striped fabric with a great green piece from a layer cake. 





But by far, my favorite and best finish yet is the Big Brother quilt I made to go with the Baby quilt I told you about a couple of weeks ago.  I found the Tutorial at Wedding Dress Blue called Brotherly Love.

 

There are  many half square Triangles in this quilt!  I scaled it down to use 4" and 2" finished Half Square Triangles.  Buffy was right here to give her seal of approval.

Quilting it was a bit of a trial with all the seams and intersections.  My thread broke a lot!  But its done and on its way to a special little boy with his baby brother's quilt tagging along.

I'm linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
 

and Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting Project.

 

Until Next Time ~ Happy Quilting!

Not MIA - I've been Quilting!

It's been a busy couple of weeks here at Kathy's Cache.  In my other life, I'm a bookkeeper, and with the late-filing tax season winding down, I had my head in someone's books for a good 2 or 3 weeks.  I was still able to snatch a few 15 minute breaks for cutting, sewing, quilting, pressing and trimming, but mostly book work.  I'm glad that's behind me until after the first of the year again.  Now I can concentrate on my list of UFOs...


Last weekend I went on a Quilting Retreat at Susan's Calico Creations in Fulton IL.  I had a blast!  I sewed to my heart's content until late into the night, and was up bright and early the next morning to sew again.  I made great progress on a number of different projects...

First up is a Quilt of Valor I'm making for a client's son and his wife.  Recently married, he's done his time in the sandbox (more than once).  On my last business trip to visit with her, I showed her some Quilts of Valor blocks I was making for the national block drive for Quilts of Valor.  She instantly fell in love with one of the blocks and claimed it as her own.  She signed her name to the block, and I added it to the pile I dropped off at the local quilt shop to be added to the others from across the country.

I was able to pre-cut the pieces before the retreat, so all I had to do was sew the blocks together.  I was able to finish 25 of the planned 30 blocks.  I'm going to have to re-think the plan because, well the numbers aren't coming out right - so I'm thinking on it.  I need to have it finished by November 7 when I plan to present it to her to give to her at a workshop we're both attending.  She will have it in plenty of time to give to him for Christmas.   A triple blessing.  Stay tuned for pictures of the finished quilt.

Big Brother quilt is assembled.  This one is made up of something like 300 half square triangles.  Did I mention I spent a lot of 15 minute work breaks pressing and trimming?   This one is from one of my favorite designers at Wedding Dress Blue - a take off of her Brotherly Love quilt.   I scaled it down to 4 1/2 inch and 2 1/2 inch half square triangles, and made a toddler-size quilt for the big brother of the baby whose quilt I wrote about last time.  The pieces were also pre-cut and the triangles were made, so this one went together in a snap once I got the pattern figured out!  Wouldn't you know, I left the directions at home!  Thank goodness for Wi-Fi, and a very generous hostess who let me tap into her internet.

I also made 7 pillowcases for gifts 21 split nine patch blocks, and a big batch of chili (sorry no pictures it was all gone!)

I really enjoyed my time away from home, pushing the fabric through the machine and visiting with all my new friends.   I'm planning on doing this again in the future.


So a big old Whoop Whoop for getting so much done in one weekend!  Linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict!

Linking up with Leah Day's FMQ Friday

FMQ Friday - Lots of Quilting Going On Here

 

 

First up:  Welcome Home is completed, with the binding finished and everything!  We're hoping to be able to present to our Soldier friend very soon.

Next up:  Bella's Beauties is done but for the binding (see all the clips?)

Just waiting for a few hours of quiet time to stitch down the binding.   Chief Inspector Buffy is checking the workmanship.


 I love the bright pink binding.  It makes me smile every time I see it.  I'm thinking I'll have to use the rest of that fabric for a pillow case for Miss Bella...  Maybe for Christmas.  The quilt is for her birthday next week.  Nothing like a deadline to push a project along!

I used a Lollipop Chain for the pieced border

Next:  100 Hugs a Day - Blue

The binding needs to be finished on this one too.  Notice how neither of the cats wanted to get too close?  I wonder if they know it's not all the way done yet...  Nothing fancy in the quilting here, just an all over loop and circles design.

On the machine now:  The Grinch Won't Steal This Christmas!

 

This was a kit from Quilts for Kids.  Not sure I would have chosen the white backing for a child in the hospital, but this is what they sent, so this is what I used.  I'm on the last corner for quilting, then I can get it bound, washed and on its way back to the organization to be given to a child in need. This will be my first foray into machine binding (I usually do mine by hand).

Quilts for Kids is (are?) asking for volunteers to make quilts and donate quilts.  With so many projects on my plate through the end of the year, I would be hard pressed to squeeze out another quilt this year.  Maybe you can help? 


I'm linking up with Leah Day's FMQ Friday, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Check back later this weekend for what else I've been up to this week.  It sure has been a busy one!  Until next time - Happy Quilting!

Something of a Quandry

I'm working on Bella's Beauties this week.  I want to have it finished in time to send it to her birthday later this month.  I may not make it, and that's ok, there's always Christmas.

I started with an idea and a pattern.  The idea was to gather up fabrics of things she likes, pink and purple, music, puzzles, ladybugs, butterflies and all that princess and fairy stuff.  The pattern is Falling Charms from the Missouri Star Quilt company
 I started auditioning background fabric back in May, and had a really hard time deciding.  Did I want the lavender with butterflies and flowers?






Or lavender with Stars



Or Deep purple batik?

 

 Ok, so the deep purple didn't work so well, and I chose the lavender with butterflies and flowers.

I put it together on the design wall and realized I had the pattern wonky - try again.

And the inside of the top is done.  Now I'm looking at borders...

I know the deep purple has to go in,  But do I want the bright pink with flowers, or the marbled light pink?

 

Ick - neither one!  How about a pieced border?  Piano key sounds good and fairly quick and easy... But do I want...



With the background mixed in?

or not?

Here's where I ended up last night - with the piano key gone and 2 3/8" squares - like a Chinese coin.  (ignore the pink, it's left over from the audition process, I haven't put it away yet.)  But still I need it longer - so maybe a 2nd row with the border fabric repeated on both sides?  I'm still trying to decide.   Before Borders it was 44 x 50.  Add first border it's now 47 x 53.  I want to get it up to at least 60" long so that she has room to grow with it.  Did I mention she's going to be 7 this month?  According to my son and her mother she's between 4' and 4'6"...


I'm not sure why this one is such a struggle.  Maybe its because her grandmother was also a quilter who painstakingly made a quilt for her as a baby that was 'put away for good' and she doesn't get to use it.  Maybe because I want her to love and cherish it AND use it! for a good long time.

I am open to suggestions.

Only 168 hours in a week?!?

I don't know where last week went!  I certainly didn't rack up that many billable hours at my 'job'.  So what the heck did I do all week?

I quilted!  I've been like an out-of-control kid in a toy store, wanting to try out everything!  I have so many works in progress it's overwhelming, and I don't know what to work on next.

I was working on quilting a comfort quit for my friend Mary who is battling cancer.  I have an overwhelming need to finish it, but want it to be beautiful and unique. My thought is to give her a place to focus when times are tough, to lose herself in the patterns and movement of the quilting.    The idea was to put a different design in each piece of this Tossed Pinwheel quilt.

Big ideas, right?  Hooo boy - I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I started quilting on this.

I started here 

The pattern is a variation of a Disappearing 9 patch, and I started with 12 9 patches split into 4s - suffice it to say there are a LOT of different blocks here.  The pebbles took a bit of time to fill this 4 1/2 in square.  That was the first indication that this would not be a quick process.  The confused spiral in the 2 x 4 1/2 went fairly quickly, but still took some time.

 

 

 

I filled in a few more squares - the little ones are the easiest... the pearled feather came out ok.

 



 

I like the peppermint candy - to me it looks like a pan of cinnamon rolls.  Then I got the idea to write words of encouragement on this quilt in the 2 x 4 1/2 inch blocks.  Hope, peace, faith, love, trust, healing, prayer.  If you have any others - please leave me a comment - I have LOTS of 2 x 4 1/2 blocks to fill in yet.

And some other designs, knotted spiral, a feather looking thing, one that looks like a ruler, cobblestones, and I don't remember all the others.  Thanks to Leah Day and the Free Motion Quilting Project for all the great filler patterns!  I'm linking up to her FMQ Friday linky party.

Now that I've started this every block thing, I need to continue that way.  Oh My that's a lot of hours at the machine! I finally had to put this away because I had some other things to work on too - and the cats kept eating my Pinmoors right off the quilt! 

So I pulled out a project that needs to be done in a couple of weeks for my almost-granddaughter's birthday.

 

Bella's Beauties is made in the Falling charm pattern from Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I still have to put borders on it then get it ready for quilting.  I'm thinking a narrow dark purple batik then either a piano key border from left over pieces or a scrappy 4 patch and another 2 1/2" of the purple butterflies with a hot pink binding. But we'll see when the spirit moves me again.

 



 

 

100 Hugs a day for Connor, who was born last month, is finished and needs to be quilted.  Plus, Connor has an older brother Christopher who hasn't had a quilt from me yet - so his is in the works too.

 



The Grinch won't Steal This Christmas - a Quilt for Kids kit project that needs to be finished this month.  I also want to send along something else, but not sure if it is going to happen this month.

So when Leah Day posted FMQ Friday - More Time to Quilt Needed! I feel her pain.  I want to spend all my time quilting, but know that if I don't work - as a freelancer - I don't get paid!  I need to get paid to support the quilting habit. 

Other things on my work in process list:  Big Brother quilt for Christopher (72 4 1/2" half square triangles and 288 2 1/2" half square triangles - OMG! what was I thinking?); Jacob's Ladder for the first grandson of my dear friend Mary Ann; Pop-Pop's Pass-times for my father-in-law for Christmas; Quilt of Valor for a very special young man and his new bride commissioned by his Mom, Irish Chain for mother-in-law for Mother's Day, if I can hold out that long; unspecified quilts for my Mom, Sister, brother-in-law, nephew; a Mystery quilt I started back in July; and dozens upon dozens of ideas running through my head.  Plus quilts for charities like Quilts for Kids and Quilts of Valor.

Balance is a skill I desperately need to practice!  I've been learning and practicing balance, having fun and setting boundaries with my coach Teresa Romain at Access Abundance.  This month I will be taking a one day workshop that you might be interested in (if you're within driving distance of Egan MN) called Unblocked and Thriving.  I believe she has a few seats left at the early bird price that ends this week.  Take a look.  Teresa has helped me in so many ways.  It seems like she has a 'webcam' into my soul and her messages are always what I need at that time.

So back to today I'm going to have some fun quilting - basting the two finished quilts and finishing up Bella's Beauties so it too can be basted.  This week is my busy week at work.  I will weave some quilting in amongst the work.  Until next time - Happy Quilting!