Sunday, January 03, 2010

What I've been up to!


So..no progress pictures were shown before Christmas...because dd#3 reads the blog. This quilt is much further along than the picture above shows, and 300% brighter. I used a string block variation, where I began with a foundation piece (in this case the polka-dotted fabric in each diagonal center) and worked outwards toward opposite corners. This makes it so the seams are all encased between the strip on top, and the foundation piece on the bottom. I placed a purply red mottled fabric as a 2" border and a final row of blocks all around the edge. All the fabrics are batiks, and variations thereof, mottled, fossil ferns, overdyed prints, etc. The batting is a bamboo/cotton blend.

It's all layered and pinned, and I am in the process of machine quilting. I had preplanned the quilting, but the best-laid plans don't always work out. This is a large piece for me, my largest in fact! It's about 68x84 and I don't have the space to do lay it all out and get fancy. I am ending up stitching in the ditch around the blocks and on each side of the diagonal, using a multi-color orange thread. The binding will be random pieced of the quilt's fabrics...or the same as the border, really not sure yet.

Gosh, sure hope she likes it! It's got a long journey ahead to Iraq, I've got my fingers crossed for it's safe arrival and many years of snugglies.

Merry Christmas Peach!

Saturday's Progress
Meal planning - nope
Grocery shopping - a little, whatever we could carry home
64 oz water - 32 oz
A bike ride - nope; walked 1.7 miles instead
1 hour of Quilting - yup
1 hour of Studio Cleaning - nope

Sunday's Goals
Take down Christmas lights
Grocery shopping
1 hour of Quilting
1 hour of Studio Cleaning
Walk around the block

Saturday, January 02, 2010

A New Beginning Again

Not going to beat myself up over this. Yes, you are! No, I'm not! Yes! You are! No! I'm not! Oh Lord, I'm hearing voices.

A new year, a new chance, another try. As long as I keep trying, I think I'm A-OK. I refuse to give up. Yeah, I'm that stubborn.

A little more focus this time. Water and a little more exercise are my target. I drink literally NO water as a general course, so as easy as it sounds, it's NOT. I have a new bike, and two legs...so come on now, how hard can this be? The weather is cool, and I really don't have many excuses left!

On tap for Saturday:
Meal planning
Grocery shopping
64 oz water
A bike ride
1 hour of Quilting
1 hour of Studio Cleaning