Monday Morning Design Wall 8/6/2012

This weekend was Finish Up Weekend.  I finished up my first applique quilt, which I had finished hand quilting several weeks ago but never got to the binding!  Yippee, so good to have it done.  I also finished another Mimi's Bloomers block,  but I am unhappy as my dark purple looks the same as my dark blue.  I think I will have to switch one of the heart out for another color....just which one??  Red would work but it seems to look like the dark pink I already have there.   Decisions, decisions.    I also made progress on two other projects, just little steps but there was progress!!

 Don't forget to check out all the other design walls on Judy's blog!!  Happy Monday!

Monday Morning Design Wall 7/30/2012

BACK FROM LONG BEACH!!  Had a wonderful day on Friday after spending the entire day at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach!!  The quilts were just stunning and the 12 by 12 exhibit was outstanding!  The applique was just stunning!!  Loved every minute of it and was bless have met up with my friend Diane.  We had such a great time shopping (see my beautiful fabric purchases below) and walking through all the quilts until I was just worn out! 

I stumbled back to my brother's house in Newport Beach and relaxed with a nice glass of wine!  My husband and two younger boys showed up from a visit to Barstow and we sat down to a great dinner!  No one was very impressed with my fabric but me!  Boys!

We did manage to squeeze in a visit with my daughter and her boyfriend in San Luis Obispo and then arrived home Sunday evening.  I am really regretting not taking Monday off!!

 I did finish another Mimi's Bloomers block and hope to catch up on the BOM sometime this week with number 6 and 7!!

 Don't forget to check out Judy's blog to see all the other design walls!!

Monday Morning Design Wall 7/23/2012

I had a very productive week, although I am still working on the borders for my Baltimore Quilt, I managed to fit in a few blocks for Erin Russek's Mimi's Bloomers.  They are so fun that I could not resist working on a few when I took breaks from the border work. 

I am also getting ready to attend the Long Beach International Quilt Festival next weekend and I am so excited to be able to go and see all the beautiful quilts.  I am planning on having a blast and just enjoying myself!!   Don't forget to check out the other design walls on Judy's blog.

Monday Morning Design Wall 7/16/2012

Great week, I was able to get one border ready to sew for my Baltimore Album quilt and even made some progress before the Annual Family Camping Trip.  This year we went to Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California.  Wonderful time.  We had the entire Lost Creek Group Camping Ground to ourselves and we hiked and cooked like fiends.  We climbed to Bumpass Hell and saw the sulphur pots (1,500 feet gain in elevation) and then tried to climb to the top of Mount Lassen. 

 Missed being able to sew for a few days but would never risk my fabric to the smoke of the fire.  I read magazines, talked with my friends and picked out a pattern to make for my youngest son who pointed out I had made two quilts for my friend's son and only one for him!!   How could this slip by me??  I am off to the Long Beach Quilt show in a week or so and will be getting fabric for a Ocean Wave quilt for him.  I think he will love it.

 This is Nicolas, perched on a rock over looking the valley we climbed up from during one of his many "wait for the parents" stops on the way to Bumpass Hell.   Below is me, my husband and my son's, Nathan and Nicolas.  Great trip!!  Only one bad blister! 

Monday Morning Design Wall 7/9/2012

GOOD MORNING! Happy 54th Birthday to my husband Stuart! Hope you have a great day.  Welcome Home to my 17th year old son who spent the last month in Germany with his exchange student, can't wait to hear about your trip!!

I had a very productive two weeks, finally finishing every block for my Baltimore Album. I have done enough french knots to sink a ship but I am very happy with the results. Worth all the work!!  I have embellished and I think it looks great.

The rows are sewn together but I wanted to preview it for a day or two before I finish the rest of the sewing.  I am working on the first border so I have high hopes it will be finished soon.  I also finished another from the P3 Designs and  will soon start the next block. There is only one difficult one left so that is good.
Below are a couple of close up pictures of my french knots, the block is fourth row, second from the left.  I was so worried about doing them I initially decided to skip them but a bit of practice and they turned out rather well!!

 I can't wait to get the first border done and I hope to be quilting this quilt shortly after Labor Day once it cools off here in the hot hot valley of central California.    Don't forget to check out all the other walls in Judy's blog.

Monday Morning Design Wall 6/25/2012

 What a week!  Keeping to my promise to finish up my Baltimore Album quilt I successfully finished the last two of the 25 blocks!!  The star block was the biggest challenge and took weeks of fear before I was ready to tackle it.  The green section is done with a combo of applique and reverse applique and cutting into the background fabric but I chickened out on the red and did it the way I felt more comfortable, just so I could get it done already!!  I also made my four ruched flowers for Block #25. 

Below is the progress I have made on the border applique, many many leaves, flowers and everything else.  I am about to start my second round, of 4 total so I should be ready to start the borders by the time I get the top sewn together.

 Just for the fun of it I also included my Farmer's Market shopping trip this last Saturday.  I was so thrilled to have purchased all these yummy organic foods for only $41.  Tons of cherries, bing and renier, Yukon potatoes, basil, carrots, strawberries and a huge flat of jumbo eggs!!

Next week I am hoping the corn and stone fruit look good, it is almost PEACH time here!!  Yummmm.

Remember to check out Judy's blog and see all the other design walls!

Monday Morning Ironing Board 6/18/2012

Well, my design wall is blank thanks to my decision to stop new projects and start work on the borders for my Baltimore Album quilt.  There are multiple components, tons of leaves and flowers up and down these long mitered borders.  This will be time consuming and a bit repetitive as I have to do four, but if I just work on getting something done each and every day, I hope to have them done by the end of summer.  Then I can start hand quilting this project in the fall when it is cooler.   I prepared my pieces several weeks ago and just want to see this project done at last!!

Remember to check out Judy's blog and see what is on all the other design walls!