Manassas Railroad - Finished!

Well, I had grand plans of posting this days ago, but my Netbook decided to have heart failure instead. She's on the way to the doctor and I'm stuck using my husband's laptop for the time being.

Oh, and also, I was sewing the binding on while here. Hardship, I tell you.

So now that I'm home...

My dad volunteers at the Manassas Battlefield, so a couple of months ago, I contacted Barbara Brackman for a block idea for Manassas. She said she was planning on using Railroad Crossing in her Civil War Quilt Along, since the Battle of Manassas was fought over the railroad junction.

The quilt includes reproduction fabrics by Barbara Brackman (Moda, Civil War Homefront) and Jo Morton (Andover, Indigo Berries). The sashing is Dimples (Andover) with cornerstones that make little shoo flies. The border and backing is from the Mark Twain collection (Windham).

 The quilting is straight lines along the red fabric, crossing in the middle like a railroad junction.
It measures 58x68" and is bound in the Indigo Berries.

And now I'm hooked on the Civil War Quilt Along. At least I only need to do two blocks a week to catch up.

Sunday Stash Report - Week 25

Purchased the borders, backing and binding for the Manassas Railroad, and actually finished it!

It's even quilted and bound and ready to hand over to my father this afternoon.

Used this Week: 7.25

Used Year to Date: 75.18

Added this Week: 4.5

Added Year to Date: 104.71

Net Used for 2011: (29.53) yards

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

Manassas Railroad - Top Finished!

I finished the top for Manassas Railroad this week - in time for Father's Day!

The borders are from a Mark Twain fabric collection. It has the same accent colors as the Civil War fabrics, but the background blue is much lighter. I'm not sure it was the right choice...but Mark Twain is one of my favorite writers, so I'll buy anything marketed as his.

It measures about 58x68.

The black lump of fur retreated to the chair to glare at me after being told to get off the quilt ten times during the basting process.

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 16

All I've been working on this week is Manassas Railroad, so I can take it with me on vacation and hand-stitch the binding. I'm nearly there.

One more row of sashing, two borders and it'll be ready to go!

I love the barely-noticeable shoo-fly blocks that the cornerstones in the sashing make. Dorky, but they make me happy.

Untouched This Week:

Frolicking Pinwheels

Charming Wildflowers

Steelers Quilt

Kaleidoscope Quilt Along

Awaiting Quilting:

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

Hunter's Star

iSpy Sliced Coin Quilt

In Planning:

Cars Quilt (the Dude)

Hunter's Star (my sister)

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 11

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!

Design Wall Monday - Week 24

More of the Railroad Crossing...

As I finish piecing a block, I add it to a row on the design wall. It's nice to have all the same blocks, so I don't have to keep track of what goes in which row!

The quilt will be 5x6 blocks, so I'm more than halfway through. I need to start piecing the horizontal sashing as I finish putting on the corner triangles.

Check out more design walls at Patchwork Times!

Sunday Stash Report - Week 24

Shop Hop Weekend!

Honestly, the damage wasn't that bad.

This is my purchased pile - Route 66 for the Dude's Cars quilt, camo dinosaurs because they were REALLY soft, a bit of coffee fabric and a panel for the kitchen stuff I'm never going to make, a yard of Merry & Bright to go with my Kaleidoscope quilt, backing for my Layer Cake Quilt Along, borders for the Steeler's quilt (woo!), a half yard of a random red floral, and two Sunkissed charm packs.

And the freebies! A bag full of buttons, a wallet, a couple fat quarters, quilting needles (needed those, yay!) and some patterns. The bags in the middle are the Shop Hop blocks in Charlevoix - each of the eight shops designed a block.

The Dude had to come with me because his dad is flying this weekend. He did...mostly okay. At the seventh shop, he talked to my mother on the cell phone and loudly declared to the entire shop that "Mom was going to TOO MANY quilt stores." Everyone cracked up.

 

And I didn't finish anything - busy with VBS in the mornings, errands and cleaning in the afternoons, and balancing time with the Dude to sewing Railroad Crossing blocks. They're almost done - after weeding the garden I should get them finished today!

Used this Week: 0

Used Year to Date: 67.93

Added this Week: 12.58

Added Year to Date: 100.21

Net Used for 2011: (32.28) yards

Eek! I cracked 100 yards purchased!

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

LQS Saturday Sampler - Block 5

I really like this block. I love how the middle section weaves in a braid-like fashion. I bet it'd make a nice pattern for a quilt.

 And no errors putting it together! The instructions called for putting it together in quarters, then sewing the quarters together. I just did it in four rows.

Lynette at What a Hoot recently started a BOM linky! :) So I'll be linking to that every month now.

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 15

Completed Tops!

Hunter's Star

iSpy Sliced Coin Quilt

Manassas Railroad: nine blocks completed, sashing cut, the other blocks quickly coming together. 

NEW - Kaleidoscope Quilt Along: fabrics picked! Awaiting the first instructions on June 23.

Untouched This Week:

Frolicking Pinwheels

Charming Wildflowers

Steelers Quilt

Awaiting Quilting:

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

 Hunter's Star

iSpy Sliced Coin Quilt

In Planning:

Cars Quilt (the Dude)

Hunter's Star (my sister)

New Projects: 1

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 11

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!

Hunter's Star Top - Finished!

Man, I am glad to have this done.

What started as a test block for my sister grew into a queen size quilt - 80x88".

{Yes, the guest bedroom is the toy room. And I own bedskirts. We don't use them because brown recluse spiders will climb them to get into beds.}

There were a lot of bias edges, but the effect is totally worth it.

I used Deb Tucker's Hunter's Star Ruler - if you're going to make this, I recommend it. The instructions are very clear and the ruler is well marked.

The instructions called for 7-8" squares to make the half triangles - I found that 7" still had over 1/2" trimmed off in the end. I ended up using 6.75" - that gave me enough wiggle room with the least waste.

 And oh boy, the waste. Well, not really. Just leftovers. I bought 8.75 yards to make this size. I guesstimate I have about 2 yards leftover from cutting, mostly in chisels, diamonds and triangles. Luckily, Paulette from Sweet P Quilting obviously knew of my plight when she posted about chisels last week. So I've got some ideas.

And now I just have to figure out how to quilt it. And then start on my sister's king size. Eek.

Linked to Fabric Tuesday - see what others are creating!

Design Wall Monday - Week 23

Making progress on the Manassas Railroad.

I'm still not sure on the lighter sashing, but it's already cut, so...

Check out more design walls on Patchwork Times!

Sunday Stash Report - Week 23

Oh, it's been a good week.

I bought...nothing.

 I finished iSpy Sliced Coins. {The wind is causing those wrinkles.}

I finished my Hunter's Star. {And you have to wait till Tuesday for pictures. It's awesome, though. Take my word for it. It's worth all those bias edges.}

I mailed the giveaway fat quarters to AMKreations.

I made a therapy arm band for my husband's cousin.

Oh yes, I will be rewarding myself during the Road to Oklahoma Shop Hop this weekend...of course, the real trick will be getting the Dude through nine stores without buying any minkee.

Used this Week: 10.92

Used Year to Date: 67.93

Added this Week: 0

Added Year to Date: 87.63

Net Used for 2011: (19.70) yards

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

iSpy Sliced Coins Top - Finished!

Woo! Finish one for the weekend!

I know the picture is awful - the wind decided to be the "suck fabric against the fence" wind today. It's not nearly as wrinkled as it looks.

It's about 50x56". Pattern is Don't Call Me Betsy's Sliced Coins QAL. There are two of every novelty print so my nephew can play a matching game on it.

Now to finish sewing together the rows of the Hunter's Star, so I can piece some backings and get to quilting next week!

Christmas in July

So... Don't Call Me Betsy is hosting a Kaleidoscope Quilt Along. I started contemplating fabrics immediately (despite not being quite done with my last DCMB-QA.)

I'll be on vacation when it starts, so I'll be doing it entirely in July. Which led immediately to the thought...

Christmas in July!

 It starts June 23 so plenty of time to join in!

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 14

This time last week, I had 55 Hunter's Star blocks. 

Now I have 110 - a complete set! The last 15 or so need to be trimmed, and I need to mix the layout a bit more, but I'm well on track for a finish for the Naked Bed Challenge.

Manassas Railroad: seven blocks completed, the rest in various stages of put together.

iSpy Sliced Coin Quilt: 90% pieced!

Untouched This Week:

Frolicking Pinwheels

Charming Wildflowers

Steelers Quilt (other than a fruitless hunt for the last border)

Awaiting Quilting:

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

In Planning:

Cars Quilt (the Dude)

Hunter's Star (my sister)

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 10

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday! Which is actually at Don't Call Me Betsy instead of Freshly Pieced. Who is having an awesome kaleidoscope quilt along that's totally going to be my "Christmas in July" project.