My Precious "Shoe Box" Blocks

So... I have 40 blocks from my most precious Objects of Desire honey bun...

Now I just need to decide what to do with them!

5x8 - long and skinny - 25x56" - table runner

8x5 - 40x35" - square(ish) baby quilt

4x10 - 28x50" - slightly too square table runner

10x4 - 70x20 - reeeeeeeeally skinny table runner

{I wonder what size my kitchen table is?}

I also have the panel back at home... Near as I can figure, one way uses 24 blocks and yields a 52x42" quilt. The other way uses 34 blocks and yields a 52x46" quilt.

Or, I could add a layer cake...or 4-5 charm packs...

Ah, decisions!

Linked:

My Precious QAL

WiP/FMC - Transitions

What a week - there was packing {cramming everything I could in the car}, driving {reassuring the cats over and over that this would not be the worst thing EVER}, unpacking {reassuring the cats that acclimating to my parents' three cats would, in fact, be the worst thing EVER}, and now, repacking to visit my husband in training.

Fifteen Minute Challenge

Speaking of repacking...

This is the result of my 15-minutes-a-day hotel kit cutting. Eight kits, ready to go! Awesome use of 15 minutes. Today I'm hunting for a bag big enough to carry my sewing machine on the plane.

Oh, and random aside - my friend had her baby last weekend and I'll be shipping the UBG quilt to her! And another friend found out she's having a boy, so I'm ahead on the baby quilts now.

Quilt-Alongs
Fat Quarter Stars - 6/12 blocks - none
LQS Saturday Sampler 2012 - 12/36 - I picked up June & July before I left, so I won't get too far behind this summer

 LQS Saturday Sampler 2011 - on summer hiatus

My Precious Quilt Along {Shoe Boxes} - the only thing I've been working on this week. My sister {the gimp} matched the remaining blocks and did the layout.

Oh, and speaking of extra cats...

 Someone else wants to be featured as "the cat on the quilt."

Untouched This Week: 
Chunky Log Cabin

St. Paul's Cross 

Awaiting Binding:

Big Blue - hand-stitching the binding to the back! 

Adoption:

Application Submitted - 2/12 

Home Study - in progress - all the background checks are in!

USCIS paperwork - completed & waiting on home study to mail

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 8

Linked:

Work in Progress Wednesday

Life in Pieces' Fifteen Minute Challenge

DWM - Shoe Boxes

I love these little boxes!

{Go figure - I like my precious fabric better as a quilt.}

I haven't had too much piecing time, in between dresses and quilting and binding, but I run a couple of these every night, just to see them multiple on the wall.

Linked:

Patchwork Times

Also, y'all should check out Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day. I'm not giving anything away this time - too much to do before heading out this weekend - but there's always tons of goodies!

DWM - Shoe Boxes

I took down my Saturday Sampler...I have a plan for it, but it's going to be on hiatus for the summer. Plenty of time for fine tuning on paper.

Meanwhile, in between catching up on laundry, emails, and vacuuming four days worth of cat hair, I did some quick piecing.

LOVE these little boxes.

The rest of the week, I'm going to be quilting, binding, and sewing clothes (not to mention packing!) so it was good to start the week with a bit of piecing.

Linked:

Patchwork Times

My Precious Quilt Along

WiP/FMC - Forward Progress

When you stay home all week, you actually get stuff done! Surprising, I know. My house is pretty clean, too. And I'm caught up on paperwork.

Fifteen Minute Challenge 

I opened the charm packs I won for being awesome at the FMC, and divvied them up between boy/girl/maybe either.

 Vetted my decisions with the Dude. "What's wrong with the flowers? Flowers aren't 'girl.' I like flowers. And the vines are alien arms." Boys...

Anyway, once I figure out the proper number needed, these will be hotel-kitted-up with the white for reverse bowties.

I also finished the toy-border-four-patch-pinwheel kit, and started pulling tops and backing in preparation for packing.

Finishes!

That's right - plural!

Unnamed Baby Girl Quilt

Granny Squares

I pulled them both out of the dryer last night, so they need better pictures {and not in the dim morning light} before getting blogged.

Non-Quilt-Along

Made the top of my husband's offensive t-shirt quilt.

Quilt-Alongs
Fat Quarter Stars - 6/12 blocks - none - I should really toss this into the packing box.
LQS Saturday Sampler 2012 - 12/36

 LQS Saturday Sampler 2011 - still working away at the center

Swoon A Little, Swoon A Lot - sneak peek! All three rows are assembled, the vertical sashing is pieced and pinned to the other two rows, and the border fabric is ironed and awaiting final measurements.

My Precious Quilt Along - I unrolled my honey bun! And nothing horrible happened!

My original plan was to do a log cabin - after all, they're 1.5" strips. But after examining the fabrics, there wasn't enough neutral and contrast - I could only get 16 blocks, and that was with using stripes that were barely neutral. That left ten lonely strips!

So I decided on this elongated box thing. Two strips yield two blocks, alternating where the contrast goes. They're all cut and sorted for easy leaders/enders. 

Untouched This Week:

Chunky Log Cabin

St. Paul's Cross 

Awaiting Binding:

Big Blue - the status of this is apparently making my sister nervous. So I cut the 450" of binding. It will probably take me a week to press it, anyway.

Adoption:

Application Submitted - 2/12 

Home Study - in progress

USCIS paperwork - in progress

New Projects: 2

Completed Projects: 2

In Progress: 9

Linked:

Work in Progress Wednesday

Life in Pieces' Fifteen Minute Challenge

FAL - Second Quarter Goals

I posted about my yearly goals here, but blah blah blah, plans change. So, new goals! And I have a lot of them. I think they're all fairly attainable.

1. Bind Big Blue. If I'm smart, I'll get it done before a wedding in May and send it home with my sister so it doesn't take any of my precious car space. I'm not sure I have a suitcase big enough for it, though. I also need to make pillow shams to match.

2. LQS Saturday Sampler - all the blocks are done, and the medallion is well on its way. Still hoping to get it done and to/from the quilter before we leave for the summer. Otherwise it'll be a Christmas present instead!

3. Swoon A Little, Swoon A Lot - I have about 2-3 blocks left. Really need to finish them up and assemble the top.

4. Chunky Log Cabin - I have 13 blocks, and I think I only need 20. Ugh, why do I abandon projects so close to completion?

5. Airplane Dreams, Baby Girl, and Granny Squares - all easy baby quilts that need to be finished up before the babies are born.

6. My Precious Quilt Along - hey, shocker! Another QA! In this one, you use your most precious fabric in any way you want. I've got two most precious stacks. They share the place of honor top shelf with Dorothy Kathryn.

There's my Objects of Desire precuts, and my very first fabric cuts ever. It's a line based on Renoir and Monet paintings, and I have everything from fat quarters to yardage. And not a single clue how to use them.

Linked:

Quilter in the Gap