Yippee!  This is the last star block in Judy L’s Star BOM quilt.  I am CAUGHT UP.  For the next four days, anyway.  Then she will begin giving us the setting directions.  In celebration, the blocks all got together and smiled for a group shot:

And this is how they will appear in the quilt:  on point.  This group picture makes me happy.  The gold background fabric has been soooo difficult to photograph.  It either looks way too gold, or dull like a brown paper bag.  This is probably the most accurate picture I’ve taken of these blocks, colorwise at least.

Have a happy Wednesday, whether you’re fortunate enough to be quilting or not!!!

Sue

This morning, Judy posted her layout plan for the Stash Quilt she’s shared.  (And if you’re not sure you have time for this quilt, it took me two hours to stitch up the 28 blocks, including pressing.)  All my blocks are made out of stash, and, even better — leftovers from another quilt, hiding in a bag!  Here is the layout for my blocks (may do some more tweaking):

This morning Judy posted the fabric requirements for the setting triangles and borders.  I was determined to only pull from stash, I did’t care if nothing “works”, this is truly going to be a STASH Quilt.  I pulled a bunch of fabric off my shelves and brought it up to audition it next to the blocks.  I’ve had this rosy paisley fabric (really crappy fabric, kind of stiff, had it forever and it just doesn’t seem to go away).  It looks pretty good with these blocks!  I have 7 or so yards of this fabric, so I’m going to use it for the setting triangles as well as the outer border; then use the rest up in the backing.  For the first border, I’m going to use this brownish gold (or goldish brown), which is actually a very pretty fabric:

I’m really liking how my “Judy Projects” are coming together.  Later this week I will get back to the Bears in the Farmhouse quilt, now that I’ve decided on a sashing fabric.  I’m loving that one too!  Then I have to get back to some “Sue Projects”!!!

Sue

I finished a top that has been in the works for a while.  Last year, I purchased four Moda Posh charm packs and started sewing them together with dark green sashings.  Then I didn’t know what to do with it, and set it aside.   Today I finished out the center portion with some half blocks, and then added the borders with some Posh yardage I found on our Seattle trip last summer.

The dark green looks like black, but it is definitely green!  Thanks to Judy Laquidara for having the Quiltathon this weekend.  It does inspire one to sew!

Friday’s Quiltathon Progress Report:

Judy L of Patchwork Times is having a Quiltathon this weekend.  I decided to make it a three-day weekend.  I will add to the beginning of this same post for Saturday, but here’s what I got done on Friday:

These are for my Bears in the Farmhouse quilt by Judy L (or Bears in the North Woods).  I needed 192 half-square triangle patches, and those are done plus quite a few extra.  I kept adding another fabric, another fabric.  I’ll be able to make a table runner or two out of all the extra stuff, as I have extra printed squares also.

Saturday I’m going to do Blocks 11 and 12 of Judy’s Star BOM, and also finish an apron that has probably half an hour of sewing left on it.  Sunday, I think I will get something on the Gammill and do some longarming.  I haven’t done much of that this winter, and I need to get back at it.  I’m going to quilt the top I made from Judy L’s Labor Day Challenge.  (I can hear you saying, Good grief, don’t you make anything without Judy?  Yes, I do, but I have kind of a Judy thing happening right now.  If she would just quit designing such fun patterns. . .)

On the exercising front, I’m hanging in there with my renewed efforts.  So far, so good. 

Oh, and this weekend I need to blog about our new club — The Broken Wrist/Arm Club.  There’s a new member.  Oh, my!!!

Sue

And all the blocks posed for a group shot:

And all I can say about the wonky colors is I need to take pictures at a more favorable time of day or something!  Every single time I photograph these blocks, my colors seem to be a little different.  Also, if you notice any points cut off, or any other irregularities in the blocks, I am also sure my camera is to blame!

Sue

Block 7 on Judy L’s Star BOM quilt went together as easy as could be.  Since I’m adding colors as I go (and not following any sort of plan, except to make the blocks jewel-tone scrappy), I did swap one color I thought was going to work, and when I laid it out, I didn’t like it.  This quilt is going to be mine, all mine!!!  I won’t be weak and give this one away!  Here’s a collage of the seven blocks so far.  I really need to retake these photos.  The background fabric is the same in all the blocks, but you would never know it from looking at these pictures!  It is a little golder, closer to the photo in the upper left of the collage:

Gotta go.  DH is barbecuing brats outside (OUTSIDE!!!) in November in Minnesota!  What a treat.  Of course, with the time change, he’s working in the dark…

Sue

So on to a bit of progress in the quilting part of my life.  Judy Laquidara has posted Block 6 of her Star BOM, and tonight seemed like a good time to jump right in and get it done.  This block went together as easy as could be.  *whew*  But I think I was a little more watchful on my measurements.  It doesn’t take much to throw the whole block off.

The colors are much more accurate in the “group photo”.  It must be the light, but sometimes I just can’t get the colors to look like they’re supposed to!  Anyway, I’m loving every single block so far.  The background fabric is somewhere between old gold and brown paper bag color.  I want the stars to all be a variety of jewel tones, with dark green sprinkled throughout.  I’ve really enjoyed checking out the progress of the other bloggers who are doing these blocks.  Everybody’s is so unique, we should have a show (even if it’s just a virtual one) of all the quilts when they’re finished!

Sue

Another fun project is Judy Laquidara’s Star BOM.  We are up to Block #5!  Here is block 5, along with a photo of blocks 1-5.  These will finish at 12″ each, so they are good-sized blocks.  The Star BOM is another example of Judy taking familiar blocks and shaking things up by making the background, the borders, and the settings more interesting.  She also seems to favor nearly solid fabrics.  I’ve always been drawn to prints with maybe a couple of nearly solids, so this has been a new direction for me, and I’m enjoying it!

Here are a couple of table runners that are awaiting binding.  The one on the left is an Anka’s Treasures pinwheel pattern included in the pattern Little Charmers III, designed to use charm packs.  (Eileen, I think you were looking for the name of that pattern?)  And the one on the right is from a Terry Atkinson book, Lessons from Mama.  (Although I’ve never met Terry, I know she’s a local pattern designer.  Her patterns are always easy to follow.)  For a fall theme, I used an Indian corn fabric for the center of the stripe, which you can see better if you click on the photo for an enlarged view (you might even be able to click twice to enlarge it twice).

While I had a neutral backing fabric on the longarm, I floated the two table runners plus this sweet Mary Engelbreit panel.  (Mary also needs a hanging sleeve and binding.)  Panels are such a great “cheat”.  I have a place by the front door for panels of this size, and I would like to be able to change them out at least once a month, so I have a few to go.  It’s fun to look for them for different seasons/holidays/moods.

So that’s it for now! 

Sue

(I think the reason I like this block so well is because one of the checkerboard fabrics is in the same color family as the star fabric.  Just a thought…)

Here is Block #4 for Judy Laquidara’s Star BOM quilt.  This was a fun block to do, and it went together very easily.  I’m liking how my blocks are coming out, and it’s a great chance to work in some fat quarters that I’ve had for a long time.  Please note that I have a photo of my four completed blocks at the “Star BOM” button at the top of this page.  Thank you, Judy, for another great block!  I don’t know that I will be able to give this quilt away.  I should probably be making doubles . . .

Sue

Judy Laquidara’s (at Patchwork Times) Star BOM #3 — done on the first day (woo-hoo!).  That’s out of character for me, but I’m glad to have it done right away.  This block goes together so easily, if you’re doing this quilt along with Judy, don’t hesitate to jump right in and get it done!  I’m making mine scrappy, so my plan is to keep one of the greens in every block, but also introduce a new almost-solid in each new block.  We’ll see how that goes — I may run out of stash and have to do more repeating. 

I’ve also started something new this month.  I’ve added a tab at the top of my web site where I’ll have an up-to-date picture of the blocks I have done so far.

Sue

Here is block two of the star block of the month being offered at Patchwork times by Judy Laquidara.  I nearly lost my points on this one, and should probably redo, but I know once it’s sewn together and quilted, it will be just fine.  I like this block a lot, as well as the first block.  You can’t go wrong with stars, and these stars have something extra going on.  No problems with the miter.  Not a perfect job, but done is better than perfect!  Thanks, Judy, for providing us with this quilting journey!

Sue

PS:  I’ve added a tab at the top where I can post a photo of all the Star BOM blocks together.  I will update that photo each time I finish another block.