getting closer

Well...must admit, my lofty goal from my previous post fell decidedly short.  Didn't get anything accomplished on my sister's quilt until this weekend.  Started Friday with this:

not too bad...by Monday I had this (after we shuffled the different sections around quite a bit):

big dog has to stay in the kennel while i lay this stuff out, otherwise she is all over the quilt, much like little dog here:

little dog is much easier to move out of the way than big dog!

and by yesterday afternoon (late) I had this:

Girl was really not thrilled with me by the time I got all of the pictures taken...she's decided the role of standing on chair to display quilt really should be filled by someone else!  I say...she'll get over it!

Hope to have this all sandwiched, quilted and bound by the end of next weekend, but we'll see.  On night shift this week, so just going to play it by ear!

ahhh...Friday....

I am so glad it's Friday!  I'm looking forward to a great weekend, and I'm hoping today is a fabulous kick-off!  No pics for this particular post;  haven't spent that much time sewing this past week.  I am close to finishing the second panel for my sister's quilt...but I'm still taking it nice and slow.  I am starting to get excited about getting the quilt top completed and then moving on to basting, quilting and binding.  This particular quilt looks good (well, at least that's what Guy tells me...Girl is pretty ambivalent about it) as the panels come together, but I honestly think the finished product is what really looks great.  At least the finished quilt top!  LOL!  Hopefully I'll get some time this afternoon or Sunday to really get the pieces put together...maybe then I can quilt next weekend.  I'm still not entirely sure what I'm going to do for Julia's quilt.  I have some fabric that I love, but not sure if it's her style.  That and the list of people I want to make quilts for has grown...as has my fabric stash.  When I last went to the LQS, I picked up some pieces that weren't specifically for the quilt I was working on at the time...but I thought they were great and am very curious to pull them out again and play around and see if I actually have enough of a stash of items that work together!  I guess we'll see!  I can honestly say that what I'm really looking forward to is seeing what happens next! 

180 sets

Ahhh...finally got all of the sets completed for my sister's quilt...

(yes, that's a box of bandaids in the background...quilting is a dangerous hobby for one's fingers...especially if one is less than graceful with sharp objects!).  now it's just time to put them together!

and now I'm about 1/3 of the way done with the quilt top!  (actually a little more than that...but 1/3 sounds good;  and forgive the wonky picture...Girl wasn't awake yet, so had to stand on a chair to get a pic as opposed to having girl stand on a chair holding the quilt!)

I am using the Random Reflections pattern by KarrieLyne of Freckled Whimsy.  I found this particular recipe via Moda Bake Shop (so many lovely patterns over there...but this one in particular caught my eye!).    So excited to see this quilt all put together...but for now...I'm in the pin, stitch, press, repeat process...so off I go!

working on the chain...piecing!

still working away on my sister's quilt...slowly but surely...trying to take my time and not feel too rushed like I did as I was finishing up Mom's quilt (which was entirely self-imposed!).  Anywho...so with the quilt I am working on (can't tell you what pattern I'm using just yet...again, my sister wants to be surprised!) there is a lot of chain piecing to be had.  Chain piecing (once I learned what the heck that was) will make this quilt go so fast...and it gives you something pretty to look at:

and once I got about 20 sets done, I got set to press the seams...I must say that I love the combination of fabrics for this quilt, and even though this was most likely not the BEST of ideas, I just let everything fall into a pile just for the purpose of a picture!

after I got everything pressed, it was time to start cutting, so my own form of assembly line took place...the pressed sets on the far right, area for cutting to the left...and in between...the strips that will now have to go back into the machine for chain piecing...

the process of this quilt is quite relaxing, chain, press, cut, repeat...but I am looking forward to actually getting all of this cycle done, hopefully this weekend!