2 finishes

Time has really been running fast this week - and I have had a lovely weekend so far, with several activities outside the house. If you see a broad smile passing by, it might be mine :-)

I have added two finishes to my list this week - first Judy's 1 hour a day challenge, and next the care quilt, finished late Thursday night.
Now they are both washed and ready for sending to my favourite cause on Monday - children with long term diseases - through the Norwegian Quilt Association.

Remember me being overwhelmed by my own fabric collection recently?
A quick estimate tells me that each care quilt I have made so far this year uses an average of 7-8 meters of fabrics.
I have made 5 care quilts since the beginning of January.
5 times 7-8 meter equals 35-40 meters of fabrics!
That is a dent in the collection all right, even with a 20 meters buy this year.
I have emptied one box in my shelf - 8 litres / 2 gallons.
Yes, the dent is visible now, if not very big, but as you might know, an elephant has to be eaten one serving at a time. Be persistent and it will be all eaten in the end ;-)
Not that I want to use all my fabrics, but I do not have to have as much as I have now.....

I am taking a break from making care quilts until autumn. I do enjoy Judy's HAD challenges and chances are big I will join in again. 
Thank you Judy for generously charing your patterns!
I guess you all can see I am making the quilts smaller and do simple borders, but I don't think that matters as long as I am having fun :-)

What is next on my to do list?
NI blocks, applique blocks and stitchery as far as I can see, but you will never know :-)

Yes !

11 pm and I just finished the binding!
Tomorrow I will wash the quilt. Then I will take a photo of the full quilt - in daylight.
I had planned a purple binding, but I have no long strips of pale purple left. I had to use 2 different pinks for the binding to have enough of the right shade.

My plan for tomorrow is to try to finish the orange quilt from last week.

It would be wonderful if I can send these 2 care quilts in the mail on Friday.
I feel it is time to take a break from making care quilts for now and work on my own things.

I have a goal !

Today's goal is to finish the princess quilt!
Oh - pastels are So Not Me even if I see this is a cute quilt.

I can promise you one thing:
Polyester batting no more! It does not have the good feel I like so much with cotton batting.

Right now, at nearly 11 am I am done machine quilting the purple.
Now to do the white.

Top done

The top is done, the backing pieced with pink fabrics and DD2 and DH have generously helped me with the spray basting,
so now you know what I will be working on tomorrow :-)
The batting is polyester this time, even if I prefer cotton, as I found a piece in my collection.
I am on a roll with the using from collections - fabrics, thread, batting - and today I could free a 8 litre (approx. 2 gallons) box in my fabric collection - Go me :-)
I live in a small house and can not put up more shelves. I really want more room for my quilt books, and if I can keep up using more than I buy I will have more room in my fabrics and books shelves before to long.

Tomorrow is dedicated to machine quilting the princess quilt with meandering.

Princess quilt in the making

DD1, former princess material, now 19, said this quilt will be perfect for a little princess :-)
It is poor light here in the evenings, but I guess you get the impression all right.
I will add a narrow pink border and a purple binding.
I have to redo the two blocks that got cut wrong, but it will have to wait until the morning.

Sometimes my brain works too

Sometimes my brain works too - and that makes it all worth while, doesn't it? ;-)
I am still working on the 1 hour a day challenge.
I managed to cut two of these blocks wrong and to small, as I have no ruler that fits, marking wise, and I my mind went in circles.

As we say here - Need teaches nude woman to make thread!
Freezer paper and scotch tape to my rescue, and voila, the blocks cut to the right size easily :-)
I have to redo 2 blocks and that can be a challenge in itself, fabric wise. I think I have enough of one of the purple fabrics to make the purple pieces. I hope I have.....

More progress

  

Being a teenager's mom sometimes includes late Saturdays and late driving, so while waiting for the time to go pick DD up, I worked on the alternate blocks.
All 17 are now done, but not yet cut to size.
I must admit I am not sure how to approach the cutting to size so the blocks come out balanced, but come the morning I am sure I see it in a clearer light - pun intented ;-)
It is 1.35 am, and very past my bedtime.

Progress

   

I thought I had all the 18 9-patches done, but no, I still lacked some.
Now they are done and finished square in square with purples.
I think this will be a good care quilt for a little girl - and hopefully it will make a dent in my pinks as well if I make a pink backing.
I will need 17 of the next block.
I will make them white and purple.
Maybe I can catch up with them tonight ?

A late joiner

This is my first step on Judy's April 1 hour a day challenge.
I started these this weekend, before hand quilting and the cold or whatever it was got the best of me.
I will just make a small quilt, so 18 9-patches it is.
I am taking away 2 rows both from the width and the length of Judy's quilt. See her April 1st. post.
It will be a good size for another care quilt. Remember, I am on a stash user mission :-)
This quilt will be made in pastels.

The orange quilt will get more work done on it this Saturday and will still have priority. I just do not feel like the big arm movements just yet.