border decisions.....hhhhmmmmm.....

i have been BUSY!!!  it is finally warm and not windy enough to blow me away anymore!  yeah!!!  that means it is time to sit outside on the porch and enjoy spring.  it also means yard work, and getting things ready for planting.  i won't plant until the first of may because even still we can get snow and have a freeze.  strange to think of weather like that in the mojave desert huh?  i sure don't understand why the weeds never freeze and die though.   so, been busy with the hula hoe and rake and planning what is gonna go where in the new garden i am preparing.  i have fibromyalgia and feel like my limbs are going to fall off.  quilting has taken a bit of a backseat.

i did manage to get the large quilt and the baby one done to deciding on borders in time for the wedding and reception for my daughter last saturday.  of course i had already bought the fabrics that i thought would look magnificent.  i even went as far as to CUT the strips that i would need for BOTH quilts because they looked so beautiful in my minds eye. so, i excitedly laid it all out and i really don't think it was what that quilt was asking for at all!  gee whiz!!  was that ever a huge mistake and waste of beautiful fabric.   i found a piece of fabric that may work to help resolve it all, or i may just forego borders....i had to let the frustration dissipate so that i can look at it again with fresh eyes.  i think i just might be ready for doing that tomorrow....coz i know i am still not ready today......however, finding that new piece of fabric has soothed my frustration and has gotten my curiosity peaked.....yeah!!!  i love the quilting process!!!!

whoop whoop!!!

all 25 blocks are now done, as well as all of the blocks for the baby quilt!   all the kids are gone til about 8 or so, so i am off to get these rows built!  then, get them put together. one right after the other. my BEST plan would be getting to load this baby onto the long arm early tomorrow evening or early saturday morning and to have both of them quilted by sunday.  wish me luck!

posting i can do, pictures, not so much.

i am coming along just fine on this project, but it is getting a bit monotonous.

i do have a hint to share though in sewing all of your P's into the A, B, Cs.  i am notorious for turning pieces and sewing them together wrong.  in this quilt that REALLY makes a difference in the design.  i do not know how often i have to unstitch a seam to turn back to the right orientation.  until i came up with THIS method.

i lay out the 9 P's that make up the larger 9 patch paying CLOSE attention to the proper layout and orientation.  when i am making more than one block i stack them.  because i am doing scrappy it lets me make sure there are not two same fabrics touching if at all possible.  then, i pin all three of the blocks together in the row at each seam.  for the top set for the first row i put one pin in the lower left corner.  for the second row i use two pins, and the third row, 3 pins.  this is so helpful when keeping track of the layout!  then, i sew them up and pin the paper saying what A, B, or C they are and then when a pile is done, i go press them......

of course pictures would help you "see" what i am talking about.....ok, i will attempt it when my kids come home to help since i will be using my phone to do it with and technology is NOT my forte.

off to go make those last (4) 9 patches so that i can then start putting THOSE together.  just to lay it out will be really rewarding!

can i just start already??!!

i'v finally got my baggies of strips all done and set up for my starting to sew them together.  they're  just sitting there mocking me while i have to go about normal life and birthday parties and st. patricks day stuff still (a family of irishmen and women lol) and...and...and.  today started spring break and besides my own 5 kids, and my 2 grandsons (ages 4 and 2) i will be having another 2 and 4, 5 and 6 yr old join us for the week.  you think i am gonna be getting to get those strips together?  you bet i am!!!  where there is a will, there is a way, and boy howdy, i have the will!!!

we are also on the switch of winter to spring clothes duty.  like that isn't an enormous task in and of itself!  BUT, now that the extra 4 are gone for the day, and the grands too, it is FINALLY my turn!  i am going to go lock myself away in my room and sew at least a few sets together.....there are just so pickin many of them!  and, when i add that i am making the center 21 or 23 blocks square (i forget how many) so that i can make a matching baby quilt to go along with the wedding quilt--oh my gosh!!!  why do i do these things to myself??!!

the big pile of zip locks looks daunting, but it is never gonna get smaller if i don't get off here and get started on the sewing is it???  my problem is committing to which sewing machine that i want to use.  i just got a new to me 1948 singer 15-91 and it is just begging me to stitch with that.  the problem there is that i have to move stuff around to accommodate it, and that also postpones my stitching.....what's a girl to do?  make a cuppa lemon lift tea and mull it over whilst eating some amazing homemade shortbreads.  that's what!