I am hoping to spend a couple days of this long weekend sewing! I am WAY behind on all projects, even the lotto blocks. I really need to catch up and am eager to spend several hours happily surrounded by fabric.

Kate

While DH is busy outdoors tommorrow...I plan on putting my son and daughter in law's kingsized quilt onto the frame and get it basted and ready to quilt. I need to have it and two single quilts done by the Christmas rush...gifts for them and their two girls...hand quilting takes a lot longer than machine quilting. I will post pics soon

Not sure how much I will get done ... would like to finish up my "gifties" for the retreat in Oct. and start gathering other things I want to take. We're riding our bikes to the Tour de Fat Fort Collins tommorrow - then watching the CSU-CU football game. After Sunday school we plan to go to the Taste of Colorado in Denver for some food and music. Monday no plans ... maybe get to sew!!!

Have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend.

Sue

Well, Kate, if you feel like sewing then McQueen must be doing okay!

DH and I just attached the new leaders to my frame, so tomorrow I plan to load a baby quilt that I am quilting for an online group. Hubby is helping his dad move his new step-mom from Apopka (near us) to dad's house in Lakeland. Somewhere in there they will pick me up and drop me off at my mom's in Lakeland, then Mark will come have dinner with us when he's done with the moving.

I plan to spend Sunday and Monday sewing, though! I'd like to get the baby quilt quilted and bound so I can mail it early next week.

I've started sample blocks for a new project, sort of an Irish Chain thing. I'm also getting my project and goodies ready for retreat. I travel with a small carry on so plan my sewing and supplies very carefully. I don't care what I look like that weekend but I'd better have all my sewing projects ready to go.

I am trying to finish up an applique border for my mom's christmas present quilt. I want to have it complete before retreat so that I can focus on my nephews wedding quilt while I am at retreat. I also want to drag out my travel machine and clean it and start packing things to bring.

Jackie

DH and I were out this afternoon and the craziness had already begun. Those not heading for Tahoe are fleeing it! Highway 50 is a zoo.

After the farmer's market in the a.m. I'm looking forward to sewing on the "four hour" quilt. It's one of those that only takes me about 4 DAYS to complete, if I can stay put long enough. Looking forward to presenting it to one of Mom's good friends who drives her to lunch.

Kate, so glad McQueen is better.

Have half of my Island Chain top pieced and hope to work on the other half. Pieces are all cut just need to be put together which is a bit of a challenge.

I hope to sandwich and start quilting on my pineapple quilt. Still working on my sister's tablerunner. Wow, that intense quilting takes a long time.

Have a happy holiday, everyone. Lois

Friends are in town this weekend, but DH & DD(11) are 'touristing' them today in DC. So I have the others and intend to run errands.

I started cutting squares last night for my step-son's super-king wedding quilt. That's one of my main retreat projects.

Might also try to get a baby quilt quilted...it's been on the frame for weeks.

DH is sailing all weekend in an annual huge event - weather is crummy :~( -- so I hope to sew and get some things organized (at least in my head) for Retreat.

I really need to clean and do laundry! The good thing, rain will keep me from doing yard work! But.....I am trying desperately not to finish a book I started "A Thread So Thin" by Marie Bostwick. It is a fluff novel about quilting - not her best work in the series-but an easy read.
I also got a brand new book from the library yesterday I had to order it, on Modern quilting - "We love Color" Susanne Woods -quilts using Kona solids..........

I need to pick out the thread for the bordered diamonds, although I still haven't decided on a quilting motif for it. I want this to turn out well since I had such a struggle getting the top finished. It's sandwiched and ready to go. I used the same fabrics in the top and made a pieced backing for it. Just random strips. I did take out time meanwhile to use up some more scraps that I used in this top to make a lap quilt, matching pillow and doll quilt for grand-daughter. The colors happened to be just right for her, pinks, yellows, oranges, purple - happy colors.

I'm almost done the saturday morning chores and hope to spend the balance of the weekend sewing: Finishing the quilting on a blk/wht/yellow quilt, basting and quilting a batik quilt. If I get these items complete, I'll be thrilled.
Happy sewing everyone!
V.

Oh my yes, I am doing a little quilting. A blue and cream quilt just popped up out of nowhere, LOL. I stole two of the September lotto blocks I fell in love with, and went from there. I decided to put a Carpeter's Wheel in the centre and use the blue jewel boxes around it, but may shift gears mid-stream. I am taking the smaller blue/cream scraps and instead of throwing them in a scrap sack, immediately sewing them on foundations blocks in a crazy quilt pattern. When the big quilt top gets done, I'll automatically have a smaller blue/cream crazy quilt done in the same fabric. This may get finished off as a welcome to the world gift for my newest step g'grandchild.

We'll be going to the farm to spend the holiday for a cookout with my son and his family (just cross- country about twenty minutes). Aside from that, no plans for the long weekend. We are getting rains, yeah!

I'm still working on the quilts for the children's home in Africa. Since all I have done prior is two wallhangings and a baby quilt, completing 7 or more quilts in a hurry is quite a challenge for me. All of the fabric is donated, with some fill ins from my stash. I really am not planning, no time. I just look at the fabric and start cutting. A friend comes over to piece while I cut, we're quite the team since she doesn't know how to quilt. LOL Then I sandwhich and finish. I figure these are good to try FMQing on, since I have never done it. Tried it tonight and it went pretty well, but I can see it takes a lot of practice. I'll bind that quilt tomorrow and have three done. I figure the kids won't mind if the quilts are perfect, they'll just be happy to have something to cover up with at night.

I was planning on getting a lot done, but my parents came to spend the weekend, the grands are here, and Monday we are doing the Color Run in B'ham. Guess I better work fast if I get anything done.

beverly

Here is a link that might be useful: The Color Run

Calliope, your quilt sounds beautiful! Please post pictures.

Bev, it sounds like your friend will know how to quilt when those quilts are done!

Beverly, the Color Run looks like fun! Enjoy!

Donna

The run looks interesting. I forwarded the info to my kids.

I am hand-quilting my Grandma's quilt this weekend and am excited, just a month and a half into it and I am now starting the middle row of big blocks. :-) Have a great weekend! :-)

Best to you,
Sandra

Monday evening and the long weekend is almost over. I've been lazier than expected and didn't get as much done as planned. (Sigh.)

I made one of the September lotto blocks but wasn't thrilled with it. So I switched to the October blocks and made three of those. Cute!

I got the sewing table cleaned up and played around with some free motion quilting patterns - that was fun.