Bad Blogger, Bad, Bad Blogger.....

So it's been 3 months since I last posted.....sigh, where does the time get to? I'm trying to decide whether or not to continue blogging or to just give it up since I seem to be so bad doing it on any kind of regular basis.

In my last post you saw my poor Winston Ways which had some unfortunate bleeding in the wash. Well, I'm happy to report that the problem has been resolved. A HUGE thank you goes out to Vicki Welsh and her fabulous information on dealing with bleeding fabric. After a nice hot soak in the tub with Dawn you'd have to look real hard to see any signs of the bleeding reds. Whew! You can read Vicki's post here.

So what have I been doing lo these past 3 months you ask. Well, let's see, one Project Linus quilt has been quilted. One Block of the Month for quilt guild has also been completed along with the another Quilt of Valor and a charity quilt for the guild has also been quilted.  I also agreed to make a signature wedding quilt for the daughter of our church pastor. She will be getting married in June. The top is done and I will get it back for quilting after the wedding. I also made a table topper and set of placemats for her wedding shower.

2nd of 3 Quilts of Valor

Guild Block of the Month

Wedding shower Table topper

Along with all this I finally decided on a plan for the annual Quilting Broads challenge. This year it was a table runner. We are all doing the same pattern. Inspiration finally struck and the runner was pieced in no time flat. Quilting it was a whole other matter. I swear I took out more than I put in. But, it was finally completed and the reveal will be this weekend, provided they can get over the mountain pass -- a freak spring storm is expected to start dumping snow sometime tonite.

Oh yeah, another very big project was conceived and completed. I couldn't show it until it was gifted and that finally happened this week. Back around Christmas I heard from an old friend. Ellin and I had met on a chatline for a pattern drafting program that we both were using at the time. We've kept in touch over the years but between our move and her move, we had not communicated in over a year. Last year was a bad year for Ellin and her lovely husband Don. Between several health related problems and downsizing to a retirement home they were then hit with a major shock in October when Ellin's son and daughter-in-law were stabbed to death by a distant relative they had been trying to help get his life back on track. I did the only thing a quilter can do, made her a memory quilt honoring Larry & Denise.

So, that's a little bit of what I've been doing lately. Keeping busy quilting and in between we've been hosting a lot of house guests so I'm beginning to feel like we've turned into a B&B. 

Two More

I've been busy trying to become better friends with Fiona, my new Innova. Two more tops have been quilted.

First up is a QOV mystery quilt-along from last summer that Alycia hosted. The quilt was designed by Vicki Welsh. The quilt called for five fabrics but I was determined to use only fabric from my stash. So, here's my scrappy version of the Allegiance quilt along which I'm calling Stars of Valor. It still needs binding.

Also finished, bound and on the guest bed is Winston Ways. This was a Bonnie Hunter class I took at Block Party in Portland in March of 2013 -- just before we moved. I seem to be cursed when it comes to red. All of the fabrics in this were pre-washed, some more than once. I washed this with color catchers yet some of the reds still bled and a few of neutrals, but not all wanted to pick up the red. 

I'm still working on Janet's challenge to finish up more of my Bonnie Hunter UFO's before our class in April so yesterday I managed to finally get Dancing Nines into flimsy stage. Yay! This one measures 93.5" square and all those autumn nine patches started as 2" squares. I think it will be next up to be loaded and quilted -- just trying to figure out how to quilt it. I doubt the quilting is going to show up much so I'm perusing freehand quilting videos trying to find something to use. 

Meanwhile, it's back to yet another Bonnie Hunter UFO -- do you sense a theme here? 

Catching Up

Back in early November, I know, I know....almost 2 months ago but hey, I was sick for 4 weeks with lingering aspects of the awful crud even now....Anyway, BEFORE I got sick I met my quilting "partner in crime," Alaska cruise roomie, Janet to "look at" the Innova long arm. You guessed it, there is now a lovely, 26" Innova taking up the space where my ancient old HandiQuilter 16 used to reside. I really was going to get the smaller one, the 22".....but the Bearded One along with the Innova rep pushed me to go larger.....

Here's Fiona, all happy in her new home complete with her hydraulic lift table and PantoVision.

Due to some "issues" with our dealer who is actually just a rep, and misrepresented several things, Fiona has already taken a trip south to McMinnville, Oregon to Boersma's exceptional shop to be upgraded and have the "issues" ironed out. I foresee a long and happy relationship ahead of us now. 

Meanwhile after a brief stint playing around on boring old muslin I quickly loaded my first quilt, a top I had completed for Project Linus. 

Once that was completed the Christmas Sister's Choice from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville was loaded up and completed. Nothing like waiting to the last minute. 

Every block has two different Christmas fabrics with no two repeated. I had started these blocks back in 2013 in between steps of the Celtic Solstice mystery. Once the blocks were complete and on my design wall I decided I wanted some sashing. Remembering the trunk show that Debbie Caffrey had given at Block Party in Portland back in 2012, I used her skinny sashing idea between the blocks. Yes, the sashing between the blocks has a finished size of 1/2" complete with cornerstones. 

I also reversed the two colors for the binding and piping. Since we had a lot of car travel time a good portion of the binding was completed then. Luckily for me, my sister doesn't come in from Denver until December 30th. 

I apologize for the photos, they were taken with my iPhone and the lighting at Dad's house isn't the best. Linking up with Bonnie's Linky Christmas Party. Maybe I will be a better blogger in 2015 -- we will see but don't hold your breath.