Happenings lately

I didn't realize it had been a while since I posted.  I started back to class, and there is so much homework in this course.  I love it though, the instructor is really good, and wants us to go out there with a solid foundation to build off of.  Just so much homework yikes!
I have been doing some quilting though.  We have our community service this semester, and I am making a quilt to donate for a raffle.  I am making a string pieced quilt.  The blocks are on a 6 1/2 inch foundation:

The one constant in the blocks is the 1 1/2 inch tone on tone white.  I laid that down the center, then started adding strips of varying sizes:

After adding more strips the block looks like this:

Sorry, this is showing the back view after I pressed it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the trimmed block, it finished at 6 1/2 inch unfinished. 

I finally got all the blocks sewn together:

My pile of 100 blocks.  It took longer than I thought, but worth it.  However, I do think my scrap pile has multiplied again :). That seems to happen a lot. 
I came up with a trip around the world type of layout for the blocks:

I can't wait to get it all put together and quilted.  I am hoping to get it done this week, tomorrow would be great!  Yeah, right, I have a lot to do tomorrow, but I will try to lay it all out, and have an idea of what I am doing. 
Well, back to watching "Cupcake Wars", and some online homework.  This is what watching the show got me into last week:

I made homemade applesauce cupcakes with an apple pie filling inside, and a homemade cream cheese frosting with red hots melted and added in, hence the pink color.  They may not look like much, but boy were they good! Yeah, the diet starts tomorrow, pants are getting a little bit tighter...

Hope everyone has a great week!
Happy quilting, Marianne

Orca Bay done!

I finally got my orca bay mystery top done.  I love it, and can't wait to see it quilted. It will be a while thought, due to work, and my last semester in school.  Yes, I am in the last part of my program, and will graduate this summer.  Yippee!  I have been working towards this slowly for the last 3-4 years.  Little bits here and there. 
Ok, so here is Orca Bay without borders:

Then here is with borders added:

I find myself looking at it, trying to figure out the best design to quilt on it.  I think a quick allover design would be best, because of the scrappy look to it.  I used a lot of scraps in this, and yet they seemed to multiply, and left me with more than I started with.  So, I dove into another scrappy project I have been working on off and on:

About 20 rows done, a lot more to go.

2 inch cut strips.

sewn strips, then subcut, just waiting to be sewn into rows.

This is my version of of a Postage Stamp quilt.  I do a bit at a time, it's my go-to project when I finish one thing, and can't figure out what to do next.  I'll work on it for a few days, then put it aside for a while.  Anybody else have a project like that?
I also have to figure out a quick and easy pattern for a donation quilt.  This semester is our community service semester, and I am doing a quilt to donate to a fundraiser, we are raising money for feeding hunger in our county.  Central Florida has a lot of people, especially families, that are homeless right now, or are teetering on the edge, and when you are struggling, food is hard to afford.  Especially with the price of everything going up every time we turn around.  So, any little bit helps.  I am thinking a simple 9 patch, or variation of it.  I'm going to look through some books and magazines tomorrow, and see what I come up with. 
Well, it's quite late (almost 2 in the morning here), so I am going to attempt to go back to sleep. Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!
Happy quilting,
Marianne

An Oops, and why Elvis still Lives (barely)

I made a little oops when I started putting together the rows for my Orca bay mystery quilt.  I had the blue string blocks going the wrong directions.  I started taking them apart last night. 

I thought I had paid attention to how they all went together, but I think I will be putting my design wall up today so I can make sure they are going together correctly.  At least I had only done one row wrong, not the whole top, that would be pretty disastrous for me I think.  I still can't wait until I get the top done and quilted.  Here's the thing though, I still haven't quilted her last mystery!  It just takes me a while LOL!
So, onto the Elvis quilt saga.  I explained in a previous post about all the problems I have had with this quilt here and the saga has not ended.  I finally got to the last panels on the frame, just quilting along, and discovered the fleece was not long enough on one end only.

Yep, on one side only.  I still have some left over fleece, so I will fix it, and put it back on the frame.  This quilt will be finished, once and for all! Oh, and I got the new take up pins for my frame from the Grace Company. 

Only one problem: The one on the left is from my frame- a start up frame, the one on the right is the one they sent me- for  the Majestic frame.  So, I called them, and they are sending me the correct ones.  They are really nice people, I have never had a problem with their customer service, and the parts come very quickly.  I am really hoping though, that this bad luck is over now.
Sigh- I hope everyone has a great Wednesday,  I get to finish getting the house cleaned up and ready for the kidlets to get home tomorrow from their Dad's.  How is it even though they have been gone for 2 weeks, I still have their laundry to do?  Ah, mysteries...
Happy quilting,
Marianne

First post for 2012

I hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year's, I can't believe 2011 is over already, it went so fast!
I work at restaurant that is open 24/7 (including all holidays) and I work overnight, so you can guess that we were very busy over the holidays. All I did was come home, sleep and do some sewing, and repeat.  Now, however, we are back to normal, and I really like normal.  My younger kids went to their dad's out of state for the holiday season, so we celebrated early:

Everybody got presents, including Mr.  Hiro, it was his very first Christmas.  He latched onto that stuffed Santa, and wouldn't let go. It now has no stuffing, that's the first thing he goes for. 
All in all, it was a very good holiday.  They come back on Thursday, and then everything goes back to normal on Monday.  Does anybody else find the holidays chaotic at times? There is no schedule, I guess is what I mean.  I like schedules, and knowing what I am doing at what time.  I like being in control, I guess. 
So, other sewing I have been doing is this:

 I made this doll for my son's girlfriend's 1 year old niece.  The doll is even bigger than she is, but she loves it.  The only problem I had was once I put the legs on, something looked odd, and I realized the legs were on backwards!  So, they had to be removed and put on the proper way.  It was funny, trying to figure out what just didn't look right! :)

 My ohio star blocks for the orca bay mystery quilt.  I honestly didn't see these blocks coming, but I really like them.  They were clue 6.

 Flying geese units for clue 7. 

 These are all my pieces from the different clues for Orca Bay Mystery. 

The first 2 rows for Orca Bay Mystery quilt.  I can't wait until I get this all together.  I have tomorrow off (other than picking up my books for class ), spend the morning cleaning, and then this baby is getting put together tomorrow afternoon.  When I get obsessed, I get it done! 
Well, time to do some more sewing!  Hope everybody has a very good 2012!
Happy quilting,
Marianne

Orca bay mystery clue #5

I got clue #5 done over the weekend, I can't believe it!  It's usually Wednesday or Thursday before I get the clues done.  I just enjoyed it so much, I even played around with some of the completed pieces:

Wouldn't something like this look really great in a border?  Hmm, maybe that's what it's for.  I think it would be great in all kinds of scrappy fabrics.  Just what I need, more ideas! :)
So, here is my completed pile of pieces:

There is such a range of fabrics in them, I love it!  I am so enjoying this mystery! Thank you Miss Bonnie!
Oh, and here is the aftermath of all that cutting and sewing this weekend:

I have been trailing these little bitty bits all over the house, time to vacuum!
Also today, I will be finishing this quilt up:

I am doing an allover meander, and I have had nothing but issues with this thing!  One of the take up pins on the frame broke, so I have temporarily fixed it, (will call Grace Company next week),then I sewed the backing fleece together wrong, Elvis was upside down on one side,  then my machine started making a funny noise.  It's like it's cursed!  So, since I have been up since midnight (issues with sleep, apparently I'm not supposed to get any, LOL), and I am loaded with at least 6 cups of very strong coffee, I am going to attempt to finish quilting this today, and then maybe try to get at least 1 good night's sleep (please) tonight.  I feel up to the challenge! (maybe) :p
Oh, and before I forget, pop on over and check out the different bloggers participating in the  orca bay mystery.  There are some very talented quilters out there, every time I click on another link, I am in awe. 
Happy quilting,
Marianne

Orca bay mystery clue #4

I love Fridays anymore, that's the day Bonnie puts out her new clue for the orca bay mystery quilt. I love going on her blog and checking out what everyone else is doing, seeing their fabric choices.
 My only problem is, I can't really start until Mondays, because I work on weekends!  Argh!  But, within minutes of getting clue 4, I started pulling my reds:

I didn't realize how many reds I had until I started going through everything!  So, then I started sewing on my old phonebook background pieces:

I then trimmed them down to the 5.5 inch size:

I love the different prints!  I even used some Christmas fabric!

Once they were cut down to size, I cut them in half from corner to corner:

The correct way to cut them

The Not correct way to cut them.  Anybody else do this?  I did this to 7 blocks before I realized what I had done!  LOL

My clue #4 pieces are now stored with the other clues, awaiting the next clue:

I have  been working on other projects in the meanwhile too:

I call this quilt Happy Faces. 

I love the little smiling faces.

I used two flannels on the back. 

I thoroughly enjoyed making this quilt.
   I also have the Elvis top almost done:

This top was interesting to make, none of the pieces were the size they were supposed to be.  I had to pull, pin, and pray to make it work.  It will be pressed and starched well before I quilt it!  Just have to put borders on it, and quilt it.  Hopefully, it'll be done by next Thursday, so I can give it to my son for his birthday.  I do like cutting it short! 
Most days, I feel like this by 4 PM

I went looking for the little pooch, and found him asleep on my bed.  He woke up when I came in.  He knows he's not supposed to be in my room, so he looks a bit guilty LOL.  I love my Mr. Hiro!

Happy quilting,
Marianne

Orca Bay Clue #3

So, here is my blocks for Bonnie Hunter's orca bay mystery quilt, clue #3.  

This is my basket where I keep all the completed blocks for the Mystery quilt. 

My trimmed blocks are on the right. 

I have been finding myself thinking about how to use these in other quilts!  I loved doing these blocks, even if they were a bit time consuming at times (or so it seemed to me).  Onto clue #4! 
In other stuff, been doing some baking, and managed to overheat my mixer this morning, and broke the door off my oven:

actually, the screw just came out, and as soon as the oven cools off, I'll fix it.  And clean off the stove.  Didn't realize how dirty it was!

Happy quilting,
Marianne