Time Out for Family

I haven't been in blogland much the past few days. DD#1 is visiting with us from New Hampshire. We have 8 days with her and we are keeping very busy. I have tried to keep up reading blogs, but haven't had time to comment.
Haven't done much sewing, either, but I will share my smidgen of progress.
This little 8" square mini finally got quilted and bound last night.

I recently received some scraps from Kathie (of Inspired By Antique Quilts) and among the scraps were 8 big  HSTs. I wanted to incorporate them into a mini quilt somehow, so using a 1 1/2" square ruler, I cut two small HSTs and 2 solid squares from each of the large HSTs.





Maybe you can get a better idea from this photo.

I used the little HSTs to create the pinwheels in this mini. Most of the fabrics used are from Kathie's scraps--even the backing.
Now this little quilt hangs from my new sewing room shelf and keeps company with another recently created mini which you have already seen.

I completed one more of the Crabapple blocks from Bonnie Hunters book "Adventures With Leaders and Enders." My sister thinks I should name it "It's So Vermonty," because the quilt is in honor of a trip we took to Vermont one Fall, and we are big fans of movies from the 30-50s. The name she suggested is a line from an old movie. Just for the fun of it, the first person who comments with the correct old movie will get a gift bag of my herbal soap. Anyone think they know? : )

And finally, all of the strips sets have been sewn and sliced for my patriotic version of the Primitive Gatherings Picnic Quilt.  This is made entirely from Primitive Gatherings fabrics--mostly the Old Glory line, but you will find a bit of Snowman Gatherings and Little Gatherings in there as well. Just keeping things interesting.

Now I need to sew the blue and tan strips into blocks and sew the blocks together. I have made it bed size by adding an extra row to a side and the bottom and including borders. I highly recommend this pattern for a quick, visually interesting quilt. This is one of very few patterns I have ever made more than once.
We have been having so much fun with DD#1 here. Among other things, she and DD#2 had a late night learning session on Gidget. I am pleased to inform you that both of my daughters caught on to this much more quickly than I did. Here is DD#1 at work on a practice sandwich. Their "first time" machine quilting puts mine to shame. The fact that I can machine quilt at all should give everyone out there who is struggling, all kinds of hope. If there had been a dunce hat in my first class, I would have been wearing it.


My girls are pretty special. When in the world did they get to be in their 30s?? And what does that make me? We don't want to go there.
This weekend we will have my sons (they are pretty special, too) joining us for some quality time before DD#1 heads back home mid-week.

This coming Thursday I will be attending the HMQS in Salt Lake City. Anyone out there going that day? I'd love to meet you!

I may not be back to blogging until after that show, but you know there will be lots of great quilts to share--AND in less than two weeks I hit my 2nd anniversary of blogging. There will be a giveaway for all of you patient people who follow my ramblings, you can be sure of that. So stay tuned, and in the meantime--can you name that movie?
Janet O.