Monday, June 27, 2016

Finished Top and Vacation

June has been crazier than usual!  I had a busy last couple weeks of school, getting out June 9th and that weekend we had some company.  We spent a wonderful week in Hawaii and I got to one quilt shop on Big Island, Quilt Passions.  On Oahu, we had several activities planned and didn't take the time to go find a quilt shop.  I played in the ocean instead!
Sunset on our last night in Hawaii
Fish fabric as a remembrance of our wonderful snorkeling cruise
Floral print for a backing

I also bought a pattern and their last year's row because I thought it was cute. I was too early for this year's Row by Row.

Monday I got out an OLD UFO, from 2004/2005.  I knew it was in colors that would be perfect for a wedding gift.  The BOM was Lewis/Clark Bicentennial and there were fabrics made for this.  Since Lewis and Clark are HUGE in this area (they traveled through here and built their canoes across from my mom's house) I bought it back then and had apparently made the first 11 blocks pictured below.
The directions for completing the quilt were awful or non-existent.  I might not have printed them all at the time. I searched the internet high and low but couldn't find a completed quilt.  I have had a busy week sewing this top together.  I made the final two sampler blocks, the alternate star log cabin blocks, and then had to figure out borders.  I drafted one and cut all the pieces and it wouldn't work!  I have no clue what happened, but I ended up using all the pieces I had cut and just doing improv piecing for borders.  I needed to make it longer to be queen size and the lights are the only fabrics I had enough of left.  I had a plain brown in my stash I supplemented.  I will be doing a scrappy binding after I get it quilted.  I have it basted now and will start quilting this afternoon with an all over design.  Did I mention the wedding is this coming Saturday?
Lewis and Clark BOM
I didn't get my daughter Lisa's quilt finished before I left for Hawaii but it's mostly quilted!  My daughter Amy's is basted and next up for quilting after these two!
Lisa's brick and leaf quilt