Wedding Quilt!

I mailed the wedding quilt last Thursday and it was received in Kentucky Saturday!  I mailed it from a small post office in a town of 300 people and they don't have a postage printer and the postmaster put on a massive amount of stamps! 

The bride called me Saturday to thank me and say how wonderful it was and all that fun stuff!  So now is the big reveal!  This is an original design.  I used a world map, traced it and traced it again in sharpie on the reverse to get a transferrable design.  I hand cut and zigzagged around each piece!  I loved adding the stripe fabric for some interest and of course stars.  I drafted the design in EQ7.  I wanted a filler border and deccided on a swag. I threw together two Trip Around the World throw pillows from leftover pieces.

This is a king size quilt and I custom machine quilted it on my little Pfaff Grand Quilter.  I had extra tables around to support the weight!

Original Design - Stars Around the World - Huffman wheat almost ready for harvest in the background
 and it is laying on a round hay bale!

on the sewing room floor

center

swag border with stars and loops quilting

throw pillows

My birthday party went great over the weekend.  One daughter and her two kids are still here, but everyone else left and it was so fun to have so many people here!  The food was amazing.  When you say potluck in this community, everyone goes all out!  I can't believe I am really 60!  Neither can my mom, since I am her oldest!

Even though this quilt is no longer on  my design wall or floor I am posting to Design Wall Monday on Small Quilts and Doll Quilts. 

Vacations!

I haven't posted in quite a while.  There are lots of good reasons.  First off I was working on a wedding quilt, and hopefully get to finally post pics next week as I mailed it today.  To make this a quilting post, yesterday I actually sewed!  I used up some leftover strip sets from a msytery quilt and made this little 15" square wallhaning.  I happened to have some silk flowers I took apart and stitched on and added some beads and fun machine quilting.  A quickie little project for my stairwell.

Now, the rest of the post is about my trips and family!

In June my sister received an unexpected surprise and won a trip for two to Washington D.C.  I was her guest as her husband couldn't take off on short notice, since we already had another trip scheduled, more on that in a bit!  I drove to Boise June 21 and at least got to see my grandkids.  The twins were 7 months old at the time.  I will post a pic of the other two later in the post.

Remy (left) and Finn

We took off on June 22nd and did some touring of  D.C. before her awards conference for the Presidential Award for Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST).  She is a 6th grade math teacher.  We have a high school friend who works at the Pentagon and he gave us a private tour on the weekend.  We walked miles!  

Beautiful display in the Pentagon.  There were many quilts on the walls that they rotate given in memory of 9-11

 My sister and I went to all the monuments, Arlington Cemetary, Smithsonians (I went to one more than my sister when she was busy, as well as the Capitol and gardens) saw friends of my sisters for lunches from her time of her husband's two tours at West Point, and we went to the awards banquet at the National Portrait gallery.  It was lovely!

awards dinner with my name card!  We had assigned seating.

I flew home from Boise and flew back down three days later to take off on a long planned trip to Maine to a wedding.  I flew with my other sister to Niagara Falls first and then we drove across to Maine, stopping to look at many covered bridges in Vermont.  It's so hard to pick just a few pictures!  We had a great road trip!  We also crossed over to the Canadian side and got lots of great pics from there and we loved the Maid of the Mist boat tour.

American Falls, Bridal Veil and Horseshoe Falls from front to back.

One of many covered bridges we saw

 When we arrived in Bethel, Maine on the day of the wedding rehearsal we met up with my daughter, her husband and their two kids.  They had been on a different schedule, but had also flown into Niagara a day earlier than I had!  My sister and I took the kids for the morning of the wedding and went to a couple more covered bridges in Maine.  

Then on July 6th was the wedding!  Nicole was the flower girl and Jared walked with her as a sign bearer.  The groom is their mom's first cousin.

 The happy couple Kristine and Mike! 

 After the wedding both sisters, my BIL, nephew (best man for his brother), my daughter, SIL and grandkids and I went to the coast.  It was my first time seeing the Atlantic ocean and the grandkids loved it!  We went to Acadia National Park.  The next day we drove on down the coast stopping at lighthouses.  We left my daughter's family in Portland, ME to fly home and the rest of us went on to Boston.  My nephew flew home (he is also an Army officer stationed in Texas) from there and the other 4 of us went to Cape Cod and toured around Boston walking a lot of the Freedom Trail.  We flew home from there and I finally drove home on July 11th!

me at Acadia

one of several lighthouses

Since arriving home I machine quilted the king size wedding quilt (the couple lives in Kentucky, so it needed to be mailed), and I have done a deep clean and some painting in my house in anticipation of having a big birthday this weekend!  I am throwing my own party!

End of School and Wedding Quit

We got out of school June 7th.  The last few days of school are always super busy and tiring.  We sell calendars with photos taken by students to help fund this, along with grant money we sometimes get.   I did knit some dish rags on the bus rides!  Some of the highlights were visiting the Palouse Discovery Center in Pullman, WA, University of Idaho Ag field trip in Moscow, ID, Life Flight air ambulance in Lewiston, ID and we happened to see a helicopter take off for a call, Spalding Park and Museum and then an interactive morning at Tunnel Pond in Orofino, ID.  We had fishing, art, and water discovery activities. 

At Tunnel Pond I set up the art project and hauled tables and supplies down for it, but I assisted in the fishing activity.  I had a volunteer mom running the art project.  I have no problem putting worms on hooks and taking fish off hooks, but wow, it was busy and scary with kids from kindergarten to sixth grade have sharp hooks!   This is the art project, alcohol ink tiles to use as coasters.

We end the year with a sleepover at school and then a BBQ on the last short day. 

I have been busy with other activities and during this last week my husband turned 60, had friends over and I had to plant my garden!  I guess this is my excuse for not sewing!

I did finally start sewing on the wedding quilt I am making for my nephew and fiance.  I designed it in EQ7 and have all the stars made, but of course I can't show the design yet!  I hope to get the top done this week.  I am ignoring my long list of house projects to get done over the summer.

4 more blocks for my scrap vortex quilt

stars for the wedding quilt

Here are a few recent scenic photos. 

yellow roses in a field on the drive home

Sunday afternoon walk with a storm to the south

storm across the river canyon

Linking up with Design Wall Monday.

Memorial Day

I have been in a quilting slump lately.  I had a lot of yard work to do and the end of the school year is always hectic.   I did remember to put out my flag today.

A couple years ago I went to a retreat in Lacey, WA, about 7 hours away.  I had previously met three of the women, long time internet friends, and several others I had "known" for years but never met!  My friend Melissa was there and a few of us went to quilt shops.   Larrianne was buying the Laurel Burch Fantasia panel and the bright colors were fun, and Melissa surprised me and bought it for me!  This week I wanted something quick and easy to do and through pinterest found a free pattern on the Timeless Treasures site.  I did purchase the blue background fabric online recently.

I finished the top today!It's bigger than I envisioned, I didn't look at the finished size on the pattern!

I made 4 more blocks for my Scrap Vortex quilt.

I recently visited my daughters and grandkids.  The twins belong to Lisa and the older two to Amy.

Just 7 more days of school! 

Linking up with Design Wall Monday.

This and That

I have done very little in the quilting area.  I have puttered around and done some sorting.  I think it is just procrastination on starting a wedding quilt.  I need to dive in.

I joined a 100 day scrap vortex challenge in early April, but I struggle with random scrappiness.  The original scrap vortex sew along is pictured here.  I am using my batik scraps I had cut up into 2.5 squares, 2.5 X 4.5", 2.5 X 6.5, and strips that I am cutting into 8.5" and 10.5" lengths.  This is what I have so far.  I am thinking about black sashing, hence the piece hanging down

10" blocks - 26 completed

I bought this Hoffman Spectrum print that I fell in love with.  I LOVE flowers!  I am visualizing a One Block Wonder quilt, but leaving one piece whole in the middle.  I have seen several OBW's  using center panels. I have 8 repeats of this fabric!

I am not the world's best photographer.  We have a lot of dandelions popping up in the pasture and hay field below our house.  They are in the yard too, but I mow those and try to keep them out of there.  I was walking one day this weekend and saw honeybees in the dandelions.  I managed to snap a photo!  How is that for excitement?

 Linking up a little (lot!) late in the day for Design Wall Monday.
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Wizard's Chest quilt and retreat

The weekend of April 26th to 29th I went to a quilt retreat.  It's a small retreat, with 10 of us.  The retreat is at Reflections Inn, a B&B on the Clearwater River.  I had previously posted the pieces I had cut for Wizard's Chest quilt, a pattern from 2017 in McCall's Quick Quilts.  I didn't get the top finished at retreat, but managed to finish it this weekend!  I stay stitched around the edge of the quilt this afternoon so the seams won't pop!  I used Kaffe Fassett fabrics and black and white prints.

Middle Fork of the Clearwater River.  Lewis and Clark traveled on the ridges above the river

me chain piecing!

Wizard's Chest quilt top completed!
 

Linking up with Design Wall Monday and Monday Making

Finished Quilt!

I finished quilting and binding my Blue Hawaiian quilt.  I LOVE it!  I did a lot of swirly quilting and the weather has turned to be much nicer and went into our pasture and field for pictures.  My husband was able to get into the field today finally!  Yay for sunshine!

I am thrilled to have this quilt finished.  The original pattern is Rhubarb Pie by Madison Cottage Designs.

In the 1960's daffodil bulbs were put into the pasture and over the years they have spread.

If you look close you can see one of my dogs in the upper left!  

Our winter wheat made it through our long winter.  This wheat variety is named Huffman UI/WSU after my late son.

quilting closeup.  I used a turquoise Superior brand thread.

I have a quilt retreat coming up so of course I had to cut a new project!  I am making Wizard's Chess.    I still need to cut the solid black and solid white.

I have done some knitting, 4 dish rags!  No picture since I gave them away already!

I am linking up with Design Wall Monday and Monday Making.  Check them out for great inspiration!

Machine Quilting and Prep

I spent the week, after work, machine quilting a quilt for a friend.  Three years ago she asked me to machine quilt a quilt she was making for her son and his soon to be wife.  Her son had been one of my son's best friends and I had planned to make a wedding quilt but instead purchased gifts as to not detract from his mom's gift.  Jeffrey and Macaela recently had a baby girl and I gave them a baby quilt at the shower and they were thrilled to receive it.  It took Susan quite a while, but she proudly finished the quilt top and brought it to me.  I tried to take a picture of the quilting on the backing but it didn't show.  I did free motion whirligig quilting in each block and a loopy swirl in the sashing (it was added for length).  Susan will bind it. It's a bit busy, but cool at the same time!  It was way to rainy to take pics outside.

This weekend I got out my Blue Hawaiian quilt.  I originally posted it in May 2017.  I had lots of leftover blocks and decided to enlarge the quilt.  Then I still had leftovers and pieced a backing as I am refusing to buy backing fabric when I have so much fabric at home!  The pattern is called Rhubarb Pie by Madison Cottage desgins.

This was the quilt to top as it was in May 2017.  63 blocks

Enlarged quilt top and the borders were changed to be uniform on the sides.  88 blocks

I had leftover bits and pieces so I pieced a back.

Now I need to baste and quilt it!  I wanted something cheery during our dreary April weather!  Farming is behind, the fields have way too much water.

Joining in with Design Wall Monday and Monday Making.

Easter, quilts and kids!

I thought I would share an Easter quilt I have had for years.  I used to do a lot of round robins, row robins, block robins, etc.  This is one I made the center for and was delighted with what I got back!  I should have steamed out the fold in the center.

center block closeup

I finished quilting this Washington State Internet yahoo group quilt.  I collected the blocks 13-18 years ago and have had the top in my stash for YEARS!  I custom quilted each block and bound it in black.

I was trying to show the blocks on the top row, but wasn't successful!  It was nice enough weather to go out in my back pasture for photos.

Last year I cut up a bunch of earthy batik strips and some sashing.  The pattern is in one of my Jelly Roll quilt books.  I was at a retreat last April and one woman ran out of projects!  Unheard of for me, I always bring way too much!  I handed her this packet and she sewed up a bunch of blocks.  Last week I sewed up a bunch more and got the top assembled this weekend.  Now it will go into my to be quilted pile and will eventually be donated.

My oldest daughter and two kids were here during spring break this past week.  Nicole will be 4 in May and discovered her mom and aunt's Barbies.  She had a field day!  They had so many growing up and LOTS of accessories.  Some of the things have gone by the wayside (like the Barbie car and beds) and a few more went away when I was cleaning things up, but wow, she spent HOURS and HOURS playing with them and has quite the imagination.  She was wearing her princess costume!

 I didn't seem to get any pictures of Jared by himself!  He is 6 1/2 and was with my husband continually!  He loves being Grandpa's shadow on the farm!

 The twins weren't here visiting, but here are a couple pictures.  They are almost 4 1/2 months old now!  Finn and Remy!

Linking up with Design Wall Monday and Monday Making.