Postage Stamp Quiltalong Quilt.

I finished putting this together...
pressed it (though it needs a really good 
pressing with a decent iron!)
and hung it in my closet.

I have the binding ready to go,
but no batting...and,
not sure what to do for backing.
So, it'll have to wait.

(Click on the photo to enlarge.)

There are a few same blocks too close

to each other,

but I tried not to worry much about that.

I'm happy with it...

and will be happier once it's basted,

quilted, & bound.

All Kinds of Stuff!

I tried to post this yesterday, but my internet was down for several hours.  Cuz of the rain.  When it rains, (it pours) satellite speed internet sometimes does not work!  What a major pain.


This may be long...depends on how carried away I get. 


First things first.  I had a flat tire on the way home from work on Friday.  I was not overjoyed.  Not one little iota.  However!  It could have been a lot worse, and the fact that it wasn't was truly a 'praise God' moment!  My tire was a bit low the other day, so I put air in it.  When I left work on Friday, I noticed it was a bit low again.  Shoot.  It's the last remaining tire that came with my car...the other 3 have been replaced.  I made a note to self to call the tire store when I got home.   I ran a few errands on my way home...one of them being to stop at the bank to get some cash because I ran out of checks and am waiting for them to arrive in the mail.  On my way to Hobby Lobby, I stopped and put some air into the tire.  When I left Hobby Lobby, my tire blew.  ohdear...what to do?!?  I called John (the same John who unlocked my car for me a few weeks ago) and he said he would call someone (being a service garage, they don't do roadside service) and took down my location and phone number.  He called me back a few minutes later to let me know that a tow truck was on its way.  Luckily, I had enough cash to pay him.  Holy Schmoly...It took less than 5 minutes for that tire to be changed...thinking the guy must be from some nascar pit crew, he did it so fast!  {grin}


So, what, you're asking, did I praise God for?  The circumstances of going to the bank to get cash, and the fact that I was not yet out on the highway.  Though I wasn't thrilled about the entire thing, I have much to be thankful for.  And, that's not all!  While on the way home, I said outloud, "ohplease, God, let there be a fun package in the mail today!"  When I pulled up to the mailbox and opened it, I smiled and thanked God...cuz there was a package in the mailbox!  Not either of the ones I am waiting for, but one, nonetheless!  Now, I know that God did not 'zap' a package into the mailbox upon hearing my prayer...but the circumstances of the day, the happenings... were all part of the plan.  His plan.  It amazes me!  I am so blessed.
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Okay.  The package.  It was in care of me, but addressed:

I was grinning as I opened the package.  

The first thing I opened was this card.  See...for Tag!  From Miles, Riley & Jonesy...Joanne's cats.  {grin}  Joanne is a longtime online buddy...she loves Tag (don't you all?) and, because I have been receiving some fun packages in the mail, her cats felt that it was his turn.  Check out Joanne's blog here.

In the package...ohmygosh...2 generous 1/2 yard cuts of fabric & two tennis balls!  What a lucky boy.  All for Tag E. Butt!


Now really.  Take a look at that fabric...isn't that the most adorable fabric you've ever seen?  I sure think so!

I knew immediately how to use the fabric, too!  Tag has never had his own 'special' crate pad.  I put blankets in there for him.  Allegra had a really cute puppy (not collies, though) fleece pad.  I still have it, but I have not passed it on to Tag.  Cuz it was Allegra's.  But, now he will have his own!!!  YAY!  


Course, I had to get right on it, so here's how it looks now...

I was going to showcase the chocolate puppies, but after playing around with it for an hour, I changed my mind...it would have wasted too much fabric.  Instead, I figured out what size blocks would use the most fabric and would also give me what I needed for the size pad I wanted.  As you can see, there are lots of yellow, black and chocolate lab pups...and one golden retriever pup (the one laying on the green pillow).  Thank you so much, Joanne, Miles, Riley & Jonesy!   
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I finished the remaining 4 blocks of my postage stamp quilt.  There are 1296 squares in this quilt...

Once I have it sewn together, it should measure about 70" square.
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I watched the movie, Dear John, yesterday.  Based on Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name, it is definitely a chick flick.  Good, though. 

edited to add:  Click on the link to see what the movie is all about:  "Dear John"
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Last, but certainly not least...I am participating in 'doll quilt swap 9'!!!  

This will be my 3rd dqs and I am so happy that I made it in.  In previous swaps, there was just a general sign-up with a certain number allowed.  Once that number was reached, the sign-up was closed.  This time, a lottery draw was put in place...5 days for sign-ups and then the draw.  We will find out next week who our partners are.  It's always so much fun to find out who you'll be making a quilt for.  This is a secret swap.  You know who you're giving to...once you find out, you stalk her/him, figure out what might be appropriate and then go for it!  But, you don't know who you will receive from - until the quilt arrives in the mail.  We have until the first part of September, so that gives us plenty of time to plan and execute a doll quilt.

No more stuff to write about (yeah, sure).
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PS  I had been home for a long while (on Friday) when John from the service station called to see if everything worked out and if I got home okay.  How nice was that!  Will have to bake some cookies or something for him. 

Progress Report...

Laid out my postage stamp

quilt to see how it looked. 

Here's the math:

81 squares per block,

8 blocks...

total of 648 squares!

So far.

I'm half done.

Most of the strips for the remaining half

are ready to be sewn together...

will work on it here and there til it's done.

STRIP!!!

That's all I've felt like doing.

Stripping.

HA!

  
Okay, so I'm talking about the postage stamp quilt.

Here's how it goes:

Cut strips.

Sew strips into sets.

Cut strip sets into more strips.

Sew cut strip sets into blocks.

Cut more strips.

Sew more strip sets...

well, you get the idea.

Easy peasy and I am liking the quiet work with this one.

Not too much thinking involved at all.

Though, I did find myself thinking about how to make another one.

Similar...but different.

I think that will have to be in the near future.

I think I have enough ready to put 5 blocks together. 

I already have 5 done.

Am thinking 4 across and 4 down for a total of 16 blocks...

which would make the quilt approximately 68 inches square.

It's nothing fancy, but I am really liking it.  Kind of a utility quilt...a picnic quilt...one to keep in the car..I don't know.
I have no special plans for it.

A Long Day!

Today lasted forever!

Claire was here from 8:30 til 5:30.

We went out to eat breakfast.

The rest of the time,

she helped get the house ready to show...

and painted.

The dining room walls are done.

The ceiling will be done tomorrow.

I'll take photos once I get everything back in place.

While Claire painted, I sewed.

Put together 2 more blocks for the 

Postage Stamp Quilt Along quilt...

for a total of 3 done.

Long way to go, yet.

Tag spent the day out in the kennel building.

He's a tired boy tonight!

 Have a great Sunday!

Block 1 done...House for Sale?...No More Fence!

Block 1 of my Postage Stamp quilt along quilt is done!  I've got enough strips sewn/cut to make 4 more of these blocks.  Then, I'll start over...sewing strips together, cutting them into 2 1/2" strips, then piecing them back together to make 11 more blocks...for a total of 16.  Each finished block will measure about 17 1/2" square.  

I see you math wizards shaking your heads.  Yeah.  I know.  9 squares starting out at 2 1/2"  each should give me an 18" finished block.  Right?  Well, my quarter inch foot is off...the seams are just a tish larger than 1/4".  When I need to do exact piecing, I move the needle over one notch to get perfect 1/4" seams.  But, for this quilt, I figured that as long as everything is sewn having the same seam allowance, it doesn't really matter if each individual square is just a tish smaller than 2".   Ya know?  It'll be the overall size that matters, anyway.  Being a careful (some say 'anal') person, this was a big decision for me to make!    

I am trying to be random with this.  My brain has a difficult time with 'random', but I really want to NOT obsess over placement while putting this quilt together.  

AND, did I say this before?  I am using fabric ONLY from my stash.  At least 1/2 of these fabrics are from Jane (ooh...a colored and italized word...what to do?  CLICK on it! {grin}).  Bren (there it is again!) had given me some fabric, and the rest is odds and ends that I've had for a long while.  No bright and modern fabrics in this one.  (Did you look, Kelley?) 

It's something I can work on here and there (cuz it's awfully boring to sit and sew on this for too long of a time) and it'll get done soon enough. 

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So, the realtor called my landlords today and asked to show the house tomorrow.  "Are you kidding me???"  The house is in complete disarray cuz, well, you know, the painting isn't done!!!  I asked if the realtor was told this...yeah...still wants to show it.  Criminey!  

And, of course, that means that Tag and I need to vacate the house in the middle of the morning.  Okay, I know this happens when a house is on the market, but I have so much to do...{sigh}.  I do so much better staying on task when I am not interrupted.  

On the bright side, Claire is taking me out to breakfast. 

So.  Of course, I will vacuum and sweep.  Straighten a bit.  Make the bed.  But, here is what won't be changing.

The entryway...stuff on my 'antique table from Kim' and the 'corner curio cabinet' that is not in a corner.  (Everything has a name and Kim laughs at me when I call things what they are!)

The sofa sleeper piled high with...just stuff.  See the start of a newly painted wall?  Navajo White...really nice!

The kitchen table piled high with...well, more stuff.

The living room isn't too bad...but here are some things out of place.  

#1 - framed pictures not put back on the walls.

#2 - table that will be in the dining room is there where it is cuz, well, the dining room is being painted.

#3 - my hooked rugs and quilted table topper on the chair cuz that's the only place I have to put them so they don't get paint on them while the dining room is being painted.

So, they can come and they can see.  That's all I'm gonna say.

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We no longer have a fenced yard.  But, Curt was nice enough to put a post there at the edge of the patio so I could put Tag's 20 foot cable line on it.  This means that I won't have to take Tag out on a leash every time he needs to potty.  YAY!  And, if I'm out on the patio, at least he'll be able to move around. 

Have a great weekend!

A Few Things...

First, I want to thank you all so much for your feedback.

I appreciate you so very much!

I guess I'll leave things alone.

I rather like the look of my blog right now.

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I had to (read HAD to) go to 2 quilt shops today.

Not one, but TWO!

It was tough, but I managed.

{grin}

I picked up this fabric...

see the Eiffel Tower?

see the Statue of Liberty?

The fabric is called 'gnomesome traveler'...

it's crackin' me up!

I have a plan.

Don't you worry.

I picked up this dotted fabric for the binding of the Blush baby quilt.

It's gonna look darling!

And, this is the second day that I worked 
on my Postage Stamp quilt.

These are NOT 1" finished squares, though.

Do you think I'm nuts?

Okay, so don't answer that.

I'm cheating...these will be 2" finished squares.

(By the way, those strips in the photo are just laying there.

They're not sewn together...don't want you to think that I cannot match seams!)

There is a lot of sewing and cutting with this quilt.

But, I can already tell that it'll be worth it in the end.

AND, today I cut my first binding on the bias!  

YAY!

It's for my large whirlygig quilt.

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Allegra would have been 12 years old today.

There are no words that would come close
to conveying how I feel...how much I miss her.