It's the last day of the month...

That must mean it's time for me to furiously attempt to finish this month's Schnibbles quilt in time for the parade tomorrow.  Last month I hit the post button a mere 2 minutes before the deadline.  This month, I was a bit better with my time management and still have almost 12 hours left.  Then again, I'm not actually calling this one done.  Yet.

Leap Year - A Schibbles Quilt by Carrie Nelson

The Schnibbles quilt selected for June's Another Year of Schnibbles is Leap Year by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.   Compared to last month's selection, Doc, this quilt was quick and easy to put together.  What was even better, Carrie Nelson gave everyone who has participated in AYOS this year the pattern for free!  In honor of Independence Day just around the corner, I chose to make mine using a Layer Cake of Wiscasset by Minnick & Simpson.

Fabrics for my Leap Year quilt

This quilt went together pretty quickly.  There were a bunch of strip sets to sew together, then sub-cut, then sew back together.  It's rather mindless sewing, but still fun and quick.  Before long, I had my 42 blocks for the larger version of the quilt.  (Carrie has instructions in her pattern for this larger version.)

All my 16-patches for the quilt center

I initially planned to use the floral print I had from this fabric line for another border, but when I laid it out, I just didn't think it looked right.  I asked Mr. Quilting Bug for his opinion and he agreed.  Even though this fabric is in the quilt, it's just too frilly for it.

Auditioning the border print

Although the fabric has been out for quite a few years, I managed to find some of it online and ordered one of the darker blues to use as an outer border.  Until it arrives, I'll just set this aside.  For now, it's size is 58" x 67"...

Leap Year - waiting for it's outer border

I'm hopeful that I can get the outer border on and get it quilted by Labor Day.  Otherwise, I'm not seeing much use for a Patriotic quilt until next year.  However, it's supposed to be 108 degrees today, so I'm not really needing anything to snuggle under right now anyways!  Here's hoping you're staying cool wherever you are.

Until later...

“No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” 

1 Corinthians 2:11b (NIV)  

Family Portraits...

Recently, my family got together to take portraits.  It was a gift for our parents 40th wedding anniversary.  Mr. Quilting Bug and I also had some shots taken of us with Gabriel.  Kudos to our photographer, because it's definitely not easy to photograph a dog who's far more interested in her four-legged friends than smiling for the camera.  Fortunately, at least a few of her pictures turned out.

Mr. Quilting Bug, myself and Gabriel

However, others didn't look quite so good.  They perfectly capture the essence of Gabriel though!

Just look at that tongue!

We also got some other family groupings.  I especially love this one with three generations of the women in our family.

My sister, my mother, my niece and myself

Our photographer is Anna-Rebekah Orr, a dear neighbor of ours.  We really feel she did a great job with all of us.  We took the pictures at a local park - one that Gabriel and I walk in most days.  Hence, she spent far too much time looking for friends when she should have been paying attention!  I would certainly love to have some pictures of us with the cats one day, but I don't think there are strong enough tranquilizers on the market for that to happen.  (In case you're wondering, the drugs would be for the cats.)

Until later...

Everything on earth has its own time and its own season. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (CEV)

Modulus...

Sometimes the hardest part of making a quilt is coming up with the name.  Most of the time it's not.  (OK, it almost never is.)  But in this case, I really struggled with it, along with a few other things.

I finally settled on the name Modulus.  It's a homage back to my previous life as a Computer Engineer.  'Mod' is a programming term used to calculate the remainder of 2 numbers.  For example, 4 mod 3 = 1.  It's appropriate, because this quilt was made entirely using half-square triangles remaining from another quilt.  (I grossly miscalculated the number I needed on the previous quilt.)  Thus was born Modulus...

This is also another long-term quilt in that I finished the top roughly 3 years ago.  I was planning to hang it in our living room after it was quilted and wanted some really nice feathered quilting on it.  My quilting skills weren't up to the challenge at the time, so I sent it out to a friend to professionally quilt it for me.  Unfortunately, she's had some rough health and family challenges over the last couple of years and it took a while for her to get to it.  She did an amazing job quilting it though and I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

Closeup of the quilting on the back

As soon as I managed to finish the binding (which still took me another 3 weeks), Mr. Quilting Bug and I hung it on the wall.  We'd been saving the spot about the love seat for over 2 years just for this quilt.  I told him where to hang it and of course, the first time, I told him to hang it too high.  The second time though, we got it just right!

We just had family portraits taken and I'd like to hang some of them on either side of the empty wall space.  I just need to get some picture frames for them.

So, the stats for this quilt are:

• Size: 42" x 49"
• Fabrics: Moda (but can't remember which line)
• Batting: Warm and Natural
• Thread: Guterman (piecing)
• Pattern: None (just played around with it)
• Quilting: Custom (by Thearica)
• Started: 2009
• Finished: June 14th, 2012
• Recipient: Hanging in the Living Room

Two quilts done in 2 days!  Woohoo!  I'm on a roll.  However, nothing else is near completion, so I think my streak has hit an end.

Until later...

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. 

Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

Pathway to the Stars...

Doesn't it feel good when you finish up one of your UFO's that's been languishing for years and years?  Or perhaps you're one of those people who finish everything they start.  If you are, good for you!  I will never, ever be like you (although sometimes I might wish I was).  I've finally finished a UFO that's probably 5 years old.  In fact, I blogged about finishing the top back in 2009 (almost exactly 3 years ago).

Pathway to the Stars

This is a JoAnn's Block of the Month.  I don't know what year it came out, but the name of it is Pathway to the Stars.  I actually loaded it on the frame last November, but it's taken me until now to quilt and bind it.

Here are the stats for this quilt:

• Size: 76" x 83" 
• Fabrics: JoAnn BOM Kit for the top and extra wide fabric for the backing
• Batting: Warm &White
• Thread: Guterman (piecing), Aurifil thread for quilting the top and Superior thread in the bobbin
• Pattern: Pathway to the Stars BOM
• Quilting: Celtic Braid Pantograph by Patricia E. Ritter of Urban Elementz (25 passes and 6 bobbins)
• Started: 2007 (?)
• Completed: June 15, 2012
• Recipient: My brother-in-law

I'm glad to finally have this one finished.  But I'm also pleased with how it turned out and hope my brother-in-law likes it.

Until later...

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 

Psalm 103:2-3 (NLT) 

What's up 'Doc'?

Another last minute Schnibbles finish.  Less than 30 minutes to go on this one.  I couldn't have cut it much closer.  In fact, I really questioned whether I could finish or not.  But being so close, I decided to try hard and I'm glad I did!

May's Schnibbles Quilt 'Doc' - aka 'Candy Shop'

Sherri's and Sinta's selection for May's Another Year of Schnibbles was Doc.  (Be sure to check out the parade of Doc quilts they'll have on their blogs starting June 1st!)  I was looking forward to making this quilt because I've never made a card trick block before.  I picked a couple of Chutes and Ladders Charm Packs and a Bella Solid from my stash to make it at the beginning of the month.

May's Schnibbles Pattern and Fabrics

However, that's kind of where I got stuck.  I've been so busy on other projects that I didn't even start this quilt until a few days ago.  I started by making a bunch of half-square triangles and then cutting them down.  Then I paired up the rest of my fabrics for the card trick blocks...

This is one of those quilts where you have to make the blocks one at a time.  Otherwise, it's simply too confusing.  So I'd lay out one block at a time and sew the individual units together...

All the pieces for a single Card Trick block

Slowly, I made progress.  And by the time I went to bed last night, I had 8 of the 9 blocks made.

Results as of bedtime last night

I thought I'd have plenty of time to finish the quilt today, but I always underestimate how long it takes to add sashing and borders.  You'd think I'd learn after all these years, but I still continue to do it.  So here it is, a few minutes before midnight and I'm furiously trying to finish this post and send off my pictures.  Maybe next month will be different?

I'm renaming this one 'Candy Shop' because the fabrics remind me of chocolate and other bits of candy.  It's going to be another donation quilt.  Although it's 42" square, I'm tossing around the idea of adding another border to make it bigger for a child.  I'll have to see what I have in my stash.

David was a big 'help' tonight as I was trying to finish this.  He alternated between lying on top of the quilt and in front of my sewing machine.  And as I'm typing this, he's lying in my lap in front of the keyboard.  He's another one of my big helpers.

Until later...

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 

1 John 3:18 (NLT)

E is for Elf...

and F is for Fir.  I've now finished the 5th block for the Snowmen A to ZZZZ quilt.  This was one of several double size ones.

Before starting a block, I always look at it to see what I think the most time consuming part will be and that's what I start with.  Is anyone else like that?  On this block, I thought it was going to be the elf and that the fir would go pretty quickly.  I was wrong!

E is for Elf

Although the branch was pretty mindless stitching, it took such a long time!  Back and forth, back and forth. Ughh.  I began to wonder if I would ever finish with it.  But I did!

F is for Fir

Now I really have to put this aside and work on a few other things.  I've got a binding to hand sew down and then I've got to start appliqueing some bats.  Hopefully it won't be too long before I get back to these though.  For the most part, I find the embroidery to be very relaxing (just not these branches).

I've been spending a little more time in my sewing room lately and Sam has been keeping me company.  Here she is getting cozy with my sewing machine...

Sam rubbing on my sewing machine

Until later...

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. 

1 Thessalonians 1:2 (NLT)

Gabriel Jr...

I love where we live.  Every so often, Mr. Quilting Bug tries to convince me that we should move, but I really don't think we could find a better place to live.  The other night was a perfect example of this.

First some background.  We celebrate May 8th as Gabriel's birthday.  It's really the anniversary of the day I found her by the side of the road.  The vet thought she was around a year old, so we adopted it as her official birthday.

Gabriel and her ball

On the evening of this birthday, Mr. Quilting Bug and I were outside on the deck with Gabriel.  We had been playing a little bit of ball with her, but were mostly just sitting and talking.  He suddenly noticed something going underneath our deck (we're pretty high off the ground) and thought it was a deer.  We're quite used to seeing a dozen or so deer in the yard each night, but this was unusual.  When we went down to check it out, we saw a deer in the process of giving birth!  I have never seen anything so amazing (and a little bit gross at the same time).

We didn't want to upset her, so we took Gabriel and went back inside.  Unfortunately, when we looked for them later, they were gone.  We prayed she had a safe delivery, but didn't see either mother or baby around. However, in honor of the baby being born on Gabriel's 'birthday', we named it Gabriel Jr.

Fast forward 10 days later when I was lying down with a bad headache.  The exact moment that I got up, I saw the tiniest baby deer enter our yard and lay down in front of our bedroom window.  There's no doubt that it's Gabriel Jr.  S/he stayed for about half an hour before leaving.  I'm sure mom was close by, but I didn't want to go outside and scare either of them.  This isn't the greatest picture as I had to take it from inside the house.  To give you an idea of proportion, this deer is about the size of my 22lb cat, but with much longer legs.

Gabriel Jr - 10 days old

I haven't seen either of them since, but I was glad to see that the baby was healthy.  I just love where we live!

Until later...

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. 

Matthew 5:8 (NLT)