Still 'Leaping' Away...

The extra border fabric for my Leap Year quilt came in a couple of days ago and I wasted no time in sewing it on.  I was eager to call this top finished!  I wasn't sure what size to make the border, so I auditioned a couple of widths first before finally deciding on 5 inches.

Auditioning potential border widths before cutting my fabric

The top now finishes at 67" x 76", which is a little too big to lay out on my sewing room floor, so I brought it down and laid it across my bed to get a good picture of it.

'Leap Year' laid across our bed

Uh oh!  Seeing how well it fit across our bed got me thinking that it wouldn't take that much more effort to turn it into a king size quilt.  And I've been wanting to make a patriotic quilt for our bed for quite some time.  (Should I mention that I have yet to finish even one king-size quilt for our room and our current quilt comes from Kohl's?)

So I've decided to add another border of 16 patches around the outside and a final outer border of the blue fabric.  That should make it plenty big enough.  This fabric line is Wiscasset by Minick & Simpson and is several years old, but I lucked out and managed to find one last Layer Cake online and a few yards of the blue, which should be enough to finish the quilt.  Both of those purchases should be in later this week and I can hopefully get started on it again.

Like most of the country, we've been experiencing record breaking high temperatures and no rain.  In fact, we just finished 7 days in a row of 100+ degree temperatures.  Everything's been drying up here, which is why I was shocked to see my Asiatic Lily bloom this year.  It's looked as sickly as everything else and I was convinced it wasn't going to bloom.  (It's actually supposed to bloom in the Spring.)  However, it surprised me and started with the most glorious blossoms this past week and more are opening every day.

Love Story Asiatic Lily

A cold front (relatively speaking) moved in last night and we're supposed to get rain every day this week.  When I checked this morning, there were another 8 blooms getting ready to open.  God is glorious, isn't He!

Until later...

I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. 

Psalm 9:2 (NLT)

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)