Seaside Rose Hourglass

Here it is! I finished the top some time ago, but I just quilted it week before last (during Spring Break, if you can believe it), and I finished binding it just this past Thursday.

I've never really been a pastel person, but I went through a phase of buying all those pastel lines, and now I've got to do something with them. I do love how this turned out, though.

I mostly stippled all over, but I did a spiral in the corner squares and a vine with flowers on the border. This is only my third quilt using my free-motion quilting machine, so I'm not very skilled. But it washed up really nicely, and it keeps us warm when we need it to. I probably should have at least pre-washed my binding so it wasn't quite so wrinkly. Oh, well, I love it anyway.

Star Quilt-Along, blocks 10, 11, 12, and 13

I don't even know what week we're on. I think it's 11 now. Really? We started that long ago? I guess it was January. Anyway, I've finished all the blocks (except that I messed up #11 and am going to have to take it slightly apart to fix it). I need to do the setting blocks now as well. Jill is way ahead of me, but I don't have any kind of deadline for this thing. I do want to finish it, though, because remember -- that's what I'm doing this year -- finishing. I have to keep reminding myself of this, because I'm also starting quite a bit.

Block #10

Block #11

Block #12

Block #13

So I don't even have this on my list of in-progress quilts. I'll have to update that list. A number of the quilts on there are all finished as far as quilt tops go. They're just in queue to be quilted. I guess I need to make a separate list for that. Except that that list would seriously be like 60 quilts long. Seriously. I'm going to do another post today, because I actually have a little time. This may be it for the whole week, though. I hope not, but I seem to be averaging one post a week lately.

Star Quilt-Along, week 9

Only four more to go. I told Jill that I was okay with working ahead on this one, but I'm crazily involved in so many other BOMs that I'm not sure I'll have time to work ahead. I don't know. Feast or famine, though, so maybe I'll just plow through and git 'er done. I can't believe I just quoted Larry the Cable Guy.

Pay it FORWARD, baby!

Okay. So my new friend, Julia, had a pay-it-forward on her blog, and I am one of the lucky three, so I'm posting it here. I'm also one of the lucky three on my mother's blog. Is that greedy? So does that mean I need to pay it forward to six people? Okay. Maybe it does. So that's what I'll do. The first six people to leave a comment on this POST will receive a handmade item from me. According to Julia (and many others I've seen), I have a year to complete these items. I'm hoping not to take that long, but you never know. Obviously, the only stipulation for this is that you pay it forward as well. Post a pay-it-forward on your blog and send something out to THREE lucky friends or blog-readers. So fun! Spread the joy, my friends.

Baby Shower Cake

This is a cake I made for my friend's baby shower a month or so back. Baby boy. He's here and healthy a couple weeks old now. My, time does fly. I think the idea for the cake was good, but the execution, not so much. A little sloppy. I suppose if I made cakes every day I would get better (and fatter!).

Star Quilt-Along, week 8

Block 8. I'm caught up. Are you proud? I even have block 9 finished and ready for posting next week, and block 10 is cut out and ready to be made. I'm such a feast or famine kind of girl. I don't mean to be. I am not a slow-and-steady. I wish I were. Then I might finish more stuff. Maybe next week there will less pink and brown to show you and more of something else. I've been working on some stuff, but it's all still just in the block stage or the cut-out-and-not-remotely-put-together stage. Have a great weekend! Make something beautiful!

Whirlygiggle

I needed a break from pink and brown. Didn't you? This block is inspired by Amanda Jean, although I know others have done one of these quilts too. I just saw it on her blog first. You can see her finished quilt here.

All the blocks are done now. The top is ready to be put together, but I'm thinking it might need some kind of border (perhaps smaller windmill blocks around the edge). Of course, that will lengthen the finish time, but we all know that's not a surprising thing for me. Some other great versions of this can be found on Simplify and Lovely Little Handmades. I just LOVE this block. Kind of want to make it more than once. Actually, since I messed up my cutting, I'm going to have to make it twice. If you do this quilt, make sure you cut all pieces with the right side up. Otherwise, you'll have some windmills going one way and some going another. Trust me.