Colleen's Tiger and Colleen's Giraffe are finished

I have a couple of small finishes to end the month. Each of these began with a panel that had belonged to my friend Colleen. I mostly used fabrics that Colleen had stored with each panel then used a little from my stash, and added backing.

Colleen's Tiger is a cute tiger panel with 3 added borders. It finished at 37" by 38". 

I used Glide 40-wt, #10877, Sterling thread to quilt this with a meander stitch. The blue/green border is made with HSTs.

The back is muted colors, a piece of fabric I purchased this past summer for my stash.

Colleen's Giraffe is a darling giraffe panel and finished at 41" by 42". I sewed 4 borders to the panel. The blue/green border is using the same fabric as the tiger quilt but I just used yardage instead of HSTs due to a limited amount.

I again used Glide 40-wt, #10877, Sterling thread to quilt this but quilted double loops.

This is backed with the same muted color fabric as the other.

Both of these quilts, Colleen's Tiger, and Colleen's Giraffe, will be donated in her memory.

When I think of the past, 
I smile because you are in it, 
my friend.

Some finishes finally!

I still have a pile to quilts to be quilted and some to be bound but I do have some finishes! 

It was fun to take pictures outside on this gorgeous fall day.

JGQR2A (J's Graduation Quilt Reject 2A) is made with short strips, about 18" each of various reds and grays. This donation quilt is 60" by 62".

I quilted this using Glide 40-wt, 10877 Sterling gray thread on the top and 11001 Black thread on the back.

I quilted very large loops.

The back is a space and constellation design.

JGQR1A (J's Graduation Quilt Reject 1A) is finally finished. JGQR1B was finished a while ago. I guess I don't always finish quilts in the order I begin them.

This donation quilt is 58" by 62". 

I quilted it with a very large meander - I just had to try some large motif quilting - and I used Glide 40-wt thread, 10877 Sterling gray.

The back is a light pearl gray that I bought to go with the original graduation quilt.

Candy Lane is made from a kit of 5 one-half yard cuts that I bought while we were traveling in August. I had no idea the quilt would be quite this bright but I think some little girl will like it.

This donation quilt is 47" by 51"

I quilted this using Glide 40-wt thread 10877 Sterling on the front and 24655 Light Tan on the back. 

The quilting is horizontal wavy lines about every 1.5 inches. I find this harder to do with the long arm than my domestic machine. I'm guessing more practice would make it easier!

The backing is orange Plaster of Paris by Frond Design Studios, one of my favorite designers.

Life keeps us quite busy here. Our 'local' grandsons have lots of sporting events going on - soccer, fall baseball, and hockey. Academic Bowl will soon be added to their agenda. We love seeing them play and compete but we don't make anywhere near all of their games. 

I still need to get some apples in the freezer and the dehydrator but there will be plenty of time after we return from a fall trip to Wisconsin and Minnesota to see family and fall colors.

I think we both may rest more but I guess that's just part of aging. At least we are both in pretty good health. 

I think I'll go spend a little more time in the sewing studio...

• You're never too old to have fun and enjoy life.

Busy, Busy

I haven't been slacking since we arrived home 2 1/2 weeks ago.  

I think I have taken care of all of our 'local' produce for the coming year except apples. That is much of the produce we'll eat at home in the coming year. The freezers are full and the dehydrator is temporarily put away. Whew!

We've been to some of our Illinois grandsons' sporting events, had a few appointments, and dealt with the everyday stuff - the worst being a refrigerator/freezer that wants to call it quits. We hope to know in a couple of days whether we need to buy a new one.

I have been sewing almost everyday - sometimes a few hours a day! And there is progress being made. 

I am hand sewing the binding on this quilt. I attach the binding by machine and hand stitch it to the back. (The binding doesn't show in the photo.)

This group of five needs the binding hand sewn.  I pieced the first quilt  since vacation and I finished piecing the second. I've quilted the first three since our return. I've made and attached bindings to all five this week.

I'm in no hurry to get the bindings finished since I have a retreat in November. There is no way that I can sit and sew for more than an hour without a considerable break so I'll take handwork along and get some bindings done. Of course, I can only finish  so many quilts while I'm there.

I have a quilt on the longarm that I pieced since returning. It's more brown than this looks - I just took all of these pictures in lamplight.

I have tops finished that need to be quilting. I've pieced the first three since our return.  

As I finish quilts I'll share better pictures without shadows. I'm pushing to get quilts finished so the piles of fabric around here disappear - I might have come home with a lot of yardage. Some of the quilts I'm making are in memory of my friend Colleen, using her fabrics. Yup, I need to get those piles of fabric used too. 

If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, 

you'll never get it done. 

~ Bruce Lee