I lost a lot of sleep over this one

I finished this carpenter star just in the nick of time.  It was really easy and fun to piece - just half square triangles.  The quilting probably would have been enjoyable had I allowed more time to do it.  I hope I never do that to myself again...  creating ridiculous deadlines when I am most busy - the first week of school!  Anyway, I truly like this quilt, and I do like the way I quilted it, too.  I wish I could say it is all original, but I copied most of the quilting motifs (except for the swagged border) from my online forum friends at MQR. 

Stress Free-motion Quilting

Finally, something really relaxing! Aren't these cute feathers?

I made my goal, but what a crazy way to get some UFOs off my to-do list!!!  I finished all three of the quilts that I intended to show at my local quilt guild's show this weekend - just in the nick of time.  Literally, I stayed up three nights in a row to almost midnight, then woke up at 5:00 a.m. to go to work (not to mention the first week of school at a new job/school -- yes, I am crazy).  Thursday night I fell asleep sitting upright with a needle in my hand stitching the binding on quilt number three.  I set the alarm for 4:00 a.m. and Friday morning I stitched like a madwoman until 5:45 and FINISHED it!!  We had to be out of the house by 6:15 a.m. for Dean's knee surgery. 

So, short story long, I loaded another carpenter star for a customer/friend and am having fun doing mindless whimsical feathers - no SID, no rulers (at least not so far), and very few thread burying episodes.

I'll have pictures of the third quilt posted soon.  

Star Quilt Done... It doesn't look too bad either...

I have had this on the frame for a lonnnnnngggg time. 

 I attempted curved cross hatching for the very first time.

 It is very difficult to photograph black fabric. 

 I had lots of stand and stare moments, I asked my friends on MQR for their opinions, I even asked my husband his thoughts.  All in all, I think I like the way it looks - particulary the back.  Hey, my husband even gave one of his biggest compliments... "wow, that's cool."   I used at least five thread colors, and I believe that I can now consider myself experienced at burying threads! 

Now just some binding by hand and a sleeve for the local quilt show.  I may hang this quilt in our living room for awhile.  I have always loved black quilts.

How to determine if your quilt is loaded squarely... the wrong way

This is what I have been working on for a very long time.  Four thread colors, lots of indecision, lots of learning (I have never done curved cross hatch), lots of ruler work, bright contrasting thread on black fabric.  So I get this crazy idea to attach the clamps (that I bought a year ago and have been too chicken to try) so that I can create some straight lines edge to edge in the outside sashing.  I was thrilled as I was going along until I got to the last third.  As you can see, I learned that my quilt was not square.  At least it was not loaded squarely.  Ugh!   More lessons learned.  

Deadlines...16 days left

I submitted three entries to my local quilt guild's quilt show. There will be over 220 quilts entered. I have one 99 percent done, one 80 percent done, and the final one has been pieced. I do have a quilting plan for it as well.

I have just returned from a vacation in Wisconsin visiting family and friends, and am officially back at work after my seven week summer vacation. It went by so fast. I think I spent at least two of those weeks quilting my wholecloth!

Pictures coming soon.