Unveiling - Hawaiian Star, Finished at Last

My Hawaiian Star quilt is finished - and won a Blue Ribbon in the Coos County Fair. It was very enjoyable to make and is one of the most beautiful quilts I have made. I really enjoyed, and agonized, over the process of machine quilting it. I knew exactly how I wanted to do the border, but the rest I made up as I went. I was thrilled to see that the judge at the fair remarked that the quilting was well thought out, and well executed. I have entered it into the Coos Sand and Sea Show, and am really hoping it does well there as well. I must admit, I am competitive and I really enjoy those blue ribbons (not to mention the awesome goodie bags you get for a blue ribbon at the show!).

Today I put the borders on a commission quilt. Then I relaxed and rested. That's something I haven't had too often lately, I have been pushing myself a little too hard and I know I can't keep up this pace for too long. It's hard to just do nothing, there is always so much that needs to be done and so much pressure to push on to the next thing that I hardly ever take time just to relax and breath. But it is necessary, not only for mental health, but for my physical well being. It's hard to accept the fact that I can't push myself until I drop and then do it again tomorrow, but I really can't live like that anymore. Plus that, my husband likes to see me a little more, instead of getting lost in my projects.





The projects I've been working on are some home improvements. I have painted my upstairs bathroom, which was a 6 hour project. I did my living room ceiling, which took 8 hours. It's a 12 foot ceiling, and I discovered my comfort zone on the ladder is the third step. I really don't like getting up on the fourth step at all! And I spent an entire day scraping and scrubbing wallpaper off one wall and painting it. Two walls and the stairwell left to do, but I plan on doing one wall a week and not pushing myself to get it all done in a hurry. This weekend I spent doing all the sewing projects I put off for the rest of the week, including the task of making a slipcover for a wing chair. At least it's done now and it will be delivered tomorrow and out of my hair!





Of course I have so many other things I want to work on, but I plan on taking time to rest and think every day, who knows I may take up my morning pages again! Maybe I'll even take time to update my blog more often - heaven knows it wouldn't hurt to do that once in a while.

Summer Quilting Blahs

Yes, I am still plugging away at the Hawaiian Star - and will have the finished pictures up in my next post. I've been off on a vacation and intend to do some writing about that also, but right now don't really feel like going on and on about that. I guess I've just got the post-vacation, post quilt finishing blues!

I am excited about some things coming up, I got a commisioned quilt to work on last week - all nice batiks, so that will be fun. I also have a slip-cover project to do with green and white toille, which I'm sure will be beautiful, but I'm not so enthusiastic about that for some reason. I guess because I have to go pick up the chair which is rather a pain in the rear. I also have a really interesting project with old fabrics and making them into a quilted cover for a duvet and a chair. I think it will be interesting to work on, but I have to work up a proposal for that, which I am currently procrastinating about also! What am I going to do with myself? I just have to get my rear in gear and get to it, I guess.

Stay tuned, I promise the Hawaiin Star pictures will be up by the end of the week and I will have more quilting and vacation news - some really great stuff from my trip, and some entertaining stories! As usual nothing ever goes perfectly, so there is always something to talk about.

Here's to a better day tomorrow!

More Catching Up

I finally finished these pillows for Ann. She has been waiting for them for quite a while now, so she will really be glad to have them. She wanted them extra firm, so I covered the pillow forms with a layer of batting, and made the pillows an inch smaller than the forms. I made a ruffled cording for the edges, and really like the results.

I have a t-shirt quilt to work on next. I have all the t-shirts cut, just need to finish the fusing, then I can do the sewing. I'm sure it won't take me all that long once I get to it.

Meanwhile I have finished piecing the outer arcs for the squares and hope to do the curved piecing tomorrow to comeplete the corner squares. Then it's border time! I have to get some backing for it - there was a pretty greenish blue on sale at the shop that would work nicely I think, but I better get it quick before it's gone!

I've also started paper piecing blocks for the smaller version of Memories of the Titanic. I've taken the comments that the judge gave for it and have adjusted my design to reflect them. I don't want to make another full sized quilt, so I am making a smaller version (about 40"). I may make a miniature version eventually, just for the challenge of it, (can you tell that I am obsessive?). I have more projects than I will ever finish in my lifetime, but I am having a ball trying!