Quilting hold

My quilting has been put on hold; it's been so long I decided to put away my machine. I can actually see most of my kitchen table!I think I will pick it up again in a month. I will have off between Christmas and New Years and I hope that entire time will not be spent purging my closets. If I don't do any quilting, I don't know what my family will get. Still unsure anyway. 

This is my current excitement. I finally got my ring:

This was made with my Grandma's earring and the wedding band will have diamonds from her wedding band.

(and I just added some pictures to my last post of my old wrinkly quilted blankets)

So much to do, so little time

(I started this 3 days ago with the intention to add pics. Maybe this weekend...)
I think the problem with that phrase is the "to do" part. So often in life we put way too much on our plates. Sometimes it's necessary, and other times, we just think it is. Work is unfortunately one of the necessary, and most time consuming, "to dos." And with all I need to be doing here (besides typing my thoughts), it can be overwhelming. It's good everything now and then to get my mind away - and clear. 

Yesterday I took a sick day. I was just tired from a long weekend. And I hadn't done any chores, so I got a bunch of that done.  I can actually see my kitchen table now. The fabric and drawings and patterns are all in a nice neat pile. That was the extent of anything quilt related I have done. (I tried on wedding dresses for 8 hours Saturday and went engagement/wedding ring shopping Sunday.) 

However, yesterday I also pulled out a bag of baby blankets of mine. They had meaning to me, and so I have kept them, stored nicely in a zippered blanket bag. When I looked at them yesterday, I am so thankful I have treated them so well. Since I have started quilting, I have learned that quilts are quite a variety of blankets, and I have come to appreciate them so much more than I would have had I never put the time and labor into my own. 

Some quilts are simple, with just one piece in front and one piece in back. (This was my favorite as a child.)

 Others contain applique that makes a cute design or picture. (I always thought of this one more as a decoration than a blanket as it was kind of stiff.)

Others have the classical piecing. (This was made for me by my great aunt as a doll blanket.)

and one more...

Red work. This quilt was given me by my great aunt, for ___ in ___. Although I haven't always had a place to hang it, this has always been a favorite.
(I don't know where this is, and I'm about to look for it now.)

Le Petite Back

Not wanting to lose momentum and actually finish my quilt, I laid the pieces out for the back. It's my first back to be pieced. And some appliqué - so I can fit the whole alphabet on there. It will reversible I suppose.  (I'm going to trim the red off the individual letters)

Just a quick iphone pic:

Updated photos: (this came together quick)

Schnibbles Paganini

It was close, down to the wire. I'm not talking about the football game, although I hear that was the case. No, I am talking about completing my quilt top for the Le Petite Projects.

When I entered the group, I was working full-time and had plenty of free-time to quilt. Which often meant it would run into my free time for cleaning and exercising. But at the beginning of the month, just when I would be getting started with my first project, my life changed. I got engaged! So I have been spending much of my free time wedding planning. It's more exciting than quilting, but just as time-consuming. So I have been doing little bits of my Le Petite quilt here and there. I was determined however, to finish the quilt top in time for the parade. And with 20 minutes of October left to spare, I did it.

 Here it is:

This quilt was a learning experience. There were a lot of edges that didn't line up from my angles. But I just ignored that and lined up from the middles. So I am not sure how smooth my finished quilt is, and I didn't iron all the angles the way it instructed, but that's okay. It's done and I am happy with it. I think it will make a very cute play mat. When I get the back done, it is going to have the alphabet panel on it. Hooray, big step done, and it's fun and worth the work.

On a continuing note, I have the supplies for one other quilt that I would like to gift a supportive co-worker, but then it is just quilting for Christmas presents and creating wedding decorations. (It's so tempting to make a quilt for that.)

Draped over my dining room table/quilting room sewing table/storage room: