It's Never Too Late!

Today I finished the Star Light Star Bright quilt top! WooHoo! 

Melissa at Happy Quilting designed the pattern. You can find the pattern and her clear and excellent instructions here.
















She designed the quilt/quilt block to make various sizes varying the sizes of the blocks and the number of blocks per row and columns. I chose the 24" block - 3 x 3.

She also charted the fabric needed for each layout as well as several color combinations.

While following the weekly quilt - a long, a total of ten weeks I was motivated each week to keep up with her. Some of the weekly assignments took longer than others.  But then life happened about the 8th week and here it is approximately 3 months later the quilt top is now getting finished.

I am really pleased with how the square points meet block to block. I had to pencil in lines on the sashing so the seams would line up. As always I had to learn the hard way. I had sewn two blocks together and the points didn't even come close to being aligned.

Bloom Project Link Up for July and August - go here.

 

We have a Star Quilter Among Us!!! - Kevin the Quilter

Check out his video presentation! He led a huge and successful Quilt of Valor campaign with the help of many of the blogosphere quilters! He was interviewed by Fox News! Click on the logo or the name above to see the videos showing the Quilt of Valor presentation! Please join me in applauding his great efforts!







Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict is raffling 3 of her quilts as a fundraiser to help her daughter and son-in-law raise funds to adopt a deaf Chinese little boy. Want to know more the quilts and raffle go here. Read about Chris's and Nancy's story here. Here is a blurb from their story: "A few months ago we realized we were ready to think about having another child. We decided that now was the time to adopt. And because of our experience with Emmalyn, our hearts were open to a child with special needs. I began checking listings of children in China that were considered to be “special focus.” This means that they are considered to be difficult to place because of their special need or their age. One night I stumbled across a photo of a gorgeous little boy who was listed as deaf. I requested to review his file and within a couple of days (full of prayer!) we knew he was our son!"

I am linking up with:  

Freemotion by the River  
Quilt Story
Let's Sew Fresh Quilts
My Quilt Infatuation

Thank  you for visiting and wishing you a great sewing or quilting day!

Star Light Star Bright Progress and Quilts at Historic Brattonsville

In this photo are 9 - 24 inch blocks completed! The blocks are so large that I had to stand on a stool to arrange them on my makeshift design board, flannel tacked on the wall. Finally, I called my husband for assistance since he is a rather tall guy to help me shift the blocks around so that the brighter fabrics were evenly distributed.

I thought I had this accomplished by focusing on the center star. Once the outer square was added that shape took the focal point causing a need for redistribution of the blocks. 


I will be adding sashing around the blocks. Some who participated in the quilt-a-long chose not to. As you can see in my photo many other designs can be seen when putting the blocks together.  Since I chose Scrumptious the fabric prints are different in size and color intensity varies. I believe accentuating each block will work better with my quilt. I have the first row sashed. I will wait to finish the quilt top to reveal. I am getting excited about it!

Last weekend Mike and I decided to visit historic Brattonsville to take in the activities of the day. They were celebrating Huck's Defeat by reenacting the 1780 Revolutionary War battle that occurred close to Colonel William Bratton's homestead. If you are a history buff you can read more about the plantation home, the Bratton family and the historical facts here.


I will share a couple of antique quilts that I saw while touring the plantation homestead.



The Double Irish Chain quilt is on the master bedroom bed. Don't you love how the chain changes from green to melon color?

Isn't this applique quilt sweet? The spiral like design is delicate and perfect for a little girl's room.

There was one other quilt that I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of it. The Bratton family were several generations of physicians. In the room that displayed the medical tools, bags and etc. was a log cabin quilt displayed on a worn and rickety wicker wheel chair. The logs were rather thin with the typical red centers. I kept thinking that the women of the home were being quite conservative and frugal not to waste any available fabric. Yet at the same time the window treatments in the parlors and master bedroom were made of chintz, elaborate in design with swags, trims and floor to ceiling drapery that must have been purchased overseas.

Overall it was a good day for Mike and I. It was so nice to do something different.


Thank you for visiting and wishing you a great sewing or quilting day!

Getting in the Swing

I can't believe it has been so long since my last post! I really didn't have anything to write about since I haven't done much in the line of sewing or quilting for several months now. Last evening I completed a second large block out of 9 of Star Light Star Bright, a quilt-a-long with Happy Quilting. Now if I can only stay on task with at least finishing up this quilt I will be happy.

It appears as though we will have another year of me assisting with administration of a governmental grant that benefits pregnancy centers in North Carolina. Hopefully, now that the groundwork has been laid it will not be as time consuming and will allow me time to have a more balanced life this upcoming year - which means more time to quilt, sew and blog.

Also, I am in recovery having injured my right rotator cuff having stubbed my toe and running into a door frame. The thing that aggravates it most is moving a mouse around and being on the computer - of course the thing that impacts my livelihood. I can feel some ache while sewing but not as much as pushing that mouse around. I am still waiting for the cortisone injection to kick in and alleviate all of the pain. It has reduced but still needs ice packs, muscle strengthening exercises and taking anti-inflammatory medication.

Other than that life is good and I am looking forward to reconnecting with all my online quilting friends.

We have a cardinal's nest in our Crape Myrtle tree that is up against the house where the nest is visible in our second story window where we can daily watch. So much fun! The momma cardinal notices us and just looks at us with interest. We must not be too scary to look at. She has 2 in the nest.  The dad helps with feeding and works very hard at distracting to defend the nest. So cute to watch. There was a moment when the proud father was standing on the edge of the nest checking out his brood. Lately, I have noticed a parallel having read and personally experience men sharing their food with their wives and children. Now I see it in nature with the male cardinal who naturally participates in the feeding of the female cardinal and peeps. Did you know that the female cardinal chooses her mate by allowing the male to feed her. Once she determines that he is going to assist with feeding she then knows she can rely on the male to assist her in feeding their babies?

So how are you doing with your UFOs and NewFos. 

Hopefully, much better than I am doing?

Thank you for visiting and wishing you a great sewing or quilting day!