Miles to go before I sleep

...but at least I have a pillow!

Only until June 30, though - then this guy goes to his new home with my scrap swap buddy from OKCMQG.

And, since I notice there's a WIP Wednesday post up today, a quick countdown of my other projects:

Started - Alien Invasion
This weekend I broke into my Jelly roll and decided on a color scheme. I also sewed the strips together accordingly, but then I ran out of appropriately-colored thread. Oops! Seriously this is what I had left:

So needless to say, progress will resume once I make it to my local quilt shop.

No Progress:

Piecing
-Christmas Traditions

Quilting
-Trick or Treat

Binding
-Eclectic Garden

Repair/Troubleshooting
-Ready, Set, Snow

And, for proper linkage:

An Embarassment of Projects

With Star Wars complete, I actually have room to put another project on my plate! This is very exciting because it has been... a while since I actually got to play with new fabric. And like any good quilter, I have not been caught out without a healthy backlog, both of projects and of quilt recipients.  Here's the current list:

Alien Invasion

The Fabric: Alien Invasion by Amy Bradley

The Pattern: Turning Tables from Moda Bake Shop

HTML Tables

The only bad part about Alien Invasion is, when I finish I don't get to keep it! This one is tentatively intended for my first-ever nephew, who is due in August. I am completely in love with the backing fabric, and have been hoarding the Jelly Roll "for a boy quilt" for a while. I am anxious to play with separating  it into complementary color groups, and to see how if it's as cute in actuality as it is in my head.

Me & My Sister Dragonfly

The Fabric: Favorites and Amelia Charm Packs by Me & My Sister Designs

The Pattern: Dragonfly Hop by Carlene Westberg Designs

HTML Tables

So technically, Dragonfly was the "if my SIL turns out to be carrying a girl" option, but lo and behold 1) she is having a boy and 2) *I* am having a girl. Yes, that's right! Baby RLQ is in fact a little girl, at least according to our ultrasound technician. And of course, since Me & My Sister designs is one of my favorite lines (plus the pattern is really cute), it wasn't exactly hard to transfer my affections over. Baby RLQ isn't due until October, so this is less pressing, but I'm still eager to start working with this fabric!

Dino Train 9-patch pizzaz

The Fabric: All Aboard the Dino Train & various fat quarters

The Pattern: 9-Patch Pizzaz By Julie Sineros (book)

HTML Tables

Ok, so finding out I was pregnant MAY have lowered my impulse control a tad. I'd been looking at the Dino Train fabric for a while, and realizing that I might need a SECOND boy-quilt in short order sent me over the edge.  Fortunately my mom had a good pattern suggestion, and I've got a book on loan from her that I plan on using. I'm not sure who this will go to yet, but fate hasn't let me down yet when it comes to kids who deserve quilts. And who knows?  Where I come from girls can have dinosaur quilts too!

Christmas Traditions Paper Piece and Applique

The Fabric: Christmas Traditions by Quilting Treasures

The Pattern: Cover pattern from from Best Quilts for Christmas Magazine

I backburnered this project for Star Wars and Froggin', but I'd like to get back to it eventually: I dream of cuddling under this next Christmas.  So the baby quilts have priority right now, but then it is ON with this one. Wish me luck!

One more thing...

With the completion of Star Wars, I am *almost* back on track. But still, one thing remains; A swap pillow I committed to back in March for my local Modern Quilter's Guild.

I got the main block done before pregnancy sickness hit me too hard, but then the exhaustion amped up, and baby S entered the world without a quilt, so... to the backburner it went. Honestly, I hate to admit it's been so far off the radar, I haven't even remembered to include it in my WIP posts for the past couple of months. Here's where it is now:

Backed, bordered, and ready to quilt. The guild is having a sew day on June 30, and I am hoping to have it ready to hand over then

WIP Wednesday #12: Finally a Jedi!

Where does the time go? The world may never know...

Finished! - Sweet Star Wars
Finally. A completed quilt it is! Now I just have to show it off (you don't think I'd miss that step, do you?) and then get up the nerve to entrust the most laborious 80+ hours of my life to the US post office. Which could take a while. As a reminder, here's the front from 2 weeks ago (Click to enlarge):

On the back I added a pocket for hanging the quilt, and a label calling out the new owner. This label is FMQed rather than hand-stitched (and stay tuned for a tutorial in how I did it), but I am pretty happy with the results.

FMQ Planning - Trick or Treat
I am up to ten stencils now, and any second I will get brave enough to actually get to the laying out, tracing, and FMQing. Right now I have 20 spaces that need a feature design, but 12 ideas FOR a feature design, so the question is, double up or come up with 8 more? Doubling up is the less labor-intensive solution, but there are still some designs I think are cute that I want to include.

Binding - Eclectic Garden
Not a lot of progress on this one, but I got it out of the moth balls and started hand-stitching the binding again. I want to get it out of the assembly line before Trick or Treat goes in!


No Progress:

Piecing
-Christmas Traditions

Repair/Troubleshooting
-Ready, Set, Snow

And, for proper linkage:

WIP Wednesday #11: Star Wars Bound

I'm still a preggo who goes to bed 2 hours before she used to, but I am pleased to find that during waking hours, I am progressively able to be more and more active. Here's what I've been up to the past 2 weeks.


Bound! - Sweet Star Wars
Just one more step! Fortunately, Star Wars is pretty small (38 x 42 at last estimate) so after a marathon basting session while my husband was out of town, I was able to do a quick meander and get this quilted in about 2 sittings.

I tried my mother's trick of machine-sewing the binding on the back first, and then wrapping around and machine stitching the front. I have to admit, I was not terribly pleased with the results of this, because then all my mistakes were ON the front where usually I can hide them. But, live and learn. I may yet make an overlay for the corners to see if that helps any.

But while usually this would be the final step for making a quilt, in this case I have 2 more:
1) I need to attach a pocket for a rod on the back, for the wall-hanging option.
2) I want to hand-stitch "May the force be with you, Young [Baby S]" in the lower right hand corner.

No, I haven't actually hand-stitched lettering on anything before, ever, but I feel this particular opportunity is too good to miss.

FMQ Planning - Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat is basted and I am very excited to start the FMQ part, but first I need to make a couple of stencils: the current plan is to try to take elements from the featured fabric (shown in orange in the picture) and place them in each of the squares.

I think I'll probably spend longer making stencils than quilting, but hopefully the results will make the prep worth it.


No Progress:

Piecing
-Christmas Traditions

Binding
-Eclectic Garden

Repair/Troubleshooting
-Ready, Set, Snow

And, for proper linkage:

Star Wars: Character Details

Here are my completed Star Wars Characters, in much better detail. Everyone was assembled Fusible applique with Free-Motion Quilting for the details, and based on/inspired by artwork from Jeff Victor of Wicked Crispy. As always, click on the photos to enlarge.

Chewbacca

Jabba Fett

Jabba's Twi-lek Lieutenant

Luke in his X-wing Flightsuit

Han Solo

Princess Leia, with a few strings I missed :-)

WIP Wednesday #10: Big News, and SO Behind

The big news!
I am pregnant! Baby RLQ is 18 weeks along and Due October 9, putting me solidly in the second trimester. Mr. RLQ and I couldn't be happier about this development, but pregnancy has definitely managed to take a big bite out of my quilting time.

My morning sickness hasn't been too bad, but I find am very, VERY exhausted, all the time. We're talking waking up tired after 12 hours sleep, and needing a three-hour nap after strenuous activities like "doing the dishes" or "going crib-shopping for an hour." I've gotten a *little* better about such things in the past month, but it's looking like "crazy tired" is probably going to be my companion  for the long haul.

That said, I did get my quilt on this weekend a little bit, for the first time in almost 2 months. Here's where I got: And yes, I needed a nap afterwards, but it was worth it.

(Ever) In Progress - Sweet Star Wars
Baby S, my friend's baby and the eventual recipient of this quilt, is almost two months old now. 1) My, how they grow and 2) Ooops!

Anyways, here's what the quilt looks like this week (click to enlarge):

To get to here I FMQed little noses and mouths onto the human characters + Twi-lek, tacked um, not-Boba Fett's gun blasts down with a little orange stitching, and started work on the sashing. My goal was to complete the assembly on Sunday, but I'll take what I can get.



No Progress:

Piecing
-Christmas Traditions
-Trick or Treat

Binding
-Eclectic Garden

Repair/Troubleshooting
-Ready, Set, Snow


And, for proper linkage: