Retreat Update and UFO Update

I had a great time last weekend at the QuiltChicks quilt retreat in Oshkosh WI.   Did not enjoy the drive up there Thursday night in horrendous Thunderstorms, but that's another story.   Had a wonderful time with friends and was able to spend 2 full days working on UFO's and a new project or two.....  =)

I finished up the buttonhole stitching on 4 more pumpkin blocks.   Still need to do the embroidered vines on 3 of the blocks, but am going to wait till I have all of the blocks completed and then will do all of the vines at one time.  Need to get the top panel for the quilt redrawn with the design that I have in mind for it so that I can start to work on it once the last 4 monthly blocks are done.   Feels good to be making progress in getting this UFO done (well at least to the completed top stage).


Also finished up the top that i had started from leftovers from a long ago quilt.   The center panel came from a strip that had been trimmed off of a quilt back from a long ago quilt.   I added 4 borders to finish off the quilt top.   The colors in the picture do not do justice to the bright colors in the actual fabrics.  I floated the center panel in black, then added a bright lime green, red-org batik, and bright turquoise blue.

The final top that I managed to get together was one that I made with a "UFO" kit of fabrics that went together.   The pieces of fabric sticking up in the middle are there to remind me where I need to add some appliques.   More applique will be scattered across the top as well.   I still need to add a final border as well (5" final width), and there will be vanishing flying geese in it.   Need to draw up the patterns for it so I can pp the geese.

The last project that I worked on at the retreat was the BOM (from my patterns) that I had started with the fabrics I bought as remnants.   I like how the blocks have turned out, and have all 12 completed.  I plan to set them together with sashing and cornerstones.   Am still debating about what how I want to make the final border for the quilt.   I'd like to use up the remaining bits and pieces of the fabrics that I've used in the first border.   The final border will be a solid one using the floral print that started the whole thing.

The picture to the left does not do justice to the colors of the fabrics, but at the moment it's the only one I've got of them.   Will post another one when I get the blocks put together.

I'm currently working on adding muslin to the 3" blocks that I'll be using as the next border on the pink teddy bear quilt.    I plan to make the blocks 'wonky' in their layout when I trim up the blocks.   These are wonky to begin with as a result I think it'll be a lot more fun if they twist and turn along the sides of the quilt.  

The blocks shown in the pic to the right are ones that I made from cut pieces that someone gave me a couple of yrs ago.   Lots of sewing went into them because they were all individual squares.   I've got them laid out how I plan to sew them together.   Still to be done - figure out what color to use for the setting triangles on the 16-patch blocks (thinking about muslin or a COC), and figure out what to make the center star of the quilt (the open area at the center of the blocks).   Am thinking maybe rose or a dark green for the center star, but haven't pulled anything yet to see how it looks.

Gratitudes:
1. For safety in driving in the torrential storms last Thursday night.
2. For the jobs that God has provided for me.