Hooked on Quilting

Here are my fabrics for a new project that is a mystery quilt on a Facebook group to which I belong. If you are interested, you can join the group called " Just Us Quilters " and join in the fun.

Okay, so truth be told, I didn't do very well at finishing projects or blogging about them in 2017. If I blog every day about my 15 minutes of sewing, will that drive readers away? I did finish this quilt, so I can cross that off of my UFOs, right? I have gifted it, but I really wish I had a pic of the flying geese going up/down. Sigh. Now to made some shams...in 2017!! I did add a page for 2017 so I could list them, but I have so many years with so many unfinished quilts, it's embarrassing. BLUSH I did start Bonnie Hunter's En Provence and here's a sample of a somewhat finished block.  I also played around with Cheryl's Meadow Mist Mystery 2017  and I'm almost finished in time for tomorrow's next clue.  I think the piece on the bottom row in the middle might be the inside of the fabric or not??? I'll check.  All the other steps are finished, I hope.  I'm also going to try free motion quilting for the first time, so I a...

Oh my goodness, look out beautiful this looks....until you look at the underside.  I have to rip it all out!!! Remember, check your tension!!! I love my new machine, but my tension has never been right, so I'm blaming it on my new bobbin winder. The bobbin winder that came with the machine had no knob!!! I'm hoping it's the culprit because I've tried everything and nothing has worked. Sorry to be amiss for so long, but, again, life just gets in the way so much of the time. 

I will just say, "Sorry," and move on. Life really gets in the way A LOT for me. It's been a hot summer and the pool has been very inviting. Too hot to sew outside, so "swimming" it is!!! The tree over our pool has shed its leaves directly into the pool. They are still falling, it's a bunch of work to keep them gathered up and off the bottom. Since my husband is unable to tend to the outside work (or inside), I've taken on this task. I've only sucked up so many leaves one time and had to call the pool company to blow the lines. Got one of those leaf catchers, pronto!!!  Enough said, here's what I've been up to: I decided that I couldn't pass up the Sew Sampler subscription box from the Fat Quarter Shop. This was the pattern called Moonshine and they included the fabrics so I was able to whip this up pretty quickly.  I'm really happy with my points on this one. I've added the outer borders and will update the pic soon...

So, here's the quilt: It's pretty much directional, so do I quilt my motif (taken from the appliqued elements and quilt designed in AnS) in the outside border going all around or do I do the top/bottom the same as well as the sides or do I just quilt the motif around the quilt?  Better stated, do I treat it as a wall hanging and that I want to see the cars going across the quilt at both the top and the bottom? Or not? This is why I never get anything done.   Here's a pic of the motif (may be hard to see): I'm using the blue thread, just have to decide, help!!!!  I know, I know, it's my quilt, but I'd love some input. 

I'm struggling here.  I've never done anything black before (well, finished anything) and now it's loaded and ready to quilt. I'm going to mark the appliques and fill in the background with some sort of fill pattern. I now have a new machine AND Decision Paralysis. What do I do in the four-patches in between the applique?   I was going to use the truck, airplane, car from the pattern "On the Go" by Kariepatch Designs to make a quilting design for the black borders. Do I use black thread for just the borders or the white I plan to use in the center?  Help! Please comment if you've tried white thread on black and if it was something you'd do again. I'm so anxious to get started. It's basted and everything, just can't decide...

Here's my new HandiQuilter Infinity!!! It's ginormous.  I'm so excited and can't wait to do all my tops that have been hanging around.  I finally traded my old HQ16 in because I just couldn't sell it for what people wanted to pay for it. Nothing wrong with it and it had everything, just time to step up a bit. Loving it.  Here is the first quilt that I did on it last week. It's called "Snack Time" by Julie Herman. This is a close up of what I designed in Art and Stitch for the center hexagon. I did elongated loops in the triangles and fatter ones in the print hexagons. I also did the binding with the faux piping so it was all done by machine. It's the way to go, for sure. Even gifted already.