UFO top done, and I love it!

I finished sewing the last outer border on this sweet UFO top today. I just love the pastel colors of it, it reminds me of Easter and Spring. The little four-patches started as leftovers from another project and they languished on my UFO pile for over a year. I've been inspired by some of my favorite bloggers to get stuff finished up and outta here!
I did make a measurement error when I was trying to do the pieced border of hourglass units. My husband suggested the spacers that are in the middle of each of those borders. Not exactly what I wanted, but I already had all those units made up and didn't want partials in that border. And really, I don't think they are too noticeable. (Except that I just pointed them out to you!)

Triangles and I have some work to do with each other still. They are not my best skill.

Look, Look! I'm so excited!

This is the pieced border that I made for this cute little top. I love it! Now, I'm going to add a final simple strip border along the edge. But what color should I use? It will be a print, as I do not have a lot of solids in my stash. (I am also strictly 'nothing new' in the fabric department, until after we move.) I'm thinking purple......

I love the soft colors of this top and the scrappy-ness! I just love a scrappy quilt.

OK, I'll post when I get the last border attached. Then, off it will go to my quilter!!! I think I have a person in mind for this one, too. I met her recently here in Valdosta; she is a displaced Texan just like me and expecting a baby girl soon.

Little UFO top

This top started out as leftovers. I am really enjoying putting it together and watching it grow.

Here is a sneak peek of the pretty fabric I chose for the setting triangles. I love it because it is colorful but not overpowering or too busy. Normally I would have gone for a solid or tone-on-tone for these triangles, but this one worked out really well. I'm trying to use up some stash before our big move and I don't want to have to send my fabric to storage. It's been a lot of fun to really dig into my piles and see what is in there!

Getting ready for a move

This is seriously no fun at all. I don't know why we have all this STUFF! And I am a chronic anti-packrat. It drives my DH crazy. I had to make him a promise that I wouldn't get rid of anything else that was his. :)

Here's a picture of my living room today. We are trying to get most of the stuff for this shipment in one location, since we aren't sending everything at once. This is about half the weight of what we are sending. Trying to pack up part of your life and plan on what you will need for an unknown amount of time is a big tiring on the mind.

The kids are being surprisingly good about this whole thing. The idea of being parted from toys for up to six months doesn't seem to bother them that much and I am impressed! I haven't had to bribe or cajole or threaten or anything.

We got quite a lot sorted and taken care of today! And with that I am off to work on my UFO pile! That little pink, purple and green UFO top is coming along nicely! I am having fun with the borders and will post more on it soon!

Have a great Saturday!

Is that a UFO?!

Time to dig out the UFO's from my sewing room and get back to work on them! I finished this simple and scrappy top this week and am working on another similar one. The squares were leftover from another project, so I made them into four-patches, added some sashings and viola, two cute tops.

Here's the first top:

My original layout was too simple and I started to really not like the plain, pink squares. So, I added some machine appliqued circles. They came out slightly puckered and I'm wondering if that is because the pink fabric is so thin?
I'm starting to put the second top together this morning and have decided to go with an on-point setting. Using the measurements on Bonnie Hunter's webpage, I am going to cut some side and corner triangles. Here's a link to the chart Bonnie so generously provided! http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/on-point-quilts.html

Now, which fabric to use for the setting triangles? And, with this layout, I'll need to make one more block to finish off that bottom corner. I tried for a wonky frame on these and learned something. You have to flip some of the blocks over and cut them from the back side, or else all of them turn out to be 'leaning' the same way when you slice up the sashings/frames.

I've recently discovered that I work best and am much happier when I am working on more than one project at a time. I get bored quickly with large on-going projects and will get up to stretch and just wander off and not return! So, I started keeping another piecing project on-hand to use as a leader/ender. In between the UFO's pieces, I am piecing on the latest mystery from Bonnie Hunter, Orca Bay. Such a beautiful quilt in the end, but boy-oh-boy, are there a lot of pieces! Not sure I am even half way done with Orca Bay. I tried to keep up with the cutting as Bonnie posted the steps during New Year's, with some piecing in between. My favorite part of this mystery was definitely the string blocks. I'll make a separate post about that quilt later. I'll leave you with a quick pic of my UFO in the machine and some tiny Orca Bay subunits ready to go in next.