The garden is growing.....

I've got all the churn dash blocks done and most of the kaleidoscope blocks (except for the ones on the outer edges because I need to pick up some yardage of the print I want to use).
It's coming together!

I have most of them stitched together in rows - just need to finish the edge blocks so I can sew the rows together!

don't sew when tired........

I really should know not to sew when I'm tired - especially with a design/template I haven't done before.  I'm working on a kaleidoscope quilt - using the pattern ''English Garden'' from the ''Kaleidoscope The Smart Way'' with the ''Smart Plate'' template.  This quilt was my inspiration.  This pattern uses kaleidoscope blocks with alternating churn dash blocks.  You have to finish all the churn dash blocks before working on the kaleidoscope blocks so you know your layout..... anyhow, this is what happens when you don't pay attention:

 on the left: the wrong way!  On the right, correcto-mundo!  These are done from pinwheel blocks (4 HST blocks), but I think if I had to do it all over again, I'd make the pinwheel blocks from this method (only reverse), so the prints aren't on the bias.
The hubs is working today, and I have nothing to do but surf and SEW!  Hopefully I'll get all the blocks done for this today! ::crossing fingers::

t-shirt press

not long ago, I decided to get a t-shirt press.....  I have been making custom shirts and using a domestic iron just was hit-and-miss if they stayed ironed on.  I found a used press for a very reasonable price and it is awesome!  The t-shirt transfers are more 'melted' into the shirts and they definitely look professional now!

I found another use for the t-shirt press though - pressing quilt blocks!  It makes them SO flat and nice!  Here is a pic to show - on the left are pressed blocks and on the right are ironed blocks.

The press goes all the way up to 400*F (but I have it set at 375*F as that is what I do my shirts at).  Here is a block that is ironed and ready to be pressed:

and here it is right after being pressed for 10 seconds:

amazing difference huh?!!!  My press has a 9x12 surface, so I will be limited in the size of blocks I can press, but I think this will be nice when time comes to baste and quilt :)

fabric - it is an addiction......

I was picking up this fabric the other day - simply because it was on sale and I liked it.  Reason enough, right?  Well, my niece was working the cutting counter that day - and she mentioned how she liked that group of fabrics.  Hmm.  And she's getting married early next summer.  Double hmmm.    Me thinks I know a reason for this fabric now!  Tee hee :)

And, I am finally ready to cut the ''quilt kit'' I am making my mom for Christmas.  She has been admiring the quilt  'wrapped in red' from Piece N Quilt's pattern in American Patchwork and Quilting (we talked about the quilt several times when the magazine first came out) - but she mentioned to me that she didn't ''think she was up to cutting that much fabric anymore''.   So, I decided that my Christmas gift to her would be the pre-cut fabric for this quilt!

so, I gathered a bunch of red prints and a couple white prints, and hopefully this will get me all the pieces she needs to make the quilt.  I'll leave the border up to her though :)

My handsome young man.....

I can't believe my 'baby' is a senior!  Next year, I'll have two in college.  UGH.

today the senior pics were due for the annual.  We got these taken last night.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute, LOL.

stack and whack!

this one is coming along nicely....

I actually have the top fully assembled for this project - I will share a pic when it's fully quilted though :)  I think I'm going to do some straight line quilting on this one :)

97 hexagon flowers

My stack of hexagons has grown to 97 flowers.  If you have not seen I'm a Ginger Monkey's Hexy MF, you need to check it out.  This is very similar to how I hope to finish my hexagon quilt and hers is such an inspiration!
My stack of 97 flowers:

The flowers I've finished in the last week:

Love my Pezzy prints!  (and FMF!)

 Tonight is hubby's company Christmas party and it's freezing rain out!  The last 3 years in a row, it's snowed on us during the party - hopefully it will be snow this year too and not an ice storm!