Beautiful finish

It took me several days to get through this beautiful extra large queen quilt my friend gave me to quilt.  The colors are just so stunning ... I showed you a peek last week.  Eighteen bobbins later ...

I always love reaching the end of a quilt, and this one I was especially happy to be done with!  I love quilting lovelies, but I have to admit that having works of art in my home make me a little nervous.  I have 3 dogs ... They aren't allowed near the quilts, but still ... I'm afraid I'll drip something on one or an act of God will occur, or something!

This list has many pictures because I had to show you close up how many adorable fabrics were in this quilt. My favorite was this navy with white flowers.

And look at this adorable small blue flowered print.

How about the same fabric in grey flower print?

How about a geometric to balance out the flowers?

The geometry of it all is so amazing ... Needed to be softened by my signature swirl ... Remember my friend likes a really tight design.

Very hard to get all in one picture!

That navy!!!  I used Omni Superior thread in the color natural white ... Not as bright as their white ... A perfect match and between the bobbins and the top ... I used 3/4 of a cone!

The next time I whine about my hard work, and sometimes how tedious it can be ... Don't feel too sorry for me!  I get to work out of my home, surrounded by my stuff and my furry friends, and I have the pleasure of making my own hours.  Don't you feel sorry for me?!

Stash Report - Week 21

Just a little sewing this week ... I've been at the longarm instead.  I have been working on a little project which I will share later.

Used this Week: 1/2 yard

Used year to Date: 74 1/8 yards

Added this Week:  0 yards

Added Year to Date: 32 1/3 yards

Net Used for 2015: 42 1/4 yards

Although my May stash sample is at the store and ready for my class, it is going to be at least double the size.  I have lots of fabric (obviously!). I am going to bust some more blocks out this week!!

A Little Peek

I started off with nine bobbins ... No way this will be enough, but it is as many empty bobbins as I had.

Isn't it stunning?  I am quilting a large queen size for my friend .. She was over today and saw it so I can show a sneak peek ...

She likes small and tight quilting.  I have about 5 1/2 hours in and haven't even finished my third row!  The dense quilting looks great, but is very time consuming ... I think the young couple that are receiving this are just going to be overwhelmed!!  By the way, I need more bobbins and I'm not finished yet with row 3!  You know where to find me!  Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, and please take some time to remember those who have lost their lives so we can remain free.

Happy Wednesday!

Just thinking of you all ... Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday.  I am in my quilting room today where all the magic happens!  And this is what I had a good laugh over ...

How many shades of white/cream/beige can you have??!!  Haha ... Most of these are my longarm threads, but the one with the blue center is what I am currently piecing with.  So you see it is everywhere!!

Here's a fun question ... What thread color is on your machine?  Send me a comment and I'll do a quick spread and post it next week!

Exercise - Getting It In

What do you do when you sit on your butt all day?  Your Fitbit says 1,700 steps at 5 pm?  Yikes!!!  You talk yourself into jumping on your treadmill at 10:00 p.m.!  Haha

Walk with the dogs earlier in the evening ... It all counts!!

Yesterday I did an upper body work out and abs ... And a jaunty walk with the dogs!!  Are you moving??

Stash Report - Week 20

I have been sewing on my May class sample all week and not feeling like I'm getting very far!

Used this Week: 2 3/4 yards

Used year to Date: 73 5/8 yards

Added this Week:  0 yards

Added Year to Date: 32 1/3 yards

Net Used for 2015: 41 1/3 yards

My week in review on Instagram ... Come follow me ... @quiltingunderthesun. I just love posting quick snapshots with a sentence underneath.  I fought it for a long time, but I find it very inspiring!  I also do some scrapbooking, so you'll see those pictures too!

Done!

Dropping it off tomorrow at the Country Loft ... Quilt will be 5 blocks across by 6 down, but I really need to get my sample in ... So this is it!!

You will not believe how fast this is to make!  I used charm packs ... It is wonky, so no marking ... Just sew and go!  You will love it!!  Happy almost Memorial Day!!!

May Stash Class

Coming to the Country Loft on May 29 ... Crazy stars ... Feeling the red white and blue!!  No time to chat ... Trying to finish!  Bring all your random charm pack squares.

And as a treat ... Look what I found on my camera roll ... This adorable picture from when Kylee was 3 mos!  Love that grin ... She's up to something!  Miss that little love! ❤️❤️

Happy Quilting

Trying to jam on some quilting I needed to do ... It makes me happy when I am productive!  Speaking of happy ... Look at what I got the pleasure of quilting this week.

My friend that is a prolific quilter has done another baby quilt with this adorable pattern ... I think this is quilt 3, but only the second one I have quilted.  She had made a bazillion baby quilts -- no lie!  

Can't remember the name of this line of fabric, but each color and print I came to was my favorite.  I could have quilted it all day long!!  And to make it even more yummy ... Minky on the back ... Serious in love with that for a backing!!

She is a speedy sewer and loves to tease me with her non-traditional way of sewing her borders on.  Her slap dash method makes the quilt teacher in me crazy, however I can't argue with her product as she produces a beautiful, flat quilt!  Borders included ... Nice and square.  

It is a pleasure to quilt for her!  She likes tight, small quilting, and so I did my signature swirl.  Using my favorite Superior Omni thread in the lovely color of Natural White.

The light was a little bright, so I used a different filter from my Instagram feed ... Check it out ...

Another week

Well did not do so well on the exercise again last week ... 2 days ... Apparently this is something to work on, yes?  Yes!!

For Mother's Day my family got me a Fitbit ... Exactly what I wanted!!  I had so much fun on Monday using it.  It tracks an exercise if you tell it too, so I had two different workouts.  Here was my treadmill/interval workout:

What I really like is it shows your heart rate.  That way I can tell if I am working hard enough ... Looks pretty good.

The front of my treadmill says:

So that means I did another 15 minutes of weights because the total exercise time was 40 minutes.  When I jump off the treadmill to do an interval, I always pause the treadmill.

In addition to my treadmill, this was all I needed to do a leg workout during my intervals

Then we took the dogs for our nightly walk ... Always wonder if I get much of a workout there.

This exercise that I thought really wasn't doing much is!!  I am so happy when I see that fat burning number up there ... It is doing something ... Woo hoo!

Did some sewing with my friend on Tuesday ... Here is what she worked on ... Same color scheme as mine, but I will show you mine tomorrow!

Stash Report - Week 19

Gifted several yards of fabric this week.  Have started a new project but not sure on how much fabric I have used so I'll include that total in next week.

Used this Week: 6 yards

Used year to Date: 70 7/8 yards

Added this Week:  0 yards

Added Year to Date: 32 1/3 yards

Net Used for 2015: 38 1/2 yards

Hi

Oh hi my friends!  I was just feeling like I've been a little neglectful of you ... I have spent two days this week on the phone and email trying to correct problems ... Created by people that don't do their jobs.  I am having so many problems with my mom's doctors, medicines, etc.  it is just really tough when someone checks out of their life and doesn't care anymore.  After all that work, I had to drop off her medicine the other day and all she could do was complain about where she lives, the food, how sore she is, and how no one checked on her when she missed breakfast!  I wanted to say they were probably happy to not have to be exposed to her poor pitiful me attitude!  She has been like this for years, but now that we are spending some of our own money to have her live somewhere really nice, and have good care, it's really hard to take.  I told her a couple weeks ago it was best for her NOT to complain to me since I was responsible for her not being out on the street somewhere.  It doesn't matter as I can talk until I am blue in the face and it will not make a difference.  I know in some small way my mom appreciates what we do for her, but really the only person she cares about is herself.  Mother's Day has always been a really tough day for me.  Do you know how hard it is to find a simple card thst just says happy Mother's Day without all that sentiment?  I am grateful that I have my own kids and have had the blessing of being a mother.  It is the most wonderful thing I have ever done, and for that I am grateful that my own mom brought me into this world so I could know such joy!  

I wish you all a wonderful Mother's Day! Perhaps you aren't a mom, but a special aunt, friend or just have made a huge difference in your mothering ways in someone's life!  A happy day to you too!!

What it boils down to is that women are absolutely wonderful, right?!  I so appreciate all of you on the other side of this blog.  You so enrich my life in ways I cannot explain!

My LOVES!!!

My son and his sweetie

My sweet daughter and me

My beautiful and spunky granddaughter!

A quilt a day ...

Well something like that!  I did get a couple quilts longarmed last week.  This first beauty was made by my dear friend. She really put a lot of effort into making this quilt and it really has a vintage look.

It was easy to figure out what to do because I know she likes simple quilting. I did a medium size meander.

Love how the light coming in my window made for some interesting pictures!  Also love these pictures of the quilt on the longarm ... It is like looking at a work of art framed!!

I used my favorite Superior Omni thread in cream.

Look at all these great fabrics!  She turned the blocks on point ... Love how distinct it makes them look!

I love that pink one best!

It really doesn't show very well the great dimension that the quilting gives ... You'll just have to trust me!

Ta Da!!  That's another Kylee-ism ... She loves saying it!  Thanks for letting me quilt

for you my friend!! Xo

Another Day, Another Week

Well I didn't get to 4 days of exercise last week, but I made it to 3!  That is 3 more days than I did the week before.  So I am on the same game plan this week ... 4 days.

This is where I ended before my cool down.  It is 4 sets of 5 minutes each, combined with intervals of arm work off the treadmill.  I find I am really liking the intervals because it breaks up the monotony of long stretches of cardio.  I prefer to walk at a slower pace and a higher incline.  When I do my cool down, it is 5 minutes at about 3.0 and I drop the incline to 4.  

My husband and I walk the dogs every night, but it is not a walk for fat burning!  I really need to up the cardio and add in weights so things will stop jiggling so much!

Day 1 done!!  How are you doing?

Stash Report - Week 18

Lots of longarming equals little sewing so nothing in or out this week.  Plugging along on my APQ Quiltalong giant!

Used this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date: 64 7/8 yards

Added this Week:  0 yards

Added Year to Date: 32 1/3 yards

Net Used for 2015: 32 1/2 yards

Rows are being assembled!  Doesn't mean all my blocks are done, but I needed some instant gratification!