January Joy

Before I retired over ten years ago, I hated the month of January with its thirty-one days of the worse Winter weather involving commuting to work. If there was a month for me to hibernate, now that I’m retired, it would be January where there would be no traveling or leaving the house but with the GP House and weekly visits to the Chiropractor and fitness center, it’s not possible. With the freezing cold and snowy weather during the middle of January, the only good thing was that it made for great sewing conditions and I appreciated this long month. After my Happy Bubbles Quilt was finished, there was only one flimsy, the Sherbet Pips Brick Rows (the one on the left) I planned to finish which was for the January Country Threads Dirty Dozen UFO Challenge. As a result of finishing Sherbet Pips, three more flimsies came across the finally finished line, which brings a total of six finishes for January. There is an explanation as to how these four were quickly finished and, if you noticed, I did not refer to them as quilts because they’re all Patchwork Throws/Baby Boomer Blankies or all backed with Minky/plush fabric with no batting in between which I have always said are quick makes. 

The Sherbet Pips Brick Rows has been a flimsy since August, 2022 but it seems longer than this because this fabric line designed by Aneela Hoey for Moda was purchased at least ten years ago and  had been a mind bug for me to finally make something with the stash.

I purchased thirteen half-yard cuts of whatever prints were available out of the forty-two (I’m thinking maybe they were purchased from fabric.com before Amazon bought them out and 1/2 yard cuts could be ordered). My first thought was to make a simple one patch quilt of rectangle blocks set vertically.

I somehow realized that some of the prints had movement and would look better cut horizontally. Twelve  prints were paired and cut into 3.5” strips, sewn together in strip sets, then subcut into 6.5” x 9.5” rail blocks and set with an alternating layout. Six blocks were needed for each row and was repeated  again. After the flimsy was sewn, my plan was to back it with minky/plush as I was glad to have finally made something with the Sherbet Pips fabric. I set it aside as I wasn’t in any hurry to finish it since I really didn’t want to use any of the remaining gray Chenille Plush by David Textile which is no longer available. It is my favorite plush which I have used for several patchwork throws, as with Carrie Bloomston Throw which is the darling granddaughter’s favorite bedtime blankie. I am saving the remaining Chenille Plus for another bedtime blankie in the hopes of finally getting my Carrie Bloomston throw back and I may succeed since it will be made with Carrie Bloomston fabrics which has rainbows and leftover from the Happy Bubbles quilt.

After becoming reacquainted with Sherbet Pips Brick Rows, I realized that this was a fun and easy pattern for 3.5” strips. I did rethink my idea of backing it with Minky/plush and instead making it a quilt but decided I needed a patchwork throw more than another quilt. I used a gray Minky Fleece Fabric Dots recently purchased and I have to say is now my new favorite plush and also comes in several shades of gray.. I machine quilted straight lines on the edges of each 6” row and then did a wavy line between the rails. Any reservations I had with Jinny Janome sewing plush are no more. The binding was one of the stripes. Sherbet Pips Brick Rows measure 54” x 72”. Since I had almost two yards left of the Minky I thought I would save it for one of the flimsies below.

I have lovingly referred these flimsies as the Three Bear Trip as the focus print used was named Bear Trip and I made three flimsies with a little tongue in cheek with the Three Bear name. My plan was to always finished them together at the same time and finished them as quilts. These were the last of the twelve flimsies made in 2020 and I am glad they are finally finished as patchwork throws/Baby Boomer Blankies. The quilt on the bottom right is the one I thought I could used the leftover Minky from Sherbet Pips Brick Row and was just going to set it aside. But Eunice, my alter-ego of quilting the right thing in my Studio, thought since Jinny Janome was already set up with a Jersey Knit Needle used for quilting plush fabric and gray polyester thread that I could easily finished the Three Bear Trip flimsies since I had other Minky fabrics in my stash. I thought it was a good idea until once I started I realized I would only have six days before leaving for the GP House and during this time had laundry, housework, chiropractor appointments, a get together with the Peeps and our hubbies and a band gig was planned. Like I said, backing a flimsy with Minky is a quick finish and was able to bind Sherbet Pips and finish the Three Bear Trip in three days. I spent the remaining days, before leaving for the GP House, recovering and playing with fabrics along with the household chores. I did send Eunice to the time-out corner.

I thought I would share some details behind the Three Bear Trip Patchwork Throws/Baby Boomer Blankies. The Bear Trip fabric was purchased in January, 2020 during a Texas vacation at Sew Crazy in Cedar Park. I fell in love with the prints which came in two color ways, one with a pink background and the other with a gray/white and the prints are slightly different with the motifs. I did purchase some other prints but for the most part used what I already had in my Cotton+Steel, Art Gallery, etc. stash. The Bear Trip prints are so interesting and there are so many international landmarks and features like Big Ben, Roman Coliseum, Tower of Pisa, the Golden Gate Bridge, Taj Mahal, temples, yachts, water fountains, etc. Sadly, a few months later, travel became restricted due to COVID-19 and there was a travel lockdown in our state. The Three Trip flimsies were made in May, 2020, right after the first visit with the darling granddaughter after two-months of not being able to see her. Each flimsy was made with a combination of  4.5 5” and 2.5” cuts to make either 4”x8”, 8” or 8”x16” blocks. Since finishing the Three Bear Trip, I have named them according to the Three Bears story. Another note is that after deciding on backing all three flimsies with Minky/plush, I used the same brown and white polka dots fabrics used as an accent in all three flimsies for the binding. It’s a good thing I found enough of this print in my stash to make fifteen yards because I must have forgotten to set aside any fabric in the binding drawer.

Baby Bear (40” x 48”)

This was the first flimsy made but the last one to be finished. I machine quilted it the same way as Sherbet Pips, straight and wavy lines. Baby Bear will be saved for the Baby Boomer Blankie vault as I think it would be perfect to give to someone who will be retiring and have travel plans.

Mama Bear (40”x48”)

When I made this flimsy with the focus print which had the pink background and dominant reds, I had planned on giving this to the baby daughter of our new neighbors whom I thought were of East Asian descent with their dark hair and skin tone so I made sure to include the Taj Mahal and other Asian landmarks. Later, Hubby learned that they were Venezuelans so another quilt was given. I backed Mama Bear with a brown dot Minky which I found to be stiff like vinyl/pleather and not as snuggly as other plush/Minky. Maybe after washing it will become softer and this is my reason for wanting to keep this one for myself.

Papa Bear (48”x64”)

Papa Bear was the last flimsy made because the 8” blocks were sewn from leftover blocks and patches from Baby Bear and Mama Bear. The fluffy pink plush used was a piece that has been sitting in my stash for maybe five years and I have been trying to use it for several other flimsies but was not the right shade nor the right size. Luckily or do I say serendipitously, it was the right shade of pink and the right or exact size needed with nary a 1/4” to spare. One of the nice things about using plush is you don’t need the extra 4” width or lengthwise as you would for fabric backing. Papa Bear is so soft and cuddly and when it’s folded or rolled up, it feels like a giant stuff animal. I quilted with straight grid lines around each 8” block and then a diagonal wavy crosshatch across each block. I should mention that I used the same gray polyester thread for all three Bear Trip. Papa Bear has been given to the darling Granddaughter and has been enjoyed these past few nights on her bed; but not enough for her to surrender the Carrie Bloomston throw back to me.

I am so happy to have these four once upon a time flimsies now made into patchwork throws. I cannot say enough about using Minky/plush for backings. I am now on a hunt for purchasing more fleece dot Minky since it’s a nice alternative to the plush chenille and comes in wonderful colors (some I already have) especially when it goes on sale for 40% off. And I also need a new supply of Jersey Knit Sewing Machine needles which I have ordered.

Adding to the January Joy is that all of my Baby Bullseye Blocks are sewn and ready to be laid out. There are 140 blocks finishing at 5-1/2” and I need to hustle. My Quilt Peeps already have their tops sewn which is due to them not following the instructions/pattern exactly to which I confess I did not also but mine is more truer. I can’t wait until mine is finished so I can do some narcing.

I am hoping for another productive month in February but with warmer weather please. Not that I need any more new projects I do have a few must-sew lined up. With Eunice in the time-out corner, the Studio Squirrels have been let out.

Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation

Innocent Crush Patchwork Throw

My Innocent Crush Patchwork Throw is my August finish for the Country Threads Dirty Dozen UFO Challenge. Like my July Finish, my August UFO was finished early and involved HSTs waiting to be assembled into a quilt. I knew once I decided on a layout for the blocks, I wanted this to be a quick and easy finish, so the plan was to make it a Patchwork Throw by only adding a plush backing and no batting.

This Patchwork Throw has been in the makings for over ten years when the Innocent Crush fabrics designed by Anna Maria Horner was released in 2010. I purchased a Fat Quarter Shop Designer Bundle of twelve fat quarters along with a yard cut of the red Mixed Signal print which came in handy once I decided on the layout. Whenever I purchase pre-cuts, I always try to remember to buy yardage of one of the prints for binding.  Since this project was started before I began blogging and using an iPhone to record my quilting activity, the best I can remember is the HSTs were probably made after the fat quarter bundle was sitting around for at least five years and I decided to use these mostly large prints for HSTs after I purchased an 8” HST die. To the best of my recollection and forgetting to look through my old quilt planners to verify the dates, these HSTs were made at least five years ago and the last time I looked at these HSTs was almost four years ago. Along with the twelve fat quarters from the bundle, I also cut a fat quarter from the red Mixed Signal print since it was not included in the bundle so fifty-six HSTs were sewn. I only needed fifty-four for the top.

When I started working with the HSTs, I couldn’t remember the name of the fabric collection and spent some time online searching the many Anna Maria Horner fabric lines to determine which one it was and of course had I looked at the yard cut of fabric I had, the name was was on the selvedge. (And then again I could have also found it had I look through my old planners.) This lovely group of fabrics has lovely shades of teal, lavender, pinks, blue and rusty reds so I decided to make flying geese blocks with the boldest colors which were mostly reds and blues for the points. These blocks measure 8”x16” (finished).

When I first started laying out the flying geese blocks point side down on my design board, my initial plan was not to match the sides but decided I liked the look of the flying geese blocks linking although some of the same prints are too close together for my liking. When the blocks were originally laid out with the points down, I thought of naming the quilt Half Hearted but decided I like the layout better with the points up. The remaining yardage of the red Mixed Signal print which I intended for the binding was used instead to add a four-inch pieced border on the sides so the top would measure 56”x72”.

Since my plan was to make a Patchwork Throw, the layout wasn’t too important and not so noticeable because once the plush backing was added,  it would look nice scrunched up on a chair or sofa. My favorite plush Chenille backing was used along with a black and gray mini check for the binding.

My first Patchwork Throw was made around five years ago when I wanted to make a quick quilt for my Godmother who had knee surgery from an accident and was going to be recovering in a convalescence home. I had HSTs already made with Amy Butler fabric, which were made the same time as the Innocent Crush HSTs, and some apple green Minky. It turned out great. The lessons I learned with this throw is to use sewing machine needles for knits, ball points, polyester thread and baste well. Also, you only need to do simple quilting since there is no batting in between and I find when I do too much quilting, it makes the throw too puffy. This is the only Patchwork Throw I’ve self bind with the Minky and I am wondering why I decided to start binding them. BTW, I made quite a few of these Amy Butler HSTs and have enough left to make another Patchwork Throw which I added to this year’s Dirty Dozen UFO Challenge so you may see it sooner or later.

Patchwork Throws really are quick and easy to make, especially if you already have a flimsy made. We’re in the midst of a heat wave as well as other parts of this U.S. so I’m thinking in around sixty days, my Innocent Crush Patchwork Throw will be very much appreciated and snug worthy. I’m hoping I will be able to see my friend by then so I can give her this very belated gift.

And speaking of gifts, this quilt formerly known as the Jolly Jinny Jungle Quilt has now been renamed as the Wetland Quilt and given to my favorite nephew, Jim, in celebration of his recent marriage and his new position as the Director of the James Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center in South Carolina. I’m so glad I had just the right quilt to give him and although I miss it, I can always make another quilt with these fabrics since I still have some leftover fabrics and blocks.

Before I end this post, I thought a share a peek of the secret sewing I’m doing in preparation of an upcoming Blog Hop in September for a new quilt publication to be released on August 23rd which is absolutely wonderful. More details and peeks to follow.

I’m glad my August commitment  is finished because the rest of the month we will be busy traveling to and from the Grandparent House and looking forward to an upcoming road trip to Colorado. Hoping to stay healthy and for you too, as well as having an Awesome August.

Linking up with: My Quilt Infatuation/NTT

 

Sweet September SewJo

Despite making four trips to the Grandparent House and only spending fourteen days at home, I have five Finally Finished which makes this a very busy and productive month for me.  Apparently when only having a limited schedule for quilting, I can be pretty focused.  The first Finally Finished for September was my Shine Quilt which I posted on September 8th.  My next four quilts were for the Jelly Snowflake QAL, a Dreami, Country Threads Dirty Dozen QAL and a surprise finish; here are the photos with a brief description of each.

Emily, The Darling Dogwood, and I decided since we already did two of the same QALs this year without us knowing that neither one of us was sewing together, we would do a third one together and we decided upon Fat Quarter Shop’s Jelly Snowflake QAL.  You can see Emily’s beautiful interpretation Here.  I have mentioned in previous posts that I consider myself a QAL Escape Artist and Emily seem to have followed in my sew steps, in that, we did the first two blocks as per the pattern and then veered off with our own  finishes. The Jelly Snowflake pattern was beautiful and made great use of jelly roll strips but I wanted to showcase more of the fat quarters of the Stacey Hsu North Pole fabric which I received several years ago in one of the Fat Quarter Shop’s Christmas Sampler Box. That’s all I’m going to say about the Jelly Snowflake pattern and named my quilt Frosty Flake because of the snowmen on some of the prints and because it is my favorite breakfast cereal.  After the top was completed, I immediately knew how I wanted to quilt it with the straight-line diagonal quadrants with red thread.  Frosty Flakes measures 48” square and it’s going to be nice to have a new Christmas quilt to hang up this year.  BTW, I thought that instead of calling myself a QAL Escape Artist, I would give myself a new name or descriptor: Sewing Rose-gue, it seems to better explain how I quilt.

While searching for the red binding for my Frosty Flake Quilt in my red stash, I came across the Watermelon fabric with the matching large red gingham print and immediately knew I had to make something for the darling Granddaughter.  Since I’ve been spending so much time with her, I’ve become quite fond of the CoComelon videos which are fun and addicting to watch. Even when we’re not at the GP House, Hubby and I are humming and singing many of the tunes.  A simple patchwork blankie was made with some fun green prints from the stash and another red print.  I had the perfect shade of a coral pink Minky yardage in the stash and a quilt was made before the next GP visit.  This Blankie measures 40”x56”, which is a nice size for snuggling for one person but I would have made it bigger if I had more of the watermelon and red gingham print.

The month of September also meant a new UFO finish of our #11 for Country Thread’s Dirty Dozen which was my Flea Market Square. The top was made over seven years ago and it seems that during this time, I made a lot of square quilts and some of them I have committed to finishing for this QAL.  I didn’t keep any notes on the making of this quilt and I was able to ascertain that a charm pack of Moda’s Three Sisters Flea Market II was used along with some yardage.  At first I didn’t remember even what fabric line was used but was able to guess after looking at one of the charm squares which had a Paris map and was able to connect it to one of the Flea Market lines.  I was happy that I found the quilt top with the backing and binding safely tucked away together.  

I’ve mentioned in previous posts how I was inspired by Mary Etherington of Country Threads to do straight line quilting on traditional quilts so I thought since I was finishing this quilt as part of her QAL, it would look appropriate for Flea Market Square.  I quilted it with a very pale pink Mettler thread to keep the quilting  quiet and simple. I usually don’t back my quilts with fabric from the same line, partly because of cost and not wanting to waste it especially for a wall hanging, but I must have purchased the plaid when it was on sale because I had three yards of it.  I do love pairing plaids with florals.  Now that this quilt is a Finally Finished, I have a place to hang it on my bedroom wall since I’ve been meaning to replace the current artwork which has been hanging around for over twenty years.  Sad I won’t see the backing, but I’ll know it’s there.

Since I had a day left before the end of September when I wanted to post, I thought I would squeeze out one more Finally Finish with the Big Blinky Bill Blankie. I made the top earlier this year and is one of the flimsy made during my Flimsy Frenzy February.  The top was inspired by my Slinky and Pinky Quilts which is a simple pattern using squares and rectangles.  When I wrote the posts for these quilts, I mentioned I was inspired to make more and keeping the “inky” in the names.  Good Quilt Mentor Sue of PatchworknPlay offer up Blinky Bill which is an Australian Children Book Koala character.  Since I didn’t have any Koala fabrics I thought the next best thing would be to use my stash of Aboriginal prints which have been sitting far too long in the stash with solid squares of Shot Cotton, Peppered Cotton and Aged Muslin.  I thought this top could be a quick Finally Finished if I made a Patchwork Throw by only backing it with my favorite gray Chenille Plush.  It measures 52” x 82” which would make it a throw according to my rules, but since I love alliteration in my quilt names I’m calling it a blankie, thus the name Big Blinky Bill Blankie.  Since Hubby’s name is Bill, this will be his, especially since with the other patchwork throws I made with the plush for the backing, I’m always telling him how wonderful they are for snuggling and napping.  Now he will have his own to find out how true this is.

I still managed to find time to start others projects and keeping up with my 2020 Color Challenge blocks.  I’m calling this a month now and maybe rest for the remaining few hours left.  But no, I still have 1.5 days left before we leave for the GP House again and the studio here is still where I’m the most productive; probably because I don’t have a sweet distraction beckoning me to play with her.

Finally Finished: Two More Patchwork Throws

I finished the remaining two out of the three patchwork throws this week and was racing to take photos before the rain started again.  It's either been rainy or humid, both ideal conditions for staying indoors and finishing up these two patchwork throws.  The first patchwork throw, Scrap Vortex II was finally finished and you can see it on last week's post.

Both of these tops were backed with only plush fabrics, no batting in between, and when I do that I call them patchwork throws instead of quilts. I mentioned in last week's post how much I like how quilt tops with plush backing look and feel and that they really make quick finishes.  You can see the simple quilting I did. Sometimes, you just want to make something nice and simple. The only time consuming part is when you're pinning the binding down before sewing and once again for machine binding because you do have to pin every inch then.

Here are some details about these two patchwork throws which were both DrEAMi projects meaning they were both unplanned and not on my project lists.

I call this patchwork throw Gee Whiz and it was mentioned in this post several weeks ago and named so because it reminded me of a Gee Bend quilt and am amazed that it turned out the way it did.  I made the top from a charm pack of Denyse Schmidt's New Bedford and yardage of Chicopee so this would explain the unusual but fun color palette.  

I started making the top after I had stumbled across these fabrics back in May and got as far as making 2.5" x 4.5" rail blocks and was trying to figure a layout which involved several times ripping out and sewing back blocks twice.  I ended up with 8-patch blocks made from the yardage and four-patch strip blocks made with the charm pack. For some reason, I couldn't decide on the layout and put these blocks away on my project cart. Several weeks ago I came upon these blocks and knew what to finally do with these rail blocks--inspiration happens sometimes when you least expect it.

Such a simple layout and I don't know why I couldn't figure it out, alternate an 8-patch with a 4-patch.  Well, I'm glad I figured it out and knew that after all that I didn't want to quilt it, mainly because it only measures 48"x70" and knew it would be perfect as a patchwork throw.  The backing is a chenille plush which is my favorite although it is a little messy once you cut it but not bad as long as you have a Swifter nearby to clean up the fuzz.  And one last tidbit to add to the Gee Whiz of this quilt, I already mentioned the time involved in binding these patchwork throws, I had just enough of the tone on tone black used in the top for the binding.  After making the binding,  I was pinning it down and was almost to the end, I realized I did not have enough, I was one 42" strip short which I couldn't believe, I thought I had enough.  So I had to unpin the binding thinking I had to come up with an alternative and spent at least a half hour going through my bins of black fabric trying to find a replacement and in hopes of maybe finding more of the black on black tone fabric, but I didn't, and came up with using the last 1/2 yard of Kona Black I had.  So after, I cut the strips and went to my sewing machine, what does my wondering eye see, a strip of the black on black tone fabric which had fallen off the table and I didn't realize it.  So, I added this strip to the already made binding and once again had to pin it back onto the quilt.  I can say calling this quilt Gee Whiz was the nicest of all of the names I could have called it.

The Fairies Patchwork Throw is made from Lecien's Cinderberry Woodland fabric and started making the top during the waning days of August while working on finishing up other projects.  Yes, DrEAMi projects are meant to be interruptions.

Isn't this fabric just so adorable; it reminds me of Strawberry Shortcake and came to be in possession of this bundle back in May thanks to the Master MMM-nabler, Sandra who was helping a friend destash and asked if I would like to buy some since she thought it would make a cute quilt for my Granddaughter, Micah.  How can I say No to a sales pitch like that.  I was itching to make something with it but for the wrong reasons--I thought it was Holiday fabric and it's not, the red and greens misled me.  I decided to make a simple quilt with just 8" squares and 4"x8" rectangles and made sure I included every piece in the bundle.  I used brown polka dot fabric from my stash for the binding and in keeping with the polka dots found throughout the fabric, I used a dot plush for the backing.  This patchwork throws measures 52" x 64".  I'm planning on keeping this at my house and will use it for Micah when she's in the car with us but then again plans can change if she decides she wants to take it home with her.  Again, how can I say No to my sweet granddaughter.

Here's one last look at my row of Patchwork Throws.  If you're looking for a nice gift for the upcoming holidays, (btw I can't believe I'm typing this), you may want to make one, especially if you already have a top already made. I'm looking forward to working on the September smorgasbord of projects I have lined up and hopefully will have the time but not the weather to work on them.

Linking up with: My Quilt Infatuation, Needle and Thread Thursday,  Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop Friday  and Crazy Mom's Finish It Up Friday.

Scrap Vortex II: An UFO and a Finally Finish

I can't believe how fast August went and now we're in the first days of September already which for some means Summer is almost over.  It seems like it took forever for Summer to start and once it did, we definitely had a range of weather from heat, cool, drought and heavy rains.  Last week heavy storms, took down our Willow Tree which has graced our backyard for almost twenty-five years and it has been used it as a backdrop for several of my quilt photos.  And speaking about another range is my activity on my project lists which I have to confess I did not follow much at all.  I have twelve projects on my UFO list which I committed to finishing for 2018  for Tish Adventure in Wonderland Quilty Confessions UFO Addition.  So far, I've only finished five of the projects but we still have four month left and maybe I can finish a few more.  I'm happy with my latest finish which is my Scrap Vortex II which last year was another UFO finish when it was completed as a top and now I can say it's a Finally Finish and a check off on my UFO Project List.

Here's a close-up of Scrap Vortex II which has scraps of fabrics from quilts past made and fabrics I still love:  Cotton + Steel, Denyse Schmidt, Lotta Jansdotter, even my beloved IKEA Nummer fabric and lots more.  I love the idea of sewing scraps together and have enough to keep me busy for years. I do plan on sewing more scraps to use for blocks and make quilts like the ones in Kelly Young's Stash Statement Book.

Like Scrap Vortex I, Scrap Vortex II is what I consider a patchwork throw since I only backed it with a plush fabric like Minkee and did not use any batting in the middle.  I take Scrap Vortex I with me when traveling to use in lieu of the blankets in the hotel rooms, it's cuddly and warm and I know who's been using it--just me.  Making patchwork throws is a quick way to finish quilt tops and one of the benefits is it only needs to be likely quilted.  I quilted it 6" apart vertically and 8" apart horizontally. You do have to baste it like you would a quilt and I use a Jersey/Knit sewing machine needle plus polyester thread--I do like the ones from Missouri Star Quilt Co.  I used Silver color thread, both top and bottom and I like how it blended with the lime green pseudo Minkee.

And here's a photo of the two Scrap Vortexes Patchwork Throws together. For Scrap Vortex I, I backed it with another type of plush fabric which has a chenille look which I like very much and used it for several other throws.   Both of these plushes were purchased from Walmart which seems to have the best prices but limited colors and variety. Scrap Vortex I measures 52" x 70" and II measures 52" x 75".  Scrap Vortex I, which was made several years ago, has been washed in cold water and dried on a low  temperature at least five times and have held up well.  In fact, after each washing it feels more softer on the top, as well on the bottom.  These really should be called Adult Blankies and make a nice gift.  Several years ago, I made one for my Godmother with some HST blocks just waiting to be made into a quilt top so I quickly made a patchwork throw to give her when she was recuperating from leg surgery and it was very much appreciated.

Here's a close-up of the two Vortexes side by side so you can see how well Scrap Vortex I looks. The top of the quilt does not look wrinkly and has a nice washed look--that's my opinion.

I'm looking forward to taking both of these patchwork throws with me when we go to Washington D.C. in September.  Sadly, this month's upper state New York trip was cancelled due to my hubby having unexpected laproscopic surgery for an external hernia. Scouts Honor, Halo Up and Horns Down, this hernia had nothing to do with his gig being my Master Quilt Holder and 99.99% sure it did not involve carrying massive shipments of fabrics into my studio. As for him being the FacilityManager for my studio, I plead the Fifth.

I hope everyone is enjoying the last holiday weekend of the Summer gone by too quickly.  It's much too hot and humid here so I do plan on finishing two more patchwork throws.

Linking up with:  Tish Adventure in Wonderland UFO Busting, Cooking Up Quilts, Main Crush Monday, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Oh Scrap!, My Quilt Infatuation, Needle and Thread Thursday,  Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop Friday  and Crazy Mom's Finish It Up Friday.