Strips & Nachos Finish

I have a finish! That's right, I finished the Strips & Nachos quilt. Here it is ...

I finished sewing the binding on October 30 and threw it in the wash October 31 so I'm calling it an October finish. That was my goal and I made it by the skin of my teeth!

The pattern, Strips & Salsa (yes, I've called Strips & Nachos all this time -- DOH!) is by Gudrun Erla of GEDesigns. I knew right away that I wanted to make this quilt first: because I love her patterns -- they look difficult but she manages to make it easy; and second: my LQS had given her Quilt Club members surprise bags of coordinating 8 FQs and this pattern called for 7 FQs plus fabric for background & binding. Perfect! I was set with fabric. I needed almost 3 yards for background. Remember when I couldn't find the fabric for Red Threads quilt so I bought an extra 3 yards of something that might work? And then I found the missing fabric? I used the original fabric in Red Threads and used up the extra yardage in this quilt. Score!

Here are some close up pictures of my Strips & Nachos quilt.

Pieced Back

View of Front & Back Together

Some of the Quilting

Low Light to See Quilting Better?

The quilt finished at 72" x 56" before washing. It now measures 69" x 54". It's snuggly, colorful, and I love it. I think it worked up into a nice lap quilt.

A couple last beauty shots of Strips & Nachos.

Have a great Friday!

A Little Pink Coming Together for FNSI

I've been slowly getting my Strips & Nachos together. This is a Strip-a-Long with Gundrun Erla from GEDesigns. I must say that I enjoy sewing her patterns so I was ready, willing, and able to jump on board with this project.

All four rows (for a lap-sized quilt) have been sewn together including the end triangles. Last night I set about to getting the sashing strips sewn together and then assembled between the rows. I figured this was a good project to work on for Friday Night Sew-In! I did pretty good right up until I sewed the first two rows to the sashing. UCK! The triangles weren't matching up correctly! This is exactly what happens every time I hurry to throw something together. After unpicking, I carefully pinned making sure things were matching better. Then it was bedtime.

This morning, I sewed two rows with a sashing strip twice. Here's a picture of my progress. Don't the triangles match up nicely?! And again there's a little RSC pink involved!

Once more sashing strip to be sewn down the middle!

This week I finished another block for Red Threads.

I also discovered that the Chubby Charmer that I mailed off for a friend of my daughter's was delivered so I thought I was going to share it with you today. Hmmmm, guess I forgot to take pictures so you'll have to just take my word for it. It was so sweet. I did include this little quilt book that I tucked inside.

With all the storms we've had lately, the bike trail lost another tree. The guys came out and cleaned it up quickly. I thought the remnants looked pretty!

Thought you'd enjoy another Gracie shot!

We managed to squeeze in a lunch date with some family. A delicious BBQ lunch at Bandana's.

It was quite windy that day!

Linking up with all the participants at Friday Night Sew In & Rainbow Scrap Challenge!

Have a great weekend!

Week #2 of RSC Pink

Happy Mother's Day weekend! I hope you are able to enjoy it with your children and/or mother. We've been having beautiful weather here in southern IL and our trees and flowers have been putting on a show. I love this time of year.

First I would like to share with you a puzzle I started while my sister was visiting. I got it from my daughter and all 1000 pieces were challenging. So, thank you, dear daughter, it was a good one. And look, everyone, there's plenty of pink in it!

Looking at this puzzle is reminding me to share with you a picture of a hungry hawk. I caught him waiting for lunch by my bird feeder while sitting on the deck stair rail. Isn't he gorgeous??! (Pardon the fuzzy picture taken through the screen.)

And speaking of hungry, our little Jacob is very fond of ice cream. Turn up your volume to really appreciate how happy he is that his daddy is going to make some ice cream for him. This video just tickles me so much!!

Ok, back to the sewing room. I finished up two Red Threads blocks. I love the butterfly and it was a joy to stitch.

I've also been working away on Strips & Nachos by GEDesign. I think I may even get the top finished before Memorial Day! I managed to show a little pink off too!

"What Happened to the Bennetts?" is in the Already Read category now. Lisa Scottoline is a wonderful author and she did it again. This book is a real page-turner. If you're interested, you can get the GoodReads synopsis HERE.

Since I finished that book and, per my CloudLibrary app, I had 20 more days until I can check out "The Frozen River" by Ariel Lawhon, I went back and picked up "Something to Hide" by Deborah Moggach. Let's just say that by the time I reached page 50 I was hooked. It's got interesting situations going on all over the world and I just know it's all going to get tied up together. I'll keep reading to find out how!

GoodReads synopsis HERE

That's what's been happening around here this past week. Time to get Gracie out for a walk. Have a great weekend!

Sharing with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilters through Angela's SoScrappy blog.

PS I'm covered in pink calamine lotion (Ivarest, actually, which is a blend of calamine lotion and benadryl) due to the horrible pink poison ivy rash I've got going on. UCK but at least it's consistent with this month's color! Also seemingly effective on poison ivy is this:

And now I think it's time for another benadyl tablet. Night, night!

May RSC is PINK!

In case you couldn't tell by my new header picture and overall color of my blog, May's Rainbow Scrap Challenge is pink. I only just learned the new color when I read Angela's post yesterday and knew I'd better get my blog updated. How do you like those peonies? Gracie and I found them on our walk this morning. 

I apologize for getting so far behind but my sister came up from Texas for a visit. So busy and so much fun! While she was here, she took care of Mom & Polly (Gracie was kenneled) so hubby & I could take off for a 5-day Cousins Reunion which was held at a lodge at Lake Guntersville State Park, Alabama. It was a peaceful, beautiful location. Look at the view from our patio!

Here are also a few pictures of the gang.

All the cousins and their spouses

The cousins that were able to attend

The spouses that were able to attend

The group representing the FEHoover Family

After returning home, my sister was able to spend a few more days with us before driving south again. Of those last days, she and I managed to escape to a LQS to spend two days sewing, chatting, laughing, and catching up on anything and everything. Each late afternoon, we returned home to fix dinner and share company with Mom & Fred.

So now that you're all caught up with the social part of my current life, let's see what I've manage to sew. One thing I can tell you is that I sewed up another gift that needs to be shipped out. Until then, there's no picture and you'll just have to take my word for it. Ha! Red Threads embroidery blocks have progressed though.

Plus two more blocks were completed for the Lori Holt "Vintage Christmas" SAL at my local quilt shop.

A Christmas Present

The Drum

While I got another week behind on the Twilight Stars QAL, I did manage to knock out a non-current week. Two more stars to add to the growing pile.

And there was also progress made on my EPP project.

I'm sure this will come as no surprise but .... I started another project. It was a SAL with Gundrun Erla. The pattern is Strips & Nachos. I believe I mentioned it in an earlier post but now sewing has begun.

While Linda was here, we started a jigsaw puzzle together. It's 1000 pieces and has been proving quite challenging.

Mom & I enjoyed the Kentucky Derby yesterday. What a wonderful photo-finish to commemorate the 150th Kentucky Derby! Thank you for our hats goes to our used-to-be neighbor Karla and thank you goes to my BFF Vickie for visiting Churchill Downs and gifting me official cups for our mint juleps!

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend. I think today we'll be loving no rain here for a change. Maybe I'll get those daffodil bulbs I swiped from Mom's house planted in my own yard today ... before the next expected rain!

Sharing with Angela and the other RSC quilters at SoScrappy and also with Cheryll and others on Friday Night with Friends!

Yellow -- Not Much

I really didn't concentrate on yellow this week. I finished up a couple of gifts with two more in the works. They will have to wait until later to share. You know, after I gift them out.

I did start a Strip-along with Gundrun Erla of GEDesigns. It's all on her blog and YouTube if you care to join along. We are making her pattern Strips & Nachos. I'm using the FQs that were gifted to me from my LQS, Itch'n to be Stitch'n in Staunton IL, if you're ever in the area. For my background I'm using the fabric I bought to replace in another project that I thought I'd lost .... then, of course, found. So using it up here.

Look! Yellow!

Thought I'd share a picture of my mother that I took on Friday. Here she is in front of her beautiful azalea bush. That's a huge rhododendron bush right behind her in the shadows too.

I'll be sharing with Angela on SoScrappy with other Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilters. Have a great week!