Quilting Update

What can I say, I haven't finished the small 54 inch quilt and it drives me crazy. I certainly am no Linda nor Jeanne. LOL!I really hate to work. It takes up so much of my quilting time. I have done a lot of progress though. I am now quilting the bottom edges. I would do some machine quilting on it but this small quilt will be for my first granddaughter so hand quilting it makes it more special. I had a hard time deciding on the quilting pattern for this little quilt because it's just made up of strips so I just went with straight lines. It also makes the quilting go faster.I made another trip to another LQS and bought some more thread for applique and some books. I bought some cotton silk finish thread. The time I appliqued I used some silk embroidery thread, so I don't know which is suppose to be best. I have used the silk embroidery thread for appliqueing but I didn't think it was strong enough. It was a sale day at the store and I kind of got distracted. You know how that is. I bought the Turning Twenty Around the Corner book and have decided to use that desing for my Sunbonnet blocks. If I use that design I won't have to make many more Sunbonnet blocks. I bought a pattern for a French quilt which is pretty much just quilting whole pieces of fabric with no piecing. I have so much pretty fabric that I don't want to cut up and have just decided to make them into whole cloth quilts. While I was looking at the notions at the quilting store I realized I pretty much have all of them, some that I bought back in the 80's and early 90's that aren't around anymore and that I'm glad I have. I just love quilting gadgets. I bought the really really small almost 1 inch iron for tiny pieces of fabric. I got that at 40% off. I can't resist those Joann's coupons so I may soon have all the quilting supplies they have at the store. I'm happy to report that my youngest son finally found a job. He will be working at Wal Mart and is quite excited. We didn't want him to work till he got done with high school, so, he is quite excited about earning his own money. Hubby and I are pretty excited about that part to.

Spring Break Quilting And Gardening

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since Feb. 21st. Time is going to fast for me. The school where I work will have all of next week for spring break and I am so looking forward to it. I am progressing nicely with my quilting and I better finish during that week off. Tonight I went to the book store and bought two new quilting magazines and an audio CD with a 15% off coupon. The name of the audiobook is Home to Big Stone Gap. I'll let you know how it is. I am so hooked on audio books. I just load them into my Ipod attach it to my ears and start quilting away. I usually get them at Half Price Books because audio books can be pricey. Oh, I would like to know what kind of quilting needles you guys like to use for any of you who hand quilt. I have a bad habit of getting about four different brands, thread four needles and then not remember which one is from what brand. I do that all the time. For the first time in a long time I finally went out to my backyard to do some gardening. The weather here has been in the 60's and it's just beautiful. I pruned my roses and fed them. I have several Angel Trumpet cuttings that need to go in the ground so I am planning on where to put them. I have a yellow one and had been wanting a pink one for a long time. When I found out one of my son's friend's parents had one I told him to try and get a cutting. He was sweet enough to remember to do so right before he went to Arizona. I let my hubby do all the planting since he's the one with the green thumb. I'm good with roses and herbs, but everything else just dies on me. Which reminds me I have to go herb shopping next week. I want to make a hypertufa elephant ear bird bath this summer. I even grew some elephant ears just for that purpose. Off to some more quilting.