Design Wall Monday from Judy's blog....
This is what's on my wall this week.
Completed even!
Our guild is having an auction in Oct and we each are encoraged to make 3 to 5 items to sell. I figured I'd better get started on some of these soooo this grouping will be one of mine.
I chose to use one charm pack from (Country Essentials Fall collection no longer available) from Connecting Threads to make four 9-patch blocks. Then I cut all four of them on the diagonal, mixed them and set back together again for a different tweak on the Disappearing Nine Patch.  I added brown shirting for the ends and the backing.  I do still have one more charm pack but I'm putting it back on the shelf and will think about it later.

Here's a closeup of the quilting I did on them using a stencil to mark then quilt.  This is the first time I've done that and I must admit it really wasn't as time consuming as I thought it would be.  And the marks stayed on very well.  I used the Bohin marking pen.

So this week I think I'll start on another set using a border print and Jinny Beyer's method.    

Another Monday morning and according to Judy...it's time to show what's on my design wall.  I've already posted about these blocks way back in Oct last year when I decided it was perfectly ok to press some seams open.  (The quilt police aren't going to come and get me) lol
Way back when.....I got all the fabric cut and a few blocks set together and then set them aside.  I've worked on them a little bit over these last months but not really consistantly.  So I pulled them out again the other day and decided to get a bit farther along on it and set a few more blocks together.

They really are an easy block and I love the colors so I don't know what is making me take so long.  Ever time I start to work on it .... I get side-tracked and move onto something else.  

Like for instance.... I need to run to the LQS to pick up some fabric for some place-mats I made yesterday.   I played with a package of older Country Essentials charm pack and now I don't have anything in my stash that will work with them.  lol  I need to add borders and binding etc.   Soooooo

My "Round Around" top is finished.  It's a nice sized snuggle quilt about 56" x 70".  I really enjoy working with a complete fabric collection ... and the best part .... I only used half of what I ordered.
So I can easily get at least one more quilt out of these fabrics with lots of scraps left.

Here's a close-up of some of the fabrics

Now if I just had some batting I'd get it on the frame.  But I didn't realize I had none this size so I'm off to send in an order.

We had a few storms roll through last night that brought a LOT of rain.    North/East of town had 4" with extensive flooding and some farms even lost cattle.  Here in town we didn't have anywhere near that amount.
But after one shower that moved through I did go out and snap a few shots of the grape hyacinths and some raindrops on a few bushes.
I just love Spring!!

 Each month I look forward to Shannon's new block.  We're 1/2 way done with the BOM blocks now and I'm still contemplating what I really want to do about the center applique'.  Oh well...I'm sure something will grab me one day. 
Today I set this new block together called Twirling Star.  Mine looks quite a bit different than hers for sure.  Here's the link to the BOM  group on Flickr if you're interested in seeing how everyone is interpreting her blocks.  A lot of pretty's for sure!!

I've been playing around with some of the leftover triangle trimmings that I have saved from other projects.  I have no idea what they will wind up being used for....but I don't think I can actually call myself a true quilter if I don't save them. 
And I so want to be a true quilter.  lol
Soooo I grabbed a handful and spent a few hours pressing them open and squaring them up.  I now have a very small pile of half-square triangles all ready to go.  Somewhere!!   There's still many more to do but I get bored quickly and need to change directions. 
Soooo now I'm here in blogland. 

This is what is on my design wall for now. 
I've slowly been working on my curves blocks.  I've had them up on my design wall forever it seems.  Every time I go back to my room I stop and move a couple around to make the setting "just right". 
Well for goodness sake!!  How perfect can it get anyway? 
I finally decided all the moving around really didn't make a whole lot of difference so I'm now sewing it together.  I think I'm going to add a small black stop border and then do a 5" or 6" piano key scrappy border using all the different fabrics. 
BTW.... Sorry about the pic laying on it's side.  I don't want to go back and straighten it.  Those are really my closet doors that I have batting attached to.   

I finally got around to putting together #5 block from Shannon's blog.  I love working with these blocks.  They are so easy to put together and they all look so nice on my wall.  I'll show all of them maybe next month.
 

We had a couple of visitors to the backyard the other day.  A pair of Crescent Doves stopped by.  One of them was much whiter than the other.   Sorry the pic is so blurry.  I was trying to take a picture through the back door storm window and at an angle so the camera couldn't focus right.   But at least it shows the different colors of the birds.
And the gold finches are here and eating up a storm.  I wasn't sure Don was going to buy thistle seed this year.  He grips about how expensive it is.  But (as usual - he's all bluster) he gave in and brought home a bag and the little guys are happy and spreading the word.  Food's On! 

Several weeks ago Connecting Threads had a sale on some of their fabric lines.
Well..... I couldn't control myself and I wound up ordering the Aqua Terra line. 
I mean....the fabrics were all so nice and I really needed them and they were priced right and....I had no idea what I wanted to make with these fabrics .... but I did know I had to have them.   So I did!
Actually this was a first for me.  I've never bought a "fabric Line" before.  I've always just grabbed a piece of that or a yard of this or a Fat Quarter or added the end of the bolt.  So when this pkg arrived I just sat them on my desk and looked at them all this time.
 
Yesterday a light bulb went off and I knew what I wanted to make.  I got out the 7" Crazy Curves Templates from Elisa's Backporch and started cutting.  I cut 4 sets from each fabric and then started mixing them up.  (and the best part.... I still have lots of fabric left)  :o) 

It took me a bit to get in the groove of sewing the curve but once I had about three done it was much easier. 
So today I'll be sewing these blocks so I can get them on my design wall and figure out the setting. 
Have a sunny day today!!

This post is for my daughter Deb. 
Girl....you will now have an apron!!!

It may not be the prettiest..... but it's an apron and it's reversible and it's all yours.     LOL

One of the members in our Guild is the Home Ec. teacher and she presented last months program.  She showed how she has her students cut either 5" or 6" squares and use seam binding for the edging and ties.  I missed the program but I do have the pattern sheet so I decided this would be just perfect to make for Deb.
I chose to make my own binding (so it would match) rather than buying the pre-made.  And since I really wasn't sure how it would all turn out I just grabbed some fabric that I was pretty sure I wouldn't use in a quilt.  It was quick, easy and will do the job when Deb is back home and wants to make her mother a cake or dinner or whatever.  heehee

Well as you can see I've been playing with my blog design again.  Way to go Blogger!  I love the new layouts that are available now.  My goodness!  Such a fantastic selection to choose from.  And the addition of pages will sure help clean up the Home page.
There's only one big problem that I can see right off.
Now I want to spend time designing!!
Looks like not only will my quilting time suffer .... but my farming might just have to slow a bit.  LOL  

So OK.  You remember how I've said I really needed to cut down on all the blog reading I do each day?  How it just eats up all my time.  (Of course now it's FarmVille..... but that's a whole 'nother story).
Back to the blogs. 
I followed interesting blogs with Google Reader.  A lot of interesting blogs.    And I have blogs arranged into different groups so it's a quick check to just click on the group.   I have Scrapbooking blogs, Best Friend blogs, etc etc.   The group that has the absolute most is Favorite blogs.  
Yep!  That one had a LOT of blogs.  I really did try to cut back  I spent several hours a few months ago just really sorting out the ones I really liked from the ones I kinda like.  I dumped a few.  Really!  I did!
But .... I still had oodles of blogs to go through each day. 
Well let me tell you how I've found a sure fire way to take care of too many blogs on the list.
It's very simple really.......
Here's how I did it.
I clicked on "Favorites" group and as I was running through them quickly I found one that I've lost interest in.  It was highlighted so (without thinking) I quickly clicked on 'Folder Settings' and then on 'Unsubscribe to all'.  And answered Yes to the next box.  You know that box that is smarted than you that always checks to be sure you know what you're doing?  Yeah that box! 
Zap!!!   That's all there is too it.  It wiped out all those blogs in that group.  LOL 
Gone!  No way to get them back. 
OMGosh!! 
I froze. 
What was I going to do now?
............... Then I regained my composure.....took a deep breath.......... and realized that was probably the best thing that could have happened.  
Kinda like ripping off a bandaid. 
Awwww  I feel better now. 

Off to play FarmVille.........

hahaha