Quilt Progress and other stitching

I always have helpers when I'm quilting.  Sometimes its my children, but most often its a feline.  Last week our sweet foster kitty, Corin, was helping me hold the quilt to the floor.  Hehe.  He's the sweetest thing and has some permanent handicaps from an accident.  His balance and vision are not good, which makes for a very clumsy kitty!  He's finally learned that he has to go slowly down the stairs so he doesn't tumble down them instead.  Anyway, I digress.  I actually have all the borders on this lovely purple quilt, but its folded nicely and waiting to go to my mom's for quilting, so you'll just have to wait!  But here's the center completed, without borders.

 

I'm really pleased with how it turned out.  Sometimes they don't look the same in cloth as they do in my head and that's disappointing.  But this one makes me happy.  I hope you like it too!

Since my entire stash is still in storage, and this puppy is done, I've been turning to some long-neglected hand projects to keep me from going stir crazy.  A couple years ago I decided to start some hexis using the Martha Washington's Flower Garden layout.  Are you familiar with that?  I've seen a few quilts on The Quilt Index , www.quiltindex.org (if you have a couple hours to kill and love antique quilts, look it up - super fun) with this layout and have always loved it. 

I had two blocks done and another cut and ready to assemble, so during swimming lessons the last two weeks I've been stitching!

I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to lay them out, but I'm thinking there will be scrappy lights in between them, no matter how I arrange them.  I chose 5/8" hexagons, which may seem odd, but I love the size.  I felt like 1/2" was too small and 3/4" was too big.  What can I say?!

I have a couple garment projects for my girls that I hope to get done before August, so my machine will see some action as soon as I bring the "garment fabric" bin back from the storage locker!

Happy Thursday.  Have a great 4th!

The Question of the Ages....

Are you still going to quilt?

Are you going to open a quilt shop?

Are you going to buy a long-arm?

I'll answer those questions in order.

Yes!
Nope.
Absolutely not.

I sat at my sewing machine on Saturday night for the first time in over a month!  My fabric stash has to be packed away to de-clutter the house, but I refused to remove my machine and sewing table.  We just moved them out of the pictures for the listing photos.  Anyway, I kept a couple projects in the closet to work on after the house sold to preserve my sanity.  I'll give you details a little later.

Many of the customers at The Quilt Merchant have asked me if Docia and I are going to open a quilt shop after we move.  The answer is no.  Between the farm and future foster children, I plan to be plenty busy with family and sewing for fun!

I have ZERO desire to own a long-arm.  I've used my mom's Gammil a couple times and it terrifies me.  So I am happy to leave that job to the professionals.

So what am I working on?  Before I had to drop everything and get the house ready to sell I was working on a new pattern for the shop.  Purples, grays and blacks.  My heart wanted to do real LeMoyne Stars, but my inner shop keeper (and Valerie) agreed that mock-stars made out of Half Square Triangles would appeal to more people.

So here's the first block I started on April 9.  Yikes!  I didn't realize that was so long ago!  I was able to start piecing the top before I had to pack it all up.  

Better and more pictures soon.  Gotta get this one finished up before we leave!