I need help finishing this quilt

I started this quilt about 6 months ago with the idea of using up more scraps. I love red and yellow, so that meant I had alot of red and yellow scraps. The pattern called for 5 blocks across by 6 blocks down...the blocks are 9 inches square.

The yellow in the middle is pieced so it is 3-D...I wasn't sure if you could tell in the photo. By the pattern instructions, you quilt the top as shown, bind it, and your done. I'm not sure if I like that look like I did 6 months ago, so.....

any ideas? Border or multiple borders? More squares? Share, please!

I also had to include a photo of my latest thread usage...two 3000 yard cones down...many more to go. Actually, I don't remember either cone being completely new at 3000, so it may be more like 1500 to 2000 yards per cone I have used since January.

Stashbusting Report

Fabric in this week-5 yards
Fabric in YTD-55.5 yards

Fabric out this week-12.5
Fabric out YTD-82 yards

Random photos of finished projects

I wish they were quilting projects, but they're not.

This first photo is the bread we had at a Pizza Restaurant. I thought it was interesting how they cooked the dough on the sticks...it was yummy! (I told you these were random photos)

Lori asked if there was a final photo of the porch painting project...so here they are...

I like the railings painted the red/brown much more than the white we've had forever. Next, I need to repaint the shutters and front door. Right now they are green...I may just do green again, but then, I may just try something new. I would also like to removed the white pillars on either side of the steps and do something new...any ideas?

I trimmed the big bush (in the left of the photo)...cut about 5 feet off of it last year and about 4 feet this year...Hubby wants to pull it out and put something smaller there. The daffodils are nearly done blooming and the tulips are coming up.

Random thoughts with random photos!

Stashbusting report

Fabric in this week-1/2 yard
Fabric in YTD-50.5 yard

Fabric used this week-10.5 yards
Fabric used YTD-69.5 yards

Lots better this week, huh!

Warm weather & quiltathon weekend

I think Spring has finally decided to hang around here for a while. We've gone two days without snow and there are not even rain clouds in the sky this morning. I am planning, after a couple of errands, to sew for the rest of the day as part of Judy's (patchworktimes.com) weekend quiltathon. I love these quiltathons....makes me plan my sewing out and get things finished.

I finished this quilt top this morning. The pattern is from a Sewing with Nancy TV program on how to use jellyroll and fat quarter packets. As usual, I am trying to use up my scraps, especially my solids. I'm not positive, but I think this will be my April Charity quilt...charity undecided yet.

With the warmer weather, and a Hubby who had Spring break off of school, I decided it was time to paint the porch rails. They've been the same old white color since we moved here 12 years ago, and I was ready for a change. I had grape vines woven all through the rails and over the front door entrance.... took them down to paint, then decided to give them to my neighbor who has really liked them.

Unfortunately, I don't have a complete porch painted picture (try saying that 3 times fast!), but it looks really nice. My family is so nice when I get them involved in my house plans!

Now, out to run a few errands, then back to sewing!

New purse for me...car show for him

I'm trying to catch up on some of the photos I've taken in the last while.

For my Quilt Chapter meeting this month, K taught us to make a couple different totes. I made this one from a Quilt Soup pattern. I used fabric I bought on clearance last December, along with some red flannel for the "batting". It was extremely quick to do...maybe a hour start to finish. I have a couple more cut out to do for gifts.

My Hubby helps judge High School car shows, but he and I hadn't been to a large commercial show together in about 20 years. We went to the car show at South Towne Center (Sandy, Utah) a couple of weeks ago. It was a combo car & motorcycle show.

They had the cars from the Knight Rider TV show...I think we watched the show back in the 1980's, but apparently it is back on TV again. The car talked to you as you walked by.

I had to take this photo for Hubby. He has a 1957 two door BelAir he has been redoing over about 25 years now. We have moved it from house to house behind our moving van since the 1980's. He's down to all the finishing touches...which translates into the expensive paint job and inside pretty work. There were lots of 1955-1957 Chevy's too look and oohhh over.


Lastly, they had about 1/4 of the area in motorcycle displays. I am not a motorcycle kind of girl, but I sure enjoyed looking at the beautiful paint jobs...I love when they are very detailed.

I'm getting the house ready today so I can sew tomorrow as part of Judy's (patchworkplace.com) weekend quiltathon. Need to do some more cleaning and laundry. Have a great weekend all!

Besides quilting...

We've been celebrating a Birthday!

Happy Birthday, dear V

The last "teen" as in 19 years old Sisters...V & E

Dessert first....why not....Boston Cream Cake!

Dinner is always the birthday persons choice....V choose Pizza Hut pepperoni pizza and

chicken alfredo pasta!

Her present from Dad & Mom....airline ticket back East to visit Family for a couple of months...I will miss her SO much! The last birdie is beginning to definitely leave the nest!

Stashbusting Report

Fabric in this week-0 yards
Fabric in YTD-50 yards

Fabric used this week-0 yards
Fabric used YTD-59 yards

Lots of cutting out this week...little sewing! Next week may look really good....

Stashbusting Report

Fabric in this week-4 yards
Fabric in YTD-50 yards

Fabric out this week-8 yards
Fabric out YTD-59 yards

Girls dress from Men's shirt & other sewing

I've been busy trying to use up some of my fabric stash on sewing projects other than quilts. I inherited my Mom's fabric when she passed on 8 years ago, and am finally beginning to use it up. I made a nightgown for my granddaughter K out of some tricot. Mom use to make nightgowns for my girls, so I thought I'd continue the Grandmother tradition. I have about 7 more pieces of tricot.

Back in the mid 1980's I went to a sewing class at my Aunt A's church. The class showed how to make a little girls dress out of a man's button front shirt. I made both my girls a few dresses from shirts I bought at the Salvation Army.

Well, what's old is new again...on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, lots of the ladies are doing it, so I thought I'd try it again. I found a XL men's button shirt yesterday at Saver's for $2. I cut it so the Zebra design is at the bottom. It came out pretty good, for not doing this is 20 years! I have another solid green colored shirt for a dress for granddaughter H.

Stashbusting Quilt top finished!

I've been participating in Judy's Quilt Along at her blog. The name of the quilt is Bear in the Farmhouse. I love Judy's design. The best part of this project is that I completely used fabric from my large fabric stash. I was a good kid and didn't buy a thing!

Judy sent each quilter directions with a target completion date. If you finished each step by the date and sent her a photo, then you received the next step. I think she said we started with about 300 quilters, half of which received the final step.

Daughter V has (naturally) laid claim to the quilt!