Happy Thursday!

Welcome to another Needle and Thread Thursday!  The arrival of achievement testing has hit my sewjo hard this week.  I have been so exhausted in the evenings that all I have wanted to do is completely space out in front of the TV.  But, since finishing Citrus Wedges last weekend, I've been diligently cutting into this bundle for my next project a little each evening (before I crash).

Recently, I've been trying out the design side of things, and I'm planning to use these fabrics in a quilt for my very first published pattern.  I actually have a pattern coming out in the summer issue of Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine that is already written, but hopefully this one will actually be available before then.  I think what will be most difficult is keeping the quilt a secret until the pattern is ready.  Do I really have to?  What do you think?  Can I reveal the quilt before the pattern is ready?  I'm not very good at keeping secrets.

Anyway, check out some of the fabulous quilts shared at last week's party!  Run 'n Stitch shared this beautiful quilt.  I love the cheery colors in this one!

Sue Daurio's Quilting Adventure linked up this fun tumbler quilt-

and 44th Street Fabric shared these stunning Oklahoma Beauty blocks!  Wow!

I just love seeing what you're working on week after week!  Time to party, y'all!

1.  You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

**Please remember to be sure your post includes a project.  I would appreciate it if you would not link to giveaways or other parties unless your post also includes a project you're working on.

Citrus Wedges

Hooray!  I was so worried that my exam (last Saturday) and the weeks of studying beforehand would keep me from participating in the Triangle QAL going on at The Sassy Quilter.  But, I managed to catch up to the group and finish right on time!

I'll just warn you now- this post is picture heavy.  I absolutely love this quilt.  It's certainly not perfect, but the happy citrus colors feel so fresh and make me think of summer.  It's coming soon, and I can't wait!

Working with triangles was a first for me, and although I got the hang of it after awhile, I'm not sure I'll be jumping right into another triangle quilt just yet.

Since the original inspiration for the quilt was the fresh pop of citrus, and the quilt is in triangles, I thought Citrus Wedges was the perfect name.  Most of the time I name quilt when the top is finished, but there are times when I think of the name as soon as I pick out the fabrics.  This is one of those names that immediately thought of, and decided to stick with it.

Most of my fabrics were quarter yard cuts, so I had a nice WOF strip left over after I cut my triangles.  I had a lot of fun piecing the leftovers together for the backing.  I ended up with far fewer green fabrics than yellows and oranges, and so I thought the bright green strips on the sides would balance the colors.

That's also the reason why I chose to bind it in a shade of green.  I just thought the quilt needed more (of course, I always think things could use a bit more green).  I really wanted to find some Kona Clover (the darkest green), but JoAnn's was out of it.   I'm just not patient enough to order and wait for it to arrive, so I went with Kona Chartreuse, and I think it works just as well.

My triangle ruler was a little bigger than Paula's at The Sassy Quilter, so my starting strips were cut 6.5 inches rather than 6 inches.  So, the finished quilt measures about 56x72 inches.

My points aren't perfect, and a couple of my rows are slightly misaligned, but overall, I'm pretty proud to have finally tackled triangles!  I love the end result!

I'm linking my finished quilt up at The Sassy Quilter's Triangle QAL link party.  You should hop over and check out all of the fabulous triangle quilts going on over there!

Welcome Back!

Hooray! All of the exam madness is finished, and Needle and Thread Thursday is ON!  I had every intention of hosting last week, even in the midst of all of my studying, but time just got away from me!  I remembered on Friday afternoon, and at that point, I figured I would just wait until today.

I finished up my triangle quilt top on Monday and I absolutely love it!  I wanted to make a quilt with citrus colors, and I love how happy it is.

I pieced the backing last night, and I can't wait to get it basted and quilted!

Our last NTT was two whole weeks ago, and some fabulous projects were linked up!  

Check out this lovely clamshell quilt from Snuggle Up With a Dish From Karma.

The Cozy Pumpkin shared this awesome HST quilt-

and Megan from Tales of Ineptitude linked up these totally chic napkins.  I definitely see some of these on my Christmas gift list.  (I know Christmas is a long way away, but I always start my gift sewing when I'm out for summer vacation, and that IS coming very soon- thank goodness!!)

I am ecstatic to be back from my break and I can't wait to get caught up on what everyone is working on!  Let's party, y'all!

1.  You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

**Please remember to be sure your post includes a project.  I would appreciate it if you would not link to giveaways or other parties unless your post also includes a project you're working on!  I really don't enjoy deleting links!  :)

Back in the Saddle

Wow!  The last few weeks have blown by like a whirlwind.  I've spent every spare minute studying for my exam, and I think it went very well (huge sigh of relief).  Now that it's over, I'm so thrilled to be back at my sewing machine.  My first order of business is to catch up with the Triangle QAL going on over at The Sassy Quilter.

On Saturday afternoon, I managed to get all of my triangles cut out.  Laying them out took a little bit longer than I anticipated, but last night, I finished up almost half of the quilt top.

Piecing the triangles into rows was getting a little bit tedious, so I decided to piece a few rows and then go ahead and join them together.  Here's my issue.  Besides the obvious problem of trying to keep my points and sewing with stretchy, bias-cut fabric, I accidentally sewed two rows with the starting triangle pointing the wrong way.  The first triangles in the row should have been pointing down and I sewed them pointing up.  The easy solution is to just flip the entire row, except that messes with the fabric layout.  So, needless to say, I made the best of it and have a few fabrics closer together than I would rather.  grrrr...

I have managed to keep most of my triangle points, although the very first row I sewed has some questionable results.  Oh well, working with triangles is new for me, so I'm chalking it up to a learning experience!  Five rows down, seven to go!

Needle and Thread Thursday!

Happy Thursday, y'all!  I'm still hitting the books, so no sewing progress to report from me!  So, let's just jump right into highlights from last week!

Soma, at Whims and Fancies linked up this whimsical kite mini.  It is so happy!

Hydee over at Splish, Splash, Stash showed off her progress on her Gypsy Wife, and isn't all that fabric variety yummy?

and Conni at My Creative Side shared this lovely hexie quilt.

What a fantastic week!  Once again, because my studying actually started before last week's party, I didn't get a chance to leave comments, but browsing through the links was such a wonderful way to finish the evening while laying in bed, just before drifting off to sleep.

Your well wishes for my studying and test over the past couple of days has brought a big smile to my face.  I'm so thankful for you!  So, even though I'm not quite as visible right now, y'all just keep right on partying!

1.  You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

**Please remember to be sure your post includes a project.  I would appreciate it if you would not link to giveaways or other parties unless your post also includes a project you're working on!  I really don't enjoy deleting links!  :)

A Glutton for Punishment

Remember the exam I took several weeks ago?  Well, I got my scores last week and completely forgot to share that I passed with flying colors!  I don't know if I've mentioned this on my blog or not, but I have a Masters degree in Literacy Instruction, but I never took the test to become a Reading Specialist.  I have always been content staying in a regular elementary classroom, particularly while my son is in elementary school and gets to come to school with me.  Reading Specialists around here travel to various schools, and I just didn't want to do that.

Anyway, there are lots of changes going on in my school district right now, and I figured that this is a great time to go ahead and get the formal Reading Specialist endorsement in addition to the test I took a few weeks ago.  Yes, I really am feeling like a glutton for punishment.

All of this is to say that I'm in manic study mode again, and this test is much tougher than the last!  The test is on April 19th, and I'm staying disciplined and not sewing during these next couple of weeks until it's behind me.

You know this is killing me because I have these lovely citrus shades all picked out for the Triangle QAL going on right now at the Sassy Quilter.

Sigh...they will just have to wait.  I'm hoping I can catch up with the group when my test is over.

Just so you know- I will still be hosting NTT this week and next, but other than that, I'm afraid I'll be absent from the blogosphere.  Send some great study vibes my way, because y'all know I'd so much rather be quilting!

NTT, a Finish, and an Honor

Woohoo!  We're on the downhill slide of another week.  Spring Fever has hit my students hard, and now that I mention it, it has hit me too!  I finished up my Two Four Six quilt just last night, and because the days are getting so much longer, I managed to snap some quick photos after school today.

 Since the robin's egg blue and chocolate brown are in such stark contrast, there was no way for my thread to blend in, so I decided to quilt with a wide stipple in a chocolate brown thread.  I was a little worried that it would make the quilt look too busy, but I like the effect on both the front and the back.

Of course all of the scraps went into the backing, and I found this really awesome sketch print for the binding.  It's two shades of brown and I think it's really cool!

This one is for my wild thing's teacher, and of course, I just couldn't help myself- I took it to school today to show her.  They are right next door to my classroom, so I just couldn't resist!  She really loved it, and I am so glad!  I have a quilt guild meeting this weekend, and I want to take it for show and tell, but I'm sure she'll be snuggling with it pretty soon after!

With spring in the air, I decided to call this one Robin's Nest.  The calm blue with the earthy brown is such a pretty color combo in nature and in a quilt (photo courtesy of bodmindspirit.blogspot.com).

By the way, I always quilt through my labels, and I have people who are using my label tutorial ask me from time to time whether it obstructs the view of the message.  Even though I have used brown thread and the label is on Kona White, I can honestly say that it doesn't make the writing illegible to me.  This label is about 3x3 inches including the borders, and the quilting doesn't bother me.  Perhaps if the quilting was much tighter it would.

My next bit of news is such an honor for me.  You might remember that last year I made four different memory quilts from my grandfather's western shirts.  He had Alzheimer's and passed away in December.  The quilts are a keepsake for my dad and his three brothers.  Well, the current issue of Quilt-It Today has an article on memory quilts, and they contacted me to include one of my quilts!  I put it on my (left) sidebar some time ago, but the issue just went on sale last week.  My Dad's Western Kaleidoscope quilt is on page 26!  It is so cool to walk into JoAnn's and see them on the rack!

Whew!  I feel like talked your ear off today!  Let's get onto some highlights from last weeks party!

Elise at Lovelea Designs shared this gorgeous medallion quilt.

Julie's Quilts and Costumes linked up this patriotic beauty!

and Quilting is More Fun Than Housework showed off this scrappy, happy quilt!

Can't wait to party it up this week!  Bring it on, ya'll!

1.  You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

**Please remember to be sure your post includes a project.  I would appreciate it if you would not link to giveaways or other parties unless your post also includes a project you're working on!  I really don't enjoy deleting links!  :)