Minor Updates

Lately this blog looks like I win things all the time, which is not true. I just don't post that often. I have several UFO's and they get worked on as time permits, but posting is something that I seem to not have time for. (sometimes I just don't know what I want to say or I don't feel a project has enough progress to warrant 'look at me!")

The first update is for the lovely scenic applique quilt. I ended up removing the clouds and replacing them with more cloudy clouds =)

They are edged in a light grey blanket stitch for a cloud with a silver lining. (Please ignore the hair in front of the camera. hehe)

The revised 2x size Sweet Pea quilt is still in the cutting pieces phase. I have discovered that I will need 132 HSTs so this part is taking a bit of time. Particularly since I am also pairing fabric with fussy cuts at the same time. I ended up not grouping them with safety pins since they became a nuisance and I doubt the fabric pieces will travel much.

My last update is a counted cross stitch lighthouse. These come in kits and I love making them, they just seem to take quite a while to finish. I have one that remains a UFO and has been for at least 5 years. I also love the kits with scads of details, so that might be why they take awhile =)

I would love to say that my New Year's Resolution is to blog more. Unfortunately until my college semester ends in early May, finding the time to even work on projects is difficult. To give you an idea.. I enter my Senior year this fall for a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, with the Individualized Option in Accounting. I am taking 5-6 classes a semester (for a total of 15-18 credits) to graduate next Spring. The Pennsylvania State University decided to add presentations to every class, which has increased everyone's homework. Hard to say by how much, but our usual homework is Read a Chapter and Answer a Few Questions or for english we may have a paper to write and for math a list of problems to solve. Normal homework. Presentations are a bit more complicated. They are akin to writing a report, usually require a powerpoint slide and that you talk in front of the class. These are not really a big deal, but they do take up more time then my usual homework assignments. Adding them to every class, even English and Accounting courses was not a welcome change. 

New Project

So here I am planning a new quilt. I love the quilt 'Sweet Peas' that was printed up in the Feb. 2005 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting.

I love the stars and the lovely sashing, but the finished size is only 38" and I want a close to bed size quilt. Now what I'm wondering is: can you 'double the recipe' like you do with cooking? I have 12" squares planned and I plan to grow the sashing from 2" to 4". Any one know if this will work?
To be clear, the original has 6" blocks, 2" sashing, 2 91/4" squares cut in an X, and 2 51/8" squares cut in an X.
I'm 'doubling' to: 12" blocks with 4" sashing. I'm not sure how to double the triangles.

You can see placement here for a better idea of how things go together. The 51/8" squares become the corner triangles and the 91/4" squares become the triangles on the sides.

A huge THANK YOU goes out to Alice @ The Pin and Thimble. I won this beautiful fabric in her first ever giveaway! 

She even sent a little postcard with it to congratulate me!

Another huge THANK YOU goes to Gretchen @ 120 Blocks. I won her scrappy giveaway!

I got 1 magazine and a bunch of scraps. Not sure why she calls some of them scraps. Some are almost a quarter yard! =)

These pictures I 'borrowed' off her website. I was enjoying playing with them and organized them and put them away before I remembered to take pictures =(

The last package that arrived was from Kristen @ Meadowbrook. I won her giveaway of an Olfa circle cutter!

I'm 'borrowing' this picture from her giveaway. So hard to not get glare on this picture. Must be a trick to it =) Can't wait to find a project to use it on! THANK YOU KRISTEN!