Update For Week Ending June 12.

Sunday - Spent part of the day on the internet looking over the blogs, the rest of the day reading books. I am re-reading the Janet Evanovich series Stephanie Plum. There are 15 books currently out, and book 16 comes out on the 22nd. Been several years since book one came out so I want to read them all again. Read books 1-3.

Monday - got email from AccuQuilt that the GO I ordered over the weekend would arrive on Thursday, did a happy dance (almost threw out my back . . .LOL ). Still reading the Stephanie Plum series books 4-7 today.

Tuesday - Internet and blog surfing. Still reading books 8-10.

Wednesday - Still reading books 11 - 12. Got word that I had won the 60 charm square at SewCalGal facebook site. This was the post I found when I checked Facebook 'Charm Square Giveaway winner is Lovie Ball, who was selected and announced last night! But I do plan on having another Charm Square giveaway soon, so maybe next time you will win". You might want to check out her page.

Thursday - Doctors appt. cancelled - rescheduled for next week. This was great news as my new GO arrived this day. Still reading only book 13 today, less time to read - have to watch (and pace floor) for the UPS man.

Friday - Found out I won a a Leisure Art quilt book at the In Stitches blog. Its the blog for the Quilt Shoppe, looks like they have fun over there, with different giveaways. They have a blog bingo going on right now. Next BINGO will start in December, so mark you calender. Still working on the Stephanine Plum series, only read book 14 today.

Saturday - Just finished - book 15 - yea, I'm done with the series until the 22nd. Waiting for "Sizzling Sixteen" to come out. Have already pre-ordered at Amazon. One of the few authors that I buy in Hardback, since I got a Kindle e-reader most of my book purchases are electronic downloads. Don't want to wait for the mail - but also don't want to buy the book twice by getting it as an electronic download. Wish that you could get the electronic version free with purchase of hardback. Working up string strips to feed to my GO, to make more tumbler blocks. Wonderful week overall - so lucky that I am planning on getting a Powerball ticket for tonight.

I'm Back

The last year has been real rough for me, basically I just shut down, and got thru each day. Thats one reason that I did not have any posts. I did not even do any quilting or collect any fabric for my stash, spent most of my time reading books. But, I decided last week that enough was enough. And to start off with a bang I got a Accuquilt GO, received it yesterday. A friend sent me a link to the AccuQuilt facebook site, they are trying to build up members and having giveaways for every 1,000. No I didn't win one - used my charge card. But it started me thinking about my life, and how depressed I had been - and helped give me the kick in the ass I needed.

I started looking at other sites on Facebook and reconnected with the quilt world. Which brought me back to Blogger. For a week I did a review of several of the blogs that I followed. Even entered for a couple of giveaways. Have marked several with pictures of quilts that I have to make, and spent hours going thru my fabric stash and making plans.

I sorted and ironed most of my scraps for use with the GO. Since I ordered the Tumbler die I have been making string strips that are just larger than 7 inch wide to use with it. I can picture a quilt with nothing but string tumblers - some of the strings going up, some down (have to make a new string strip the width of die). Or make string tumblers and alternate with a background tumbler. Will have to play around on the design wall and see what happens.

Got the strips dies in 1 1/2, 2 1/2, and 3 1/2 inches. I have been taking some of my oldest fabric and cutting into 1 1/2 strips to add to the strings basket. Once upon a time I used strings to make blocks for heartstring projects, now I make strings for the GO.

Thats all for now - Got to feed the Go.

Ugly quilt top done

Finished sewing the random scrappy string quilt together. I have 3 different sashing strips. Used a Dark Blue and White stripe on the outer border, a Dark Blue with bright orange cornerstones. And to make it even more ugly I used the bright orange as the middle of the quilt as sashing. The quilt finished with the orange sashing forming a cross in the middle of the quilt. Finish size in the 6x8 block layout was 72 x 96 inches. Hopefully it will work on a twin bed, I tried to plan for the last sashing row to frame the bed with the outer row of blocks hanging over the side of the bed.

Need to get a digital camera so I can post some pictures of this ugly quilt. This is very different from my normal quilt style. And I will admit that 3 blocks were put in backwards, I didn't notice until it was finished, and I had no desire to rip it out and fix it. I must also confess that not all my seams matched perfectly. Truthfully I don't care . . . this quilt was made to pass the time during this holiday. I started it on Christmas day, and was able to finish it today. Might never have this one quilted, not sure I want to waste the money. If I every get it quilted I would have a hard time finding a backing with blue and orange.

String Quilts Update

Spent the entire day working on the string blocks, (13 hours). I had a blast - quilting is always relaxing and gives me a sense of peace. I was alone for most of the day, and the time just flew by. Looked at my watch and it was 1:30 in the morning, couldn't believe that I had spent that long sewing/quilting.

• Red string quilt top is finished, I have decided not to put on borders.
• Blue string blocks are still finished, but have not decided how to lay them out.
• Random scrappy, the blocks are on the design wall. Have decided to use sashing strips between the blocks, selected a dark blue stripe on the outer rows, kind of like a border - with luck it will fall just right to frame the bed. I'm using a dark blue sashing in the center rows. Not sure what fabric for cornerstones - most likely a bright yellow. What started out being a crib quilt has turned into a full/queen. I like how this one has turned out, I might just have to keep this one for myself.

What is shocking is the fact that I have been quilting for over 25 years and only have two quilts that I've made. And those 2 quilts are ones that I had given my mom and retrieved after she died, a Double Wedding Ring, and a hand pieced Grandmothers Flower Garden.