Double Delight UFO progress etc.,

As I mentioned before, I have two "big" projects coming. Both of them are memory quilts (quilts that will utilize inkjet printing on fabric.) I have finished all my current-running projects and didn't want to start anything new or "big" because I knew these two quilts would require my FULL attention and were going to be started very soon.

So as I'm here, twittling my thumbs in a way. I can't start anything new, so I've sorta been FORCED to dig into my UFO pile. . .which everyone knows is a GOOD thing. I knew I would dig these things out ONE day. . and the day has come!!!

UFO #1: String Quilt.

Remember the string blocks we swapped on quiltvilleswap yahoo group? I paired these, with my (now ufo'd) RRCB neutral string blocks and stitched these into an odd top. I say this is odd because there are many more neutral blocks than colored ones. I don't have a photo of this just yet, but will have very soon and will share it ASAP.

UFO #2: Double Delight.

I pulled this baby out today, and this is what I saw.

I was constructing this quilt using the QAYG method (as usual) and since it was on-point it was very INTERESTING to put together... Here you can see that all my blocks were put together in rows, and the sashing already added. All I had to do was put the rows together and the center would be done.

I don't know why I UFOd this in the first place. Yes, I just used UFO as a verb. I was SO CLOSE. So close in fact, that I finished the whole "center" of the quilt in just a couple hours!!

Here's a few more photos of the finished "center" section of the quilt:

Tomorrow, I will wake up, get my coffee, turn on the latest episode of "WEEDS" that I'm watching on netflix, and start on the borders. I had a pile of new fabric in the same bag, so I'm assuming that's what I had already chosen for the borders. Hey, works for me! One less thing I have to think about.

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Last week, I finished another batch of hand-dyes that I was hoping I could use for Sindy of FatCatPatterns.com's BOM "Fiesta"

I made a Flickr Slideshow of all the gradated fabrics and you can view them here.

I only used 4 colors, and did 2, 12-step gradations.

Brown -> Red -> Ecru

Brown -> Blue -> Ecru

I used procion mx dyes by jacquard and the actual colors are called "Carmine red" and "MEdium Blue" just in case you were wondering.

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One more thing!!!

I'm SUPER excited about the upcoming quiltvilleswap yahoo group CIVIL WAR swap!!!

FatQuarterShop had a sale of the eXACT fabrics I was eyeballing at the eXACT time I was wanting them!!!! So I bought a yard of each so I could have about a 1/2 yard of "leftovers" for me ;c) The other 1/2 yard I cut up into 2.5" by half WOF strips to swap. I took some photos of them just because I think they're so awesome. . . .

Look at all the squishies!!!!!!!

My string blocks have arrived!

YAY! So exciting! They're all sooo beautiful. I get my mail at my mother's house because I don't have a physical address at my apt. So the strings that I stitched are in a separate photo. Check them out. . aren't they awesome????

And here are my string blocks before I sent them out:

I still have quite a few of my neutral string blocks left from my UFO'd Roll Roll Cotton Boll. I'm sorry . . . yes, I gave up on it. I hang my head in shame. =c(

So I'm planning on using the Neutral string blocks along with these Colored ones from the swap. Wouldn't that make a cool quilt? Here's my neutral strings hanging on design wall:

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Also, I just finished a little project I am quite proud of. My mother, just got a new Macintosh computer. It's so cute!! But so complicated when she's spent the last 40 years perfecting her use of PC. I couldn't imagine going from PC to Mac. . . I doubt I could go very far. I might start small, like she did. . and get an iphone.

So the Mac came in this elaborate shipping box and LOTS of padding, but NO case for it! I took it upon myself to make her a little laptop carrier. I used THIS TUTORIAL from "sew mama sew."

The tutorial is actually for a plain laptop SLEEVE. But I altered it a bit, made it a QUILTED laptop carrier, complete with strap. If anyone would like a tutorial on this I would be happy to make one. It has no pockets even though I would have liked to have added some. I found that with these bags you can EITHER do quilting, OR add pockets. One or the other NOT both.

I asked my mom what colors she would like and LUCKY FOR ME she said black/white/maybe some red. WELLL I am currently working on a Red/White/Black quilt so I already had the fabric scraps ready to go! You can see my RED/WHITE/BLACK work-in-progress quilt HERE.

I was quite torn as to what to use for the lining. I kind of wanted something soft, or fuzzy. I went through my scraps of fleece, flannel, and fuzzies, and couldn't find anything to match. But then I remembered my Michael Miller KNIT black polka dot fabric that I used to make my friend Heather's dress ;c) I was kinda scared to use a knit for the lining, but I just added some Pellon fusible stablizer and I think it worked quite nicely. Here's some photos of the finished bag:

Oh and here's the dress I made for Heather using the same knit fabric by Michael Miller ;c)