I Went Shopping....

Yes... I left "the homestead" and went shopping! Straight to the fabric store as usual. My boxy star quilt top needs to be finished and I just haven't been satisfied with any of the fabrics I have here...so, darn....this means a trip to the fabric store. This is "a few" of my selections. The orange is for an "Orange Crush" quilt I hope to do soon. I also selected alot of lights and neutrals of which I had very little of in my stash. The fabric I ended up selecting for the Boxy Star quilt will NOT be what I will be using after all. The lady in the quilt store was nice and tried to be helpful, but someone else can't select for you or see what you have in your mind. After I got home and layed it out I knew it wasn't right ( I really knew it when I bought it ). I've since figured it out BUT as usual I don't have enough of the color...so back to the fabric store I go. The closest store for me is 45 miles away....so this can be a chore everytime you need something!

Here is the startings of my new project. This particular quilt was hung up in the quilt shop and I was just really taken by it. So happens they had one kit left. I'm not much on buying kits. I usually just do my own thing, but I thought this would be a nice change. It was already to go...pattern and fat quarters....no decisions on my part, and since we have been having thunderstorms off and on and I keep unplugging my machine I have been cutting away at all of these pieces and parts and parts and pieces. I have never really stopped to think of how many pieces there are in a quilt, but I was amazed that I've cut 500 so far! WOW!

Here are a couple of the squares I managed to get sewed up between thunderstorms. They are large squares-16 inch. Sews up pretty fast too! This design is out of the Quiltmaker magazine, I think in 2006......it's older.....but that's about par for me. I'm always a little behind and trying to catch up, but you know what....who cares.....I'm not running a race with anyone ( well maybe with Nanette - I swear she is running a quilting sweat shop - that gal can turn 'em out ).

Yes and I am following Bonnie and Tonya's suggestions about scooting over another 1/4 seam and stitching again and then cutting between the seams and saving what you cut off to use in another project. By doing this you are sewing two projects at the same time. I'm gaining 16 extra little squares from each large square I sew on my main project. I feel very efficient when I do this. A great tip! Oh and before I forget go by and visit at Fran's blog. She is a newbie AND an excellent quilter!

I see that the horizon is getting dark and looming with more thunderstorms coming. We are soooo thankful for the much needed 2 inches we got last night. Hubby is so excited to get to cut off the costly irrigation wells on the crops. You gals would faint if you knew how much our electric and gas bills were each month to run these well motors.....try 1200.00 A DAY!!!! You do the math!! Just think what I could do with that in the quilt shop!!!

I'm gonna go now and try to get some more squares sewed up before the lightning starts again!!!