Progress

I may have said this before, but learning to sew like this has taught me MUCH about patience and more patience. Making a quilt is a long process! (I'm sure I'm much slower at is as a newbie though). I finally had a little time (between class, work, and final exams) to cut into all that pretty fabric and get it set for sewing. I'm relieved to have all the cutting done... but can I say I'm already looking ahead to new projects!? Haha, I think this just might be addicting...

I cut TONS of half square triangles to sew into blocks. I know there are some shortcuts for this process, but I didn't have the right marking tool to mark out the quarter inch seams... so I just cut lots and lots of triangles...

So pretty all stacked together...

Since this is my first quilt, I just started in with an idea in mind. I picked out the various fabrics I liked, and cut triangles from them. I kept thinking that it was taking an awful long time to cut all that fabric, but finshed it anyway. When I was done, I looked up measurements for the various sizes of quilts I could make... and come to find out, I had cut enough fabric for two twin size, or a double and lap, or a king!! WOW!! I think I'll have some fabric leftover, and won't repeat that mistake again! Hehe

Before I got too far though, I did try out several different layout patterns to see which I liked best. My original idea was to do pinwheels... but something made me change my mind.

After playing with the above ideas, I googled "half square triangle quilts" and found some other beautiful ideas... the best was found here (made by Connie Ryan according to the website), and it's the pattern I'm going to try and make. I love it! I think it will need a blue border of some kind and I have LOTS of extra HST blocks leftover to work with too... hmmm...

April Showers Bring May Flowers (Or something like that...)

Last summer I decided that I needed to have a few flowers around... couldn't wait until we had a place of our own and a real garden, so here are the results:

This summer I found a BEAUTIFUL purple geranium.

These are also my current flower pots - it's been a challenge protecting them from the hail, late snow, and frosts!

Flowers from last summer...

I love the roses - but don't know how to keep them over the winter very well...

Purple Petunias...