Memorial Day Weekend in San Diego

My husband and I traveled to San Diego to visit our daughter, Caroline and attend an Alpha Chi Omega parent meeting.  Caroline is in the new pledge class and we thought that we would like to meet some of the girls and parents of her sorority.  We had a very good time and enjoyed meeting the girls.

These pictures were take on top of the I House.

The weather was wonderful (as always) with the high about 75 degrees.  Of course, the trip always includes a trip to Mitch's Seafood at Point Loma.  The fish is so fresh and always delicious!

I always try to get to a quilt shop in any town that I am in.  This trip was not any different.  The only time that we had to go was Sunday afternoon.  The only quilt shop that is open on Sunday is Rosie's Calico Cupboard by SDSU so we traveled to that shop.  I always buy project bags because they are fabulous!  I am always overwhelmed when I go there because there are so many bolts of fabric that I buy very little.  I did find Laundry Basket Fabrics, (by Eydta Sitar) her new line, Jelly Bean.  I purchased 3-one yard cuts of the following fabrics:

Beanstalk in Popcorn, Taupe and Watermelon.

I may have to go to my local stores to find the fabrics that coordinate with them.  They are gorgeous pieces of fabric!

Hampton Ridge BOM - Month 8

I picked up Month 8 of Hampton Ridge last Wednesday.  I really wanted to finish the four blocks before this weekend, blocks 30 through 33.

Block 30

Block 31

Block 32

Block 33

 

 

Just a few months to go until the blocks are all finished.  I like the whole quilt and I can't wait to see it come together.

Update - Blogger Girls Block of the Month II

I joined the Blogger Girls Block of the Month 2 late.  I have finished all of the blocks except for the last two.  Monique Dillard of the Open Gate Blog is hosting this BOM.  There is only one set of blocks left and that one will be posted on June 1.  The blocks are fun and I would love to see the other quilts that everyone else is making.  I added on the settings of the blocks that I have made so far.  Here is an example of the additional steps to complete the blocks.

The first step to finish the block, an additional piece of fabric was sewn into the corners.  The second step was to add another piece of fabric to that corner.

I enjoy Blocks of the Months.  As long as you can keep up, it is a lot of fun learning new ways to piece and new techniques.
 

Blogger Girls Block of the Month II

I decided that I would take a break from the "Star Flowers" quilt that I started a month ago.  As I stated in the last post, I was frustrated with "cleaning-up" some of the points where six fabrics met outside of the blocks.  

Well, I decided that I would work on the Blogger Girls Block of the Month II by Monique Dillard.  I believe that I have all of her books and I have been following her blog, The Open Gate for a couple of years.  I printed the directions for the first block of the month last year and I have been printing the second block of the month that Monique started this past January.  This particular BOM is six months long and has two blocks per month that are very similar and one month there will be three blocks to complete.  The quilt is 59 inches square.  Each block is 6 inches finished plus the sashing amount to 9 inches finished.

I decided to make a blue and white quilt and to use fabrics already in my stash.  I just completed all of the blocks so far and have not added the  setting for each block.  

Two Blocks

January 2014

Two Blocks

February 2014

 

 Two Blocks

March 2014 

 Two Blocks

April 2014

       Three Blocks
       May 2014 

Catching Up....AGAIN! Hampton Ridge - Month 7

Catching up is the story of my life!  I had to work at the high school since my last blog post, this time testing the sophomore and juniors.  Most of them are weary of testing, it is almost the end of the school year, they are not happy about taking STAR tests and most of them are not motivated to complete them let alone work hard on them.  At any rate, their attitudes make me crazy and it bothers me so much that I "veg" out when I finally get home!

I finally finished the Hampton Ridge BOM from last month, April this morning.  Here are the results:

Block 26

Block 27

Block 28

Block 29

In two weeks, the next month's BOM will be ready for me to pick-up.  I feel compelled to finish these blocks ASAP. I have so many other projects just waiting for me to complete.  I do not need to sign-up for more BOM's!

I have been working on the quilt that I last blogged about.  It has been easy except for the areas where six different pieces of fabric meet.  If I am not careful, I have to take them apart and try to sew them back together to a decent looking place between the blocks.  That has been the most difficult part of piecing it together.   The set-in seams are easy if I just take my time sewing them together.  I will show my errors that I caused when racing through the set-in seaming in the next couple of days.  I will try to finish the quilt as well inevitably rushing and having to rip out seams and sewing them back together.