Blizzard {Quilt}

"Baby, it's cold outside......."

In December 2011, I started cutting a quilt the week before the "big" holiday in hopes I would finally have a Christmas Quilt.  I found a tutorial at Piece N Quilt called Figgy Christmas and thought it would be simple to do.  I started cutting the blocks and had the lower "layer" cake part finished.  Then the holiday rush came and went and it just didn't seem so urgent in the scheme of things.  And I was okay with that.  I packed it up and put it back on the closet WIP shelves.

Later, the in the new year, some friends and I decided to have a Virtual Sew In on Facebook.  I cranked out a few quilt tops and then I finished the applique and pieced it on August 2012.

And then it sat again.  I pieced the backing sometime in 2013.  I was worried that I had mixed homespun with cotton, so I stalled.  Then decided to wash it before quilting.

Then it took a backseat again.  

Until this summer.  June 2014.

I actually finished quilting it and binding it by the start of the school year.  

And didn't take pictures.  I had visions of having my husband helping me out. We would take it to some amazing location and pose for our family Christmas photos in front of it.   But I didn't.

So this morning.  Yes.  This morning, January 16, 2015.....I dragged it outside.  The pictures are not the best.  However, I'm not going to apologize.  It's done.  It is loved.  That's all that matters.

Details in the trees.

Swirling snow.

Curvy quilting to possibly mimic snow drifts.

Snowflake pantograph on the bottom layer cake portion.

Moda Red Binding.

Homespun backing with leftover block pieces.   I couldn't be happier.

It's keeping me warm on my bed this kinda chilly winter here in Houston!

Quilt Stats:

Pattern: Figgy Christmas by Piece N Quilt

Fabrics: Random Christmas Prints I bought circa 2010-2012

Thread: Pieced with Guttermann, Quilted with Auriful and Superior Threads.

Quilting: Freemotion and Snowflake Pantograph by myself on my Avante 18" longarm

 I can attest...it really is not a difficult quilt to make.

  I just took forever getting it done!

Waiting in Line

I have quite a few tops floating around here lately.

The two newest ones came together quickly.

Unfortunately, they are joining

Blizzard

Spirograph

Shuffle the Deck

and 

Jacob's Highlighter 

on the Ole Betsy line-up rack.

They are all waiting for me to finish up my aunt's quilt. 

(The most recent photo. It is already loaded on Ole Betsy)

 It is giving me a little trouble.   And my response to the problem was to order new leaders from Handiquilter so I could just take it off and start on the more pressing ones since my "due date" passed a few days ago.  However, my order hasn't arrived.

So I am forcing myself not to to touch project (other than my hexies at tv time) unless it involves any of the seven quilt tops that I stated above.

Did I actually say SEVEN?

Who is this person and where did she come from?

No Blizzard for Me

I have been inundated with photos of snow in the Northeast today on Facebook, Instagram, and blogs.

No snow here.  Gorgeous.  67.  

Playing outside kind of day!

But I will admit, I am terribly jealous of the snow.  I grew up in the Chicago and Milwaukee area and haven't seen snow like that since circa early 1990s.

I did post on one photo this morning, saying I was green with envy.  That friend said that I could come over and shovel for her.  I totally would!!!  I loved to shovel as a kid and as a adult.  The feeling of the snow falling softly on my head or whirling viciously.  The quiet.  The dead silence of it all.  The only sound was my own.  The rhythmic scraping of the metal on concrete.   The labored breathe that you could see. The feeling of accomplishment.  The anticipation of the hot cocoa my mom would make me when I came inside. It was one of the few times she coddled us as kids and the very few times we were allowed to have sugar other than a holiday!

If you aren't sure where I am going with all of this, hang on.

Last night, I had a wee bit of time to sew.  Thursday is my "day off" with the boys in school and Button at preschool.  However, the scrapbook retreat set me back on laundry and my day off became ironing and folding day.   By the time homework was completed and dinner eaten, I was had a tiny bit of time to work on something.

I discarded all thought of working on the do.good stitches quilt, Imagination, on Ole Betsy.  I knew I was too tired and I just didn't want to hang out in the garage last night.

I sat and looked at my project bins and had the urge to cut some blocks out for Button's quilt or my nephew's quilt.  

Free Spirit

But then I noticed the new fabric above that I received this week for a commissioned quilt, cluttering up my newly organized closet.  I know it might look the same as other photos in the past, but I can assure you that I reorganized and moved all of my wiring shelving, added two new drawer systems and moved all of my project bins and fabric stash lower.  I also have my Sissix down lower so I am not trying to lift it from above my head.

I looked in there last night and I realized I had a problem already. My two goals this year were to focus on finishing things before starting new ones and never having more projects than the number of project bins I had.   I didn't have an open bin for the new fabric/future project (already breaking one of my rules).  I had collected all the fabric for the Christmas quilt in one of the bins just in case I needed.
If I just finished it?  I would have a free bin!

Easy decision: Finish my Christmas quilt.  

First, I focused on ironing the appliques on.

Then I blanket stitched the edges and went to bed.

Today?
I only had 35 minutes during naptime to do something before going about my mom duties. 

Button was a big helper *said with dripping sarcasm*.
 He was driving me insane until I literally heard him saying "mess" and singing Taylor Swift's song "Trouble" while he dumped all of my beads and buttons from their jars.
How could you not laugh?

My measly 35 minutes?
 I set my timer and pieced the two halves together, ironed, and trimmed the edges to square it up.

All I have left to do is to cut the backing and get her in line for Ole Betsy!!

And the most exciting thing?

  I have a name for the quilt! The name, Figgy Pudding, just never worked for me since all of my Christmas/Winter prints were not the fabric line, but things I had picked up at various quilt shops.  And I think I have mentioned before that I like to have names for my quilts.

 Introducing the quilt that will remind me of my childhood.

Southern Blizzard.