Austen Family Album Top Finished!

I finished up the top for my Austen Family Album quilt about a week and a half ago but have had the hardest time getting decent pics!  This one is just so big! So here it is!!!

 

All 104" square of it.  There was no place big enough around my apartments to lay it out so I made a trip to mom's to use her front yard.  :)  It is absolutely gorgeous.  The yellow sets off the 1930's prints so beautifully.This one is going to have to go out to a longarmer.  Those setting blocks just scream for special quilting.  My daughter said daisies in the setting blocks which I think is perfect for the yellow and white.

 

 I love this one so much.  I can hardly wait to get it quilted and bound.  Maybe a new bed to showcase it better, what do you think?  :)

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts.

There's still time to whip up the first block for our Not So Last Minute Christmas QAL.  I've got a lovely set of batik fat quarters in front of me just waiting to give out to a lucky somebody that links up their first block this weekend!  Come join the fun!

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<br><a href="http://aquiltingchick.blogspot.com/2015/01/not-so-last-minute-christmas-quilt-along.html" title="A Quilting Chick - Not So Last Minute Christmas QAL"><img src="http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj507/AQuiltingChick/Nutcracker_zps154dd2c0.jpg" alt="A Quilting Chick - Not So Last Minute Christmas QAL" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
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Austen Family Album Blocks Done!

I stayed up late last night and finished up the last two of my blocks for my Austen Family Album quilt!!!!  I'm so excited to have these done.  I have the layout planned out and am hoping to get the top finished this weekend! Keep your fingers crossed!

 

And....on the happy mail front....I got these four blocks for my Quilter's Garden swap.  Aren't they cute?  Only one more block still in the mail.

 

In case you missed it, we have a new quilt along started, Not So Last Minute Christmas Quilt Along.  Come join the fun!

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<br><a href="http://aquiltingchick.blogspot.com/2015/01/not-so-last-minute-christmas-quilt-along.html" title="A Quilting Chick - Not So Last Minute Christmas QAL"><img src="http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj507/AQuiltingChick/Nutcracker_zps154dd2c0.jpg" alt="A Quilting Chick - Not So Last Minute Christmas QAL" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
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And last but not least, don't forget our leader/ender linky party next Tuesday!

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<br><br><a href="http://aquiltingchick.blogspot.com/2014/11/our-first-leaderender-linky-party.html" title="A Quilting Chick"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl5ugFNY3GXFl5r17VbnZWiY236HeXEHtdd7Qtwr34jY38dnI7dByAXqmqAyKbpHrBiKkvA8e5XzamGrNGoREtAdRzBgT4_KkYYdZqTykmk3NhMglVQDwcjM7B0qDt0_j75azKJ9zxAhV/s1600/leader+ender+button.jpg" alt="A Quilting Chick" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
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Linking up with Ft. Worth Fabric Studios.

and Live a Colorful Life.

Austen Family Album

I got one more block done on my Austen Family Album quilt. Only two to go!!  Hopefully I'll get to the sashing and putting the top together this weekend.

 

And if you haven't seen it, come check out the new No So Last Minute Christmas Quilt Along! 

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<br><a href="http://aquiltingchick.blogspot.com/2015/01/not-so-last-minute-christmas-quilt-along.html" title="A Quilting Chick - Not So Last Minute Christmas QAL"><img src="http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj507/AQuiltingChick/Nutcracker_zps154dd2c0.jpg" alt="A Quilting Chick - Not So Last Minute Christmas QAL" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
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And....don't forget our leader/ender linky party next Tuesday!

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<br><br><a href="http://aquiltingchick.blogspot.com/2014/11/our-first-leaderender-linky-party.html" title="A Quilting Chick"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl5ugFNY3GXFl5r17VbnZWiY236HeXEHtdd7Qtwr34jY38dnI7dByAXqmqAyKbpHrBiKkvA8e5XzamGrNGoREtAdRzBgT4_KkYYdZqTykmk3NhMglVQDwcjM7B0qDt0_j75azKJ9zxAhV/s1600/leader+ender+button.jpg" alt="A Quilting Chick" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
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Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation and Live a Colorful Life.

Austen Family Album Progress

Hi my friends! I'm back!  I've been finally feeling better over the last 24 hours and am ready to show you what I've been working on.  Thank you all so much for your well wishes!  This flu bug was a bugger, let me tell you.

So, right before it kicked in, I finished up this block for my Austen Family Album quilt.

 

Then while I was home sick, before it got bad, I still squeezed in a few blocks.  Here they are along with teh one I made last night...

 

I'm hoping to get back to my RSC15 tonight.  As a reminder, here's the one I have made already.  This month's color is blue...

 Don't you love her design layout for this year...

I have so many things I want to do this year and I've felt really setback over the last few weeks.  I have a paper pieced quilt along planned and I really want to do a Dear Jane linky party with yall!  Hopefully over the next few days I can get these plans finalized and up on the blog.

And speaking of linky party, don't forget next Tuesday is our leader/ender linky party!!!  I love seeing what projects you're working on and what progress you've made.  Come back and join the fun!!

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<br><a href="http://aquiltingchick.blogspot.com/2014/11/our-first-leaderender-linky-party.html" title="A Quilting Chick"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl5ugFNY3GXFl5r17VbnZWiY236HeXEHtdd7Qtwr34jY38dnI7dByAXqmqAyKbpHrBiKkvA8e5XzamGrNGoREtAdRzBgT4_KkYYdZqTykmk3NhMglVQDwcjM7B0qDt0_j75azKJ9zxAhV/s1600/leader+ender+button.jpg" alt="A Quilting Chick" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
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Linking up with these lovlies:

She Can Quilt - Scraptastic Tuesday

A Quilting Life - Scraps Monday

Freshly Pieced - WIP Wednesday

RSC15 has Begun!

I've been watching So Scrappy and her Rainbow Scrap Challenges from the sidelines for a few years. This year, I decided that I've had enough watching and that I need to, "Just Do It!"  And I think I picked the perfect year to play.  She is designing a variety of 6" blocks and then setting them into sawtooth star blocks.  I do love me some stars!  This month's color is blue and here is my first block...

 

The stars will then be set with Irish Chain blocks.  Her design drawing is here.  Isn't it gorgeous??  And it is using SCRAPS!!  I still have a gazillion of them.  They just never seem to diminish in quantity at all.  

So while I was whipping that up last night, I also did block 29 in my Austen Family Album quilt.  Can you believe, only 7 more to go?!?  I have my setting block fabric too so I'm really, really hoping to finish this top by the end of the weekend.  We'll see...

 

 

That's it for my evening last night.  I hope some of you decide to come play in RSC15.  It looks to be a lot of fun this year!

Linking up for Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story.

 

Design Wall Monday

Hi everyone!!! I hope you all had a great break for New Year's and were able to spend a little bit of quality time with your sewing machines. :)  I did manage to get a bit of sewing in over the last week.  I got these four blocks done for my Austen Family Album Quilt early last week...

 

Thursday, Cassidy, my mom and I went to visit my brother and his family up in Benbrook (right outside of Ft. Worth).  They were very understanding of my need to finish up (lol....who am I kidding?  Start is the correct word) my blocks for the Quilter's Garden swap.  They quite literally gave me fits but I did manage to finish up all 10 of them.  Still may redo the corner pieces, but they are done.  These are the ones I'm keeping...

 

And these are the ones I'm swapping.  They are packaged and ready to mail this morning...

 

When they were finally done, I spent a little bit more time with my Austen Family Album blocks.  I did these two over the weekend.  Only 8 more blocks to go!  I have my setting designed for these so I'll have the top finished pretty soon (God willing)!

 

And even though I didn't have time to work on it, I needed to see what the Quiltville mystery would look like so here is one of the blocks.  Need to cut the cornerstones, but you can get the idea.  It is growing on me.  It is a very busy quilt but the finishes I've seen are really pretty.  

 

And that does it for this week!  Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times and with Bonnie at Quiltville!

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!

2014 is going out tonight, and I must say, after this last 4-6 weeks, I'm not sorry to see it go!  There's been a lot going on at work and I've been pulling 10-12 hour days since Thanksgiving.  I'm officially off until next Monday and I plan on filling it with a lot of rest, family, sewing, and relaxation.

But one of my things on my "to-do" list was to share with y'all the projects that I KNOW I'll be working on during 2015.  Some of it are things to finish, others are new projects, but all promise to be fun!  I'm hoping some of you will decide to join in.

1.  Quilt the Union Jack quilt.  Cassidy graduates in June and this is her graduation quilt.  It needs to get done.  At least the top is done, and thankfully, mom has pulled all the paper off the back for me. (Thanks Mom!)

2.  Finish the Zodiac Star quilt.  My niece was supposed to graduate in June too but she decided to graduate early in November! (brat!)  I told her I was on a different time frame so she'd have to wait for her quilt.  :)  

3.  I want to work on one of my Dear Jane quilts.  You read that right, one of them.  I'm embarassed to say how many different versions I've started!  I was discussing this with Deana of Dreamworthy Quilts and am thinking that maybe a weekly linky party so we can urge each other on with this long term project?  I'll share details as I get them finalized.

4.  Finish my Austen Family Album block of the week quilt.  I've really made great progress on this one lately.  Only 12 blocks to go.  

5.  Finish up the Quilter's Garden Swap.  This one is being hosted by Deana over at Dreamworthy Quilts and I absolutely love it!  

6.  Now the things I KNOW I'm going to start.  First up is the Snapshots QAL from the Fat Quarter Shop.  I can't see how this one can be resisted by anyone.  I love it!!!

7.  On the 20th, Fort Worth Fabric Studios will be hosting a new quilt along that was designed by Deana at Dreamworthy Quilts.  I'm super excited about it.  I love everything Deana makes and have been wanting to make one of her medallion quilts for a long time.

8.  I stumbled across a relatively new quilt along being hosted by Calico Gals.  It's called Old Friends.  You have to subscribe to their newsletter to get the info  on the blocks release, but the quilt is gorgeous.  I can't wait to get started on it.

9.  I really want to make the Super Mario quilt that Cora's is sharing for my nephew, Ryan.  It is perfect for him!

10.  So Scrappy hosts a rainbow scrap challenge every year.  This year I'm catching it right at the beginning so I'm super excited about joining in and working through my scraps.

I'm sure there is a lot I'm forgetting but for now, there's my list!  I really hope you join in and play along with me!!

Austen Family Album Progress

I'm amazed that I found time to work on any sewing at all this week, much less actually get 4 more blocks done.  But last night, after a long, long day at work, I was still kinda wired so I pulled out my Austen Family Album BOM and made 4 more blocks.  Here's blocks 21 and 22.

I changed up block 21 a little bit. That huge square was supposed to be a huge HST, but....it was screaming at me that it wanted to be a fish.  So block 21 is a fish! :)

Next up is blocks 23 and 24...

I love using my 1930's fabrics in this project.  They are turning out so bright and that makes me happy every time I work on it.  I only have 12 more blocks to go then I can start putting them together.  I can't wait to see it finished!!

Grand Illusion Parts 4 and 5

Busy. Yes, that's what Christmas week was, very, very busy. I really enjoyed the time with my kids(all three were home) and my family.  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!

That being said, I was so glad when things finally slowed down enough for me to enjoy some of this over this last weekend:

 

Cutting and sewing in front of the fire.  It was soooo relaxing after all the rush of the last few weeks.  I managed to get quite a bit done.  First up, clue #4 from Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion mystery:

 

 

Then clue #5!  All caught up again...

 

 

For Christmas, I treated myself to the awesome cubby I found at Target.  You can see that I've got my first four clues sorted in it and the bottom row are fabrics from active projects.  I've been looking for a better way to organize everything in my tiny apartment!  All of this had been living on my dresser.  So happy to have found a solution!

 

After that, I decided on some easy sewing.  I settled on my Austen Family Album quilt along.  I'm terribly behind as she has already finished posting the blocks.  But this weekend was a good surge ahead on that project.  

Here's block 16.  The blue is an old feedsack from my grandmother's stash.  

 

 

Here are blocks 17 & 18....

 

And then blocks 19 & 20...

 

I'm back at work this morning and will be working the long houred days for a few more weeks so I'm not sure how much sewing will be done.  But I will share as I go!!!  I hope you all are enjoying the holidays!  Come see what everyone is working on.  I'll be linking up to Patchwork Times and Quiltville today.