Block #7 and Designer Boards

This is block #7 of the Pat Sloan Grandma's Kitchen Sew Along.  It's called Oh My Stars.  I can't wait to finish all the blocks.  I've had some of these fabrics for so long and I'm glad to be using them.  If only it put a bigger dent in the pile(s). :D

A long, long, LONG time ago, I saved a tutorial for making Designer Boards. They make it easier to lay out your block pieces and carry them to the sewing machine.  I usually use my 12 1/2" ruler but Pat Sloan has been using them with her blocks and it made me want to finally make them.  The tutorial is by Lori Holt, Bee in My Bonnet and you can find it here.  Although, page two of the tutorial doesn't show the pictures so if you can figure it out, you're good to go.  

I'm going to make small ones for 6" blocks and smaller and 12 1/2" ones for bigger blocks.  Used a scrap piece of batting.  Glued with the glue gun like the directions "and" I already had a couple of pieces of foam board leftover from the grandkid's birthday parties.

It took a little more binding than I thought for the bigger ones.  About 1 1/2 strips of fabric so I think I'll just make a big long piece like making binding and go from there.

My overlap at the end needs a little work.  Hopefully, the next ones will be better.  At least they'll do the job they're intended for.  :)

Still finding time to sew....woohoo!

As of right now, hubby and I are only babysitting our granddaughter two days a week.  This is leaving us lots of free time.  Most of that time lately though has had us gone, gone, gone.  But, those trips have mostly been on the weekends so I'm still getting in my sewing room.  Yay for small miracles.  I never knew retirement could be so (or sew) busy!

I finished block #5 of Pat Sloan's Grandma's Kitchen Sew Along last Thursday but we went out of town for my little grandsons 2nd birthday so posting had to wait.  And holy moly, directions for a new block will be released tomorrow already!  Every Tuesday night it feels a little bit like Christmas.  I can't wait for the next day.

I would've preferred my yellow floral to be in the forefront of my block but I still like it.  Gotta have some polka dots in there somewhere.  :)  

Lord knows I didn't need to, but I did a little retail therapy!!  I blame Pat Sloan for it.  :D  She shared on her facebook page that this little magnet set was only 39 cents at Fat Quarter Shop.  Well, I just "had" to add a few things to my cart to make the shipping worthwhile.  :D  They had this adorable ballerina fabric and little scissor sheaths.  I have a few pair of smaller Gingher scissors that have lost their little covers so having a few extras won't hurt and how cute are they!  I think they're a Fat Quarter Shop exclusive.

I looked on Pinterest for info on DIY big ironing board topper and found a few that were helpful for making my own.  Buying one was quite expensive.  My ironing board was a discard from my sister-in-law and I like to salvage things so I found some rubber end caps for the feet because it didn't have any (fluorescent yellow was all I could find!) and ta-da a functioning ironing board. 

I used a combination of this post and this one to make my big board.  I didn't round the corners.  I didn't think it was necessary.  We'll see if that decision comes back to bite me when I jam my sides time after time.  So far, so good though.  I also didn't put slats underneath to hold the big board in place.   They do that so you can take it off but I decided to keep mine on all the time.  It might make it hard to iron a blouse now and then but I'll figure it out.  My ironing board has holes in the body of it so I screwed the big board to it.  My friend was throwing away this brand new cutting table/ironing board cover so I took it for this project.  I've already used it a dozen times and I love having the big surface to iron on.

And....I finished this quilt top.  

I have been teaching some friends how to quilt. Their first project was a Single Irish Chain and this Rail Fence will be their next quilt so I wanted to make a sample.  I used a jelly roll I've had for years from French General.  I love the way it turned out.  I already pieced the back and cut the batting but quilting will need to wait til the current quilt project gets finished.  It's been sitting a L O N G time so this might be just what I need to get 'er done.  :D

Blocks #4 and 5...

I've been keeping up with my Pat Sloan Grandma's Kitchen blocks.  Got #4 done and though this is my least favorite, I'm going to leave it until the project is further along to see if it will blend in or if I want to change it.  I think the tone on tone fabrics weren't the best for this block design.  I really like the blocks of the people who only used two colors.

And this is block #5.  I pulled a few more fabrics from my stash because I needed a few more reds.  I only had a FQ of the one I used in the first few blocks.

This is what they look like together.  It's going to be hard to wait til November for this to be done.