I know some people have tops waiting for borders but I always put my borders on at the time I’m actively working on a top … this one however wasn’t going to have a border initially. When I pieced it I was planning to quilt it on the regular sewing machine so the size was perfect without a border but now that the longarm is here, I had decided a few months ago that I would make it a little larger by adding a single framing border of 4 inches … I found a fabric that worked and then it sat out on the bench for a few months waiting for me to add the borders which finally got done today.

I think this is going to be the next one quilted too, I have gray thread on the machine and while it may be hard to see in this photo, the background is a light gray fabric.

My countertop is going to be installed in the half bathroom tomorrow and then there are just a couple other things to be done in there and it will functional again. I can’t wait! Not having to run upstairs every time we have to use the bathroom will be great!

I couldn’t resist those sharks so I cut and pieced this Quick Strippie today.

The first Happy Block quilt went together so quickly I couldn’t resist piecing a second one. I do have 24 more blocks and since each top takes 30 blocks, those WILL go to Maine to be used for group quilts.

After finishing the RWB top, I decided to sew the last of the Happy Blocks for Maine. I had a stack of blocks all cut and ready to sew and since the sew-in is next month, it was time to finish them up.

There were 13 of them left to finish … all trimmed now.

I debated back and forth over the last few months whether I was going to go ahead and piece one of the tops myself and send the rest of the blocks to Maine to be used with other donations and had made up my mind to send them all. I’m just working too slowly right?! But I couldn’t resist sorting through them and putting some up on the newly vacated design wall.

And don’t be shocked but once they were up on the design wall, I started sewing them together! Fastest assembly ever!

You’ll also find instructions for these blocks on the website.

I bet I can drag out assembling a top longer than any quilter you know but finally, the RWB half square triangle top is assembled.

Don’t count on it being quilted anytime soon, it’s gone to live in the closet with the other tops for now. It doesn’t look like that many but including the small Jelly Roll quilt I loaded on the longarm yesterday, there were 20 tops … make that 21 now.

The half square triangle quilt is based on a vintage quilt I saw on eBay and I have some brief instructions on my website. 

I’d planned to have this 16 patch top assembled last week but didn’t get around to it. Now it’s done and will wait it’s turn for quilting.

I’m not a perfectionist and my seam ripper doesn’t get used that much but I do try to get the best results I can by pressing well and pinning – it takes extra time but it’s worth it.

I love it when my seams line up so nicely!

I’d forgotten that I had the small tumblers cut out of my leftover fat quarter bits sitting out on the table I use with the GO so rather than starting to cut my half square triangles, I assembled the tumbler doll quilt and made a couple more 16 patch blocks. Hopefully I’ll get to cutting my blue scraps tomorrow.

This top is about 24 inches square for those of you wondering. I usually make whatever size that will use most of my leftovers and I used every one of the tumblers I cut in this top.

Sometimes I wonder if these little quilts are taking up too much of my quilting time but I do love being able to use up the leftover bits rather than putting them aside in a drawer or bin and it’s nice to work on small projects sometimes.