Memorial Day Eve

Is there such a thing as Memorial Day Eve?

Today it rained in town and snowed on the mountain.

And that's Memorial Day Eve in a nutshell.  

Cancun Oasis update, pins, and painters tape

Yesterday, I worked on pin basting the Cancun Oasis quilt.  This is a photo step-by-step . . .

The top is face down.  I am trying something a little different.  I usually "quilt" on the top, but this time I am going to "quilt" the back.  The backing fabric has a wave pattern I will try to follow the design for the quilting.  

 I use blue painters tape to hold down the top, hold down in place on the kitchen tile floor.  I don't want the layers to shift out of place.  

 I tape the corners and sides, carefully not to stretch it.  

 I place the batting on the top and pat it down.  (More blue painters tape - to mark the 2 1/2 " for ease in lining up when cutting things like binding.)

I used my ruler and marking pen (of course it's orange) to draw the corners of the top.  I want the back of the quilt to match with the top of the quilt.

I had plenty of fabric left over from the quilt pattern so I made improv sections for the back.   I hope this will work.   I want (I hope) the corners match up with the corners of the top.

 Oh look, more blue painters tape repaired the end of the kwik klip tool.  The dog chewed on the clip tool.  (I can't rotate this photo.)

 I store my pins in pretty tins - small pins and large pins.  

 I pin about every 5" or the length of the kwik klip tool.  

 This quilt took lots of pins.  

 Pins. 

 Pins. 

 Pins.

 And more pins.  

 After (heavy) pinning, I turned over the quilt to see the top.  

 I am using white thread to quilt Cancun Oasis.  

And I'm ready to start.  

Cancun Oasis Quilt

I can't wait any longer.  I have to show you.  It's not finished but I can post process/progress pictures.
My inspiration was the pool at the Grand Oasis Resort in Cancun, Mexico.  Spring Break 2015 was a great vacation.

This is my version of the Placid Curves pattern from Modern Neutrals by Amy Ellis.  I made this quilt top, lap top size is thirty blocks.  I think it is 55" X 65" approximately.

I like the way it turned out.  I had plenty of leftover fabric and I wanted to see what would happen if I changed one of the measurements for the block and I came up with this.  Not much difference, and not what I expected.  Maybe in the future I will make another quilt with the change and see if the whole quilt top would have the look I expected.  This small portion is eight blocks.  

I want an improve style backing.  I think the back is taking longer to finish than the top.  

I finished this project and returned it to my boss.  His mother started this quilt many years ago.  Now it is complete.

It went to a long arm quilter.  She did an amazing job.  I sewed the binding and the sleeve.  

I will leave you with this beautiful picture of wide open spaces in Wyoming.  

Giveaway Day

I know I don't have many followers, but I want to let you know about two sites to visit.  Maureen Cracknell Handmade blog and Sew Mama Sew blog.  There will be lots of giveaways.  Get signed up to win lots of handmade goods, and sewing and crafts.  YAY!!!