Girls Just Wanna Have Fun & August OMG

I can finally share last month's project with you. I made a sample of Lindsey of Yellow Umbrella Quilts' newest pattern. The pattern, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, released on Friday. I challenged myself to use only fabrics in my stash for the top. I chose to make the twin size version, which is a generous lap size for me. This pattern uses a Tri-Recs or similar ruler. I've noticed that a lot of newer patterns are returning to templates or specialty rulers that I used 20 years ago. Fun side note: the last time I remember using my Tri-Recs set is on the Millennium quilt circa 1999 that I finished up a few weeks ago. Anyway, I really loved this pattern and it goes together quickly. Every single fabric combination I've seen so far looks really good.

If you stopped by a few weeks ago, you saw not only the finished Millennium quilt, but also two different fabrics I bought as possible backings for the Girls Just Wanna quilt. I went with the limes and used the leftover backing as binding since I didn't have enough of anything else I'd used. I quilted it with Ruby Queen from Tiny Orchard Quilts


Today is my son's first day of school. He just got on the bus. It's his first time in-person since March 2020. It's nerve-wracking, but not as nerve-wracking as the first few times my daughter drove herself to campus, or the first time the kids went somewhere in the car on their own (yesterday). 

So. It's probably been good for my nerves that I have been blessed with an abundance of work. I have been working seven days a week for a few weeks now, with probably three more weeks like this remaining. My house is a wreck and my husband has been pitching in on making dinners while I attempt to catch up. Here's the shipping and receiving area (office). 

And my sewing room staging station. I could probably be a bit more elegant. LOL. Someday when I have more time I'll set up something more attractive.

Quilts since last week:

Julia's Boho Hearts, quilted with Loop the Loop

Cindy's Pumpkins, quilted with Basic Swirls

Sally's Rail Fence, quilted with Twinkling Teardrops

Ann's Mickey Mouse, quilted with Midnight Sparkle

Ann's Baby Girl, quilted with Curlique

Ann's Transportation, quilted with Mod Dotz

Ann's Very Hungry Caterpillar, quilted with Champagne Bubbles

Janice's baby quilt, quilted with Zupas

I had another close call with the thread while quilting Sally's quilt. Here's me looking at the little bit left to quilt and seeing how low that spool is getting. The quilting design we used had a ton of back/over-stitching.

Whew! No sweat! 

I also attached the binding to the front of three of the quilts. I've had very little time to do any personal sewing, so that makes contemplating this month's OMG an interesting exercise. What I'd really like my goal to be is to be kind to myself and accept that I'm doing as best I can as I feel overloaded by my current responsibilities. Since that's basically impossible to measure in any tangible way, I looked around my sewing room for a measurable goal.

Here are my possibilities.

1. Start making the gray string pieces for Grassy Creek. This is what I really should do.

2. Start something completely new--I have this Chalk quilt all cut and ready to sew. This is what I want to do.

3. Do all the cutting for the Macaron Mystery, which will be released tomorrow. This will be mostly done, but I am planning a few switches, which means I may not get it all done until I figure out more of the assembly method.

4. Quilt this top I bought on an IG destash. I'm planning to donate this to the guild's Community Quilts program. I have no backing or binding and probably no chance at getting this quilted this month based on my current workload.

5. Start working on the improv piece. Highest priority. This will probably be a behind the scenes project for a while, so not a great choice for OMG.

6. Machine bind the unicorn quilt. This doesn't really seem like enough of a goal for OMG. I like to push myself a bit. Although I've been fortunate enough to win a prize from OMG twice, the real prize is setting and achieving the goal. I really feel such appreciation for Patty every single month for giving me external motivation.


 7. That leaves binding Frolic. This will be a stretch to get done. It's been waiting for binding for almost a year. I made and attached the binding to the front last week and it's been waiting for me to hand stitch it down. This is my official goal for OMG for August. Finish Frolic.
If you've read through all of this, thanks! I hope you enjoyed seeing all the beauty that's been surrounding me this week.

Here's a look at our now-finished entertainment system piece my husband has been working on all summer. Now we need to get the walls painted, trim attached and painted, and try to find some carpet at some point in the future. Maybe by Christmas? Our house OMG is to get at least a few more of the walls painted. :) That was supposed to be my job, but it's turning in to his job. Details on cabinet: he built and painted the unit in six pieces in our garage. His dad built the doors for us, which we picked up while we were in Michigan. My husband painted them here. All the walnut pieces are cut from countertops we ordered from IKEA. 


Thanks for stopping by. Have a nice week.

8 comments

  1. You have been busy, Quilter Girl!! And so many goals of your own, as well. I enjoyed seeing all the different pantos you used. And that bookshelf wall is the bomb!!!

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  2. That is a whole lot of quilting and projects! I agree with your goal of being kind to yourself and felt some of that one myself. I also felt that choosing a goal was a positive step toward getting one more thing marked off my list so I did purposely pick one I was avoiding (read: "stressing me"). When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I find it helps to make a master list of everything that I'm needing to complete--and then I usually look at it and think, Oh, that's not so bad! (I have a tendency to make mountains out of molehills so seeing it's really just a hill is helpful!) Or perhaps breaking it down into weekly and daily schedules will help it seem more attainable? Good luck on it all!

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  3. Lovely projects! Good luck with your goals.

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  4. Oh goodness! I love that scrap quilt and and and you are like the eveready bunny you have projects going and going. I can't keep so much straight. Wow you are doing fabulous!

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  5. You have been awesomely productive! I agree with finishing Frolic! Maybe use the “staying still” time to listen to a book, or music or whatever is your “jam”! Kudos to your hubby on the entertainment wall! Fabulous!

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  6. I love your Girls quilt, very pretty and it's great to use only fabrics from your stash. Great quilting designs too, on lovely quilts!

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  7. You have been surrounded by beauty all month! Congratulations on your quilt finish. It's a really fun one, especially with the backing your chose.
    You have lots of options for your one monthly goal. Best wishes for finishing whatever you choose!

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  8. Ohhh Love the Girls wanna have fun!! and holee buckets - you have been so busy!! hope you got a little sleep haha!

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