Granny Went Star Crazy ...COMPLETED!

Hooray!!  Now I don't have to add "Granny Went Star Crazy" to my UFOs for 2011 because IT IS FINISHED!  I even made the binding and have enough fabric left over for the back.

I really don't know when I'll get around to quilting this top. It may be months before I post that.

Star Crazy December BOM

I was so happy yesterday to have an opportunity to work on Star Crazy.
I really didn't think there would be time in December, but now with Christmas over, I snuck in a day of "do what you WANT to do, not what you HAVE to do."

Four Patch Stars & Quad Stars
The last 6 blocks are now complete and ready for their placement along the outside borders.

And the inside Irish Chain is sewn together.

I love how this quilt is coming together.
Sue Garman really did a great job with the design.
My thanks to The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims for letting us participate in their Block of The Month 2010.

And remember all those 1 1/2" half square triangles we have been making each month along the way?
I think there are 320 of them all together.

I've started sewing the 8 rows needed for the borders.
A little tedious and time consuming, but I put on a good movie and I was in my happy zone.

Remember Star Crazy will eventually grow up to look like this.
Star Crazy has been such a great quilt to make together with so many of you. This is the first time I have hosted a group, and I have been inspired by your work! And, it's been delightful getting to know quilters from around the world.
I have a feeling we are going to be seeing a lot of wonderful posts about Star Crazy in January.
Happy New Year!

Nedra

Just Showing Off *S*

This never-ending quilt has EIGHT borders! Here it is with four of them added. I'm just beginning to stitch together the 184 HST's for the sixth border.

I think this project should have been a 15-month BOM, don't you? *L*

Happy New Year everyone..........

Center Finished

I'm thinking to myself, "who made all these blocks?" And still there are many, many more to come. *S* Sue has written a wonderful pattern tho, hasn't she?

Something funny as I moved along with this. I found a small plastic baggie labeled "June Irish Chain" with loose pieces in it along with my other blocks. I thot they must be extra pieces or something. However, when I laid it all out there was a huge blank in a space where an Irish Chain should be. *L*

Apparently I was so tired of making them, I thot I'd just put it aside and I'd never have to deal with it. HA! There were a few other things to fix up too and some frogging, but really not much.

I've decided that this is such a big project, I'm just not gonna focus on things I should have done differently. I'm more amazed that it's nearing completion. Now if I can just get those HST's to all face where they should. *S*

Happy Holidays to all of you!

I spent 4 days tending kids at my daughter's home, and was able get December's stars and 1/2 square triangles and most of the top put together. My birthday was on Thursday, and the girls gave me the day off from babysitting, then I did not have any of the other boys on Friday, so I had a long weekend to do what I wanted. Getting the top finished was a priority, and here it is. I will bind it with the same green that is in the long strips. I have a plain Kona piece in the same green that I will use for the back. Putting the strips of 1/2 square triangles was time consuming, and making sure the went the right direction on the quilt top kept me on my toes.

This project has been good for me. I tend to try to get the tops done as quickly as possible (as you probably noticed from my posting within the first week or so of each month). Having to wait each month for the directions has helped to break up my quilt making for other projects. Of course I have made several other tops during this year, and even have many of them quilted and bound. My goal is to have a queen size quilt for each grandchild, and they all get baby quilts when they are born (12 of them).

Nedra, thanks for the blog to keep us all connected with everyone else. It has been REALLY fun to follow everyones progress and ideas.

We shall see......

if my decision to do the final two month's work in one large block of time was the correct one. *S*

I have everything cut........so wish me luck on the stitching.

I have more fabric left over than I thot I'd have.......enough for a nice scrappy quilt sometime in the new year.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

December BOM - The end is near

Well the year is coming to an end and how many of us out of this group of many have finished our blocks to assemble the top! I finished today. Here are my December stars - too many hst's to picture but glad they are done. I will assemble the top in January and hand quilt it - who knows when? I have one queen size top waiting in line, one on the quilting frame and a Dear Jane nearing completion plus the Star Crazy - that means by the end of January I will have 3 large tops waiting to be quilted.
I will picture my top when it is assembled.

Granny Went Star Crazy Dec progress report

Granny Went Star Crazy needs side borders and then another layer of half square triangle borders + final border and it will be FINISHED.

One step at a time...

November blocks - just in time :o)

So, at last, I finished my November blocks - just in time! I dont know why it is so that I (nearly always) wait until the last minute to get them done :o) They were finished last night, and today we got the last instructions...

( This block is also finished, it just wasnt when I took the picture...)

I have decided to send it away for quilting, because its so big and I want to have it done properly. And I dont think Im able to do it on my machine. Ohhhh, cant wait to see it finished :o) Dont know how much I will get done before X-mas, I have other things that need to be done.

Wishing you a lovely day!

October Blocks - Finally!

Well, it took me almost 2 months, but I finally finished my October blocks. The first 2 weeks in October I cut out all my pieces, but due to the fact that I was 9 months pregnant I couldn't really get to the sewing machine. My little boy was born October 14 (10 lbs even and 21 inches long) and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect child! Trying to get into a schedule of some sort took time, and this was the first time I have been able to actually sit at my sewing machine in 2 months! Took me 2 days to get everything together, I had to fit it in with his feeding schedule. I am hoping to get November's pieces cut out tomorrow, as my husband is still home from work and can keep an eye on him.

I haven't been to guild in 2 months and I'm looking forward to going in December. Alex will be going with me, I think the ladies would kill me if I didn't bring him!

Star Crazy November BOM

Do realize that in 4 days we will have ALL the instructions for Star Crazy?
What a fun year this has been making the Block of The Month with The Quilt Show. I have thoroughly enjoyed hosting our group, and watching your progress. You have inspired me!

For November we made 12 (4 1/2" X 8 1/2") Half Chain Blocks.

And the last of the full Irish Chain blocks.

They now sit snugly on my design wall, happily playing together...

...and looking forward to the day when they can all grow up to become something like this.
Do you think with December and all the holiday festivities we will have a chance to put Star Crazy together?
(oh well, it was a nice thought)

Nov & Dec "Granny Went Star Crazy"

I finished the half irish chain blocks and went ahead and assembled them.  I decided to change the background fabric to a rust color to make it look like a border was sort of built into the center of the quilt.  THIS IS NOT the way the pattern shows.  I don't mind if someone else wants to do this also, I just wanted you to know that it is not the way this quilt was designed by Sue.

I also made all of the blocks and hsts for December.  I know the pattern isn't out yet, but I just looked at the quilt and figured it out.   I'm trying to get a jump on this quilt because I know how long it will take to assemble in December.  Also, you know how busy December gets.

Finally I got done with the Irish Chain blocks that I have talked about making for the past week or more. I am so glad I looked at the directions once again as for some reason I thought it said to make 11 half chains and 1 full block – I would have been one short – we needed 12 half blocks. Glad to be caught up on this quilt now. One more month left and then put the whole thing together. The year has flown by hasn't it! I can't wait to see this quilt top finished. I doubt I will put it all together though until January - December will be such a busy month I will be lucky to get all the blocks finished that will be assigned to us.
EDITED: A friend just a couple minutes ago pointed out that one the four patches on the 4th half block is turned backward - thank you so much - I would have hated to have part of the quilt sewed together and noticed it -- off to fix it before I forget!

October blocks :o)

Im almost there.... :o) Today I finished the October blocks, and Im soooo happy!!

Ready for November :o)

November blocks done!

November Irish Chains/ c chains done

The blocks laid out. 1/2 Irish chains not laid out. Have to figure out where I want them.
Can't believe we are almost done! It has been fun, both working on the blocks and being a part of the blog. Seeing what others are doing and sharing with everyone what I am doing has been really fun for nme. Thanks, Nedra, for hosting the blog site.

September (!!) blocks!

I don't like this, being so far behind as I am..... But it has its reasons, with surgery, hospital for 2 weeks and recovery. So I am actually pleased that I have made the September blocks today! Aiming for the October and November blocks soon. Unlike many, I don't mind the Irish Chain blocks, actually I think they go quite easily together. But its all the cutting - wish I had an AccuQuilt Go - that would make it so much easier :o)

Still love the colours, now Im really eager to put it together! Im so glad I have the borders ready cut :o))

Have a wonderful day! See u soon :o)

SueR's October Blocks

Only one more Irish Chain block to go, but we have a bunch of half Irish Chain blocks to make next month. There are still six more star blocks to make too. I'm going to start sewing some of the blocks together next month, just to get a jump on it.

October Blocks

Star Crazy is coming along!
Whew! I barely got my October blocks finished in time. With leading this group, I feel very motivated to stay current. (Just a personal goal)
I decided to start laying out the blocks on my design wall that have been finished so far.

A few gaps here and there, but in a little over a month we will have all the downloads available.

For October:
(5) Irish Chains

(4) Evening Stars

We only have one more Irish Chain and the inside will be complete.
Are you as antsy as I am to start putting things together?
You guys have been awesome. I love seeing your posts and how Star Crazy is turning out in different fabrics, and from locations all over the world.

**We now have 102 Followers on Star Crazy Log!!

Nedra

October BOM Blocks

Finally here it is the end of October and I have the BOM finished for this month. I hadsuch trouble with the Irish Chain blocks this month. I finally gave up with the sewing machine today and sat and relaxed and did the last two blocks by hand!! they turned out perfect. What a difference a method makes!!

I know to a lot of you hand piecing is not relaxing but to me and others it is. I can be so much more accurate when hand piecing than with a machine for some reason. I think with the machine I do not control it enough – go too fast, too slow, I am distracted and don’t pay close enough attention to the quarter inch foot? I don’t know but I do know that I am not a precision piecer with the machine and I have never felt totally comfortable with a sewing machine whereas I have always been comfortable with hand work. It just goes slow!

The blocks this month:

SueR's September Blocks

I actually finished these a month or more ago and just never got round to posting them. Haven't started October yet, so I'd better get cracking!

October Update

Hello Star Crazy friends.  I haven't posted on this blog since last June.  I am so sorry.  Shame on me!  But I have been sewing.  See what I have accomplished since I was last here.

This is June, July, August and September. Woohoo!!

I have printed the October instructions but have not started.  I plan to work on it Wednesday.

I love being part of this group.  If it wasn't for you this project would have become another UFO.

Kathy

  

The end of the stars?

It is amazing what can be accomplished when you have a whole day to yourself. Can't wait to be able to get it all put together. The year has gone fast.

Here's an idea.....

I saw a small sneak peek of next year's TQS BOM by Sue G. From what I could see, it had NO STARS! So here's what I thot we could do in place of whatever she does.

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

ps. I think I saw the 2011 BOM on Sue's blog. And that is obviously not me writing there under the pic. :)

Goodbye stars.....

Last of the stars to make.....Oh well. I did seem to get a better rhythm into making the chain blocks this time.

Btw....that goopy piece of duct tape up there on the edge of the cutting mat is my way to holding together two big mats on that one side of my work table. By this time, I think we are all friends enough to see the dark side of our work rooms. *L*

October

Just got home from my retreat where I was able to ger some of my Irish Chain blogs pieced.  What do I spy when I get home 'more stars' thought they were finished.  Will get my Irish Chains finished tomorrow while watching the Commonwealth Games then only have to do the latest batch of stars.  I have to absolutely recommend a retreat for anyone who hasn't as yet been able to go on one.  Sewing and more sewing while meals etc are all provided, no stopping or thinking about meals and a friend and I actually sewed until about 11 pm both nights  only stoppages were for meals and a long walk in the morning after breakfast.

"Granny Went Star Crazy" complete for October

I am so glad to be caught up on my star crazy blocks of the month project.  I only hope to get the center assembled also this month since we now have all the blocks completed.

P.S. This month was SO much easier than last.

Catching Up

As a newcomber to the list I have been working hard to catch up.  I've completed all the stars and the half square triangles for around the edges that have been published so far.  I haven't done any of the Irish Chain blocks but am going away on retreat next weekend and these will be my task.  Hopefully when I come home I will be up to date unless I spend too much time chatting, eating, etc.  I must say some of these little 6 inch charmers were a bit challenging and they caused some blue language at times.