UFO's - Attempting to finish

Well it has been a couple of weeks and I have started to drag out the UFO's and attempt to get them finished. I also have had some progress on Christmas presents and managed to complete one Christmas present so am feeling very accomplished at the moment.

The first UFO that I have completed is my Diamond Hill, I have completed it as far as the pattern is concerned but it is too small for my bed. As this is my present to myself I need the quilt to be bigger as I have just bought myself a new mattress and by god it is tall, I feel like I can nearly touch the ceiling when I sit up lol. So as for Diamond Hill I need to make it bigger. The photo's I have are without the final 1" pink border but they have been attached. I think I will do another applique border and plain border to finish it off. I was thinking about using flowers from the blocks so that most of the flowers will be incorporated into the borders from the blocks. I won't be adding any more diamond blocks as I thought if I make the applique meet in the middle instead it would be more like a final round so to speak. Any way we will see once it is done.

So the poor Diamond Hill went back into the UFO pile while I start to slowly work on the applique part.

I then started on some Christmas presents and managed to get one done. I made 6 placemat's for my boss who likes tractors and his wife who likes lady bugs. Last year I did a table centerpiece using the same ladybug material so I thought why not do some placemat's that will go with this. Then next year for Christmas I can do a table runner that will match.

Here is the Centerpiece.

Here is whole placemat

A better if not blurry look at the machine embroidery of the Tractor's

A close up of the red, ladybug and green material.

I then went through the UFO pile and picked up my Mariner's compass quilt again and soon discovered why it was in the UFO pile. I have one final border to go and trying to work out how to make the border fit as I have cut all my material to make the squares for the border so I can't change my mind on what will be in the border even if I wanted to as I don't have much of the fabric left. So I think I have worked it out that the squares need to have a sashing between them to get it to fit the centerpiece.

Centerpiece so far.

closer look at the mariner's compass

some machine embroidery

some machine embroidery

could not believe I found this fabric to go with my compass

the corner block

blocks for the final border.

Well that is it for me this time round. I was given a desert rose plant that is supposed to be brown thumb proof (which is me) and so far it has proven to have survived me. Thought I would share what beautiful colours it has and I am thoroughly enjoying seeing this every time I come up my driveway and see the rich beautiful pink sitting there. I must say I am really glad that it has survived me. I do really well with plants until the really bad heat of summer comes then it's like I can't keep up with them and they all start dying. Oh well I know how they feel, as the heat makes me want to curl up and frizzle too :).

Till next time happy quilting everyone.