Needing advice

Here is my work on the Challenge http://lazygallibamish2010.blogspot.com/so far, and it has been challenging! I already posted a photo of this quilt top. Now I have added borders--so what did I do? I decided to do what Gee's Bend quilting ladies might do, and I added strips of fabric that were left over from making the backs of some previous quilts. I always cut a generous backing, and there is often a strip left over after I trim when adding the bindings. What the photo shows--I spread the quilt top on my bed, so please disregard the yellow edges, that's simply the background quilt. My questions are: Is this enough? What does the quilt need, within the requirements of the challenge?

I Spy Quilt

Here is a photo of the completed I Spy quilt.  I free-motion quilted it.  This time, I tried to make some circles in the quilting, and I like it. I think that it makes a light-hearted touch.  I have to use this method more often, I think.  The difficult thing for me now is mailing this quilt to the library where it is being donated.  But good news, I have a box to pack it in. Now back to the salt mines, as my mother used to say--I want to do some creative sewing on that challenge quilt! 
New Year greetings to all my Jewish friends--may you be Inscribed in the Book of Life for a very good year.

In Memory

Beginning the challenge for http://lazygallibamish2010.blogspot.com/

OK, I started on The Challenge. And the first thing I want to say is that I hope that I haven't offended either the great Amish or great Gee's Bend quilting ladies with my effort! Well, I got out the scissors (according to the rules, no measuring and no rotary blades) and I went to town. The quilt that I used for my basis is a typical Amish Bars pattern, such as in the book "The World of Amish Quilts" by Rachel and Kenneth Pellman. And the second thing I have to tell you is remember that perfect 1/4 inch seam that you pride yourself on--"fegget about it!" I mostly tried for about 1/2 inch. And the third thing is it ain't done yet--I have to add the borders. As far as the ironing is concerned, what you see is what you get--and it ain't pretty! That quilt fabric stands out like a sail in a breeze. Don't know how I'll ever quilt this thing--maybe I'll tie it? I'm glad that I bought some of that orange color fabric a few weeks ago, I must have known in my heart that I needed it. And I need to make a note to myself to buy more grey. I bought that a couple of years ago, and it's nearly used up now.

I Spy quilt top

I've done lots of sewing and joined all the blocks.  And I had one yard of cute fabric with little fish swimming on it for the border.  It's so fortuitous to have something in your stash that suddenly proves to be exactly what is needed.  Now I plan to piece together some large leftover pieces of batting for the quilt.  For the backing, I still have some of that baby fabric given to me by friends some years ago.  I think that it must have been a whole bolt, because I have sewn it to the back of numerous quilts, and I still have some left.  Usually I put flannel on baby quilts, but this quilt is destined for the library Mommy and Me Story Time, so I thought that flannel would get dirty faster than plain fabric.

Little I-Spy quilt underway

As you can see in the photo, I'm starting to sew the I-Spy quilt together.  It's a little tricky arranging the blocks.  I decided to join it in strips, and to pin a paper with the row number on each row.  First of all, I want to make the assorted colors so that they don't butt up against the same color.  And I'm trying to keep the prints with a definite up or down side pointing right way up.  And I want to have the seams turned each way, short pieces to long pieces.  A little patience is required.  Meanwhile, I'm trying to decide on my next project.

And it got really hot here, and I have the repair man coming to do something to my air conditioner today.  And I'm still afraid to purchase eggs. 

Egg-less cake--for these egg-less days!

2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup margarine
2 cups raisins
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cold water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Boil together the sugar, 2 cups hot water, margarine and raisins.  Allow to cool.  Add baking soda dissolved in 2 teaspoons cold water.  Sift together the flour and dry ingredients and mix all ingredients together well.  Pour into a greased and floured 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pan.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until cake tests done.  Set pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn cake out to cool.  Does not require frosting.

The Get Well Soon (Emergency) quilt is completed.

So happy to say that I finished this Get-Well-Soon quilt yesterday (quilting, binding and all).  Meanwhile, I'm doing research to try to do Tonya's Amish goes to Gee's Bend quilt challenge. http://lazygallibamish2010.blogspot.com/  I went to the library and looked up Amish quilts in a big book Amish the Art of the Quilt by Robert Hughes.  I'm vacillating between making a bars pattern or a crazy quilt, but I think that a crazy quilt might be a cop-out.  And I've begun that I Spy quilt for the Mommy and Me at the Library. I plan to make a straightforward quilt with assorted solids outlining the squares.