Thangles Buck a Block - Getting Closer to Finishing

I had an opportunity this past weekend for some rest and relaxation and nonstop sewing.  It was time once again for the quilt retreat hosted by Sharynn's Quilt Box (North Vernon, Indiana) at the Clifty Falls Inn in Madison, Indiana.  I had a wonderful time, as usual, and look forward to going to her next one in September.

I worked mainly on this Thangles Buck a Block Program from 2008 (Series 5).  I think this is probably the 4th retreat where I've worked on at least some portion of these blocks.  Now all I need to do is the borders, but I haven't quite decided what I want to do yet.  The finishing instructions call for an 11" border, but I really want to do something pieced.  I'm thinking a small red border to start.  I'll plug it into EQ and see what I can come up with.  Maybe I'll have it figured out by the next retreat in September and can continue working on it, but I'd really like to get it done before then now that it is this far.  Just once I would like to be able to show a "finished" project when they do show and tell!

I have no idea what I'll do with this once it is finished as I have nothing in my house that is red, white and black.  Maybe I'll have to redecorate a room!  I'm sure that would go over big with the husband!

Applique - Accuquilt Go! Cutter

Things have gotten crazy nuts at work again, so I've been able to spend very little time sewing or creating.  One of the little things I've been able to do is one small appliqué project.  The heart was cut on the Accuquilt Go! cutter using the heart die.  The Go! certainly speeds things up for applique, and if you have an embroidery machine, you can be done in no time.  For the heart I used a pre-digitized design from the Shapes embroidery collection from Accuquilt.   I did add lettering from the built-in letters on the Bernina 830 before I stitched the design out.  Fabric was pre-fused with appliqué stabilizer before cutting.  It took a total of about 5 minutes from beginning to the final embroidery stitch. The notebook cover took about an hour to complete.

I've also been playing some with digitizing some of the shapes myself in the Designer Plus Version 6 software.  This is my final test stitch out for the Arabesque die.  I plan to make a table runner using this design, but that will have to wait until there is more time.