King size quilt went in a carry on

This is a huge quilt, on our driveway, with oldest at the top of a ladder to get it all in the picture. If you are trying to visualize the size, the row of flying geese, on each side, is nearly to the edge of the top of a king size bed, a little of the gold/brown shows on the top of the bed, then the rest of the border hangs down the sides. It is massive and very heavy.

In the process of cleaning out stuff (in general), I came across a partially finished quilt top.

It was finished to the flying geese on the sides.

So it was finished vertically. It just needed the outer borders.

And I knew WHY I had not finished it. I ran out of the right kind of fabric, like 15+ years ago.

I looked at a couple shops (an hour away) and did not see anything that was just right.

Then when I was out of town a month or so ago, I found the blue that ended up being the outer border.

And a friend gave me the blues that are in the 16 patches (on point in the gold/brown border).

So I finished this quilt top, sent it to my machine quilter, bound it, and it went home with oldest in his orange carry on yesterday.

This quilt was king size. We had to fold it several different ways and put it in a plastic bag and squish all the extra air out, but it did fit.

It is going on his bed. He now has six quilts (of mine). And all six are ones he really wanted.

Interestingly, he looked at it and said - there is something funny about the binding. I said - yes, it is machine bound and you are use to hand binding, but it is too hard on my thumbs, I don't do that any more. It was interesting that he noticed that immediately.

Middle has a couple with her name on them (still at home, but hers - feathered star, purple/orange). And I am making pairs of twin quilts for her future children - (2) pink/green and (2) brown bear version 2 and (2) my flag design. And she will take her childhood quilts (below).

Youngest has a few squirreled away (log cabin, yellow/white and bow tie). And she will have her childhood quilts (below). She sort of puts them under her arm and scurries upstairs to hide them in her room, so we don't know exactly how many. Interestingly youngest goes by the feel. She likes the old cool cotton feel. She has to touch them to know what she wants.

And I stuck a white/blue Irish Chain in  my closet. It is in emaculate condition. The white is as white as white can be. Beautiful, rich blues. It is not often that I look at a quilt and think - please do not touch it, but when I saw that one, it went in the top of my closet, rolled, not folded. I might make another one and put them on the girls downstairs beds when they have both taken their childhood quilts with them (brown bear version 1 and star quilt, one of each quilt for both of them, 2 each, 4 total).

If anyone can multi-task . . .

. . . and listen to Natalie Jill and James Maskell for a half hour and give me a recap, I would much appreciate it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm3lnEa9iv8&list=TLpKU8eTNEdK8yNTA1MjAxNg

12 minutes - Gretchen - Drift

http://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2016/05/drift-graduate-school/

This was a big chunk of Tuesday

Graduation gifts for youngest's circle of friends. Some of these are best friends, some are regular friends, some are friends who have lockers in the same area and would be hurt if everyone else got one and they did not.

We did the base coats all the way back here.

Emergency call to my husband to pick up the R on his way home. We forgot one person. And this ended up being proactive, because I had him get another M, for a girl graduating next year, while he was there.

This (below) is how we made the dots. And we had to practice, a lot, on construction paper, to understand the right amount of paint and how to apply it.

ALWAYS have a coupon (40% Hobby Lobby is often the easiest, 50% Joanns is also readily available) when buying things from any of the craft or fabric stores. Walmart might appear to have lower prices, but the coupon gets prices even lower at the other stores.

Peeps

Remember the fabric that when I put it with green it was red and when I put it with red it was green?

Look what it does when I put it with gold?  Stellar. I think.

And just in case you were wondering, when I take out the stripe with the red in it, this is how the greens read. I think MAYBE this is okay/safe/simple for those who like more muted color things. Do you agree?

OR is better with just two greens? (that Houndstooth plaid is my favorite fabric out of all of them).

Calling all color peeps, I need you for a quiz please

First six pictures were taken in short time span in the same window. So the same lighting. I am not sure why the lighter colors are so washed out looking in the pictures. Same window I usually use.

I have two blue fabrics.
And I think that blue might look good with these two pieces of floral.
And I think the two pieces of floral might have too much white in them to use with other fabrics.
Soooo, I think this is a very good use of four fabrics. 
I think someone might like these.
I have enough for one, maybe two skirts with this color combination and then I am not buying any more of any of these fabrics.
So that is question 1. What do you think of this blue option?

This stripe seems somewhat busy to mix in with other prints.
(I am remembering no one likes these skirts to be too busy, quilt-y looking.)
The red reads as a solid.
Question 2. What do you think of this stripe with the red fabric?

This green is very light and reads as a solid.
It is very close to the same shade of green that appears in the stripe.
Question 3. What do you think of the stripe with the light green? 

Question 4. What do you think of the stripe with gold? 

I have enough of the stripe for ONE skirt if I alternate with another fabric. 

And it is possible the answer is to NOT use the stripe with anything, scrap bag it.

So, Question 5. Do you think I should just forget the stripe?

These are my greens.
Except I can see that the picture picks up the center one as a red.
So retake time.
(I moved that print to the red pile and it totally reads as a green there).

So now I am back with my greens. This is a similar concept to the red skirt and the gold skirt.
I probably have enough for two of these green skirts and then I am done with green.
Question 6. What do you think of all the greens mixed together?
Do you think it is too many patterns and I should make two green skirts with just 2-3 green fabrics each?

And if you are trying to remember, here are the original red and gold ones (below).
(The multi print belongs to middle and will not be made again.)

I have enough red fabric for more red skirts.
It sounded as if we all agreed the red is a keeper and probably best general appeal.
This (red) is the skirt I intend to make long term. Restocking reds as I run out of them.
Question 7. Do you agree red skirt is the safest/best bet?
I have enough gold for a couple more skirts.
If the gold turns out to be surprisingly popular, I can restock golds.