Quilt for Alabama Children's Home 2014 & my next Alabama Chanin inspired top

It was such a blessing to participate in Gene Black's Quilt Angels Project last year, that I immediately jumped at the chance to participate again this year.  Gene asks for volunteers to make quilts that he takes to a children's home in Alabama for kids who need a safe place to stay.  For those who read my blog, you know I was born and raised in Alabama and hold the people dear to my heart.  This particular children's home is in an Alabama city I spent many pleasant summer days on its resident lake as a teenager.  You can read more about my 2013 quilt here.

This is where I'm at on the 2014 quilt today, below.

My plans were to begin this quilt this past summer.  Do you think I did?  Nooooo.  So here it is a week before Thanksgiving and I am just now getting started.  With this being my 4th quilt to-date, I feel like a pro (Ha!).... not really, just had the good sense to chose something that would go together quickly.... or rather more quickly than slowly.... if that makes sense.  Thought a strip quilt would do the trick and used Film in the Fridge's strip quilt mini tutorial to get started. 

Finally figured out the panoramic feature on my new iPhone which was most helpful in deciding which colors should go where.  Colors are a weak area of mine and seeing the placement via a photo image was a great determining factor in their order. This quilt should be pleasing for a boy or a girl, I'm thinking. 

After color order was decided, all the fabrics were cut to size and numbers pinned on to keep them in order.  And it was a good thing too, because the next day I brushed up against them and half landed on the floor!

With strip quilting you sew 2 strips together at a time.... then sew that set of 2, to the next set of 2 then cut to size as you sew the sets of 4 together.  Film in the Fridge explains all that pretty well..... but even then I got 'confused' as you can see below.  9 & 10 should've been sewn to 11 & 12.  Gee whiz.  At least this was easy to correct and no seams had to ripped out. 

When all my strips were sewn together, it was short of the 45" minimum width Gene asks the quilts to be.  So I added a 2 1/2" border in brown.  Hard to see on my floor in the photo below, but the top is done today and measures @45" x 60" - the minimum size Gene needs.

Changing subjects - I really want to share with you my next Alabama Chanin inspired top I've been working on.  Using NEWLOOK 6735 as the basic pattern I have been hand stitching the neckline and sleeve hem bands with double strand button thread using the herringbone stitch....

..... and it has taken me hours.... and hours.... I am such a turtle with my hand-stitching.  But to be fair I am taking my time on this one to use as a skill-builder and painstakingly making sure the thread is sewn just right and my stitches are nice and even.  Still need to cut the excess fabric off the inside  and hand-stitch the hem.  After pouring all this work into this little shirt, machine stitching the hem just didn't seem right.  All the construction seams are machine stitched.

So, things are moving along.  Hope to have the quilt sandwiched this weekend and my sweet husband ordered a walking foot for my Bernina so will wait until that comes in to do the quilting.  Meanwhile, hoping to complete this little top so I can be wearing it soon.  Hope all is having a good week!