Time to start cracking!

So I have officially started a few of my 30 before 30 goals, I cut my hair to get the layers out and need to get another trim to get the last of them out in the next couple of weeks, I have not had soda ALL YEAR.... ok so we're only 9 days in... no biggie... do you know how hard it is in a restaurant to only drink iced tea or beer? ok... the beers not so difficult, but if number 12 is going to happen... then I need to not drink beer at every meal! :)
But the big one that I have been working on is the boys' quilts.  This all started when we were redecorating to recreate a "big boy room"... in our old house... before we moved in with the in laws, but the same theme will apply when they get a new room... in our new house... where only we live :).
I searched and searched for the perfect bedding that would match their current curtains that I love, plus go with the prints that we had ordered for them earlier this year ( see them here).  I couldn't find anything I really loved, that wasn't ridiculously expensive (remember... two kiddos=two beds) or ridiculously cheap (I don't mind paying for quality, because I hate replacing things every year or two because they wear out or look yucky).
So finally I caved and asked MIL to help me find a simple pattern that I could do... considering the last nine patch ended up with some 7.5 patches and all sorts of crazy not squares in it... so I wanted to simplify.  I ended up choosing the turning twenty pattern, which consists of large squares made from 3 different fabrics.  The idea is that you use 20 fat quarters and make them into your squares... since I was doing two, and I wanted some of the same fabrics in each, I am not sure how many fat quarters I used.... but I went and bought the fabric.  Then I let it sit over the summer (never a good idea for me... I still have a mirror and fabric in the attic that I bought AT LEAST 4 years ago... maybe more).
When we moved in with the in laws and I realized I would have a bit more time to sew since MIL has a sewing room all set up for herself so I wouldn't be constantly having to set up and take down my machine I started cutting:

This is the point where my friend, Krista, pointed out to me that women like us.... just aren't cut out for sewing... this is half of the pieces that I would need.... and I was dreading doing the rest... but I made my way through it and started sewing... I was so excited I again sent Krista a photo, the first square sewn: 

Yay!!

From there I sewed the squares into strips... to do this I had to set out all the squares on my bed and make sure I liked the arrangement... I don't have any pictures of this, because it was the most frustrating part and I had to walk away from it a few times before I got both of them just right... it took MIL and I moving around and shifting quite a few squares before I was happy... so once I got the strips sewn... I realized this was going to make a MASSIVE quilt... and they were going on twin sized beds... so I laid them out again... and with my faithful assistant Chloe, I decided which squares had to go... I only took photos of the finished product but here they are (with comfy kitty showing just how great they are going to be when finished) 

You can see the sticky notes I put on each first square so I could remember the order!  From there I stitched the strips together, and again with my faithful assistant Chloe (this time she's under the blankets!), I laid them out to check out my handy work

All thats left is to add the border, back it and quilt it.  I plan on "stitching in the ditch" to quilt, which means I will sew around the squares on the seams.  Here is what the backing looks like:

I will share more once I get more done, and will definitely share the finished products!