Month: April 2018

Great weather here in South Texas and hopefully friends in the North will soon have beautiful Spring weather and no more snow until next Winter!

I really do not have anything to show, BUT alas, I finally decided that I really needed to have a fabric washing week-end.  Now that doesn’t seem like a lot of work, but I had an overload of fabric that had been sitting in a chair for about 5 months which is way to long.  Now anything over a yard is easy to wash, trim threads, and fold unless ironing is required.  (I always figure that I would have to press it when I use it in a quilt).

I cannot say that about fat quarters!  What a mess!  I like to purchase them from Whittle’s  when they have them on sale, or purchase the brown bag of mixed reproduction fabrics.   I would like to make a black and red quilt and had been building a stash.  Black reproduction fabrics are hard to find sometimes.  Here is the stack of fabric I washed, trimmed, and ironed.

These are the ‘over’ 1 yard pieces.  Mostly purchased for Reproduction quilts like Di Ford’s.  Found them on sale on line and just could not pass them up!

Then it was time to wash a group of fat quarters.  These were purchased from Whittle’s and I was surprised to find that I have a great selection of the Garibaldi line in Red and Blacks!  I have plenty to make a quilt now in reds and blacks!

Next are a group of P&B ‘Mesh’ fabric line and boy do I know which quilt these will be used in!!!! Absolutely beautiful!

I see some stars in my future with this fabric!!!  In fact, I ordered 2 more fat quarter bundles of the fabric.  P&B is one of the fabric companies that I love.  Can always depend on getting great fabric from them.

These were the remaining fat quarters from group that I ordered.  I was a 2 day effort to get all of the washing and ironing completed, so today I finished up the remaining FQ’s and have taken it easy.  Doing some hand work!

I am working on Block 4 of Nesting, borders for Mountmellick and still hoping to get to some hand quilting on Indian Summer.  I think I have a bad case of Spring Fever, just wanting to not get in a hurry about anything!

Have a wonderful week!  Enjoy stitching!

 

Linking To: My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Sew Can She; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away; Fiber Tuesday; Esther’s Wednesday WOW; Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHOW; Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts; Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Show and Tell Monday with Bambi;

 

After completing my I Love Texas Quilt I do believe I suffered from quilt burnout!  I only worked a little on my Indian Summer so nothing to show on that one.  Then I decided to work on the 4th Block for Nesting.  I finished one of the long stems and the next evening when I was ready to work on leaves I could not find the sandwich bag with the pieces for applique!  What a hoot that was.  I had the feeling that they were close at hand and finally after a couple of days I found the little baggie inside the recliner!  So maybe this week I will make more progress on that block.

I then started work on the next border for Mountmellick.  I did accomplish cutting out 4 border sides, marking them for the stems, and cutting out the hexagons (1/2″ hexies) for the border.  This had to be very precise because of the placement of the stems and flowers AND the exact length to prevent problems when sewing it to the center!   Di Ford used a lot of  Broderie Perse (French for “Persian embroidery”) on this border, but I have decided to make 28  hexagon flowers (small babies) and forgo the BP.  I have appliqued the stem on one of the 4 borders.  I believe I cut out 168 hexagons.  I have the template and PP from Paper Pieces which makes it a much faster way to cut them.

 

 

Status on catching up on quilting 5 flimsy’s.  I think THINK I have found a long arm quilter to quilt 5 of my quilts with pantograms – that takes a lot off of me and only leaves me with the quilts to be hand quilted!  Will check this out next week, so that eliminates some more work to catch up on.

I also dabble with knitting I am not near the knitter that Kathy Reeves is and others who Blog, but hope someday to become more proficient.  I have been trying to make a dish rag with a basketweave pattern for the last year or so (see I do not do a lot of knitting) and failed.  This time I went to a local (100 mile round trip) yarn shop and had about 30 minutes of assistance and came home and made the darn thing.  This time I used a cotton thread – variegated – but it came out perfect.  Now I am proud of this and will continue to practice my knitting with them and then move on to something better!

Yesterday I decided it was time to “wash fabric” time!  I have some more fat quarters to wash and press, but have made a lot of progress on that goal also!

I have another week (9 days to be precise) to become more productive in meeting my monthly goals for April – Yup April is almost history for 2018!  Sometimes when I push too hard and other issues are in the mix, I have to step back and get away from anything I just have to do and veg!  It worked this time because I woke up today ready to get with the program and catch up on projects.

Have a great Sunday.

Kathy, Lori, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Deborah,  Susan, Jessisca, Sherry, Nanette, Sassy, Edith, Sharon and Bella.

Linking To:  My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Sew Can She; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away; Fiber Tuesday;   Esther’s Wednesday WOW; Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHOW; Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts;  Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Show and Tell Monday with Bambi;

 

It is going to be great weather this week-end here in South Texas.  Although I do hope that we do not start with the 100 degree/high humidity weather in May – how about June, that would be better.

I am very pleased with the first half of April in getting the UFOs out-of-the-way! Click HERE to see why I am so happy!

This morning I finished the last 2 blocks for the month of April.  The colors this month were in yellow and gold.  I chose 2 batiks that I love!  I believe that these blocks will be a great ‘popper” for the more earth tones I have used in previous months, yet not too light, just right!

Time for my morning walk and then I will just sit in the Studio and decide what I will work on today!  It is so nice when things go one’s way!  (at least for a while – LOL).  Have a great week-end!

What a week – for a few days things did not go well, but starting Wednesday I was on a roll!

I am so happy because here are my finishes for the week. I have completed finishing the quilt UFO’s that were waiting to become a flimsy!!!!

I finished putting the final border on my I Love Texas quilt. I changed the setting from the original pattern, but used the embroidery patterns for the block. I found the Medallion Panel a couple of years ago and really had to work to make it all come together! This is the original pattern.

This is my Version and because I did not use any Stars, I named mine the I Love Texas quilt!

The brown border is the same all the way around the quilt, just could not get a good picture!

Today after getting the border on my Texas quilt, I decided to make a small wall hanging out of a block from A Bountiful Life that I made about 3 years ago and it is not part of the quilt that is in the UFO stack for applique. This was an unplanned UFO for April, but it is now marked, sandwiched and ready for hand quilting!

Next, I did the beak and eyes on Block 3 of Nesting – only 1 more block and the borders and it will become a flimsy!

AND then I cut out my 3 blocks for RSC 2018  Squared Away! I was able to finish 1 block and the remaining 2 are the same color and ready to be sewn together!

All in all, I am thrilled. I will be working on quilting Happy Scrappy, Nesting, Indian Summer, Britton Hall and Mountmellick.  Giving all a little time and they will be completed!

Have a great week-end. It feels so good to slowly achieve my goals!!!! Even with all the Caremark acid maker, I am making progress and this makes me happy!

Linking To: Design Wall Monday  My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Sew Can She; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away; Fiber Tuesday;  Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHOW; Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts; Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Show and Tell with Bambi; Laugh and Quilt

March did not yield the finishes I wanted to – life got in the way – along with stupid Caremark (Grrr).  So my March leftovers will now carryover into April.

1. Flimsy’s to be Quilted (LA)
   Rosemary Youngs Happy Scrappy BOM
   Enduring Legacy 
2. Complete Nesting Blocks(All Applique) 2 blocks completed, 1 more than halfway, and then prepare the border.

   

3. Mountmellick – Complete Section 3 and 4 (borders)
4. RSC 2018 – Squared Away blocks for April – colors will be yellow and gold.
5. Finish  My Texas Quilt (designing the setting and sewing into a Flimsy)
6. Brinton Hall  – Finish sewing the corners to the Medallion – This is an English Paper Piecing project.
7. Indian Summer – Continue on with handing quilting.

If things go much smoother than March, I should be able to achieve my April goals!  Happy Stitching!

Linking to: One Monthly Goal (OMG) for April 2018

Greetings from South Texas where Spring is definitely here!  This is the prettiest time and becoming my favorite time of the year.  It is before we go in to the hot and humid and dry summers now.   We are hoping for some nice April showers this month as we are still very dry!

Here is my update for the 6 & 6 in 2018!  I have added a few things that were definitely UFO’s.  I am hoping to complete more than I did in March – time will tell!

1. Complete UFOs (Pictures below)
   Margaret Potts – Flimsy Completed
   2007 UFO BOM – Completed selecting last 6 blocks and they are ready for applique – Completed Flimsy
   State of Texas Quilt – Next in line  for April
2. Flimsy’s to be Quilted – 
   Rainbow Regatta – Regatta and I divorced – she has a new home at my Cousin Susan’s house – Disaster city for me! DONE!
   Rosemary Youngs 2014 BOM
   Enduring Legacy
3. Completed Quilts – These are 2 quilts that were made in 2003 and probably in 2008 and had not been quilted.
   1. Christmas Hearts – Completed
   2. Bear Paw–Completed
4. Get Organized – Accomplished
5. Projects to complete
   Mountmellick – Still Ready for Section 2
   A Bountiful Life – 20 total number of blocks – 6 Completed – 4 ready for Applique  STILL!
   Nesting – 4 total number of blocks – 2 completed – 1 half way almost complete (does this count?) and 1 left to complete and then the appliqued              border.
   Aunt Bea’s Parlor – I had to redo – ready to trace the patterns on each block!  Still waiting patiently for me to trace on background fabric!
   Dresden Heaven – I have 105 of the Mini’s completed.  I am delaying anymore work on this for a month or so to have a change in pace!
   Brinton Hall – poor baby ! so ignored!
6. Free BOM/BOW I am following:
   RSC for 2018 – Squared Away – Completed January and February and March – all on time!
   Baltimore Stars – For a Later Date!
7. Hand Quilting Project
   1. Indian Summer – A project that was made in early 2000 and I started the hand quilting in or around 2012 and it has been ignored.  Making progress.

I am trying very hard to complete my 6 & 6 in 2018, even slipping in the little projects that do not take a lot of time!   Happy Stitching!

Linking up with: 6 & 6 in 2018 for March 2018