Dear Jane – Miniature – Chopin – A Passionate Quilter From Texas

I decided to not go with One Monthly Goal (OMG) and instead I am switching to 17 in 2017 as this fits my projects and UFO’s better. So here is my list.

Nanette’s 17 in 2017 Projects (see my 9 January 2017 Post for additional information).

For January I have completed all my goals, well with one exception – quilting my Oh Glory quilt. But it has now been moved over to February and hopefully finished soon.

Finished projects for January 2017. Cross off quilting of Dear Jane Quilt; Circa 2016 – Modified; Sewing Machine Cover; and Xmas Place mats for Doug and Jean.

miniature-dear-jane — Minature Dear Jane

circa-2016-miniature-finished — Miniature Circa 2016

sewing-machine-finished — Pat Sloan’s Sewing Machine Cover

placemats — Place Mats for Doug and Jean

I will now be working on catching up on A Bountiful Life – I have 4 blocks ready to prep for applique (selecting fabric) and have finished Block 6 in January – Yipee! Upon finishing the next 4 blocks I will then be half-way through with this project. There are a total of 20 blocks. It is similar to the Australian Version of Civil War Bride. I am saving the more difficult blocks for the end!

bountiful-life-block-6 — Grapevine and Swooping “Yellow and Orange” Bird

I am currently working on Section 4 of Stonefields by Susan Smith; Margaret Potts Quilt – a BOM with the Baltimore Applique Society, Brinton Hall (EPP project), and Handful of Scraps (EPP project). All of my applique projects will be on going and hopefully will have Stonefield’s and Brinton Hall completed by the end of the year. I am almost finished with Section 4 of Stonefield’s and have 6 more Sections – there are 121 blocks in the quilt. This is my center medallion for Brinton Hall. I am doing it in batik and need to sew all the hexagons around the 7 blocks. I am used Asian prints for those blocks. I am going to re-design the remainder of the quilt, just need a nudge to get going on completing the center!!!

Final Setting for the Medallion Center of Brinton Hall — Brinton Hall

For my new projects I am going to work from my list of 13 “Waiting in the Wings” Quilts See above list. I am also adding the Quiltmania 2017 Mystery Quilt 2017. (I am not endorsing Homestead Hearth – they had the pictures of the first 2 blocks). I have the first 2 blocks prepared and ready for reverse applique! Think I will be seeing a lot of dots when I finish it because I could not purchase enough of the background fabric that the Designer used. Quilt stores are holding it for kits. Hope I did not select the wrong fabric for the background! Time will tell.

When we are under stress in our lives – applique saves us because it is so calming.

Have a great Super Bowl week-end I would like to thank everyone for providing me comfort at this time in my life.

Shock and Awe!!!!! I have finished my goal for the week, well OK, I am 24 hours late, but they are completed.

Remember when we were in school and we had the summer months off to play and dump the memory bank??? Well, guess what happens when one does not quilt a quilt, much less put binding on……….A mess! Hubby told me that everything one needs to know is on You-Tube – so I found this video and found two small new techniques are on the video that I was not aware of – corners and endings (doing it a different way). So now I have to remember this video as I will be quilting quite a few quilts in the next few months and they cannot be “messed up”.

Now I plan on getting Oh Glory pinned on the long arm and tomorrow I will quilt it! In the meantime, I really need to finish sewing those 25 + grapes on Block 5 of A Bountiful Life – will try to hold my nose and complete it tonight!

Tomorrow is the first block for Two-Step Mystery Quilt so I will be deciding on fabrics for that project. I like it because it is one block every 3 weeks! Next I will have to decide on pattern (and get going on it) for RSC 2017. I have a few patterns in mind, but just not sure yet! I am also thinking THINKING about working on the Mystery Quilt in this months Quiltmania. It is reverse applique and I think I would love to work on that one. There are only 6 issues in a year so I can slip a little on the start time on this one. It would be another “fabric” decision. Darn – looking like I will be having to really put the ole’ brain in action for the next week. Maybe I need to check my 2017 list – I am sure that I had selected others. Oh for more hours in a day!

I feel great as I have now completed 5 quilting projects, and applique again at night! YEA for me! I thought many times over the last year to just give up on my passion and sit in a chair. Boy am I ever-blessed to have pushed the Doctor limit for my back! In the last week even without the brace I can stand up straight again but will continue to use the brace which evidently is helping me to tell my brain to get with the program! TENS and Braces are my favorite thing to have. In fact, because I am not sitting so much, I THINK I am beginning to lose a pound or two out of the 8 pounds I have gained in the last 6 months due to the back hurting! Joy to me is being able to do my walking and quilting and put in a full 10 hour day of fun!

Tomorrow my guy is going to become the President of the United States. I never thought that what is about to take place in this great Nation tomorrow with the transfer of power would have come while I was still alive!

May the Lord Bless President Trump and the First Lady (who is such a beautiful Lady) and his entire family! And continue to bless this Nation. Bless all of his nominated Cabinet Members and our Congress – even those who are so nasty and hateful at this time and chose to not attend the Inauguration of the 45th President of the United States of America. We are all of God’s children!