Slow Sunday Stitching

I've made 8 blocks, so I can add a yard to my de-stashing total. Nothing in.  I finished my embroidery piece from retreat. I now have this Splendid Sampler block

to start on. Lots of slow stitching here.  Maybe I'll applique the hearts.

Are you working on a WIP?  Go to my last post and link up so I can come by and see what you're doing.  Ends Thursday, Midnight.

WIPs Be Gone

Here are some WIPs I'm working on - I havent given them a number yet as they are my most recent WIPs.  This first one I started at the retreat:
I enjoyed embroidering this. I may look for another project to do some more now that this one is finished.  Maybe from Jenny of Elefantz - she always has such pretty ones.  Now I have to pull fabrics to frame it.
Then I decided to make a couple more of this Splendid Sampler heart block:
I did make 3 other blocks but no photo of those.   And here's how far I got on another SS block:
The kidney stone is lieing low, so I'm taking advantage of the relief and getting a bit more done - which is a good thing. I have two sets of out of state company coming in early June. Life is good.

So what have you been up to?   Link below to share what you're doing .   Remember, if you don't have a blog, you can always post a photo from a photostream or instagram.  Please be sure there is some way for me to contact you.  I can't reply if you're no-reply.  I'll be linking to several parties - Tab above.  Blessings to you all.


WIPs Be Gone

Well, I moved forward with one WIP - needed it off the design wall.  This one (WIP#6) is ready for the WTBQ pile:
And I needed it off the wall to start putting up the blocks for the sample quilt for this year's Festival at Church at our St Anne's booth.  The kids will be coloring letters this year instead of baby items.
I found a darling dog print to use.  Here's a better view:

And the winner for last week's book is Kathleen Monica.  Kathleen said she is reading books about traditional blocks right now, so that's what I'll be sending her.

What are you up to?  Link below to share your WIP.   Remember if you don't have a blog, you can always post a photo from a photostream.  Please be sure there is some way for me to contact you.  I'll be linking to several parties - Tab above.


I've Been Paper Piecing

Moaning all the way, I've been paper piecing some Splendid Sampler blocks, and oh boy, one was hard!  Took me two days.
Now remember - these blocks are 6 1/2" square and take the straps of the bodice - those pieces of background around them were tiny. And I kept putting the fabric in the wrong direction --grrrrrh.  I'm going to make a sign that says check twice, sew once - lol.  Then today's block was posted and guess what - it is paper piecing too!  This one just took two hours - maybe I"m getting the hang of it (even though I used the ripper on this one also:

Phew, done working on SS for now even though I have about six I'm behind on. But I have to deal with this:
before I can sew anything again.  Who would have though PP can be so messy.  Where's the trash can?

Blessings!

Home from Retreat

What a great time we had! Viña de Lestonnac is a wonderful place to meet with friends and quilt. Mom had a great time and so did I.  One of the things we had to bring was a quilt that exemplified our quilting journey.  Here's what Mom brought:
She loves to embroider.

We did make and takes. One was a journal cover. Another is a stitchery - very appropriate for a quilter's journey. Also had a sewing mat/cover  (free) to make:






We also made accidental landscapes - the first photos are the grounds outside - good ideas for our pieces.  


Here are a few of the landscapes created:







These are going to be great wall hangings!  We also had time to work on our own projects:
a scrappy quilt

beautiful grandmothers flower garden

more hexie blocks and a fab heart quilt emerging

Isn't this a gorgeous tablet cover!

I love retreats!

WIPs Be Gone to Retreat & Giveaway

Had to finish that baby quilt top, so no progress on my WIPs.  And tomorrow I'm off to a retreat.  I'm taking a WIP or two along, so maybe I'll have some progress to share at next week's WIP post.

Before I say anything else, let me make known to you the winner from the book giveaway for April 24.  It is Paula from Paula B Quilts.  She chose a Patrick Lose book.  I'll be sending it to her just as soon as I can find a moment to package it and get to the PO.

Here's a photo I found on the NET that I'd like to make someday into a cityscape quilt. I can dream,
can't I?

 Link below and you'll have a chance at another book. I'll be sending the winner a list of three titles from which one can be picked. Remember if you don't have a blog, you can always post a photo from a photostream.  Please be sure there is some way for me to contact you.  I'll be linking to several parties - Tab above. Blessings!


Some of This; Some of That

On one of my design walls (I have three now -hehe) is a baby quilt for St. Anne's. As you can see in the photo I have one border at the top left to sew and this top will be done.  It's a disappearing hour glass pattern from Jenny Doan .  I like it, but  it's a lot of seam abutment and pinning, so I probably won't be using the pattern again anytime soon. I did like how quickly one can make the hour glass blocks by sewing all around the two squares and then cutting twice on the diagonal.  I may do that real soon.  I call this a mod baby quilt because of the prints used.  I know again why we quilters like to use 100% cotton.  These two prints have some nylon(?) in them and they are easily stretched which isn't a good thing when you have so many seams on the bias.  Hoping it can be quilted out.


This used up 1.37 yds of stash which includes the border.  YTD total de-stashing now is 18.61 yds. 
But! I bought some fabric - couldn't resist these text patterns - and it was just a yard total.
So take a yard off my YTD and I'm at 17.61 yds. Sigh - I'll have to purge a pile to get near the goal I have for the end of June of 50 yds.

Lastly, and even though I have a ton of WIPs, I made the first block of Barbara Brackman's Morris Hexathon.

I machine pieced this one - it came out too small and not enough contrast between the diamonds. I'll make another. I'm trying machine piecing to save my hands from another bout of arthritis.

As for Splendid Sampler progress - I haven't made any more while my company is here. However, I'm going to a quilt retreat this Friday. I'll take all 8 I need to catch-up on for then.

What are you up to?  Would love to hear. Leave me a comment and I'll come by and see your goodies. Blessings,

WIPs Be Gone

Done with WIP #2 - see last two previous posts.  Hoping to get the last borders finished on 3 and 6. But life is very busy with my sister-in-law here and my cousins from Texas also, so not sure I'll even have time to go in the studio.
Here are garden flowers that were hiding in plain sight. 


The first two months after we moved into our house 47 years ago, there were torrential rains. Come dry and spring weather, a two foot deep by 40 feet row of these came up all along the front side of the house. They were spectacular.  After all this time we still have a few left.  I love them.

What are you up to?  Leave me a comment and I'll come by to see your WIP progress.
Blessings,

The Signature Quilt

My cousin who is staying with my mom sent me photos of the quilt ( since I had forgotten to do so).  Thanks Lucy!
 Here is the quilt with Mom's photo in the center. Text is in the four surrounding white spaces around her photo.  They say:  Mary P Matos, 90 Years Young; Happy Birthday; Feliz Cumpleaños; April 29, 2016.
Here you can see the quilting although it is upside down.  She likes it.  So WIP #2 is done.

Some of This, Some of That

In the process of finishing WIP #2 - the signature quilt - I was forced to try out a technique for adding text to the quilt.  I should have transfered the text before I sandwiched it, but I didn't, so I have to come up with a way to transfer it to the partially quilted top.  Here's where I became a brave quilter and took on this challenge because this quilt had to be done by April 29th.

 First using Word on my computer, I found a font and the size I needed for the text and printed it.
 Next I traced the text onto freezer paper and cut the paper to the size of the space where the text would go.
 Then with paper scissors, I cut out the stencil from the freezer paper.
 Next I ironed the freezer paper to the quilt top.
 Then taking my Frixion pen (it was blue, don't know why it looks black) and traced it through the stencil onto the quilt. I'm terrible in writing so neatly - that's why the stencils. Also, I've sewn over the words on paper before, but then it's so time consuming to remove all that stitched over paper.
Then I took the quilt to my machine and stitched the text with my FMQ foot.  And can you believe it! I forgot to take a photo of the finished quilt!  Geesh.  And she loved it.  Here's the birthday girl on her special celebration last Saturday:


I'm working on a baby quilt from the disappearing broken dish pattern by Jenny Doan, so about a yard is going into that.  I've made one Splendid Sampler block so another .06 of a yard used.  So the new YTD total de-stashing is 17.06 yds. Very slow progress there.

What are you up to?  Leave me a comment, and I'll come by and see your eye candy. Blessings!

WIPs Be Gone -Not Really

Not much done on the WIP front this week as I prepared for company and got some things ready for the big weekend. All I did was add side borders to WIP #6 [which I started 4/25/15] to go from this:
to this:
Want to add another border.  Blue or pink?

That's my WIP progress this week.  How about you?  Link below to share your WIP.   Remember if you don't have a blog, you can always post a photo from a photostream.  Please be sure there is some way for me to contact you.  I'll be linking to several parties - Tab above.


SAHRR Round 5 and 6

  Ready to show rounds 5 and 6. Actually, the prompt for 5 was make 4 of something. So I chose four patch, and actually since that made my q...