Some of This, Some of That

I wrapped a gift in scrap fabric (the little one's mom is a quilter) for another 0.67 yds out the door. How's that for destashing? Will do that again!  Found another panel and a backing for 2.33 yds destashed. Then I made 3 scrappy hexies for Bliss.

How did I figure the area of the hexies?  The formula is the Area of a regular hexagon is equal to 3 times the square root of 3 over 2 then multiplied by the side squared.  It came out to 16.24 square inches times 3 (since I made 3) or 48.72 sq inches . Dividing that by the 1512 square inches of fabric in a yard, my real use was 0.032 yds.  LOL - the easy way: each hexie needs a 4 1/2" square to make it. That works out to 0.04 yds for the 3, and really that's more accurate as I created some scraps as I fussy cut.  Can you tell I like geometry?

Finally, I made a block for My Small World - that used up a mere 0.01 yd (all the blocks are tiny - this one is the biggest - 4.5" unfinished) of scraps.  So my YTD total has grown to 28.42 yds of the 34 yds I should have used to reach my goal. For Slow Sunday Stitching, I'm going to start making 3 more hexies. They have segments so they take longer than doing regular ones. I'll be making a few yellow blocks for the RSC 2018, too.

I'll also be linking to Sunday Stash, Design Wall Monday (although there's nothing new on it), Oh Scrap, and a few others.  See which under the More tab above.

Blessings to all. Have a restful Lord's day.





The Mod is Finished and other Thursday Likes.

Finally got Mod-Mod sampler bound. Even put a hanging sleeve.  Here's the back:

This was a 2014 block of the month at Block Lotto. I only made a 1/4th of it. This year we're taking turns to post a block to be made by those who participate. This month is my turn.  I chose the Noon & Light block.  It looks complicated but I came up with a way to make it that is pretty easy.  If you'd like to make a block visit Block Lotto and check out the pdf.  You're welcome to join us in this month's swap.  We make a block or more and post to the swap and you have a chance of winning some at the end of the month. People play from all over the world.  I like that we already have as of Thursday over 50 blocks. Here's the block:
Another thing I like about it - is it's mostly scrappy and you can make 2 blocks from one set of cut fabric.

Not much else quilty wise here as I've been doing more babysitting. But I did walk around in my garden and discovered some blooms.
These are Evening Primrose. They spread easily and I let them come out wherever they want.

When we bought the house almost 50 years ago, these amaryllis filled a border on both sides of the front door. 

This last photo is of an edible elephant bush.  According to the Master Gardener Program of the University of Wisconsin:  Although it is considered to be in the purslane plant family (Portulacaceae), molecular phylogenetic studies suggest this genus should be in the Didiereaceae, a group otherwise found only in Madagascar. Recent research has shown P. afra is an excellent ‘carbon sponge’, with the ability to efficiently use more carbon from the air than most other plants (since it can use both normal and CAM pathways to grow despite adverse climatic conditions) and can therefor remove more carbon from the atmosphere than an equal amount of deciduous forest.  Wow, we're going to plant more of this.

I hope you are all well and enjoying Spring or Autumn - depending on what hemisphere in which you reside. Blessings, friends.

Some of This; Some of That

First the destashing:  1/4 yd for the binding of my Mod-Mod Sampler.  0.02 yd for my hexies; 0.07 for test blocks.  2.68 for Grace's quilt and 2.33 for a baby quilt.  This gives me  5.35 yards for this week.  My YTD total is now 25.37 yds of the 32 yds I should have used by now to meet my year end goal.  Getting closer.


Here's Grace's quilt.  Who is Grace?  My new DGD. She turned 3 April 20th.  This family photo was at her birthday party Sunday,  and she wasn't too happy as it was getting late for her.








The panel is from Pattern Jam.  When I saw it I knew it would be perfect for her. I'm linking to Monday Making, Sunday Stash and Moving it Forward.  Blessings as we start a new week.

I Like Thursdays

In the last five days I have attended two funerals. Both sad occasions and joyful occasions. The first one for a 93 year old dear lady - my sister's mother-in-law. She had lived a full life and was called home. The other a 39 year old young man who still had so much to live for. He also was called home.  At both, music helped us heal. I like this hymn that was part of the liturgy at each Mass. 

At the reception for Polly, we gathered at her favorite restaurant, Lascardi's,  where they served this wonderful balsamic vinegar. I plan to buy some. It was slightly sweet yet acidic, full bodied.

At Tom's reception at his parents house the food was catered.  The caterers did a marvelous spread of lunch items. What was heartwarming was that all 75 + participants in the funeral services came and shared memories of Tom. It was a healing time. It brought me comfort and I know it did so also for his parents.

We are not of this world. Make the best of it and remember God loves us more than we can know.

Visit Lee Anna for more I Like Thursdays posts.

Some of This; Some of That

Binding my mod quilt - not ready to show yet.  Made two 3 1/2" churn dashes using the pieces as leaders and enders.  This is not a leader and ender project - just making blocks for My Small World in between another work. That blue and green one below I decided is going to be my pond near the barn.

Had a panel sandwiched, and made a sleeve for my mod quilt. Once the mod quilt is bound, I'll start quilting that sandwiched one.

I managed to use 1.74 yards with bits here and therelast week.  So my new destashing YTD total is up to 20.62 yds of the 30 yds I should have used by now to meet my year end goal. One of these days I'll get into a mad clearing of fabric from my stash and get caught up.  Never fear - I have so many kits, I won't be without something to work on.

I'm linking to Design Wall Monday as those churn dashes are on my wall right now.  Also Sunday StashMonday Making, Moving it Forward, and BOMs Away.  Check them out.

Slow Sunday Stitching

Kathy of Kathy's Quilts and Slow Sunday Stitching shared a reflection today about how Sundays use to be days of rest.  We sort of do that here. We go to Mass and then come home and have a sweet with tea or coffee and read the paper.  This sets the tone for most of the day - taking it slow.  Are you resting?   Here you'll find Kathy's thought on Sundays and her Sunday stitching.

I'm going to be working on my Anna's Garden block - almost done and then it will be time to prep another block.  Then there's some machine quilting on a baby quilt and binding my Mod Mod quilt.

Have a restful day, everyone.





I Like Thursdays

I like that I finished another bag of scraps and made another baby quilt top.  But I must be honest and tell you that I'm not crazy about it. Too busy.  Wish now I'd used only two prints and some white instead in these disappearing four patch blocks.  The one in the top corner is because I cut one side too big. The four patch in the middle just didn't work after that, so I put in a solid.  The yellow print flannel behind it will be the back.  Measures 32 1/4" square. Going to the neonatal clinic.

We've had some winds here and that's a good thing in our 4/10th of an acre.  Our picking pole can't reach the remaining pomelos, so the wind is nicely swirling the tree about and having a few fall down. Yippee - fresh fruit for breakfast.

Lastly, I'm liking the odd weather we've had - two days over 95 degrees. I should count them as the first days of summer. Friday, it's suppose to go back to 69.  What a roller coaster we are on.

Do stop by Lee Anne's post of I Like Thursdays.  It's fun to read about positive things at least once a week.

Some of This; Some of That - 4/8

Besides my Lady Liberty, I did make a few more blocks and used a tiny bit of stash:

1. cut out some churn dash blocks for  My Small World - using these as leaders and enders as I sew other stuff.

2. Made nine blocks for another baby quilt using the disappearing four patch idea.

3. Made some yellow HSTs for my Meadow project and RSC 2018.

4. and of course Lady Liberty (see previous post).  That bit of work used up 1.35 yards.  New YTD total equals 18.88 yds of the 28 yds I should have used by now.  How did you do?

I'll be working on my Anna's Garden block with hand applique.  Almost done with it and then I'll start working on my Bliss again.

I'm linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Cynthia's Oh Scrap, Angela's RSC Challenge, and Sunday Stash.  See you there.

Friday Finish

Sort of because it is a block - but what a block - applique without a pattern.  I'm doing the Sweet Land of Liberty with Humble Quilts.  The block is called for Lady Liberty.  We have to make our own pattern, so in looking around in the internet I found this lady on another SLOL  (You'll have to scroll down), and I liked it. Couldn't find who made it. The quilt was posted at Sweet P Quilts and Creations of a quilt she saw at quilt store.
She measures 8 1/2" by 14 1/2" and is the first block of the second row of this quilt. If you want to see the one in the original pattern go here.

I'm linking to Finish it Up Friday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?, Finished or Not Friday, and several others. You can see them under my tab More.  Blessings on this Friday of the Octave of Easter!

I like Report on Thursdays

I like piecing.  Here's one fourth of a new project I started.
 I like applique - here's one of 24 flowers I have to make that go in the outer border of the new project.
For the past two years, I've been playing with various applique methods to see which one I like (and which goes faster for me - lol).  I'm finding this Zena Thorpe method the one I go to the most.  I combine with McKenna Ryan's. So here's what I do.  First, I make a copy of the pattern page on plain copy paper.  Then I cut out around the outline of the design to make my templates - on the right.  Then I number the pieces so I know in which order I must lay them on the outline guide from that copy sheet - on the left.  I turn them to the wrong side and draw them on the paper side of fusible interfacing.  I use to use Steam a Seam 2, but now like to use Heat-n-Bond light weight.  I cut these apart and place on the back side of the appropriate fabric. I lightly bond them to the fabric and then cut them out.  I then cut a background fabric - usually 1/2"- 1" bigger than the block I need.  I place my outline copy on the background and lay the fabric pieces on it.  If I like the fabrics, I then press the flower together and then onto the background.  Then I machine straight stitch the flower to the background using invisible thread.

But what I like best about this project is that it has both piecework and applique.  Here's another I'd like to make someday.  I don't know the name or the pattern - I'd just make something like it.
So how about you?  What did you like this week?

I'm linking to LeeAnna's I Like Thursday's post.

Some of This; Some of That.

Happy Monday of the Octave of Easter. The Resurrection is so profound the Church invites us to celebrate for 8 days starting with Easter Sunday to learn more about it.  On Easter Monday, Christians around the globe celebrate it as a day of rest.  For some countries, it is a public holiday.  We're eating leftovers today to cut down on work in the kitchen, reading, and taking it easy.

I did a bit of sewing during the past week - lot less than I usually do as I was observing Holy Week.  I did sew my 15 minutes per day on 4 days. The destashing grew a bit more. I can count those two blocks I made last Sunday. That amounted to .15 of a yard.  Then I made some flying geese, stars, bias stems for  my SLOL - another .29 of a yard.  Then decided to try the BOM for our guild - a simple disappearing 4 patch for another .62 of a yard.  Last were the bits for my Love entwined.  That was a mere .07 of a yard.  So my total came to a 1.06 yds. The new YTD total is 17.53 yds of the 26 yds I should have by now for 2018 to meet my goal.

With another month ending, here's my report on my UFO Challenge/ 6 in 6 in 2018 work.

For Judy's challenge I was to work on #8 - my Love Entwined project.
At the start of the month:
At the end of the month:

close-up of flowers
Yes, I got another vase done.  It took me quite a while and here's the reason why:
some teeny pieces in this one.
Now I have to do the embroidery. I plan to do the next vase soon.  I don't want to go years before I'm back to this one.

For the "6 in 6 for 2018", I worked on my new project: a Jen Kingwell Design Group pattern entitled  Meadow.   Made some HSTs for the center and three of the border appliques:


 




Progress has been made!  I'm linking to Sunday Stash, Design Wall Monday, Oh Scrap, BOMs Away, Moving it Forward, and Monday Making. Will be interesting to read about your March progress. Hope you get to quilt today.

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...