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 Stash, Monday 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.

HE is Risen!

Jesus Christ is Risen today - Alleluia!

Holy Saturday

Jesus, Remember me.

Good Friday

c. ibelieve.com

We sing our sorrow and grief

The Last Supper

On Holy Thursday we we continue to learn how to follow and act.

Holy Wednesday

Prayer for Wednesday during Holy Week

Holy Tuesday

A prayer for Holy Tuesday.

Holy Monday

Here's  A Prayer for this day for you.

Some of This; Some of That on 3/25

With two days less to sew and quilt this past week, my destashing essentially came to a halt. And what time I had was spent  making bits and pieces for my two applique projects.  See previous post. So all I used was 0.10 of scraps and brought my YTD total up to 16.47 yds.  How about you?

This coming week will not be much different because we have begun Holy Week - a reflective time for us as we walk with the Lord during the end of His earthly days.

Today, I've spent making a couple of blocks - one for Covered in Love and one for Block Lotto (will do for RSC 2018 because it's the color for this month). Do you participate in any of these?  I like the challenge of sampling blocks and putting them toward a worthy cause or a quilter's cache.  

Today, I'm going to hand stitch another Anna's Garden block.  I'd mentioned (last Thursday Report) I didn't like how the background fabric is seriously fraying on these units. I finally decided to make a rolled hem.  Because I didn't want to subject the applique pieces to stress and feed dogs, I chose to protect them by hand.

 Beginning the rolled hem. I'm basting it with large stitches as it won't be on there long.

The finished new edge to the block is done.  Once I've hand appliqued all the front, I'll remove the thread, give it a good press, then add it to the pile of done blocks.  Next one to stitch at top of post.

This is my last prepped block.  I'll have to make time and cut out some more to keep on hand stitching.

And I did finish that unit for Sweet Land of Liberty.  I didn't like the cherries, so I added stars instead.

I'm linking to Sunday Stash, Oh, Scrap!, Slow Sunday Stitching, BOMs Away, and Monday Making. Linkys are so good for inspiration.

Unit 3 Near Finish

It's been a short sewing week for me.  Starting on Tuesday instead of Friday, I'm much closer to finishing Unit 3 of Sweet Land of Liberty. I was busy with making all of the parts this required.

 I had a bunch of letters, a basket, an eagle,  and bias stems.  I still have a star and cherries left to add.

Then it was deciding how to place them.  I didn't want my letters over the stems. Now to find a rich deep red that won't bleed.

I've also done a bit more on my Love Entwined - the vase and some flowers.  I'll be linking to Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop,  and Finished or Not Friday. Visit them for quilty stuff.                                                                    

My Thursday Report

It's time for my list of what I liked last week.  It has been a different kind of week. Friday, as I mentioned before, I went on a silent retreat.  It spoke deeply to me. I was at the El Carmelo Retreat Center in Redlands - a place in a serene setting.

While right next to an Interstate Hwy (although you'd never know it except for the sound - but that seems to fade the longer one is there) the center is in the middle of a orange grove, so one feels in another world.  After dinner and a speaker, we entered our silence. Other than responses to prayers, we held the silence till after the 10 AM Mass on Sunday. A wonderful three days.

On coming home, I found myself lost in the old world - a strange feeling.  It took me until Tuesday to feel I was back and able to get into my old routine and pick up a needle.  And the first thing I did was hand stitch on my Anna's Garden block. What I didn't like is I noticed that the edges of the fabric are fraying badly.  I measured the block.  I liked that I hadn't trimmed them to the size they need to be so all is not lost. Now to come up with a solution.

And I give thanks that my new granddaughter, Grace (almost 3), has recovered from pneumonia and is her usual bright and smiley self. She was in my prayers all weekend long.

Tomorrow, I like that our group which has been meeting every month for 40 years is getting together. They are like family to me.  Three are now in their eighty's, two in their seventy's, and two in their sixty's.  We started out as a baby sitting co-op at our church.

Off to read yours at I Like Thursdays at LeeAnna's.
Blessings!

Silent Retreat

and if we're open, He speaks in the silence, too.

I'm off to a Silent Retreat during this Lenten time. I invite you to find a few minutes to imbue yourself in silence and find rest.

See you Monday.

Things I've Liked since Last Thursday

Another week has gone by and likes have surprised me.
1. The Vintage quilt raffle ended and the winning ticket was drawn by our pastor. We were thrilled that we made $1112 for the Uganda Water Project!  And the winner was the first person to buy tickets.

And she was - my Mom!  We were both shocked. She's going to put it in her guest bedroom where she has a queen size bed. Congratulations, Mom!

2.  I like that our Christmas poinsettia plant is still blooming and so pretty.  And no, it isn't plastic as some visitors have asked - lol.

My DH says the secret is to keep them outside (they hate gas fumes and heat), water thoroughly (meaning take them out of their foil wrap and hydrate til the water comes out the bottom, and don't leave them standing in water.  Last year's lasted til the end of April.

3. I like how I figured out how to test my stitches before I begin quilting a new quilt.  We're always being told to make a test sandwich with the fabrics we are using.  Lots of times I don't have any leftover fabric, so I put some on the edges of the quilt and test my stitches there.

 I always test my threads and stitches as I often use a different thread on the back and I don't want it to show on the top. Above I was checking the match of the blue thread with the blue fabric.

Here I was using gold thread on the top and a baby blue on the back. - the light green scrap was my test swatch, and it was on the part that would be trimmed off before binding.

I was so happy it rained two days last week. Praise God!  And it's even been a bit cold (I know most of you wouldn't say low 40s is cold), but it helped our mountain areas get some snow - cuz if it's 40 here, it's low 25 - 30s there.

Look forward to reading what brought you smiles. Go on over to LeeAnna's and see what others have liked this past week.

Blessings!

Some of This; Some of That

First the stash report. Made 2 baby quilt tops and found a backing for them. Used .25 for binding one of them. Used .10 for bias for Love entwined and .15 for SLOL, so that's 3.70 yards out this week.  This gives me a YTD total of 16.37 yds. Closer still to the 20 yds out I need to meet my goal.

Here's my progress on Love Entwined:

Doesn't look like much for 3 days of work.  Those 3/32nd bias stems take a while to make. Biggest are 1/8th. But I'm done with that part of the bouquet, and I was able to add the hearts. Now to add the vase, then the flowers.

I also got a bit done on SLOL.

Here it is on my design floor as this is much bigger than I thought.  I'll have to see if I'm going to make all of it.  It's already 50" wide.

Off to hand applique some more on my Anna's Garden block. Hope you got to quilt today.  I'm linking to Oh Scrap, Sunday Stash, Slow Sunday Stitching, BOMs Away, Design Wall Monday and a couple of others. You can check my tab under more in the header to see who else.

Have a wonderful week.

Finished Block and Top

I have been working on WIPs. In fact this one below is four years old, just hadn't done anything with it.  It was only yardage when I was gifted it. Now it's quilted and bound.

and off to the Mommy & Me Clinic for a newborn.

The yardage was squares serged together. This wouldn't have been a problem except the white squares are chenille and it's very difficult to quilt through those corners.  Thus the simple quilting on this top. The batting said it could be quilted up to 8" apart, so I'm okay there. For a change, the cotton fabric is the back and the flannel is the top, but baby's mom can use whichever side she wants up. Measures 36 by 42".

As for my finished RSC 2018 March block - we were to use green.  I had a green piece with pink and some baby pink print, so that's what I used.

When I got it all done, the pink subdued the center green so much, maybe I should call this the pink block - lol.

I'm linking to Angela's ScrapHappy Saturday, Sarah's Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?, Amanda's Finish it Up Fridays, Myra's Finished or Not Friday's, Michele's Let's Make Baby Quilts, and Muv's Free Motion Mavericks.

Have a quilty weekend. It's gently raining here. We are blessed.

Late Thursday Report

Today was such a busy day! I meant to post for "I Like Thursdays" yesterday but was too busy getting ready for today!

So while we have cold mornings, the days continue to get warm for we have low 70s in the afternoon. We're back to lovely blue skies and clouds in the distance.

And from the garden - a couple of weeks ago I sent some pomelos to a few of our out of state family.  DGS#3's mom sent me this great photo: The pomelo is a grandparent of the grapefruit.  They may look like grapefruits, but they aren't acidic - they're sweet and so tasty. While they look large - they have a large rind.  One has to work to get to the yummy fruit, but it's worth it. This year we had a bumper crop.  Last year, there were only about 9-12 of them.

Hope you get to quilt this weekend.  Stay warm and safe those of you back East.