End of March

It's the end of March and I have nothing finished or even in work to show for this month!  I follow ExuberantColor's blog - read it every morning with my coffee, and wish I accomplished a fraction of her work.  Part of my reason is many of my projects are very long term - elaborate hand appliqué begun by my mother and continued by me - hopefully in my lifetime!  And I'm also a non-finisher - good intentions, bad follow-through.

I just learned that one of my quilting buddies has cancer.  I'm putting off visiting her until I can do so without crying.  I remember doing the same with my mother, and when I finally got to the hospital, she was happily talking with one of the hospital attendants about his daughter!  I'm at loose ends today.

I encourage my family to take quilts that they like, but that just doesn't happen.  At first it bothered me that they just don't like/appreciate them, but I realize that I really make them for ME.  Some I don't like anymore - some are purple, some are old-fashioned jewel tones, but I look back and see that I learned something from each one and that is important to me.  I take photos and give those to philanthropy and document what I learned in my quilting book.

I'm going to quilt some today - more appliqué and a fabric Easter basket.

Morning Glory Progress

No quilting finishes at all so far this year!  I got a new mac early this year and have been taking classes, learning everything I can.  I transferred all photos from my PC, and I now know a LOT about iPhoto.  I have basic knowledge on most other things, but still have trouble printing.

I finally finished the last bit of appliqué on this second corner of my morning glory quilt.  I also pieced the rest of the flower and leaf units for the remaining two corners.

I have a good start on the stems of the 3rd corner.  The stems are my least favorite part!

Mama took this photo of the finished quilt.  Jeri Lopes designed it, and she sent me instructions after mama died so that I could finish what mama started.  There was no pattern.  Mama had bought the fabric - so much that both my cousin Marce and I had enough to complete our quilts.  We began in 1995, and Marce finished hers long ago!  Hopefully I won't take too many more years to finish mine.

Here is my Riley Blake challenge quilt - that was due to be 'flicker'd a week ago.  It's still in strips on my design wall.

I had a visitor a few weeks ago - a heron, I believe.  I don't know why he is so far inland.  

Maybe I'll finish something in March. 

Last of 2013

I would love to post my 2013 finishes and progresses!  I bungled around Picasa 3 this morning and couldn't see how to use it to collage my year's work.  So I will just post what I'm doing currently!

 I am working on the 'red quilt.'  It's layered and the quilting on the inner part is finished - I quilt 'near the ditch' often, and am slowly getting more accurate.  I am deciding what to quilt the border.  The layers slip - maybe I need more pins.

These small pin cushions were fun to make.  They are 4 1/2 inches and were made with charm squares, buttons, and poly pellets.  I will share them with the ladies in my friendship group as New Year's gifts!

My cat Abby has decided she likes to stretch out in my lap if I'm cuddled in a quilt - especially if I'm hand sewing.  She's fascinated by the thread traveling in and out!

I won't make any New Year's resolutions - it is too disheartening when broken! But I find myself automatically making new starts by cleaning out my purse and closets - and the MOST fun, re-organizing my fabric!  I bought some nice size boxes on sale at Costco and put my small, less-used, old-fashioned fabric in them.  I can still see the fabrics because I (compulsively) ordered them so that each one, no matter how small, can still be seen.  The larger, multi-yard pieces I keep separate for backs.  Now I can use the extra saved space to spread out my batiks and contemporary fabrics.

I enjoy reading Exuberant Color's blog every morning with my morning coffee.  Hopefully I will find the time and quilting progress to blog more often in the new year.

December already

Christmas is creeping up on me.  I've finished making the gifts for my children, have been given a few ideas for giving to my grands, and have partially made little pin cushions for my quilty friends.

This hanging is my homage to my Alaska cruise.  The zentangle animals were cut from fabric I bought there.  I'm trying to place the animals and select fabrics all at once. This will be a modular quilt - quite a departure for me!

I want to sometimes change the quilt hanging in my loft, and felt this one deserved to be seen.  I smile every time I come upstairs!

 I didn't shop Black Friday, but my daughter-in-law and her mom and aunt did.  Here they are looking over the ads and making a list of shops and intended purchases. 





I have a lot of gift shopping to do before Christmas and I'm trying to quilt a few things in between trips.  I'd like to finish this Alaskan animal quilt and get a good start on the 'red' MQG quilt and Riley Blake challenge.

Christmas Progress

The Snow family is finished except for the child's nose and a bit of hand-binding that I am leaving for something to do in quilt class today. I don't know what I'll do to make that nose.  It's so small...

I brought out the box of tall Christmas trees that I work on each year.  I made a stack of pieces so that I just need to sit down and start sewing.  I'm not sure who they will go to, but I love making them.

Working more on my witch.  All is turn-edged, placed, and appliqued onto the background except for the shoes, broom, and objects that are falling out of her pocket.  The jack-o-lantern took all one morning - has 11 pieces! I needed to get that witch off of my design wall so that I can continue with other projects.

The Riley Blake charm pack arrived in the mail and luckily go with 2 of the pieces that I am required to use.  This is for the Riley Blake challenge due in February.  I am planning on a throw with an easy hex pattern.

This 2-handed pot-holder was a gift for me as an exchange challenge last month at my modern quilt guild meeting.  I will take it today to quilt class as an example of an easy gift to make for Christmas.  It's 24 inches long, but I would suggest making it a bit longer so that it will hold a casserole.

I've never crazy-quilted, so this rose is my learning experience.  My sides keep getting larger and melding, and I don't know how to avoid that.  I will ask for help at the class today.


I will continue working on the colorwash challenge due in the January modern quilt guild meeting, and the Riley Blake taupe quilt due in February, and more Christmas gifts of course.  Only 5 weeks until Christmas!

witchy woman

Even though Halloween is past, I'm working on my witch.  Her body is complete except for the hands, and I need to applique her pocket contents that have fallen out when she hit the tree.  I thought I could get away without doing those items, but it is unbalanced without them.  I'm doing glue turned-edge applique with this hanging.  It seemed to be easier than needle-turning here because of the difficulty in placing the pieces.

I'm still working on the snow family.  Have to complete the bow, the cap, and the kid's nose.  I will crazy quilt a border.  I leaped ahead and added the buttons forgetting that I need to wait until the quilting is done.

When I took my sampler quilt into class for help in basting, we found that my basting is ok except for the borders!  Yayy - I don't need to take it apart!  I found a simple braid pattern to use on the sashing, and will begin work on it after Christmas.

There are two challenges due in the new year for my Modern Quilt Guild.  One, due in January, is for a quilt with red in it(!!??)  I'm planning a color wash in taupes, with bits of red in it.  I need a wider range of color than I have so far.

I am making a quilt for a Riley Blake challenge - due in February.  I'm not crazy about her fabric - her groups tend to be a novelty with blenders, but found some  online that I will use.  I'm thinking about making hex groups on a bold background.

My poor avocado seed was not doing anything after several weeks, so I turned it over and put the large end down.  I don't remember which end produces the roots.  We'll see if it does better now.

A Step Backward

My lovely sampler will have to wait to be re-layered...  My table is not big enough to hold the whole quilt and the backing bunched!  I need to layer it on the floor or take it to class for friends to help with it.

I thought I might work on this nativity scene since Christmas is coming.  The background is complete, but there are a LOT of figures and animals,and lots of pieces to each one. I think it will be really pretty, but it's really intimidating, and I can't work on it just now.




The cable guy is coming tomorrow, so I am watching Harry Potter movies!  It's just too quiet otherwise.