End of May

 Last day of May, so I thought it might be time to catch up with myself. I have been so busy and have not felt like sitting down to write all that I have been doing. It seems that the Tiny House Project worked really well for getting my creativity moving again. I have been piecing and quilting and sewing other things like a crazy woman.

First, I made this little embroidered stitchery piece from Cozy Blue. It is printed on the fabric and you just add the embroidery stitching. I really love the bees.

This was another quilt that I worked on a block at a time, while I was doing the tiny houses. About half way through tiny houses, I thought about maybe making an all pink version of tiny houses. But then I decided not to do that, but to make something using my multitude of pink scraps. So I began paper piecing these string blocks, one each day after I made my tiny house for the day. I made blocks until I filled my design wall, and then I stopped.

While I was quilting it, using a wandering loopy stitch, I doodled a name. I actually added my name and my daughter's and my granddaughter's and then it hit me...this quilt was destined to go to my granddaughter! And so it will.

Here is a shot of the whole thing quilted and bound. It is a nice lap size or small snuggle quilt for a little girl who loves pink.

I decided to use big strips of fabric, pieced for the back. I saw Bonnie Hunter do this on the back of some of her quilts and I loved it. It makes piecing a quilt back so much easier!

And it just crinkled up so nicely after it's trip through the washer and dryer. I can't wait until she sees it and I know she will love it as much as I do. I have lots more to show, but I think I will post things in separate posts. Talk to you soon.

Swoonin Again

Many years ago, when the pattern for the Swoon quilt was released, I jumped in with everyone else and made a swoon quilt. (Pattern by Camille of Thimble Blossoms) A couple of years ago, I bought the Swoon 16 pattern for 16 smaller blocks, and made one for a friend in need. My sister has long loved this quilt pattern and wanted one, so I finally caved and said I would make one for her. The only condition I put on it was that we would have to find a quilter to quilt it. She wanted 16 full size (24") blocks so it would drape all the way down on her bed. It is about 104 inches square.

 She agreed and we set about the project. I had her go on line to find the fabric she wanted. I told her the best way was to choose a fat quarter bundle. That way it would already be fully coordinated. She knows how to choose colors she likes, but having to choose that many fabrics is daunting. This way, there would be enough fabrics for 2 per block, times 16. She knew she wanted a creamy color for the background. That was easy. We used my Kona color card once the fat quarter bundle arrived, and chose the perfect cream color.

Now, if you have never made one of these quilts, there are 81 pieces in each block. It very definitely is a precision piece of work. I would cut the fabrics for 2 blocks on one day. The following two days, I would sew a block each day. I did have to use the seam ripper a couple of times, but over all, it worked out fine. I have my copy of the pattern stapled together so I can just flip the pages as I work through the steps.

This is the finished quilt top. This is a queen size bed. The 24 inch blocks are centered on the bed. You get a sense of just how big this thing is.

The fabric she chose is Mill Creek Garden by Jan Patek. It a a beautiful collection of purples, greens, brown and cream. I had her pair up the fat quarters the way she wanted me to sew them. This way, the designing of the quilt could be hers. It worked beautifully.

It took me several weeks to get all the blocks made. I didn't want to rush it, and it was hard some days to stay on track. I truly think this will be the last quilt of this size I will ever make. I am just getting too old to struggle with that much fabric. It is tough. But I am glad I did this and can't wait to see it quilted.

I sent her to the local quilt shop to get recommendations for long arm quilters. I have found that that is the best way to locate one. They gave her 6 business cards and she sent out emails to 4 of them. She has chosen one and we will go meet with her tomorrow at the quilt shop. I have explained about batting and backing, and this quilter can provide both, which makes my job easier too. The only thing I will still have to do is to bind the quilt when it comes back from the quilter. I am hoping that when it is fully finished, I can get a full photo of the quilt to share here with y'all. Until then, have a lovely day.

Eight Projects? What?

 I was sitting in my sewing room the other day, and for some reason, I counted the projects I am working on. This does not include crochet or hand work. I have EIGHT quilting projects going on right now. Eight. How did this happen to someone whose sewing mojo was on hiatus? So let's just see what's going on in there.

This is the beginning of a baby quilt. I don't want to show too much of it yet, since the recipient doesn't know about it and I want to keep it that way for awhile.

This is the beginning of another Swoon quilt. I told my sister about a year or so ago, that I would make her one of these. So now I am starting on it. Instead of nine blocks, I am making 16 blocks, in the large size. The original calls for 9 blocks. These blocks finish at about 24 inches and she wants a drape down the sides of her bed, which is a queen. This block has 81 pieces in it, and once I have a block cut and ready to sew, it takes me about 2 1/2 hours to put it together, and press all the seams. So this will be a slow and steady job.

My tiny house quilt top is done and waiting to be basted and quilted. For now, it's on a hanger on the door of the room. I am thinking of stitching in the ditch around the houses for this. I don't want to detract from the houses on this.

The first two rows of my Project Pink quilt are together. I have to remove the paper pieces from each block before sewing them together. So for each session with this quilt, I remove paper and sew one row together, and then sew it to the others.

This is my second Project Pink quilt. I have long wanted to do this quilt. I am using up many of my pink scraps for this one. I had tons of 2.5 inch squares cut and in the scrap bin. I have since had to cut some more from bigger scraps and this is about half of the size of the quilt, so a ways to go yet.

After I finished the pink strip blocks, I decided to do some blue and green ones. I am really trying to use up some of the many scraps I have. These will go into a quilt together. I have way more blue strips than green, so that's the way this quilt will eventually go. I make a block almost every day. This is another slow, steady project. I have found that I like that type of project. No pressure.

My Penny Sampler is near to being done. The quilting is done (picture of that coming soon) and I just got the fabric for the binding. I need to make and attach the binding and label. So, very soon it will be done.

And last, but not least, my Geesey Geesey quilt. The top is done, the backing is ready and the batting has been cut from the roll. I need to pin baste this and I am thinking maybe this weekend I will do that so that it is ready to quilt when the mood strikes me.

Welcome to Wednesday

Trying to get back into the habit of blogging more regularly. I can almost always have something to say, but I have become lazy with sitting at the computer and putting it down here. It is finally spring here and even though it is not as warm as I would like it, the days do seem sunnier and things are blooming.

These beautiful lavender are blooming in the front yard. The bees are all over them on any given day. I love all the purple goodness.

I have been baking. This key lime pie was one of three I baked for Pi day. I also baked a pecan pie and an apple pie. We ate pie every day for almost a week here. Glorious, but now, back to reality.

I had tons of ripe bananas and a bunch also in the freezer, so I baked three loaves of banana bread. Some will go to friends, and one got wrapped and frozen for now. I cannot seem to let any bananas go to waste.

And I stitched this little lovely from Liz at Cozy Blue. She has many lovely stitcheries in her shop. I believe most, if not all, fit into a six inch hoop, where you can leave them if you like. They are fun to hang just like this. I fell in love with the bees and have been eyeballing this one for months. I am so glad I got it. This one was so much fun to do.

I am happy to report that my 100 Days tiny house project was a success, not just in that I finished it, but it really did give me time and space to wait for my sewing mojo to return. Since I finished the tiny houses top, which is now ready for quilting, I have quilted my Penny Sampler quilt. I just finished it yesterday. It needs binding. I have pulled fabrics for a new baby quilt for someone, and I am excited about these and other new projects that are on the horizon. Tiny houses was clearly, just what I needed.

So, I will return here soon with more projects to share with you. Happy Wednesday.

Friday Finish, and More

 I don't think I have posted a Friday Finish since Amanda Jean stopped blogging. I used to try and have at least a little something every Friday back then. But here we are at Friday, and I have finished something this week.

My Tiny House quilt top is done! It finished at 30"x34". For those who don't know the back story, I started this project as a 100 days challenge to myself. I needed motivation to sew daily, and I needed it to be something small. The tiny houses are 2 inches by 2 1/2 inches. There are actually 101 of them, because on inauguration day I made a tiny white house as well as my usual tiny house. I cannot say enough about how much fun this project was for me. I made myself some rules and stuck to them. I highly recommend such a challenge for anyone trying to keep their creativity going.

I also finished my Meadow blanket that I did as a crochet along with Lucy of Attic 24. I love her crocheted blankets and they are fun to watch them grow as you work.

This is the whole blanket in a color story layout that Lucy designed. Check out her blog if you want to know more about it.

I also have a couple more things to show you today. I started another block a day project while doing the tiny houses. I made pink string blocks to use up a bunch of pink scraps that were calling me.

And now it is finished and waiting to be joined together into a quilt top. Blocks will finish at 8 inches square. I have a couple more things going on, but I think I will save them for next time. Take care of yourself and have a good weekend.

Sunday Cloudy Sunday

 Woke up to grey, cloudy skies this morning. I don't really mind. It doesn't mean rain, living here in southern California. We are in a drought right now. That is one of the hardest things to get used to here, is the lack of rain. Back home, a cloudy day was usually the precursor to rain. Not so here.

These beauties are blooming in the back yard on the patio. These pictures were taken on a sunny day.

When fully open, they are as large as my open hand. And if you don't cut them to bring inside, the blooms last for days.

Even this sweet little cactus plant is blooming right now. Spring is spring, no matter where you are. It's just different here than what I am used to.

The Meadow CAL is pretty much done. Now I have to work the 6 rounds of the border. I am currently on round number 4.

This is the tomato embroidery I did for my daughter from the garden embroidery book. I had been doing these with an eye towards her framing them, but now, we are considering making a quilt out of them. It will be awhile before all of the one I want to do get done, though.

Another picture of the Meadow blanket. The picture really doesn't do the colors justice. They are just so pretty.

And here are my tiny houses through yesterday. Only 4 more to go. I am starting to auditing sashing fabrics for this. I am quite excited to get it all put together. Soon, I will be able to show it to you.

Have a lovely Sunday friends.

In the Pink

 I don't really know why, but I have been super into the color pink lately. After I started my tiny house project, I thought about making a bunch of pink tiny houses. I had to stop myself. But one day, when I did make a tiny pink house, I left the pink scrap bin sitting out and it kept calling to me. I decided to make a foundation pieced pink strip block.

And since that day I have made one every single day after I make my tiny house block. I now have 30 pink string blocks on my design wall.

They are 8 1/2 inches square and I have no idea how many I am going to make. I guess I am waiting to see the quantity in the bin go down before I decide to stop. There are so many of my favorite fabrics in this project.

And now I am itching to make a pink and white patchwork quilt because in the bottom of the bin, I found a ton of 2 1/2 inch squares that I cut when I was sorting and cleaning my scrap bins. I trimmed things to usable sizes and they have been sitting in there for years. Am I pink crazy? Maybe, but it is calling to me.

Here is the pink bin after 30 string blocks and after removing the 2 1/2 inch blocks. There is finally starting to be some room in the bin again. It was crammed full before I started this. Maybe eventually my other crammed full bins will call to me and I can use some of them up too. And don't even get me started on the yardage in the closet. I need to start sewing faster.

Talk to you soon.