Bee done wall hanging!

 It has been a little crazy.  I made another trip to Indianapolis to see Mom as well as help make the decision to add palliative care to her nursing home. She is having more health issues such as a wound on her leg refusing to heal. It has led to swelling and an infection and after several months. 

Hopefully the care coming to her more frequently will aide her healing and give her some added attention. At 93 she is still able to read even captions on the tv.  She can carry on a conversation as long as she is remembering which is not consistent. Not too bad for her age! 

But then the infection spread up her leg.  And she got a cold.  And we struggled to understand how she was doing with the quick change in her. We will see if she gets better this week. 

And in between, I have managed to finish another UFO sitting around. 

This time it is a Bee themed wall hanging with Deb Strain fabrics. I know it is over 5 years old, but can't find it in my records. 

I took a panel and followed a pattern to frame the blocks, but only made 4 of them for the wall hanging. The quilting worked out much better this time; I didn't use my walking foot. 

Here is the back of the panel where I did some free motion around the motif. The rest is straight lines.

One section close up

 You can see the cute honeycomb fabric. 

Wedding presents

 A dear former student of mine has gotten married.  I knew her over several years of high school and have kept in touch getting together usually at Christmas. She is such a sweetheart . 

I like to make a tree skirt for wedding gifts. ( great idea from another amazing quilter) . So I pulled out my Christmas box and patterns and found just what I needed for the project. A couple of days later and ta da: Tree Skirt done;  about 42 inches round.  The pattern is from 30 years ago when I made mine.

( I also cleaned out my Christmas fabrics throwing scraps away and preparing a donation bag of leftovers.)

A pretty poinsettia print, a red fabric with white snowflakes, and a green print ( not black)

The second part of the present are 2 Christmas stockings, personalized and trimmed by me.

UFO completed and other cross stitch finishes

 I had made a very nice patriotic table runner several years ago.( like 2022)  It has been sitting in the quilting to do pile next to my machine for a long time. 

(free pattern from All People Quilt)

I bit the bullet and finished it.  It is not my finest work, but IT IS DONE!  And that makes me happy!  

A good press, a binding and here it is!  24" by 36"

Here is the back showing the diagonal quilt lines. 

Other projects I have been working on. :   

I made small pillows for bowl fillers out of several small cross stitches. 

Each one had a slightly different finish: borders, patchwork, and pipping for the cross stitch.

For the sunflower: it was a crayon colored in layers and ironed to melt into the fabric, followed by free motion quilting to detail some shading and outlining.   ( about 5" by 7")

It is nice to be getting things done. 

The family is here and now gone!

 I am happy as a clam or a duck in a pond or a thousand other cliches for being happy. Just sitting in my house watching my both kids and their significant others talk and interact gives me the biggest smile on my face. They haven't been here together since 2018 when they moved south. 

My son and his whole family arrived yesterday as they landed in Chicago from New Orleans: an adventure for all. It was only the 2nd time the boys had ever flown, but the first time with their parents. And this time they had a direct flight. 

Food is already disappearing quickly and a big grocery run was already needed.  Growing boys who are much taller since I saw them in April are eating me out of house and home. 

And then my daughter arrived and we were busy with activities galore.  And after that her beaux came with more fun and laughter. Games, squirt guns, and fun times together. 

All together now!  

Highlights of our days together!

At the art fair in Madison

At the county fair 

At the Milwaukee Public Museum in the butterfly exhibit

And the all important fit of the robe.  He LOVED it!

Jude's robe

 I finished it!!  Whew!   I am so relieved. 

I was avoiding it.  Crazy I know.  

But I am so glad it is ready for when Jude and his family arrives tomorrow. 

It was new for me to work with minky for clothing. The "blanket" I used was very shaggy.  

It was hard to pin it like woven fabric especially on the tissue pieces.  I have had lots of experience making clothing including tailored suits  for me as well as smocked dresses for my daughter.  I have made clothing ever since I was 10.

So using magic pins was a real game changer: easy to see as well as long shafts.  And sewing over them was fine with the thick plush.  It didn't stretch like synthetics. 

Thanks for all your support.

Stash Bee blocks

 I finally got back to the sewing machine. And as it is the start of a new month, I need to make my blocks for Stash Bee. This time we had a lot of freedom to make our own pattern just use greens and blues and make a 6 inch block.  I really like 6 inch blocks; I find they are easier to be precise in the piecing. 

The project I most need to finish in the next 3 days is to cut out and sew a robe for my grandson.  I promised him at Christmas. His brother received a robe, but he only received fleece  blanket. I volunteered to make it into a robe for him.  I ordered the pattern and a coordinating fabric for sleeves and such. 

And I have started Lori Holt's Flea Market Flowers in the patriotic colors to hopefully be completed by the big celebration next year.  It is my first time to use evenweave.  I have had to do a lot of frogging!!!!

I like to do this in front of the tv each evening with my husband.  I will say he sits way over on the other end of the couch to avoid the movements of my needle.

New computer

 Oh, my!   I have been missing in action due to my computer being at the repair shop. And then it was just taking too long.   It IS an old laptop.  So upon recommendation, I purchased a new one.  YEAH!   

It will take some time to learn all the ins and outs of the new one.  But I am back. 

In the interim,  I did finish my mini mini quilt.  The piecing is pretty good considering each square is 1/4 inch. However, the quilting did not work the way I wanted it. But it is DONE! 

I entered my Kansas Trouble quilt in the Wisconsin State Fair.

It got Best of Show.   I am shocked beyond belief! 

Me with the quilt and judges! 

Lastly here of photos of recent events:  

Daughter and spouse at Frankenmuth, MI

Here am I also at Bonner's the gigantic Christmas store.

My husband and I celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary.

Goofy Mom avoiding photo taking. I visited her in Indianapolis.

Not bad for 93.

Big finish!

 I have 2 big finishes to celebrate:  

First is my Blockheads 1.  This was started in 2017. I truly enjoyed making each block and learned so much from the postings of each of the 6 block creators. It improved my piecing skills so much.  Now you can get the full set in a printed book.   All the other series session 2 through 5 are on the modafabrics.com site.  ( And you can start Blockheads 6 which has 3 blocks already.)

I got it back from my long-armer about 10 days ago and quickly attached the binding. But then left for a trip to a lake with my daughter and husband to relax. 

Here is a close up of the center:

And here is a close up of the back to see the special designs of the blocks and borders

The color is a beige stitching on the navy background.

Total design on the back with the pieced backing:

(I am working on using up the stash.)

And now it is ready for the state fair.

blocks, here and there

 I have been completing lots of individual blocks, not any main projects. But I have been keeping busy.

First off more blocks for Baltimore Bliss from Fat Cat Designs: These are fused and will be outlined?quilted in the final step as a quilt as you go kind of project in rows.

Additionally, I have been cross stitching in the evenings: 

It is only about 4 and 1/2 inches square. This is a design from Housewives of cross stitching.

I hope I can get thee wooden plaque from Hobby Lobby they have shown with it posted on the front.

I started the new Moda Blockheads 6 with a fabric line, Vintage Charm by Dani Mogstad.

I only have a few fat quarters at this point and will need more, for sure.

9 inch block

And lastly, I have been working on my 16 inch blocks with Tilda Fabrics, having a total of 9 blocks now made.  The pattern, Everlasting by Corey Yoder calls for 20 blocks and some interesting sashing.

The rays of the sun

 I am so happy to show you a finished top.  One which has taken a few years to finish.  

In January of 2021, I started this New York Beauty quilt of Karen K Stone's for a challenge online. 

And with the distractions of so many projects going on as well as the recovery of Covid, it was set aside with a beautiful box of assembled fabrics. And I finished all the curved blocks last year.

At the beginning of the year I tackled it again, although I have not blogged about it. And after finishing the top to my Blockheads, I was on a roll to finish this one.  Only then I found out, I had not completed all the border blocks.  I got pretty good at paper piecing. 

But pushing ahead, I then got productive and completed the assembly:

Center;

Border decisions:

And the top ALL sewn together:

YEAH for me! And all those willy nilly seams went together easily.

Sewing and sewing

 I am so thrilled to have finished the top for my Blockheads. And finished is better than perfect.  I just couldn't more to it. 

But it has refreshed my joy of quilting and I am back working on several things.  ( As I just can't do one at a time.) 

First off, I am glad to also have also finished them embroidery of my Crabapple Hill Pumpkin. Now to put it in a pillow with a cool border. The pattern features a scalloped fabric border.  Thinking, thinking, I need to find the right fabric.

And I also hand pieced a Dear Jane block.  I need to practice my hand piecing skills. 

This is a 5 inch block.  

Last but not least I have done another Tilda block. 

Lastly, I am in a BOM online for an applique quilt from Fatcat Quilts.  I considered doing hand applique; however, the points are way to narrow for  facilitating that.  So I am doing fusible applique.

Here is my first block: 

Interesting week

 I was so excited that my daughter wanted to come and spend a week with us.  I was totally looking forward to spending time with her, going out for dinner and shopping.  We are lucky because she works remotely and can go anywhere. But I had come down with this cold after visiting the grandkids. And it lasted ALL week when she was here. So I did get to have many conversations concerning her job search and beaux. Tough decisions for anyone. 

But I finally got better the day she left. Oh well.

The only thing I was able to do was read and I finished a good book by Chris Whitaker, All the Colors of the Dark.  Very good book full of twists and turns.  All the chapters were less than 5 pages; something you normally don't see. 

But now I am back to my self and fulfilling regular tasks around the house.  

But most importantly, I have completed the top to my Blockheads 1 started way back in 2017 as a block of a week by 5 fabric/quilt designers.  There were great instructions as well as hints for better piecing, working with small sizes, and use of color and design within the block pattern.

I had selected my design for assembling them together a while back and arranged the final layout last December and pieced the center early this year. 

Drum roll please: 

Outdoors in the sun

Center:

I am so glad to have this together. Such a long project .  Now off to my favorite quilter.