Henrietta: Squirrel!

This is an old UFO  ( not even on my July/August  list).  Squirrel!  Literally.

I don't expect to finish it right away, but keep the handwork going.  As you can see in the weathered paper copy of the layout: the pattern is from Bunny Hill Designs from 2011. At the time is was a BOM free download, and I started it with regular applique.  Those ears and points did me in just too much detail to hand turn them precisely; so I transferred  to using wool instead.   

This is my lay out of 7 blocks done, so far.  The blocks and thread sit next to the end table where I watch TV. I pick it up when I have the concentration to blanket stitch the edges.  And I finally finished the 3 blocks that were prepped.  So I have 2 more blocks to complete, and then the  border which has additional crows and stars. It also needs various words and buttons for eyes and necklaces.

And, I am not just a one project girl.  

So here is the beginning of my 4th of July Stars and Geese. 

And lastly, the other project I  laid out is my Kim Diehl Simple Friendships 2 QAL. 

I don't like some of my colors, so I am going to redo a couple blocks and piece the small patchwork tucked here and there. And then I can put it together.  It is small. the little blocks are 2 inches finished and the largest in only 6 inches.

Progress

Progress:  

First, I have to say my hubby is set to have his treatments for his cancer and all are to be done in the next 2 weeks.  The preliminary scans and markers are done.  These appointments are draining, yet I do nothing.  We wait around till he has to go and then I wait while he goes through the procedures.  

What I have learned is that we are blessed. The Prohealth Care Cancer center is wonderful. The staff is nothing more than positive and helpful. The facility is very nice with beverages available and books and a jigsaw puzzle waiting to be put together. Even the music is relaxing.  Talking with the other spouses of patients has made me realize that we are younger than most; and that we are lucky.  Some are going on 5 years of treatments or 3rd degree burns. 

Quilting progress: 

I got right on my goals for July and August and got this baby quilted.

This quilt is only 25 inches square: with each little square only an inch finished. 

I had the perfect Christmas quilt for the back and binding in my stash. 

Then I ordered these tumbler blocks on my facebook group.  It was nice on only have something to lay out and put together.  Now for quilting it. I  think it will just leave it for a table covering.  Each tumbler is about 2 by 3 inches

But I had to also show a couple quilts from my guild meeting on Wednesday.
I showed this Escher quilt being put together back in January. The designer came to share his trunk show mostly for his family of kids and grandkids.  He was a former kindergarten teacher and then mentor for teachers. This is one of his original layouts. You can get or order  a kit of Kaffe fabrics for this at Quiltagious in Mukwonago, WI. This has 3 colorways and an additional 3 D setting.

I loved this one which is a variation of a Storm at Sea quilt called Woven Ribbons.  He said he used Deb Tucker's templates for the diamond in a square and square in a square. ( also for sale as a kit from Quiltagious.)

UFO July/ August challenge

I saw a great online UFO quarterly group on The Joyful Quilter in her July 7 post.  I think I missed the deadline last night, but I want to participate on my own anyway.  Summer is my best time to make progress on my projects.

1) Kim Diehl Mystery: from Simple Friendships 2

This is not mine,, but hers  All my 6 different small blocks are made from 6 inch to 2 inches.



2) My mini Christmas quilt. This patchwork frames the 3 inch prints from Holly Taylor.



3) Finish Jude's 2 year old quilt.  ( Yeah a little late, he just turned 5 in May.)
These are the applique blocks I have done.



4)  It is not started, but I have marked the July 4th mystery from Fort Worth Fabric Studio.

I am resizing it from a 14 inch block to 8 inch block.  ( 60 inches finished to about 36 inches)



5) Over the river embroidery  and quilt pattern from Crabapple Hill.
This is one of my finished 3 embroidery panels sepia on beige background.


6) O.K. one more:  my Thimbleblossoms pattern with the Woolies flannel fabric:
I just need this for my couch for the cold weather this year. ( Much later, I hope.

So....off to the races ( on the sewing machine, that is!)

Georgia and my blues

First, my dear DH and I  had a nice trip to Georgia for his sister's big birthday

Here is the home decor for the party with several surprise out of town guests (including us).

We had a grand time visiting with relatives: all her kids and the 3 grandkids. 

 We started out taking a bus for us all for 3 winery tours.  ( By the way the temperature jumped from the 70s for us to almost 90s down there. Nice change. )

This is the little grand niece who enjoyed everything.  So cute and such great parents.

This is the Monteluce winery in northeast Georgia.

 Beautiful facilities both inside and the surrounding lands. 

i

Our trip was a much needed diversion from having my grandkids leave Wisconsin to move to Louisiana.  I have a big hole to fill of time and snuggling. 

Then after we returned, my DH had the surgery to implant his markers for his radiation. 

The process has started.  But we are doing o.k. 

And I have been sewing: fits are spurts on this project.  This is my goosey blues.   Here is the layout for what I have started.

The blocks are comprised of 4 Wild and Geesey paper pieced blocks.  You can find it on Pinterest. 

Each square of the little geese and sides are a total 3 and a half inches; which makes this block 7 and a half inches. And each block like this has no blue fabrics repeated ( total of 28)  Some fabrics do get repeated in other blocks.  But I am going for 100 different different total blues in order to enter it in the Wisconsin state fair.  

These are the corner stones from the lattice.            And this is the lattice for between the blocks. 

                                              


Slowly, slowly getting there.

2 finishes and a trip to Chicago

While I have not blogged in a while, I have been busy.  In fact I am not sure how the time has flown by so quickly.

First, my finishes:

This was my rainbow scrap challenge from 2017.  There are 99 blocks made, no 2 of them the same fabric.  Each month was a different color: and I made country shades rather than bright colors. Most, but not all the fabrics are Thimbleberries or similar.

Here are a couple that I made so you can have an idea what one 6 inch block is like: ( These are 4 put together.

Taking pictures has been a challenge due to the reoccurring rainstorms we get.

The top was put together in January, and the border in March. 

I finally sent it off to a quilter and got it back this month: a beautiful feathery all over pattern.

My back is a Kansas Trouble red as is the binding. 

TA DAA!!!!!

Second, I quilted and bound another tree skirt. 

It is almost identical to the one I made for the wedding in March.  

And I am so glad to get it off my plate, much overdue. 

It is mostly made of a batik jelly roll called Jingle. 

Drum roll:  Crash (can't you just hear the cymbals!)

Here is some of the back with it: 

A  gold polka dot on bright red background

And for my trip to Chicago. My daughter had a business trip and offered her room to share right downtown near Grant Park.

We walked lots, had fun seeing the sights and ate good food>

 This is a reflection at Millennium Park on the Bean of my spouse and I who just had our 39th wedding anniversary.

Here is the Apollo space craft that returned to earth following the moon landing. 

We toured the Adler Planetarium and saw lots of history and loads of information:

astrolabes, telescopes, pieces of the moon, and more.

 Perspectives by important astronomers and how they were proven. 

Additionally we toured the Art Institute of Chicago. Amazing pieces of work from paintings to sculpture, jewelry to swords, modern to ancient and all across the globe.

My favorite work though was found in the Chicago library: 

This is merely a portion: but is was a huge display hanging from the ceiling. 

Little did you realize until you got to the top floor that it is all recreated dog tags of soldiers who died in the Vietnam War: some 68,000 of them. 

Wool applique

 School is out for SUMMER!

Which means time to do lots of fun things like:

Go to the zoo with my grandsons: We had a fabulous day at the FREE  Henry Vilas Zoo and park with the boys. A picnic lunch, a beach, and playground were highlights as well. We treasure each day with them. Of course, they were out cold sleeping on the way home.

Sew, sew sew. Here is the last blocks of week 4 for Kim Diehl's QAL mystery.  These blocks are 4 inches. Now to put it together

Stitching galore:   But I thought I would share the wool applique I have been doing.  I joined a small subgroup of my guild devoted to wool. And I am enjoying it a great deal.  So here are 2 blocks from a Bunny Hill BOM way back to 2012. You can still buy the patterns called Henrietta Whiskers. It has some nice patchwork between the blocks.  I have 2 more of the 9 to prepare. And these couple to put the finishing touches to. 

 We are doing a sharing hexie project which passes to each member in the group:

This one is based off of a Sue Spargo pattern. I learned several stitches for this. My bullions need more practice. There are tiny beads around the edge where the blanket stitch is.

 Here is it added to the starters.

 And the month before, I had a grand time with beads I had.  Funny how most of us chose spring themes. We were just so frustrated with the long continuation of winter weather.

Kim Diehl QAL

I have not blogged in a while. And it isn't because I haven't been quilting.

So here is the  first installment of some of my progress.

There is a new quilt along going on.   I love all things Kim Diehl.

And she is having a quilt along; we are in the 3rd week. 

And in order to do the blocks you needed this book which is co-written with Jo Morton. 

You can read her details and posts on both Instagram and her blog.

 The basic instructions are on the Martingale site

In this book it shows 2 versions of very popular blocks each made by one of the two famous ladies.

None of the instructions have been difficult.  In fact the cutting direction have even made my blocks construct easily and precisely. ( I do also use Best Press to size my blocks before cutting.  And I like the ruler for precise 1/8 inches by Lisa Bongean.

This is week one.  The hardest part was selecting the fabrics.

The larger block is 6 inches finished.  The smaller ones 4 inches.

These are from week 2 and are both 5 inches finished.

I am using fabrics from Thimbleberries, Kansas Troubles, some of Jo Mortons and others I have around.

Here are week 3 blocks, each being 2 inches finished.

Can't wait to see what the small beauty will be!