It's Spring?????

 We have another beautiful snow that flocks the trees and looks so pretty.  5 or so lovely inches of this COLD WET SNOW!   Fortunately, I have everything I need here in the house. So there! I will just sit here and read my book, Lessons in Chemistry, and stare out at the now blowing branches. 

There is a driveway and sidewalk somewhere.

I have been sewing some:  

Quilting the mini: 

The back looks gray but is more of a medium blue.

Sewcialites blocks: 4 new blocks

All my blocks so far of the Sewcialites 2; free weekly pattern from Fat Quarter Shop.

18 out of 20. I have one that I made twice with different fabrics.

It's SPRING!

 The calendar and the vernal equinox say that it is spring today. And I am truly jealous of more southern states that are lucky enough to feel warmer breezes and see daffodils and such. Wisconsin is NOT ready ready for spring. I can say that I have seen several robins arrive. Where they get there food is a complete mystery to me as we are between snow storms here. No buds, no blooms, no green here. 

Here are some lovely shots of the surrounding roads outside the city showing the current status of our weather.

And I did make some St. Patrick's Day crème puffs with mint green filling and chocolate and sprinkles on the top. Delicious!

So my sewing is progressing. I have my ocean waves back from the quilter and have made a scrap binding for it. My goal is to finish the binding this week. 

I also added a 3rd row to my 9 patch scrap quilt. Each row requires 64  3 1/2 inch 9 patches. And many units are already made for the next one. 

I was all set to assemble a quilt where I have made 60  hourglass units with 4 squares ( 5 1/2 inches)   and 110 mini ones (2 1/2 inches)  I ordered a blue fabric that was to be more navy for the setting. But it turned out to be royal blue. So now what to do with 4 and 1/2 yards of it???? And I have to find another navy blue. 

My quilting goals for the week:

Attach and hand sew binding Ocean Waves

Finish quilting  Mini trees and maybe mini hourglass quilt

2 blocks for Snowmen.

Another mini top

Last winter I made a quilt top needing 400 quarter square triangles.  Well I finished it, but without the last border and was left with over 240 of these hour glass blocks.  So this is my first use of them.  It is a meager 32 units.  But I enjoyed the wool, finding a design, selecting the colors and appliqueing it done. Then on to the assembly of a quilt. I utilized the Fat Quarter Quilting book for inspiration.  

10 by 16 inches

I have a 2nd block planned for it with a different layout.  So many creative ideas and not enough time. 

I have 60 5 inch broken dishes blocks made. 

I have been working steadily on my 9 patch scrap quilt. If I don't feel like working on anything else, I will just sit and sew 1 and 1/2 inch squares together randomly putting colors together Last night it was 20 of these units.   It is now 24 inches by 81; this is it folded in half. 

RETREAT quilt tops completed!

 I love going to retreat. So much uninterrupted quilting time with so many wonderful ladies.  Good snacks! And overall just a good time!  I come home tired from sewing so much, but I really love all the friendships, quilting ideas, and the give-away table.  This year we had a whole table of wool roving and I avoided it.  We also had many suitcases of fabrics from a former quilter at 4 dollars a yard. I filled in my pink and purple voids of my stash along with some dots. And I was gifted with a bag of mini-charm packs. I need to repay her somehow. 

So I spent a few days sewing over 500 strips to make this quilt for my daughter: about 70 inches squared. I need to have her select a back for it.  HOORAY!

And then I finished my Over the River quilt top for the remaining days.  This is a multi-year project. I found my post where I had finished the embroidery February 2019. But I started it in the summer of 2016.  The stitching began one summer and it took a week just to trace the designs and back it with a thin fabric . I was able to complete the pieced blocks and middle assembly at another retreat. All that was needed was the large flying geese as the last border.  And now to get it off to the quilter. 2nd HOORAY!

UFOs

 Now that I have my big project off to the quilter, I have started working on a few Unfinished Projects.

The first I have done is a baby quilt. I had the top assembled last August. I just needed to quilt it.  So the layering and quilting began.   The mother was thinking Winnie the Pooh for a girl. 

I selected a Shannon fabric for the back.  It is oh, so cuddly. 

I just quilted in the ditch and then added some parallel lines for the blocks while using my walking foot. I rolled the pink backing onto the front to bind it and top stitched with a zig zag stitch. 

DONE!

Next, I got my mini trees out. It was already layered and prepared to quilt. 

I started by again using my walking foot for both edges of the pieced border. I quilted in the ditch of the blocks across the quilt.  Next step to ditch in the the leaves of the tree in rows. 

And the stage I am at now is quilting free motion feathers around the outer border. 

I had to stop because I ran out of thread. Ugh.   

Before quilting

2 photos of the back showing the quilting.

My husband kindly picked up a new spool of thread for me.  Now to finish the quilting. 

A Flimsy!

 I didn't realize how long ago I had blogged. It has been a busy week sewing and sewing. Which is just perfect for this winter weather.  We are going from winter storm to winter storm. Last week we were to get blizzard conditions and snow.  Schools canceled in the late afternoon on the day before.  When I woke in the morning, there was not even a flake on the ground.  But it did arrive later that morning.  Last night, we had much the same expecting ice and sleet and such.  It looks bleary, and has tiny snow pellets coming down. So far not too slippery. And schools are out again today. 

Here is someone who likes the snow and enjoys all it can bring. I just need to add eyes and a mouth to donate to our Block of the Month for guild. 

And I did get the round on my Stay at Home Round Robin.

But I am behind 3 rounds. Ugh.  What to do?

But my Piece de Resistance!  

My Ocean Waves are together!  All 64 blocks!   I even attached a 6 inch border of the background to the sides and it is already at my most wonderful quilter.   Many hours into putting them together over a couple days. I am so relieved and almost feel anti-climatic about it. My plan it to enter it in the guild's show the first of April for the theme of Triangles.   There are 1664 of them in this quilt. I did utilize Triangles on a Roll.  And I have 4 leftover blocks!  How did THAT happen. 

Here is it draped over my couch. Not enough light or space to display it anywhere else. 

Off to the my longarm quilter!

Winter Quilt Show

 I love getting all kinds of inspiration from a quilt show.  And being the first one of the season, it is such a winter blues breaker.  So many wonderful vendors with tantalizing fabrics and patterns.  My favorite booth though was artsy tunics.  And they were half price; so I modeled them to the people around and got great feedback for which I purchased 2. Loved it. 

And the quilts were inspiring and such a variety:

This Kim Diehl one had great wool applique.

I loved this mini one and am tempted to make it.  Not a pattern, but an inspiration from some blocks all in wool applique.

Gorgeous work of these square in a square blocks turned on point.  It was a group project.  Gee, I wonder who gets to keep it?

Beautiful array of colors and interesting piecing.

Another mini done in medallion style with reproduction type fabrics.

Beautiful rainbow of colors with different piecing. 

And lastly, a Valentine inspiration: 

Happy Valentines Day to you!