Looking ahead to 2019

It is hard to believe it will be a new year.

So here are some of the projects I could/ would like to finish:

1) Blockheads setting.  I have the fabric with a few of the sashes started. Started 2017 in spring


2) Christmas tree skirt.  I am so bad!  Ugh!  for wedding last October



3) Row by row for me!  Needs a little modification and some wool applique. The  last row was finished this spring


4) Row by row started for a quilt group.  ( all the rows are made even) Black and brights, several years old

5) Valentine blocks.  already pieced. Just needs organizing into a wall hanging


6) 30s hearts and strips: log cabin pieced hearts with strings of 30s in between

   
7) Halloween row by row for guild:    started November






8) Christmas quilt: several sections made. Pattern by Kansas Troubles
I didn't realize it was a full bed sized quilt, and was thinking it was just a  wall quilt for Christmas.

                      

9) Flannel quilt for new couch.     New project

To be made with woolies layer cake and brown tweed instead of navy


10) Another Christmas tree skirt for  March wedding

11) Wisconsin lap quilt using Yellow Brick Road pattern



12) Quilt for 4 year old grandson 2 years old Transportation blocks: 8 made



13) Rainbow scraps: needs to be put together from 2017



And so on and so forth.

Yes, there's more.  But how many can I make in a year?   And I will find/start some new projects.

I do have bags of projects,  a stash of fabric, boxes of patterns, and shelves of books.   All waiting to inspire me. ....   You understand.


Here's to the new year and the open slate ahead of us!

Goals in review for 2018

First: year in review

Here are the quilts finished: completely finished.  ( Note, not all were started this year)


         

Dresden spin needed quilting and binding

Christmas tree skirt                                               Jude's nap blanket

 
Magnolia Mystery


Started as a log cabin quilt along almost 2 years ago.  Favorite quilt of all time for me.


Baby quilt for niece

Old round robin exchange



Jensen's big boy bed: started as Stash Bee block this spring

Pattern from the first issue of Primitive quilts and projects.


Wall hanging made with leftover blocks from guild's raffle quilt



All in all : 2 table runners ( both gifts), 3 baby quilts. ( one small size of garden fence) 1 Christmas tree skirt, 3 wall quilts, 3 lap quilts.

Other goals done: 1 Stash Bee block for 11 months, 5 rows for row by row quilt challenge.
finished all the blocks for the first Blockheads Quilt along total 49ish.

Donated: 1 baby quilt, and 1 top for a veteran, and 1 wall hanging for guild

3 UFOs finished.

End of the year to 2018

End of the year! 

First of all, Happy Holidays to everyone!  I have been absent from the blogging and quilting scene.
No tragedies or excuses. Just life getting in the way of doing the things I love. And a case of I don't know where to start.

November news!  My
spouse officially retired from his job.  And he is so happy! 
And I am so happy for him. A little jealous, maybe, but mostly happy.

We have had great holidays and are spending  lots of time with my grandboys and family.
So we have cookie baking time, craft time, and lots of blocks, cars, and toys. All good!
And the traditional Christmas Claymation video and the Muppets' version of a Christmas Carol.

But there is nothing like a snuggle with a little boy.  Or a Christmas song and book, or even the manger as a playhouse.  P.S. the figures are not breakable.


It is a little different for Christmas without Gary's mom and mine who is real foggy with Alzheimer's.
Every time I speak with her, it just tears my heart out. And her spouse is just struggling to communicate with her. Even with live in help, it is hard.  And 700 miles away makes it even more frustrating for me. A phone call is not second best. But a trip is not in the projected future either.

My DD has a wonderful beau and we like how this relationship works. The holidays with both families have gone well. And we get to take care of her cat.



So as far as sewing and quilting and such.  Not much.  But here are the few things that are in progress:

All I gave away that was made : 1) Christmas table runner made last January, 2) dish towels with applique made in May and November.
Of course, the list to have been made is long, and now in the plans for NEXT year. Maybe more will be made:

So I do have a finish: ( only a year and a half for this panel)
This is the 2nd panel of Over the River by Crabapple Hill.
All that is left is the 3rd panel with the words"Over the river and through the woods".



Here are 2 patchwork squares to be made into pillows. 7 by 7 each square 2 inches finished.

Over the river...

I have not posted my progress on this in some time. My Crabapple Hill project is into its 3rd year of work and sits next to the couch.

This is the second of three panels. The last one being only the word panel. 

Almost done! And appropriately, during the holidays. Over the River and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go!
I have the entire center and right side completed. 

Close up!

And I was so blessed to have family together for a Thanksgiving meal: only my daughter in law was working at the hospital.

And thanks to my daughter for a great camera and apple pie. 

Happy  holidays!

Retirement!

My husband came home in the middle of the day!  ( I was home as a comp day for parent - techer conferences.) What?  " I retired!" he exclaimed. He had been counting down the days now that all his medical appointments were done. And now social security health care is in place. 

I am so happy for him. 

Now a couple more years for me.

But I am working on the little projects here and there.

First some appliqued tea towels.  DONE! 

Next a crane for my Stash Bee. This will be my last block.  I am stepping back for now.

I have had a great time making blocks for 2 years.

Time to finally sew!

For the first time all fall, I finally had energy and time to sew on a week night. I was so happy to get all my pumpkins made and put together into a row. I started making bias strips for vines, but was disgruntled with the size. I ended up purchasing a new quarter inch strip maker. Heaven knows where my other one is. 

I also celebrated a birthday.  My great partner went to a local deli and brought home take out. Awesome turkey, cranberry and cheese panini and 2 desserts. We sat and ate in front of the TV. 

He did buy me earrings. But darn if he can find where he hid them.

Friday morning, look what I was surprised to see.  I knew we were getting snow, but didn't think it was going to stick around.  Absolutely beautiful!  

And still crazy cold!

Part of my being out of commission has been a cold that came for a week, left and then came back.

And the other reason was the weekend in Indiana for a beautiful wedding of my nephew who is  only 6 weeks older than my son. 

And here is my sister and her hubby,  the parents of the groom. 

And here are the 2 grandboys ready for the wedding. Cutest guys ever. 

Halloween start

Creative juices flowing.   I am in charge of our guild's Row by Row this year.  My goal was to include more people and levels of sewers. I think I doubled the number of entrants. And I have been preparing samples for them.

My row by row is  Halloween themed .  Of course, I already had the inspiration sample done from last year. And I had a box of fabrics ready to create with. 

So I wanted an easy row for the beginners.  I found a wonderful video by Nancy Ziemen on Trusty Triangles. She had beautiful aquas, greens and blues and made 6 inch triangles to make this row. 

I made it using my Halloween fabrics.

Then I started with the oranges to make some pumpkins. ( The witch row is in the background.)

Progress. 

This will not be completed for Halloween; and you will see additional rows all of this next year.

But what I am thrilled to get done is this mini quilt to donate for an infant.  I had leftover blocks from my grandson's quilt and added a few more for the 9 patch of them.  I did finish the top at retreat in mid September.  I gave it to a friend who added the back and quilted it.  

I love her geometric choice for the quilting

And the back looks great being gray and white. My binding which was this weekend's project has a nice gray stripe with bright colors.  It took a whole movie to get it hand sewn. 

Finally a quilt block

I made a quilt block, on my sewing machine even.  .It has been quite a great while. But it is a new month. And this is stash bee block for October.  Like putting on training wheels to get started.

My other photos are from the China Lights display at a local park. They were really impressive and so beautiful and this is a mere sampling of the many displays throughout the park. The grandboys loved them, too. It is a traveling display. We would have stayed longer to see the programs and food, but it began to rain and we had not brought any rain gear and became drenched.

Hubby and I

 A Phoenix

Son, daughter in law and one of the boys in a lighted tunnel that the colors changed.

The other munchkin at dinner beforehand.

Hubby