Time to start quilting again

 I always find it refreshing after all the excitement and family and food of Christmas to settle back down to doing the things  I like. My sewing machine has awaited. 

                                                    Christmas dinner 

So the planning has begun: which new projects to start,  which UFOs to finish, and what presents need to be done for January?  It is like new fallen snow, so fresh and fun and the sparks of ideas fly.

So let's start with the project I did begin a couple of weeks ago: Here is where I left it.  Lots of blues in 3 1/2 inches and 2 inches. The pattern is from 2006 or 2008 by Bloomin Minds Have to Have, a series of small quilts. 

Then to assemble and applique the concentric circles. And it is about 21 inches square. It was fun to pick out the colors and assemble.

And last to add the borders and wool applique.  Those pieces keep getting lost.  But they do look great on the background. And it will give me some needlework to applique in front of  TV. 

The next project started out as 3 inch Nine Patches.  I had  whole bundle as in at least 100 completed with the intention of making a Jack's Chain. But I decided to get out all my 9 patch books and patterns and settled on a scrap quilt. I only had a picture, but it was easy to visualize as a 25 patch block. 

My original 9 patches were all Kansas Troubles and I didn't really want a dark quilt. Plus I had leftover half square triangles from my RSC in 2017.  When making my blocks, I just inadvertently made too many of each color.  That is over 99. Plus the darn blocks were made too darn small. All of the them had too large seam allowances.  And the challenge was to deconstruct and then reassemble. 

So having said that, here is how the blocks are coming out with lots of extras being made to vary the pallet of colors. The final block is 15 inches square and I need 25 of them. ( And I realize I have the perfect back awaiting.)

Thus far I have 14 at least.  Two are incognito in my messy sewing room.  But I do like how it is coming. I have been trying to do this as a once in a while block. So far so good. 

December

 It has been an interesting month thus far.  I apologize for being absent the past several weeks. I just have been in a funk again.....

But the best part was starting the month with a quilt retreat.  That is:   just four  of us assembled at a wonderful place called Fern Hill near New Glarus, Wisconsin. It was a much needed opportunity to girl talk, sew hours on end, and admire the lovely rolling hills. Almost 4 days away from home. 

This is the lovely sunset.   So pretty, and the photo does not do the colors justice.  

Here is the sewing room; we were very well spaced for social distancing.  

The place was amazing with all kinds of bonuses: a library of books, several cutting stations, a huge space to lay out quilts, design walls, and that was just the sewing area. 

And the views from the room were so spectacular,  not anything like living in the city. 

Here are a few projects I worked on :  candy bags for Christmas gifts: Great videos on Youtube by Missouri Star Quilting and another one. I have a few more to finish.  The bags are covered with heat attached vinyl then layered and quilted and finally assembled with a zipper at the top and a box pleat at the bottom. 

This paper pieced fox turned out great, but was the bane of my progress for some time. It is paper pieced and I purchased the pattern online. I just am not used to larger pieces that flip in all sorts of angles. But I do like how it turned out.  Now just to finish the baby quilt to go with it. 

This was not mine, but I really love the design.  It is an exchange block for Kaffe Fassett. But wow, so striking

And then I got startitis this week.I have lots I want to do, but can't seem to get focused. 

I actually, for a retired lady, have been teaching/tutoring a family for several weeks now. Last week got up to 22 hours now that quarantines are in place. Kids are kids and avoid hard work.  It is so different without teachers in front of them checking progress making them do their best. 

Screen time just does not duplicate the experience for these kiddos. Oh, Covid, how you have changed us. 

This is my winter background for a snowflake quilt. Progress. 

Wishing you all better success. I love checking out your blogs of the hand quilting and various designs and colors of quilts.  Oh, to be better at time management.