Happy 2019!

No resolutions, no lists of goals, no “word of the year”, no “I’ll do this” or “I’ll do that”. I’ll just do what I can when I can! My life is full, busy and very blessed! Hope all is the same for each of you!

As always I’ve been stitching, if not at the machine, or with a needle and thimble in my hands, in my thoughts and dreams!! It seems I have several projects going with many in my mind! But...I did accomplish a couple finishes this month! 

I LOVE decorative storage boxes, and wanted a couple for my small table by my rocker in our sitting area in the master suite. I needed something to store my engagement calendar, daily devotional, bible and pens and pencils. I couldn’t resist purchasing the three box set. The large one sits under the table holding hand projects (currently socks that need darning!)  After seeing a small Trip Around the World quilt on Instagram, I decided to make one which coordinated with the boxes. I rummaged through my stash and got it all stitched in short order. I’ve always loved the floral fabric I chose for the backing and was pleased to use it for this project!

Joyful Announcement! Grandbaby #8 is due in May! We are so excited! We found out in November and celebrated! Then...I blurted out...”I’ve got another baby quilt to make!” (I had just finished GB #7’s quilt a few months prior, but only 4 months late!) I’m pleased to report, that this project is started! But no photos yet, as the grandbaby quilts are kept a secret for the expecting parents!

Dear friends are expecting their first grandbaby, and is due the same day as our new one! I wanted to make a quilt for their sweet new granddaughter on the way. Pilfered through my stash and Mikkie’s stash and put together a quilt pattern I’d seen on Pinterest. I did purchase the backing and couldn’t resist being “traditional” and picking a sweet baby girl pink polka dot! I even have the label attached!

Well, until next time...

“Working Dogs in the Green”

We’ve had record breaking rainfall this year and our autumn looked like spring! Hence the title for this quilt. I made this as a donation quilt for the silent auction for our state’s sheepdog finals which was held this past weekend. I’m pleased to say that it was a big hit and I received many compliments and it did well in the auction. Good thing - my dog works left much to be desired!😏😏 But that’s Sheep Dog trialing!!

Simple FMQ - crosshatching, laurel leaves, bunting for the blocks and vining leaves in the border.

Meet the dogs that keep me hopping, inspire me to be better and bring me pleasure!

Dan, Claire, Finn and Bess

Sajou!

Happy Friday everyone!! Hope this finds each of you doing well!

Lori over at Humble Quilts hosted another one of her soooooo much fun SAL/QAL and today is the beginning of the linky party!! I have already taken a peek at the ones posted and they are absolutely fabulous!! Such creative quilters out there and oh my the diversity and oh so gorgeous fabrics!!

Lori mentioned that, though she was using French General fabrics for this French  inspired SAL, that maybe she should have used cheddar and blue! Bingo! I had used most of my French general fabrics for other projects....but several years ago I had purchased a FQ bundle of cheddar and indigo by Penny Rose Fabrics. What a perfect time to cut into them!!

Blessings and hugs!!

The Mega Quilt

I call it the mega quilt, but really it is such a beautiful vintage style double irish chain two color quilt! More than a year ago, a friend (April) of Mandie (DD2) asked Mandie if she would make a quilt for her (April). Mandie said “sure and I’m sure mom will quilt it for you”! I couldn’t refuse for our sweet April, but I was surprised when I discovered that the quilt was to be more of a bedspread for a king size bed! Approximate dimensions - 134 inches square! Hence the mega quilt!! But I was committed to the task! Mandie pieced the top and then delivered it and the backing fabric to me earlier this year. I was working on the boy quilts and had planned to tackle it soon after finishing them. But what a daunting task! Quilt the large masterpiece on my DSM! How was I to handle all that bulk!! And with my shoulder discomfort!! 

So I pondered on the matter for several weeks as I rehabbed/rested my shoulder. Then I had an ah ha moment! Quilt it in parts!! Sort of quilt as you go,  but how to make it not look like that!! Pondered some more. I studied the layout and determined that by quilting wreaths in the white squares and cross hatching the white patches, I could make it work. I disassembled the top into 3 sections of two rows and one section of 3 rows. I basted the first two rows with one width of backing fabric and a similar width of batting. The quilting from each section only had to match at the crosshatching on the white patch blocks. As I completed a section I would add the next similar to the first and quilt that section all the time keeping the bulk of the quilt on my left which kept a smaller amount of batted quilt going through the harp. (I FMQ on my DSM like I sew any other fabric).

Not the best photos, as it has been cloudy and rainy here for over a week,  but I did manage a drier afternoon, and I got a couple shots before I packaged it up shipping.

Isn’t this backing fabric just beautiful!! 💗💗💗

Hope this finds each of you filled with gratitude and joy!

Blessings and hugs!

A Couple Summer Finishes

Several years ago, a blogger friend from the Netherlands sent me some Dutch fabrics and I put together a little doll quilt top. Finally, I got it quilted this past summer and it now adorns the door to my sewing room. Not fancy quilting,  but I did have fun with the tulip border.

Our seventh grand was born April 4, 2018, and I finally finished his baby/ toddler quilt in August! Mandie’s nursery theme is woodland animals/ outdoorsy, so I decided to make a sampler of different quilt blocks that depict that theme. My focal fabric was a woodland scene and then I went through my stash and chose the solid fabrics to make the blocks - turkey tracks, flying geese, North Star, fox and geese, duck tracks, bear paw, pine tree, log cabin, birds in flight, darting birds, maple leaf, swallow, hovering birds, Big Dipper, and some patch blocks to finish up.

My oldest daughter had the perfect backing fabric in her stash, which she willingly let me use! And for the grands - their baby quilt is hand quilted!!

Hope this finds each of you well. 

Praying for all those affected by the adverse weather!

Blessings and hugs!

Aspiring Seamstress

During the summer, two of our granddaughters spent three days a week with us.  Gracen, our oldest, had been asking for months if I would teach her to sew, and I told her that I would teach her during the summer. So I fixed up the 1953 Singer Class 66 for her.

And she took right to it!! 

Her first project was a doll quilt for her cousins whose names all start with “E”. She chose the fabrics and cut the pieces and then I stitched them for her.

Her mom had a box of 4” and 5” blocks, so Gracen would select blocks and then stitch them together. I would pin them for her, and I marked the seam allowance on the plate of the sewing machine. 

She even machine quilted this little beauty all by herself. I marked the lines with masking tape and she stitched right smartly!

It was so fun to help her! Such a joy for Nene to share her love of fabric!

While we were sewing, Charlea, Gracen’s little sister, played with Cedric the guardian dog! 

Hope this finds each of you enjoying life!

Blessings and hugs!

Patriotic Quilts

Hello, hello!!

Since I was working on the boy quilts for most of the month of May, I didn’t do a thing for my girls for Mother’s Day! So I worked up some small patriotic quilts from a panel and FQ bundle I had purchased several years ago. It worked out just perfect - one for me and one for each of the girls!!

More next time about the sweet model in the above photo! 

Hope this finds each of you full of hope and gratitude!

Blessings and hugs!