February Finishes - Book and Sewing Projects.

I only finished reading The Guilty by David Baldacci.

You can check out my review  here.

 I am still wading through the Karen Kingsbury collection on my Kindle.

That may be why it is taking me so long. That and the fact that I have been  nursing a sick Mr. Busy and I have been in my sewing room a great deal.

I have completed these, this month.

This was still in kit stage on Feb 1st. It still has to be quilted. I send mine to a longarmer. That requires a bit of saving, so it will wait for a complete finish for a bit. This was my February challenge for American Patchwork and Quilting's 2017 UFO Challenge.

And I did these little pillows for my 2 great grandchildren.

 This little pillow matches the quilt I made for Bella before she was born. I finally got around to making a label with her birth statistics and a little pillow I hope her mama will use when she is nursing. It has a handle for ease of caring to a rocking chair and a shallow pocket for breast shields or maybe mama's cell phone.

I couldn't let her big brother be forgotten, so I gathered some scraps from Mr Busy's airplane quilt and made Jojo a pillow too. His has a deeper pocket to hold a book, or more likely his iPad. A velcro strap will secure the tablet in the pocket when he carries it to and from "Gwamma and Pa's" house. He is a big fan of the movie "Planes" and know that Pa has a model of the Corsair F4U that is  on this bag...:Skipper" in the movie. 

I sent this one to our oldest great grandson for Valentine's Day. He lives in Arizona, he will be 7 in July. His grandpa, our son, is a Bronco fan. I got a "thumbs up" thank you from his mom. 

And one last finish: 

It's a Mondo Bag. Over 200,  2 1/2 inch squares sewed to an interfacing. It has batting too and is large and quite heavy. I hope I remember not to load it too heavy or I won't be able to lift it.  I love the colors though. 

That is it for February. Now on to March and it's challenges. I will be reading two books written in verse. 

 Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.  I am looking forward to this "new to me" format. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Finish It Up Friday! And February

Yesterday was my birthday. I spent it mostly stitching with a wonderful group of friends. But I did get some time in my sewing room.

One of my challenges this year is with a group from a LQS in Rapid City SD. It's my hometown and though we have been gone from there for 40 years, it still feels like home. Some family is still there and it's where my kids were born. I digress!

The February challenge was to finish "something for someone you love". That's easy, right?  Lots of things are done for people I love, but I chose to finally make the label for my youngest great granddaughter's quilt. I presented the quilt to my granddaughter at the baby shower before Isabella was born. I did not have the "facts" then and had every intention of doing a label right away. Well, Bella will be 8 months old on the 7th of March, so I am really late. In penance, I decided a pillow was a great accompaniment. I purchased the quilt kit from Shabby Fabrics and there was lots of fabric left over. And because it had fussy cut roses and stripes there was extra. So I made a pillow with a shallow pocket and a handle. I hope her momma will use it when she nurses her, a place to tuck a breast shield or maybe her cell phone. The handle will make it easy to carry from rocker to rocker, room to room.

Here is the quilt:

and here is the pillow and label.

I'll attach the label this weekend. 

On to a few more finishes.  I am linking this up to "finish it up Friday" at Crazy Mom Quilts and the Sewing Center UFO Challenge Face Book page. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

A Finish or Three

      I've been busy in my sewing room lately. I haven't finished cutting the fabric to make the extra block for En Provence. If you remember, I only made half the suggested number of pieces and that was enough to make 8 blocks. But after looking at the layout, I knew I wanted a 3X3 setting or nine blocks. So I sort of stalled out. I'll get back to it.

I did finish the January challenge for the American Patchwork & Quilting  2017 UFO Challenge. I had hoped to make enough crumb blocks to make a top with sashing and cornerstones. I made that happen. And the backing is done too. As soon as my LA quilter returns from her vacation, I get it to her to be quilted/

This was so fun, I want to do another one. But now I have been inspired by Amanda Jean's Crazy Rails Quilt. I may have to do that one instead.  I am linking this post to Finish It Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.


I also finished the challenge project for my Local Quilt Group. It was to finish a Mondo bag. A kit I received in a gift exchange at a retreat in May 2016 and it is DONE!  It went pretty well, but if I do it again, I will not use the same kind of fusible fleece in the lining. It is heavy even empty and if I fill it like I usually do, it will be very heavy.

So now I am on to work on the February project for APQ UFO challenge, #8 on my list. It was a kit for a Magnolia Quilt by Blank Quilting.

I have the main pieces cut and will start construction hopefully tomorrow. 

I also finished reading The Guilty by David Baldacci 

and liked it a lot. It is number 4 in the Will Robie series and it did not disappoint me. I have come to expect a great story with suspense and a twist at the end from Baldacci and he delivered yet again.

Until next time,

Stay Busy and Stay Happy