I LIKE Thursday

 I needed this reminder today! I can only control my emotions and my response to triggers!  I’ll join LeeAnna and others to share the little things. The little things I’m grateful for. 

I sewed some this week.  I finished 3 zipper blocks. 

And three trial block of BH Square Peg. This block is not for me! I have some pieces cut, so I’ll sew til those are gone , then into the orphan block box they go! 

And this greeted me this morning! Not exactly a “like”, but it is fun discovering the pretty darks hidden away in my scrap basket. 

In between I stitched scraps into crumb blocks. 

I worked a Wordle every day. Wednesday was a head scratcher!

Wordle 1,124 6/6

⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩

⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩

🟨⬜🟩⬜🟩

⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩

🟨⬜🟩🟩🟩

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Holey Moley! I almost blew it! 🤬

We lit the deck fire table ! It was a beautiful evening, the only thing missing was a glass of wine. I was not prepared. 😉🍷

 

We watched a good movie on  Netflix. 

have you ever gone to an outdoor play? tell us about it.... Or a concert? do you like outdoor performances?

My favorite recollection was seeing the outdoor production of The Passion Play with Josef Meier in Spearfish South Dakota. That was a long time ago and Mr Meier is deceased. But it was very impressive. The real people, the outdoor venue. I hadn’t been exposed to much theater! 

Because we lived in the Black Hills of South Dakota and much family visited. We attended The Passion Play every year. Below is a link to an article if you are interested. 

Article from the South Dakota Magazine 

The closest I’ve come to an outdoor concert was “Concerts in the Park”. Local talent in our City Park on Summer Thursdays. Families and couples on blankets or lawn chairs on the grass. Very enjoyable. I’d love to go again, but Mr Busy is a curmudgeon about all the people and I’m unsteady on my feet lately, so that’s out! 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

OMG Finish link up. En Provence finally done!

My OMG was to get the binding on this long overdue finished quilt.  The long arm quilter had it back to me in record time. 24 hours!! Happy Dance!

Bonnie Hunter's 2016 Mystery. En Provence. Made slightly smaller. 3x3 instead of 4x4 as the pattern is written.

The backing is a Thimbleberries backing from my stash! 

I had this purple fabric slated for the binding since I first finished the quilt top. I still like it!

Next a label and I will have met my One Monthly Goal! 

Label done and revealed at Saturday’s Quilt Chicks’ Gathering!

I’m linking up with Anne Marie at Stories from my Sewing Room. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

ScrapHappy Saturday ~~Final Four Orange

 I'm linking up this morning with  Angela’ ScrapHappy Saturday. Last week I had two crumb blocks. This week as I sewed and cut and sewed and trimmed I ended up with 4 more. The final four for sure. I had to raid the Halloween basket to get the last one up to size. 

Crumb blocks and string blocks are the only color specific blocks I am making for this year's challenge. I am trying to finish some UFO's that have lingered too long in my sewing room. I have assigned each UFO a color. When that color is announced I work on finishing that UFO. So far I have been sort of successful. 

May's color was orange and my spreadsheet said get a backing and batting for En Provence and Long May She Wave and get them to the quilter. That puts me somewhat at the mercy of the quilter. I could not get these two to that stage. Long May She Wave will be delivered to Aggie on June 1st. And En Provence has a date with Marva, but when I sent her the photo, I notice a huge OOPS!

Do you see it?  That top has been hanging in the closet for a few years. I pressed and trimmed thread earlier this year and even pressed it again last week, in preparation to go to the quilter! I didn't see it then either.  So now I have to do a bid of surgery!  And you can be sure I will peruse it once again to see if I can see anything else. Thank goodness it is on an edge. Not too difficult to fix.  "Good Gravy".  So that one won't be done either, for May!  I will get it though, I've committed to the quilter. 

On to the next color specific UFO. I see Angela announced Dark and Bright Blue. But I did those for January.

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

RSC22 July. Purple post #1

Not very much was accomplished last week.  I did get 24 HST made.

 These will be the July purple zigzag row. I have to decide on a final arrangement, then number them. Otherwise I tend to sew the wrong sides together. It must be a bit of “cognitive decline” as my sister used to say!  :).    I’m missing her lots lately!

I’m also sewing tiny 1.5” square into four patches to make Bonnie Hunter’s Triple Threat blocks. I’m using them as Leaders and Enders. This is BH’s 11th free pattern for leader and enders!  I haven’t done them all, but I have done some. See her other ones in her free pattern tab at the top of her blog. 

Oh look! There is one purple one! 

I’m linking up with Angela at ScrapHappy Saturday! Hop on over there to see all the purple scrappiness!  

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy!

 

TO - DO Tuesday! #46

 Good Morning!  I hope your week is progressing swimmingly! Did you see Bonnie Hunter’s new Leader and Ender project? It’s fish! 🐟🐠🐡

Join us at ChrisKnits to share your to do list and to see what other bloggers are up to this week. 

Last week's to-do list  June 29 - July 5

1.Pick an OMG for July and write a post for Patty at Elm Street Quilts ✅

            My July goal is two fold. Binding and a Border…not on the same quilt! See my post  here.

2. Put out July decor ✅ 

3. Decide on a backing for Rainbow Geese ✅

         It’s pieced, using the backing from my daughter’s quilt, the backing from my granddaughter’s                 

         graduation quilt, and a piece of starry blue, origin unknown! 

            The moon and stars were the backing of T’s graduation quilt!

             The word fabric from daughter’s celebration quilt! 

    

                   This blue and gold stars just seemed to fit! 

4. Join Exclamation Points and Semi Colons into rows.  1/2 done! 

    

       Exclamation Points joined!   The semi colons are not!  Today they will be done! 

5. Make a Hollow Nine patch in the color for July!  Dark blue/black/brown??? ✅

I did one in dark/navy! 

Next Week. July 6-July 12

1. Do at least one dark hollow 9-patch.

2. Make 24 Positivity  blocks. 

3. Finish binding on Go Your Own Way! 

4. Start laying out border #2 for spool quilt 

5. from last week….join semi colons into a row!

I’m linking up with ChrisKnits! Here's another chance to check in with Chris and join the party!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy 

 

RSC20 Deep Blue Week 2

This week I finished my bed jacket on  Wednesday the 8th. You can see it on my Finished or Not Finished post here 

I,  then finished one more hollow nine patches, selected and cut fabric for 2 Geese Migration blocks.  One is finished and on the design wall and one is still in construction.

  Also on the design wall are 2   4.5 inch unfinished samples of Bonnie Hunter's new Leader and Ender project for this year. It's called Easy Breezy. Those are tiny. Not sure how many I'll do. I have pieces cut for 10 more. 

I also read a book this week. I finished, Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. It's not a new book. It was published in 2005. It's sometimes stark and raw. But well written,  I think. A different perspective on the atrocities of WWII.  I gave it 4/5 stars. 

I'm linking up with Angela at Super Scrappy

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy

Please, please, please wear a mask!  We have got to help each other and get this virus under control. I have family in two of the "hot zones". Arizona and Florida!  

February OMG Finish

My garlic knots have been kneaded into a flimsy or quilt top, if you prefer. I made this as leaders and enders for the last several years. I used Bonnie Hunter's technique and pattern for constructing the actual block complete with pressing directions.

When I got ready to put them together, I had a bit of a pickle!  First I decided I did not want to do the sashing technique that was in Bonnie's pattern. Not because I didn't like it, but because it requires a design space to get the colors right. My design wall is smallish and was being used for my RSC 20 blocks.

Then I had a "senior moment" in laying out the blocks in the pattern that I had seen on pinterest. See this post.

Finally, I had them on the design wall in the arrangement I liked. I gave each block a label as to which row and which column, took them down to my machine and  began sewing them together. Well, the pressing was a problem. Some seams did not nest as I wanted. Some I had to nudge, some I had to push and some just did not obey at all. Several intersections are off.  A bazillion pins later, it is together. And now with a 3 inch border. I cut it a little large in case I wanted to cut it down a smidgen. Not sure yet, but my February OMG goal was to get it to flimsy/top stage and here it is..

 If I had to do it over, I would not use the darker neutrals for the background. There are a couple that jump out. But this will "not be going to Paducah" as my guild members like to say, so I am satisfied. And every single piece including the border is from my stash. It was fun to remember the quilts that each of those little bits came from.

I am linking this post up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts, just in time.  February Finish OMG.


Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Scrappy Saturday 5-11

So far only 6 scrappy sprout blocks and one Tiny Tuesday in Orange!  Funny thing about orange. There are Halloween fabrics, pastel peach flowers, Bronco orange circles, pumpkin colored swirls, motorcycling cats, flames on a black background, oh my!  Fabric is cut for Bow tie blocks, and I may or may not have strings enough for one or two string blocks. We will see. I don't do string blocks til I have enough to at least make one block, because I change the needle and the stitch length.

Sorry for the out of focus! I'll try for a better photo later in the month. 

Road to "Tranquility"

Bow tie blocks at the ready. And my messy sewing station. PS, I haven't used orange in my temperature quilt yet!  It will be awhile


I have been using the sprout blocks as leaders and enders, but I really am anxious for Bonnie Hunter to reveal her new L and E block in July. I have 2" blocks cut and corraled in a box and I have 2 1/2" blocks, always!   I am sure some of them will be in the mix!




I'll be linking up with Angela's Scrappy Saturday post. See you there!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Tumbler Quilt for Us!

Most of the quilt I make are given away. Gifts for graduations, a new baby, or a special occasion. Some even as comfort quilts, to help someone through their grief. Occasionally I keep one. This quilt will be one of those.





I started making scrappy tumblers as part of Bonnie Hunter's Leaders and Enders project in 2015. I was in no hurry.
The idea was to cut and sew and feed through the machine as other blocks were made and quilts were finished.








It finally got to a point that it was big enough. The final rows were attached, a border was decided on and a backing flannel was selected.

 I called my friend who long arms quilts for me and she said she had time. She had it finished in record time. Then, of course, I needed to trim it up and attach the binding. My least favorite part of making a quilt! I chose a scrappy binding, digging through all my leftover binding pieces. I chose the ones that were cut at 2 1/2 inches. It is my favorite size. It is always a struggle to manage the bulk of the quilt as I attach the binding. I set my traveling machine on our dining room table. I used a walking foot and still, the seam allowance is wonky!  You would think after all these years, I would have this part of the process under control !!!!



It is done now, scrappy binding and all. This one will stay with us, probably go in the camper this summer. I will also display it in our annual quilt show in October, I think! It's not a juried show, just for fun!

There are Christmas peppermints, black and white birdhouses, a palm tree, some valentine hearts! Lots of miscellaneous fabrics from many projects. I love the striped binding the best!





 I will link up with Busy Hands Quilts, Finished Or Not Friday
 Oh Scrap at Quilting is More Fun than Housework , on Sunday
 Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.
And because I finally have a finish, I am linking up with Beauties Pageant at From Bolt to Beauty


Stay Busy and Stay Happy

And the backing! 

Bears, and foxes and cats, camping!

2018 A Pretty Good Year!

2018 Was a "pretty" good year

I have visited a few blogs this week and saw this Linky Party hosted by Meadow Mist Designs. I decided it would be a good idea to share some of my linkys all in one place. For my benefit more than anyone else's.  I checked my stats.. I don't have lots of followers, nor many comments. More views than anything else. But that's ok with me. This blog is my "thing".

1.   MOST COMMENTS:    14 comments and 586 views. 

Dick and Jane, 5 yard quilt was one of the projects on my UFO list. The top is completed and I recently purchased fabric for backing. One of my Go-to long arm quilters is "going South" for a couple of months, so that means I need to get on the list of my other favorite quilter. Christmas is a busy time for all, and she has many family and Church obligations. So, it needs to be done.

2. Most Views:  861

Pink Stuff was just a post about some sewing I did. Maybe it was the cute pillowcase tunic I made for my great granddaughter. Or maybe viewers are just drawn to the title PINK STUFF!

My Favorite..

My QOV project  This is my favorite collection of posts about a specific project.  The quilt of valor quilt was a labor of love and commitment.  I started this quilt using a pattern I found on line and a long held and jelly roll.  You can read about this quilt here

The reason it is my favorite blog post, is that as I blogged about the problems I was having, lots of fellow bloggers reached out to me with suggestions and encouragement. It was because of these responses that I persevered and now the top is done. Thanks to all, but especially Julie at Pink Doxies! She had a similar tutorial on her blog, and took the time to email me extra encouragement and a "kick in the pants"  -" you can do it" attitude. I needed that!!

This year I participated in all 12 OMG challenges at Elm Street Quilts. So I will document them here also
January - Cil  String Blocks

 February - Olie and Lena wall hangings

March - CiL Blocks  Blue Hunter Stars

April - Snow Flurries

May - cut fabric for "Intertwined"  from Tag collection for DS

and the quilt done!

June - Binding on DD 's quilt

and done!


















July - 4-patch border on En Provence

August - Begin Loose Threads Challenge due in November

September - Trace designs for Thursday Stitcher's Christmas exchange. At least 6

October - CiL Blocks  8 of Adult I Spy blocks

November - get 1/2 of Rick Rack Nines rows assembled. 

December - CiL block drive   Flying Home

And that's all for this photo heavy post. Thanks for allowing me this time and this platform. One of my goals for 2019 is to be more organized in my blogging and documentation. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Have a Blessed New Year

I am linking up with Meadow Mist Designs'  Best of 2018 Linky Party!