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!

Finished or Not Friday 2-16-24

Finally a finish. This smaller version of EnProvence, from Bonnie Hunter . In 2016. I started by making 1/2 the blocks. It was a mystery, so I wasn’t sure how that would go. 

Last page of the pattern. 16 blocks! 

I made 9 blocks, 15 “ square, plus borders. 

I stalled out on getting it to a quilter. Last summer I asked a friend who had quilted other things for me. She had decided not to quilt for others. It was then I discovered the one wrong block. 

And I had pieced a backing of this modern lavender and orange fabric! I fixed the wrong block, and still really didn’t like the backing. So it hung in the closet. 

In January I went lookin through my stash for a different backing fabric. I settled on a piece of Thimbleberries fabric that was provided in a BOM class I took. I did not finish that quilt and will not. I have used up some of the fabric in other projects. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized this was a wide back fabric! I cut it to 78 X 78 after checking with a LQS for her requirements. I took it to her on January 31st, a Wednesday. She called me on Thursday, to say it was finished. Wow! I picked it up Friday. Then needed to trim it up and make the binding. I had selected this fabric as a possible, a long time ago!

Fast forward to yesterday. I  finished hand stitching the binding down at my Thursday Stitchers group!

It needs a label, and it will be completely finished!  I’m linking up with Alycia for Finished or Not Friday! 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

Slow Sunday Stitching 2-11-24

It’s Super Bowl Sunday! That’ll mean lots of Slow Sunday Stitching! And I’ve got lots of stitching to do!

First, I’ll be stitching the binding on this UFO quilt from 2017. It’s my February OMG (One Monthly Goal). OMG is hosted by Anne Marie at Stories from the Sewing Room. Do you participate? It’s easy and fun! No prizes, just finished projects. The best kind of  reward!

When the binding is complete, I’ll put some stitches in this lovely Valentine project! Love Birds’ Delivery from Melisa at Pinker n Punkin Quilting & Stitching. 

Happy Stitching to All. Whether you’re sharing in the hype of this day or retreating to your quiet place. Take time to enjoy each and every stitch!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

February 2024 One Monthly Goal link up!

In January, I couldn’t decide what my OMG should be. I finally made a decision but didn’t post it here. It was to get a backing and batting ready for En Provence so it could go to the long arm quilter. It was finally accomplished and the quilt was delivered to Deanna on Wednesday, the 31st. She said, “ Oh , good! I’m out of quilts!” when I walked in the door. 

This is an old photo. I started it in 2017! Time to get it done. Eagle eyes will notice the top right corner has one triangle in a square block turned wrong. Rest assured, this was corrected and a neutral patchwork border was added. 

Yesterday, Thursday, February 1st, she called to say it was done.  I’ll pick it up today. 

This is far as it got at home. Out of the bag and flung on the couch to show Mr. Busy. 

It needs to be trimmed. Binding needs to be made and attached. Mr Busy and I are putting new hinges and new knobs on our kitchen cabinets. Actually he’s doing that, I’m wiping them down and apply Old English Scratch Cover. They are looking good. I'll be back in the sewing room soon. 

So my OMG for February will to finally get this quilt to the finish line and get it bound, labeled and ready to be displayed.  

Stories from the Sewing Room February One Monthly Goal Link Up

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!

To-Do Tuesday #58

 

To-Do Tuesday is hosted by Texas Quilt Gal. Thanks, Linda for giving us this place to list our to-dos and to share with others. Let's see how I did!

Last Week  September 21st - September 27th

1.Find some fabric for the backing of En Provence. ✅

Yikes! Makes me dizzy up close! :p

It's not my first choice, but it is purple and I had enough for a back without having to piece something. That was a win-win for me. 

2. Continue sewing rows of Hollow Nine Patches. Nope! :(

3. Yellow and Gray Project. ✅.  

 Made a start. I'm making yellow crumb blocks. 

I was the lucky winner of Kelly Young's newest book, Scrappy Improve Quilting. And it  was my inspiration. 

I had ordered this book   Crumb Quilts by Emily Bailey in August I think. She featured it on her facebook page before it was due for release. There are some great quilts in this book too! 

4. Read and Stitch on Autumn Embroidery ✅  

I finished The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. 

The Front

This is how the book came from my library. I thought it was very clever. It is Banned Books Week! this week!

The back

I gave the book 4/5 stars. It wouldn't be everyone's taste. But I'm open to lots of different stories. This book deals with family, friendship, alcoholism, racism, and poverty.

and I stitched on my Autumn stitchery. ✅

Only the bird’s beak and the centers of the flowers left to do! Tonight should be a good time to finish that little bit up. Then a good pressing and it will be ready for borders.

Next week -  September 28th - October 4th

1. Keep working on Birds of a Feather: yellow and gray project

2. Hollow 9-patches into rows!  

3. Autumn Stitchery : borders? 

4. Mail Covered in Love blocks to Kat

5. Make one more Growing Up Odd block! 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy! 

A New Month - A New Color

Linking up with  Angela’s ScrappyHappy Saturday

I haven’t had a chance to sew purple yet. So I decided to go back to see what was in my parts and pieces bins. And do a sort of inventory.

Crumb blocks to make a scrap basket:

All the pieces are here, I'll just need a lining and a bottom piece. Batting is available too! 

Hollow 9 Patches:

Two thirds of 3 blocks. I try not to duplicate a fabric, except the center white. So looks like I'll need to cut more purple 2" squares. 

Easy Breezy blocks:

The left one definitely has purple. And when I cut the floral for the right block it looked lavender to me. Here it looks pink!  I will cut more purple 1.5" blocks also. 

Sprout blocks from 2019:

They are in a purple bin!

Four sprout blocks awaiting their time on the design wall to become a quilt!

So, August will be a purpley month.  And I think I will try to get a backing made for my En Provence quilt, which also has some purple in it! 

I'm linking up with Angela's ScrapHappy Saturday.  Hopefully that will happen today. Her post is up!  Though I imagine they are getting ready for Hurricane Isiasis.  Fingers crossed it changes course. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy

July OMG Finish

I have completed the border on En Provence. I have measured it, noted the width and length and hung it up.  Backing is required: 4 and 3/8 yards according to my Quilt Calculator. I have enough of the Fushia from the star points to do the binding. Posts and photos of this quilt top are getting a bit redundant!  I apologize!  Not everyone reads my posts everyday, so if you've seen this one previously, just click out and read another quilter's post!  Thanks to all who comment though!  It makes my day!

Of course it was windy the morning this photo was taken!  Mostly always windy in Wyoming! I was hoping to get the little pot of petunias in the shot!  They are red, white and purple!  Doing well this year!

I have some strange neutrals, but my stash is dwindling. That is OK......!

So July is complete! I'm linking to the One Monthly Goal - July Finish Post at  Elm Street Quilts.

Now to decide what will be my goal for August!


Stay Busy and Stay Happy

This week a little bit of somethin'

Last week, I posted about my many projects with nothing to show for it!  It least not in my mind! No completions, no tops quilted, no binding finished!  Nothin'

This week I have a little sumpun'!  I dumped my red pieces, then opened the tote of scraps that a friend gifted to me in April!

 I had to dig deep into this pile of yumminess, but I found enough scraps to make these 5 crumb slab blocks for RSC18. I only cut into my red pieces once. Then I took a piece that was in my stash for at least 15 years, and cut in up into 2.5 in strips for the 2.5" basket!  That felt good.

I have been struggling with my slab/crumb blocks resembling log cabins, so I used a suggestion from a fellow blogger. She suggested the Mile a Minute method. I checked out several You Tube videos and soon developed a method that made sense in my head!  I think they look pretty good!

I also finished putting the final 4-patch border on my En Provence quilt top!  I learned sooooo much from doing this one. I had never used a Tri-Rec ruler before!  That was a game changer for me. Also, took Bonnie's suggestions about measuring the block, not the seam allowance to make sure the seam allowance is correct!  Another light bulb moment!  And those 4-patches went on without a hitch and fit perfectly!

  The wind was blowing!  Imagine that!

  from Google= (Wyoming is very windy, we all know that. According to NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Association) 50-60 MPH winds helps the Cowboy State hold the title of windiest state in the country. Wyoming easily produces annual wind speeds statewide of just under 13 MPH.Mar 29, 2017  )

So excited to select a backing and find an available long arm quilter to bring this one to completion!


I started to work on the QOV quilt debacle that ended up in the UFO box last year. I followed a pattern that left me with blocks that did not come out to the required 8.5 inches.  I am redoing the angled gold pieces on the corners to help with that. If you want the gory details about this particular challenge, read this post. 

I also repaired a pair of short for my great grandson!  He caught his behind on something sharp and literally ripped a slash in the seat of his pant!  I was able to find an almost match to the fabric in my stash and repaired it with that piece behind it and cut away the shreds. Then turned under the edges to create a sort of reverse applique look. It's not bad, and I'll keep them in my drawer for backup when he is here. 

I will link this post to Confessions of a Fabric Addict!   "Can I Get a Whoop Whoop!"

and to So Scrappy Saturday tomorrow after Angela post the Link up

Stay Busy and Stay Happy