Some of This; Some of That on 3/25

With two days less to sew and quilt this past week, my destashing essentially came to a halt. And what time I had was spent  making bits and pieces for my two applique projects.  See previous post. So all I used was 0.10 of scraps and brought my YTD total up to 16.47 yds.  How about you?

This coming week will not be much different because we have begun Holy Week - a reflective time for us as we walk with the Lord during the end of His earthly days.

Today, I've spent making a couple of blocks - one for Covered in Love and one for Block Lotto (will do for RSC 2018 because it's the color for this month). Do you participate in any of these?  I like the challenge of sampling blocks and putting them toward a worthy cause or a quilter's cache.  

Today, I'm going to hand stitch another Anna's Garden block.  I'd mentioned (last Thursday Report) I didn't like how the background fabric is seriously fraying on these units. I finally decided to make a rolled hem.  Because I didn't want to subject the applique pieces to stress and feed dogs, I chose to protect them by hand.
 Beginning the rolled hem. I'm basting it with large stitches as it won't be on there long.
The finished new edge to the block is done.  Once I've hand appliqued all the front, I'll remove the thread, give it a good press, then add it to the pile of done blocks.  Next one to stitch at top of post.
This is my last prepped block.  I'll have to make time and cut out some more to keep on hand stitching.

And I did finish that unit for Sweet Land of Liberty.  I didn't like the cherries, so I added stars instead.

I'm linking to Sunday Stash, Oh, Scrap!, Slow Sunday Stitching, BOMs Away, and Monday Making. Linkys are so good for inspiration.

Unit 3 Near Finish

It's been a short sewing week for me.  Starting on Tuesday instead of Friday, I'm much closer to finishing Unit 3 of Sweet Land of Liberty. I was busy with making all of the parts this required.
 I had a bunch of letters, a basket, an eagle,  and bias stems.  I still have a star and cherries left to add.
Then it was deciding how to place them.  I didn't want my letters over the stems. Now to find a rich deep red that won't bleed.

I've also done a bit more on my Love Entwined - the vase and some flowers.  I'll be linking to Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop,  and Finished or Not Friday. Visit them for quilty stuff.                                                                    






My Thursday Report

It's time for my list of what I liked last week.  It has been a different kind of week. Friday, as I mentioned before, I went on a silent retreat.  It spoke deeply to me. I was at the El Carmelo Retreat Center in Redlands - a place in a serene setting.

While right next to an Interstate Hwy (although you'd never know it except for the sound - but that seems to fade the longer one is there) the center is in the middle of a orange grove, so one feels in another world.  After dinner and a speaker, we entered our silence. Other than responses to prayers, we held the silence till after the 10 AM Mass on Sunday. A wonderful three days.

On coming home, I found myself lost in the old world - a strange feeling.  It took me until Tuesday to feel I was back and able to get into my old routine and pick up a needle.  And the first thing I did was hand stitch on my Anna's Garden block. What I didn't like is I noticed that the edges of the fabric are fraying badly.  I measured the block.  I liked that I hadn't trimmed them to the size they need to be so all is not lost. Now to come up with a solution.

And I give thanks that my new granddaughter, Grace (almost 3), has recovered from pneumonia and is her usual bright and smiley self. She was in my prayers all weekend long.

Tomorrow, I like that our group which has been meeting every month for 40 years is getting together. They are like family to me.  Three are now in their eighty's, two in their seventy's, and two in their sixty's.  We started out as a baby sitting co-op at our church.

Off to read yours at I Like Thursdays at LeeAnna's.
Blessings!


Silent Retreat


and if we're open, He speaks in the silence, too.

I'm off to a Silent Retreat during this Lenten time. I invite you to find a few minutes to imbue yourself in silence and find rest.

See you Monday.

Things I've Liked since Last Thursday

Another week has gone by and likes have surprised me.
1. The Vintage quilt raffle ended and the winning ticket was drawn by our pastor. We were thrilled that we made $1112 for the Uganda Water Project!  And the winner was the first person to buy tickets.
And she was - my Mom!  We were both shocked. She's going to put it in her guest bedroom where she has a queen size bed. Congratulations, Mom!

2.  I like that our Christmas poinsettia plant is still blooming and so pretty.  And no, it isn't plastic as some visitors have asked - lol.
My DH says the secret is to keep them outside (they hate gas fumes and heat), water thoroughly (meaning take them out of their foil wrap and hydrate til the water comes out the bottom, and don't leave them standing in water.  Last year's lasted til the end of April.

3. I like how I figured out how to test my stitches before I begin quilting a new quilt.  We're always being told to make a test sandwich with the fabrics we are using.  Lots of times I don't have any leftover fabric, so I put some on the edges of the quilt and test my stitches there.
 I always test my threads and stitches as I often use a different thread on the back and I don't want it to show on the top. Above I was checking the match of the blue thread with the blue fabric.
Here I was using gold thread on the top and a baby blue on the back. - the light green scrap was my test swatch, and it was on the part that would be trimmed off before binding.

I was so happy it rained two days last week. Praise God!  And it's even been a bit cold (I know most of you wouldn't say low 40s is cold), but it helped our mountain areas get some snow - cuz if it's 40 here, it's low 25 - 30s there.

Look forward to reading what brought you smiles. Go on over to LeeAnna's and see what others have liked this past week.

Blessings!

Some of This; Some of That

First the stash report. Made 2 baby quilt tops and found a backing for them. Used .25 for binding one of them. Used .10 for bias for Love entwined and .15 for SLOL, so that's 3.70 yards out this week.  This gives me a YTD total of 16.37 yds. Closer still to the 20 yds out I need to meet my goal.

Here's my progress on Love Entwined:
Doesn't look like much for 3 days of work.  Those 3/32nd bias stems take a while to make. Biggest are 1/8th. But I'm done with that part of the bouquet, and I was able to add the hearts. Now to add the vase, then the flowers.

I also got a bit done on SLOL.
Here it is on my design floor as this is much bigger than I thought.  I'll have to see if I'm going to make all of it.  It's already 50" wide.

Off to hand applique some more on my Anna's Garden block. Hope you got to quilt today.  I'm linking to Oh Scrap, Sunday Stash, Slow Sunday Stitching, BOMs Away, Design Wall Monday and a couple of others. You can check my tab under more in the header to see who else.

Have a wonderful week.

Finished Block and Top

I have been working on WIPs. In fact this one below is four years old, just hadn't done anything with it.  It was only yardage when I was gifted it. Now it's quilted and bound.
and off to the Mommy & Me Clinic for a newborn.
The yardage was squares serged together. This wouldn't have been a problem except the white squares are chenille and it's very difficult to quilt through those corners.  Thus the simple quilting on this top. The batting said it could be quilted up to 8" apart, so I'm okay there. For a change, the cotton fabric is the back and the flannel is the top, but baby's mom can use whichever side she wants up. Measures 36 by 42".

As for my finished RSC 2018 March block - we were to use green.  I had a green piece with pink and some baby pink print, so that's what I used.
When I got it all done, the pink subdued the center green so much, maybe I should call this the pink block - lol.

I'm linking to Angela's ScrapHappy Saturday, Sarah's Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?, Amanda's Finish it Up Fridays, Myra's Finished or Not Friday's, Michele's Let's Make Baby Quilts, and Muv's Free Motion Mavericks.

Have a quilty weekend. It's gently raining here. We are blessed.

Late Thursday Report

Today was such a busy day! I meant to post for "I Like Thursdays" yesterday but was too busy getting ready for today!

So while we have cold mornings, the days continue to get warm for we have low 70s in the afternoon. We're back to lovely blue skies and clouds in the distance.

And from the garden - a couple of weeks ago I sent some pomelos to a few of our out of state family.  DGS#3's mom sent me this great photo: The pomelo is a grandparent of the grapefruit.  They may look like grapefruits, but they aren't acidic - they're sweet and so tasty. While they look large - they have a large rind.  One has to work to get to the yummy fruit, but it's worth it. This year we had a bumper crop.  Last year, there were only about 9-12 of them.

Hope you get to quilt this weekend.  Stay warm and safe those of you back East.

Some of This; Some of That



First the stash report:  used .18 yd to make my block for Unit 2 of SLOL.  Then used 1.92 yds for a back of a baby quilt, a border and binding.  Lastly, I donated 1.5 yds to the guild. This brings me to 3.42 yds destashed this week, and a YTD total of 12.67 yds out.  Lots closer to the 18 yds I should be at so far. I'm happy.  

My goals for this week is start working on my Love Entwined (the UFO I'm to work on this month).
Here's where I'm at:
I'll be working on the upper right basket first.  If I get one basket done this month I'll be happy.

I'm appliqueing another Anna's Garden block - this time I'm stitching as I watch The Great British Baking Show.  Ah, the trials these bakers endure.  Made me want to bake. I made some brownies - nothing fancy - hehe. 

And again my design wall is empty as I work on WIPs instead.  Although this top is waiting to be quilted:
I'm finding it's good to hang tops to a hanger with the back also attached there. You can see a teeny bit of the back by the left clothes pin.  Keeps them from getting wrinkled and in sight, so I don't forget them.  I'm linking to Oh Scrap!, Sunday Stash, Slow Sunday Stitching and Design Wall Monday.  And my linky party from Friday is still open for English paper pieces - go to last Friday's post. Good luck.

I hope you get to quilt this week.  Blessings!

Unit 2 Finish

Besides my Mod-Mod Sampler, I was working on my NFO (New  2 finish Object)for January which is Humble Quilts Sweet Land of Liberty quilt along.  This is proving to be quite a challenge as we have to make up our own pattern to match or come close to Cheri Safffiote Payne's pattern.

I finished Unit 2:

The eagle was done earlier - it was the part on the left I've been struggling with.  
But it's done and I'm happy with it.  Now to do 5 more geese and photograph my stars and I'll be able to move on to Unit 3 which came out today.

I hope you got to quilt today. We've gotten some rain and every one around here is glad.  Not so to the West of us where they had the fires.  Praying they won't have any flooding.  I'm linking to some of the great quilting linky parties out there.  Click on my more tab above and you'll find the page for linkies.

Last week's winner of a fat quarter is Gretchen.  I'll be sending her an email tomorrow.  If you'd like to win some English paper pieces, link up or leave a comment by next Thursday.  Good luck.


Things I Like on Thursdays

The peace of daily Mass, the smile of my grandchild, the hug from my husband - these are fond memories from this past week.  Another thing I like is the old coat  and leggings I've gotten out of the trunk and put into use. Lately it's been in the 40s in the early mornings, and I'm not handling this cold too well. However, wearing the items mention around the house has brought me some relief. Ahh. There are no photos for that. So let me show you some eye candy from the quilt show my mother and I went to a couple of weeks ago.

The show was small, but as always, quilters brought beauties to share.  First one - a Piece O' Cake design.
I'd never seen it in black before. Loved it.



Isn't this octopus fabulous?


Best of Show!

Love this boot quilt!
Shelly Pagliai of Wien, Missouri, designed the quilt, Hazel’s Diary, which tells the story of her mother, Hazel Ilene Hyde, who was born Sept. 19, 1936. Hazel’s parents gave her a diary for Christmas 1950. She faithfully wrote in the book every day for the next few years.
Here's someone's version at the quilt show:
While I like this version, I love Shelly's:
Just depends what size quilt one needs.

Do go visit LeeAnna -others will be linking their likes at her blog, too.

Hope you get to quilt today.  Peace!

All Comes to A Halt

 Sighhhh....  While I was quilting I  ran my finger, somehow, under the needle. Went right through my left index fingernail right through to...