maple leaves

After most of January has passed, and after I have declared my rainbow scrap challenge finished for the month, I had a brilliant idea to add purple blocks to my ufo maple leaves quilt. So I scrambled to add them before the 31st.

I hunted through my 2 1/2 in squares for purple and then dug out the 2 1/2 in strips to cut for a few maple leaves. I have been keeping mostly with pastels in the 30+ blocks I have already done, but I like the idea of adding purple.

I made 4 and I used anything with purple which keeps them fairly light. So next month, I will add this in at the beginning of the month. Next month's color is sea green which will be perfect for maple leaves

I found this great recipe for granola on Bonnie Hunter's blog Quiltville and since I have a love/hate relationship with breakfast, I thought I would try it.

It was yummy

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees f.

Combine in large bowl:
5 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels
1/2 cup toasted almonds or other nuts
1/2 cup coconut
3 teaspoons cinnamon


In microwavable container mix:
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup maple syrup

Combine oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and maple syrup, heating in microwave to mix. (1 to 2 mins is enough)

Pour warm ingredients over dry and mix to combine.
Spread on large cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Watch for browning.

I am linking to:
Fiber Tuesday
Free Motion by the River
Sew cute Tuesdays
Oh Scrap

Lockerbie street

I had a fun, busy weekend. I traveled to Indianapolis to see the James Whitcomb Riley Museum on Lockerbie street. I have such a sentimental place in my heart for this Indiana poet. My Grandfather had many of his poems memorized, and would entertain me reciting the best ones to me as a child, Lil Orphan Annie, the raggedy Man, The Bar. Still, the fondest memory is of the poem "An Old Sweetheart of Mine" Granddad would say this to my Grandmother, and they would look like young lovers for a moment even after 60 + years of marriage. I had it memorized by the time I was a teenager, but can only quote parts of it now.

Everything in the museum, is preserved and original. It was an incredible home in it's time and even more amazing now. They would not allow pictures, which I can respect, except for an amazing quilt in one of the bedrooms. It was made in 1890 and gifted to the housekeeper. Made with red and white squares finishing at 1 1/2 inches and the white squares had redwork embroidery in each tiny square. And in the center was a label with the date. This is an incredible piece of history and I asked if a picture of it could be purchased - no. I asked if it had been documented in any quilt book or organization - again no. I sure wish I had bucked the system to get a picture of this quilted treasure.sigh...

My son took me to dinner at Olive Garden, and gave me flowers. He said he tried to get the ones with the most yellow since that was my favorite. Aw shucks, he remembered. My oldest son with my oldest Grandchildren turned up in church Sunday morning as a surprise all the way from Martinsville.

My Grandchildren loved the polar bears for hot chocolate and other stuff, and I loved having them to hug on and enjoy. so cute

All I have sewn all weekend was a few red and neutral hourglasses for Pfefferneuse

I am linking to:

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

 Patchwork Times

Main Crush Monday

stash report Jan 29 2017

One of my favorite quilt shops for 30 years has changed ownership. The new owner wants a more modern feel to her store. So there was a sale and a trip on my birthday.      

The sale fabric was 50% off but 2 yard minimum - the rest was 20% off. I bought 10 yards. I bought civil war reproduction fabrics, It sure doesn't look like that much.

I was close to a downtown Indy quilt shop called Crimson Tate. It is a modern quilt shop and small, so I  don't just go there, but since I was in the neighborhood for my birthday, I stopped to see what they had. I found 2 Denise Schmidt fabrics for 50% off but 1 yard minimum. I bought 2 yards. I found a gingham fat quarter bundle that was on sale as well.

I bought Hobbs Heirloom queen size batting 80/20 at Michael's craft store with a 60% off coupon - such a deal.
So I fell off the wagon this week, but I used a lot of fabric in my January UFO finish.

 Stash report

Fabric Used this Week: 21.75 yards for the tumbler quilt
Fabric Used year to Date: 129 3/4 yards
Fabric Added this Week: 13 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date:16.25 yards

Net Fabric for 2017: 113.5 yards ahead

I have received my last hexies swap from the inchie hexagon group I have belonged to for several years. I decided to stop as it had become a chore. I will soend the evening adding them to my quilt. I love that as handwork.

I am linking to:

Patchwork Times

Slow Sunday Stitching

Sunday Stash

Another finish

I have a row for my quilt with 5 blocks and a few pieces for the border during the purple month for RSC17

and it is my birthday.I have finished another year. I have a fun day planned. We already had dinner at a fun restaurant. Taku

Very yummy and very fun!

 SewCan She
rsc17 super saturday

guild

It was a hand knit sock day, I could tell I needed the wool.

We had our guild meeting at a new place with an auditorium. And we have a new president. Every president works hard, but this one is very organized, should be an interesting year, especially since this is a quilt show year.

I spent 4 years as a workshop chairman for my guild, and I had a different quilt each month. I had a great group of quilters who attended most of them. For two years, I had 2 workshops a month, one using precuts. That is how I have so many unfinished projects. I started each quilt along with the workshop attendees. They finished theirs, while I was off making the next month's samples.
 Last year, I retired into the hands of a very enthusiastic new chairman. She had 10 open sews and retired into the hands of another willing volunteer, who has scheduled open sews for most of the year. sigh.. I feel badly that there are no workshops. I loved them and made so many friends. I don't miss the preparation, but I miss going to them.

I was tempted to join in on the block of the month, but she has a sadistic streak that pops out about half way through the year. Maybe I could make a whole quilt with the first half of two years.

The tumbler quilt is finished... tada. I had hoped to get a better picture at guild, but forgot. sigh.. I do love the red border, and I am glad I didn't put it away to wait for the yellow one. I am surprised how much I like it. I seriously thought I would set it on fire when I finished, as it had been very obstinate. The lesson learned, never give up, after it is quilted and bound, it looks so much better than it seems along the way.
There are 2,183 tumblers in this quilt using a 2 1/2 in tumbler template from Missouri Star Quilting.
It is the 2015-2016 leader/ ender challenge at Quiltville hosted by Bonnie Hunter.
Here is Bonnie's
Here is an adorable one with even smaller tumblers.

So my January UFO 2017 is finished at Patchwork Times, My first one monthly goal at Elm street quilts, and my first finish for 2017.

I have at least 5 days left before I have to work on next month's ufo - what shall I do?

I am linking to:
TGIFF
FInished or Not Friday
WHoop Whoop
Crazy Mom Finish Fridays
Fort Worth Fabric Studio

 SewCan She
patchwork times and one monthly goal

Indiana quilt

Indiana is celebrating it's bicentennial year. Our guild has been working on a quilt to donate to our historical museum.

We decided to do fall colors because that is a beautiful time in all parts of Indiana. My block is to the right of the tomato. called Indiana puzzle. But there are several quilt blocks with that name, some represented here. how exciting to see it coming together.

I am linking to:
Fiber Tuesday
Free Motion by the River
Sew cute Tuesdays
Oh Scrap

silly quilt

Perhaps not so smart to blog about a huge mistake I made on a quilt that must be named a series of unfortunate events. Again, my tumbler quilt, the January UFO and One Monthly Goal, has tried to engulf me in discouragement. But, Alas, I don't give up easily.
 I have been machine quilting it, slowly, as I saw the end in sight, I noticed that the back was not going to be long enough. Really. by about 2 inches. Really. What to do? My featherweight saved the day.

I cut another strip of backing, I unattached the bottom of the quilt, flipped it to the back of the frame, and inched my featherweight down the back of my longarm frame sewing it to the rest of the backing. Sew a little, move the featherweight, sew a little, repeat. Then, I reattached the backing to the frame and kept quilting. sigh....

Now, I figured and figured the size I would need in the first place. Where did I miscalculate?  Who knows.I am guessing I had the backing turned wrong either when I pieced it or when I put it on the frame. sigh...  But, hey, the binding was big enough ! It was fixable and it will make a great story a few weeks from now.

I am linking to:

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

 Patchwork Times

Main Crush Monday

stash report Jan 22 2017

I had a chance to mindlessly sew hourglass blocks for Pfefferneuse a Bonnie Hunter pattern.
I started with 576 red quarter square triangles and 576 neutral quarter square triangles.

 I sewed them into pairs.

and then into hourglass blocks. I finished 91 out of 288.

We were out of town last weekend and I visited 2 wonderful quilt shops.These were my treasures. I couldn't resist having a bit of fabric as souvenirs. A little bit of Gardenvale...

I am working on my rug hooking this week as I am slowly quilting my monthly UFO.


Fabric Used this Week: 3.5 yards were sent to goodwill
Fabric Used year to Date:  108 yards
Fabric Added this Week: 3.25 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 3.25 yards
Net Fabric for 2017: 109.5 yards used

I am linking to:
Patchwork Times
Slow Sunday Stitching

Sunday Stash

gray skies

This gray band on my knit the sky scarf is growing tiresome. I am scanning the skies for any sign of blue, but there is not any.

Our small quilt group is still working on the Jen Kingwell quilt Happy Birds. 

Linda has her center finished. It is wonderful.

And Sue has finished her top and it is stunning.

I have put mine away for awhile but I am inspired to get it back out to play.

This week I have decided to add a triangle border to whatever I finish with the RSC17. so each month and color, I will just make about 20 extra 1/2 square triangles finishing at 2 inches. Then I can have a rainbow border with my rainbow quilt.

I am linking to:
TGIFF
FInished or Not Friday
WHoop Whoop
Crazy Mom Finish Fridays
Fort Worth Fabric Studio

 SewCan She
rsc17 super saturday
patchwork times

leafage

I tried a new panto on a customer quilt. It worked really well and I liked it very much. It was leafage by Grace Anderson. Sometimes, a panto and I don't move well together, but this one was great. I used a variegated thread on top and more of a chocolate brown thread in the bobbin.

I felt that the fabrics in the quilt were good for male or female and a leaf works both ways. It's great to have a design that will work for men.

Such fun to make - each one is different - directions here

two sizes - regular marshmallows on the left and jumbo marshmallows on the right

and this sounds so yummy for them

I am linking to:
needle and thread thursdays
oh scrap

cleaning time

Just as I was about to finish my hourglasses for En Provence, I ran out of bobbin. And there were no more that were prewound. Ugh

I prewind about 5 or 6 bobbins at a time. That way, when there aren't any more, I know it is time for a good cleaning and oiling. My Juki requires a daily dose of vitamin oil. But when the bobbins are gone, it's time to do a better job.

that wasn't too bad, I actually like the cleaning part. I don't like winding bobbins. It seems they have a mind of their own.

After I clean  everything out and replace the table, I need to realign the 1/4 inch guide. I get a little sad about that, especially if I have been sewing with a sweet spot of 1/4 inch.

Then back at it. And done with this step of En Provence. I think I am ready to put the squares together.

I am linking to:
WOW
Midweek Makers
Jo's Country Junction UFO
Bee Social

Silly Mama WIP

changing borders

I have reached a moment of truth with my monthly goal UFO. I still can't find the all the border pieces, and I can't finish without them. I have really tried cleaning up enough to find them, but time has run out for that.
At one time, I had made a choice from these two fabrics.

I picked yellow, because it is my favorite color. But, now, I am going to use the red.
I have removed the upper and bottom border of yellow and replaced them with a 5 inch border of red. Tomorrow, I will add the side borders. Maybe, we can move this along and finished by the end of the month. The longarm is empty right now, so if I get it bordered, I can pop it right on the frame.

I am linking to:
Fiber Tuesday
Fabric Tuesday
Free Motion by the River