making waves

Last night was my little quilt group. It has been a while since I have felt good enough to go. I keep piecing projects back for when I go to this group. I had one I knew was in progress. I searched for about an hour to find it, gave up and found another that would do. I made chocolate walnut bread that was a new recipe and It was yummy. My hubby made a great lettuce salad to take, and I made homemade french dressing. Sometimes, deciding on what to take for food is the hardest part for me. When I started to unpack my machine, guess what was in the case.......the project I had been looking to find. how clever of me.
I finished 6 blocks or 3 months. This is an older Joann block of the month called making waves.

I really like the block of the month from Joann. They come with the pieces already cut and organized, and it is just a matter of piecing. I use a coupon for as many as I can. It is full of fabrics I would not normally think to put together, so I get a chance to see how that works. Sometimes it feels like I am cheating, but it works really well for away from home projects.

It was so good to get out and about again.

I am linking to:

WOW

midweek makers

Jo's Country Junction UFO
Bee Social
Silly Mama WIP

WIPs with friends

Sew,stitch,snap,share

rug hooking

I've had a chance to go to my rug hooking guild. I am inspired by the new projects that have been started. Carolyn is starting this more modern looking tree.

And Beth is working on a poinsettia using a dyed background and a spot dye wool and a little velvet.

And I am working my way around this chair pad  for my dining room chairs.

I am linking to:

Fiber Tuesday - 

Free Motion by the River

to do tuesday

too cute tuesday

A goal and a finish

The turtle quilt is finished. I added a border to the pattern. Again, it was an excellently written pattern. I really enjoyed making it. It can be found here.

I am quilting the butterfly quilt. It should be finished completely by the end of the month. Which means I have met my goal for the one monthly goal and then some. I am thrilled with the progress I have made for the month of January. Especially since I have had the flu.

And I have made over 100 bars of soap and a dozen bottles of lotion for the winter months. This is the first I have tried of lotion bars. They are more shelf stable and hold their firmness until applied to the skin, and then they melt into lotiony goodness. I still need to get rid of the soaping stuff that I am not keeping and packing the rest away for another day. Next month, we will be concentrating on canning and jars.

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar

 and One monthly goal

sunday stash report January 28, 2018

Joann is carrying batiks in precuts now. each package is 30 pieces instead of 42 of other companies, but they are 7.99 and can be purchased with coupons. I really like the light squares.

Stash report

Fabric Used this Week 12 yards
Fabric Used year to Date: 14 yards


Fabric Added this Week: 4 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date:13 yards

Net Fabric for 2018: 1 yard more used than purchased.

I missed 3 days of stitching anything with the flu. 57% for the week
86% for the month so far.

During recovery from the flu, I did a lot of sitting, and I had a chance to finish and prep another Marie Webster block. for slow Sunday stitching

I am linking to:

Slow Sunday Stitching

sunday stash at quiltpaintcreate

15 min to stitch at life in piece

squared away

I have finished 3 squared away blocks for the January rainbow scrap challenge. It seems I can't count to 16. Every time I cut for the half square triangles, I was short.

I have the inner border and the outer border sewn on the butterfly quilt and realized it would make a great quilt for my Granddaughter. So I may have 2 of them finished for January. I wasn't really planning on them being birthday presents, but it seems like a good idea if I can wait.

I am linking to
 SewCan She

rsc17 super saturday

will I finish?

I am still recovering from the flu. I have moments when I think it is almost over, and hours when I think it will never be over.
In the back of my mind, I am wanting to reach my one monthly goal and finishes for January, which is the turtle quilt and to quilt the butterfly quilt. and I am trying to finish up the downsizing on soaps and lotions since January is coming to a close. Before the flu, I was making good steady progress. but now...
I have soap to put somewhere...

And a quilt to finish quilting that has just been tempting me to finish.

I am bored. I have watched stupid Tv until I feel stupid, but it takes too much energy to actually do much. No, I didn't have a flu shot this year. I don't like them. Will I next year? I don't know. I wish I could just trust. My second son was born with an immune deficiency and his first immunizations were dangerous. I waited to give my children immunizations for several months after that. My daughter had the one in a million reaction to the pertussis vaccine, and the doctor wouldn't give it to any of my other children. And then, our youngest is autistic, even after delaying his immunizations for 6 months. I have read so many articles and notice that it is becoming a hate topic. I made my decisions many years ago about the children and wish there was a way to feel completely safe. But I certainly don't want to fight the flu again either. sigh.....


I am linking (links in the sidebar) to:
needle and thread thursdays
oh scrap

flu

ugh flu
almost upright again. I am too old for this silly business.
My friend is working on a Jen Kingwell row by row quilt.

birch trees

As one of my rainbow scrap challenge quilts for 2018, I am making birch trees. I started by making a few string blocks in more upbeat colors. I cut one strip 2 inches wide and 2 strips 1 1/2 inches wide.
I cut the main blocks 12 inches to start with, and I trimmed them to 12 inches after adding the pieced strips.

The quilts I have seen that I like the best are done with solid colors. I was going to use any light blue scraps I liked in my drawer, but they were all too busy, so I did use the only light blue solid I could find. They look gray in the picture but they are a light blue. I just put a ruler on the block at an angle and sliced the square.

I rejoined the pieces after I inserted the strips. This is very fun and about as improv as I get. It will be fun to see all the colors at the end of the year. If I do 2 every month, I will have 20 blocks. But I think I will want it bigger, so some months I may make more than 2 blocks.

I am linking to
 SewCan She

rsc17 super saturday

turtle top

I have sewn the rows together for Mr. Turtle quilt. It is so very cute. I just love it.

I even made a special label for the back and the flannel back pieced.

and I have the binding together from scrappy bits.

Maybe, this will get finished soon. The quilting frame is empty. It shouldn't be, but I could quick sneak this in the line.
There was a soaping disaster yesterday. I missed the mold a little bit. sigh....
At least it will be easy to clean

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays   

Whoop Whoop

crazy mom quilts

making more soap

more soap. This batch included hyacinth, gardenia, and bird of paradise. I am not a flowery person. But the overall smell in the house was wonderful. I included goats milk, shea butter, mango butter.

I feel a little behind on my rainbow challenges, and my turtle quilt has reached a stalemate. I have the turtle applique panel together. I may not have anything to report by the weekend. Have you noticed that if you concentrate on one thing, something gets neglected?

I am linking (links in the sidebar) to:
needle and thread thursdays
oh scrap

ringo lake setting triangles

I decided not to piece my setting triangles for On ringo Lake mystery quilt. So I used the Fons and Porter setting triangle ruler to decide how to cut them. The color is mostly consistent but the prints will be different.

I used a paper template as Bonnie suggested to cut the end off the triangle

Luckily, the edges of the pieced unit fit the cut out of the setting triangle.

So that part of the clue is finished.

I added the sashing for the first row

And then the block just to see... How lovely.

I am linking to:

WOW

midweek makers

Jo's Country Junction UFO
Bee Social
Silly Mama WIP

WIPs with friends

Sew,stitch,snap,share

turtle applique

It's time to meet the turtles. I would name them but they are for a gift, so I will leave that to my Grandson. It has been awhile since I used wonder under fusible and appliqued with a zigzag. My Juki is straight stitch only, so I had to welcome my bernina back to life. I used the green fabric from leftover pieces of the quilt blocks for the shells.

more soap - lavendar

I am linking to:

Fiber Tuesday - 

Free Motion by the River

to do tuesday

too cute tuesday

soap and quilts

With Hubby's job ending soon, we are trying to downsize and make decisions about all the fringe interests. Last month, we concentrated on fiber, we sorted, played, and packed up what we still wanted in our spinning life. We even sold a spinning wheel. yay!  If our new life doesn't have room for spinning then it can all go, but hubby and I really like to spin so we went with the idea that we would still be able.
This month is all about soap. I know I don't want to ever be without my homemade soap, but I no longer want to make for others or spend time dreaming up the perfect soap. Our plan was to use up all the ingredients and pack a few containers with soap that will keep for awhile. Hubby loves my soap too and was very enthusiastic about making soap with me.

 Since the soap is just for us, I was just going to keep it simple, no color, no fragrance, regular bars. But my head started with the silly ideas ( why does it do that?). And I needed to think of something for my visiting teaching ladies. So Snowflakes with peppermint were born. Oh no, if the fun has started then what.

As far as my quilting goes, I have only made a little progress on my turtle quilt. I have made rows, and I like them. Next I need to do the turtle appliques.

My old mystery quilt challenge Carolina Crossroads decision was made about the border fabric, and I did cut it. But that's it.

 my old Christmas Block of the month has more pieces cut and only a few pieced together.

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar