Fabric Flowers

I am trying to learn applique and see if I can coordinate mind and fingers to make the applique for Happy Birds by Jen kingwell.  I have 4 flowers that are done and 4 still to go. But, I am taking it slow and steady.

 Stash report

Fabric Used this Week: 1yard

Fabric Used year to Date: 23 yards

Fabric Added this Week: 24 3/4 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 133.5 yards

Net Fabric for 2016: 110.5 yards in the hole

and I think I need to add shirts I buy to take apart for fabric. I added 5
for total of 10


I received an order from Missourri Star Quilt Company. I have 2 jelly rolls - Flow by Moda and a layer cake - zen chic, and a charm pack - bees n blooms, and a Christmas charm pack.
I really didn't have plans for them but liked them and they were on sale.

I was lucky for senior day at the Goodwill and found these 2 pieces of fabric.  One was 3 yards and one was 12 yards. I paid $4.20 for 15 yards. woohoo.

Happy 34th birthday to our second son. He has a killer smile that melts my heart every time.

I'm linking  to
Patchwork times stash report
Slow Sunday stitching
Sharing Sunday

I love being a Grandma

Today is my youngest Grandchild's first birthday. I am celebrating. I have 8 Grandchildren - all of them have made my life so much richer. I am this little guy's paternal Grandmother. I have six Grandsons and two Granddaughters. His Father is my oldest child's fifth. They have their hands full. And I have my arms full.

I was thinking about my Grandparents. This is my Dad in the center and my Paternal Grandfather. I didn't know him. He died before I was born. My two brothers and one of my sisters is in the photo.  Everyone in this photo is gone. One of the draw backs of being the youngest, is being the one that is left for a time.

I worked all evening on appliqueing ( I've not done much of it) the leaves for happy birds by Jen Kingwell and will continue that for my slow stitching Sunday

 Stash report

Fabric Used this Week: bits and pieces

Fabric Used year to Date: 22 1/2 yards

Fabric Added this Week: 4 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 108.75 yards

Net Fabric for 2016: 86.75 yards in the hole

and I think I need to add shirts I buy to take apart for fabric. I added 0
for total of 5

My fabric added was charm squares. Doing the math, I noticed each charm pack isn't alot of fabric, perhaps 25 inches. No wonder a charm pack doesn't go very far. But I bought 6 charm packs so that adds up.

I'm linking  to
Patchwork times stash report 
Slow Sunday stitching
Sharing Sunday

wild child

I have finished my Wild Child Quilt, a Bonnie Hunter pattern from her book String Fling. Mine is a little different. I don't really like to string piece, but I like to make crumb blocks. I decided to try that in the centers, which made me a happier quilter  Jo Kramer had been making one see hers here, and I caught the bug from her and began by cutting down bigger crumb blocks already in my stash. Once I found the border print, it came together nicely.

My daughter, while visiting, made this little quilt for a baby shower gift. She often out produces me and has a natural hand at piecing. But I remember how un interested she has been through her time at home. On her own, she is a fine quilter now. oh, and by the way, she used my fabric, my batting, my machine, my pattern, my longarm,  .......

I'm  linking to Jo's ufo challenge 

Esther Aliu blog WIPS on Wednesday

   WOW

and bee social

She works with her hands

This is one of those projects that has an "are you kidding me" story. It, of course, has the usual, and not too unique, story of "I found it, I lost it, I found it again, repeat". But, oh well, when it chose to be found, I would get something done on it before it would take flight on another adventure. 
The last time I found it, it needed the (36)  sheepy legs and the grass. I wasn't too keen to do the legs, so I procrastinated for a long time. I tried a few motivational tricks, including bribery to move it to completion. After all, it was sooo close. Nothing was successful for over a year. And then, the sun came out and the angels sang, and I did the sheepy legs and grass. Oh bliss...
As I started to remove the transfereeze from the words, I noticed I had missed one of the letters, it was not stitched. What? There was no floss in the box, and it had been so long since I had worked on it, I had no memory of what I had used.  I took it everywhere with me to try and match it. It was a variegated not black not brown color. sigh.... I was in a lather.
Then, in an incredible moment of clarity, I realized that it is a primitive stitchery, not heirloom, not precise, not perfect. I purchased a close to matching floss, spent five minutes stitching it, and then, finally, it was done. A tweak of my nose, and it was framed. And I bet, in a picture, you can not see any difference. Silly me.

 I do remember the pattern called for a very expensive piece of antique linen. I found a linen shirt at goodwill and antiqued it myself.

 Luckily, the zucchinni pickles were not as challenging.

UFO challenge

I have not sewn as much as usual, lately, now that garden harvest season has started.

Celtic Solstice is all ready for quilting. I've started hanging the back, the top, and the binding together on a hanger near my longarm. The row of quilts is so pretty and makes me smile and then.... it makes me frown, there are so many nearly 30 of my own waiting to be quilted. It seems, I just don't wrangle my own quilts on the machine as often as I'd like.

My very scrappy Carolina Crossroads is in 3 big parts.

Both quilts are Bonnie Hunter designs and I am linking to JO's Country junction ufo challenge  
 and
scraptastic tuesday

Trying to finish a few projects

I have several odd pieces left to finish a few of my older projects. I am working on borders for an old Joann block of the month sampler.

I chose a wild border for my easy street ( Bonnie Hunter pattern ) and pieced a back. Now I just need to choose and prepare the binding ( I am thinking purple ) and it will be ready to quilt!

 

I have finished the hooking on my little chair pad, and need to do the finishing edges and back. And My Christmas rug is ready for me to start the background which I have chosen. ( sometimes the hardest part )

I am still finding toys in interesting places from a visit from my Utah Grandchildren last month

but at least it isn't this:

although, I remember this decorating design of my own children many times. Do you suppose they found what they wanted?
I am linking to Jo's Country Junction UFO challenge

Indiana celebrates 200 years

Our guild is making a quilt to be donated to a local museum to celebrate Indiana's 200th birthday. Each of us will make a 9 inch finished block in fall colors, and then the quilt will be made using the blocks. We were free to choose our own design. I didn't get very creative and used the pattern Indiana puzzle for mine. I am sure there will be be some very creative blocks from our talented quilters, and mine will be needed for visual rest.

Here is the pattern available in 6, 9, 12 inches. I was surprised at how many different Indiana puzzle quilt blocks I found during research.

My Grandmother, Florence Swank Hollister, made this block in red and cream in the early 1900s. I feel very honored to be it's custodian.

Block of the month

My daughter, Katie joined several online block of the month groups this year. There are some really great quilts available and are very tempting. I have considered joining myself. Sherri from a Quilting Life has made the Splendid Sampler very very tempting. Katie is doing this Block of the month. I love watching her progress.
This is her design wall

reasons to join  -
Competition: if my daughter can do it....
peer pressure : all the talented quilters are doing it.....
logic: one block is easier than a whole quilt, surely it is more likely to be done.....
trendy: this is an up to the times popular quilting style happening right now
fabric: reason to buy NEW fabric

My quilting truth may be:  I love piecing, and I love piecing enough to cut for it. It seems troublesome to get everything out to cut for just one block. And stressful to have to read through several steps of instructions for just one block, sew 400 half square triangles is much easier to understand. and where and how do I keep a project out for a whole year without losing parts and pieces.

Time to decide

I bought this quilt kit many years ago for My oldest son who graduated from Purdue. I thought it was very appropriate. Now, He is getting a masters degree from Indiana University and married to an IU grad so I am thinking this is no longer appropriate for him. Most of the squares are from 1 1/2 inch  strips, and it would be a little time consuming to make. I don't have any wall space left were I to complete the quilt, so what to do... I love the Purdue colors... but I have so many unfinished, still lovely quilts, to do. sigh....