Catching up

I taught the Relief Society how to can butter last night. Having canned butter at home, is great for power outages and storm problems. It's a great way to take advantage of sales and specials. It has a grainier texture, but tastes just like butter.

I have all my square in squares finished for the Happy Birds quilt. I used the little cotton and steel scraps from fancy forest quilt.

I have 4 rows together for the Irish chain.

And all but the calyx hand stitched for Marie Webster. I had made a mistake with the trellis and needed to take it off and add a rosebud.

It may seem like I am jumping around from project to project, but there is a small bit of method to my madness. I don't like assembling rows, so I tell myself that I only have to do one. The squares in squares was tedious with 1 in strips and squaring up. So I just did a few at a time to keep from sending it to time out. The hand stitching I do when I am too tired to do anything but sit. What I would really like to do is cut a new project, because I love the mindless piecing. I have to start finishing, and my goals are for finishing, so I have to sneak my least favorite parts in when I can.

Two birthdays down and one to go. Actually, my Mother's birthday was April 29th and I like to do a little something that day to remember too. I am hoping to attend a fiber fair the middle of april otherwise we are all set to play in the upcoming Spring time. Rhubarb, asparagus, and strawberries here we come.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays

Whoop Whoop

Crazy Mom QUilts

 SewCan She

One monthly goal finish

Fancy Forest is all done. Hook line and sinker. I love it. This finishes my March One Monthly Goal. I am 3 months for 3 at finishing. And Ufo 2017 at Patchwork Times

I attended a workshop taught by the Crafty old broads from Fort Wayne Indiana. I really enjoyed their work. The quilt we were making was called Floating Stars.

Most of the other workshop attendees were using batiks, I have a small collection, and I am not comfortable using them yet.
I decided to do yellow and blue with a white background.
When I arrived, I had forgotten my yellow scraps. My husband was kind enough to bring my yellow scrap drawer to me in a bag. It saved the day.

I cut several blues for stars

And I fussy cut for a strip of 3 stars

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

Silly Mama WIP

One monthly goal

Pink Hourglasses

I found time to finish adding the pink hourglasses to my leader/ ender challenge. I am pretty pleased. Joining them together at the corners is challenging, but I find them looking good over all, even if they aren't perfect.

the next round is green.
I couldn't wait to put some together. And a time warp later, I had a this - so fun

All my blocks have been delivered to me from my swap partners. I am the hold out needing to make the last of the neutral blocks to send. I think I need 160 or more to divide and send. So, it was a pleasure to take time off making the hourglasses, and just put them together.
Fancy Forest is off the frame and ready for binding with 3 days left in the month. I can make it.

At our January guild meeting, some of the older ladies were asking how everyone gets their quilts finished. They don't have money to send them to be quilted. Most of them have trouble getting them basted and even to quilt on a domestic sewing machine. I know I couldn't do the floor thing myself, so I mentioned that  longarmers can just baste a quilt for them for a minimal charge. Well, someone took me up on the offer. And no one else jumped in to volunteer. So, I have that finished in time to return that to her at guild tonight. I don't mind helping when I can. However, she didn't have her back prepared, so I needed to sew that together. I will kindly teach her how to do that when I take it to her.

I am linking to:
Fiber Tuesday

Free Motion by the River

quilting and swirling

I pieced the back and prepared the binding for my Fancy Forest quilt.

And I put it on the longarm frame. I was not sure if I wanted to use gray or cream thread. or what pattern I would use to quilt it. I decided on gray thread and a swirl design. The fabrics were busy enough, I didn't want to get too complicated. It's a pantograph called Primrose swirl, and I love it.
I was afraid I wouldn't like the gray thread in all the light areas, but I think it is working.

I was worried I wouldn't like the swirls in the faces, especially the eyes but so far so good.

Such fun when the quilt leaves the floor..  just keep swirling, swirling, swirling.....

I am linking to:

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

 Patchwork Times

Main Crush Monday

Back to the top

Fancy Forest is a top - hooray!

Bit by bit, I think I will have a finish by the end of the month.

I tried the Irish chain block to see what it will look like together.

Off my needles is the second scrappy sock using the so vanilla sock pattern. I used a size 1 -32 inch circular needle. I just finished it last night. I just love the scrappy. I still need to get rid of ends and block them. Just in time for sandal weather :)  Actually, I could just keep making single socks and match them with any other hmmmmm.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays

Whoop Whoop

Crazy Mom QUilts

Patchwork Times

fort Worth Fabric Studio

bottom half together

The bottom half of Fancy Forest is finished- hooray!

I just need to put it together now
I finished the hand stitching of another Marie Webster block

And another friendship rug is finished with my rug hooking group. This is Vivian's. She designed hers to be a straight block by block. Every rug has been so spectacular.

this is mine. I did more of a medallion.

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

red leaves

The bottom left quadrant is together for Fancy Forest quilt. woohoo!
Until this is finished, most of my pictures look the same. Lots of green for St pat's weekend, but no red for the rainbow.

I have cut my red scraps for in the garden leaves for the rainbow scrap challenge. I want to make 8.
If I get the bottom right quadrant together, I will reward myself with red leaves sewing. - crossing my fingers.

When I get stressed about the fancy forest or bored with in the garden I have been pushing En Provence hourglasses through the machine - a little mindless therapy. I need 80 of those.

Dreary cold day today, but with a chance to quilt, my mood won't match the weather at all. :)
I am linking to:
 SewCan She
Oh scrap

rsc17 super saturday

A new sewing machine

The top two sections of my Fancy Forrest quilt are done. It was a miracle that it went together so nicely. It seems to be hanging straight. I was confused by the pattern a little, but, once, I realized how I was reading it wrong, it made sense. I might actually finish it by the end of March for my One monthly goal and my UFO 2017 goal. Now on to the bottom left quadrant.

This little treasure had to come home with me from the Gathering. I have been wanting a hand crank sewing machine for awhile now. I loved this one the minute I saw it. It is badged as an Harris no 9. Everything moves easily and I am pretty sure all the pieces are there.
I loved the case. It is extremely heavy, so I won't be taking it to workshops. I am so excited. I surely didn't expect to find this at a quilt show event. My friend also bought a Wilcox and Gibbs sewing machine. I didn't think I could afford both or I would have brought that one home too.

I am linking to:
needle and thread thursdays
oh scrap

Moving forward

I attended the annual Gathering of quilters Saturday with a friend. I had a wonderful time and brought home some treasures that I will share later.
I worked a bit on my One Monthly Goal and March Ufo - Fancy Forest. I had the blocks all pieced and have to add sashings. I really dislike this part. It is when the fat hits the fan so to speak. This is when I wish I had been a bit more fiddley with my piecing, and that it would just automatically be the right size and magically go together. But it isn't and doesn't.
I will take it slowly and be more focused when I work on it.

 I have started the background on my rug hooking project. I just couldn't wait until it was all hooked to see if I would like the black, and I do. It gives it a more modern look I think.

I am linking to:

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

 Patchwork Times

Main Crush Monday

Flowering again

She's back - I was afraid she was dying.

On my design wall - I am using Elizabeth Hartman's chart for the placement. Right now, I don't like it. But, maybe I am not holding my mouth right.

New yarn purchase for a pair of socks.

I am linking to:

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

 Patchwork Times

Main Crush Monday

A New monthly Goal

One monthly goal and March UFo 2017 at Patchwork Times is Fancy Forest quilt by Elizabeth Hartman. I have completed all the blocks. I need to cut all the sashing and border pieces, and assemble the top, and quilt it.
I used a cotton and steel fat quarter bundle. I am really excited to work on this and finish it.

I found a small batch of 2 inch 1/2 square triangles left over from another project and added them to my Grandpas star quilt project. This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern in her Addicted to scraps column in quiltmaker magazine. I work on these from time to time as rogue squares surface. If I cleaned more, I would find more, but who does that!

I am linking to:
WOW
Midweek Makers
Jo's Country Junction UFO
Bee Social
Silly Mama WIP
One Monthly Goal

forest friends

My friend Judy is nearly done with her fancy forest blocks. They are absolutely adorable. I love how she has used solids.

We had a chalk painting class at church. I do love how easily chalk paint coats, and dries, and manipulates.

 A friend brought this quilt for show and tell. Her daughter made this for her for Christmas. It was beautifully done.

I've had commitments most of the week, and it's Friday and I am just now feeling like I can get something done. sigh...I am really looking forward to the weekend.

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