strings and birds

The formal outdoor picture of Happy Birds quilt- a pattern from Jen Kingwell.

I had a chance to string piece on Saturday. I am working on the pink blocks from Zuckerwate. This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern from her book string fling. They are only 5 inches so they are going rather quickly. Two Saturdays, and I might get them done.

The last set of string blocks I made, have been made into 1/2 square triangles and joined together in rows.

My daughter worked on her green strings with me ( via hangouts) and she is adding them to her hourglass quilt.

I am linking to:

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday

design wall monday

Happy Birds finish and strings

Big Finish - Happy Birds. I am just squeaking in at the end of the month for One Monthly Goal and Ufo 2017. Of course, it is raining outside, so this is my best picture opportunity. I am well pleased with this finish. Effort versus results is a good ratio. I learned a lot from making this. I am a finisher, even if it takes putting it aside to warm back up to it. I don't like making mistakes at first, but I can warm up to that as well. As I keep going, the first mistakes really don't seem as sad. So I guess, we need to practice at everything including making mistakes to get any better.
This is a Jen Kingwell design.

I also finished the pink sampler as part of my one monthly goal.
So far, One monthly goal has really kept me on task to complete 5 projects that I would have just set aside if left to my own devices. I need the extra accountability. Thank you Patty.

I declared last Saturday to be string Saturday. Any chance I had to sew, I worked on string/crumb piecing. I made 12 sashings for wonky wishes. I need 71. So I am making progress. I am using an old children's drawing pad. The paper is 9 x12 so I just need to remember to leave at least 1/2 inch at the end since I need 3 1/2 x 12 1/2. It tears easily and is recycling.

I am linking to
 SewCan She

rsc17 super saturday
One monthly Goal

Monday

This is a customer quilt on the frame. I have to finish this.. ok begin this.. to be able to quilt my Happy Birds quilt. I love the colors.

I have made more progress on my Wonky Wishes blocks. I think I am within 1 or 2 of having the right amount.

My husband says I make the best rhubarb pie he's ever tasted. So, I picked the rhubarb and made a pie this weekend. I helped mow, and weeded a bit. The weather was wonderful.

My Mother's recipe:
2 cups pf small pieces of rhubarb
1 egg
1 cup of sugar
3 T. flour.
 bake 10 min at 425 degrees then 35 min. at 350 degress.

very easy and very good

I am linking to:

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

 Patchwork Times

Main Crush Monday

Happy birds border

I have added the third border to Happy Birds quilt. The more I finish, the more I like it. The third row included 96 one inch hexagons. I glue basted them around the cardboard EPP and then pressed them. I hand stitched up a row on the right side and as I came back down the row on the left side, I took the paper out of the hexagons. I had ironed the vertical center as a guideline for placement.

It was time to pack up a few of the 2 1/2 inch squares that has escaped their box while searching for the fabric I would use for the hexagons. I realized there are way too many. I need to do something to sew them into a quilt. I don't really use 2 1/2 inch squares much. If I have the option, I prefer using strips. But I tend to cut them at the last when cutting up a scrap. So I have more than I need. I remembered that I have wonky wishes started, and it  actually uses the squares. So I got that box out to see how many I would still need. The next thing I knew, I was hooked on making the wonky star blocks again. I need 30 blocks and there were 19 finished.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays

Whoop Whoop

Crazy Mom QUilts

dandelion jelly

With our Grandson visiting, I didn't get much time to sew. I opted for some outdoor activities with him instead. His Grandpa helped him fix the lawn mower, the tiller, and plant potatoes.

 He was a great help picking up sticks in the yard, and getting the scooters out of the barn..all of them.
I decided to try dandelion jelly. So we picked dandelions. Oh to be seven again, where picking dandelions is a fun treat.....

The directions said I would need 2 cups of dandelion petals. I washed them first, and from that point, I knew I would only make dandelion jelly once. There isn't supposed to be any green in the jar, but that was the only part that was willing to cooperate and land in the jar. I was covered in little tiny whisperlike yellow petals, they were everywhere, and they were glued to my hands. When I was close enough to the needed amount of petals, I poured 4 cups of boiling water into the jar, and let steep overnight in the refrigerator.

I strained and cooked with sugar, lemon, and pectin. I water bathed canned them.

It has an interesting flavor, much like honey and lemon. I can't say that I taste anything that might be a dandelion taste. Matthew was excited to take some home.

We had a trip to a Japanese steakhouse, and the chef really played for Matthew. and Matthew was entranced.

And He asked to visit his Mommy up in heaven. She died shortly after his birth, after a brave fight with Leukemia. Our son has remarried a wonderful woman who seems to be an answer to prayer. Easter is an especially important time to remember that families are forever. And we will all be together again.

All the parts for Happy Birds are done and ready to be assembled. Time to get back into the messy sewing room, and see it come together. woohoo.

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

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

 Patchwork Times

Main Crush Monday

Fiber Fair

Hubby and I spent a day at the Green castle Fiber Festival. Greencastle is Southwest of us enough so that there were more Spring blooms everywhere. This tree was so amazing.

The colors  of roving were inspiring.

But this custom spinning wheel was very unusual. It reminded me of the Jetsons cartoon.

I hand stitched the hexie stars to their squares during the car ride. Plenty of multi - colored fabric for the RSC 17 challenge

And this little guy is spending some alone time with Grandma and Grandpa.

We have Easter egg hunting, and birthday caking, and spoiling to do. The first thing all my Grandchildren do when they visit is grab their scrapbooks and look through them. It reminds me that I haven't added anything to them in a long while.

Happy weekend ahead..

 SewCan She
Oh scrap

rsc17 super saturday

More Happy Birds

Our first very small batch of asparagus. yum!

I have the second border on Happy Birds quilt, one monthly goal and april ufo. The scrappy fabrics make the whole thing look happy and bright.

These were pesky little blocks to piece. I needed to finish 11 of them.

And then there are 22 blocks like these. I still need to put corners on them.

Border 3 is ready to attach. And I need to hand applique the circles onto plain blocks.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays

Whoop Whoop

Crazy Mom QUilts

hexie star blocks

I attempted to stitch happy birds quilt hexie star blocks. I searched and searched for any other method of putting these together, besides piecing. I just knew I would not be accurate enough, for a good result. I bit the bullet.
It took me a few blocks to get the feel of the seams and the y seam. But then they were fun to do.

I used  the little scraps left from the cotton and steel from fancy forest quilt
The hardest part was deciding how to do the colors. At first I thought I would be a bit more matchy matchy. But then I just picked up a piece and added it.

My husband cut templates for me from acrylic plastic. It made it much easier to cut.

My piecing was better the more I made. Imagine that.
I am linking to:
needle and thread thursdays
oh scrap

first border happy birds

I was finally brave enough to try attaching a border to Happy Birds. I needed to cut it down 1/2 inch, but, because the hexagons are centered, I took 1/4 in off each side of the hexagons. I knew that could be "dangerous". I had never bothered with mitered corners either, so this was challenging. Deep breath...take it slow.. reread 100 times...etc. I didn't do too bad. The miters are right, but even after fiddling, the checks didn't line up as I had hoped. But the quilt is a little off already, we will be happy.

Now I have to get brave enough to actually trim the miters off in the back. Maybe when I am ready to add border#2. afterall, a girl can only sweat so much at a time.

This is on the longarm frame..   so exciting.

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

soft and cuddly

I finished quilting a donation quilt for a customer. I love the colors. It's all flannel and cuddly soft. I used a light turquoise thread and a simple stipple.

Cute, cute back ..

I have 2 drawers near my longarm for thread. I had all but decided I didn't like the glide thread on my machine ( thread breakage ), and I was preparing to replace it with Superior's omni thread ( even though it is more expensive). I used the glide thread on the baby quilt because of the color, and it worked just fine. Now I am not sure again.

I am going to use glide on the pink sampler and test it again. In any case the drawers need tidied for sure.

Last night I started hand stitching 96 hexagons  for border #3 of Happy Birds quilt.

I love when the weeping cherry blooms

and the hyacinths

and the paperwhites

and the peonies are getting ready

and the creeping phlox creeps

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