QUILTING PROGRESS

My Jewel Box Stars quilt is quilted, all but the final border!  I have been working on it for a couple of hours everyday since Christmas.
I am using Superior Thread for my quilting, with Bottom Line in the bobbin, and 2 colours of Twist in the needle.  I am planning on using a variegated thread on the plain yellow border.

 I work each day until my arms are tired, from moving this large quilt through my machine.

I machine quilt, using my Bernina B710.  It has a larger throat space, and wonderful tension for stitching free motion!

Now I have to look through some pictures of quilting to find an idea for the quilting on the final border.  I am determined to finish this quilt before 2020 arrive!

BOXING DAY

Our phone rang on Christmas morning, just before 7am.  I heard a little voice say "Santa came to my house!"  It was our signal to get to the computer and connect via Skype with our son and his family.

We sat for over an hour, being entertained by our grandkids, and sharing their joy at Christmas magic.  Our grandson was able to read the tags on the parcels under the tree this year, and helped everyone open their presents.  His sister is just 1, and was interested in the items in each package, but did not want to unwrap anything.  Her favourite items were books and toys with buttons to push.

We shared Christmas wishes with family members far away all day, and I was busy getting our feast ready.  Seven friends and family members shared a fun afternoon/evening, with good food, lots of stories, and 2 delicious pies for dessert, provided by one of our guests.

By the time the leftovers were put away, dishes done and kitchen tidied, it was time for a game and off to bed.

Today, I had a completely lazy day!  I can't remember when I last took this type of day.  Our overnight guests had breakfast and then headed home. We read the paper, watched a couple of shows on TV, had a small turkey sandwich for lunch, and just relaxed.  I didn't even turn on my sewing machine (2 days in a row!)  We'll be enjoying leftovers for dinner tonight.

Tomorrow things will be back to normal.  I have laundry to do, more quilting, check my important to-do list, and get back to a normal schedule.  I also need to go for a bike ride with DH!
My southern quilting group gets back together on January 8th, and I have a couple of things to prepare for them, and I don't want to get behind now the end of the CQA "52 blocks in 52 weeks" challenge is near the end.

CAROLING WAS RAINED OUT!

Goody bags were distributed, but we had heavy rain begin a 5pm, and continued most of the night.  We plan to head out tonight, so I hope the weather fairy keeps more rain at bay!

I baked dinner rolls and half of the batch of ribbon cookies (refrigerated dough).  I even got a bit more quilting done on my latest project.  Since I make my stuffing from dry bread cubes, I spread the bread slices on racks to dry overnight.

This morning I cubed the bread, and left it in a bowl on the counter to continue drying.  Then I made bread crumbs in my blender, using the crusts.  Next was making cranberry sauce, with orange zest and a bit of orange juice added.  It is almost cool enough to put in the refrigerator.   I rolled out the pastry I made to make mini mincemeat tarts. 

Tomorrow I plan to cook the giblets from the turkey, to use the broth in the gravy.  I'll also cook the turnip (rutabaga), and mix in the rest of the ingredients ready to bake on Wednesday.  I've been doing some major juggling of items in the refrigerator to fit everything in!

Now off to my machine to continue quilting my version of Jewel Box Stars....

I CAN'T BELIEVE ANOTHER MONTH HAS PASSSED!

We've been having fun!  DH and his friends have been busy bringing Christmas cheer to local nursing homes, rehab centers and senior residences, playing music, telling jokes and having fun interacting with the residents.
In our community, we've had a Christmas sing-a-long, and decorated golf cart parade, food and toy drives for the local community, and we have caroling planned for Sunday evening, with 22 homes to visit, to let our neighbors know that we are thinking about them too. 
My southern quilting group has been busy, with large and small finishes being shared each week.  We had a great potluck lunch last week - everyone brought delicious treats to share.
Along with our friends, we have had several visits to various parks at Disney World, enjoying the holiday entertainment, especially the annual Candlelight Processional - always wonderful!
Lately, holiday baking has been taking center stage.  I made 4 loaves of cinnamon raisin fruit bread - 2 were delivered to neighbors, baked chocolate mint cookies, ginger cookies, marizpan bars ( my Mother-in-law's recipe), peanut butter oatmeal cookies, I have pastry made for mincemeat tarts, and I'm baking a large batch of dinner rolls.
Now on to the important information - Quilting!
I have been staying up to date on the CQA's 52 blocks in 52 weeks, and of course I've been playing with different layouts for the future quilt.  
A person in my quilt group was giving away unfinished projects that she has lost interest in finishing.  I saw a cute pattern to make small table mats, so I used her already cut pieces, re-cutting to make the outer ring, and finished these 2 small projects, and gave one to the donor of the fabric!

I pulled out a panel that has been waiting a very long time in my stash.  I found some coordinating fabric prints, then headed to Electric Quilt 8, to play with various ideas for setting the panel.  I decided on hourglass blocks in bold colours to surround the panel, then 2 borders and scrappy binding.   I  pin-basted and machine quilted, using a variegated thread.  I enjoyed sitting and hand stitching the binding to the back while watching a Christmas move with DH.  This will be donated through my guild's community quilts program in the spring.

I have also been working on my Jewel Box Stars quilt, as part of the Quiltville leader and ender challenge for this year.  I cut block kits from my scraps and strips during the summer and fall, sewing the pieces into block quarters while working on various other projects.  When I finished the top, DH, my pin basting assistant on larger projects, prepared the quilt for machine quilting.  So far, I have completed the SITD, to stabilize the quilt top, and I am about 1/3 quilted with a green twist thread in the 4 patch areas.  I plan to complete the quilt before the end of the year so I can count the yardage in my annual stash report statistics!
Now back to baking dinner rolls, and the final batch of Christmas cookies!  Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season with family and friends.

STASH REPORT, A SMALL FINISH AND GROUP FUN

Used this week  3.75 yards

Used year to date  98.25 yards

Added this week  14.25 yards

Added year to date  82.75 yards

Net used 2019  15.5 yards

I gave in to a fabric sale at Quilts on Plum Lane in Dade City, and then placed an order at Connecting Threads that included 2 sets of fat quarters for 50% - I couldn't resist.  I chose ones that had colours that I was collecting for some planned winter projects.

My first finish is a small baby quilt.  The blocks were leftover from printed fabric that I used many years ago.  I set some of the small blocks on point, and added triangles, and the others have a small border.  I made piped binding to add a small green accent.

 

I have also been working on my 52 blocks in 52 weeks, but I'm already behind on the last two made available.  These are blocks 26 to 43.  The end is in sight, and then I'll have to play with a layout using 52 blocks!

My quilt group is back in full swing.  We had a dozen quilters on the first week, and a few more yesterday.  Everyone is working on their own projects, and we had fun checking out all the lovely fabrics, helping each other with layouts, suggestions for borders, and understanding written instructions.

DH and his group, Three for a Quarter, are off to entertain at a local nursing home this afternoon.  They volunteer their time, bring lively music, singing and a few silly jokes to brighten the day of the residents.

Yesterday, a member of our southern community came by to drop off some lovely quilting fabrics to share.  She is not doing as much sewing as she had in the past, and thought we could use the fabric to make pillowcases for the charity "Cases for Smiles" or other charity projects.  I plan to spend a few minutes sorting through the 5 bags of fabric, and organizing the smaller scrap pieces by colour.  I'll take them to the group next week to share with everyone.

UP TO DATE - ALMOST

I've been catching up on my "52 Blocks in 52 Weeks" project.  I cut out parts for 4 or 5 blocks, and then sew them together.    I finished up to block 43 last night, but then downloaded block 44 this morning.

I have been spending time with my Electric Quilt software, deciding how I am going to use the blocks in a layout.  Straight set, or on point, what kind of sashing, how many borders etc.  I'm sure I'll figure it out by the time the final block pattern is released.

I spent some time this morning unpacking my 2 small dufflebags of fabric.  Now I just have to decide which project to start first.  I really should work on the projects that I left here over the summer, but something new is always calling my name!

FINALLY - SOME MACHINE TIME!

This year, we have taken a different approach to getting organized at our southern location.  In the past, we have worked hard every day, doing our "fall cleaning", both inside and out, unpacking everything that travels with us, and restocking the refrigerator, pantry and freezer.  This year, we decided to take some time for ourselves - everything will happen eventually!

The past 2 mornings, I have been working on getting caught up with my blocks for the "52 Blocks, 52 Weeks" challenge from the Canadian Quilters Association.  I purchased 3 shades of batik fabric last February, and have been working away at the blocks in between all our other activities.  I cut the parts for a few blocks, and then work on them, using parts for the "next"  block as "leaders and enders".  This really speeds up production.

Next Wednesday is the first day to get together with my quilt group here.  I have a few small projects planned, and offered to show them how to do some machine thread painting later in the season.

DH's band, called 3 for a quarter, is back together again.  The final member arrived on Saturday, so they have a couple of practices scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, and are playing on Thursday afternoon at the pool patio, for a "happy hour" from 2-4pm.  They will soon be busy with their Christmas schedule, entertaining at nursing homes, senior residences and the local rehab center.  The try to visit each one in the area once per month. 

We Skyped with our family in Kitchener this morning.  Our grandson was happy to see us, and tell us all about his activities.  His Jr. Kindergarten report card will be sent home on Monday,  with the parent/teacher conference the following week.  Our granddaughter has had a fever that has kept her home from daycare for the past few days, but was back mid-week.  My son stayed home with her, and said that he was glad to return to work for a rest.  At 1 year old, she is a busy girl, crawling, climbing on everything, and  trying to take a few steps on her own.

GETTING ORGANIZED

We arrived in our southern home on Friday.  First stop was to buy a new refrigerator, as ours had died of old age over the summer.

I took the time, while waiting for delivery, to empty all the kitchen cupboards, wash them, and re-organize them.  I also pulled a few items that will never be used, to donate to a local garage sale.

After the refrigerator arrived, we headed out for our first shopping extravaganza.  I refuse to buy more than a cart-full, so we will have to return sometime soon, for all the items that were forgotten.

Our son and daughter-in-law sent a couple of pictures of the kids dressed for Hallowe'en.  Young Miss stayed home with a fever.  Our robot (costume by Dad), had to wear his winter coat under everything, but the paint that was used kept him pretty dry on a stormy night.

The fuel compartment collected all his goodies!

Today, DH and I cleaned the windows in the sunroom, AKA my sewing room.  I have slowly started to get items back into place.  I always struggle with the humidity when we arrive, so I work a little, relax a little, until everything is unpacked.  I'm anxious to get sewing, but know that I'm not 50 any more, and need to take my time.  I also ordered the knitting needles that I need to begin a large shawl project for our cousin, using their alpaca yarn - each natural colour is named after the animal who donated the fleece!

Back to work with the next load!

FINAL VISIT WITH THE GRANDS......

Last weekend was our final visit for this year, as we head south soon.  We had a good time, getting lots of hugs and kisses.

DH walked to our grandson's school with our son, to pick him up, and he was full of information about his day  - he loves school so far!  During the weekend, he sang lots of different songs for us.  He sings on key, and always seems to know all the words.

Our granddaughter is almost walking.  I think she could, but doesn't have the confidence to trust her balance yet.  She is pretty good playing by herself, and has a different favourite toy with each of our visits. 

We visited the Waterloo Quilt show on Saturday.  Our son stayed home and finished clearing out their veggie garden, but the rest of us enjoyed the show.  Our granddaughter rode in her stroller for a while, but then wanted to walk, and she put on a mile or two while we looked at quilts.  Our grandson was playing "spot the animal on the quilt" with DH.  When they were looking at some quilts in one of the vendor booths, the shop owner gave him a small wall hanging with a space theme - I guess it was for good behaviour.  Since the show was held at the huge community center, we stopped to watch the figure skaters practice on our way out.

I'm thankful that we live in the computer age, and can Skype with our grandchildren regularly.  We told our grandson that he could call us any time.  We often have "dinner" with the family,  having a video chat at the table.   We still miss the kids, and I have a better appreciation for my parents getting re-aquainted after 6 months away each winter - we only wrote letters, and long distance phone was only for dire emergencies.

I'm getting in extreme packing mode soon.  Right now I am deciding which projects I want to work on over the winter, so I can take some of the fabric required - I'm really trying to use my stash.  I think it will be another scrappy winter!

FOUND ANOTHER FINISHED QUILT!

Last June I had a serious cold that I just couldn't shake.  I still plodded along on quilting projects, but somehow I missed a wall hanging that I finished.

I began with the odd-ball block from the shop hop (one of the orphans).  It was a plain light beige basket with a white background.  I also found some applique pieces that had not been used on a vest made many years ago.  I had used some of the appliques in a runner a while ago, but still had some eggs, flowers and the bunny with paws.  This became the centre of the wall hanging.

I found a few pieces of Easter fabric in my stash, along with a piece that was leftover from making my grandaughter's bubble dress for the holidays.  

I enjoyed doing the bit of hand applique and then assembling a simple project, and all from my stash! 



The only other items that were forgotten were the eight place mats that I made for part of my guild's donation to Meals on Wheels.  I made them in plenty of time, but totally forgot to take a picture!!!!
 

MY FINAL FINISH BEFORE OUR TRIP

Last winter, a quilting friend gave me all of her scraps.  There was lots of flannel in various shades and prints, so I began making mini rail fence blocks.  

I pulled the project bag out on the weekend, and decided to finish the quilt.  I have a large collection of small cuts of flannel, saved from the backings of the kids' and baby quilts that I make, so I started cutting strips, and paired them light to dark.  After stitching and pressing the pieces, they were cut into 4 square units, 3.5 inches square, and stitched into blocks.  I mixed the two collections of blocks and discovered that I needed to make 2 more blocks to complete the quilt centre.  I found a larger piece of white flannel, with colourful printed letters for borders, and soon the top was complete.

I pieced the backing as well, to use all the odd pieces of flannel looking for a home.  I used a striped cotton for the binding, and had it completed to take to my guild's Community Quilts sew day this morning.

Including this quilt, I have used 94.5 yards of fabric this year, and only added 68.5 yards (mostly gifts).  My net used fabric for 2019 is      26 yards!!!!

ON A ROLL

I think I've finally found my groove again, just in time to pack up my sewing stuff for our annual move south for the winter!

Several years ago, I attended a shop hop and collected all the block kits from each shop (there were only 7 shops).  They had selected a theme, and colour scheme for the blocks, but one didn't follow the rules.  The 7 blocks sat on my design wall for many years, and this year I decided that I had to move them along.......

I had used the oddball block in another project, so I had 6 blocks to play with.  I decided to place them on point, and then looked for something to use in the 2 inside squares, as well as the setting triangle.  In my search, I found leftover large triangles from a blue and yellow quilt that I made in the mid 1990's!  I found a couple of pieces of blue and yellow print, still hiding in my stash, and before I knew it, a quilt top was completed.

ANOTHER MISSED PROJECT!

During our June meeting, our out-going guild president announced a challenge.  Those who chose to participate, pulled a box front from a large brown envelope, and had to complete a project of their choice, using all the colours on the box.

Of course, I forgot all about it until a couple of days before our meeting in September.  They only work I had done towards the project, was to pull one piece of fabric from my stash.

I spent some time planning the project using EQ8, and I even printed two parts so I could paper piece them. 

My quilt ended up being 15 1/2 inches square, and I used all of the small piece of red violet that was in my stash!  I had fun quilting the small project, and even tried the "hand quilting" stitch on my Bernina.  It looked fine, but next time I'll use a heavier weight thread in the bobbin!

There were lots of finished challenges at our September meeting, and a few more in October.

WHERE DID SUMMER GO?

This has been the shortest summer on record, for us.  I think it was just because we have been extra busy this year.  Our 4 1/2 yr old grandson spent 3 weeks with us, and his whole family visited for another week.  We also made many trips to visit the family, as we wanted to spend as much time with our granddaughter as we could.  She just celebrated her 1st birthday last week, and is settling well into daycare.  Her big brother started Jr. Kindergarten in September, and is enjoying his new adventure.  DH and his friend entertained 31 times during the summer, bringing music, jokes and memories to many seniors in nursing homes, rehab facilities, and seniors' residences in our area too!

I spent some time working on a basket quilt, similar to the one that Bonnie Hunter was working on.....

I began while south last spring, using available scraps, and I decided to continue when we returned home.  My light fabric is leftover muslin that has been hidden in my stash of scraps and I needed it to leave the premises!
 
I cheated, and used striped fabric for sashing and borders!

Please excuse the picture - we had to take it indoors, as it was raining, and in our small townhouse that was a real challenge.   I had to open the patio door and stand on the step to get as much as possible in the picture.  

The good news was that this quilt used 14 yards of fabric, for the top, backing and binding!  Now I have to find it a good home!

JUST IN TIME & STASH REPORT

I just finished the final stitches in the binding of my quilt for my granddaughter's first birthday, in September.  The whole gang arrives tomorrow for a week visit, and I wanted it finished and hidden away.....

I had fun machine quilting.....

 

Here is the completed quilt, that I'm calling 

"Little Lambs for Ana"

Unfortunately the colours are a bit faded, even with the blinds closed - I shouldn't complain that it is a bright sunny day!

                          Fabric used this week  6.125 yards
                         Fabric used year to date  60.5 yards
                             Fabric added this week 0 yards
                        Fabric added year to date  68.5 yards
                              Net used 2019  -8 yards

I'm still in the red, but getting closer.  I just have to find more hours to sew....... 

SHEEP ARE JUMPING

Before I stopped working last night, I played with the layout of the sheep quilt.

Please excuse the lighting...... My design wall is in a narrow hallway, next to the stairs, and it has an overhead light that causes glare!  Once I get it stitched together, I'll have to hunt in my stash for border fabric.  I have a cute pink flannel for the back with more sheep!

BACK QUILTING AGAIN.......

Yesterday, I finally started a new project.  It is a quilt I have made many times, but wanted to make for our granddaughter.  She will be 1 in September, and I like to make things in advance!

The pattern is from Quiltmaker No.88 Nov/Dec 2002, called Flock of Dreams.  I made the sheep blocks with a variety of green backgrounds, cutting my sheep from white fleece, and machine appliqueing each to the fabric.   DH suggested that I make one black sheep.  The one with the black hooves is also his suggestion, as he always tell the kids his second verse of the nursery rhyme.  "Mary had a little lamb, its hooves were black as soot, and into Mary's bread and jam, its sooty foot he put!"

The alternate block is a simple 9-patch, which I made with some larger floral fabrics, and WoW.

I'm off to press the 9-patches, then play with a layout on my design wall.  

It feels good to be back at my sewing machine!

 

IN HIDING

I've been staying home, dealing with a horrible cold.  I believe in keeping my germs/virus to myself!  Thankfully, DH hasn't caught it!  I'm in my third week, and I'm tired of feeling tired and "fuzzy headed"!

I've been reading, made some soups, and I've worked on another smocked outfit for our granddaughter.  What would have taken me less than a day to assemble, took most of 2 weeks, working in very short spurts.

I think I'm finally starting to feel better.  Our gang is arriving for a week visit on July 6th, so I still have a bit more time to get back to whatever is my normal self!

Yesterday, I asked DH to help me sort quilts.  I had them in bins, bags, stacked on many surfaces etc.  I find it difficult to work in a mess.  We finally sorted by size, and I chose several to donate to my Community Quilt group, as no one has claimed any of them in a while. 

Back to more sorting...........

CHECKERBOARD RAILS - ANOTHER FINISH

Checkerboard Rails was a "leader and ender" challenge from Bonnie Hunter in 2017.  I had it on my to-do list, and finally began sewing blocks over the past year.  I had lots of 1 1/2 inch leftover strips, so I would cut a stack to use, as I was working on other projects.  I picked up white and black fabric for the checkerboard parts, and cut some strips - which were also sewn leader and ender style.

I decided to do an "on point" setting, so made a plan for a single bed size quilt, using Electric Quilt. Since most of the quilt was made with scrap strips, the software helped me to find out how much fabric I used, as well as helping to plan the borders, and determine the size strips and triangles that were needed.
 It was surprising when I counted my completed blocks that I had enough, and decided to finish the quilt.  I used a dark gray fabric for setting triangles, then used a varied of gray fabric for borders, along with one of leftover coloured strips.

DH helped my choose the binding colour of  solid black from several different choices.

  I stitched a fairly open design to quilt the blocks, and then had fun with the setting triangles and borders, stitching a different design in each.  I used some variegated thread when stitching the borders, and it shows up as tiny pops of colour when the light hits the thread, as well as creating great definition.
 

This quilt is going to be set aside for my grandson - he is only 4, and still enjoys his special quilts with his favourite characters, and other child-like designs.  I know he will grow out of them and then this will be ready when he wants a more grown-up quilt!

Thanks Bonnie for another fun design!

A TINY SCRAP FINISH

During the winter, a former member of my southern quilting group called to ask if I would like some of her quilting scraps.  She and her husband were selling their home, and returning north permanently.  Of course, I said yes!

She loved making flannel quilts, so there were lots of various size strips and pieces in lots of different colours and prints.  There were also some cotton scraps.  I found some odd shaped triangles in gold and burgundy, along with some dark print pieces.   I decided the largest cut I could make from all the pieces, and ended up with some flying geese, squares and half square triangle pieces.  After a little playing with various arrangements, I was able to piece a small table runner.

I pieced the dark print triangles and stitched them together to make bias binding.  Amazingly, I had exactly 2 inches of binding left over after joining the ends.  I machine quilted the gold parts with gold cotton thread, and then used a variegated thread to stitch tiny flowers in all the burgundy pieces.

The shiny polyester thread makes a simple project sparkle!
I'll have to send a picture of the finished project to thank her for the gift!

TIDY TIME

When picking up the assorted bits and pieces that had found homes on my cutting table, I came across this orphan block.

The centre square was a basket
 set on point which didn't coordinate with the remainder of the blocks that I collected several years ago during a shop hop.
   
Later, a friend made a vest with an Easter panel, but didn't use any of the applique pieces.  I made the block larger, with corners so that the basket would sit upright and I used the flowers, eggs and bunny with paws to fill the basket.

I checked through my seasonal fabrics and found a few that were Easter related.  The corner blocks and the outer border were fabrics that I used in an Easter dress for my granddaughter, and the green print with bunnies was in my stash.  I used the border fabric to make binding, and will put it into the row of quilts waiting for quilting.

It was the most enjoyable "tidy up" job that I've done this year!

TRYING TO CATCH UP

We've both been busy since our return home.  Medical, dental and eye exams, along with various tests etc.  We've also had 2 extended visits with DS2 & family.  The last was to help them with some extra yard work, and to get their gardens ready for planting.  Our grandson (4) was a great help too!

I've attended a guild meeting, with my extra job of organizing the social group who helps at various jobs during the meeting, as well as providing snacks for the whole group.  I've also attended an executive guild meeting, bringing more snacks, and I spent the morning with the community quilt  group, and brought home 3 basted quilts to finish.  We had a new, more efficient water heater installed, and tomorrow our furnace and air conditioner are being inspected and cleaned.

The three quilts are quilted, and binding and labels are sewn on each.  I also cut out a baby dress for smocking for my granddaughter.  I have not done any for a long time, so had to stitch carefully,  so I didn't have to remove any stitches.

I also finished the top for my version of Bonnie Hunter's "Checkerboard Rails" quilt.  I also made a pieced backing.  Now I just have to clear my cutting table so I can pin-baste the quilt.

We planted 2 large pots with herbs, and picked up one tomato plant, but have to keep checking for the other variety that I like - they seem slow to arrive at the garden centre this year, but they normally arrive by May 24 (date of the last frost), and the long weekend was celebrated early this year.  We've noticed that some of our neighbours are getting the small beds in front of their homes cleaned up, new edgings, some plants etc.  The neighbourhood should look lovely when everything is blooming.  I had 4 tulips bloom that were missed by the squirrels.  They don't seem to bother the hyacinths or daffodils, and we've made a note to pick up more in the fall.

I'm off to sort all the bits and pieces on my cutting table - then I can get to work again!

STASH REPORT AND OUR TRIP NORTH!

Used this week 0 yards

Used year to date 37.625  yards

Fabric added this week  14.75 yards

Fabric added year to date  68.5 yards

Net used 2019  -30 875 yards

 

Our trip north almost didn't begin.  Car was packed, house was locked, and car wouldn't start!  Went in to call AAA, and our phone had been put on seasonal hold already!  Got out our emergency cell phone and  called AAA and got a boost to start the car, then headed to Walmart to get a new battery.  We got on the road by noon instead of 8am!  We decided to cancel our first night's hotel reservation, and our stop in Athens GA at the botanical garden - that will have to wait for fall.  Managed to get to Orangeburg SC in time for bed!

Day two - the car was hard to start.  Luckily, there was a Chev dealer about a mile from our motel.  They found out that the new battery had a dead cell, and gave us directions to the nearest Walmart.  We were back on the road in about 2 hours.  The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful.  We enjoyed the redbud trees and dogwoods in bloom along the way, and reached Winchester VA.  Thank heavens for no more car problems the rest of the way!

Day three - we continued on the interstate until shortly after we reached Pennsylvania.  We meandered along Hwy 30, and our first stop was at the Sew n Place in Fayetteville PA.  I found some Hallowe'en fabric marked down, so picked up some for my grandkids future quilts.  + 4 yards!

 

Then we meandered to Zook's Fabrics in Intercourse PA - I had an email saying that they had fat quarters on sale for 99 cents!

More Hallowe'en and neutral fat quarters.
+ 4.75 yards!




It started to rain, so we headed to our hotel in Lancaster.  The rain had stopped by the time we headed out for our evening of dinner theatre.  We had a lovely dinner, and were entertained with a performance of Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat!  The cast was great, and we really enjoyed the childrens chorus!  DH booked a package at the Heritage Hotel, that included a full breakfast in the morning too!  We are hoping to stop on our way south in the fall.

Day Four we headed out to Denver PA to visit Burkholders Fabrics.  We enjoyed driving through the country, looking at all the lush green farms along the way.  The forsythia and daffodils were adding their colour to the scenery too!  I managed to choose 6 more yards of fabric to add to my collection!  I love the diagonal stripe - it will make great binding!  From there we headed north and finally got back on I-81.  We made a quick stop in Watertown NY, and then headed home, with a stop and welcome home at the Canadian border.  We were home in time to unload the van, and enjoyed a quick dinner before heading to bed.  

PACKING, PACKING, PACKING

My least favourite part of moving between 2 homes with the change of seasons, is packing up my quilting things.

I always arrive with a plan for the season, with some homemade kits of fabric collected for quilt projects.  When I get together with my quilt group, plans get rearranged, some things moved forward, and some never started.  Of course, there is the temptations at quilt shops and quilt shows each season as well!

We are nearing our deadline to get the van loaded, with lots of little last minute chores to complete.  We always find a few forgotten items on the last day, so I save one tote to pack last, just in case.

We have some stops planned along the way, as there are many wonderful sights to see.  We plan a stop at a botanical garden in Georgia, and have reservations at a dinner theatre in Pennsylvania.  

I'll be anxious to get my sewing room back in order when we arrive, but I have a tiny Easter dress to finish for little Miss A, and then we are heading out for some grandchildren hugs from Mr. D, Miss A. and family!

SEWING IN CIRCLES!

Our time in our southern home is coming to an end.  Our final visitors have departed, and the guest room has become a space for staging all things that need to be packed for the trek north.

While we had visitors, we stashed items in every nook and cranny, to make their visit more enjoyable.  Now, we are getting everything out of hiding, and checking our lists of things that we need to take along.   There has been some shopping for small items, and even a couple of parcels shipped to us to bring home for family and friends.

I always find it difficult to work on a project at this time, but I still need some sewing time.  I looked at the past and current leader and ender challenges at Quiltville, and decided to give one or two a try.
Part of my shopping lately was to buy some Kona black and white fabric for Checkerboard Rails.  I cut rail pieces from some scraps that I had been given, along with some leftover 1 1/2 inch strips, and made a couple of sample blocks.
Then, I thought of Jewel Box Stars, the challenge for this year, so back to some scrap triangles etc., for a few block parts. 

Then, I remembered admiring the basket blocks that Bonnie had worked on during her last teaching trip.  I made a drawing on graph paper, and figured out what size I wanted to make, and thanks to the Essential Triangle Tool, I have 8 blocks completed!

I also decided to try the Canadian Quilters Association challenge - 
52 Blocks in 52 Weeks.  I had picked up fabric for project as well, this during my last shopping trip, and have the first 12 blocks completed.

Tomorrow is the last day my quilting group meets, and then I plan to clean and oil my sewing machine, and pack it into its case, so there will be no more distractions and I can get organizing!  DH and I are looking forward to the trip north, with a few side trips planned, and getting some grandchildren hugs too!

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  6.375 yards

Fabric used year to date  31.25 yards

Fabric added this week  47.75  yards

Fabric added year to date  53.75 yards

Net used 2019  -16.125 yards

What a huge amount of fabric to add in one week, but it isn't all my fault!!!!  I did pick up some fabric to make my "52 blocks 52 weeks" blocks, and I am making a checkerboard rails quilt (Bonnie Hunter pattern), to use up lots of my 1 1/2 inch scrap strips, and needed black and white fabric for the checkerboard pieces, and I picked up 2 yards of striped fabric, for use as binding.

I also made a quick stop at my favourite local shop to pick up a bit more fabric, more black solid, and a beautiful print that I plan to use for a new quilt pattern.  I also found some sweet pink print flannel to use on the back of another quilt for our granddaughter.
 

The remaining yardage came as a gift from my southern quilting group.  We meet every Wednesday from 11-3, and have fun making quilts and other sewing projects.  Many work on their own individual projects, but I also provide patterns for easy beginner quilts, and this year led the group in 2 mystery quilt projects.  

We went out for lunch on Wednesday, along with some fabric therapy at 2 different fabric shops.  We do this every year before we all head off to our northern homes for the summer.  It is always a bit sad, but we'll all be together again in November or December.

I received a lovely card, signed by all the quilters, and a tote bag filled with fat quarters!  They all know that I track my stash, and there was some evil snickering as the fabric was passed around for all to admire.  Of course, this has moved me into the red again this year!  Now I have to ramp up my quilting, and get back into the black again.......  Too many projects, and too little time. 

I managed to complete another quilt in time to add it to my "used" yardage!  I started with a panel designed by Nancy Halverson that had been lingering in my stash.  I also had a leftover all-over print and coordinating floral stripe, from a project I made in 2000! I us!ed the stripe to make a mitered border, which I demo'd to my group, and used a pretty floral flannel for the backing.  

Since I am a fabric pre-washer, I'm off to serge all the raw edges of my new fabric, and sort it into loads of like colours.  Since I donate almost all of my quilts, I like to make sure that any loose dye is out of each piece, and that any shrinkage happens before I use it in a project.  I've had some big surprises over the years!
 

Playing with Fabric

I've been working my way through some quilt panels that have been waiting too long to become quilts.
Before heading south in the fall, I gathered some panels, and chose a few pieces of coordinating fabric for each.  The one I have been working on lately has a garden theme.
I began by adding a small border on each side of the panel, to make the width to height proportions more pleasing.

This just shows part of the panel.  I added pink on either side. 



Using leftover fabric from a past project, I made hourglass blocks, using a floral print and a variety of neutrals.  The next border was the yellow floral print, to coordinate with the narrow yellow frames in the panel.  For the final border, I used a border stripe fabric, to finish the quilt top.

I am mitering the final border, and will use the top to give a demonstration with my quilting group this week.  

DH and I attended the AQS show in Daytona Beach this week - the quilts were wonderful!  Since I'm trying to get my stash under control, I only picked up thread and needles to add some new colours for quilting!  I also picked up a cute yellow flannel for the backing of this lap quilt - it has flowers on it to continue the garden theme.  I need to wash it before I can pin-baste the quilt, ready for machine quilting.

Friends are arriving on Tuesday to spend 10 days with us in the sunshine.  Their 2 granddaughters, 9 and 11, are coming too, so we'll have fun at the pool, and plan a couple of days at Disney World too!

A FINISH AND STASH REPORT

Fabric used this week  17.75 yards

Fabric used year to date  31.25 yards

Fabric added this week  0 yards

Fabric added year to date  6 yards

Net used 2019   25.25 yards

This week I completed the mystery quilt, and then worked on another panel that has been in my stash for quite a while!

This is another 24 inch panel, and needed to be made wider.  I used some 6 inch finished pinwheel blocks in light green and blue with a red center, and white with red hearts neutral fabric.  I outlined all the printed details, and then had fun with the remaining quilting.  This will become another donation to my guild's community quilts program, that provides quilts to many places in our city and area.

 

ANOTHER QUILT COMPLETED

I put the final stitching in my second mystery quilt today!

The pattern is called "Rainbow Rotini".  It was designed by Marjorie Rhine, and was in the March, May and July 2012 editions of American Quilter magazine.

I chose my main colour as pink, as it will be a gift for my granddaughter in a year or so.  It will fit a single bed.

I machine quilted it with monofiliment thread, using a stitch in the ditch around all the various elements.  

I stitched two different designs in the background surrounding each block - 

Flowers and leaves around six blocks, and butterflies around the remaining six.

All the quilting on the neutral areas was done using Superior Thread's King Tut thread in colour #937  Tiny Tuts.  It has a mixture of pink, yellow, blue, green and mauve.

 The outer border was stitched with my favourite feathered hooks.  

I also added green binding, her big brother's favourite colour!

MAKING PILLOWCASES

Next week is my southern quilt group's annual "make a pillowcase day".  I decided to get mine made early, so I can continue to work on the machine quilting of my mystery quilt.

We get lots of extra help from friends and neighbours, to pin, press, and fold all the pillowcases.  Last year we completed 317 in 4 hours!  I think it will be hard to beat that record.
All the completed pillowcases will be donated to "Ryan's Case for Smiles", and will be distributed to local area hospitals.

WEEKEND FUN

I spent some time over the weekend piecing batting.  I had used parts of 3 queen batts over the past couple of months, and decided to make some "Franken-batts".  I needed one for my second mystery quilt, as I had pieced the backing fabric, and pressed the backing and the quilt top, using a bit of spray starch, ready for pin basting.
First, I used all the smaller pieces of batting to make one the correct size for a panel quilt that I had planned to finish for donation.  I managed to pin baste the quilt top on my cutting table, and I began with all the "stitch in the ditch" quilting on Sunday.
Monday, I completed all the quilting, and added the binding, trimming the back and batting to make sure that my binding will be full to the edge.
Next, I pieced two larger pieces of batting to make one the correct size for my mystery quilt.  I took some time this afternoon to watch an episode of "Vera", a British police investigation series, while I hand stitched the binding on the panel quilt.

Tomorrow is my weekly quilting group, so I have to get my bags packed ready to go!  We are having a pillowcase sewing day in 2 weeks, and I have some samples of the finished products, along with some step-out samples to show everyone.  I posted in our community newsletter, looking for volunteers, those that can sew, and some to just pin, press, fold etc., and we try to show them what to expect before the actual date.  I'm sure we'll have fun, and Cases for Smiles will appreciate the finished pillowcases to give to children in area hospitals.

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  4.125 yards

Fabric used year to date  4.125 yards

Fabric added this week 0 yards

Fabric added year to date  6 yards

Net used 2019  -1.875

I finished the first of two mystery quilts this past week.  It is a paper pieced wall hanging designed by Carol Doak.

I also have the top for the second mystery quilt completed, but I'm busy finishing the quilting on my sister-in-law's king size quilt.  It will be pin-basted this week, I hope. 

 I saved all the selvedge edges, and have used them to cover some clothesline, with the plan to make a basket to match the quilt.

My progress had been slowed in the past week due to cold temperatures.  ( I'm not really complaining since many parts of North America were suffering from artic temperatures!)

My sewing room is an unheated space built under the carport, and I waited for the sun to warm my room each day.  Unfortunately we had many cloudy days.......

Things are back into the normal range, so I should have some large blocks of time to work this week!