This is my second post using the “new” WordPress editor. My first one was very frustrating and I accidentally erased it before I finished it. It seems to me that they changed where everything is and renamed it. Thanks, but no thanks.

I was working on the Country Christmas quilt on the long arm yesterday and needed something to occupy my hands and mind. There is only so much pet rescue saga one can play while the computer is quilting. The pantograph I am using takes a loooong time to do one row, about eighty minutes. It’s not very complicated, bells, holly and ribbons, but the curved lines really slow things down.

The previous day I had found my kit that I made up for the Crabapple Hill embroidery piece called ‘Shiny and Bright’. I opened it up and started stitching. I was really enjoying stitching by hand, until I realized I no longer had a callous on my needle pushing finger. Found a thimble and was back at it.

Lately, I have been watching a few other bloggers making the Sue Spargo ‘Toned Down Circle’ sampler. There are ninety little wool circles, each sewn differently, with decorative stitches and pretty threads. This is an Instagram stitch along, with a new circle everyday. https://www.suespargo.com/store-detail.php?ID=7494 The URL paste function is different, used to be that I could re-name it, now its ugly, sigh. Anyway it is inspiring to me.

I received the next block for the Botanica quilt BOM, it is two blocks, one part is adding on to the center block, and the other part is a sort of border for the center. It’s medallion style, I think I have picture of it.

YAY! I did it. It’s the little things in life, LOL. Anyway, the center block has the four borders with the flying geese, I may make them today.

I am linking up with Denise at For the Love of Geese today for Put your Foot Down. Here’s the (ugly) link https://fortheloveofgeese.com/2020/05/28/put-your-foot-down-53/

I finished the Unity Quilt top yesterday.  I was going to add another side border to square it up, but I think it is done.

Plus, I have used up most of the French General scraps.  The larger pieces will be incorporated into my stash drawers, and neutral bin.  The smaller pieces will be cut into 2 ½ inch squares for the squares bin.  The large tan piece will be for binding, I am hoping there is enough for the Estrella quilt too.

These two photos show how big the pile of FG fabrics was before and after Estrella, there was a jelly roll and some extra yardage that I needed for Estrella that aren’t shown below. I’m pleased with the dent that this has made in my stash.

This French General collection started with this quilt below, Generally French.  Made in 2016.  I forget where I got the idea from, maybe a kit I saw.

My design wall is blank today.  As a “reward” for finishing the Unity top, I made some more masks for my MIL and DD.  My daughter has to wear them all day at work, as she is a dog groomer.  You can just imagine the amount of dust, dander, and hair in the air.  She also wear ear plugs to save her hearing, the blowers are loud and constantly on.  Talk about job hazards.  Anyway, I dug into a deep stash drawer and found this pretty print.  I think after 20 years of marination it is about time this got used up.   It’s still pretty too.

This past week I also worked on the Dutch garden quilt, the blue and yellow one.  I had to order more fabric for it, as I ran out of the dark blue background one I was using.  It was on sale at BluPrint, so I bought enough to finish it and for a backing.  I’ll have to wait until that is delivered, the mail is a bit slow.  Reminds me of the old days, before Amazon Prime, Fed EX, Priority Mail, etc.  “Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery” was a common postscript.  Carefully filling out order forms in block print, enclosing a check or money order (ha, that was another fun step).  Mailing out the order and then waiting for delivery, simpler times, less hurry.

Linking up with Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday today.  Judy is working on a lovely hand stitched block sampler, lilac flowers in a basket.

This weeks project is my interpretation of a quilt that I saw on Pinterest.  It is sort of a one large block quilt, with added detail to it.  I have a pile of fabric left over from a quilt kit, the line is Dutch Garden II, blues and yellows.  I felt it was a good way to use it up and make myself a fun project.  It has become a puzzle of sorts, as I go through each section of blocks.  I am trying to make it controlled scrappy, so each block is similar in shading.  My version of the pattern is all squares and half square triangles, I think I could have done flying geese in some parts though.  I am going to make some square in a square blocks for the next border.  I think it needs to be a little larger, it’s square, not really a good size for a throw.  Kinda not baby quilt style either.

I got a phone call yesterday that made me very happy.  The Bernina dealer called and said he had fixed my machine YAY!  There was something wrong with the bobbin sensor, it was still under warranty, so he replaced it, gave my machine a computer update and a thorough cleaning.  I drove right over and picked it up.  The funny thing was that “normally” I would wait until the next morning, as the traffic would have been at a stand still at 3:30pm.  I breezed over in about twenty minutes.  I had an appointment with the shop, so it was just me and the sales lady.  I bought some fabric too.

Linking up with Denise at For the Love of Geese it’s the one year anniversary of Put your Foot Down .  I think if you do something for 52 weeks it’s officially a habit.

 

 

I have been working behind the scenes, a bit, on the quilts for the Hands 2 Help quilt donation drive.  This year I have five, last year I made six, seems like I have more time this year, but I have been making the Unity quilt, so that takes up a bunch of sewing time too.  I can honestly say that these quilts are all made from my in house stash.  Even made a few franken-battings and pieced backings. Yesterday I quilted the last two, the binding will go on today, and I am hoping that I can get them out to the post office early this week.  I ordered a batch of stamps and tyvek envelopes, thinking I could get everything packed up at home and then make a quick trip to the post office.  Our town has a small office branch, the sales desk area is quite small, so the less time I spend there, the better.

These three quilts are for the Little Lambs program.  I wanted to keep them bright and cheery, but also hard wearing, able to go through many washings and dryings.  The sizes are within those requested by the organizers.  I used up most of a layer cake and a whole pile of solid scraps and charms.  The purple one is a pattern from Jo at Jo’s Country Junction called Brick house.

These two are going to Quilty Hugs.  Last year, a very good friend of ours went through chemo for throat cancer.  I made him a special quilt with this comic book themed fabric and his favorite football teams logo fabric on the back.  The scraps are made into one of these quilts. The second quilt is made from the same scraps as those above, but I used an idea/pattern that a guest blogger, Kate, posted about at Confessions of a Fabric Addict .  It’s called Charming Bingo block, a split nine patch derivative.

 

The quilting was all computerized pantographs, hearts, bubbles, loops, rainbows and stars.

 

Linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict  today for the Parade of Hands2Help quilts.

Which is a better skill for a quilter to have, the ability to count accurately or to measure accurately? Both would be ideal, but lately I have been slackening on the counting skill.  Yesterday I was happily sewing the 34 blocks for the Unity quilt together.  I had carefully counted out the pieces needed (816), as my supply of French General fabrics is dwindling (yay!).  Each block has 16 pieces, 8 of which are HSTs and 8 solids.  I have been counting these piles over and over since Monday, when I started this clue. 126, 68, 34 were the magic numbers, until I got down to the 34 blocks.  After I finished sewing and ironing them, I counted them, 30 – wrong answer.  I separated them into piles, 10 – 10 – 10- and 3.  Better but still missing one, looked around, on the floor, design wall, my chair, nope, only 33.  I set about making one more, it went together pretty quickly.  Then I started sewing the rows together, 2 rows of 8 blocks and 2 rows of 9 blocks.  Wouldn’t you know, I had one extra?  I got them sewn up to the main body of the quilt today.

I  am still kinda struggling with the rental machine,  it’s a great little machine, hums along and makes nice stitches.  I think it would be one to bring on a retreat.  But, sigh, yesterday I sewed a seam with out bobbin thread.  No bobbin thread sensor.  I am still struggling with the knee lift, I still stop sewing and wait for the presser foot to raise, not a function.  Mostly I miss the even feed, especially when easing seams together.

I have two more quilts to get on the long arm, and one to get binding on, and I am done with the Hands 2 Help quilts.  That’ll be my weekend project, and then I may pull out an UFO and see if I can finish it.  Or… there is the commissioned wedding quilt for September.  Options are good 😁

Linking up with Denise at For the Love of Geese Put your foot down #51 today, check out her photo trip through her part of the world.