Bad Influence

Miss Dawn of SewYouQuilt2 has been on jury duty for the past few days.  For her it is an arduous journey into Boston via public transit, and a hike to the courthouse, long and stressful days, and I have missed her daily posts.  I will admit I tease her unmercifully about her deer quilt, and her name dropping about her BFF Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company.  Recently there was a joke about Dawn's fabric acquisitions and an alleged destash by Jenny.

I complimented her recently on her scrappy trips which helped me figure out a way to use a copy paper box chock full  of 2 1/2 inch strips for quilt guild.

 I have made 4 blocks so far working as leader and enders while working on a quilt of my own.  I want to make one for me.  I have a bin full of 2 1/2 inch batik strips from a swap I participated in years ago.  I also have a bin full of 2 1/2 inch cotton strips.  But a girl always could use a bit more fabric right?  I have seen these mystery bags of 4 inch strips from Bear Creek Quilting several times.  No I am not an affiliate nor do I receive any compensation for this mention.  Anyway their strips are what they call bolt ends and they have a cotton, batik, flannel, and I think a solid also.   The strips run about $15 and you end up with about 2 yards of fabric.  This past week they had an offer buy one and get a mystery yard for free. 

My package arrived today, and such fun fabrics, and I love the mystery yard. 

I may/may not be responsible for Dawn's purchase from that quilt shop in regards to the special.....

I also bought a book recently.  I keep seeing people making these blocks and I just love what I see.  Summer Moon by Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilts.  It is set up as a BOM but it just looked too fun to pass up.  Also some solids which were on sale as the basic of the month. 

I keep thinking I want to make this quilt and use Corey Yoder fabrics from the lines of  Sunnyside Up and Strawberry Jam, and some solids. 

I also saw a pattern that I had to have.  While it would be simple to figure it out, I thought I should support the pattern designer.

I have been doing a wee bit of sewing too.  I finished my April BOM for the LQS.

Amish with a twist.  I cannot get a picture that does justice to the colors.  It is orange, red orange and dark red.

I also managed to make this block for the BOM without making a mistake!  Yippee!

I am not a fan of blocks that use 3/8 or 7/8 inch increments.  I would rather cut a wee bit bigger and trim down a bit. 

Off to put my loot away!

I Like Thursday #61

Welcome to my I Like Thursday post #60!  Thanks LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color for encouraging us to find things throughout the week that we like/love.  I have some weeks that I miss, I just don't have pics to share. 

I like "found" money.  I guess it isn't really found because it isn't lost, but I throw my change, including bills in this little drawer in my car near the driver's door.  I was taking my car in for service so decided maybe I should clean my car up. 

 Um yes, I will ashamedly admit as I go through drive thru I will throw my change into the little drawer.  I brought it in, took out the large bills, and put the rest in my piggy bank challenge jar.

I like my wool pressing mat, and recently saw a post from ModaLissa showing how sometimes you just need to press a seam open, and this little tool really helps! 

 It does help when you want to press a really bulky seam open for quilting.

I like these bookmarks I found at Hobby Lobby. 

 As you all know I use homemade starch, but my bottle is always falling over.  I saw this cool bottle, clamp and had to have one. It is called Iron EZ.

 I love cardinals, and I love this little round one my daughter saw and decided that I just had to have in my garden.  He is so cute I really don't want to put him outside.

I have purchased a couple of these dog platforms for training Bobbin.  This is where she is supposed to sit when I tell her place (stay).

They are also a nice cool place for dogs to lay when it is hot because of the mesh. 

I saw this jar at the store and had to have it.  I know silly.

Its an actual canning jar and it looks like a strawberry. 

Finally I share a book I like each week.  I alluded that there was a book I wanted to download and read, and accidentally downloaded a different one.  Well this is the one I wanted to read.  Great story, and from what I understand it is a series.

I am working at reading some books that I have picked up recently so not too sure when I will get to the next but definitely on my list.

Now head over to LeeAnna's to see the other I Like Posts.

And the Point Is?

I know I left a teaser that I had been doing some other things too.

I started this quilt back in July of 2018 while traveling.  It was a kit from Craftsy.  You can see the post about it here where I started, and here where it was in progress.  Finally I made a block.  Then just a couple of more and I stalled.

These blocks had lots of points, needed a ginormous amount of pinning to match the seams, and the pressing was exacting. During the past few weeks I finished the 32 blocks and set them aside and began working on the alternate blocks.  I needed to make only 31 of the alternate blocks and it only had 8 points to match!  

I finally finished all of the alternate blocks while charity sewing I would alternate charity block or two, one or two my own.

Before I put my quilt together I decided to get the borders made, and I sewed, sewed, and sewed one evening and when I looked at the clock it was after 9 pm.  

I need to match a bunch more points for borders and more pressing, and they will be done.  I put some of the blocks on the design wall and played with the shading since all the fabrics except the backgrounds were ombres. It really didn't make much of a difference.

The quilt is called Color Crystals.  I even shot a pic in black and white, the colors just flow across the blocks with lights, mediums and darks.

I needed to share the fun basket that I received from Dawn and Jacky recently.  Obviously it was a for the birds basket.  Gummy worms, a duck that Bobbin promptly stole, a birdhouse kit, eggs, a hummingbird feeder.

 And a chicken pincushion! 

Such a fun basket that made me laugh.  Thank you ladies.

I have also made some fabric acquisitions.  I know I am hanging my head in shame.

Some more Bonnie and Camille to add to my hoard.

I have been eyeing the Corey Yoder fabrics and made the plunge and purchased some.

And  a little Flower Sugar by Lecien.

I also purchased a MacKenna Ryan kit, and a pattern while it was on sale.

And a pattern, who can resist these sweet bears.

I purchased an Easter Egg kit from a shop, it didn't get sent until Maundy Thursday and arrived on Saturday, too late for Easter this year.

Yep woolies, and embroidery!

One of the ladies at guild and I had been talking about doing the quiltworx pattern called Poinsettia.  She struggles picking fabrics so she saw a kit, and I told her I would do it along with her, and we ordered the kit from Granny Sassy's Designs in Washington. 

Finally my big Ta Da Finish!

The Vintage Rose quilt that I started after Jeff died.  I don't have any quilt holders and it is pretty big, the ground is muddy, so layout on the deck it is. 

I actually paid to have it custom quilted and got it back from the quilter when I was in Oregon in February.

The quilter's name is Lynda Wadley and she did an awesome job.

I started with a focus fabric and built around it, and was so thrilled when I found some on sale for $7 a yard, so I purchased enough for the back of this quilt.

A special quilt needs a special label also.   I embroidered it, and put it in the corner.

My point is that I have been sewing lots of things with points, and points that need to be matching, and while it doesn't seem like I get much done to me, I have accomplished a lot!

BOM Catch Up

I mentioned in a previous post that I kind of got my sewjo back, thanks to the magical healing properties of doing something for others.   So what have I been doing?

I finally got my March block done for the LQS BOM, and managed to turn it in Monday to get my next block. 

My replacement fabric is a little off, but I can live with it I think.

Because I have been sick I missed sewing on Tuesdays and our current bag lady project.  Eve got the bag to me the other day so I got the block together quickly.

Amy of A Redeemed Sheep had designed this block, and it is easy and fun to make.

I also got my block thrown together for the BOM we are doing.

I am not a fan of pinwheels, but I am going to brag and say, my points all came together beautifully and what's not to love about the Bonnie and Camille fabrics from my hoard?

I have the April blocks to make for the LQS BOM, but wait, there will be more...soon.

Have a Blessed Easter

It has been a tough holy week this year.  The fire at Notre Dame which destroyed hundreds of years of work has saddened many.

While contemplating the destruction of this magnificent edifice, I thought about the destruction of the veil in the temple, which was rent from top to bottom.  What did the people think, feel? 

When I was young on Easter Sunday it was common to greet someone with He is Risen!  The response was He is Risen Indeed!

Have a Blessed Easter, and Happy Passover!

The Magical Healing Properties of Doing for Others

I don't post often lately.  Like many people sometimes I lose my sewjo, I just don't want to work on anything that I have going, but I don't want to start another project and have it end up a UFO.  When I do sew I work on charity, either cutting fabric for kits for guild, or sewing quilts for charity for church.  Working on charity quilts helps my soul when I am struggling.  I call it the magical healing properties when you do for others.

What do you do when you have a copy paper box full of 2 1/2 inch strips of guild fabric?  I have thought about making coin quilt kits, thought about making jelly roll race quilts, but then Dawn at SewYouQuilt2 started making scrappy trips the light bulb went on. Make scrappy trip blocks!

The first block, would it work?  Would it use up some of the scraps and be quick and easy?  Maybe work out as a leader and ender? 

Oh yes it works and I grab a handful of strips, cut to length, and then sew as leaders and enders.  I can make one of these blocks in about 30 minutes.   The gurney quilts are 36 X 60 which means 15 blocks makes a quilt! 

I have shared previously that I make string blocks from scraps left over after cutting donated fabric into 10 inch squares, and 5 inch squares.  I make 2 1/2 inch strips, and strip up the rest to put into empty kitty litter buckets to make strings.  I had some muslin left over after making some backings and cut it into 6 1/2 inch blocks.  I used these too as leaders and enders. 

They go together quickly.  Isn't it funny, the majority of my design wall has charity quilt blocks on it?

Finally all the tiny bits left are made into pet beds for the local animal shelters.  The past few days I have been sewing the cases to be filled with scraps.  Then started filling.

Yep my little model decided to park her fanny on them as I filled them.  There are 2 plaid ones made from upholstery fabric which was donated, 2 made out of drapery fabric and I have about 12 more made from yardage that is a poly/cotton mix.  I can create quite the pile quickly and they take up a lot of space.  

As I stated earlier sewing for others seems to make my soul happy and I have been sewing, and actually have a couple of finishes.  

I Like Thursday #60

Oh my when the weather warms up doesn't it seem like time just gets away from you?  Welcome to my fast and quick I like Thursday post #60!  Thanks LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color for encouraging us to find things throughout the week that we like/love.

Jeff used to say that it wasn't true spring until the oaks started to bud.  Well the oaks are budding, which is pretty early in my experience of the 8 years I have lived out here on the farm.  I mentioned my rhubarb is coming up!  Had to share a pic of it, it makes me smile every time I look at it. 

 I should move the leaf litter out, but I have a fear of a late frost and it will help protect it a bit. 

My Daffodils and a volunteer Hyacinth makes me smile.  See how green everything is already?  I need to do some weeding, but it has been kind of windy and chilly as of late.

A couple of I like posts ago I mentioned I have things show up unexpectedly in my yard, like a bicycle planter.  I found something to fill it.

I love pansies, and the hanging basket was the perfect size.  Pansies are so resilient also.  The bicycle planter actually was blown off the berm the other day, and the pansy basket rolled across the yard.  *Sigh* there is a lot to be said for wind breaks.  So the bicycle planter has been moved closer to the house for the time being and the pansies survived their ordeal.

Speaking of unexpected visitors this guy showed up by my chicken house I keep my babies in.

His hat is broken, and he needs new paint.  Maybe I will fix him up.  He is such a happy guy.

I have projects started here and there and some just in the planning stages which means I have the materials but haven't started, much like my quilts.  I loved this can that freeze dried strawberries came in and decided it would be an awesome planter.  I got some clear contact paper and finally covered it. 

Not perfect, but done is better than nothing.  Now to figure out what I am going to put in it.

I like my new flock of chicks but they are at that not so cute stage.  The other day my daughter was at a store nearby called Family, Farm, and Home and mentioned that they had "old" chicks for 50 cents a piece, and they were Golden Laced Wyadottes.

This is what they will look like when they are full growns

 I have Silver Laced Wyandottes and they are pretty chickens, but they are kind of stubborn at times, not as sweet as my Buff Orpingtons.

See she is a pretty girl.  I thought 50 cents though, that is a pretty good deal.  So I added 10 more chicks to the flock.  It is funny because they are still chicks, even though they are labeled as "old". 

Hopefully they won't need therapy months from now due to the "old" label  They have tiny wing and tail feathers.  They make me laugh, and smile. They are almost big enough to allow them to venture out into their run. 

About 3 years ago Jeff and I took a couple of trees down that were too near the house, and we dug up some volunteer trees growing in the yard, and planted them.  I swear they were maples.  But this year this is what they look like.

They look like pussy willows almost the little catkins.  But I know it is a maple.  I am calling it the mystery tree right now, and wondering what the heck is going on. 

Finally the book I just finished was The Darkling Bride by Laura Andersen.  I will say once I got into it I didn't want to stop reading. 

This was an oops download, I had selected another book to read, but this one downloaded instead.  I am happy it did.  I am now reading the original one that I wanted to read, and again a great story which is keeping me enthralled.

Now head over to LeeAnna's and check out the other I Like Thursday posts.