Polka Dot Charity Block

The Elgin Piecemakers block for one month later this year is supposed to be made from polka dots.  Here is my sunflower block. I can't wait to see what the other members of the guild are going to do with their dotty blocks.  I like making these blocks for the charity quilts each month.  It is a fun way to try something new and play with my fabric. I also like to get them done ahead of time.  I only have one more to do for 2015--navy and lime green.

I am hoping for some hand quilting time tonight but there is lots to do around here before that can happen. Happy Stitching to you!

Curly Hand Quilting

Earlier this week, I made this sheep block, found some backing and batting and basted it in preparation for hand quilting it.

I outlined the face and then started quilting some swirls or curls in the body. I am not drawing any lines on --I am just doing them freehand.

Some are looser and some are tighter...  just like a real sheep.

I am about half done the curls and already have an idea for the background of this little wall hanging.  It will be a birthday gift for my MIL.  Her birthday is in May so I should have lots of time to get it done on time.

I did some garden clean up earlier today for about an hour.  My daffodils are in bloom!

 

A couple of close ups...

 

 

 

My tiny daffodils are out too.

 

 

 

Here is an overdue stash report:

 

Fabric used since my last stash report: 5.5 yards
Total fabric used this year: 18.3 yards
Fabric added to the stash since my last report: NONE!
Total fabric added this year: 16.25 yards
Net fabric used this year:  2.05 yards


 



And Another Hand-quilting Project...

I hand stitched this wool applique project about a month ago and it has been "aging" appropriately for the last month until I had time to add borders and prep it for hand quilting.  Yesterday was the day for this task.  I have a 13 by 20 pillow form that this will go on after it is quilted and the back is added.  The pillow will likely live on our bed. My husband loves squirrels!

Another springtime picture taken in my yard:

I am so glad Spring is finally here!

A New Hand-quilting Project

Christine bought a new book online. When we went out for lunch on Saturday, we spent much of our time drooling over the patterns, dreaming of the quilts we will make.  The book is "Farm Girl Vintage" and is filled with patterns inspired by life on a farm.  I picked one block to try first...

Here is the fabric I chose:

 All from my stash--it is all about stash reduction!

My husband thought this was a chicken...

Sorry--I could not get this picture to turn--just tilt your head to the right....   I embroidered eyes...

and legs...

and added some borders and cornerstones...

I think it is a fine looking sheep, perfect for some Spring hand quilting.

It is all pin basted and ready to go. I may try to get in some stitching time tonight.

This will be a birthday gift for my MIL.  She does not read my blog. If you know her, please do not spill the beans.  My MIL loves sheep! (and my quilts!)

I took this picture in my backyard yesterday.  My daughter brought this tree home from a field trip to a tree farm in grade one or two.  It was a bare-root seedling, about a foot tall when she got it.  It is now over 20 feet tall and growing happily in our backyard.

The Cat in the Hat

When I was little, my parents signed me up with a book club that sent me a Dr. Seuss book every month. One of my favourites was "The Cat in the Hat".  My parents and then my brother and I read those books over and over and over again. When I had my own baby, my parents gave me all of my old Dr. Seuss books to read to her. Some of them are looking a little worse for wear after being read so often! I still have these books at my house and will pass them on to the next generation, when that time comes. 

A few years ago, I was in a quilt store that had some Cat in the Hat fabric which I could not resist.  It came home and has been "aging" in my stash until suitable inspiration hit.  Last Saturday afternoon, I took out my fabrics and some solids and started to cut and sew. I did not use a pattern--I just made it up myself.

I was in the zone and did not take any pictures until the top was finished and I started to do the pin basting in preparation for quilting!

I'm glad that I don't have any fish in my teacups!

I decided to do an organic cross hatch design for the quilting using red thread.

I found some bright yellow fabric for the binding.

And sock monkeys for the backing. 

 

 

I did not buy one bit of fabric to make this quilt!

 

 

 

I did the hand sewing on the binding tonight.

 

 

 

One baby quilt, all ready to gift.  I don't have a baby in mind for this one.  It is a baby quilt in waiting. I have always wanted to have a couple of baby quilts ready just in case.  Hmmm...I think I might have a bit more fabric around here...maybe I could make another baby quilt in waiting...

 

 

 







Charity Blocks

I had a little bit of time tonight to do some sewing...my only time for sewing all week.  I grabbed some fabrics from my stash and made a couple of charity quilt blocks for our monthly Elgin Piecemakers chemo quilts.

For this block, I had to use pink, white and green.  I found this fun flower fabric and decided to frame it with some solids.

I saw this pattern in the most recent issue of Quiltmaker magazine. Using the colours navy and taupe, I made this block.

I got home the other night and found a crocus in my garden.  It was never planted in the spot where it was blooming so I think it must have been transplanted by a squirrel.

It gives me hope that Spring will be here soon, despite the fact that we woke up to a few inches of snow one morning this past week.