October projects

 Well I have been busy, but just have not blogged about anything.  So decided it was time to take time to tell and document what I have been working on.

 I have made many more garlic knot blocks by Bonnie Hunter  so my quilt is growing not sure how big I am making it yet but getting close to being done. It is at least full size now.  

I presented my Unity quilt which I made as a Quilt of Valor quilt for my cousin. He was very surprised and speechless when I gave it to him.  

I embroidered a name on a quilt I had made for a customer from baby's 1st year clothes. And have the next baby's clothes to make another quilt. 

 While staying at home I have been watching a lot of square in a square webinars from Jodi Borrows  and practicing the method  here are 2 star blocks that I made. Easy and accurate way to make them.

 I have been working on Edyta Sitar's  Quilter's Garden quilt. this quilt is a challenge.  I have gotten this block done.   

then cut out this one and it wanted to me done with set in seams from tiny pieces to make the flower units. That was not going to happen. So since I had been studying the square in a square method  decided to make it that way. 

It worked wonderfully and the block turned out great.   I have about 4 blocks left to make for this quilt might get done this year. 

Pat Sloan did a stay at home quilt back in the spring and I decided to made it  for my youngest brother. The centers of each block are a fabric that reminds me of him and things he has done.  It was so much fun to make.  There is a t-shirt of his in the middle  and the green Socks shirt was our brother that has passed away.   I also  went out to the internet and found our HS logo on a t-shirt and copied it and printed it on fabric.    Now to quilt it.  

I just finished appliqueing this small wall hanging and putting the binding on it.  It was from a quilt that I decided not to do  so just finished it as is and call it done.  Someone else can have the patterns for the quilt. 

well enough for now  now to go make couple more masks for couple little kids.  

Happy sewing

Sharon J.

summer update

 well it has been awhile since I have written a blog post, I have been busy with many things. We have finished cleaning out my MIL's house and sold it that took some time and work. Grand kids have been in and out this summer and we have been boating and fishing this is the safest thing to do this summer with the Covid-19 sticking around.   Celebrated several family birthdays this summer.

I also have been doing some sewing and quilting.  Trying to finish some UFO's and did 3 stay at home quilts from 3 teachers they were fun   2 ready to quilt and one not quite done yet.

This one is Bonnie Hunter's Unity quilt, had fun picking the fabric all from stash. I changed her aqua to gold  and made it a patriotic quilt. I added small stars on top and bottom to make it longer but did not make it as big as hers since I wanted a lap quilt.  this will be given to a cousin this fall for a quilt of valor type quilt. He is a Vietnam vet and deserves it. This is a surprise and he will not be expecting it.

This is Kaye England's  Civil War Legacy quilt that she offered as a class during our stay at home time. I had the book and the fabric so decided good time to do it. It was presented as a block at a time with some history and puzzles. I changed the basket block and changed out for the flag block and the T block instead of an applique block . Not into applique right now.  all fabric from my stash feel so good to use what I have  It is ready for the quilting pile, this one I am keeping. 

This one is from Pat Sloan called her stay at home quilt.  It is a modified snowball blocks. I started one with kids prints in the center then switched to these prints. This will go to a brother all of the centers are things that remind me of him or he likes.  adding  a surprise in the middle that is why it is not sewn together yet.  Plan on having this done at the latest for his birthday A lot of the fabric is from my stash and from friends. I reached out to quilt group for 7 inch squares of certain things I did not have and then I ordered some special fabrics like the white sox, sturgess, covid, fabrics.  This has been fun.

worked on my cupcake mix blocks  they are tiny but easy to make I sew them when just want to sew in the evening. Each cupcake paper makes 2 blocks from a charm pack.. 

While staying at home I decided to participate in Fat quarter shop stitch along. I have not cross stitched for many years. This is called Feels like home.  I have the bird and leaves done working on the house. I am way behind because they have finished giving all the steps out, but that is ok I am enjoying stitching this in the evening while watching TV with hubby. I am stitching it on 10 count so nice big holes and DMC floss.

This is my Bonnie Hunter garlic knot blocks  I have 126 done so I am putting it together I have about half of them sewn together not sure how big this will be yet. I might make more since these are so fun and addictive to make and great use of scraps and make big enough for our bed. 

Grand daughter's friend had a baby girl about a month ago so this is Norah's quilt I need to make the label then take it to her.  From a layer cake  called good morning. I picked all the pinks out and cut them into 5 inch squares and made pinwheels.   Going to use the blue and green squares to make a boy quilt for another one of her friends that is having a boy in next few months.

This quilt is called Buzz Saw. I made this one for my Hubby for his birthday he got it this weekend. He was very surprised did not know I was making it.  It has taken awhile to make just because I worked on it in stages. All the fabrics are of tool prints. 

This is the back of the quilt.

this is Traffic Jam quilt from Pat Sloan.  It is a fun and easy quilt. I made it for a quilt guild challenge for our quilt show that was canceled. Challenge was to make a baby quilt with all one color fabrics. All from my stash I choose blue since I had many squares to use up.  It is ready for a baby boy when I need it.

 Well I think that is most of what I have been getting done.  On to more UFO finishes.  

Happy stitching 

Sharon J

April-May stay at home progress

well I have been very busy in April and beginning of May being teacher to my 2 grandsons.  They stayed with us for all of April except 1 week that they went home. Mom is working and Dad was recovering from serious surgery so we kept them and I was their teacher.  Forgot how tiring it is to be a teacher. I had to learn some of the lessons so I could help them do them.  Thanks goodness I know how to use the computer to get their lessons and turn them in.
They have gone home now they only have couple weeks of school work left and Dad is recovered and going back to work this week.

I did some sewing during this time  and some yard work on nice days. It was great to have their help.

I quilted a couple of customer quilts and got them delivered with minimum contact.

I have been following a few sew a longs during this stay at home time and started 3 of them.
I started Bonnie Hunter's unity quilt and have 5 clues done I am waiting to see what the rest of the clues are since I do not want the quilt as big as she is making it.  I want it to be a lap quilt for a cousin as a quilt of valor quilt.  I am using red, cream, blue, and gold.

  Then I am doing Pat Sloan's April quilt along which is like a snowball block  I am using all novelty prints that remind me of my youngest brother. Hope to go visit him when this stay at home is over and take him the quilt.

  Also doing one from Kaye England called Civil War Legacy. I had the book so dug out some civil war fabric and am watching her video lesson each week.  Here are some of my blocks.

 I am also cleaning out my sewing room and organizing thing and getting rid of things I no longer want or need.  I have been sorting scraps for weeks a bag or box at a time.  I have even thrown small pieces away.  sorting them into strings, small pieces for my pineapple blocks, and a box to cut into strips and squares with my go cutter.  I am sorting strips into sizes and colors.  I have 1 tote left to sort thru.  I also sorted thru magazines and got rid of a paper sack full.
Here is a sack of strings and chunks to make string blocks with.  I am using a neutral center strip form my stash.  I made 20  8 1/2" blocks tonight while watching TV.

I also have been cleaning drawers in the kitchen one at a time.   I would clean out more places but there is nowhere to take the items to donate since they are all closed.

I decided to stitch along with the fat quarter shop on a cross stitch project. I have not done any for several years.  Doing it on 10 count so I can see the weave and hole.  My fabric came today. My daughter that cross stitches all the time help me get the colors ready this last weekend.  So now I need to start. Here is my fabric and a needle minder to keep track of my needle while working on the project.

Hope everyone is staying safe and getting a lot of sewing done.

take care and happy sewing
Sharon J

march 2020 quarantine progress

Well getting some things done while in  stay at home order. We have the grandsons Dylan and Brandon they were here on spring break when the order came out so they are just staying with us in the country instead of going back to the city. There are more things they can do here.  I am doing their home school here new experience for me have not done homework for many years.

My husband and boys are learning to weld from you tube. So they bought new helmets and safety gloves found heavy cotton shirts for them to wear  shortened the sleeves for the 11 year old. They are doing well with it. keeps them busy.  Two friend brought them some steel to work with and just dropped it off in driveway by the barn. 
I made them each a welding cap for under their helmets.  here they are sporting them they are reversible. Read that the welders like funky caps to make a statement and know it is theirs.  So we have basketball/lion king, lion king/blue camo, and dear/blue camo.  They turn the cap backwards so bill is at the back of neck to protect neck.    They said these would be good bow shooting caps too with the short bill.

Between cooking and cleaning up, checking on fiends I have been sewing. I am trying to work on a BOM several friends had started together. It is an Edtya Sitar  Quilter's Garden quilt.  not the easiest one I have made.   here are the blocks I have gotten done while staying in. Have 2 more blocks cut but putting them away for now not enough brain power for this project right now the last block did me in too many pieces.

 Brandon wanted his name on a badge for his army fatigues so we made one on my embroidery machine turn out great. He is happy with it even though he is not smiling...

I finished putting together a charity quilt using Pat Sloan's pattern traffic jam leaving off the outside 4 patches. Our guild is having a challenge of making a one color quilt so made another one of these in all blue fabric.

Last weekend great grandson Griffyn spent the time with us too so 3 boys house was busy.  He is cleaning up with the dust buster.  He will be 4 on 18th of April  not sure will get to celebrate bur we will when we can... 

 I made some sets of alphabet markers in my embroidery machine for myself and some friends  I got one set to a friend but rest will need to wait until can get together. The BOM guild I mentioned above uses the alphabet to label the pieces.   There is a bag to make to keep them in but baggies work too.

 Found these at the store  so fun.  going to make bags out of them when empty.  Something fun for this strange times we are experiencing.  there is one about chocolate that my daughter found.  Something to look for if have to go to the store.

 Yesterday's treat brownies with mini M&M's  pretty yummy with ice cream last night.

Well better finish this up and go sew. I hope to quilt on machine today. 
stay safe and keep sewing
Sharon J

February 2020 progress

well I have made some progress this month. yeah for me. 
I took last Sat to clean in my sewing room. I needed to clean off the long arm so that I could get some quilting done, but you know what happens when you start that.. Yes I did get it cleaned off, but decided to go thru the totes and rolling carts and bins under the front of the machine.  What a treasurer hunt, I moved the  totes out and looked in them and made a list of the UFOs that were in there. I did decide to get rid of a few projects that I no longer wanted to finish or make.  I started a donate shopping bag for these things.   The bag has patterns, fabric, couple kits and couple projects I do not want to finish in it.  Our guild has a show in June so will donate these things to the sale barn that we have.
 I found this project which is the 2012 town and country shop hop all in a binder ready to make.  Wow 2012  it sure has rested awhile. I am cutting the blocks out a little at a time and will put this project together, not sure how I will set it together since there is no finishing kit or directions to put it together  just the picture on the front of binder I do have some of 2 colors that I must have bought  about 1 1/2 each I think. 

 I have finished the top of my Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt for this year.  I really kept up with it this year even if I only did half the units. Then I laid it out and made couple more blocks to make this size.I set mine in a straight setting instead of on diagonal.  Changed the border. I ended up with only  with about 4 pieces of 1 1/2 inch strips left of the neutral fabric  it was down to the wire using it. 
Now it will wait to be quilted  which I hope is not too long.

While I was working on the borders, I had my embroidery machine going. I am making free standing lace easter eggs.  The are really cute and easy except for putting them together.. Made 1 and have another one drying after removing the washable stabilizer away.

I finished quilting  2 customer t-shirt quilts this week now to put the binding on. Then load another one to be quilted.

I have worked on a couple of other projects but they are not done I did not take any pictures of them so I will tell you and show you about them next time.

  I am off to a LQS and lunch tomorrow with a friend. and Saturday my  sewing group is having a sew day so will go sew there but no quilting until Monday. 

Off to sew binding on 2 quilts

Happy stitching
Sharon J

Jan 2020 progress

well now that the new year has started  need to make new list of UFO's do get done this year.   I have made a list of 12 UFO's  to hopefully finish this year plus some other projects too.
I worked on #1  at a retreat first few days of the year.   I blocks and rows sewn together. It is Vintage Farm girl 1 blocks.  Now to decide on border 2  book has it being flying geese like 100 of them  not happening so just picking a plain border then adding another white one and calling it done ready to quilt.  I think I am picking the red one  let me know what you think.

also at retreat I got a Xmas wall hanging done ready for quilting. then I sewed 2 packs of cupcake recipe sheets  using 4 charm packs 2 similar Kansas Troubles packs and 2 kona off white packs.  i got them all sewn at retreat and couple blocks made   they are going to be little.  smaller than I expected but cute each sheet makes 2 blocks.  They will be my sew day project. nice to have a project ready to grab and go sew. 

I am trying to declutter my sewing room so going thru project boxes and totes seeing what is in them. I am making a list of all UFOs, kits, etc  and where they are located.  Boy way more that I thought a few I do not even remember starting. I have may sets of blocks from exchanges and BOMs that I have done over the years and just put them away.  Hope to get some of them done this year.  several will be donation quilts. 

I also am trying to cut up my scraps since I got a accuquilt cutter and 2 1/2 inch strip die and 8 inch cube. I borrowed a 1 1/2 inch strip die from a friend so that I could cut up a bunch of scraps into this size strip for pineapple and court house step scrap blocks.  

Here is what I did yesterday. I took a day to play for myself and try the cutter and embroidery machine. Home alone for the day let you get a lot of playing done.

Also I cut 2 1/2 inch squares for Traffic Jam quilt by Pat Sloan.  this is my leader and ender project for now.  made 4 patches and put together with some plain squares.   so make 2 patches  then into 4 patches.  These will be for charity quilts.

While I was cutting scraps I decided to play with embroidery machine, so I made the Kimberbell demo day project. It was offered at LQS 3 Friday's in a row  you watched a demo and got a part of the project.  Here is what it made. Nice winter mini wall hanging.

Then decided to play some more and make a mini composition book cover. It was so easy  will make some more and also make the regular size ones too.  

I have not got any sewing done today due to errands and grocery shopping, but hope to be back at it tomorrow. Our weather forcast looks like a great 3 days of sewing/quilting for me.  

Keep stitching,

Sharon J