I've Been Featured, Am a Winner, Redwork Nursery Rhymes

Yesterday was a really good day for me.  I found out my Flourishes top was featured on Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter.  Thanks so much Jennifer, I am really honored to be featured again!

Yesterday while my husband was taking a nap, I decided to do some yard work.  When I came in, my husband told me the doorbell had rung, and asked if I had heard it, but it was when I was outside.  I went to the door, and there was a huge box out there and the packing slip said I was the Hobbs Batting Love Letter Winner. At first I wondered what DH had ordered now from Amazon!  

Several months ago on Instagram, Hobbs Batting had a contest and you had to write a Love Letter to the company telling why you like Hobbs batting.  It had to be sent in the mail, and what you said, and presentation, how you decorated the letter were all considerations.   I can't remember what I wrote, but I have always used Hobbs Batting.  Anyway I won a whole box of batting including:

Throw Size of Tuscany Silk

Queen Sized Tuscany Cotton/Wool

Twin Sized Tuscany cotton

Queen Sized Tuscany Wool,

Queen Sized Natural Cotton.

I am so honored to have won this prize, and I happen to have 6 quilts awaiting my quilting right now.  

Earlier this week, I finally completed all the Redwork Nursery Rhyme blocks which I am gifting to my sister-in-law for her to set in a quilt for her first granddaughter.  I finished the last block, Yankee Doodle.

On my Quarter 2 Finish-A-Long List, I wanted to finish the last 3 blocks, and I have now completed that task.

I unexpected had my granddaughter today, as her daycare provider was sick, so didn't get much done, but I am busy finishing up my Nutcracker block embellishment, and I will be able to tick another thing off my list.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sweet Land of Liberty for May Done, Nutcracker Suite, Sew Lets QAL

I have a bunch of things to share today.  First, I finished my installment of the Sweet Land of Liberty, Cheri Payne's design.  We are working on it as a quilt-a-long on the Quilts by Cheri Friendship Group on Facebook.  Lori of Humble Quilts, had a quilt-a-long last year, but I came in when they were finishing up.  She is doing it again on the Quilts by Cheri Friendship Group on Facebook again this year.  Last night, I finished up stitching this month's assignment.  I did my letters and basket, hand and birds this month with wool applique.  

Also the past several days, I have been working on a BOM I am getting from Shabby Fabrics called Nutcracker Suite by Cheri Leffler Designs.    I'm keeping sort of current with this one.  The past several days I have been fusing the laser-dye cutouts to the background fabric.  All I need to do now is get them machine sewn down.  

Even though I have innumerable BOM's  that are years old, I had to get this one as I collect nutcrackers, and I loved it!

Also, I have been working on the Partners in Design Sew Lets QAL.  We get a block every two weeks.  Every two weeks, one of their designers has a block for us to do.  This block is binding clips along the edge of a quilt, designed by Jennifer Fulton of The Inquiring Quilter.  I posted this on the Partners in Design Facebook group last week, and someone pointed out my green clip was wrong.  I forced myself to get this block done last week when I was battling migraines.  Yesterday I thought, no problem, I'll just take the green one apart.  I did take the green one apart.   Then I realized the green and yellow half-clips were correct,  the other three were wrong.  The big rectangle is supposed to be holding the binding, not the other end.  

So I just decided to start all over and pay attention to what I was doing. 

I'll  be linking up to Monday Making at Love, Laugh Quilt , Moving it Forward Monday @Ems Scrapbag, and BOMS Away Monday @ What a Hoot.

Thanks for stopping by!

HQAL, Slow Sunday Stitching

Another 3 weeks has passed, and time to check in for the Hand Quilt A-Long.  I spent another 2 days this week with migraines, so I have had very slow progress.  I don't think I even got a stitch in on the redwork nursery rhyme block from what I had last week.  This is Yankee Doodle, and looks like it was at the same spot as last week.

What I have been working to complete before the end of the month is my version of Cheri Payne's Sweet Land of Liberty.  I made my letters out of felt so I have been in the process of stitching those down.  I was able to get the rest of this month's assignment done.  Just need to finish up the "Sweet Land of Liberty" letters.  

If you have a chance, visit the others involved in this Hand Quilt-A-Long and see what they have been up to. 

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Lori, Margaret, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, and Gretchen

I will also be linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts, for her weekly Slow Sunday Stitching party!  

Thanks for stopping by!

Flourishes Flimsy, One Monthly Goal, 2019 Finish-A-Long

I accomplished a biggie yesterday, I put together a flimsy for the Flourishes BOM, I think it came out in 1998.   I had completed the quilt top for the owner of the quilt shop that used to be in our town for a shop sample, and she gave me the supplies to do my own.  I had originally hand appliqued 7 of the blocks for myself and then stuck it in the closet for years and years, and years.   Last year I pulled it out of the closet, and it has been my One Monthly Goal hosted by Elm Street Quilts  to complete one block a month.  This was my May One Monthly Goal to get this to flimsy stage.  I was really excited yesterday when I got this together yesterday.  

I took this picture outside, and I loved how it looked, and then looked closer at the picture on my I-pad and noticed a big mistake.   The two sides should have the flowers facing in.  I had switched the two long wrongs in the middle.  I was just going to leave it till today to rip out, but decided to take it apart last night, so I could just sew it together today.  

This is the correct placement.  The original quilt had another border with sort of half tulips appliqued around it, but I really didn't like the tulips, so I am calling this top finished, finally, after all these years.

This was also #3 on my 2019 Finish-A-Long list for Quarter 2, to finish block #12 and get to flimsy stage.

I will be linking up to both Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and 2019 Finish-A-Long when the linkys come up.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Slow Sunday Stitching, SLOL

I'm joining in Kathy's Quilts Slow Sunday Stitching again.  I really look forward to this weekly linky party

I meant to last Sunday but my washer difficulties got me down and I couldn't seem to do it.

I got my Hands2Help donations mailed out this week, so I have been happily working on my other projects this week.

I found myself without applique prepped again, so I am determined to finish this last nursery rhyme block I am giving to my dear sister-in-law to put together for her first granddaughter.  I have made a plan for myself to work on it at least 1 hour in the evenings.  I'm about half done.  It is Yankie Doodle.   I never knew there was a nursery rhyme, I remember the song.  This is sort of a violent block with this guy shooting this other guy and blowing his wig off.  

The other project I am slow stitching is my Sweet Land of Liberty project designed by Cheri Payne.  Last year Lori of Humble Quilts had a sew along.  I found out about it when they were finishing up.  Lori is repeating it this year on Facebook and I am determined to finish it this time.  This month's assignment was to do the vines, birds, basket, hand and lettering for "Sweet Land of Liberty" and "America".  I decided to do these appliques with wool, so I have been stitching everything down.  I need to stitch my berries and things down before I do the lettering.

I loved this spotty wool I used for my birds.

Thanks again goes to Kathy of Kathy's Quilts for this link-up and I look forward to seeing what everyone has been up to!

Thanks for stopping by!   Karrin

Scrap Dance Minuet, Sew Lets QAL

The past several days I have been catching up on QAL's I'm involved in.  

The first is the Scrap Dance Minuet by Carole @From My Carolina Home. I'm using the blues leftover from the 2 blue quilts I just made for Hands2Help.  We just got Step 4 last week.  I can't wait to see the reveal next month.

Next up is the Sew Let's QAL by Partners in Design.  Last week's block was designed by 

Abbie Danahy at Sparkle On! with Abbie.  My quilt shop is named the The Quilted Mermaid.

If I could have gotten some ocean in the background I would have.  

This was the end of the first segment, and we were supposed to show all our blocks so far together.

Today I want to work on my Sweet Land of Liberty assignment for this month, and get started on my OMG, which involves sewing the setting for the Flourishes blocks, which I haven't even started yet.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hands2Help Final, 2019 Finish-A-Long Goal Completed

I thought I would write my final post about the Hands2Help Challenge for 2019 coordinated by Sara at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  

Last week, I handed off the first three to Bernie at Needle and Foot for the Mercyful Quilts charity.  I had such a good time meeting her, and she doesn't live that far from me, about 1/2 hour.  It was the high point of my week with all my washer mess. 

Today I mailed off these two to Quilty Hugs.

I got these two back yesterday from my daughter who washed them for me and I mailed them  to Jack's Basket.  Not great pictures this morning.  It was starting to drizzle, but the light was still better than in the house.  

So my totals are: 7

Mercyful Quilts:  3

Quilty Hugs     2

Jack's Basket 2. 

Back here I set as one of my goals for Quarter 2 of the Finish-A-Long to make 6 quilts for the Hands2Help project, and I sent out 7, so I am really happy to have completed, even bettered my goal a bit.  

In other news, I got my new washer this morning and my laundry is caught up!  I am beyond thrilled!  

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Mother's Day Blessings, Hands2Help, Hospital Sketches

I had a great Mother's Day, just being with my daughters and my grandchildren.  They all came and hung out with us for the afternoon.  It was a perfect day for me!  

The grandchildren and I.

Daughter Katie, and granddaughter Kyleigh who is home from college.  

Katie painted this for me for Mother's Day.  She does beautiful watercolors. paints her own cards, and invitations to the children's parties, and usually paints something for everyone's gift.  The two smaller children in the first picture are Katie's, Klara and John.

The Saturday before Mother's day, Katie brought some things over from her mother-in-law, who will be moving shortly to Arizona.  She had 3 huge orchids she gave to me.  The one in the blue pot, which is actually outside my dining room window.  The other two I have scattered outside the house.  All my orchids are indoors, the ones with flowers on them in this window.  Debbie knew I would love them and take good care of them!  She also gave me a baker's rack which I set up on the other side of this window, with some begonias she had that are still recovering from our winter.  

Besides my wonderful weekend, last week,beginning on the Saturday, I sort of felt like bad juju was following me around.  First, I was washing the red, white and blue quilt I donated to Mercyful Quilts for Hands2Help coordinated by Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict and my washer started making really wierd noises, and then wouldn't spin the final rinse, so I had to squeeze it out myself.

We have a home warranty program, and I had called them out last September because the washer had made a horrible screaming noise, like a jet engine had landed in my laundry room.  After that it was really loud spinning, and not spinning effectively.  A technician came out, and said the warranty did not cover "noises" but he put in new shock absorbers.  It was still shaking all over the place and LOUD.  He told me I should not call unless it broke. It was a normal noise.  Right before Easter, it stopped draining.  So I paid another $100 and they put in a new pump.  Still made horrible noises, and shook all over the place.  So we come to the last time when it was not spinning hardly and my clothes are drenching wet.  

I actually was taping the washer on my Ipad during a spinning cycle, when in error message came on to prove to them there was something.  So they came out again last week and I had to pay another $100.  They decided the basket and a whole bunch of parts needed to be replaced.  They called the manufacturer who told them it was not normal wear and tear so the parts were denied unless I paid for them.   I called to complain so they sent a second opinion out on Friday.  He said the original screaming noise was my bearing going out and that put everything out of whack and that was why it failed.  

So I had to wait until yesterday for the company to call and tell me they were replacing my washer.  I could go with the one they sugggested, or buy my own and they would reimburse me $642.  So that is what we opted for.  So I made 2 trips to the appliance store yesterday and it should be delivered tomorrow.  

My daughter Katie has been kindly doing my laundry.   

As for my projects, I have felt off because of this washer thing and fighting to get a new one.

I did finish my Hospital Sketches block this month, the BOM by Barbara Brackman at Civil War Quilts.  This was Coxcomb and Currants.  I didn't feel motivated to do 12 currants on each stalk, I did 5 instead.  This came close after I just finished the Flourishes blocks with 42 berries.  

These are all four blocks together

I also was able to get all of the Hands2Help quilts I am doing quilted.  I quilted this Sunbonnet Sue, which will be going to Quilty Hugs.  

Both of these are going to Quilty Hugs

I have two more for Jack's Basket and will take pictures when I get them back from Katie washing them.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Am going to try to get my momentum going again today now that the washer issue is about to be resolved.

Hands2Help Check-In

 It's check-In time again for the Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge hosted by Sara @Confessions of a Fabric Addict







Since I last checked in, I got Rhapsody in Blue, the one with yellow, and Rhapsody in Blue 2 quilted.  These are both for Mercyful Quilts.  

.  

I also just finished off quilting this red, white and blue one also for Mercyful Quilts and I plan to hand all three of these off to Bernie at Needle and Foot later this week.

This is the back of the patriotic one, with a nice block by Moira @The Quilted Snail that was part of a block swap many years ago.  I'm using that block for a label.

This is the one I had already quilted last time at the first check in.  This one is for Quilty Hugs.

The finished quilt pile.

These are the ones that need to be quilted, and this first Sunbonnet Sue is loaded up now ready form me to quilt.  This one will also be for Quilty Hugs, and I will mail them both off when I finish this one.

This next Sunbonnet Sue is for Jack's Basket.  I hope to get another quilt done for Jack's Basket before I mail this one off.  

My Accuquilt Sunbonnet Sue die made quick work of these Sunbonnet Sue quilts.  I hope to be able to purchase some different ones in the future.  

Will be linking up to the Hands2Help link at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  

Hand Quilt-Along, Slow Sunday Stitching

Another three weeks has flown by, and time to report again for the HQAL.  I have been busy with the Hands2Help Charity Project organized by Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  I've been doing a lot of quilting, and binding, and sewing the binding down by hand.  I finished one last night.  It is in the wash right now.

This is the flimsy before I quilted it.  These were long ago swap blocks from 2002 I think, I had 4 blocks from Moira @The Quilted Snail, one of which I am using for the label. I also had a block from Susan @Desertsky Quilting.   I'll get better pictures today after I am able to take another, and I need to write another post about progress on the Hands2Help quilts.

The other handwork I've been working on is Hospital Sketches, the applique BOM by Barbara Brackman @Civil War Quilts.     This is a poor picture, it doesn't show the true colors.  Hope to get a better one when I finish.  

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Lori, Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, and Gretchen


I'll also be linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!