Monday, February 28, 2022

One Monthly Goal, February

 


I'm happy to say, I am able to link up my One Monthly Goal for February, and many thanks to Patty @Elm Street Quilts for this monthly motivation.  

I stated my goal for February here, which was to quilt and bind one of the community quilts for my quilt guild.  It was a small one, and I figured it would not take me very long.

Trouble was, I had only quilted 1 quilt around Christmas on my new Handi Quilter Moxie.   I looked up late last week to see what my One Monthly Goal was, as I have had so many activities taking me out of the house.  When I did get started quilting this quilt my machine would start out fine for about a 6 inch square, and then would start making birds nests underneath.  So I ended up quilting almost a pass, then I would look at the bottom and see the nests, and pick the nests out.   I learned that I could sit under the frame and pick out the mess from the bottom instead of bending over, which was getting to my back.

The thread kept jumping out of the tension disks.  Finally, yesterday, I looked at the diagram for threading  it again and I apparently missed a step.  I was able to finish.  I was able to finish sewing down the binding this morning.  I'm happy to get this one off my to-do list!  


I'll be linking up for One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts.  

Thanks for stopping by!

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Sunday, February 27, 2022

Hand Quilt Along, Slow Sunday Stitching

Three weeks have flown buy again.   At that time I was working on this project, and I finished it.


I also got a few more rows on my Stay at Home Round Robin.   Last week's round was Shoo Fly blocks, which I have not yet had a chance to work on.  



This past week has been particularly busy.  Daughter Kristen and SIL Jeff flew back to see granddaughter Kyleigh in her last swimming competition of her college career and she  won third place in 100 back, and third place in 200 back.  So this week I have had airport shuttle duty.  I have also been picking grandson Keaton up after swim practice every day.  Saturday he had scrimmage so I waited till he was done, took him home for a shower and we went to Red Robin for lunch.   Keaton likes to go thrifting so we went to 2 Goodwills, an Ecothrift Store, another thrift store and one that was a dud.  Keaton ended up buying 6 tops!  I got an embroidered table runner, and a men's tie that looks like mermaid scales.  




While waiting for Keaton to get out of scrimmage on Saturday I actually finished this embroidery and started working on this Ella Maria Duncan block.






Check out the other Hand Quilt Along links below and see what everyone has 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, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy and Theresa

I will also be linking up at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.  Head on over there and check out what everyone has been up to.  

Another thing that has happened this last week, is that Pat Winter, one of my crazy quilt friends nominated me on Facebook for Artist Challenge to post a picture a day of one of my crazy quilt pieces, or anything artistic I have done.  Below are some of my crazy quilt pieces, or bags.  




This is a class I took with Judith Baker Montano, and she featured us students in her book that came out afterwards called Fibre Art Montage.  



One year I was in a journal project where we made a block a month, and I started making blocks with pictures of my family and embellishing them.  I have a lot more to go, as the last one I did of my girls they were really little.  

I transferred a picture of my parents when they got married.


This was of me and John.  Back in the 70's he played me Neil Diamond songs.  One one of the Neil Diamond covers, he had an embroidered shirt.  So I embroidered John one.   I think when this picture was taken was the only time he actually wore it!  



This was a block of my girls when they were about 5 or 6.  


When my girls were little, my MIL made them each a Holly Hobby quilt.  I showed her a picture and she put her own spin on it.  The Holly Hobby was rather large, and she had a pocket in which my MIL made a little Holly Hobby doll.  That little turquoise object in the bottom middle of the block was the Holly Hobby doll's bonnet.  I found a little lace Holly Hobby motif, and I embellished it with embroidery.  

This last block was of John and his mom.


Before I go, please keep the Ukraine in your thoughts and prayers. 


Thanks for stopping by!  

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Sunday, February 20, 2022

Slow Sunday Stitching

It's been another busy week.  Not as quite as busy as I thought it was going to be.  Daughter Katie and I were supposed to go to the monthly Begonia Meeting, but she had had a cold,  so we ditched going to the meeting.   Wednesday was the Guild meeting and it was nice to see everyone.  

This week I participated in the Tickled Pink Blog Hop.  My post was here.  I made the mug rug in my header and this cushion.


Thursday I had lunch with my new friend, Jandra, Kyleigh's boyfriend's grandmother.  We went to lunch at the country club she belongs to, and I saw her amazing home.  She literally has a display in every room of her house.  She loves Wizard of Oz, Princess Diana, Marilyn Monroe, and there are displays everywhere.  As well as pictures of her 3 grandsons.   When they were little she would give them driftwood and then would burn designs and their names in the wood with a wood-burning tool.  They had a Black Pearl boat playhouse in the back yard by the pool with a full sized pirate.  I don't think she takes her decorations down as I saw a skeleton sitting in the sitting room with a cup beside him like he was having some tea.  The laundry room was the I love Lucy room.  I have such a good time whenever I am with her. While I was at Jandra's house, daughter Kristen called and invited me to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  No cooking for me that day!

Jandra is coming over on Monday for lunch and to look through my crazy quilt fabrics and trims and I am going to make her a Boho bag.  She saw one of the ones that I had made, and I volunteered to make her one.  This is the one I am going to enter in the quilt show.  She wants red and black and I am not sure how much of those colors I have but we will see.  


Friday daughter Katie had the day off, so we went to High Hand Nursery, a nursery in this area that has a cafe that is pretty hard to get into, but as it had just opened, we were able to get in without a reservation.  We also picked up some nice plants while we were there. 

Katie helped me take some pictures of my other quilt entries too.  The quilt show is in April.  I'm entering my Dear Jane and Summer Sails that I had made for John.  She always takes a selfie when we are together.




As I had promised several members of my family I would make some tamales, I decided I better live up to my promises.  I went out Saturday morning and got supplies, and spent about 5 hours making red chili pork tamales.  I spent all afternoon working on them.  I cooked the first batch and filled the cooker to steam the last back, about 26 in all.  I decided to have one for dinner and it tasted off.  I decided the lard was rancid.  I haven't made tamales since the year before John died, so I should have started with new lard.  I tossed all those out and will try again later this week.  I am a little discouraged tonight needless to say.  

What I will be working on this week for Slow Sunday Stitching is still the Kathy Schmitz's the Gathered Blessings stitch along.  I didn't get too much done last week, but hope to relax this Sunday and work on it.  



I'll be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.  Head on over and see what everyone is working on.

Thanks for stopping by!


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Saturday, February 19, 2022

Stay at Home Round Robin, Round 5

 


This was week 5 of the Stay at Home Round Robin.  You can read all about it here at Quilting Gail.    Each week one of the co-host bloggers gives you a different prompt for the next border round on your little quilt.  This week it was actually Quilting Gail's turn and it was applique.  

I love applique, any kind, anywhere.   This was my quilt after last week's prompt, which was signature blocks,  my quilt looked like this.  



I have had this baggie of fused stars and background I cut out a long, long time ago, probably around 2010 or so from another project.  I kept running into it constantly.  I didn't have enough of that background to use for my borders this time, but I had the perfect amount of stars, so I scattered them around my border.  It was meant to  be, to have the perfect amount to go all around the quilt this time.  


This is my finished round.  I will be linking up at Quilting Gail.  


Thanks for stopping by!

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Thursday, February 17, 2022

Updated Tickled Pink Blog Hop Schedule, Thursday

 


Have you been following the Tickled Pink Blog Hop? There have been some lovely projects being shown.  Here is the updated schedule for Thursday.  


Thanks for stopping by!
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Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Tickled Pink Blog Hop, Day 3, My Day

 


The Tickled Pink Blog Hop started on Monday, hosted by Carla @Creatin in the Sticks.  We were challenged to make something pink, or something that tickles our fancy.

Pink actually is my least favorite color, but I love these blog hops as they challenge me to do something out of my comfort zone.  

About the time I was thinking about what I was going to do on this blog hop, I won a $25 gift certificate to In Stitches, a quilt shop in Dixon, CA.  As it is about 40 minutes from me, I decided to make a trip over to spend my gift certificate and I came up with some great pinks.  While I do have pink in my stash, it is mostly in my Civil War reproduction fabrics, and I didn't want to use those.  



Another reason I wanted to be in the Tinkled Pink Blog Hop was that I have no Valentine's pillows.  I had found a cute gnome Valentine pattern on Embroidery Library.   Those little gnomes gave me a hard time.  I had to embroider the design twice.  The first time I got halfway through the first hat and my red thread kept breaking.  I kept backing up and redoing it, changed reds, changed needles multiple times.    I had already spent a couple of hours on it.  Decided to try it again the next day with yet another red, and it worked fine.  




The heart that says "All because two people fell in love" sentiment came from my Cricut Design space.  I used iron on vinyl, and used scraps from the pinks to make the other two strip pieced blocks.

I had thought of doing another cushion, a bench cushion, but never got that far.    Then Monday, Valentine's day I was reading my email.  I get notified when  Angie Padilla has a new design.  I have always loved her applique, but never joined her Bits and Pieces Club.  I joined when I saw this Love gnome mug rug.   I have loved gnomes for several years now.   This morning I discovered if you are part of her Bits and Pieces Club, she has a BOM with gnomes in it this year!  I am so excited!  



Lastly is a picture of my beautiful rose-colored camellia my daughter and I found on one of my bushes out back.  It is huge and tickles my fancy!





Thanks so much for stopping by.  The full hop schedule is listed below. Be sure and stop and visit the other bloggers.  There are a lot of great projects!  And many thanks to Carla for another wonderful, challenging to me hop!  


Monday, February 14th




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Sunday, February 13, 2022

Tickled Pink Blog Hop Starts Today

 



The Tickled Pink Blog Hop starts today, hosted by Carla @ Creatin in the Sticks.  Can't wait to see what everyone has been working on!

Monday, February 14th




Thanks for stopping by!  


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Stay At Home Round Robin, Round 4

 


This is the fourth week of the Stay at Home Round Robin.   You can read all about it here at Quilting Gail.   This week's prompt was by Wendy at Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life, and it was to make signature blocks.  Pretty simple to make.  I did attach one of the borders going opposite to all the others.  So I took it off.  Then realized I had taken the wrong border off!  But it is straightened out now.  I was going to leave it, but my inner critic would not let me!  I found the 3.5 and 2.5 inch squares cut up in my scrap box.  


I'm getting right in at the tail end of the link-up on Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life.  

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Slow Sunday Stitching, Rather Long Post

 It has been another busy week, with a lot of socializing on my part.  On Monday there was the Single's Group with my guild.  We go out to lunch once a month.  This time it was at Lazy Dog which is a restaurant you can take your dog to and eat outside.

Tuesday my daughter and SIL and grandson took me to Carmelita's, a family owned restaurant I have been going to since we moved here, since Kristen was a baby.  They have the best carnitas by far, and I had been craving some!  My SIL insisted afterwards we needed ice cream, and I am never one to turn down ice cream!  

This week in between my social activities, I have been getting my house and gardens ready, as my mini quilt group of ladies were coming to my house to hand sew for about 4 hours.  I had some serious weed problems outside that needed cleaned up before I embarrassed myself.  I also got some more mini bark to keep the weed problem down, and I can't go to the nursery without getting some new plants.  I had a bunch of stuff die in my pots this winter from freezing weather.  




I also purchased and planted a blueberry bush and pomegranate.    See those weeds in the bricks, I have already pulled them twice and they are back!  That middle plant is called a Kangaroo Paw.  I can't wait to see how it grows!   

I planned to clean my house after I got all the yard work done, I was tracking grass and bits of leaves inside.  So I was going to do it Thursday afternoon.  

My granddaughter Kyleigh's boyfriend Drew told me at Christmas that one of his favorite things in the world was chess.  Long, long ago, John and I had painted chess pieces.  They were ceramic.   They were rather large and we never got a chess board put together.  So these pieces have been upstairs in a box wrapped up in newspaper.  I got them down a couple of months ago, and asked Drew if he would like them if I made him a board.  He was so happy.  So I cut out some 2.75 inch squares out of cardstock on my Cricut and ran them through my sticker machine.  I purchased a trifold foam board at Joann's and glued them on.  I told Drew they were ready, and he came and picked them up last week.  I also made him some chocolate chip cookies.  He invited me to lunch this week at a restaurant I hadn't ever tried, called 250 Fahrenheit, a BBQ place.  He also invited his grandmother Jandra.  Jandra and I immediately hit it off, we love the same things, the ocean, collecting driftwood and shells and creating things out of them.  We talked long after lunch, and Drew needed to leave.  

I invited Jandra over to my house, and warned her I had bits of grass and leaves on the floor, but she is such a delightful person, and we are like kindred spirits.  She loved my house and all my decorations.  She loved my crazy quilt boho bags.  She has been to many of the same beaches I have and she even brought Drew to the park across the street from my house when he was a boy.  She stayed for 2 hours and by then it was 4 p.m. and I still had to clean the house, the bathrooms, mop the floors and make cookies for my Friday group get together.  It all got done.  My legs were killing me though Thursday night.  I had 11,000 steps that day!

Friday with my group I finished stitching my redwork.  This was called Hearts and Flowers Valentine Heart.  It was a kit by Bird Brain Designs.   After the girls left, I put it together.   I spaced the hangers so it could hang on this hanger I have in the hall.  I can see it as I am working on the sofa.  




What I will be working on this week for Slow Sunday Stitching is this Kathy Schmitz project.  It is the Gathered Blessings stitch along.   There is  a design for each month.   So I will be working on February.  


I will be linking up for Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Head on over and see what everyone is up to.  

Last Saturday grandson Keaton went to his first dance I think in high school with a girl.  Last time he went with a bunch of his nerdy friends.  They had some cute pictures.   I guess she is just a friend, not a girl friend, so he says.  




One of my quilting ladies that came over yesterday has been working at a place called Re/create as a volunteer.  It is a crafts thrift store.  I have been there once before.  They have all sorts of crafts, beads, paints, canvases, laces, fabric, just about anything you can think of.  Carol told me that last week a quilter's stash came in, 15 containers.   The quilter had died and her family donated it.  I had to go to Kohl's which is down the street, so I stopped by on Saturday.  I found a large piece of neutral fabric which was $8.  I told her about Carol telling me about the stash being donated.  I found a bunch of fabric, there are probably  15-16 yards of fabric that I got for $50!  




Music has always been a big part of my life, since the Christmas I was 13 and I got my first record player.   I play music all day long most days.  John loved music too, and played guitar for me.  I knew he was the one when he played me Neil Diamond tunes.    Anyway tonight on HBO Max there was a concert/documentary Carole King & James Taylor:  Just Call Out My Name.  It was so wonderful to see this.  Two of my very favorites!  I have Carole King's Tapestry Album and James Taylor's Sweet Baby James, and many more.  

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.  I saw this posted on Facebook this week by my SIL, John's brother's wife, who died a year before John did.  It touched me, as this will be my first Valentine's Day without John.  



Thanks for stopping by!



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