Slow Sunday Stitching

This was a relatively non-busy week, with the exception of basting day.  I had plenty of time to finish up quilting my Father Christmas quilt.  This is one of my entries in our quilt guild show which starts this next Friday.  I am pretty pleased with the way it came out.  I just need to make a label and it will be ready.  

I extensively quilt it, and at times my shoulder and back and neck started cramping up on me. This was a 1995 BOM by Laurene Sinema called Father Christmas.  She was the founder of Arizona Quilter's Guild.  For 25 years she owned the Quilted Apple Shop in Phoenix, Arizona.  In 1998 I went to a quilt convention in Phoenix and met Susan Nixon @Desertsky Quilts.  I bought one or two of the above BOM, and then when I got home I asked Susan if she would go get the rest of them for me.   I started this around 1999 with the guy up in the right hand corner, and he hung around my sewing room lonely until around 2018 when I started working on a few blocks at a time.  I finally completed the top in 2020.  Now it is finally finished, I am thrilled!

With all of our "atmospheric river" storms recently my yard was a mess, especially the back yard.  I was finally able to get out and mow the lawn.   It took two days to do this much weeding and mowing.  I still need to weed my flower beds and put vegetation killer in my front sections that I had redone last fall.  Apparently the guys that took out my grass didn't put black plastic under the bark, and I have crabgrass coming up all over the place.  

This is the side yard, that dandelion in the corner was almost 5' tall and had to be cut with a branch cutter.

This was where John used to build his boats and is undeveloped.  

After pictures, looks a lot better.

I have a lot of nice flowers blooming including the wisteria.  

I mistakenly called this peony before, but it is a Ranunculus.   My peonies haven't bloomed yet and it will be awhile as they frozen late last year.  

The other thing I have been doing is working on Missouri Star's block of the month. 

I am trying to get the first month done as I received month two on Saturday.

I apparently wasn't paying attention and did this.

That section on the right bottom, should be going in like the left side.  I got it straightened out, but decided it was probably time to stop for the night.  

What I will be working on this week for Slow Sunday Stitching will be my  Gnome block of month.  The one on the left needs a few finishing touches, and then will finish up the one on the right.  I will be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.    Head on over and check out what everyone is up to.

This week will be a particularly busy one.  Tuesday night is our Begonia Society meeting, and it is my month to bring refreshments.  Wednesday is our guild meeting.  Thursday I will be working to help set up our quilt show.  Friday and Saturday I am also working at the show, and takedown Saturday evening.  

Thanks for stopping by!