Slow Sunday Stitching

Another busy week has passed.  Recently I signed up for the Free Motion Quilting class @String and Story with HollyAnne Knight.  I took this test recently to find out what FMQ motif I was.  You can click the link, and get a free lesson into how to make the motif.  I took the test before and the result was a wishbone, but I mishit a couple of questions so I retook it.  I love making pebbles.




The first class was this week, and these are my practice pieces.  I'm still getting the hang of swirls, and getting the tension right.

Last week I also finished Cassandra's Circle block by Barbara Brackman @Civil War Quilts.  

I also I was able to finish a block for the private Christmas BOM I am in.

For Slow Sunday Stitching this week I will be working on this piece.  I need to stitch down the wool pieces.  It is a stitch along I am doing on the Facebook group Quilts by Cheri Friendship Group.  This was designed by Marian Edwards.

I'll be linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts.  Head on over there and check out what everyone else is working on.  It's my favorite thing to do on Sundays.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Slow Sunday Stitching

Another week has come and gone.  I can't say I have gotten a lot accomplished this week, especially sewing with my machine, although I have several things I need to be working on.

I have been feeling somewhat "off", lost my mojo.  I hope I find it again soon.  I have read several books.  My husband and I had been watching "The Outsider" on HBO I think it was, based on the Stephen King novel.  With my hearing difficulties, I sometimes have trouble hearing, especially women's voices.  I have tinnitus in both my ears, hearing loss, and and have hearing aids, but sometimes even those aren't enough to distinguish voices,  Anyway I decided to download the book, and I ended up reading that several days, and several other books.

What I did work on this week were the Ella Maria Deacon blocks for August.  The bottom left one I think I am going to do over.  It has pleats, and doesn't meet in one section so there is a big pleat .  I tried EPP'ing this, and couldn't figure out how it went together.  So I cut it out again, and hand pieced it.  That is this version.  It is also 1/2 too small.  I am going to set it aside for now, and maybe try appliquing it on the background, or maybe reverse applique.  Any suggestions?

What I plan to work on this week for Slow Sunday Stitching is my Cassandra's Circle block for August.  I have it all prepped for applique.   It's called Cotton Boll.

What has made me smile this week, is my Amaranthus.  It is almost 5 feet tall now.  I had to tie it to the fence it has gotten so big.   A friend gave me the original plant years ago, and each year it seems to reseed itself.   This is the biggest one yet.  I'm glad it ended up close to the fence so I could have something to attach it to! 

Thanks for stopping by!  I will be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.  Head on over and check out what everyone has been up to.   I love this weekly motivation! 

Slow Sunday Stitching

It's been another busy week, amid the heat, and fires, and smoke of Northern California.   While we do not have any imminent fires around us, the skies have been brown since last week, there has been ash falling from the sky and smoke so bad I need to wear a mask to mow and water outside.   The nearest fires right now are probably 30-50 miles away.

I've accomplished a lot this week, despite having a migraine a whole day due to the smoke.  This is last week's block for the Pieces From the Past Sewalong by Melva @ Melva Loves Scraps.  This one is called Indiana Star.  It was published in the Kansas  City Star July 21, 1937. 

I also finished two blocks for the QAL by the Sea.  This one was designed by Jennifer Fulton @The  Inquiring Quilter.  

This week's block was designed by April Adams @Janda Bend Quilts.  

I also finished last month's block of Cassandra's Circle BOM by Barbara Brackman @ Civil War Quilts.

I took a picture of all the blocks together and realized the block on the far right, with the purple mulberries was out of character with the rest of the blocks, which are mostly blue.  Hard to see in this poor light.   But I took those purple mulberries off and replaced with some blue ones.

Lastly I finished the quilting on this fall quilt for my daughter's birthday on Monday.  It was a Partners in Design QAL from 2 years ago.  My daughter loves owls, so I thought this would be perfect for her.

So for Slow Sunday Stitching this week I will be working on a new tea towel.  I finished the chocolate one. 

I got this new transfer pack from Stitchers Revolution. 

I've got this wine one ready to stitch for my sister. 

I'll be linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching on Kathy's Quilts.  Head on over and check out what everyone has been up to. 

Slow Sunday Stitching

Another busy week has passed.  I have been trying to get caught up on the BOMS I have been working on, since I had worked on granddaughter Kyleigh's BD gifts, and had gotten a little behind. 

Kyleigh and her dad made their way back East last week, stopping in Yellowstone and various other places along the way. 

My other 4 grandchildren have started virtual school this past week.  The two older boys are Kyleigh's brothers Keaton and Jaeger.  Keaton has been watching his two younger cousins this summer.  This was the first day of school picture this year.  

So this week I started and completed this Kathy Schmitz stitchery from the One Stitch at a Time Club.  I really like the way this one came out. 

I also finished the last block from Pieces from the Past Sew Along by Melva @Melva Loves Scraps.  These are blocks originally from the Kansas City Star.  Melva got special permission from C&T Publishing her to share these blocks with us.  This is called the Russian Sunflower.  

This week for Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts I plan to work on last month's Cassandra's Circle block, the Wild Rose.   Right now I just have the stems down, and the center flower.

Next up, will be finishing up this tea towel.  I set it aside before.  This is the second time I have made this design.  It will be for my sister for Christmas.

I will be linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts,  Be sure and head over there and see what everyone else has been up to.  I always get my weekly inspiration reading about what everyone has been doing.  

Slow Sunday Stitching

Happy Post 4th of July everyone here in the U.S.  We have had what sounds like illegal fireworks going off all week here in my neighborhood, but this morning was a doozy.  It went off at 2:15 this morning  and really sounded like a bomb!  Hard to get back to sleep after that. 

John and I stayed home yesterday from the gathering with our family.  His asthma is too bad normally  to have him risk being exposed like that.  Granddaughter Kyleigh did pop by to pick up some of my secret ingredient for potato salad.  I say it is secret, because even I don't know what exactly is in it.  For years I have gone out to Denio's Farmer's Market and there is a booth out there that sells spices and herbs, you buy what you need.  I have bought this product called "Salad Mix".  I suspect it is something you mix with mayo or something, but I have always put it in my potato salad.   I did take the opportunity of getting a quick pic with Kyleigh. 

In my slow stitching this past week I finished up my Cassandra's Circle block for June, put it up for a picture with the other blocks and I didn't like the blue I had chosen.  I am trying to keep my blocks mostly blue, and downplay the other colors.   This was the first version.   I also changed out the blossom, and the green around the bud.  The other blues seem to pop more I thought.

This was my second version.  I am much happier with it now.   These are from Barbara Brackman's applique BOM for 2020 at Civil War Quilts.

Right now, I need to prep some more applique, so for my Slow Sunday stitching I will be working on another of the tea towels with the cute sayings from Stitcher's Revolution.  My sister is a wine drinker and this is perfect for her!

I will be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.  Pop on over and check out what everyone has been doing.  My favorite time of the week!  Many thanks to Kathy for continuing to provide this weekly gathering!

Have a great week, and thanks for stopping by!

What I've Been Up To, Great Mail Days!

I'm still working on my project for the Stitching Sunshine Blog Hop, but I do have a few things to show that I have been also working on.

First up, I got May's block for Cassandra's Circle BOM, the 2020 applique BOM by Barbara Brackman @Civil War Quilts.  I have been trying to keep my blocks mostly to blues, so I chose a brownish print for the stems and leaves, so the blue is what stands out.    This block was called Russian Sunflower. 

Joy @ Days Filled with Joy is having a scrappy mystery right now.  The steps are coming out on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and I am caught up until the next step.  It's using up a lot of my 2-1/2 inch squares, and I am thrilled! 

I have also had a couple of fun mail days.   First, I received a gift from Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict for my participation in the Hands2Help Confort Quilt Challenge.  My surprise was a little pouch containing two charm packages of Moda Fabrics, and I love them.  Thanks so much to Sarah and all she does! 

My second surprise in the mail came from my friend Moira @  The Quilted Snail.  She knows how I love nautical fabric and she sent me a package with some FQs, and they are lovely.  Many thanks again Moira you made my day!

My neighbor has an apricot tree right on the other side of my fence.  I was wondering who kept eating apricots and dropping the skins on my side of the fence.  I caught the culprit red-handed.  This guy sits on the fence and munches away and then drops the skin and seeds in my garden!

Hope you  are all having a great week.  It is hot, hot, hot here ( upper 90's) and  I need to get my gardening done early in the mornings.  I was trying to repot some plants this afternoon and by the time I came inside I had sweat pouring off me.   Hopefully tomorrow I can get an earlier start !

350 Blocks, April Report

The goal for this month was 30 blocks.  Here is how I did. 

Frolic Mystery Quilt:  8 blocks  I actually finished the top.

Hands 2 Help Comfort Quilt Drive:   34 blocks/3 baby quilts.

Cassandra's Circle:  1 block

Ella Maria Deacon:  4 blocks

Pieces from the Past:  2 blocks

Private BOM being done with friends:  2 blocks

Buhl-Bushong:  8 blocks    I counted each flower group as a block,  hand appliqued.  There were 4 flowers and 4 of the center blocks.

Stitchery by Kathy Schmitz :  1 block

So my total was 58 blocks.  I will be reporting my total to Prairie Moon Quilts.  

Slow Sunday Stitching

Time to report in again for Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts.  My favorite day of the week to visit blogs and find out what everyone has been up to. 

I have been quite busy, working on Hands2Help comfort quilts during the day.  At night this week I worked on my Ella Maria Deacon blocks.  Not sure I am happy with the broderie perse, I might redo that one.  Still deciding.

Today I prepped the block for Cassandra's Circle.  This one should be pretty easy to do.

Next up, I am prepping a new applique project (like I really needed another), I came across on Instagram.  It is a Sunflower Sew Along, @fixer_of_old_quilts.  The original block was from a quilt dated 1863 in the collection of Cathy Erickson @quiltingcat2, which is being used with her permission.  If you might be interested, check out the post @fixer_of_old_quilts.   I might do 4 blocks instead of 1.  

A few pictures of blooms in my yard.  I still need to do some weeding, but the flowers are pretty.  The foxgloves apparently reseeded themselves because I have more coming up along the fence.  

And the irises are blooming.  

Hope everyone is staying safe and is well!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

I will be linking up at Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts.    Pop on over there and see what everyone has been up to.