Its been good and bad this week

Well my 75th birthday was Wednesday and its a blessing I am still doing well.  The day started out bad as our power was off for 5 hours due to trees down from a storm...but good it came on in time for me to get a shower and meet Friends at Ruby Tuesday to celebrate - but bad because while they were all here, my husband fell in the bathroom and we had to call EMT for help to get him up and to the hospital...but good because he did not break any bones and is now just dealing with some soreness.  We were in the ER for 12 hours!  But Thanks be to God, I have been blessed with fairly good health and able to take care of him.

Yesterday was our 51st anniversary and we simply spent a quiet day at home.  He was not up to doing much.

APIP #1: Meryton - Whoopee - I have it in the hoop and did a little quilting on it this morning.  I just love hand quilting, find it so relaxing.  And I needed some relaxation this day.

  

APIP #2 : Bloom and Grow - I did complete all the stitcheries and had hoped to start putting the blocks together - but life happens!

APIP #13: Rose and Tulip Applique (Tote Bag)

This started out as a demo to my Guild and club using Golden Thread as an applique "underlay."  I liked my sample so much, I turned it into a tote bag, with the applique on the front anda Bolar Fusible panel on the back.  I had made the panel in a recent workshop and did not know what I wanted to do with it. So here is the finished project;

APIP #14 - Bright Hopes Crochet lap quilt - I won't attach any pictures as they pretty much look the same, but this week I did finish enough blocks to make one row, and maybe next week I can show you that!

APIP#15 - Hues Clues Challenge (New) - I guess I needed something else to do, so I signed up for a block challenge at my LQS SewEndipitous.  Its called Hues Clues and you draw a color card with four colors and have to make a 20" block using those colors.  Its a light, medium and dark of a particular color and one complimentary color.  You do not pick the card you want, you just had to choose it and only found out the colors after you chose.  I am happy with my draw, and decided they looked like earth tones to me and with a complimentary color of Turquoise, reminded me of Native Americans.  So between yesterday and today, I completed  a star block and then one side of a border using Seminole piecing.  I have the one border and another couple borders fabrics to see how they look.  Its a fun project, but has interrupted my progress on other projects as I am so excited to see how it turns out.  I plan to do a little beading in the Turquoise color.  Has to be done by June 21 - Yikes!

So now, I think I am done for the day.....hmmm...maybe go and hand quilt some.   There is always something for me to work on so makes it hard to find time for cooking, laundry, cleaning......

Bright Hopes and Bloom and Sew Quilt Progress

 To day is May 18, and three more days and I will be 3/4 Century old.  So hard to believe.  We celebrated May birthdays in my family yesterday and it was a fun day.  My birthday is the 21st, my Granddaughter Tess's is the 22nd and my Daughter-in-law Holli's is the 24th.  Add to that my 51st wedding anniversary is also on the 24.  

This past week I have worked primarily on my Bright Hopes quilt and the Bloom and Sew Block of the Month by Gail Pan.

APIP #1 - Meryton; this quilt top is now in the hands of my friend Martee who is going to baste it for Hand quilting on her long arm machine.  It is so nice to have her do this as I know it will be basted straight and without wrinkles.  When I thread baste them myself it can take all day to complete the basting on a Queen size quilt, not to mention the back ache that results after that is done.

APIP #2 - Bloom and Sew;  I completed two stitcheries, have two more ready to be blocked and then another in the hoop, almost done.  That leaves one more to get stitched.  Hopefully by the end of next week all stitcheries will be completed.  I would like to have the block completed by the end of the month.

My three blocks in process

Two completed blocks

APIP #13 Bright Hopes Quilts - I have decided to call this quilt the Bright Hopes quilt after the name of the block.  I now have all the blocks made, and have started the blanket stitch around the blocks and then the crochet.  I find I am really enjoying the crochet as I used to crochet a lot.  Since quilting took over my life most of my other hand crafts have gone by the wayside.  Lately I have gotten more interested in doing embroidery and crochet and enjoy incorporating them into my quilts.

 The instructions call for the blocks to be blocked and I ordered this blocking board to accomplish this task.  I have never had one of these before and look forward to blocking all my blocks.

 I have been playing around with how to arrange the blocks.  

This is option one, with the Bright Hope blocks making up the quilt top.

Option 1 - the floral side making up the quilt back.

This is option 2 where I flip every other block over to put the floral in between the Bright Hope blocks.

Guess I will study the pictures a little more before I make up my mind.

Happy Mother's Day

 I hope all you Mom's out there have had a good day.  Mine was very nice, with dinner here at the house, my daughter Jennie brought over some delicious brisket, mac & cheese and roasted potatoes.  I fixed fried okra, cookies and rolls and my daughter in law, Holli, brought a delicious lemon cake and green beans.  It was a very nice family gathering.

APIP #2 - Bloom and Sew:  I received the 5th block instructions from Gail Pan yesterday and got the stitcheries all prepped and ready to embroider.  Started on one this morning.  Nice one to do today, as I am very happy to have had my family here today!

APIP #14 - Bright Hopes Quilt:  I have primarily been working this week on the Bright Hopes quilt, completing all 36 of the Bright Hope blocks and getting the blanket stitch around several of them,  I had to go back and re-read the instructions a couple of time just to figure out how the blocks will go together, and I think I have it straight now.  I am not to the point of putting the blocks together yet, but its nice to at least think I know how to do it.

APIP #1 - Meryton: I had to order the quilt backing and batting and they arrived this week.  Now to get the quilt to the long arm quilter and maybe get it in my hoop and start the hand quilting this week - or maybe next week.

Meryton Quilt Top completed

 I completed the quilt top this morning.  After much debate, I decided not to add a final border primarily as I have not been able to find a border fabric that I think would enhance the quilt.  Katrina's design is so beautiful, I am happy with it just as it is.  I hope to get it long arm basted in a week or so, and then I can start hand quilting :)

APIP # 13 - Bright Hope:  I completed one block just to see how it would look.  Have not had much time to do much else - well I did get all the blocks cut out .