Gentle Gems - February Blocks

 This morning I completed the February blocks.  The butterfly was a real challenge for me.

Gentle Gems - Val Laird BOM

 I have started a block of the month with Val Laird called Gentle Gems.  I just got started this month and today I finished the January blocks.  Each is a hexagon that has embroidery and applique, and is a quilt as you go.  The project will be a small wall hanging, and I fell in love with the sweet pattern and decided to sign up.  These are my two January blocks.

Happy Birthday, Adeline

Today, my granddaughter, Adeline, turns 5 years old.  I made her a big girl quilt, and she blessed me so much by saying "Its the most beautiful quilt in the world!" when she opened it up.  She is such a sweet caring little girl and I am so fortunate to have her as my granddaughter.  (I have 7 grandsons and 6 granddaughters :)  )

Coronaville

Happy Valentine's Day and in my case Vaccination Day.  Today I got my second vaccination shot at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Drive-thru.  It was handled so efficiently, makes me proud to be in the Carolinas.  35 minutes passed from the time we pulled into the Speedway parking lot  until we got the shot, waited 15 minutes and left. They had at least 21 "shot areas" and I know that because we went to #20 bay and there was at least one more beside us.  It was amazing when we went to the "wait" area to see if we had any reaction, the vast number of cars there....that could not have been there more than 15-20 minutes.  It was just incredible how they moved everyone through the bays to get their shots and on to the waiting area.

I had said I would make my last house block on the day I got shot #2 - so today I thankfully came home and made the block with a Valentine's Day theme.

I made a total of 338 houses, 120 of them go on the front of the quilt.  That leaves 218 houses for the back.  They are smaller than the ones on the front and hopefully I can fit them all on the back.

                                       

I was debating on how to arrange them and decided to do it snail trail style  I have to use a filler strip on most of the rows to get it come out right.  I started working on it tonight, but I think I need a break and maybe can finish it tomorrow.  The houses don't line up so great, but then what has this world been over the last year, other than totally "un-orderly.".

Lone Rose Star Quilting Update

 I have completed quilting all the Lone Star, Rose Stars and border diamond blocks and have started on the background.  Some difficult choosing what to do, but am satisfied with a simple straight line that follows the direction of the diamonds in the Lone Star.  I have completed a corner and one side and took pictures this morning in a darkened room so my quilting would show up better in the pictures.    I have a little puffiness to deal with that I am able to keep from pleating with the hand quilting, but trying my best to overcome this problem. I would have been surprised if this had not been a problem with the piecing of the lone star and the the applique of the Rose Stars......just one more non-perfect hand made quilt touch  (well that's my story and I am sticking with it).

I Spy Success!

 Today I had some of the grandkids at the house.  I spread the I-Spy quilt out on the floor for them to play with and I am happy to report they loved it.  They played I Spy for an hour, then they took a cookie break and watched some tv shows, some still laying on the quilt. After the shows, they wanted to play some more.  I think they pretty much had all the blocks memorized, so I made them all turn around with closed eyes, and I turned the quilt around.  So it was like they had to learn all over again where the blocks were.  I am so glad I made this quilt, I never dreamed they would have this much fun with it.

I Spy and Baby Quilts

 Today has been a day of finishing touches.  First is my I-Spy quilt.  I made this using the Hexagon Quilt-as-you-go method.  I decided to do it all by machine, and I must admit, it is not my prettiest quilt, of quilt show quality; but I do love it!  It will be a fun quilt to play with the grandchildren, and someday maybe they will remember playing I Spy with me and want this quilt to play with their children.

Quilt Front

Quilt Back

Our church will be having a baby shower tomorrow for three expectant moms.  I have had the quilts made for a month or more now, but today I put the labels on and "wrapped" them to take to the shower tomorrow.

Close up of Sock Monkey quilt

Sock Monkey quilt

Bebe B quilt - old McCall's Magazine

Just Ducky - From an old Love of Quilting Magazine

Hexagon Drawstring Bag

 I made this bag using a pattern by Katrina Hadjimichael, one of my favorite designers.  The bag measures approximately 13" x 9".  I did alter the pattern a little.  The pattern used Hexagon flower designs all around the bag, and I changed to use different 5 different EPP designs.

I will use it to tote my English Paper Piecing projects to workshops, guild meetings, club meeting and any other gathering with quilting friends.  Can't wait until we can finally start meeting in person again!

Traditional 6 Diamond Star

Traditional Dresden Plate

Traditional Hexagon Flower

Not sure what the name of this is, I saw it on a facebook page and drafted it out in Illustrator.

This is one of Katrina's EPP designs.

Covid Vaccination

 

Got shot #1 this evening at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.  I was in and out of there in about 45 minutes, and that is with staying in the 15 minute waiting area after the shot.  Got to drive all around on the race track, was so cool.

I will get my second shot on February 14, Valentine's Day.

Cottage Grove Quilt top completed

 Yesterday I completed the quilt top for Cottage Grove.  This is a pattern I have been working on since 2011.  The pattern is by The Quilt Company and we found it at a quilt show and purchased it to work on together, each making our own quilt.  

We were off to a good start, and then got sidetracked and it sat untouched until the Coronavirus hit.  We had completed the top and bottom applique borders, the bordered flower blocks and two of the houses.  We decided that we would complete the rest during these stay at home days, meeting over zoom once a week to stay on progress.  This has been a fun project to complete and I have so enjoyed meeting and working on it with my good friend.  We missed a few weeks due to needs revolving around family and doctors, but we met yesterday and sewed on the final outer borders.  So nice that we each completed our tops together, even if over zoom.

I altered some of my blocks a little, nothing much, just touches of embroidery and minor design changes.  The main change I made was adding the redbirds to the four corners.  The pattern has a ladybug in each corner.

The middle house is a Quilt shop!

Now we each have to decide how to quilt it, or have it quilted.  I would love to hand quilt it, but my stack is growing of quilts in waiting for hand quilting.  

We are both getting our first vaccination on Sunday and then the second on Valentine's day.  Hoping to start another project in March - where we can meet in person together ! 

Lone Rose Star progress

 Last night I finished the hand quilting on center star on my Lone Rose Star quilt.  I was unable to sleep thinking about all the crazy stuff going on right now.  I find that when I lie down to sleep, that is when I feel the greatest stress about things.  So I just got up and finished quilting the last star point.  Following are some pictures of the quilt todate.

Projects To be complete in 2021

 Happy New Year!   I decided to make a list of the projects I am currently working on that I anticipate finishing during 2021.  Will be interesting how much of this I can accomplish. These arenot all my UFO's, but they are the ones I am currently working on.  So, here we go..............

First  - A baby quilt I have completed and just needs to be hemmed.  I actually got it to this point yesterday, now why I didn't hem it last night so it would be done is beyond me.  It will be completed in the next few days.

Second - a stack of quilt tops I have completed and are waiting to be quilted. 
Top is the Gail Pan Wish You Well  BOM to be hand quilted.  Next is my Temperature Quilt to be machine quilted. The  bottom is the Brimfield English Paper Pieced quilt to be hand quilted.

Speaking of quilting, I have my Lone Rose Star in the hoop and hopefully will have it completed by Spring.  

Then there is my Coronaville Quilt which I started in March 2020 when we got the Stay at Home order because of the Corona Virus, now just referred to as Covid.  I completed the top with 120 blocks, but kept on making the houses for each day until I can be vaccinated and get back to a normal life, if that will every happen.  I got behind during the holidays and right now am up to house 279 which was Dec.16.  Funny, when I started this I cut out enough pieces for 64 houses thinking that would be more than I would need.

This is a Cottage Grove quilt started in 2011.  My friend Darlene and I are both making one of these quilts and during this stay at home time, we dug it out of our UFO pile and decided to get it done.

We zoom each week to stay on task and have them both nearly finished.  All that is left are the final borders which we hope to get done on Saturday (as in tomorrow).  Then, it will be added to may "to be quilted pile" and I sure hope I can finish it before Christmas 2021.

This is an I-Spy quilt that I have started using the Quilt-AS-You-Go hexagons.  I am having a lot of fun with this one, should be completed in the next couple of months.

nd of course, there is always a new project.  This is the 2021 Bring Me Flowers Block of the Month project by Gail Pan.  I actually got the pattern yesterday as she is in Australia, so her Jan 1 was my December 31

A.  

I had selected my fabrics, thread and setup my notebook.  Sooo excited.

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And then, as usual, I  changed my plan.  After doing the 2020 BOM Wish You Well, I really enjoyed using the various laces and trims.   I was having the hardest time with the fabrics, just was not satisfied.

So, I decided to go with one fabric for the sashing rather than the scrappy look in the pattern.  

I also decided to not use the green fabrics for the block corners but instead use an eyelet lace.  

 

The threads are still to be used .  Now I am so excited, going to have to work on this one this afternoon.  I do enjoy embroidery 

Seasonal Temperature Quilt Top DONE!

 I am happy to report I have completed my Seasonal Temperature Quilt - it actually ended December 20 which was the last day of Fall.  This was a fun project,  but I must admit I am glad to see it done.  Now to get it quilted, which I will do a simple cross hatch on my machine.

Brimfield Quilt Top Done!

 

My completed Brimfield Quilt Top.  I have it hanging and it really is straight just got a soft fold while hanging.  This will now be a QIW (Quilt in waiting for hand quilting).  That waiting list is starting to grow, so I better get busy on the Lone Star that I am currently quilting and get it done.  The background is actually a dark green, not black.