Happy and Safe New Year!

 What a year it has been!

Dearest husband gave me a couple of miserable days doing what I do best, worrying!

During the end of February, he slipped in mud during a lovely walk with youngest Granddaughter, and broke both lower bones in his leg.

The beginning of March, he had repair surgery.

The beginning of May he suffered Bell's Palsy.  

If it taught me nothing else, it taught me how very dear he is to me.  I honestly didn't know I could cry quite so much during the first couple of days...not knowing what was wrong with him, not being able to go to see him...he was hospitalized during the worst time...during a pandemic!  Thankfully, that is all behind us, never to happen again....God willing.

So, we can see the taillights of that miserable year and look forward with hope to the new one.

I'm making great and shiny plans for bettering myself, my environment and my relationships - isn't that what humans do in the first, squeaky clean days of January?

What brought me here today is to document one of my 2021 challenges.  

I've joined the Quilting UFO Challenge by American Patchwork and Quilting.  It's being run locally by one of my favorite quilt shops, The Quilted Nest, Collingswood NJ.  See shop here

For the challenge we list in numerical order, projects we'd like to complete this year.  Any past readers may recall that I have made similar lists most years.  And I've got to brag that in that way, I've gone on to complete a great many projects.

Here's my list for 2021.

1.    Sunbonnet Babies Seasons    Quilt It                  Top finished Dec. 2020

2.    Aunt Mar's Violets                Repair and Quilt (these have been on my lists for several years!)

3.    Stack and Whack                Get the top pieced

4.    Eleanor's Amish Square        Quilt It        

5.    Giraffe                                Finish the collage, Quilt It  

6.    Giraffe continued

7.    Crystal Embroidered            Select threads and get the embroidery done

8.    Picture This                        Take from pattern and fabric to a wall hanging

9.    Stonehenge                        Take from panel to a wall hanging

10.    Fold n stitch                    Take from pattern, template and fabric to table center piece

11.    Eleanor's Yellow                Quilt it    

12.    Lancaster Covered Bridge    Take from kit to wall hanging

I bought these orphan blocks from the husband of a quilter who had passed away.  I decided to address them during the dreaded Covid19 year, put them together and decided they needed something.  Finished embroidering each of the blocks in December.  Now to get it quilted.

There are two twin sized quilts in this container....I've had them for years.  They are featured on every New Year's list to finish, but they have some problems that have to be addressed and it ends up putting me off each year.  This, hopefully, will be their year.  All hand embroidered by my Aunt Martha.

A hand-me-down done by the mother in law of my youngest brother when she died.  I've completed a few of her items - one I did for my nephew, her grandson.  Really want to complete it and do something with it.

I bought this pattern and made, I think 3 center pieces.  Then I bought some gorgeous fabric to make one for Christmas - maybe 3 or 4 years ago.  I'll be Folding and Stitching this year!

Just had to have and make this covered bridge panel for a wall hanging.  Well, I've had it for a few years.  Better get my bridge built.

Just thought I'd throw in a picture of me....don't I look ready and eager to get going on these projects?

Picture This.  Hubby so badly wants me to get this one done.  We think I'll substitute vinyl pockets where the photos are supposed to go so we can change the photos out  from time to time.  We'll see.

I have a few more photos to find and add here....but for today....over and out.  I think I'll be back....Still have a magnificent trip to update.

Thanks for reading.

 

Needless to say, I've forgotten which quilts and projects I've posted over the years.  Just thought I'd post those items I did use to decorate for the holidays this year.

 

 

Our new Christmas Presents quilt - made for Christmas 2013.

Christmas Swan made in the 90's - Christmas tree skirt made around 2000

Christmas tree in the window - made in 90's

Poinsettia - begun in 90's, completed around 2012.

Log Cabin Tree - made in 90's.

More Stitches in Time

While the new sewing/embroidery machine has been in the shop, I've been busy at the old machine - made this "broken china" or "stack and whack" quilt after a friend described the technique to me....of course, I did a couple of "slashes" incorrectly, but the end result pleases me....I do love black and purples!

 

When Larry took me up to Pennington Quilt Works, I saw a pattern on sale that I thought was a pretty wallhanging and decided it would use up some of my extensive Christmas fabric stash.  Took it home and while my sister was visiting, we chatted as I cut.  And cut.  And cut.  Finally I thought, "this is going to be an awfully big wallhanging."  Checked the measurements....a bed sized quilt!

 I have been busy with card making too.  Our kids recently threw us a surprise (OMG what a surprise!!!) party to celebrate our 50th anniversary.  Leaving me with lots of thank yous needed.

 When we were in the UK, we were invited to tea at the estate home of a Welsh actress, and Denbigh Mayor, Gaynor Morgan Rees.  see
Ms. Morgan Rees is the most gracious hostess imaginable, presenting a warm, welcoming smile and a beautiful tea cart with delectable homemade treats in her absolutely gorgeous home.  This was our second visit and it was like reuniting with a dear friend.   Obviously we wanted to send her our sincere thanks for the pleasure of her company....

 

My effort.  Hope she likes it.

Z is for Zoe

Last haircut, Amy, the stylist who cuts hubby's hair, our son's hair, our grandson's hair, and my own described the colors she was choosing for her new baby's room.  Purple and grey, she described, and when she mentioned a chevron pattern, I was hooked!  Haven't made one of these quilts yet, so decided this was the perfect opportunity and excuse.

 

 

"Crawl Space" ? I think not!

When we bought this house, one of it's draws for me was the "crawl space."  While most people would see this area as a basement storage area, I saw it's potential as a place just made for me!  There are few who could stand/walk around in here....but I can!  And just as I anticipated, it has become the most multi-faceted room in the house. 
Certainly, one end and a lot of the sides of this subterranean room is dedicated to storage.
But most of it is my sewing/crafting area.

Poor Larry!  He loves being around quilting and all my little projects....but it's not easy being about a foot too tall for the room.  He has mostly learned to crouch in and get situated between beams...but sometimes....well, let's just say,  he gives his all to share my space.  I feel really fortunate to have so much room to spread out in and create. 

Ian's Force

 

 

Lar and I found two remnants of Star Wars fabric in a bin at a local fabric store.  I knew immediately it had to be turned into a quilt for our 5 year old grandson Ian.  Ian was born with the passion for Star Wars, handed down by super fan, his Daddy, Pat.

 

 

 

 

As luck would have it, I was able to get all but two little sashes from the stash fabric....so, printed up two pieces myself!  Scanned and printed some appropriate art work onto fabric, and voila!

 

I know  I have a photo (at least I think I do) of Ian with his quilt, but can't find it right now.  Will tell you, he AND his daddy loved it.

Sew Sew Busy!

Did you see the first mantle cloth I made using the Let's Twist pattern?  It was for St. Patty's Day.  We liked it so much I made another for Easter.  This time it is with purple fabric for the main body, and Easter Egg fabric for the pinwheels.  I added some fancy stitches around the squares and in gold, the titles of some favorite Easter hymns.  Gotta get to it and get more made for various other holidays. 

 

 

 Once I'd completed the mantle piece, I tried a free downloaded pattern on the embroidery machine for a wall hanging.  I'm beginning to get the hang of the embroidery machine.

Carol (my sister) visited and brought with her the quilt she's made from material I inherited from our Aunt Martha and handed on to Carol.  She wanted me to embroider a bit of something on each of the plain squares.  This is what we came up with.

 This is the signature square I created....was hoping to embroider all the words, but hadn't figured that out yet.  But it says all the important stuff.

 And here's Carol with the completed quilt.  Aunt Mar would have been most pleased, I am sure.  Especially since we did it together!

How About Some Cheese With That Whine?

One good thing about this blog....there is no audio....you can't hear me whining.
I've been sick for over two weeks - and there are times I feel that I have made no progress at all in the getting-better process.  Does it help to know that so many others have the same thing?  No, not really....I am too self-involved at the moment for that to matter.  I simply want it to depart from ME!
However, since just before falling victim to the unseen forces that beleaguer human kind with colds and malaise, we bought me my dream sewing/embroidery machine, I have had something with which to occupy my mind.
Enter the amazing Viking Designer Ruby Deluxe.
Star of the show!
Answer to my deepest yearnings.
And, in part, cause of some of my frustration at being ill.  I haven't actually been able to get at it and start creating.
I finally did get in my first class on Wednesday, and learned enough to boggle the mind!
I have blindly stabbed away at getting on  line and getting some free St. Patrick's Day patterns, and today made up exactly ONE dinner napkin.
Cool, eh?

 
Earlier this week - from 3 AM to 6 AM - thank you meds, for the wondrous hours of non-sleep during the night, and deadly slumber during the day.... I made up this St. Patrick's Day mantle cloth.  I quilted it with some of the fancy stitches on the sewing machine.  Imagine when I get comfortable with the embroidery!

 And remember that Quilter's Star I was so mad at?  Well, he's chugging along doing piecing and things for which he was designed, and doing them quite well...now that he knows the high tech stuff will be handled by his "brother."  They are sharing the load...and I am a really happy camper.
Except that I am sick.  Whine Whine Whine.

Twistin' the Day Away

Been seeing a lot of projects done with the Twist (Let's Twist etc) technique, and to be perfectly honest, it boggled my mind!  Just couldn't get into my head how it was done.  So I bought the book and the template and received an invitation to a baby shower - decided, perfect time to learn!
First, you sew blocks together - I raided the pink stash pile since I found out baby is a girl.  I used 10" squares.

Once all the squares were sewn together, I added a 6 1/2 " border all the way around.

Press it well, and then the "fun" begins!

By aligning the cross marks on the template with the intersecting seams, you cut around.
The little feet on the template really make it stick!  Unfortunately, however, they started out being too high for a good cut with my rotary cutter!  I marked with a fine pencil for a while, and had to resort to re-cutting with scissors for about 6 squares...with heavy pressure, over time, it seemed the little feet had given some and by the end, I was getting decent cuts.

This pile is what was left of the quilt top in the third picture -

And this is the end result!
For just a few dollars (most of the fabric I already had - just have to count the batting) I have a shower gift almost ready, and I learned a really fun technique!
The project so far has taken two days!  Gotta love it!