Slowing down with my piecing

Crazy weather here in Arizona.  On Wednesday, I managed to get a few hours of time in my sewing room during the rainstorm but otherwise, have been busy with tennis and social activities and not spending as much time with my sewing machine. 

These blocks were ones that I started four years ago.  A quilting friend in Colorado sent me a box of strips and I began making the center four patches.  This week, I finished making the blocks and turned them into a quilt top ready for layering, quilting and binding.  Will be a good donation to Quilts of Valour. 

I still have lots of Aunt Gracie fabrics after making my flying geese baby quilts and after visiting a quilter's garage sale!  The pile of fabrics grew instead of getting smaller!!
So, this is my next project, making lots of half square triangles and playing with ideas for layouts. 

Hockey night in Canada

It is Saturday night and the hockey network we get here in Arizona shows Canadian hockey until the U.S. games start so we are watching Toronto and my dh gets to listen to Don Cherry! 

It is warming up here so am feeling some pressure to get as much accomplished as possible before it really gets hot.  Today, after morning errands, I spent some time with my sewing machine and this is what I am working on, making progress.  I started these blocks 4 years ago, using a box of strips sent to me by a quilting friend in Colorado. 

Can you figure out why I am sending the next picture?

I was really struggling with trimming my blocks and kept switching rotary cutters, added a new cutting mat on top of my big mat and suddenly thought that maybe I should replace my blades?  Both blades were replaced when we arrived in Arizona, late October but I guess I have been using my rotary cutters consistently for the last few months.  WHAT A DIFFERENCE A BLADE MAKES!!!  And do you see what I do with my used blades?  Great, safe way to store them. 

Valentine's Day

I have one of my ufo's from last year finished.  I bought this pattern at the Tuscon quilt show in January 1012 and had the pieces cut and ready but never got around to finishing it.  It is done and ready to hang on the wall.

 

 

I also made a cute little phone holder.  Found the instructions on a blog and thought it might useful for those that actually use their phones for other things than just as a phone.  For me, I thought it would make a good 'home for my phone so I can find it. 

 

 

 

 

 

And lastly, since it is Valentine's day... I got roses last week and they are looking a bit bedraggled but they have been gorgeously sitting on the table since last Friday.  My dh earned a few brownie points with these!

 

Raining... again... in AZ?

Hard to believe but it is cold and rainy here.  Not much warmer than back home right now!  And even harder to believe is that our temps will be hot by the weekend?  Crazy weather patterns.
Anyway, this morning, once my chores were done, I played around in my sewing room trying to figure out what I might work on next. 
I found some really old blocks I started four years ago, didn't like what I had done, unpicked some seams and did a bit of matching, as best as possible and then started cutting fabric into pieces ready to make a bunch more of these blocks.  The blocks on the design wall are the 'fixed' ones though some I am still unhappy with - but, it will be a scrap quilt so hopefully they will be hidden in the quilt.

The fabrics on the left are more of my half hexies and put up alternating, light and dark.  I need to cut more of these and play with the layout.  I saw a picture last week that was my inspiration.  The picture was actually a pattern for sale for a crazy price and I had an 'aha' moment when I saw it and figured out how easy it is to do. 

I need to sew like crazy for the next few days before it gets hot here! 

Less tennis, more sewing

I seem to be playing less tennis and spending more time sewing.  This is temporary.  It is cool and everyone is busy with tennis qualifiers meaning courts are booked and friends are busy.  I could be reading but am using my time to work on some projects that I would like to get finished.

First, I made another flying geese quilt using Eleanor Burn's ruler and more of my repro/Aunt Gracie fabrics.  This one got a blue border.  I need a few baby quilts made for some new arrivals and this will be given away after I am home and get it quilted.

And then I decided to work on a couple of  my Patchabilities.  The first one I want to finish is southwestern and has been hanging around for a year.  I bought the pattern and got started last year after the Tuscon quilt show. 

The second one is a new pattern that I acquired in the fall and I want to get it finished so it can be used for Easter decor when I am back home.  I have the perfect spot for it and it will hang on my 12" hanger as you go down the stairs. 

Back to the sewing machine!

Hockey is back

Hockey is back so that means more time for me in my sewing room.  Golfing and Super Bowl on Sunday gave me some time as well. 

I added a yellow outer border to the flying geese quilt I made a few weeks ago.  This quilt is on its way home to Canada to wait for me to get home and get it quilted and bound. 

 

 

I came across the beginnings of a quilt from some fabrics that were similiar to Thimbleberries and I found some charms in my stash as well as yardage that seemed to go with it so I added more rows to make a decent size donation quilt. 

 

 

Using more of the fabrics in my Aunt Gracie/reproduction container, I began working with a fun ruler that makes half hexagons.  A simple way to make hexagons so this one is waiting for me to add an outer border.

 

 

I had some leftover flying geese from the first baby quilt I made so I cut up some more fabric and made a few more and have enough to make another. 

Next, I will cut up some of the fat quarters into two Yellow Brick Road quilts and work on that and I will still have fabric left!