June feels like there are extra days?

It is probably because the evenings stay lighter, longer that it feels like there are a few extra days this month.  Today is the 22nd.. still over a week left in this month.  Yippee for me and getting some of my goals accomplished.
1. Quilt/bind cracker block quilt
2. Quilt/bind QOV  donated by a local quilt guild member
3. Quilt a Quilt of Valour made  by a friend
4. Quilt/bind a project I picked up from our modern guild parking lot gathering in May
5. Quilt /bind RSC #3 -
  6.Make set of blocks picked up at FVMQG gathering
7. Makestrip pieced triangle blocks picked up at the FVMQG gathering
8. Make some scrub bags for Abbotsford guild donation
9. Work on RSC blocks for June - pink
10. Make Saratoga quilt (a kit from Keepsake how many years ago?) Quilt and Bind
11. Pick up income tax and pay the accountant!
12. Work on some St. Louis 16 patch blocks
 13. Make tinker tote
14. Dark green RSC  blocks for May
15. Block lottery from FVMQG - red/black 9 patches
16. stitch a new purse
17. Finish postcard for modern guild challenge
18. Make an armchair caddy
19. Cocktail mug rug for Modern guild challenge
20. Bind RSC #2 
21, Quilt and bind RCMP quilt (FVMQG block lottery)
22. Stepping Stones, Fabric Cafe - piece top

So, a few more projects crossed off the list but I have added more as well! 
First, the triangle blocks that I made for the modern guild. A bit of a nuisance though I love strip piecing with scraps.  I used a muslin backing for these. I found it crazy that with all my triangle rulers, not one matched the shape of the triangle that I had a template for in this project?

I was given baggies of strips and some slippery white background... but done!  I managed to get 18 blocks put together plus another 2 to return to the community quilt organizers.

I have been working on some St. Louis 16 patch blocks and dug out what I had already cut and have stitched enough for 2 quilts.

And I had a lot of leftover pieces from both of these quilts as well as from quilts I made in the past so I am stitching them together, trimming and figure that I need about 80 for quilt. I am over 50 blocks and still stitching and trimming.

Two quilt totally finished this week.  I have my Rainbow Scrap challenge 2019 #2 completely done as well as my cracker blocks quilt.

I quilted the Quilt of Valour quilt top given to me by a guild member and the binding is made, just patiently waiting for me to stitch the binding on.

I have backing for the RCMP quilt top and need to join the pieces so I can get that layered and quilted.

And of course, I started a new quilt top.  This one is Stepping Stones by Fabric Cafe and it is one of their 3 yard quilts.   I wanted it a little larger so had to dig in my bin of floral fabrics to find something that would work and now am sewing the blocks together.

I have made two cocktail mug rugs for a challenge for the modern guild and both need binding.  I only need it to fit the bottom of a wine glass as I am not a cocktail person but made one a little larger, just in case!

This afternoon, I was a little tired from morning tennis and a lousy sleep last night but got myself motivated to make backings (thanks Marge for the fabric you donated) and cut batting for the next quilts that are in line for getting finished.  I have 4 quilts ready for June/July and you know I will be adding more to that pile!

Plus, I spent some time organizing my downstairs bunker and, other than feeling overwhelmed by how much fabric I have, I know where it all it all is and what there is to work on.  Too many batiks and still a container of old floral fabrics.  Just motivates me to keep on sewing!  We are having lovely weather after all our recent rain and everything is green and lush... and we have a prediction of some warm, summer weather.  Tennis and quilting will be my daily activities. Plus, next week, my first hair cut since Christmas! 

Mid June 2020

An updated "list".  I am a list person and have a few of them on the go at all times.
So, for June, here goes:

1. Quilt/bind cracker block quilt
2. Quilt/bind QOV  donated by a local quilt guild member
3. Quilt a Quilt of Valour made  by a friend
4. Quilt/bind a project I picked up from our modern guild parking lot gathering in May
5. Quilt /bind RSC #3 -
  6.Make set of blocks picked up at FVMQG gathering
7. Makestrip pieced triangle blocks picked up at the FVMQG gathering
8. Make some scrub bags for Abbotsford guild donation
9. Work on RSC blocks for June - pink
10. Make Saratoga quilt (a kit from Keepsake how many years ago?) Quilt and Bind
11. Pick up income tax and pay the accountant!
12. Work on some St. Louis 16 patch blocks
 13. Make tinker tote
14. Dark green RSC  blocks for May
15. Block lottery from FVMQG - red/black 9 patches
16. stitch a new purse
17. Finish postcard for modern guild challenge
18. Make an armchair caddy
19. Cocktail mug rug for Modern guild challenge
20. Bind RSC #2 
21, Quilt and bind RCMP quilt (FVMQG block lottery)
So, I added a couple of projects and am about half way through the list for June.  We have had so much rain, it is an opportunity to be inside and enjoy my time stitching away on projects.

So, what have I accomplished? The top made from blocks from the FVMQG lottery last November is completed and is now waiting for layering, quilting and binding.
This isn't my usual style but was determined to use ALL the blocks, and I did!

Block lotto winnings

This isn't a project but look at the butterfly on that wildflower that is growing.  She/he was very busy for over half an hour sucking the nectar. 
The first set of blocks is made for FVMQG.  These came as pieces of fabric and a few different ideas as to how to cut and stitch the blocks.  At first, I thought I was supposed to make enough for a quilt top so added in some of my own fabrics but when I got to the second baggie, figured out I was just supposed to make 2 blocks.  Oh well... extra blocks.  And I stitched them during a zoom guild meeting.



The cracker block quilt is quilted and waiting, patiently, for me to stitch the binding on.  

We had a postcard exchange within our guild and somehow my name was on the list of participants and while I tried to get it removed, wasn't successful.  If you travel back in history, way back, maybe 15 years? you would know that I was really active in postcard making and swaps.  I was bemoaning the fact that I have so many postcards on hand from all my swaps, I am not sure what to do with them, other than store them in photo boxes.  The person who had my name for making me a postcard overheard me chatting with another guild member and we were reliving our postcard making days and deciding that we 'had been there and done that'.  So, my lovely partner in the swap didn't send me a postcard.... but she sent me an open wide pouch.  Wow... thank you so much!!  A big shout out to Kate! 

Just too good!  Look how wide open it is when unzipped!  Love this! 
When I was working on the block lotto RCMP quilt top, I started making more of the 12" nine patches thinking I would need them but, in the end, the quilt would have been too large.  So, I have kept these and will make more of them using a variety of red and white fabrics and then cut them into split 9 patches for a Quilt of Valour.  One day in the future.

I have a pink bucket made in anticipation of getting busy on the Rainbow scrap challenge blocks for both May and June.  June is pink so at least I have dug out my scrap fabrics and am ready to go. 

This is a quilt top I brought home from the parking lot meeting of the guild and have quilted and bound it for Victim Services.

And, I have my RSC 2019 #2 quilt still waiting for binding... which means waiting for a good movie on tv one night.

In my box of UFO projects, I found this batik from Keepsake quilting with the Villa Rose pattern, Saratoga.  I started cutting and stitching and next thing, I have a top that is sitting on the ironing board waiting to be pressed and put onto a hanger in the queue for quilting.

And, I dug out my container of the fabrics cut for some St. Louis 16 patch quilts.  I am guessing that they are from 3 or 4 years ago?  I stitched some of the strips up and dug through my fat quarters to find a few more gold/yellow and purples to cut more strips and am close to having enough for a quilt.  A little more stitching, cutting and stitching and the blocks will be done. 

I also found loads of leftovers and need 80 for a quilt top... at the moment, I have 36 so almost half way there.  I tend to cut as much as I can, stitch as much as possible, and then press everything and back to the cutting table to keep things moving along.  It works great as long as an interruption doesn't mess up my brain function and I forget where I was and what I was doing next!
This will be my next project to quilt and bind.  It was made by a member of the AGQ after I did a workshop last year on the QOVC log cabin blocks.  I have the backing and batting ready to go and it is last on my list for June.  I just might get some of  the tops I have recently finished started in June rather than July and be ahead of my own schedule.

I have a stack of 3 ring binders, full of plastic sleeves with quilt patterns in them.  Slowly, very slowly, I am going through them and removing anything that I know I won't make in the next 10 years.  The box of discarded patterns is growing and IF we ever get back to normal and have guild meetings, they will be on the free give and take table for others to check out.

 And, the last of the paperwork to go from my father's home.  Most of it needs to go shredding but some can be recycled so am sorting through it.  For the most part, it is boring but now and again I find something interesting and entertaining to read.  Almost done!  Visiting the shredding centre is going to get added to my list of things to do when out and about town.  Last time I was there, it was only $5 for a box of papers for shredding - much easier than sitting and shredding 2 or 3 sheets at a time in a home shredder. 

I am chanting 'rain, rain, go away' as I wait impatiently for dry tennis courts and sunshine streaming through my windows.  I know summer is coming but this weather reminds me of my teaching days when we listened to the radio carefully to see if sports days were cancelled.  I guess that is another activity that is now no longer part of how June used to be for kids in elementary school.

The week that was... a bit of a blur?

My father died on March 18th in Victoria and we were unable to go into his suite in the retirement residence where he lived, to retrieve any of his belongings.  We had a call telling us that all would be packed up by an employee, boxed and delivered to the garage of the building.  So good news that we would finally be able to deal with his life but not so good in that we couldn't sort and box up what he had.  We had to pick it all up, take it to my sister's, carry it all into the house,unpack, sort,  and repack and haul it back out to our vehicles for delivery to where we thought it might be able to go and be used.
WHEW!   I felt my age.
The good news is that the Mustard Seed was awesome and even though they weren't open for donations, when they found out we had all men's clothing, they welcomed us.  They were also thrilled with the donation of about 3 dozen cans of Ensure for their food bank.
 Habitat for Humanity Re-store was a bit of a disappointment and weren't interested in any of his furniture.  But, the good news is that we listed the pieces on Facebook marketplace and most of it sold the next morning.
We still have a fancy, deluxe commode and a hospital bed for sale.  Crossing fingers someone in need figures out where it is listed for sale and will get a great deal including delivery.
Boxes are sorted, organized and some waiting for places to open so we can donate.  I have boxes here to go through and sort for recycling and/or shredding.
The week that was! But, I came home and was exhausted and not motivated to do much.  UGH. But, time to get back to my garden, tennis and quilting projects.
I have been going through a few boxes of things from dad that I brought home and actually have a few things that are useful to me.
He was very active at Broadmead in a program for veterans where they made a variety of things.  I now have a clock in my downstairs space, made by dad.

And he painted a silk scarf that is now mine.

And I have a small painting he did... I knew he had woodworking talents, but no idea he could paint.

 My May list, as it ended up:
So... for May 2020
1. Quilt and bind the quilt for Nova Scotia
2. Quilt/bind QOVC #1 panel with log cabins
3. Quilt/bind QOVC # 2 panel with log cabins
4. Quilt/bind layer cake slice from Oct 2019
5. Quilt /bind RSC #1 from 2019 (counts as heartstrings triangles for May)
6. Finish making RSC #2 top 2019
7. Figure out if I can make a RSC #3 from leftover blocks 2019
8. Make some scrub bags for Abbotsford guild donation
9. Quilt and bind Sea Stars
10. Make a preemie with charm squares for ruler class practice
11. Finish cracker blocks
12. Income tax 2019
13. Make tinker tote
14. Dark green RSC  blocks for May
15. Block lottery from FVMQG - red/black 9 patches
16. stitch a new purse
17. Make second preemie quilt with leftover charms from #10  Quilt and bind
18. Make another Nova Scotia with my quilting buddy, I will do the dark heart  
19. Quilt and bind Nova Scotia #2  
Not too bad?  A few leftovers but also am happy with my finishes. 


I am busy working on my panel... the theme for my Heartstrings group and I am gradually doing the math and figuring out how to use the blocks I won at guild in November last year.

I have cracker blocks made to mail to Canada Stitches.

One of my May projects got finished.  The binding is done.  The quilt is for a wedding gift and the groom is a hockey fan so I chose backing from a company who created fabric in support of the Humboldt Bronco bus crash in 2018.  I had bought the fabric as a way to be supportive along with making a quilt.  However, surprise when the fabric arrived... it was knit.  I guess I knew that when I ordered but didn't pay much attention.  It is actually perfect for this quilt. 

I also managed to get my quilt for June quilted... it needs binding but closer to a finish.  This is my second Rainbow scrap challenge quilt made from 2019 blocks.  I am not sure about the border I added but it made it large enough to be a good donation quilt.

So many projects and 3 weeks left in the month to try and cross a few things off the list.

So, for June, here goes:

1. Quilt/bind cracker block quilt
2. Quilt/bind QOV  donated by a local quilt guild member
3. Quilt a Quilt of Valour made  by a friend
4. Quilt/bind a project I picked up from our modern guild parking lot gathering in May
5. Quilt /bind RSC #3 - I think it needs a border added to make it larger
 6.Make set of blocks picked up at FVMQG gathering
7. Make the second set of blocks picked up at the FVMQG gathering
8. Make some scrub bags for Abbotsford guild donation
9. Work on RSC blocks for June - pink
10. Make Saratoga quilt (a kit from Keepsake how many years ago?)
11. Pick up income tax and pay the accountant!
12. Work on some St. Louis 16 patch blocks
 13. Make tinker tote
14. Dark green RSC  blocks for May
15. Block lottery from FVMQG - red/black 9 patches
16. stitch a new purse
17. Finish postcard for modern guild challenge
18. Make an armchair caddy
19. Cocktail mug rug for Modern guild challenge
20. Bind RSC #2 

I know more will get added... but this is my list for the next 3 weeks. 
My big question is... will this peony ever bloom?  It was planted 3 years ago and we haven't had a flower appear until this year.  There were 5 potential buds but 3 of them got eaten or dried up?  One of these is partially eaten and one looks perfect!  Crossing my fingers.  It is like waiting for Christmas morning... the suspense is an exercise in patience.