Busy days in my sewing studio, lots of quilt tops but no finished quilts - yet!

 I seem to have gone full steam ahead with my piecing for the last few weeks with too many projects started and not very many finished.  However, cutting batting and making backings is next on my list when I get my current few projects further along in the piecing. 

The last three blog posts were tutorials on making quilts for donation or gifts that use up either scraps or fabrics sitting in your stash that you really don't know what to do with.  What was I thinking fabrics or just leftovers from other projects.  

Since those posts we had a great sew in across Canada for Quilts of Valour and last Friday I worked on making the latest hug block patterns using a bundle of the most current fabrics that were purchased online from the QOV website.  The newer fabrics are fun and include some blues and a nice fabric with Canadian words. The patterns are available online as well under resources and look for hug blocks.  As mentioned before, the hug blocks are 9.5" unfinished and must be made from Northcott Oh Canada fabric.  The blocks are mailed into the address on the pattern and then they get combined with other blocks from across the country and turned into hug block quilts or Hugs from across the Nation.  At this time, for every block you mail in, you get your name entered into a contest to win a Janome sewing machine.  The contest is open until July 1 2021.  

These are three that I made.  I have ordered some of these fabrics and have also ordered a die for my Accuquilt to cut more moose and trees.  When my order arrives, I will put fusible on the back of the darker fabric and cut out the shapes and will have them available for those who live here in the Fraser Valley and want to make these hug blocks. 

I also started a project using up some of my stack of 6" squares and the Heartstrings as well as Stashbusters groups are challenging members to make something with HST's.  So, I decided that the churndash block would work. 

 And then I looked at how many 2.5" strips I have in a container and decided that maybe some bordered 9 patches could be made and have a few of these started. 

I have since pulled out all my fabrics with a Canadian theme and organized and tidied them although I have enough to keep stitching quilts for Quilts of Valour for the rest of this year and still not run out.  So much fabric!  But, it is tidy and I will end up with about 6 or 7 quilt tops made from my recent sewing spree. 

With the very cold but not raining weather here, we have been playing senior tennis outdoors, bundled up to keep warm and it is good exercise, but, it is frustrating as it seems to cut into my day for sewing.   But, I did have a good day last week with a plumber installing a new garbage disposal (mine had died in December 2019 and I kept putting off calling a plumber because of covid).  We are now back to functioning normally, with two sinks!  Sometimes it is the small things in life that can make such a big difference.

And, a trip to Michael's helped me to find a wine glass for Valentine's day.  ALL my Valentine's decor items are living a lonely life in my other house in Arizona and I have nothing here at all for doing any decorating.

And, I started sewing a few things for this house.  First, I dug out my container of fabrics and was surprised at how much I had on hand including lots of cookie cutters, card making supplies and some really well aged fabric.  

So, I started sewing.  I made a 12" little hanging that goes on my frame although I don't have a header for it but oh well.  And, I think it could use a little more quilting on it. 

The white table topper had all the various  hearts fused on and I only had to stitch around them all and add a batting and backing plus binding.  I made the three table toppers to put in each of our rooms that we use to add some sort of heart theme. 

My desk needed a mug rug. 

And our table needed placemats. So, not very much done but enough to at least remind my husband that it is a special day on Sunday.  And, makes me feel happy to have a bit of cheerful decor.  No garden flag here!  And impossible to find a place to buy one. 

This panel was in with the fabrics and I added a couple of borders and it is now hanging on the wall where I like to put seasonal decor items. 

The first of my quilt tops made using my Rainbow scrap challenge blocks from 2020. 

These are two of the tops I have made using the happy block tutorial.  The second quilt top was made using blocks made by myself and by Penny, one of my Wednesday quilt diva friends.  She took a handful of 6.5" squares and surrounded them with frames and brought them back to me.  I had a second panel of Canadian cities so two quilts made for Quilts of Valour. And enough blocks left for at least one if not two, quilts to be made.

The scrappy log cabin is together and another scrap quilt from light and dark fabrics leftover from bindings and backings.  There is enough fabric in those two bins to keep going and make a few more!

This was the top I made using the first tutorial I posted... the 3 yard quilt and I used some of my Canadian fabrics for the centers. 

And there you have it.  I spent the day tidying, cleaning, organizing and shaking my head at how many projects I have on the go and not even going to count how many tops are now waiting for layering and quilting.  But, since I can't be in the warm weather at  my other house, I might as well be productive here while we wait, (not so patiently) for Canada to get vaccines for us seniors but not holding our breath.  We stay home, we stay safe and we try to be nice.