April 2023 accountability

 The last week of the month and I have been looking over my lists of projects and figuring out what I have accomplished. 

My main goal was to work on using up some scraps and to move quilt tops from hangers to finished.  Both were fairly successful. My finished quilts for April include: Town Square 3 yard quilt.

Patterns by Jen - block of the month from 2022. These are blocks that I  made two of each month, reversing the light and darks.

Kimberley by Gudrun Designs made using a Kaffe Fasset layer cake plus a few extras from my stash to get the quilt to the size I wanted.

And strip log cabins using fabrics from my light and dark bins that are mainly left over backing and binding pieces.  I had to supplement the lights from my neutral fabric scrap bin.  

Favourite things is another 3 yard quilt made using slightly more yardage.  I cut the centers from fabrics I had on hand that were leftover from making other Canadian themed quilts and will be donated to Quilts of Valour. 

My white board has a list on the left of quilt tops living on hangers and on the right are the ones completed so far this year. 

I have three more quilt tops with batting and backings cut, waiting to be loaded on the quilt frame and quilted and then bound.  I won't get through these by Sunday but at least they are ready and waiting.

My first row for the row x row monthly challenge is completed other than the final stitching down of the applique but will wait until I have 6 rows ready to stitch. 

The strip trellis from Jordan Fabrics (free pattern) is growing and I think I have enough blocks to make a Quilt of Valour.  These are all Canadian themed leftover strips and am using up all kinds of small bits.  I found more when I went to put away what I had been using so ready to make another set of blocks.  They only need to be 7" long so great way to get rid of those smaller pieces. 

Our Christmas cactus is thriving and blooming ... and it bloomed at Thanksgiving so what is with this happy plant? 

The following pictures show the tea room at our guild's quilt show last weekend.  I was asked to put up a display of Quilts of Valour so dug through my stack of quilts and tried to showcase a good variety made by various quilters.  

There is an all day quilt retreat on Saturday that was orginally planned and got cancelled  at the beginning of the covid outbreak.  It will be one long and intense sewing day! I have a variety of projects cut and ready to stitch which means I will be coming home with more quilt tops to fill up my hangers again.  I keep hoping my fabric stash is diminishing and trying very hard to not add to it. 

The best part of my week is that the sun is shining, the tennis courts are dry and it is warmer and drier!  Love sunshine but I know it won't last long and the relentless rain will return but am enjoying this taste of spring!

Rain, drizzle, more rain and a wee bit of sunshine.

 It is April in the Pacific Northwest.  Today is Easter Sunday and my memory recalls egg hunts in sunshine, rain, and snow and some bitterly cold weather, none of which deterred the outside hunt for the treasures that were hidden. 

Today, however, am glad I didn't have to hide eggs in this weather although yesterday was a bit of reprieve with no rain falling though the ground is wet and muddy and makes me glad we are no longer on our farm with chores to do in gumboots and rain slickers. 

We have been back in our spring/summer and autumn home and it is a bit of a shock to go from sunshine and daily tennis, doors and windows open to feel like we are back in winter.  It also means more inside time for sewing and reading.  But, harder to stay fit and easier to keep snacking on foods that are filling and not so healthy.  Salad in this weather just isn't appealing. 

I caught up on my Rainbow scrap challenge for March and April using greens and purples from the scrap bins.  

On my Heartstrings group, a quilter posted a block pattern for making this arrangement using smaller widths and lengths of strips so I pulled out my bin of Canadian themed fabric scraps and played around with the idea.  Easy to do this as a leader and ender project while working on another project.

I started these Bento box blocks while in Arizona and then realized I had another half jelly roll the same and with more blocks, can probably make two smaller quilts? The fabric has letters on it so not sure of the recipient - a child or maybe a teacher? Below the blocks is my first row x row for April.  I didn't have a fabric kit for it so am pulling fabrics from my stash.  The applique is traced and fused and waiting for me to attach.

A nice stack of the strips from the block above that now need the corner triangles attached.  A very messy project but using up fabric that otherwise would be sitting there.

More Bento boxes waiting for the final step in finishing them.

The purple plus blocks made for April. 

I have a large number of quilts waiting for being loaded on the B-line and quilted.  However one did get loaded and stitched yesterday so it is a start.

A 3 yard Town Square is ready for binding.

And, the binding strips are cut, waiting for the next step.

I have spent this morning tidying up and organizing.  Lots of activities and appointments for the next three weeks.  Dental work needs to be done, Doctor's appointment for my husband, a Modern guild sew in on Saturday, two different guild meetings this week, a fun afternoon/evening celebrating the 25th anniversary of the school that we both retired from, and a one day retreat with the modern guild that was postponed during covid.  Also, my traditional guild is having a two day quilt show and I will be judging quilts as  Past president and will also have a Quilt of Valour booth for information about the organization.  

We went from a sunny March with cacti blooming in Arizona to some dismal weather here at home. 

However, we do have some daffodils blooming and the grass is green and growing, slowly.

My Christmas cactus has decided to bloom again which is lovely on these gloomy days. 

Off to get another quilt loaded on the B-line and get myself organized for the upcoming guild meetings.  Lots of trips up and down the stairs to load up my car with what I want to take for show and tell as well as quilts to donate to various causes.  Happy Easter and I hope you got to share with family and friends.