Last week of January 2019

 I wrote a short list last Sunday about my goals for the week and what I wanted to accomplish by the end of the month.  I spend quite a bit of my time on the tennis court and also watched many games from the Australian Open but I also managed some stitching time. I crossed off a few projects from my list but of course, managed to work on some quilts not on the list!

My goals:
- catch up on Sparrow blocks
- make #2 block for CQA
- stitch the gingham blocks together
- make the binding for the gingham quilt
- RSC blocks in red
- Quilter's Planner block for Jan
- 30" table topper Connecting Threads
- City View Connecting Threads.
- Charm quilt for Heartstrings challenge.
- Strippie kid's quilt

Blocks for the Sparrow Quilting: 50 blocks in 50 weeks.  Some of these are a bit time consuming and others are very simple.  The challenge is up to week 11 and I am not quite caught up but I also don't need all 52 blocks - 42 will be enough for a quilt for Quilts of Valour. So, I can afford to not make a block that I don't want to make.

The CQA challenge of 50 blocks in 50 weeks is a simple one.  The blocks finish at 6" so not a big consumption of time or fabric.

My gingham blocks got stitched together and the top is now folded and ready to be taken home for quilting. I might add a border to get it a little larger and again, will be a quilt for Quilts of Valour. The binding also got made but no picture.

The Rainbow scrap challenge challenge blocks are made using red as January's colour.  I did double duty on these, some are for me and are for Canada Stitches, the group that makes quilts for First Responders.  There is one destination that I like to contribute to, the Can Praxis horse camps at Rocky Mountain house, for treating those with PTSD and at the end, they are presented with a quilt at the end of their program.  A request for red and white churn dashes was sent out and I will share my blocks with them.

I also made a preemie quilt for my guild back home from charm squares and it is ready for the quilting and binding in March.

And then I ignored my list and worked on some blocks from a video I watched by Missouri Star.  I pulled out a layer cake and began making some of these blocks.

The pattern is "Out of Time" and the blocks stitch up quickly.  That is my favourite kind of block, goes together easily and quickly and make a 12" block so the quilt is finished in a timely manner, especially when it is for donation.

Today will be a no sewing day.  Time on the courts and then we are having a big salmon barbecue this afternoon with sockeye caught by my husband last summer. 

Hopefully, this week, I will get started on a few new projects from last week's list.
My goals:
- week 12 Sparrow blocks
- make #3 block for CQA
- Quilter's Planner block for Jan
- 30" table topper Connecting Threads
- City View Connecting Threads.
- Strippie kid's quilt
- finish blocks for Out of Time

Four days to accomplish a few of these.  

Feeling good about my stitching time.

I have been productive and have a couple of tops finished to the flimsy stage.
First, I worked on my Sparrow blocks: 50 blocks in 50 weeks.  This started 11 weeks ago and so I have some catching up to do. But some are made.  I am not doing them in order although I will eventually get there.  I really only need 30 blocks for a quilt top to make it 60" x 72" so some of the 'iffy to me" blocks might not get made?

A couple of my good quilting friends were chatting about a new method of trimming hst's.  I have been using this method for awhile and thought I should show you in case you haven't see in or done it before.  Just one step faster with the trimming.
Before you press your blocks open, line up the ruler with the stitching line and it really helps to have a proper ruler for this.  You can improvise but I find it faster to use the right tool for the job.  Find the size of the finished hst and trim two sides and THEN press them open. 

 The stitching line is under the 4.5" line on the ruler.

 The only issue with this method is that you are left with 'dog ears' and when you trim them off, they make a real mess... bits everywhere. 

Binding made for the two quilt tops I have on the go.

Villa Rosa, "something positive" is put together.  A good use of fat quarters.  Top is ready to head home for summer quilting.

Villa Rosa "Iceberg" is put together and a fast way to stitch up a jelly roll plus background fabric into a quilt top.  Another top that will go into the suitcase.
This is the first blocks of the CQA block challenge, 52 blocks in 52 weeks.  One done, 51 to go although with 6" finished blocks I need to figure out how many blocks with sashing I need for a finished quilt top that is approximately 60 x 70" 

The blocks are made for this project from Connecting Threads: Gingham squares.  Easy piecing although not my favourite to work 4" finished squares.  But it is ready to join all the blocks and get it off my design wall.

Now, a tidy up of my sewing room.  The vacuum is out and I will tidy and organize so I am prepped for stitching this week. 
My goals:
- catch up on Sparrow blocks
- make #2 block for CQA
- stitch the gingham blocks together
- make the binding for the gingham quilt
- RSC blocks in red
- Quilter's Planner block for Jan
- 30" table topper Connecting Threads
- City View Connecting Threads.
- Charm quilt for Heartstrings challenge.
- Strippie kid's quilt

If I can get some of these crossed off by next Sunday, I feel that I will be back on track with reducing my stash of scraps, fabrics and kits. The weather here in Arizona is warming up and is absolutely perfect. 

Back on Track, I think!

I spent some time last weekend and throughout this week, between housework and tennis, tidying and organizing all my projects here in Arizona.

My list is written and I am sad about just how many projects are here, crammed into containers, in my sewing closet.

But, I think I am doing well on a "no buy" plan for more fabric or supplies.  I really don't need to add to this.

I have projects fairly well organized in containers and have selected fabrics for my various blocks of the week/month(Sparrow Quilting)

 as well as my Quilter's planner blocks and have them ready to go.

But first, I wanted to finish my Busy Bee, Villa Rosa that I started in November.  However, I can't find the rail fences to go with these blocks.
I had to have taken them home in December?  They are no where to be found and I know I took home the binding so this has to wait until April to be worked on.
I did spend quite a bit of time trying to figure out what block(s) I want to make this year for the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge.  I have my red for January ready to go but still a bit undecided. 

My Cornerstone blocks are made - a kit from Craftsy last fall during the Black Friday sales.

This is my current project on my design wall.  It is a Villa Rosa pattern and is a good way to use some fat quarters. The blocks go together fairly quickly.

 I also have this kit cut up and am working on it while I watch the Australian Open tennis.  This is Iceberg from Villa Rosa - another Black Friday kit.

So, working away on a variety of projects and my design wall is now busy instead of the boring, blank, white wall that I have been staring at for the last few weeks.
Hopefully, by next week, I will have a few projects finished to the flimsy stage.
We had a great day yesterday, celebrating the grand opening of our new tennis courts.  They are terrific to play on and are much easier on our aging legs and much safer for us seniors.

January - new beginnings, both projects and life

I have been out of touch and I apologize but sadly, my mom got sick, was hospitalized and diagnosed with congenital heart disease and left us on December 17th.  While I wasn't surprised or depressed, it certainly seemed to affect my subconscious and I spent the few weeks reading (escaping?) and of course, a trip back to spring/summer home was planned. 
We are enduring some horrible rain and am so glad I don't have to spend my winters here in this dark and dreary weather!  UGH!

This was the picture we used in mom's obituary.  She was 91 years old and while we are sad at her passing, she is still with us in so many small ways that I can't help but think of her when doing ordinary tasks and her name comes up in conversations constantly.  We had a wonderful celebration of her life and the sun shone and red tailed hawk flew over the cemetery as we watched her ashes lowered into the ground. 
I did manage to finish up the table toppers before this happened and also a few coasters got made plus a fabric holder for bowls that get put into the microwave.

And then we had a houseguest arrive in mid December.  She is a jack russell and is used to long walks so daily exercise became mandatory.

And some baking got done.  Sausage rolls in memory of my mom and mince tarts which were my mother in laws specialty.  She even made her own mincemeat but not me. I do add lots of grated apple to store bought mincemeat to make the flavour a little milder.

And then we had a surprise visit from my grandson and he and the dog bonded immediately and they were good sleeping buddies.

And no sewing! 
We had a small Christmas dinner.

And then we flew home and have spent a week with traveling to and from Vancouver Island.  I did manage to tidy up my sewing space so will come home in the spring to an organized area which will be nice.  We head back to sunshine and cold temperatures soon and hopefully my next post will actually be about some quilting projects.  I am feeling keen to get my machine humming. 

In the meantime, a new beginning without mom and a new year to start fresh.  My first task is going to be list the leftover and newly created UFO's.  Happy New Year and a belated Merry Christmas.

Finally, some sewing and an update!

Here it is, Dec 7th and I am finally 'getting around to it".  Procrastination seems to be a family trait and I have had 'write blog' on my list of things to do for the last few weeks.
We arrived at our winter home and, right away, the social life gets better and lots of time on the tennis court and I decided to enjoy the heat with trips to the local library and do some reading.

Finally, I headed into my sewing room and looked around, shook my head and knew that I had make some lists and get myself organized.  In the meantime, my husband had a repair that I had to fix so that meant unpacking my sewing machine and getting it set up which also means digging out the spools of thread that I keep wrapped in zip-loc bags.  My machine (and my printer) are always packed away in heavy plastic with as much air removed as possible to help prevent parts from drying out in the summer.  We leave our a/c set at 90 while we are gone so things get hot and dry in our house.

It is always a feeling of relief and happiness when my printer works after being unpacked and getting it connected. 
The first project that inspired me to get stitching was a post from Canadian Quilter's Association (CQA) that next year, 2019, they were going to sponsor, along with Northcott Fabrics, the making of log cabin blocks for Quilts of Valour, Canada.  The block is easily available on the QOVC website and uses 2.5" strips.  It is preferable to use Northcott fabrics (Oh Canada) but any red or white fabrics are acceptable.  Since I didn't find out about this challenge/project until after arriving here, I don't have any of the Oh Canada fabrics available here.  So, I dug out all my red and white (more cream than white) and got busy cutting strips.

The blocks were laid out and sewing began. Who knew I had so much red fabric here.  Lots of variety!  Since the blocks finish at 10", it takes 42 blocks for a finished quilt 60" x 70". 

And the finished quilt with some extra blocks leftover.  CQA and QOVC are accepting blocks, tops and finished quilts.  Of course, finished quilts are the best and great projects for groups to work on. 
My quilt will get layered, quilted and bound next spring when I am back 'home'.

Of course, one the activities that happens here is U.S. Thanksgiving and black Friday sales.  With our dollar being the pits at the moment, I tried really hard to avoid purchasing much but Craftsy seems to have kits on sale at ridiculously cheap prices so I bought a few.  And, I dug out my projects on hand and found a few UFO's as well as kits waiting and patterns that I would like to make.
 We hosted Thanksgiving dinner, at our home and enjoyed the company of some of our friends.  Of course, Canadians love having two turkey dinners in the fall!

There are framed 16 patches from jelly roll strips, a Busy Bee kit that is from Villa Rosa and framed squares using 10" squares.

The framed 16 patches got put together into a quilt top.  Plus, two more kits pulled out and fabric cut, blocks stitched.  More good ideas for using 10" squares.

Then, I stopped!  Yesterday was a rainy day and I cleaned up the mess in the sewing room and dug out Christmas fabric.  I went through everything I seem to have on hand for the season and started making a few gifts.  My husband is enjoying some television shows that I don't enjoy (the Vikings..ugh) and so I have been stitching in the evenings while watching mindless Hallmark channel and feeling like Christmas just might be happening!  The tree is assembled, decorated and the house looks as festive as it is will get this season. 

Just in case I don't get back here in the next few weeks to update you, enjoy your Christmas and may you all be healthy and have lots of stitching time!