One month, missing in action

I have been struggling to find time to spend with my sewing machine and while I have managed an hour there and there, not a lot has been accomplished to show you.

But, there is an upside.  I have filled 140 mugs for Quilts of Valour. 

And I updated my sample of the blocks that can be found in a mug to make for a Hug Across the Nation quilt.

Plus, I made a presentation of three Quilts of Valour to some deserving veterans in Langley, BC last week. 

I have been worked on making 16 patch blocks and have lots of blocks made plus, managed to quilt one of the quilt tops that I brought home from my winter house.

And another 16 patch on my design wall just waiting to have the blocks joined.

And finally, have been working on a Yellow Brick Road, making lots of blocks from kid's prints.  My Wednesday quilting group wanted to learn how to make the pattern so we all brought a variety of fat quarters to our weekly meeting and began cutting.  Then we sorted out the various pieces we needed and took them home for the stitching and the next cutting step.
I have all my blocks made and am making a preemie quilt from some of them and a slightly larger quilt from the rest. There are some really fun prints and lots of variety with our mixing and matching of fabrics. 

And I am really hoping that my slump is over and I will be back on a regular stitching schedule.

Back in my other house for spring and summer seasons

Home but not very organized.  I did a major cleanout and tidying of my sewing space in Arizona.  It was a good opportunity to bring home lots of supplies since we were driving which is unusual for us to do.  I filled the back of the vehicle with all my treasures and they are still piled up around my sewing space here in BC.  Oh well... one day at a time.
But look how nice it looks in Arizona.  This is what I will return to... a place for everything and everything in it's place!  Just how I like it.

I did make blocks out of a Downton Abby jelly roll before I left but wasn't happy with the blocks.  I think I need more so packed up some of the other fabrics I had that go with the blocks and will make more to get to to the size I want. And it might look better with a border? 

And some of my 9 patches made it into this quilt top and it is now here with me, ready to be quilted and donated to Quilts of Valour.

Our quilt group in Mesa had a one day quilt show the Saturday before I left and these are some pictures of a few of the projects that caught my eye, for one reason or another.  One of these is the paint chip challenge that we held and I did post a picture of mine earlier but here it is again with the tag on it showing 3 of the chips I used.

 Great idea for my Aunt Gracie fabrics?

 Fun scrappy quilt?

 Took this picture to show my friends who do a lot of machine embroidery

 Love this use of batiks

 I have this pattern so this is inspiration to get it out and make a table runner

 Really interesting placemats.

 And more placemats that were part of the paint chip challenge

 I like this idea for a setting for more of my 9 patch blocks

 Another good idea for a scrap quilt. 

 Interesting block that creates a scrappy quilt and loved the quilting on it.

The pressure is on for finishing some projects

I need to finish up some projects.  I don't like to leave projects here and try to remember when I return, what I was planning or thinking.  And I need projects that I am taking home with me to be at a stage where it is easy to pack them up and not have to remember what I was intending to do to finish.
So, with that in mind....

My Christmas batik snowball quilt top is now on a hanger in the closet here waiting for quilting and binding when I return in the fall.

And my hot peppers Patchability is hanging on the wall, completed.

One table topper completed and donated to our craft show. 

And a few St. Patrick's day projects completed, added to the decor around the house.

A cute table topper with kitchen utensils completed.

My flying geese polka dot quilt top is packed and ready to take home for quilting and binding. I am thinking that this might look better with background added for border all around to set off the geese so remembered to pack the extra white fabric. 

I got the borders onto 42 of my 9 patch blocks and this is now stitched and ready to head home for quilting.  I like how it looks.  Now, have to decide how to set the remainder of the 9 patch blocks.

These 16 patch blocks were organized for cutting in December.  I went through a lot of my fat quarters and chose ones that I just had no idea what to do with and matched them up with other fabrics that were a little calmer but still questionable as to what project they would work in.  The result is a stack of blocks ready to be put into a quilt.  I did cut these a little wider - 4.5" which makes the finished block a little larger.

The last of my projects that I want to get completed before we leave is a jelly roll of Downton Abbey fabrics.  Seems that since this Sunday is the very last show of the very last season, I should get something put together in memory of such a wonderful series.  So, this is in progress and am determined to finish the blocks to take home and have packed some more fabric to go with that I can use for a border and binding.

And A FINISHED project.  A UFO is complete.  Not a very old UFO.  This is a challenge here in the park with the Sunland Stitchers and since our quilt show is this Friday and since this is entered into the challenge, it had to be finished.  I chose paint chips according to my initials.  I didn't write down the name of the colours I chose and have handed my paint chips in already so will have to update the blog when I get the names back.
I had my paint chips and matching fabrics chosen last summer and then the fabrics waited.. patiently... for me to get the cutting and stitching done.  The cutting got done and then more waiting... and all these fabrics are from my stash!

The end is near....

We are driving home in March to take our Canadian vehicle back to BC to sell because insuring an out of province vehicle is getting more difficult to do. We did try to license our vehicle here in Arizona but had no success... darn Canadian vehicles aren't made to the U.S. standards!  The nasty part is that I have to spend three or four days in an enclosed space with a cranky husband who detests driving but the good news is that it is a great time for me to sort through my accumulated projects, patterns and books as well as fabric and can easily get them back to my 'other' sewing space.

So, the end is near and we will be leaving within the next few weeks  to ensure that we have enough time to return to BC before our travel insurance expires and we are taking into account the time that we might need to spend if our vehicle breaks down and needs some mechanical work done on it.  (UGH... what a horrible thought).

I have been playing many hours of tennis and suddenly realize that I have so many projects on the go that I need to get myself into a finishing mental state both for taking things home, leaving things here reasonably organized and also want to finish a few projects for our upcoming quilt show here in our village.

My flying geese are on their way to being stitched together. 

I have been playing with variations on my 9 patch blocks that I decided in January to join up with a block a  day challenge.  The pile of 9 patches continues to grow and these are two ideas I like.  I might have enough blocks to make a quilt from each idea. One is an H Block and the other is using up turquoise strips to surround the blocks. After looking at these pictures, I like the H block better using dark on the outer edges but will see how they all look after I have made a few more. 

I managed to make three Easter pillowcases to donate to my quilting group's craft sale table.  They make a decent amount of money with their craft sales and that supplies the group with backing, batting and other essentials to make donation quilts as well as enough funds to donate generously to local community groups here in Mesa.  Easter is early this year and I realized when I had the idea of making pillowcases that I have no Easter fabric here..oh gee, had to go shopping!

Then I got busy with making a table topper for St. Patrick's Day.  This is the same pattern that I mention below, from Connecting Threads.

And I am busy working on my blocks for a Christmas quilt... boring to make the quick corners on lots and lots of rectangles but almost there!

I also stitched up a table topper from a Connecting Threads kit and love the pattern... made a few at Christmas with this pattern, and also made another quick table runner from Quilter's Quarters.  Plus my Patchabilities southwest hanging is ready for stitching and binding.

And I did spend yesterday getting my recent projects layered and made lots of bindings so now, the handwork begins to stitch these all down and be able to post pictures of FINISHED projects.  So many on the go and nothing ready to be used.... yet... but soon! I have a quilt pictured that I did not make, but I did quilt and will bind that is a donation quilt made by Sunland Stitchers.  Don't get to quilting meetings because I have an overlap with tennis practise at the same time they meet but am still trying to do my part and contribute to the donation program. The other large quilt is my paint chips challenge which is quilted and ready for binding!  Things are moving along slowly but surely.

Ten days into February

It seems that 2016 is moving along quickly, lots of tennis but not a lot of quilting getting accomplished.  I did manage to get two quilt tops completed, ready to take home for quilting and binding.  So many project ideas and it feels like too little time but doing what I can when I have time and energy.

I put together a split 9 patch using 5" squares.

And a fun quilt top made from a Villa Rosa pattern, Portlandia. A great pattern that uses fat eighths but I think you could use fat quarters and just have more of the same fabric rectangles.  Goes together quickly and easily.

More on my design wall that I am working on stitching together.