An EPP Finish

Just yesterday I finished up a long-term English Paper Piecing project that I think I must have started back in 2017!

This is the first picture I could find of the hexies from when I originally began making them - July of 2017.

They are made from a mini charm pack of Persimmon by Basic Grey.

Over time they turned into diamond shapes - 

and the diamonds were connected with a light blue Kona solid.

I added one row of a neutral Grunge Dots as a final border.

In recent months I've been hand quilting this tablerunner - 

To finish the edges, I decided to trim off the neutral hexies to create a straight edge.

I folded over the edge of the backing to create the binding - and stitched that down on Friday night.

After a quick hand wash, and run through the dryer, it's finished!

This has been a great learning experience, and I still have lots more to learn about this kind of hand stitching!  I will definitely try another EPP project - it's been a great take along project, as well as perfect for evening sewing time while watching TV.

For now, I'm pleased to have this little project completed - and completely done by hand!

Sharing at Quilting is more fun than Housework for Oh Scrap, and 

Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.

The End of August

I think I say this every month lately - but where did August go?  Even though September has always been a favorite month of mine, I'm still not quite ready for it this year.

The color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge has been light blue, and I've really enjoyed my time with the light blue scraps!  This week, I finished up the last light blue Tiny Tuesday block, an hourglass block.  Angela generously gave us tutorials for three different sizes, and I chose the middle size.

I had fun laying all my blocks out on the design wall yesterday.  That's a fun rainbow!

I also worked on my string blocks this week.  I had been thinking I needed an alternate block for this quilt that was a bit different, so this month I made each block half blue and half neutral.

They could be sewn together like this -

Or this!

Here's what I chose - 

I think I'll make the purple one this same way.

Maybe some all neutral blocks will be made, too!

Hope you've had a great week with your light blue scraps!  

Sharing at Soscrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday.

I Like Thursday #149 - garden, sewing, and a book

Good morning, friends!  Thanks for visiting my "I Like Thursday" post, and be sure to visit all the other bloggers who link up their positive posts with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color every Thursday morning.

The other day I liked this temperature on our weather station at about noonish.

A couple days before, at about the same time, it was reading 100 degrees, so this change in the temperature was much appreciated!

I like pulling carrots out of my garden to have with dinner!

Makes me feel like at least I can grow *something.* 😍

But then, look what I found growing!

Finally, some peppers, and a few cherry tomatoes, too.

I like sewing string blocks.

I've been making these every month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

This month I decided to try an alternate block with only half being the light blue, and the other half sewn with neutrals.

I like this!

More about these blocks in my RSC Saturday post.

This week I've been reading a book from the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr.  Thanks to Karen at Karen Quilts, etc, for recommending this series earlier this year.  

I've been making my way through the series little by little, downloading the ebooks from my library whenever the next one is available.

I've liked these books because, although they are romances, they also have good storylines about how the characters take care of their families and solve problems in their community.  Very enjoyable reads!

Have a great Thursday, friends!

To - Do Tuesday #3

I'm joining in with Roseanne at Home Sewn by Us for To - Do Tuesday again this week.  Hope your week is getting off to a great start!

On my list last Tuesday:

1.  Finish the sashing on my last basket block and get the top sewn together.  ✔

In fact, I added an outer border and got the whole piece spray basted so that I can start quilting it.

2.  Get caught up on the Tiny Tuesday blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. ✔

All set with the August blocks so far!

There should be a new block out sometime today to work on for this week.

3.  Hand work projects for slow stitching.  ✔

Finished this one - now have to make a decision on what I will turn it into!

4.  Blue and white hand-pieced blocks - haven't gotten back to this one yet because I've been so into the embroidery.

5.  My mom's visit - ✔  She is safely back home in Arizona and reports that she had a great time in Colorado!  

To - Dos for this week:

1.  Quilt and bind the basket quilt.

2.  New Tiny Tuesday block.

3/4. Hand- stitching projects - 

I realized that I'm close to finishing the hand quilting on this hexie tablerunner that I've been working on forever, so I'm going to try to finish it up this week!

5.  Help out a friend whose mom passed away last week.  Many of her extended family are coming into town this week, so a group of us are helping out with food.  Today's job is to make a pasta salad to go with another friend's main dish.

Guess I'd better get to work!  Have a great week, everyone!

Patchwork and Embroidery Update

I've enjoyed spending some time just about every evening this week slow stitching on my latest Gail Pan embroidery piece.  It won't take much longer to finish it up!

In the book, this design is made into an adorable tote bag, which would be fun to have for carrying future embroidery projects!

Meanwhile, I've finished the sashing on the basket blocks and stitched them all together as well.

I've been thinking this needs an additional border, and there's lots of the cream with flowers left to use for that purpose!

Hopefully, there will be enough of the green or red for binding!

Sharing at Quilting is more fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!

And at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.

Mellow Blue

I'm getting caught up on this month's Tiny Tuesday blocks - a few one inch pieces at a time!  I loved picking out lots of different pieces for this week's quarter log cabin.

And here are my blues with their gray sashing.

Along the way, a light blue crumb block was stitched up as well.

I love our quilty blogging community so much!  People are always so kind and generous!  Thank you, Libby from Life on the Hill, for sending me a package of blue sky scraps to add to my Scrappy Sprouts and Sky project.

And thank you, Kate from Life in Pieces, for messing around in Photo Shop with my very dull picture of my low volume Bright Hopes blocks and sending me such a good result!

So much better!

Happy ScrapHappy Saturday, everyone!  Sharing at SoScrappy.

I Like Thursday #148 - This and That

Happy Thursday, friends!  The kids have gone back to school in my city, and my retired teacher friends and I are celebrating NOT being there!

My mom and I made our peach pie, and it is delicious!  I love Colorado peaches - so tasty and sweet.  I liked this picture of my bowl full of sliced peaches before baking.

And here's an "after" picture - yummy!

My sister and I always take Mom to a movie when she is visiting,  and this time we chose this one.

We really liked it!  I had read the book years ago, but didn't remember the story.

I should warn you, this movie requires a pack of tissues - but Enzo, the dog, is just wonderful!

The other day, when we took Mom on a picnic, we visited a park that is up the Big Thompson Canyon a ways (towards Estes Park). It was terribly damaged in the 2013 flood, and just recently reopened.  They have let it go back to a more natural setting, rather than a grassy lawn like more typical city parks, but I liked it.

We enjoyed our lunch and then wandered around the paths a bit. 

 This is a view of the river running through the park.

I was able to get a little time at my sewing machine the other day, so I finished up this re-do of last week's Tiny Tuesday block for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I wasn't happy with my first attempt, and like this one much better!

Mike and I play a game of cribbage every night, and the other day he got what is considered a "perfect" hand.  It's worth 29 points!  (Yes, he won the game!)

And, finally, I had to show you one more picture of my marigold garden, because it has changed and gotten even prettier.  The larkspur is blooming now, and makes a lovely contrast with all the yellow-y orange of the marigolds.

That would make a pretty quilt!

Hope you're having a great week!  Join us over at Not Afraid of Color for lots more positive posts.

To-Do Tuesday #2

Say that 5 times fast!  (wink!)

I went back and reread last week's Tuesday post, and as I expected, everything has been moved along, but nothing completed.  I guess that's life, right?!

1.  Finish my last embroidered basket block - Done!
This week, I hope to finish its borders and get this little top sewn together.  I'd also like to get it layered and basted for quilting.

2.  Tiny Tuesday blocks - Ongoing

Both of last week's blocks are still in progress, with the Double Nine Patch needing to be redone.  I won't have any time at the sewing machine until Thursday or Friday, but I'll get there!  :)

3.  Prep hand stitching projects to work on while my mom is visiting - Done!

I've been working on the new embroidery piece each evening, and will continue that until it's completed.  The pattern called for a reddish brown variegated floss, which I couldn't find, so I'm using a variegated dark red instead.

4.  I also cut pieces for a couple of the blue and white hand pieced blocks I'm slowly stitching, but haven't worked on those yet.

5.  Enjoy the time with my mom and other family members who are around while she is here - Ongoing!

We went to one of our mountain parks the other day and had a picnic.  Fun!

"Sure, Mike, go ahead and take a picture before we're ready..."

😘

We've also gone to a really good movie and made the peach pie, among other things, but more about that in another post!  My mom's visit continues for a few more days.

Hope your week is getting off to a good start!  Linking up with Roseanne at Home Sewn By Us for To- Do Tuesday!

A Few Blocks at a Time

Awhile back I started making these low volume Bright Hopes blocks, inspired by Cathy at Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting, and using this tutorial from Red Pepper Quilts.

Here's how they looked the last time I had them on my design wall.  I wish I could get a brighter photo of them - this is what my camera produces!

They're so easy to make - for a 6.5 inch block you need a center 2.5 inch square and 4 rectangles that measure 2.5 x 4.5.

I'm using all low volume fabrics on a white background with pops of pink and turquoise here and there.

I've got a stack of pieces cut so that I can make a few blocks whenever I feel like it!

I've made about 40 blocks - I think I will shoot for 80, to make a lap quilt about 48 x 60.  I'll just keeping making a few blocks at a time!

Sharing at Quilting is more fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

This has been a week full of time with family, so only a little bit of sewing accomplished that I can share.

But first thank you to everyone who commented on last week's Rainbow Scrap Challenge post about my Scrappy Sprouts quilt!  I really got lots of ideas, and made a small start on some changes.

I took all of the medium blue squares off the wall, and added a row of neutral squares before putting some lighter blue squares above that row.   

What about adding a light blue butterfly?

So, a small step on that project.

This week, I also stitched up Libby's Tiny Tuesday block - 

Two steps forward!  :)

Then I made an attempt at Angela's Double Nine Patch for this week.

Now in spite of being a bit wonky,  I could probably live with this one, except I don't really like the way I've got the colors arranged - the balance is off.

One step back...

I decided to start over!

Before I needed to quit for the day, I had these little pieces and parts ready to sew together.

I don't know if you can tell, but I think I'll be happier with this one.

I'll get it finished up later this week after my mom's visit is over.

Sharing at Soscrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday!