Slow stitching on a Sunday

I have a finish to share today!  I've been hand quilting this little quilt for the last couple weeks, and it is now done.  

I quilted this with a buttery yellow older Dual Duty "Extra Strong Hand Quilting" thread that has probably been in my stash for a very long time!   It even has the price on it: 99 cents!  It worked great, though - slid through the fabric so smoothly.

It was hard to decide what would make a good binding fabric, but I finally settled on a rusty red/orange Grunge.  Because this quilt was made from a charm pack, there are lots of colors in it: blues, yellow/greens, peach and red, but there is a bit of red/orange in lots of the prints.  I like how this turned out!

This is a small quilt, 32 x 32, and I don't really know who it's going to yet.  Maybe it will cuddle a little one someday, or maybe it will just hang out on the back of my couch.  I definitely enjoyed making it, though!

After I finished up this quilt, I was ready for a new slow stitching project, and decided to try some EPP again.  I've been thread-basting hexies, and have one little flower sewn together.  Today I'll be stitching up this blue one.  I haven't decided how many of these I'll make yet, but I'm definitely enjoying the process!

Sharing at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.

Watermelon with Friends

aka my April Table Scraps project!

Hunting around for *who knows what?* earlier in the month, I came across this watermelon print that is leftover from a tote bag I made years ago.   Combined with some strips of a text fabric (a wide backing that I've used in multiple projects!) and a fat quarter of a typewriter print, I thought this could turn into something fun.

And it did!

The text fabric was in a strip, too narrow to cut 2.5 inch pieces, so I cut 2 inch x 4.5 inch pieces, and the watermelons at 3 inches.  Sewn together, they ended up as 4.5 inch squares.

There are lots of good words in the text fabric:  hearts, friends, jokes, angels, happy...

There was plenty of the watermelon print left for the backing, too.

You've seen this view before, in between our comfy chairs.  It's been fun making something new for this table every month!

Here are all the utility mats I've made for this space so far this year.  You can tell that the older ones have been washed already - they're well used!

In other scrappy sewing this week, I've been making a rainbow of crumb blocks.

Can you guess what I'm making?  Someone will know!  😊

Sharing at The Joyful Quilter for the April Table Scraps link-up,

 at SoScrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday, 

and at Quilting is More Fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!

I Like Thursday #284

It's the last week of April - always amazing how the months fly by, even if some of the days have been slow.  We're starting to get some nicer, and less windy, weather here, finally, and lots more trees are leafing out.  I managed to successfully grow a few pretty tulips (after the daffodils disappeared and a bunch of tulips froze)!

We enjoyed our visit with our son last weekend, and while we were together he introduced us to another word game, a variation of Wordle called Quordle.  In this game you try to guess four words with nine tries.  Yes, it's challenging!  I think I've managed to get3 of the 4 words one time since I started playing it, usually I get two of them.

Find it at quordle.com.

I've continued on my William Kent Krueger mystery obsession.  Finished one to take back to the library, and just starting on the next.  Good stories, and interesting with so much Native American culture woven throughout.

We were looking for another show to watch and decided to try a few episodes of "Shakespeare and Hathaway" on BritBox.  They are private investigators in Stratford-upon-Avon.  Murder mysteries, but a little lighter than some with quirky characters.

I finished up the hand-quilting on this quilt, and need to figure out the binding for it, but meanwhile I've been wanting to try some English Paper-Piecing again.  The last time I worked on an EPP project, I glue basted the fabric to the papers, but I decided to to try thread-basting this time.  Thanks go to my friend, Karen, at Karen's Quilting, for sending me a video link about the process!  

I was a bit all thumbs at first, but I'm sure I'll get better at it!

My niece who has started quilting, shared this on Facebook the other day, and I thought it was pretty cute.   And true, lol!

Hope you're having a great week!  

I'm joining in with LeeAnna and friends 

for "I Like Thursday" at Not Afraid of Color.

 

Pop Star update and To-Do Tuesday #135

On my to-do list last week was to get started cutting for the PopStar QAL at mmmquilts, which I never actually got around to!  Since the first sewing steps were released on Saturday, I ended up cutting a little and sewing a little, which works out just fine.  We're starting with HSTs and flying geese.  I'm already liking the blues with w-o-w background - very soothing!

Some pieces are sewn and trimmed to size, others still in progress.  I'll keep going on these this week, and should be ready for the next steps coming up on Saturday.

What else was on last week's list?

• Add a small border to the top and bottom of Full Stop.  ✔  Done!  See my post here.
• Finish up the April Table Scraps project.  ✔  Done!  Need to write up a post about it to share at the end of the week.

Up next for the coming week:

• Keep going on PopStar sewing - HSTs and flying geese
• Finish up quilting on Charm Pack quilt, get binding made and sewn on.
• Finally finish this little embroidery design into a pillow cover.  It's been on the list before, but I set it aside.  Now my friend's birthday is coming up next week, so I'd better get on that!

Joining in with Linda and friends at Texas Quilt Gal for the To-Do Tuesday link-up! 

Still quilting

Almost every evening lately, I've spent some time hand quilting this small quilt.  I started from the center and worked my way out to the edges.  Some areas are quilted on the diagonal, others echoing the seam lines.

Finishing up the corners now.

Here's a peek at the back.  The color didn't photograph well - it looks gray in this photo, but it's actually more of an olive green.  I'm happy with the design my quilting is making, though!

This will be today's Sunday slow stitching while we watch the next episode of Call the Midwife on PBS.  Love that show!  Also linking up with the stitchers at Kathy's Quilts. 

Writing Rainbow

Remember that wonderful PBS show for kids hosted by LeVar Burton - "Reading Rainbow?"  My kids and I loved that show - I think we mostly watched it in the 80s, although I saw that it had 21 seasons, lasting until 2006.

Image Source

I was thinking of that show this week as I finished up my Full Stop Quilt top.  I think I'll rename this quilt Writing Rainbow as it's definitely a rainbow of writing symbols!  

I added strips of the rainbow dots that were leftover from this quilt to the top and bottom to give the quilt more length.  It measures about 50 x 64 now.

I think my favorite row to make was the question marks!  I really like how they turned out.

This brings the number of RSC quilt tops that are in the "waiting to be quilted queue" to three at my house!  I guess it's time that I found some backings and got going on that job!

Sharing at SoScrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday and at 

Quilting is More Fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!

I Like Thursday #283

Happy Thursday, friends!  I'm just popping in for a quick post today because it's been a busy week without much time for photos, but I've definitely found some things to enjoy!

     *a family get together on Easter Sunday

     *the first golf outing of the year with friends 

     *trees leafing out and more Spring flowers blooming

We're headed out on a quick road trip to visit our oldest son, so I'll be away from blogland for a few days.  I did have a chance to sew up a quick pillow cover for a gift for my son.  He's a big Colorado Rockies baseball fan, so this fabric seemed appropriate!

Have a great rest of the week!  Back soon!

Be sure to check out all the "I Like Thursday" posts at Not Afraid of Color.

To-Do Tuesday #134

Good morning!   I'm joining in with Linda and friends at Texas Quilt Gal for the To-Do Tuesday link-up, sharing what I've been working on and my new list for this coming week.

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter!  I hosted dinner for my mom and several other extended family members, so that made the weekend pretty busy with preparing, hosting, and clean up, but it was all worth it.  Of course, I was so into all of that I never took a single picture, so you'll just have to take my word for it!  

In the sewing room, progress has been made on my list from last week:

• The main section of Full Stop is together!

This measures about 50 x 60, and I'd like it to be a little longer, 

so I think I'll add a border at top and bottom before I consider it a completed top.

• Pink blocks for my current Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks are completed for April:

• One pillow cover is finished, see my Sunday post here.
• And, I'm continuing to hand quilt the charm pack quilt, but no photos.

What's up for this week?

• A border on Full Stop
• Work on my April Table Scraps project - top is done and it's ready to quilt.
• Start cutting for PopStar QAL.  So far, I'm just getting myself organized for that job - pressing fabric, making a list of what's needed, and designating a project box for the pieces.  Hopefully, I'll be able to start sewing next weekend when the first steps are released.

It should be a busy week!  

A little finish for Easter

Happy Easter, friends!  I finished up Mrs. March Hare into a small pillow to decorate the living room couch.  She's kind of fun for the holiday, isn't she?!

I made an envelope backing out of some leftover chunks of a wide backing that were in my stash.  

For most of the week, my slow stitching has been quilting on the small charm pack quilt that I shared in last Sunday's post.   But I do have another Kathy Schmitz embroidery design traced and started if I find myself needing something different to work on.  This one is called "Flutterby" from the 2021 One Stitch at a Time Club.

Wishing you a wonderful day, however you spend it!

Sharing at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.

A little more with pink...

In my Thursday post, I shared that I had lots of tulips ready to bloom, and then we had a record low temperature Wednesday morning, which resulted in the poor tulips all bent over and laid out on the ground!  They never did perk up, so rather than give up on them, I went out later in the day and cut a bunch to bring in and see if I could save them.

And look!

There's some pretty pink!

In the sewing room, I've been finishing up my pink blocks for the month - Masala Boxes and Chandelier blocks.

It's always fun to put groups of blocks up on the design wall as I add the new colors.  Here's how my design wall is looking this week.

I made two chandelier blocks in every color last year, 

so decided to add two more in each color this year.

Progress!

Sharing at SoScrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday and at 

Quilting is More Fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!

I Like Thursday #282

Spring is trying to make some headway in Colorado these days.  In between lots of cold, windy days, we'll have a day or two that is really nice and it's enjoyable to get outside for exercise or some work in the yard.

About once a week, I meet a friend for a walk at some trails out on the eastern side of our city.  Here was my view last Friday while I waited for her.  It was a gorgeous day!

Things are greening up and growing, and Spring brings lots of sounds I enjoy hearing.  The grape hyacinths have been attracting lots of bees, and if you get down close to them, there's a buzzing hum that's fun to hear.  So glad I can the bees to come to my yard!

I took this photo on Sunday, and maybe you can see the tulips in the background.  I think they're close to blooming, but this (Wednesday) morning, they're not very happy with our record overnight low temp of 14 degrees! 

Sunday was nice enough that we were able to spend some time cleaning off our back porch so that we can enjoy sitting out there as the weather gets warmer.  This little guy hung out with us in the yard the whole time.  I thought we'd scare him away with all the activity, but we didn't!

Speaking of bunnies, I finished up that carrot I made a couple weeks ago into this mug rug for my mom.  This was a fun, quick project!

And one last thing to share today- my good book for the week.  I have read several recent books by William Kent Krueger in the last couple years, but I hadn't got back to the Cork O'Connor series since before I started keeping track of my reading list in 2017!  I wasn't exactly sure where I left off, so I just picked one, and this one didn't disappoint!  It's a page turner!

I really like the way Krueger weaves Native American language and culture into these stories.  His stories help me understand and see from a different point of view - which I think is a really good thing!

Hope you're having a great week!  

I'm joining in with "I Like Thursday," hosted by LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color.

To-Do Tuesday #133

Good morning!   I'm joining in with Linda and friends at Texas Quilt Gal for the To-Do Tuesday link-up, sharing what I've been working on and my new list for this coming week.

It's been a cold, windy week here, so that has meant plenty of time for sewing, and I've gotten quite a bit done!   

On last week's list:

• Make progress on Full Stop.  ✔  The top four rows are ready to sew together!

• Make progress on turning the two embroidery designs into pillow covers. ✔  The first step in that process is to layer the top onto some batting, and do some simple quilting.  Here's Mrs. March Hare all quilted up!

The next step here is to make the pieces for the envelope backing, and get the whole cover sewn together.  It would nice to be able to have this pillow on display for Easter!

• I also made progress on quilting the charm pack quilt, see my post here, and staying caught up with pink Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks for April, posted about here.

Since all of these projects are ongoing, they'll stay on the list, with more progress on them as my goal.  But I am adding one more to-do, and that involves some new fabric!

This is my purchase for Sandra's Pop Star QAL that has just started.

Cutting instructions will be posted this coming Saturday, 

so it will be time to get going on that.  I'm excited to get started on this one!

Plenty to work on this week!  

Hand quilting on a slow stitching Sunday

Earlier this week I shared this photo of a small quilt top I had finished up, and was hoping to get it ready for quilting soon.

I hadn't considered hand quilting it, until my friend Linda brought it up, and pretty soon I was thinking, "Why not?!"  So I pieced a backing, got the quilt sandwich made, and started putting some stitches in.

The backing is a little more green than the brown it looks in this photo

 - kind of an olive-green - but perfect for this quilt!

I found some very old, but pretty yellow thread specifically made for hand quilting, so thought I would use that.  It's going along very nicely!

This will be my slow Sunday Stitching today, and probably for several more days!

Sharing at Kathy's Quilts.