Monday Meanderings 5 - 31 - 2021

Here we are at the beginning of summer -- Memorial Day, 2021. For many of us it is a happy, three day weekend.  For some it is a solemn day of remembering family members and friends who lost their lives helping to protect those of us who live in the USA.  Although I have relatives who served in WW 1, WW 2, Korean Conflict and Viet Nam, none of my relatives died during their service.  I count myself very lucky.  On this day of remembrance I offer this quote to remind us: 

Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay. - Barack Obama 

Over the weekend we were so happy to have a visit from Kevin and his children.  I thank the rainy weekend for his visit on Sunday and a long chat on the phone Sat.  We all had a great time.  Ellie and I played with our dolls, Theo and I played with Legos until he said he wanted to do it himself.  Kevin and Pat played in the workshop.  Everyone was happy!  And for those of you who travel I 95 he made it down to us in about 45 minutes. Wow! Not so good going back up though. 

Today I'm sharing two quilts that I'm sending west for the Hands 2 Help campaign.  

First up going to Little Lambs Foundation is this flannel quilt. Both the top and the backing are flannel.  You can see more pictures here.

And going to Quilts for Happy Chemo is this Propeller Quilt made during a Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Click here for more pictures of Propeller. 

Both will be going into the mail this week. (Hey, it's even on my goals list to make sure I do it!) 

Speaking of goals here's what I succeeded with last week. Notice one is a finish.  Look for it Friday unless I can't get some great pictures. 

5/24/2021

Finish red table runner (or mat?)✅ You can see it here.

Cut out and sew a new quilt — not yet -- pattern and fabric are chosen.

Bind quilt from Chunky Churn Dash Quilt✅

Quilt another of my quilts. ✅

And the first week of June I'd like to get these things done: 

5/31/2021

Prep & mail quilts for H2H. 

Cut out and sew a new quilt

Finish blue basket

Quilt another quilt

Sew Patriotic Happy Quilt together

Doesn't seem too involved.  I have several digital books that just came in so I'll be reading some this week too. 

Hope you enjoy visiting some blogs by starting at these linky parties.  Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, and To Do Tuesday. (I'll link up on Tuesday.) 

Have you seen the Sew Along that Preeti of Sew Preeti Quilts is doing?  There's a link to it on the top right of my blog.  You should go take a look.  It is a pretty cool quilt that isn't particularly hard.  Preeti has lined up some nice prizes.  The goal is to send quilts to Bernie to take to Mercy Hospital in Sacramento, Ca. They are given to family members of people who are dying in the hospital.  Family members can wrap their loved ones in the quilt and have the quilt afterwards as a remembrance.  Hopefully a lot of quilters will participate.  I've committed to it.  Are you going to join me?  

I'm off to cut out a new quilt! (Hey, it's been on the list for weeks. I want to get going on it now!) I'll probably try one or two of the Positivity blocks for the Sew Along too. There's always something fun to work on in the studio. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie  

 

May Table Scraps Topper

How can a month be both short and long?  That's what May seems to have been to me.  And, there are still 3 days left that I plan to use to finish off 2 more quilts.  Nothing like the end of the month to get me moving on my quilt finishes. 

Today I'd like to share my May Table Scraps Topper.  Yep, I shortened my table runner to just a topper. And, it is so darn cute.  Remember red is the color.  And here's my red topper. This is a free pattern from the Fat Quarter Shop called Confetti Stars. I don't keep my dining room table with extra leaves in so a big runner just wouldn't work.  This is jelly roll friendly although I just cut from yardage and fat quarters. It ended up 14.5" square. I left off the border and 3 more blocks.  The binding is cool red lines on white but looks really pink here.  All photos should enlarge if you click on them. 

I had just finished sewing the last of the binding on this afternoon when Pat told me a major rain and wind event would be in our yard in 27 minutes. (Don't you love the way weather reports can pinpoint our weather.)  I hustled outside as the clouds kept gathering and got a series of pictures to show off my table mat. What does it say about a quilted piece when it can stand with a little help from a plant? 

And now on point on clipped to our Japanese maple.  

It kept getting darker and the wind came up.  Time to get one pic of the back and get back inside.  I quilted on my domestic machine.  

It wasn't long after I came in that the sky was totally gray, the wind was blowing and the rain came pouring down. All my sewing machines were unplugged from power as there were suppose to be a lot of lightning strikes near us.  Heck, we were also under a tornado watch.  It poured rain for maybe 30 minutes.  And then nothing. Wait. What about the full inch we were suppose to get?  It did rain off and on for a while but I doubt if we got all that much rain.  It's too bad because areas where land isn't watered   the trees and grass look like they are dying. Hopefully we'll get some rain off and on all night.  We need it.  

I hope to start cutting a new little quilt this weekend along with finishing the two quilts currently being worked on.  I'll keep you posted. 

Now it's time to link up to late week parties.  Midweek Makers, Needle and Thread Thursday, Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop, Finished or Not Friday, Beauties Pageant,  and May Table Scraps Challenge. Try those fun linky parties to aid in your Internet surfing.  You might find something you really want to make.  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meandering 4 - 24 - 2021

 What a week!  I spent the first part of the week doing a bit of extra cleaning around the house and the studio.  Then I spent Thursday evening through Monday morning having a wonderful time with Sharon who came for an in-house retreat for the two of us. 

One of the things she wanted to do was find backings for 4 or 5 quilts.  We headed over to Jo Anns to do a bit of shopping.  Wow -- 22 yards of fabric later she had backings chosen, 2 bonus yards of fabric she hadn't seen in a while and replenished some of her patriotic fabrics. (This in addition to the 9 yards of batting I bought for her on sale last week.)  

We kept Ruthie busy with two charity quilts.  Unfortunately Ruthie was being picky so it took longer than it should.  Both of these quilts are actually mystery quilts sponsored by one of her guilds.  They were designed by Mary Ellen Hopkins. The one Sharon is holding is A Patchwork Puzzle and is available on Marsha McCloskey's web site for free.  I need to check in with Sharon to see who designed the other one.  I thought it was also a Judy Hopkins design and offered free on Marsha's web site but couldn't find it.  However, there are two other free mysteries available on this web site. If I can find the pattern for the second quilt I'll pass it along. 

Maker : Sharon 

Quilting Pattern: Saffron Blossom by Apricot Moon 

Thread: So Fine 518 by Superior Threads

Maker:  Sharon 

Quilting Pattern: Avalon by My Creative Stitches

Thread: Pink  So Fine 418 by Superior Threads

Avalon is a pattern I haven't tried before.  It stitched out beautifully but it was pretty slow.  You can't complain about the slowness when it looks so good. Both of these quilts will be going to a charity in North Carolina. 

Sharon was even able to get a table runner pieced.  It's elegant in blacks and golds on cream.  I'm looking forward to seeing the finished runner on her dining room table some day soon. 

For some reason I didn't get all that much done during the weekend.  I finished a smaller version of a strippy quilt like the one here.  I'll share it once I get it quilted. 

I also finished one block with 42 pieces! Over the next day or two I'll decide if I want to make two more for my table runner this month.  Pictures to come. 

And last week's goals:

5/17/2021

Start a new quilt -  fabrics and pattern picked but not started

Quilt one of my quilts✅

Make red table runner - started 

Have fun with Sharon! ✅

This week's goals: 

5/24/2021

Finish red table runner (or mat?)

Cut out and sew a new quilt

Bind quilt from Chunky Churn Dash Quilt

Quilt another of my quilts. 

Pat did most of the cooking but I made a peanut butter pie. Yum! 

That's it from me today.  I am linking up with these parties: Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, and To Do Tuesday. Spend some time surfing. I am looking forward to doing that this week. Even though I fell asleep after lunch for 2 hours! I'm ready for bed soon. Enjoy surfing these linky parties this week. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

PS -- Does anyone have the instructions (again) to have blog comments mailed to an email address?  Mine has dropped again.  YEA!  I figured it out. If you commented last week I'll be responding this week.  And many thanks for all the comments! 

EYE CANDY

 We had a visit from Jenny this week.  She was picking up The Kittens quilt I quilted for her.  And she brought some of her quilts in progress to show off.  Enjoy! 

From the pattern Lloyd and Lana by Elizabeth Hartman.

Sleepy Sloth by Elizabeth Hartman 

AND she brought me some fabric she got from someone who was downsizing her fabrics. Bonus.  Most of them are fairly small but very fun. These are just a small selection of them.  I will definitely be making some blocks with these beauties in them! 

Sharon and I are having a great time "retreating" together.  So this is short.  There are quilts to quilt and quilts to bind and tops to make.  Maybe I'll have a top to show on Monday. 

Here's my weekend linky party list: Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, Finished or Not Friday, and Beauties Pageant.  The weather is fine!  Join me in a little surfing. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 5 - 17 - 2021

 I finished quilting my daughter's quilt.  Isn't it cute? 

Maker: Jenny with input from her daughter Natalie

Pattern:  The Kittens by Elizabeth Hartman

Batting: Warm and White 

Thread: Superior So Fine #504 Silver Screen  

Quilting Design: Star E2E by My Creative Stitches 

You can see the cute cat backing here.

And another view that shows off the quilting better. 

My daughter made this quilt to give to her daughter Natalie's teacher.  Here's Jenny's thought on giving this quilt to her 3rd grade daughter's teacher. "I don't usually make quilts for the kid's teachers, but I feel like they really deserve it this year!" I so agree with that.  And, I am so happy I had retired long before this pandemic closed schools. 

Here's the UFO I finished today.  The blocks came from a 2009 swap at the Faithful Circle Quilt guild.  Part of them were used in this top and the more kid friendly were put in the top shown here. I'm hoping to get this top quilted this week.  I happen to have a perfect backing for it. 

On to my goals for last week.  Not too bad, really. 

5/10/2021

Begin red table runner — fabrics are chosen! 

Pull a UFO to work on✅

Quilt daughter Jenny’s quilt✅

Bind a quilt ✅

5/17

Start a new quilt

Quilt one of my quilts

Make red table runner 

Have fun with Sharon! 

So that is what is on my list for this week.  I've also been doing a lot of picking up and putting away in the studio.  I've been pulling fabric rather indiscriminately so I spent a short time restacking the fabric piles.  I have quite a few more to do so that section of my shelving will look spiffy.  I still need to put more things away (or possibly some will be thrown away or recycled.) Lastly, vacuuming the floor and cleaning a bathroom or two before Sharon arrives. 

I'm linking up with my regular parties: Oh Scrap!, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, and To Do Tuesday.  Join the fun and see what folks are making across the Internet.  Do you get way too many ideas from surfing like I do?  I keep photos of quilts I really like.  Every once and a while I go back over my file of ideas and get rid of duplicates, ideas I've used, ones I'll never use and then keep the rest.  My poor computer is getting old and stuffed.  I still have some room but not as much as I'd like to.  So throwing away unwanted ideas works for me. 

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

More Quilts to Share

Yep, I'm still on a roll.  I finished a small quilt (31" square.) I really fell in love with this quilt and the fabrics I used.  I very seldom make quilts for girls but this is all girly! 

Pattern: Jacquelynne Steves Silver Lining Sew Along 

Quilting Design: Curley E2E by My Creative Stitches. 

Thread: Top - YLI Variations Thread in Tulip; Bottom - Superior Threads So Fine #418 It's A Girl!

Many thanks to my excellent quilt holder, Pat.  We're showing off the beautiful azaleas in our side yard. The sad part is we have no view of these unless we walk around to the side yard.  Aren't they grand this year? 

I used a grey solid for the backing and a white with grey polka dots for the binding.  The pink alternate fabric also has polka dots.  

And one last look with the dogwood tree in bloom. 

All of these photos should enlarge if you click on them.  The garden is beautiful this spring and the weather has been unusually mild for the last couple of weeks.  It was great to walk around the house checking for the best photo spots! 

The sad situation this week is Sharon and I canceled her trip to visit.  With the gas shortages I couldn't guarantee she could fill up her tank for her return trip.  She'll be up next week.  No pressing engagements and probably a lot more gas available.  Her town ran out of gas the day before we made the decision.  Virginia was showing 50% of stations out of gas.  We both decided it was the right move. 

Here's a peek at the next quilt I am working on.  My daughter Jenny made this with input from her daughter Natalie. It's a real generational quilt!  (SHshshsh! Don't tell anyone.  It's a teacher present!) It's been such fun to quilt this. Natalie picked the fabrics, the block placements, and the quilting design.  I'll show more of it at some point.  

I've only got one more row to do.  Pretty soon I'll be back to piecing a UFO.  Except, I need to decide what size top to make.  I sure hope I can use up all of the blocks so I don't have a bunch left over to become another UFO! 

Today I'm linking up with my favorite linky parties for the end of the week: Mid Week Makers, Needle and Thread Thursday, Finished or not Friday, Whoop!, Whoop! Friday, and Beauties Pageant.  I think I'm going to sit on the deck and do a bit of surfing. How about you? Enjoy all the eye candy. 

Happy Quilting! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 5 - 10 - 2021

Happy Mother's Day  

I spent the day happily working playing in the studio.  Both of my children called so we had great chats.  It's always fun to catch up.  

Friday afternoon I drove down to the Richmond area and made a stop at Quilter's Corner. I got there just as a huge cloud unloaded rain for at least an hour and included some lightning and thunder.  I was happily searching the store for some fabric to make a new wall hanging. I found some great batik and made the purchase.  The rain had slowed quite a bit so no big deal driving out to my friend's house.  Dorothy is a certified Studio 180 teacher.  She has the most beautiful quilts hanging around her house.  It was like a personal quilt show to see what she's been making over the last few years. 

Early the next morning we went to our guild meeting (Country Piecemakers in Powhatan.)  It was a lot of fun to catch up with friends I hadn't seen since July. After the meeting Dorothy got started on giving us lots of hints and help to make a LeMoyne Star block using Deb Tucker's Rapid Fire LeMoyne Star tool.  

I should have finished one star in the appx 3 hours we were working on it but I made a major mistake -- I forgot to trim the points before I tried to sew them together.  Out came Jack to do his thing.  I did succeed in getting half a star finished.  We didn't have lunch and I was getting hangry so decided I would finish at home.  A quick fast food lunch and back on the road to home. 

Here's my finished star.  If you look carefully you'll notice the center doesn't come together as well as it should.  It's very close.  But, I'm not redoing it.  I think the next one I make will finish at 12". The one shown is 8". The previous one I made was 6.  I'm thinking of using the colors of the polka dots to make more stars.  There is a pattern that comes with the tool that uses a bunch of different size stars together. I suppose I should keep making some so I get better at matching the points. 

On to my goals this week.  Um, not quite successful there.  I really didn't count in the fact that I would be gone for a day and a half when I set these goals.  Oh well.  Here's last weeks: 

5/3/2021

Border doggy tumbler ✅

Quilt ✅and bind one of my quilts 

Start cutting-table clean up ✔️ — started but a little more to do

Put together green scrap basket ✅

Pull a UFO to work on — nothing done  

Here's a sneak peek of the bunny quilt I finished quilting.  Binding will go on this  coming week I hope. 

I finally finished the green basket for my fabric scraps.

Would someone please tell me how come the green scraps are overflowing but the others aren't?  Maybe because I use more of the other scraps. (Odd note -- I have very few green quilts.) 

I'm looking forward to my friend Sharon coming up on Friday.  We will be knee deep in talking, quilting and having fun.  Here are some of the things I hope to work on this week. 

5/10/2021

Begin red table runner 

Pull a UFO to work on

Quilt daughter Jenny’s quilt

Bind a bunny quilt 

I'm worn out so will end here with my favorite Monday linky parties: Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, and To Do Tuesday. I'll try again to hit up To Do Tuesday. Shame on me for forgetting!  Done!  Join the parties and let's start surfing. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

On a Roll!

This is at least the third Friday in a row I've posted a finish to the blog.  Whoot! Whoot!

A while ago I bought a collection of purple fabrics through Sew It's for Sale. A groups.io group that is dedicated to selling and buying sewing "stuff."  I've bought thread, patterns, and fabric from individuals who are selling their "stuff." I bought a couple of collections from one gal over the years.  Now I keep trying to use the purple fabric, in particular.  Here's one I've recently finished. 

The "purple fabric" I bought was actually pink with the purple rocking horses.  It was in strips so I cut several to add to the yellow and purple solid I had on hand. 

Pattern: My variation on MaryQuilts' quilt Quick Strippie.

Quilt Design: Ginger Heart by Apricot Moon.    

Thread: White Omni by Superior Threads.

Aren't the azalea peeking out gorgeous?  It's one bush that blooms in both light and dark pink. 

Although I don't remember doing it I probably show it every spring because it is just so beautiful!

I have enough of the baby fabric to make another strippie.  The fabric on the right is one I purchased from Marshall Dry Goods.  You can read about the fabric here. I've been really happy with it.  Eventually I will buy more from them but mostly go withs.  

While I was snapping the quilt pictures there was a robin that was really irritated with me.  Here he is on our neighbor's fence. He was hopping around and chirping at me.  I'm guessing she? has a nest in the backyard somewhere.  (Truth be told, I didn't even go all the way down the stairs from the deck!) Hum, I wonder if she is the one that ate all the berries off the holly tree in the winter?

Today I'm off to a friend's house and attend guild meeting.  We're learning how to use the Deb Tucker's Studio 180 LeMoyne star ruler.  I've already made one but I figure when I have access to a certified teacher I'll learn some cool tips on how to make it perfectly.

I'm linking up to my regular parties: Midweek Makers, Needle and Thread Thursday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?, Finished or Not Friday, and Beauties Pageant. Wow!  That should keep us busy for a while won't it?  Hope everyone can visit a few more blogs this weekend! 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meandering 5 - 3 - 2021

Our azalea's are beginning to bloom.  But one bush is showing a lot of damage to the buds due to a freeze a couple of weeks ago.  We think our Japanese maple has lost a bunch of leaves from the same cause.  Sigh. But some of the azaleas are looking great. Hopefully sometime this week I can get a great picture of one or two in full bloom. In the last two weeks we've gone from near record lows to near record highs.  I hope that doesn't mean we're going to have a hotter than usual summer. 

First up let's look at the goals.  Oh yea!  It was a good week. 

4/26/2021 

Sew RWB rows together✅. Do I border? — top done but without border yet.

Quilt and bind one of my quilts ✅  Yea, another finish. (Still need label.) 

Lay out and sew Happy Blocks quilt #1 ✅ Finished top! 

Continue working on green basket ✅ Ready to prep for quilting- backing and batting.

Here's a few pictures of the Happy Blocks quilt I was working on. I received most of these blocks from the FCQ Equilter's group.  As you can tell it's an easy block and doesn't take much time or fabric to make.  And my gals went crazy.  I think I had over 70 blocks when all was said and done.  I've got a lot of quilts to make out of these. 

Hum.  There's a nice mix of dark and light surrounding fabric but too many darks together.  I decided I would see what it would look like in black and white. (Different layout than the one above.) 

Nah, I needed to separate some so the really darks weren't in rows.  The top two rows are the same as above but I moved a few blocks around on the bottom two.  I did this several times -- move blocks, take a picture change the pic to greyscale or black and white. Finally I said, "enough!"

 

One of the things I realized as I moved these blocks around was I wasn't going to get a fabulous setting. This was partly because I like to alternate blocks that have the short sides on the top with ones having the long side on the top.  And, then you have to factor in the direction the center block design goes.  Thus I came to the decision to stop and just sew the blocks together. And, I realized I ended up with 3 different blues in a row. Oh well! 

I was happy it was done.  I also got 4 blocks made that I need to send to the Maryland guild for officers who are retiring from office and one gal who has moved.

I learned about making Magic 9 Patches (with blocks having opposite outside colors) more than 20 years ago.  I can't find the original directions online anymore but here is one site with Magic 9 Patch directions that is made the same way.  Super easy and super fast once you pick your fabric.  If you haven't ever seen this give it a try.  I suggest starting by making a 6" finished block first just because the math will be easiest.  Once you know what you're doing you can pick whatever size you want. Have fun with this quick tip.

Next up here's my goals list for this first week in May. 

5/3/2021

Border doggy tumbler 

Quilt and bind one of my quilts 

Start cutting-table clean up 

Put together green scrap basket 

Pull a UFO to work on 

Attend Studio 180 LeMoyne Star workshop at guild

I may not get all of these done as I'm going to my guild in the Richmond area either for a full day or to spend the night before the guild meeting and attend it.  It's an early morning drive on Saturday if I don't spend the night at a friend's house. I won't be home until late in the afternoon Saturday. 

My Stash Busting statistics does not show any busting going on, just enhancement! Oh-oh. 

2021	Fabric In Month	Fabric In Year	Fabric Out Month	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out Year
April	8.25	21.625	6.625	41.750	20.125

 

This could have been a disaster buying 8 yards of fabric but I am trying to quilt at least 2 of my own quilts every month, more if I don't have customer quilts. So in the end, I only brought in 1.625 yards that didn't get used. I am pretty happy about the whole thing actually.  

Nothing like a good week finishing goals added to a decent month of fabric usage.  

Now let's partee! You know the routine -- check out these linky parties and see what folks are doing across the internet.  Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday and To Do Tuesday. (OOPS I've been neglecting to come back and link up to the Tuesday party.  I'll try to be better this week.)  

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie