Monday Meanderings 12 - 27 - 2021

How about a post event Merry Christmas?  I failed to get a Friday blog posted.  So I'm hoping you had a wonderful day on Saturday.  Here are the four ornaments I made for my grand kids. 

I took these photos of the ornaments on my tree.  Notice  the little Santa  ornament up on the right. I'm pretty sure that ornament is from my family tree when I was very young.  I'm guessing the green pine cone was from a later time but still from when I was living with my parents.  Sophie loves blue so I always try to make her ornament with blue. The rest of the kids got red work. 

I should have moved the red and white ornament on the right so it showed more.  I bought that when we lived in Georgian in the late 80's and early 90's.  It is a Santa made on a dried okra.  I like to have unusual or handmade ornaments on our Christmas tree. 

We drove up to our daughter and son-in-law's house for Christmas Day.  Wonders of wonders -- the traffic on I 95 was moving at or above the speed limit going and coming.  The trip took the normal hour and 15 minutes.  It made a great start to our day.  And we were very happy it was an easy drive home. Truth told, I fell asleep!

We had a lovely day.  We opened presents. I played a game with the grands. (I will never play a game on the floor again.  Yikes, I just don't move that well any more!) We ate a terrific dinner cooked by Brian with desserts made by Jenny and Sophie.  Overall we had a wonderful time with Jenny and her family.  

We've had Cassie, our son's dog since last Monday.  They went to Tennessee to be with Aimee's family.  We haven't figured out when we'll do the dog swap and the presents swap yet but hopefully this week. Heck, they aren't sure when they are coming home! 

The goal list didn't get everything check off this past week.  On the other hand, I did finish a couple of books which I enjoyed. Here's how I did on that goals list. 

12/20/2021

✅Wrap Christmas presents 

✅Finish grand’s ornaments 

Finish winter wall hanging — haven’t finished yet but I've decided what to do! 

Make new UFO list — in works  

✅Have a wonderful family Christmas 

And this week --- 

12/27/2021

Finish new UFO list 

Pick 12 UFOs to focus on this year 

Finish quilting and bind the Peppermint Bunny top

Quilt and bind another top 

Work on more ombre log cabin blocks 

Work on Winter Wall hanging 

Here's the fat quarters I was gifted from Jen's family.  They were personally curated by Brian.  I was absolutely tickled with them.  I am now trying to figure out how I will use some of them in their own quilt.  Didn't he do a terrific job? 

Here's my Monday linky parties.  I hope you can take some time to go to some of them and surf the many blogs that will be linking up at the parties.

Oh Scrap

Monday Making 

Design Wall Monday 

To Do Tuesday

Have you been making goals or quilting plans for the 2022?  I decided I'm going to participate in a UFO challenge where every month we finish a UFO.  I also want to start and finish 2 quilts that I bought the patterns and/or fabric for a while.  It's time to get them started and finished this year. This may be the year to make some year long goals.  I would like to clear out some of the UFOs I have although some I'm just never going to make.  Do you make year long goals?  Are they written or stored in your brain?  How do you follow through to make sure you finish those goals?   Let me know in your comments.   

Happy Quilting All,  Bonnie 

 

 

Monday Meanderings 6 - 17 - 2019

As usual I'm not exactly sure where this past week went to -- appointments, picking up a grand dog, and finishing some embroidered clothing for the grand kids.  (Later I'll show Sophie's sweatshirt that turned out so cute.)  When we picked up the grand dog, I gave Theo his sweatshirt (turtle embroidery from last week.)  Ellie got a beach cover-up that had a cute "Beach Princess" statement on it. They were happy to get them and immediately put them on.  

I think I spent more time reading on my new Kindle than I spent quilting.  I had an original Kindle.  But it eventually died a slow death.  Generally, I have been reading on either my cell phone or my iPad.  But I was running through my battery, especially on the cell phone.  So Pat suggested I pick out a new Kindle.  Good idea.  I've been using it mostly for the last week. 

Here's the grand dog, Cassie, and Kona squished into the back of our Prius.  They've been friends for a long time so they seem to enjoy getting together. (Thank goodness since we take Kona a lot when we are invited to visit and Cass comes to spend some weekends with us.) Cass is a yellow lab and Kona is a black dog.... with a lot of variety to her! We were getting soft serve ice cream cones.  They each got a little bit of my cone and ice cream.  

It was a beautiful morning although the humidity has come back.  I took several quilts outside this morning to get some pictures.  This is the quilt I call the old Christmas quilt every week when I list my goals.  I have  a little over half of the border still to do.  It's bad enough to have decided to hand quilt this thing but when the inside was done I decided to quilt the borders with a stencil that has eight (8) rows of quilting on it!  Heaven only knows what I was thinking.  Well, probably that was the only stencil I had that would fill the border.  So, until I'm done it's going on the list every week.  (Or I get sick of it and give up for a while!) (You should be able to click on my photos and they should enlarge a bit.) Someday this top will be done.  Just don't hold your breath. 

Despite not spending all that much time quilting I did move all my goals forward this week. 

June 10, 2019

Hand quilt on old Christmas quilt√

Trim and Bind Ladybug quilt√

Finish borders on Butterfly quilt√

Make more BOM blocks for Country Piecemakers√ 1 more done 

And here's what's on tap this week.  

June 17, 2019

Hand quilt on old Christmas quilt

Quilt Butterfly quilt

Work on Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks 

Prep backing of Parrot Quilt

Make 1 pillowcase

Hum, nothing there about mailing off my last two quilts for Hands 2 Help.  They are going to Jack's Basket.  I'll be doing that sometime this week.  

I'm linking up with my favorite linky parties: Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday and Moving It Forward.  As usual, I'll link up whatever links are not live when I first publish this. (And, if I remember to link up....) You know the drill:  take some time to surf these sites.  There are all sorts of inspiring photos -- don't you need another project??? LOL! 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meandering 8 - 21 - 2017

Welcome to Solar Eclipse Mania!! 

Ok, so maybe some folks are into the whole eclipse mania but we're in the penumbra section. (Yes, fancy word that means only a partial eclipse.) I have approved eclipse glasses that I'll be taking to the stitching group up at the clubhouse Monday since our eclipse time will be during our normal gathering.  So, I'll stitch a bit and watch a bit and then get back to stitching.  I'll need to figure out where I need to be to actually see it too.  Should be fun.  

On to my regularly scheduled blog.  Here's a peek at some of the projects I worked on this past week. 

The Trip Around the World is almost a top.  I've got about 5 more strips to sew and then I need to sew it together.  My granddaughter Ellie (age 3, closing in on 4) said she wants this quilt.  And yet she really wants some doll clothes for her birthday. I think I'll be making some doll clothes for her October bd. 

I used to make Streak of Lightening quilts as baby quilts.  I'd forgotten how easy they are so when I saw this blog about them I thought I'd make another one.  I used it as my leader-ender for the TAW.  Yea, I know sewing the rows was way more sewing than your typical leader-ender but I'm happy to have it done!  (You need to scroll down the blog to find the actual directions.) 

Those were the two biggies this week.  Here's how I did on the rest of my goals list. 

Aug 14, 2017

Work on Christmas TAW√

Keep hand quilting Civil War Quilt√

Quilt geese and flowers wall hanging√ started

Make backing for floral wallhanging√

Cut out a Streak of Lightening Quilt√ & main section is sewn together

Here's what I'm hoping to accomplish this 4th week of August:

August 21, 2017

Finish quilting geese and floral wallhanging

Quilt floral wallhanging

Finish Christmas TAW to top stage

Find backing for Streak of Lightening

Keep hand quilting Civil War Quilt

I'm linking up with my regular linky parties: Monday Making, Moving It Forward, Main Crush Monday and Oh Scrap. (I'll link Moving It Forward when I notice it's posted.)  Enjoy some time seeing what others are working on.  There is so much inspiration on the Internet.  

We had a couple of visitors at the house over the week. 

This little frog (maybe all of 2") was on the outside of the French door. I snapped his picture as I was bringing in the dog just before bedtime.  I love how it looks like the frog is on the chair! When I opened the door he hopped on to the side so I couldn't get a picture of him from the house to the outside. 

Kona (the black dog) had her BFF visit for the weekend.  Cassie's family was going camping and it was easier for us to have her than for her to go with my son's family.  Boy does that dog shed.  She walked into the house, shook, and left yellow fur all over the dark wood floors.  EEKS!  I took both dogs out Saturday morning and furminated them. They still kept shedding though! 

Safe Solar Eclipse Watching and Happy Quilting! Bonnie 

Scrap Squad 5 Revealed

My #5 scrap squad quilt was revealed Thursday on Quiltmaker's Quilty Pleasures blog.   It seems like a long time since I finished it.  There have been all sorts of things happening at Quilty Pleasures including a treasure hunt.  

When we received Bella Amore (aka #5)  I started browsing my stash right away.  I wanted to use as much from my stash as I could.  It is so easy to see what I have in yardage as it is stored on open book shelves in the studio.  I picked a piece I had purchased in a local quilt store when I lived in Pa.  I liked the whole look of the fabric:  the color, the design, even the background color.  With that fabric in hand I started grabbing "go withs."  I looked at the yardage area of the studio and in the boxes of fat quarters and odd pieces I have on top of the book cases.  Heck, I even looked in the old plastic containers where I used to keep my fabric. Really, only the dregs are in them.  In the end I didn't need to buy all that much.  I did add the luscious dark gold used for the inner border and some greens because I ran out of them.  That brighter turquoise got thrown out and a darker one took its place and was used for the backing. 

Although this looks complicated it really is only 3 blocks: a square, a half square triangle and a quarter square triangle.  That's it.  Amazing once you figure that out.  I really love Deb Tucker's Tucker Trimmer especially for doing quarter square triangle. You can find her videos for her various rulers here. Here are some of the units. 

I didn't like the large, light setting triangles in the original quilt that was in the November/December Quiltmaker magazine.  I tried to use some of the extra units and, gee whiz!  They all fit. Notice the turquoise half square triangle. Those are some of the extra units I used in place of setting triangles.  I played around with coloration and placement on the design wall and then started putting the quilt together.  I tried to have all seams abut however that was difficult.  In some places there are 8 seams coming together.  It was not a pretty scene when I got to the long arming.  


One thing I try hard to do is use long pieces for my borders.  Yes, I'll piece my borders if I have to but if I can I'll use a length.  To make sure I have all the length I need I often refold and then cut strips off the length of fabric to use in piecing my blocks.  See the main fabric up above?  Yep, I'd already taken off a strip to use in the center of the top.  

Because I was trying to finish this in a hurry, I decided to do an open stipple on it.  It worked well except where I tried to go "over" the bumps rather than around the bumps.  Oh well, live and learn. And, honestly, you can't really tell unless you look up close.  

 The quilt traveled with me during Thanksgiving so I could do a photo shoot someplace other than my own house and yard.  My son lives next to Bristoe Station Battlefield so we took the dogs, the quilts and cameras for a walk. It was fun to stage quilt pictures in a different location. In the photo above you can hardly tell there is a big road just beyond the fence. Hum, a quilt on a cannon?  It was hard to keep the quilt on the cannon and out of the bird residue! 

Just for fun I tried to get a picture of the 4 dogs, the quilt and the cannon. If you think it is hard to get a bunch of people to all look at you, keep their eyes open and snap a picture -- try dogs and a breeze!  Three out of four isn't bad. 

Kona, Homer and Raggs watching me take the picture, Cassie staring off in a different direction. 

This quilt now resides on the wall in my dining room.  I really love the colors in this one. And, it definitely is a scrappy quilt. 

Happy Quilting All!  

Design Wall Monday 9-19-11

I'm back and I have some new things to share. The wedding was lovely, the bride and groom were beaming as was the sunshine.  Kevin and Aimee are in Thailand learning to scuba dive and riding elephants. 


Here's what's on the design wall bed: 

These are the blocks I received this year from the FCQEquilters.  They made enough so that I could make a twin size comforter and a baby quilt.  Both will be donations. 

I'm making progress on the center of this applique.  It will be donated to the Komen Foundation and auctioned in Baltimore.  I hope to get my part finished and in the mail this week.  All the triangles are made but I'm still sewing them together as a leader/ender project. 

These blocks are the current FCQEquilters requested block.  Wow, these are really easy.  I'm going to have to find some more pastel fabrics to go with the sweet baby clothes.  And, heaven knows I have lots of the brights.  
I have one more project I started yesterday.  I had gathered the fabrics over several years.  I'll try to remember to post it next week when it actually begins to take shape.  It will be another donation to the local NICU. 
No goals last week and it sure was obvious.  I think I finished 2 books though as I wasn't very motivated to sew or quilt. 

Goals for week of 9/5/11

Make bandanas for Homer and Cassie√

Prep binding for the red and white quilt√

Mani, pedi and hair trim √

Get the wrinkles out of the dress for the wedding Um, didn’t work really well…

Finish cleaning house√

Enjoy Kevin and Aimee’s wedding weekend√

Goals for week of 9/19/11

Mail blocks to New Zealand

Finish up my round of the Komen donation quilt

Cut out quilt to take on retreat

Return some shoes and a dress

Make and mail pinwheels

Finish NICU top

Quilt Quilts for Kids Quilt

Quilt NICU top

And last but not least -- guess who took some steps on her own this past week? 

Not at the wedding but at home.  She was a big hit at the wedding too. 

And, here's Cassie wearing her Wedding 5K t-shirt and her bandana I made along with the bride and groom's legs. 

Go visit Patchwork Times to see design walls across blogland.  I'm off to do a bit of sewing and to get breakfast. 

Happy quilting all. 

Wedding Day 9-10-11

Aimee, Kevin, Homer and Cassie grace the wedding cake... 

Where are we sitting?  

Sophia was a popular photo subject. 

Cassie got to attend the wedding even if she mostly spent time in her crate in the house. 

Aimee and Kevin during the photo shoot. 

Aimee is one smart girl! 

I basically put my camera away during the ceremony and the party afterwards.  So until I can get photos from Jenny and some other friends I'm done with wedding day pictures! 

I hope to share photos of our day in Richmond but I don't know how many photos I took.  Today, I plan to spend in the studio.  I've got bandanas to finish and blocks to do for Fran and the Komen quilt center to get done. Plus I have a retreat in two weeks to get ready for.  I'll be busy over the next few weeks. 

Happy Quilting All! 

Great Weekend!

Friday with Kevin and Aimee in Maryland

Two Dogs On A Couch

Posing Most Kindly For Me

And Soon Off They Go

Raggs on the left and Homer on the right. Attempted Haiku by Bonnie.

People posed fine but Homer, on the left, didn't want to pose with Cassie on the right. Aimee and Kevin did well.

Aimee did some really early shopping. Pat and I came over for breakfast that Kevin made after Aimee came home. (Sorry, I just couldn't get up early enough to do early morning shopping.) We were lucky to be able to stay at Jen and Brian's townhouse while they were in Ohio.

The boys did some "This Old House" work on the bathroom. They were going to put a new flooring down. But decided to remove the floor and then realized the toilet bolts (you know those little bolts under the funny cap that is a pain to clean around) were completely corroded. So off came the toilet (it's in the bathtub in the picture to the right.) Then the flooring was done, next the toilet was replaced. And, how uncomfortable is that -- no toilet for several hours! It all turned out well though.

Aimee was productive -- she cut out two Take Five quilts. I kept her company and read a book. We brought Chinese in after the bathroom was restored.

Pat and I came home Saturday as Pat had a concert on Sunday. I put in a couple of hours in the studio on Saturday afternoon. It felt good to be back quilting. I decided to make Carolina Christmas mystery quilt at Quiltville.com. I've got more photos to share but will wait 'til the next post.

Happy Quilting All!

No Quilting But

Kevin and Cassie came to visit for Mother's Day weekend.    Raggs and Cassie did very well together.  And, if we are lucky, Cassie will teach Raggs all about going out side!  

We took the dogs to the local state park, Promise Land.  Cassie loves to swim so Kevin was lobbing balls into the water and Cass was happy to swim out and get it.  Kevin tried to wade in but he said it was way too cold.  So then he brought her on land to fetch.  Raggs watched a lot. He did well chasing the ball if I threw it but he couldn't keep up with Cassie. And even off leash he stayed fairly close and came when called.  Good boy, Raggs. 

Tomorrow I run errands in the "big" city.  Then home to quilt, hopefully.  

Happy Quilting All!   and Raggs.... 

Sewing Instead of Shopping

We had a sewing marathon on Black Friday.  There was some discussion about going shopping but it fell by the wayside.  The girls each had projects to do and I was the consultant.  I spent some time cutting some batting squares for a rag quilt.  I ironed some stuff for the girls and I (oh no, I really did this???) hemmed pants for Jenny.  

Here's Aimee, Kevin's girlfriend,  learning to use an older Elna sewing machine that she will be taking with her to play with.  She was working on her first quilt, a rail fence baby quilt.  She has never sewn before and it was all pretty new to her.  She learned to use a rotary cutter and ruler, everything has to be sewn in a quarter inch seam, how to iron the darn fabric and the pieces.  I'm pretty sure she'll have a finished top to take with her.  

Jenny brought a bunch of projects to work on.  She free motion quilted two quilt tops -- one had some additional straight stitching.  She fixed a top and hemmed another pair of pants.  I stitched the other pair she had gotten ready to stitch. 

We had a nice day although Jenny kept us at it as long as it took for her to finish what she needed to get done.  She's hoping for a darning foot for her sewing machine for Christmas.  (Brian, did you get that??) 

I was able to get two of the three dogs to stay still long enough for a picture.  So here are some of the dogs who came for Thanksgiving weekend! 

The kids are leaving today so I should be able to introduce myself back to at least one of my sewing machines today.  My studio is really great for two sewers but it just doesn't have room for a third one.  It was probably good down time for me cause my shoulder has been a bit sore and now it feels much better.  

Have a great Saturday all!  I'll be back to sewing in a few hours.