April's Focus - No Foolin' this time

I started late on the RSC this year and played catch up with some of the colors already assigned to January and February.  Though not unique as I've seen squared blocks all over blog land, its something I've been wanting to start... so I did.  

36 Patch Units:    6 so far.

2 for each month:  January through March  (Pink, Yellow, Green were the recommended colors).  I'm using my scraps but in a different lineup as I pulled from my solids the RSC color and am sewing my 2 -1/2" scraps onto that color. 

 Looks like Spring or Easter candy so far.   Depending on the colors coming later on, I may use that color for a different project as I'm truly loving the softness and Springtime feel of this so far.  AND I'm using some scraps, a WIN, WIN for sure.  Will ponder the size as it goes on.

OMG for April and am linking up with Elm Tree Quilts too with my plan for April being this Pilgrim Hat I previously showed here but failed to finish.  The quilting is next and the rulers to play around with it have just arrived.   That is one of my April's goals.  

Another April goal is to make a Frida Kahlo Tea Pot Cozy.  I may go traditional or perhaps push my limits but not as graphic perhaps as her art.   No picture of that unless you wanted to see my lil' red Le Crueset tea pot .  lol 

Am also continuing with those spool blocks.  Trying to come up with different Spool ends for each of those 99 colored spools.  Wish me luck as that project is lingering and I want to so more progress with it and all of my UFOs!  

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope your Easter is beautiful!  My Co-vid Vaccine #2 is Saturday and I hope my reaction to it is nonexistent.  The first vaccine  I had a temporal headache and was chilled to the bone, can you say Tylenol and two quilts to the rescue.   TTFN. 

Forty Diamonds Finished!

Finally...... the Forty Diamonds Quilt is done - DONE.

84" x 102"

Made of batiks with a Minky backing

Quilted with Superior Lava,  #210 Coconut thread for both the top and bottom threads

 

 

Notice this is being done free hand. 
Disregard the old lady's hands, who in the world is she anyway?

Continued quilting with my version of a feathered Fat Comma (coined by me) and the whole kit and caboodle is quilted.   Started out by marking the squares and had such a time marking them that I ended up just quilting by free motion quilting. 

Not too bad if I do say so. 

Used the Quilter's Tips for the first time too for quilting and found them helpful.  Would you believe my nails broke through two of them already so they don't last long but at least my hands weren't overheated and clammy while quilting, a huge plus in my book.  If you remember this quilt was already in our Quilt show in 2013 but the only quilting I did was to echo the sashings for the show.  I know, How Embarrassing!  I will never do that to myself again....EVER!  Only two more quilts that need more quilting now.  Think I'll pick up the Tweet Camping next when I return from the quilt retreat I'll be attending shortly.


 

 

Note to self: When using minky, it's directional so make sure to keep the nap in mind if a back needs piecing together. 

 

When bringing the grandchildren to school this neighbor's property inspired me to stop.

The front of my home this am: About 3 more inches of that white crap.  It's Pretty, but am tired of this color and am thinking of some lovely green would be perfect right now. 












Their Mom had one of her early days so they went out to follow rabbits tracks while Meme made their pancakes. 
This is our back yard at 6:30  am.  I did take a couple of photos of the grandchildren out there too, but they were all too blurry so I deleted them. 


And yes Susan, this isn't a park but our back yard. We do appreciate it and love its' beauty when we rest since we're home gardeners and like to garden and landscape our turf.  We just don't care about mowing it all come summer since it takes about 4 hours+ to do with the trimming and we're not talking about the weeding yet.   We own a couple of waterfront acres in the Adirondacks, our slice of heaven (and sweat).   Notice the patio bar set lined up and waiting  under the eaves? 


Patience please patio stuff, not yet..... but soon....I hope.



Next on the agenda will be to use the hot tub.   It's close to 40 degrees outside  right now at 5 pm and besides being a really long day it'll be wonderful to de-stress.  I really don't know why I work myself up so over the quilting of my projects like I do.  TTFN....
Jane

April and Q-2 2015 Goals

Slated for my April finish with A Lovely Year of Finishes will be the Tweet Camping Quilt.  It will be in May's quilt show and I need to get this one quilted to be totally finished.  

The white sections are quilted with circles.  Initially thought of naming this stacked and packed since that's the first order of business when going camping.  Those pebbles reminded me of Styrofoam peanuts.

The blue outside border is quilted with a meandered square and rectangle shapes.  

Only the Brown strips and bird fabric and those tippy inside boxes left to quilt.

Looking for ideas on how best to quilt this fabric.....Any ideas would really be appreciated! 

HELP!!!!

First up though is to finish the March's 40 Diamond quilt.
Today I will conquer 7 more colored sections.         Promise.


As for the Q2 challenge my selections are:

Tweet camping Quilt, pictured above

Mater Strip Quilt Top finished (hopefully quilted too!)

Top made of the BQ Woodland Fairies

Finish Lizzie Kate Winter Alphabet, this month!

60 degree bird table runner

Irish Patch-a-bilities wall hanging

Wool Heart candle mat

Summertime table runner for sofa table
Cut out Fox Quilt

Magic Eyes Bag

Fourth of July Pillow

A Patriotic Wall hanging

Daybook June - Flag Day

I'm feeling ... contentment for finishing my Tammy Project with plenty of time to spare. (I'd love to make several more of these since the Tammy pattern Madamme Samm shared is so easy and really makes a beautiful finish.)

I'm seeing ... My gardens blooming wonderfully

I'm hearing ... the ticking of the Living Room Clock
I'm thinking ... of how I'll fit all I need to get done finished before picking up my Mom in Albany on Tuesday
I'm cooking ... breakfast
I'm planning ... to attend a class on Kumihimo beading with my friend Trudy
I'm reading ... The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
I'm wearing ... pajamas
I'm creating ... just finished the Tammy bag now onto an Ironing Caddy in my Get It done for June list
I'm enjoying ... my grandchildren and spouse
I'm sharing ... My country's flag, I am proud  to be American.

God Bless America!
Jane

Daybook April - The POWDER PUFF DERBY

I'm feeling ... dismay at the wickedness of some people (the Boston Marathon Bomb event)

I'm seeing ... Spring trying to push through

I'm hearing ... silence,  nice though ever sparse in my home
I'm thinking ... of joining the parade of UFOs again being led via Judy Laquidera
I'm cooking ... Ale, Smoked Gouda and Kielbasa Chowder
I'm planning ... to attend a Lecture by Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company this week 
I'm reading ... Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
I'm wearing ... Blue jeans and a paisley tee shirt
I'm creating ... a Pompom project and my other April listed wishes
I'm enjoying ... the quiet of the house
I'm sharing ... PGD#1's first Powder Puff Car, a pine box car she and her Dad made  (#83)

 

 

The car Number 83 with the MRM Racing motto is her design. 

It was really cute though didn't do well in the actual racing event.    All of the cars were original and the patience, talents  and thought that went into them were adorable.   You can see by the different shapes how the different Dads thought the winning car should look and I'm sure aerodynamics weren't even thought of.     hehehe. 

Don't you love that Orange drawn tiger striped car with the hood engine face and the upside down heart exhaust!   

What a totally original design, as were all of them. 

Paint, Magic markers, Glitter, Stickers, Numbers, Dolls and hood ornaments in the designs, each as unique as it's maker. 

Reminds me of us quilters with our own creations and abilities.

 

 

Since her car really never crossed the finish line though I have to say how cute it was, it consistantly for to the same area of the track each time so depandable too.   Her Dad spoke to some of the other Dads who have done these for the past several years.  He got some tips on how to improve the performance with these little gems for next year. 

It was a nice afternoon spent watching these young Girl Scouts.  All levels Daisies, Brownies and GS had different competitions levels within the race and were a group of very nice children.  We are blessed in thsi area that we live in. 

 

 

The Brownies' cars all lined up on the stage just waiting for their heet.

 

 

The anticipation and the yearning for each car to be a winner. 

PGD#1 is the blonde brownie in front. 

Sorry Honey that your car didn't finish the length of the race. 

But she didn't give up, she kept hoping and smiling. 

Makes a Meme Proud!

Her family with Popi after her heets were through.  Lil' brother is making sure the wheels on the car still are working correctly but  truly couldn't be bothered to look at a silly old camera.  lol

 

Closing with an action shot of  lil' Miss just being her wonderful self while other racers' cars are still competing. 

 

Progress.

No kidding- The first item listed for April is finished!  Of course it was on my March list but was carried over this month.  I was able to hand stitch the facing this AM after getting the hemming done last night while watching Flight with Denzel Washington.   

There is no school this week, so the littlest grandchildren are here for several days.  I remember when my own children were young, I could sew and crank out a new wearing apparal in one night. 

I found this pattern not  too clear and specific for me while sewing it.  I had to reread the directions, scan ahead to see what they were talking about and rethink the directions continuously!  I even had some ripping out to do in one section.  Grrr!!!  Hopefully with the next one I have planned in a different colorway this month will be much smoother sailing. 




April's color for Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC13) is green - just the color I love!  I've been pondering which block to make still and perhaps I'll keep it easy and just make 4 HST of each color.   The other colors already assigned a month this year are purple, orange and pink.   Need to get off the fence and just DO IT!

 

Also Kristy from Quiet Play has shared a And Sew On paper piece block each month.  April's block called  "Not for paper" or even could be called "Snip It Real Good"  block #4 pattern has been released so now that makes me 3 blocks behind in that BOM.   My BOMs have slid off my radar and I hope to pick them back up soon. 

Here's what the expected pattern all assembled  will look like. 















Not sure yet  how this will be used, but I'm enjoying rekindling my love of paper piecing.  I have a couple of Eileen Sullivan's patterns all kitted that I'd like to get to and this is a perfect refresher with cute outcomes.  





Next focus project will be to finish the quilting on my wall hanging.   Here's a peak at the backing I'm using. Colorful isn't it. It actually has been in my stash for 30 years or very close to that.  Remember when the kids loved their jamms?  For those of you younger and didn't live through that time it was a loose longer boxer shorts made out of vibrant and out of this world prints, the wilder the better, you guessed it, one of mine loved the pair of shorts made from this print.  Can't believe I had enough for the backing and this bit is still what left.  I think I'll be making some simple community project blocks with a vanilla surround to usse it up. 
What til you see how I'm quilting it. Promise, will share more later.

TTFN,
Jane



 

March es past... now onto April Fools, 2013

Since it's the last day in March I'm summing up the list of four (plus extras)  that I listed at the beginning of the month.  Not great but not that bad either.

1-Stitch Me Up Project - DONE
2- Kindle Bag - Didn't even start, will be relisting this for April perhaps this is  a New FO whenever I start it.
3-Quilt Convergence Wall hanging - Started, the pieced center is quilted now that I figured out what it was calling for.  Have all the borders yet to quilt, then pipe, bind and label.  this too will be relisted in April.
4- A Little Something Jacket- Started and so close to being finished,  Hemming is all that is left.  This too will be relisted for April.
5- The Baby Quilt didn't even contemplate!

The apron and the 2 Superman capes that were finished  were on my list for May. Ah hummm... Can I say I'm ahead of schedule there!

Boy, can I ever fool myself!  Only one completely done out of the 5!  How foolhardy is that thinking that it wasn't so bad?  Progress was made on all but one and I did list five so I am content none the less.  Now onto my hopes for this month.

My four focuses  for April for the Getting It Done challenge are:

DONE  1: Finish the A little Something Jacket made from the tropical foliage rayon.
2: Kindle Bag designed and made.
3: Convergence wallhanging totally quilted.  Have a stalled and very cold engine for this baby.
4: Embroider another lil' Miss Shabby Block (that project has stalled since February but one more so close to being done).
5: Piping and binding for the Convergence.
DONE  6: Shake Your Pom Poms project, my date to share is the 29th.
It actually was one of the top two projects that day.
DONE  7: Batiks Quilt blocks made out of the 10 minute block pattern.  20 made.
8: Make another "A Little Something Jacket", perhaps the orange with the cream and black print. Reminds me of Butterflies.
9:  The "Straight grandbaby quilt", have the flowers appliqued onto center of the quilt, it'll be an original design but still a simple.
DONE  10: Pillow case(s)  made for PGD#1 to match her Field of Flowers quilt.  Perhaps this will be a nice sewing project to do with her this week since she's out of school.  Made 3.

NO, this list is not an April's Fools Joke, it really is my intention.  There are so many other items I could  and perhaps should have written but I'll limit myself to these.  If those others creep onto my sewing table and demand my attention well then, I'll be forced to comply and will add them at the end of April. 

What projects are on your horizon?  To see what many other bloggers are pledging, follow the link to Judy Laquidera's blog.

Sometimes I feel like such a slacker with many of my friends and my Mom, who is absolutely amazing shall I say. They all seem to get quilts done lickity split.  For example:  Like my  BFF Trudy, last week I stopped by to visit and enjoy a cup of tea and she had just started a baby quilt for an expected in May, great grandbaby, her first!  then BANG!   Saturday  she showed up at our little quilt group stitching the binding on.  Talk about gorgeous and quick!  She had even sent it out to be quilted!!!   Boy, I am not worthy.    Mom makes a quilt every month and gives it to Community service at her church and she doesn't make wimpy sized quilts either.  Those quilts are at least 50" x 68" and done with her scraps and yardage she's  pushing through.  Besides the other quilts and projects she completes each month is astonishing.  I really am not worthy.   Yet here I am, all smug in my feeble creative attempts and loving these little projects of mine.   

But my most important project is the time spent with my grandchildren.  Any  projects not completed are a small price to pay for the priviledge in holding them, playing a game, creating something and just  guiding their development that I am content.   It's such an honor and priviledge that I cherish  doing in this life and hopefully doing so with grace (my other intention).

Jane