March's Plan and a surprise

Feeling really good about what I did get done last month and not focusing at all on what I didn't get to.  Can you tell I'm getting really relaxed about letting those unrealistic expectations free?

• This month I plan on getting the 40 diamond quilt totally quilted for my ALYOF project cheered on through Fiber of all sorts  and as part of the Q-1 challenge with Adrienne from on the Windy Side.  Maybe this month I'll finish sooner rather than later.  That would be awesome!
• Make some yellow HST units for the RBSC with Super scrappy.
• One or two bird projects for the tree Bird Blog hop coming from Sew We Quilt and being cheered on by Lana.   I do have a bird panel from the fabric designed by Elizabeth's Studio which I've looked hunted for but can't find.  My day to share is the 17th which is St. Patricks day AND National Quilting Day, what a coincidence.
• Something for a March theme home goodness.
• Read the Book The Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.
• Make 15 blocks for a class I'm taking next weekend.
• Finish all the cross stitch on the bottom left corner of Winter's Alphabet.

That's enough even though there are a few other projects I'd like to get too besides.   For an example of what's also spinning in my mind are making a purse/bag (for the let's book it challenge), make another snap bag, start/finish quilting the Tweet camping quilt that I'd like to totally cross off my list this year besides another doll quilt for the stuffed animals community project for the guild.  All of this and that's not mentioning wanting to start the Jenni Beyer 2015 BOM or the New Hexagon millefiori that I just received templates from the Paper Pieces in KY from in the post this morning.    Okay, that's enough of that monkey brain spinning out  of control Janie, just breathe and stay on track.

Speaking of mail in the post, imagine my surprise when I received a nice squishy package in the mail this am. It was from Tonia who blogs over at  All thingz sewn.  Thank you so much, I love the prints and that pattern is cute which I also have an idea of making a perfect something from it.   Maybe I could squeeze that in this month too!   

 lol   

Also, thanks for those Babushka Scissors!  SQUEE!  What a sweetheart and how did she know I collected scissors?  With all my scissors I didn't have any like them at all,  I heart them Tonia,  THANKS!!  You really made my day. 

I saw in my email this am a daily inspirational  which quoted a saying something like "Perfectionsim is the killer of creativity".  I concur.  

Enjoy your day and follow your passions.  Jane

February accomplishments

Yup, didn't quite get everything on my list accomplished but came so close that I'm happy,  extremely happy!

#1- I only got one color section quilted but the quilting design is top notch and I'm so happy with it.  What do you think?  My question now is for the diamond center, should I add another stitching surround within it?
Those feathered fat commas surrounding and spinning around the diamond is not my own design.  I did see a quilt with this on it at the Malone Quilt Show and snapped a picture.  Of Course after much distortion I had to draw it out and then go to my local copy center and have them print it to a 9 1/4" inch size when I was happy with it.  Then to make a template and mark the top was a learning experience in itself.
I know many of you  love those Frixion pens, but I personally don't care for them since where I live is in a cold climate for 5-6 months out of the year and I will even keep a quilt or two in the car for travel.  That being said those pen lines will surely reappear continuously and I can't have that.  I did use a chalk pencil for this first block and am thinking of trying the pounce with the iron off chalk for the next colored block to speed that process up.

While taking the photos, I couldn't see any of the stitching  or even that much chaulk left remnants, that's why I laid the stencil I cut on top so you could see the quartered design.   It really shows up differently here.  

 I'll be washing this quilt out after all the quilting is done.

Should another design be added to the centered diamond quilted shape?  

#2- Baby doll quilt that matches the baby quilt I made last fall was Totally done!  This was a first for me making those scrap bits of fabric into blocks to add to the fabric when I didn't have enough charm sized squares left.  Mile a minute block is what they are called I believe. Not bad if I do say so,  now all of that fabric is completely used up.  What a great feeling about that.  It also used pink for the backing which was the color for February in the RBSC another plus in my book.

The second blue colored row has a mismash of fabrics sewn together to get enough for the row.  

Cute messages about family, love and friends written on the white cloth strips.

Baby Quilt with a matching doll blanket for when the child grows up she'll have a blanket for her dollies like she had.
I think with the 24" x 24" size this could also double as the infant carrier cover first.

#3- Check!  Got all the white stitched on but there's a stitch count off somewhere in the snow area.  Don't know if it'll be crucial to repair since snow blows all over the place around here.  Think I'll try to work on the rest of this corner this next week to see what should be done as whether to rip it out or keep it and make it work.

#4- Check!  Made 36 HST with the pink, (four made of each pink fabric).  Glad I am keeping up with this challenge so far this year.

#5- Check!  Made a total of  7  pincushions.  Will be back to share those later on this week.



#6- Check! The Round House by Louise Erdrich was a good book that I enjoyed. Near the end of the book the main character was making 12 peanut butter and pickle sandwiches for a road trip.  Jackpot I thought!  That combination in a sandwich is one I have loved since I was a little girl.  I kid you not.  Peanut butter sandwiches with thin slices of Kosher Dill pickle are great.  So for a snack at our book club meeting, I made little sandwiches for the members to try.  One didn't care for them, 2 wouldn't even try them and some thought they were good and several ladies loved them.    More of the members loved them than didn't so that book and I have converted some more palettes to this combo.  Insert wicked laugh here.  Maw Haaaa!

Enjoy Your day.  Jane

Make a list Monday

Hope to get these six things done by next week:

1- Quilt 4 different colored blocks of the 40 diamond quilt
2- Quilt the doll quilt from the Wee Wander scraps I just threw together/
3- Stitch all the white on the bottom left corner of the  CXS Lizzie Kate Winter Alphabet
4- Cut some pink scraps for the RBSC and make some HST units.
5- Make pincushions, another idea
6- Finish reading The Round House by Louise Erdrich (am midpoint right now).




Remember how I said that one wool was shedding terribly several weeks ago while working on the candle mat?  While visiting with my friend Carole, she gave me a different piece of the same wool to use and just to be sure, I pulled out my needle punch foot with the coordinating stitch plate and felted the heck out of it just to be sure.  Worked like a charm.  It really changed the clarity of the houndstooth print  Since that foot combination was out, I photographed them and pulled the other Bernina accessories I own out and share how I store them.





This bead box purchased at Michaels is perfect for the majority of feet and makes it a quick access since they set on a shelf right behind my sewing chair.  The Bernina Feetures Books, the 1-3 set on the bottom shelf just below the feet for quick access.  It's amazing how many times I'll pull out these books for a reference.

Some of the feet came with each of my two Berninas and most of the rest were purchased at Quilt Shows with a 25% off and then some others when the Bernina LQS offered a 30% discount including Bernina Accessories.   A win - win for sure!
Of course I've been collecting them since my first Bernina 170 back in the 1990s and when I upgraded I made sure the feet would transition to the newer Bernina 440.   The most expensive of these was the binding foot combo which was close to $160 when purchased, that is if my memory serves me correctly.  That one was a "Non-smoking Gift to myself" to justify the expense.

I have been enjoying a quiet day home alone today.  That doesn't happen too often.   Seems nice to have the house stay picked up and clean without more effort needed.  Typically I am picking up discarded papers left on the counter, closing doors, cabinets and drawers left open, wiping up coffee spills, etc.... and that is just DH's doing not the grandchildren!  They'll all be here tomorrow so I'm getting off this thing and going to read in the silence and enjoy it immensely.  TTFN.