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. 

Tree Bird Blog Hop - MY DAY!

A bird house found at our Guild's Holiday auction in December that I couldn't resist.
Perfect segue! 

I was able to get several items made to share for this terrific Tree Bird Blog Hop.  Lana our cheerleader from It Seams to be Sew  is doing a stand up job keeping all of us bloggers on tract for this hop with Madamme Samm out of commission while she tends to some serious personal business.  My prayers and thoughts are with you and yours Samm.


First, everyone who knows me knows I collect scissors.
Check out this sweet scissor fob for my Owl scissors.

{Love}!

Went shopping this am with DH so I could make some more lanyards for beaded scissor fobs with some little bird beads I purchased on Saturday but am too late to pull that off with the grand children being here until 6 pm this evening.



Had wanted to get a couple more fobs made but I ran out of time.




Was able to sew this Chickadee apron which is made from a panel of A Colorful Season designed by Nancy Mink.  This will be perfect to wear in autumn and my dear DIL happily modeled it for me this afternoon but with the request of not showing her face.  Don't know why, she's quite beautiful and the Mother of two of my beautiful grandsons.    Just saying.
I lined the apron panel with a medium mottled green, the same tone as the printed rope.   Sewed around the perimeter, turned it inside out as in a pillowcase method, then top stitched around all the edges.  It happens to be my preferred method of constructing aprons and it will wash like a dream.  It came with two printed pocket segments but I choose to only sew one on.  The print matches perfectly with the apron base.

When I purchased this I also purchased some yardage of a matching border print of the same line 

to make a 60 degree table runner but again, I ran out of time. 

Harrumph!   

Seems to be the theme around here!

 Now for the piece de resistance,..........

a Charlie Harper stylized cardinal tea cozy.  

Too CUTE!
Love those angry beady eyes (no pun intended - NOT!) popping out of his head.  lol 

I am quite proud of my Cardinal Cozy.  All of this was made without a pattern. [Patting myself on the back for this one, with both it's concept and it's finish.]  Each morning now while I have my cuppa, I will smile and know anything is possible.


See the coaster on the left - themed with the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, only befitting since he's known for quoting:
"Oh Dear!  Oh Dear!  I shall be too late!"

Which sums up how my monkey mind works at times.   I seem to run around like that quite often, usually finishing things up just before the deadline. Friends say I do it to myself, and they are right.  But it's my way of life and how I get to do all I do and help out where I can and want to, while always pushing the envelope to get to more things that I want to do, see or be....  That's My Life.

Anyhow I digress, the coaster was the tool I used to make the cardinal.  After drafting it I realized it was way too big for my little tea pot so reduced it by 60% so it could fit proportionately.   (The next cozy I make I'll be adding to both the height and width since I have a few larger tea pots and these do help keep the tea a perfect temperature to finish the pot.)   I used the same pussy willow fabric for the exterior and the lining fabric, a polyester batting and a Teflon quilted and lined fabric so the finish is quite thick.  Will see how well it insulates my little pot this am!  ;-)

Last year I did purchase the themed fabric Beautiful Birds by Tracy Lizotte for Elizabeth's Studio but couldn't find it and didn't want to waste anymore time looking.  Also I wanted to get some of these other bird themed projects I found done and the ones I had remembered that I wanted to do too done as well.   We love and feed the birds here.  So some time in the near future, you will be seeing more bird projects done.   Like the bird house wall hanging shared in this post.   The quilt in this post because of a bird fabric, or this one started Little Miss Shabby,  a few birds or even more birds here on Counted cross stitch,  another quilt here, and the first quilt with chopped up birds called Autumn Song.    Yep, we love birds around here.  Who knows when I'll find that bird panel fabric or where I put it.  One good thing though, I did find the soft aqua and off white striped fabric I bought at the same time to go with it so hopefully it should surface soon and not a decade later before it surfaces.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my crafts and hopefully you can make some time to check out these other bloggers during this hop to see their creations.  Of course if you leave a comment, I'd appreciate it.  Enjoy your day.

Today's Schedule is:

Tomorrow's Treasures Today
Childlike Facination
Pig Tales and Quilts
Ella and Nesta's Little Room
Thimblemouse and Spouse
Gracie Oliver Arts

It's amazing how creative and different all the projects are.  Thanks Lana, it's been fun!