Thankful, Grateful and Blessed

 A finish finally after many humps and yikes along the way.   Not sure why my craft is giving me hiccups along their progression and am still trying to know the why of it all, but alas this one is done!    

My attempt at "Ruler work"ed into the quilt design:

Placed it on one pepper plant that must have given us over 50 plus peppers!
Tried a new to us recipe from the family freezer for sausage stuffed mini peppers
in Marinara and it's a keeper.

Small sampling of the quilting behind the motifs after echo stitching:

A detail pic and hint of the binding finish:

Full project finally finished:

Used a couple of different threads for those wheat stalks inserted in the hat brim - am happy with it.

Feeble attempt of an art shot on the flowered boxes on the deck:

Thankful Grateful  and Blessed  that it's done.

TTFN,  Jane

Time out is over with a new perspective and breath of air

I found some more of that binding  so repairs can be made on the Pilgrim hat.  While tidying up I also ran across some other time outs while I contemplated where they needed to go and what done next.  

It went to time out!

 I was stitching my binding on the Pilgrim hat wall hanging and S.N.I.P.

What?!(*&%%#!?>?!

While trimming the corners so it could lie nicely I accidently cut through the edge of the binding.  Exasperatingly, I set it aside.  I have gardens and plantings to attend too.  I'm having a fit and am in a snit!

Jane

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. 

Small finish and happy

Though she be small, she be fierce!   

A finish and one more kit done.  The good Lord knows I have plenty of kits in and my reason for acquiring them was for my retirement anyhow, that was my explanation.  lol   Now that I've been retired for 15 years I figure it's time to get  some finished and put to use.  

I figured the weight was close to 5 pounds since it's rather large and filled with sand, but my son weighed it when he stopped by for a visit and it's just shy of 3 pounds.  lol,  Still quite hefty.   Also I need to get some more sand as therre is only 1/2 cup left in my Folgers container.  I keep some on hand through the year since someone in the family has nut allergies and it's safer for pin cushion filling than the walnuts.  Since Spring is here I'll be heading to a local sand pit for more to process.

I sewed drawer stabilizer to the backing for stability on surfaces and then also created a tube of fabric for a binder clips area just in case.  

TTFN

Jane

Thanks for stopping by.   I did start some 36 patch block units to align with the  Rainbow Scrap challenge that SoScrappy does.   Am hoping to stay with it this year even though I'm climbing on board late.   

February 2021 OMG

 It's too late to link up with Elm Street Quilts however, I plan to finish January's leftover Pilgrim  wall  hanging as well as the Sewing machine pincushion photo below, and get the Kim Diehl BOM finished from last year that needs layering quilting and finishing (photo will be shared later).  

Bernina 440 stitched embroidery with the  metallic thread, no problem except the wonkiness from the user artistic license placing that spool of thread on the top. 
Which will stay as it is and how when I was starting out (age  7) the spool on top would "dance" with me going as fast as I could bringing up fond memories.   LOL

Below are a few of the tools I use for tracking the needles.  

This first tool - the Needle Tracker lets me know which needle is in the machine as there used to be (esp. pre co-vid times) elongated times that I endured no machine sewing.   I keep this just beneath my sewing machine, handy but not in the way.  

The next is a needle wallet to store some unique needles I use.  Like Joan Shay's appli-bond, titanium and those chrome needles I just received from Schmetz.   I store this on top of my needle container shared in my last post.

This last tool is placed on the same needle storage box in the top drawer and is for lightly used needles that still have more life left in them.  It even has blank spaces that I can customize the type and write on or off for special notations.  I call this my needle parking garage.

Thought I'd share a glimpse of how I organize some of those parts of my hobby not yet shared.  

TTFN,

Jane

Nice Surprise!

 A package came in the mail that my husband asked what I ordered now? 

"I didn't", I replied then went to see.  

Oh!!!!     It's Happy mail.  My heart raced a tad and a smile came along with a feeling of amazing wonder.  Just like Birthdays and Christmas mornings.

It's from Schmetz.com so I quickly Opened the package.  Just  imagine my surprise.   A package of Chrome (professional)Needles, the ABC pocket guide and a coated tag displaying the color bands identities.  Love it!

During an Island Batik box opening from a blogger I follow, I noticed her January box had the "grabbit too" tag and loved that concept.  I had printed out the same illustration on oak tag paper for my  identification purposes and it was a bit worn looking.  When I saw hers I went to Schmetz to let them know I truly loved their quality products and was a huge fan of their needles especially and where could  I find that plastic coated tag.  The above was their response. 

So you all know I truly love their products here is the back up needle storage in the top drawer of my sewing table.  Many of you already know that the closest store for me is a 2 hour drive and that's to a  Joann's and any quilt shops are even further. So anytime the husband and I travel, I'd scope out the route with stores and shops available to store up my quilting supplies while going through those areas even the many trek for his health check ups in Massachusetts and neighboring states.  

During sales, I'll shore up the "stock on hand" at fantastic prices as you can see by the alphabeticalized filing of those specialty needles.  You can see the 3 "gross" needle boxes I have for the normal piecing needles (and I've already gone through one of those) as I do change my needle often.  

Thank you Rhonda and Schmetz, Inc. - You're the best!

January 2021 OMG

 Almost there...  

Did get it sewn and then.  

Ooops, my fray block was dried up and not having any backups on hand, I ordered a tube from Amazon.  

Received the notice: order received, Delivery expected date February 10-17th, 2021.  WHAT?  

So a couple of days later thought, how about Walmart.  Checked and it was much better with the delivery for the next week.  Considering that 2 week pause during this, I'm feeling good this project got along as far as it did.   Only the pumpkin and some detail stitching left before getting it layered, quilted and finished.   It will be my first project finished for the year and I won't be derailed.   lol

Note to self- insert this into my February OMG to complete.  

Can't believe how fast this month flew by.  TTFN

Bernie's here too!

 

Sharing just a bit of humor and fun which I think the world needs more of. 

I grabbed this picture from Janice Elaine Sews and don't know the pic editor and couldn't resist showing Bernie, a neighboring state resident who definitely marches to his own tune that blew up social meme since Inauguration Day!

January 2021 Focus OMG

 Happy New Year!  

I am becoming more focused on my projects and plan to finish this Buttermilk Basin pilgrim Hat wall hanging completely for my One Monthly Goal for January.   Am linking up to Elm Street Quilts today for the OMG challenge just under the deadline.  

Haven't been posting again recently since my health had a minor speed bump that needed further studies.  But with seeing an Electrophysiologist in Cardiology today in VT,  I got the all clear to resume my health improvements with further tests down the road.     Thankfully.  

Also have been working on the Spools as my hump jumper project.  

TTFN

Jane