Leafy times

      In the fall retreat, I webbed the Batik HSTs into this Diamond quilt. I was able to quilt it this week and I used lots of leaves inspired by the batik prints and nature feel to the colors. I used Glide Celery top and bottom to quilt. I used my chalks to draw it all out. I am grateful that I found refils on Etsy for the chalk holders.
     I will show detail shots after I get the binding on. The backing is a wonderful green Moda fabric that someone gave me.

Figured it out!

      Due to my brain freeze in making the bargello from the Watercolor blossoms jelly roll, I had made a plan on graph paper, measured all the strips twice and cut them. I checked each strip to the graph paper before I sewed any together. Once the second half was done, the two pieces did behave and make a proper design.

1st half mistake

With Borders

Moving along- quilts and quilting

      Another comfort quilt went out the door last week- Flaneur that was given to me by Quiltdiva Julie to finish. The woman who I gave it to is fighting blindness in one eye and can do nothing for 4 months while surgery heals. And then she has to do the other eye. This wasn't how she planned to spend her recent retirement.

After washing and folding ready to bag

     Finally, I quilted a quilt that I made in a guild workshop years ago. It is called Borneo Lights. It is good for a large scale print. I did not arrange it like the pattern, but tried to make a grouping that made more sense to me. I used Glide Military Gold for the top and Glide 60 Military Gold for the bobbin. I love Glide thread because it is good and made in the USA. Order some soon as the price is going up real soon.
     I wanted it to be a veteran quilt. I was able to finish the whole thing except for the bag. I have someone in mind for it, I will try to coordinate the hand off.

Letting the quilts fly away

      The RWB Dakota Inspired (mystery A12) quilt by Alycia has been finished for a while, but not quilted. Recently, a man in my cardiac rehab group, who is a retired Navy lieutenant, has had a hard stretch of health issues. I thought this quilt would be perfect for him. Glide Military Gold on the top, and Glide 60 Military Gold in the bobbin. I quilted it and found an orphan block for the bag. I was able to hand it off to him and he was thrilled with the RWB. I received a beautiful thank you note. Prayers for his healing.

Really nice things to think about

       I have to be careful to not oversaturate myself with current events. I need to think critically and deeply so as to not fall for the lies and manipulations of the whole covid fear entrapment, but I need to keep the good in focus and give gratitude daily for wonderful things so I don't get overwhelmed and fall into depression. Taking photos helps to look at what is right in front of me and see what has been created.
      Last year, I bought a bunch of amaryllis on sale for gifts. I had one left over, grew it, put it outside during the summer, followed some simple steps, and enjoyed the flowers just recently. Just when the 4 blooms were going to open, my cat, who never destroys anything, reached up and knocked off two of the buds right in front of me. I was not happy. However, the other two opened and they were glorious. I just stared at the beautiful stripes and coloration until they dried up. I will try to take care of it for another year.

     And then in the mail, I received a box from a blog reader, Sally, and it was unbelievable! It had all kinds of bright fabrics and a whole collection of bright batiks. Also, two large pieces for backings were nestled inside. I could not believe the riches contained inside. Rosie loved the box.

Backings!!

      It has been grey, cold, icy, snowy here. However, the Helleborus have done their duty- they have buds where there is ice and snow. Spring will come and the buds will open!

Yellow buds

Pink buds

Slow, but moving forward

      Progress on UFOs and other stuff is being made, but I wish I had superpowers for just one day to get it done. The mystery quilt from Alycia, Dakota Inspired (A12) has been sewn for a long while, but I finally got it quilted over the weekend. I made the binding, which is glued on now, and hope to get it sewn. As soon as the quilt was trimmed off the longarm and hit the floor and I got my camera, the newest inspector was already on the job.

Binding made, now glued, ready to sew

     I confess, I could not wait to the retreat to web and sew Rolling Stone. It has a 1 1 /2" white border on it, but it needs more. I tried a many fabrics (2 shown here), but they do not let the fabrics in the blocks shine. I have no more of that fabric as it was a layer cake I got on Etsy. I just don't know how to finish it off, so this is stalled.

     I appreciate when people tell of good purchases that are useful and reasonable, so I am giving a recommendation here for light. I always need more light. My husband put in one of those puff LED  ceiling lights that does help, but when I am sewing, I need more light around the machine. I was browsing on Amazon for lights that were adjustable and not chunky. I got this Micomlan LED adjustable 2 light clampable lamp and am happy with it so far. It has different levels of brightness (I use the brightest) and different colors (I use the coolest). It twists to fit exactly how I want it positioned. Where I have it clamped, it can rotate over to the Singer 301 where I do small piecing and it can be readjusted. I like to have light on the needle area, but also all around the fabric so I don't feel like I am sewing in a hole. There are many kinds of these. I read the reviews, that day there was a small coupon, and just tried it. The fact that there are 2 lights on the bars, makes a big difference on the surrounding fabric.

Moving some forward

     Looking through my bags of projects, I moved some forward. I finished the blocks for two quilts, arranged on the wall, and got them ready for webbing, clipping them in colums, and bagging them. Quilt retreat is at the end of March, and I find if I take quilts that need webbing and assembly, I get them sewn as there are no interruptions and they feed us. These two will be assembled there.
     First, I finished the black and white Oh my Stars swap quilt. A friend gave me enough B&W prints to finish it. My order from https://ineedfabric.com/ never has arrived. I have to try and get a refund. I did about 20 arrangings, but settled on this. I know I will use a border, but undecided how to do it yet.

     The other quilt was Rolling Stone, a free pattern from Jordan Fabrics  I still need to sew the sashing on before I take it off the wall and clip it for webbing. Border unknown yet also. Great use for a layer cake with little waste.