Flag Top

There wasn't a lot left to do on this one.  I needed to make the star corners

 and add the two borders. 

After I got the top done I went in search for batting.   I have lots, but I didn't have a solid large piece of white.  So I cut a couple pieces of white from a bolt I had and will be piecing that together.  Once that is done I can get it basted to quilt.  I am hoping to have this done before I go to my retreat on the 17th of June.  

Today is normally the day we go to the cottage and sew, but Annette is out of town.  So a couple of us are just meeting for lunch a little later.  In the mean time I'll be working on this.  

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

Brick Walls and Bears.

I was going along so good then Bam - I hit an invisible brick wall.  What seemed to be allergies turned into something like a sinus infection.  I think I managed to cover 5 or 6 of the 7 dwarf names during this.  Not sure why Doc is pictured twice in this picture but Bashful was probably the only one I didn't portray last week.

And while that was going on and I stayed at home to sneeze and blow my nose I did work on quilting the Bear Quilt.  I first tackled the middle where the bears are, by doing any additional top stitching that needed to be done.  
Then I added this branch and some leaves.  That also provided me with the quilting design for the first two borders.  (Rust and brown with spots)  Leaves can you see them in the rust area?

On the pieced border, I did one thing for the double blocks on top and bottom and another for the single blocks on the sides. 

I did a loopy thing in the next two borders and then a type of chain for the outer border.  I wasn't sure what to do - the quilts don't always talk to me, like they should to tell me what they need.  LOL.  But then I found this roll of "Borders Made Easy" I had purchased a few years ago and so I used it.  

Here's how it turned out.  

It's hard to see because of the matching thread, but I like how it turned out.  

My Sister requested this quilt way back in 2014.  Together we gathered fabric and schemed ideas of how I would make it.  Originally there were going to be the two bears and then blocks with other animals around the outside.  But each time I tried to make an applique of the bears for the center it just wasn't coming out right.  One of the attempts even made one of the bears look like a raccoon.  Finally in September of 2015 I started "this" version of the bears at a retreat.  

I didn't even get out my sewing machine that retreat I just traced cut and fused.  

I won't get the binding hand stitched in the next couple of days to call it a finish in May.  I usually do bindings and hand work in the evenings while watching TV with hubby.  I haven't been able to get any hand stitching done. Along with the sinus infection, I managed to bruise my tailbone somehow while quilting the bears. I don't think it's from sitting too much, I do that all the time at retreats, but maybe twisting and turning different ways wrestling the king sized quilt.  So I am sitting in a leaning position on the couch and hard to hand stitch while doing that.  So the bears will be a complete finish next month.  I will post a finished picture of the whole quilt then.  

Today I'm going to sit on my little pillow and get the borders on the flag quilt for my daughter in law.  That will be my next quilt to quilt.  

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn 

Got your Back?

It's little bits at a time, but every little bit added together makes a whole.  Yesterday I was able to get the backs put together for two more quilts.  Here is the back for Carter's Minecraft quilt.  

It's hard to see, but it is a really neat Ombre fabric.  I also made the binding.  Now to get it pinned to quilt. It  will be the next one to get quilted after the Bears.

Next I made the back for my Bag Ladies Quilt and cut the strips for the binding.

Next up I made some cord wraps (to use instead of rubber bands) - they will be a workshop next week but I don't want to haul my machine back and forth - so made them at home. 

I still had some time so I bordered and pillowed (I didn't want to bind it) my stitch sampler I made with Crabapple Hill Designs.  Now to find a place for it. 

And I still had some time so I made a little cloth book that someone gave me about the birth of Jesus.  I'll be sending this to Carter and his younger brother Ben and little sister Nellie. 

That finished up my day.  I did a little bit of hand stitching on the frogs but not much. 

Today I am going to work on quilting the bears.  I have got to get started or they will never get done. 

Wish me luck.  

Blessings,

Lynn 

Bee Flimsy

Hooray - my Bee quilt top is done. 

I'm really happy with how it turned out.  After spending a good part of my sewing time organizing some things in the garage, I didn't have a lot of sewing time before hubby got done golfing.  But after dinner it was still kind of early so I spent a little time adding the last couple of rows and the sides to finish the top.  I also got the backing ready and the binding made and even found a piece of batting that is just the right size.  This quilt is on the road to being completely done.  Yay!  

I've got a few lined up to being quilted - now I just need to get the quilting done.  

For dinner last night I tried something a little new to us - I made taco fixings and put it in a tomato. 

It was pretty stinking good.  I probably had a little more cheese than I needed to on the beans, but I didn't have a tortilla or sour cream so I guess not too bad.  

Today I have a couple of house keeping items, then I want to make the backing and binding for Carty's Minecraft quilt.  I need to piece the back so I want to put pixel squares of fabric across the middle like the pixel squares on the front. After that I have a some cord keeps to make for a workshop, and if there is still time I came across a fabric book someone gave me that I want to sew up for Nellie and Ben and the new baby.  Not sure if I'll get all that done today but I can try. 

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn 

Summer Stitching

The last few days have been about slow or no stitching.  Thursday was CRQ guild meeting and lunch out with the girls.  Friday was charity day for SNR guild.  We cut backings, batting and binding for quilt tops that had been donated.  We wanted to get them kitted up to hand out at our next meeting as it is the last one before summer break.  We got 14 ready, Cheryl and I each took another one - like I need to do more.  lol.  After we got that done I did a little hand stitching on my Summer Wool Table Topper.  

Yesterday was our monthly Saturday Sewing day with a few friends and I worked on it some more.  I have all the applique done.  Next time I work on it I will start the decorative crazy stitches that go between each section.  

Today I have some more organizing to do. My sewing room isn't where I want it to be yet so there will be more work on it, but before I start on that, I want to put a little time into the stain glass stash I was gifted.  We unloaded it into a pile in the garage and that is where it has stayed.  So little by little I need to address getting that organized and still work on the sewing room.  I'm hoping there will still be a little time left to sew the last couple of rows and the sides on to my Bee Quilt.  

Hope you find some time to do what makes you happy too.

Blessings,  Lynn

Bee Blocks

There were a few items that I wanted to accomplish yesterday and I'm very pleased to say I was able to accomplish them.  Here are the rest of the Bee Blocks that I did for the cornerstones of the Bee-Utiful Qal that Moda hosted a couple years ago. 

I had a few ready but needed to make a few more of the sashing pieces. 

I got all the rows sewn and laid them out. 

I'll post more pictures of that when I get the top sewn together.  

The other things on my list were cutting a few more pillow cases - 

Finish cutting the borders for the old UFO - 

That pretty much finished up my day.  I did sew a couple of the rows together after dinner but I'll wait to show that. 

I'm going to be busy the next few days - Today I have guild meeting and a few errands.  Tomorrow is charity day at the cottage. and Saturday is sewing day at the cottage, however I will be working on hand work.  I have the Summer Wool Table Mat to work on and the last couple of blocks to embroider for the Frog Works Quilt.  All that to say I'm not sure how much sewing time I'll get on the Bee Quilt until Sunday or Monday.  As Always, I'll keep you in the loop. 

Hope you have a Blessed Day! 

Lynn

Spa Day

Yesterday was a busy day, it started off with our little Pumpkin having her "Spa Day" at the groomers. 

She's all pretty with her little scarf.  :)

After she was done, we went to the gym.  I did 8.75 miles on the bike and then 30 reps on 5 different machines.  

I told my friend Judy I would come over and help her place an order from Amazon with gift cards she got from her children, so I gave her a call after I cleaned up from the gym.  She wasn't home so Hubby and I ran a couple errands including stopping by the library to reserve a couple of movies.  Shorty after we got home, she called and was ready for me to come over.  I did that and by the time I was done with that we were hungry - I made some pork chops and cauliflower fried rice for us.  

It was still a little early so I worked on cutting out the remaining blocks for this old UFO I found.  

Can you see the date?  2010 Yep it's old.  I saw something on Instagram about "One Thing" with Amy.  Instead of getting overwhelmed you list just list one thing you want to get done this week.  So I listed that I wanted to cut out these blocks.  Well that worked well, I'm done.  This will be another thing I will take to the retreat to work on, if I don't start on it before.  :) 

Today I want to finish cutting the borders for this quilt, then I'll cut out a couple more pillow cases.  Next - I finished the bee corner stones.  I'll take a pictures once I get them trimmed up. If there's still time I will start sewing them to the sashing and start putting the rows together on the Bee-Utiful Quilt. 

That's it for now - Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

#onethingwithamy

Left Overs

Yesterday after doing some house cleaning,  I got into the sewing room for a couple hours. I had some left over blocks from my Red and Tan Butterfly quilt 

and thought maybe I could use them for part of the back.  This ended up being bigger than I thought 62 X 62.  So I started measuring, and sewing the squares together in a long strip that I thought I could put down the center.  

Well after I did all that - it still wasn't enough.  So I went digging and found a tan that looked pretty good with the brown and sewed a strip of that down the center instead. 

But now I still have the left over blocks that I don't know what to do with them.  These blocks were given to me and are not very good quality so I really don't know. Hmmm. 
Next up on the left overs - I told you in my last post that I was going to try and make a low carb tamale pie.  Well it turned out wonderful.  And as usual I didn't think to take the picture until I dished up the left overs. 

Left over kind of day I guess.  :)  This is roughly figured according to My Fitness Pal.  It's 319 cals per serving, 9.2g carbs 12.6g fat and 25.1g Protein.  I made it with ground beef, I'm sure you could lower the fat and calories even more if you used chicken.   
This morning, I made a scramble of eggs and egg whites, a little ham, green chili's, tomato and a sprinkle of grated cheese.  Then I had some "left over" low carb cheddar jalapeno biscuits made from almond flour in the freezer so I defrosted and toasted them - believe it or not I got a picture.  Very yummy.

We dropped Pumpkin off at the groomers.  When she's done we will go to the gym.  After I'm done with that I'll shower and then I'm going over to a friends to help her with her computer. 
That's all for now. I think I'll try to grab a few minutes in the sewing room before the groomer calls. 
Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

Making the Cut

I have been doing a lot more cutting than sewing.  Aside from my Bakers Dozen of quilting and finishes I want to get done in the next 6 months, I have other UFO'S and scrap busting I want to accomplish.  
My next retreat is coming up in a month, and retreats are often times I start a new quilt top - then I think great another top that will need to be quilted.  So while I was doing some organizing in my sewing room (no I'm not done - ugh) I found some old ufo's.  (like I needed more ufo's than the ones I know about ha ha) 
Any way I found two patriotic ufo's that I started years ago.  One,  I had started cutting out a Quilts of Valor Mystery - I had Clue 1 and 2 cut... a ton of 2 1/2" Squares and some 3 1/2" strips. 

  Well it's been long enough now that I can look at the finished quilt.  Uh - No!  It ended up being a really big log cabin quilt, I don't do log cabins well.  So now what do I do with all of these red, cream and blue squares?   Here's what I came up with.

 I'm using the "On Point" method to make 11" Squares.

  

then framing them and sashing with pinwheel cornerstones. 

 That is Project #1. These little pinwheels could take me some time so this might be enough for the whole retreat.  If I get done or bored with that one - here's Project #2 of the patriotic ufo's I found. Scrappy Friendship Stars.  I had 6 sewn and about 10 more cut and lots of  scraps of patriotic fabric in the bag.   

I've been cutting, cutting cutting.  :) Paired up with matching colors - I have separated with scraps of paper. 

I think I have enough to make 42 blocks 6 x 7.  They are 9" blocks so with a border or two it should make a good size lap or even a twin size. 

These two will accomplish a couple things, I'm getting ufo's done and I'm using up some scraps and stash. 

Speaking of using up stash. - if all of that wasn't enough to keep me busy at the retreat, and I'm sure it is.  I have cut out some pillow cases. 

Not sure what I'll do with them, but it's using up fabric I don't have another use for.  I may donate them to be sold in the quilt show boutique.

But wait there's more - Guess what else I found, another old UFO.

There are 8 completed blocks - 4 to go. I may or may not put the fancy border on the outside.  It involves quarter square triangles and I'm not sure I want to do them or make the quilt that big. Pattern says it finishes at 60 x 74.  The ribbon border is 4 1/2" so that would take 9" off .  51 x 65.  We'll see.   

So here's the good the bad and the some ugly.  

Good: 

* I now know what I'm going to work on for the retreat in June and possibly in August.

* I'm working towards getting UFO's done instead of starting all new projects. 

* I'm using up some stash an some scraps.

Bad: 

* I'ts creating more tops I'll need to Quilt.  

* I'm still not getting to the new projects I'm itching to start.

Ugly:

**  There's still way too many UFO's, Scraps and Stash left.  :( 

Ha Ha.  

Okay and for my final little part of this post.  Now that things are settling down again - I'm working in some of our low carb recipes again.  This morning I made zucchini fritters with eggs.  Bacon for hubby and a little piece of ham for me. 

For tonight's dinner I think I'll make a Mexican casserole that will be kind of like a Tamale Pie but with cauliflower rice crust instead of corn meal Polenta.  

I'll let you know how it turns out.  

Have a Blessed day.  

Lynn