Sling Blade Again

Well, I posted it on Facebook, so here too is the center of the quilt top.

I feel like I will put a border on it but have no plans for it yet.

I will have to put a lot of thought in it.

I really enjoyed making it.

Beautiful Winter Weather

What's not to love about a sunny 70 degree day in January!  We have had a warm two weeks since our ice, snow storm.   Our temps are supposed to return to a more normal 50 degrees Friday but that'a okay as  they can't take today back

Bohemian Dresden

More Bohemian Dresden

These are some of the blocks turned in at the Pine Tr

ee Meeting.  Unfortunately  for me - I didn't win them.  Don't know if I would have the discipline to make enough blocks for a quilt. 

Worked diligently on the Sling Blade.  And while S & C were here to sew on Thursday we started some new projects.  This blue stray block was one of them.  We had a great time as usual.

We always get inspiration from each other.

 This is a picture of John and I  take shortly after we were married in 1960.

  We were at a family shower in Fort Covington. 

 It would have been our 57th anniversary Sunday and his 4th in Heaven.

We had a nice family gathering Sunday evening to honor him.  He loved his family and having them come here or up to the lake for a get together was his idea of a great time.

Surprise Quilt

What a nice Christmas Surprise!

My grand daughter, Molly, made this quilt for me for Christmas.  She said she made it because I love Scrabble so much.   It has been a family favorite since the kids were old enough to spell.  Well to be honest - not all the family considered it their favorite.

Molly has had a sewing machine since she was in high school and she is very creative and just goes for it.   She stenciled the letters and even quilted it herself.  We were going to have a sew day last Monday but the snow interfered with our sew.  She had to return to New York on Tuesday.  She is two years into her doctorate in engineering.  Sew on Molly!!!!!

Sling Blade

 Meanwhile, I have been sewing too.  I had downloaded an audiobook from our local library and it entertained me while I made a few more blocks.  I have even sewn one set of four together in the upper left corner.  Lots more in progress and fabric to cut.  I'm actually feeling the need to refold and put away some of the piles of fabric on my cutting table.

One of my daughter's, upon seeing this, replied Sling Blade! (We loved Billy Bob Thornton in it) - so now Sling Blade it is!

Snow Days = Sew Days

Well for all the hype for the past few days of an impending storm with the possibility of 6 to 8 inches of snow  - our area received about 2 inches.  And as far as I'm concerned that is fine with me.  We  did have ice, sleet and very cold weather so it kept me home  for 3 days.

I work on 6 quarter blocks at a time.  I cut 3.5 and 2 inch strips of contrasting fabrics and pair them up.  Then I can  just sit and sew.  I pin the three segments together as I watch TV.  

I will probably be rearranging g them as I sew them into blocks.

More  in progress.  Last night I did sew four quarter blocks together  - just to make sure they fit. I like the secondary design they make where four blocks meet.

So much fun to sew but super messy.  I leave a trail all through the house even though try as I might to shake all the pieces off before I leave the sewing room.

And I really like to read during snow days so I finished a coupled of books that I had downloaded from our county library system  - one a historical romance the other the first in the Lord John Grey novels, "Lord John and the Private Matter" by Diane Gabaldon.   Quite different than the Outlander series - also much shorter.  I think I read that she wrote them intending them to be short stories.

Other Sewing

For the past year or so I have been trying to purchase a copy of The Karen K. Stone's Buzz Saw Pattern.  It is out of print.   I found a copy listed on Etsy but the seller said she had already sold it.

So, I decide to draw my own version. 

It need cleaning up and reversing but I feel it will suffice.  

One block made.

My BH Mystery blocks thus far.  That is about 600 - 3.5 inch blocks.  Enough to make a 75 x 75 inch quilt.  So looks like it will be a generous quilt when finished since there are still gold and green fabrics to be added.

Sewing at a friend's house in the fall - 2016

Sewing at Judee's house in 1993.

Bohemian Dresden

The Pine Tree Quilters Block of the Month for January is called Bohemian Dresden.  Since it is a little more detailed than some of the blocks, I didn't want to wait until the night before the meeting to make it. 

Last month that is exactly what I did - and in my hurry, I made my block wrong. (3 other gals made the same mistake as I).  I didn't even notice until they were pinned up on the design wall.

I did ask the winner of the blocks if she would let me take it home, fix it (which I did that afternoon) and return it in January.

As you can see on the top picture my blades don't match up with the bottom of the fabric.

And of course this choice of fabric didn't work very well either.

The idea is to have ten blades of warm color against the cool side and the ten blades of cool colors against the warm side.  Using a stripe for one background and a dotted fabric for the other.  The backgrounds were to contain on white.

This is my final block for the BOM.   It is 16" square.  

The black dotted fabric was provided for the center.

 They also provided the blade and circle templates.

Now, this is a BOM I'd like to win.  

So now I am ready for the meeting January 12.