June 2023 - Time with my Quilting Machine, Knitting, Sewing

 Quilted a few donation quilts this month. I usually take a picture just as I finish them so I can count that step done.  

Points & Peaks is a pattern from Kaye England.  I like her directions she is very concise. I also like to watch her You Tube Videos as she is so entertaining. I made this 60 by 60"

Free-form Stars Blue 54 by 63"

Free-Form Stars Red 54 by 63"

I made both star quilts above from a set of blocks that I had made in 2018/2019.

And I used gifted fabric from a friend on the back.

 Fifty Four Forty or Fight 2  -  64 by 68"

Sewed the blocks together last year and added the borders to enlarge it. 

The backing is a flannel print I got at Joanns a couple of years back. 

Potato Chip Quilt Brown - 46 by 56"

Dresden Chain 2 - 54 by 66"

The backing is pieced from a variety of pink fabrics.

Ready for Bindings - I will cut them at 2.5" wide and sew them by machine, otherwise it could be another year before they are finished.

I have sewed the Radient Star Blocks together.

I have a top that is 60 by 72" and I like how the colors look too.

Haven't decided on a backing fabric yet.

Knitting

Over the past three months I have finished three stockings.  I took a little break and started the fourth.

Having a little difficulty with the top and how I want it to look so have quite a bit of ripping out and redoing - A bit like sewing at times,  Need to get back into it.  Funny but I haven't figured out ho  to read and knit at the same time.

 

Back sides

May 2023 - Sewing, Quilting and Family Life

My Holly and Berries quilt is back from the quilter - now for the trimming and finding fabric for the binding. I'm very pleased with the quilting.

I quilted this donation quilt. Again it needs trimming and binding too.

I had a drawer completely full of 2.5" strips of varying lengths.  I sorted through them and cut all that were long enough into 16" segments. I made the bargello one first. # 521 Scrappy Bargello 48 x 66

I had so many segments leftover that I started this one too. 

I finished the top and it is ready for quilting now.

#522 Scrappy Trips 48 x60

Had a fun trip to the beach with this little guy.  The pool and ocean were much too cool for swimming but we had lots to do each day.

 

He loves to go to this playground and I can see why. This was super nice.  If you are in Emerald Isle, NC.  It's named the Jean Preston Memorial Playground (she was a State Senator from Emerald Isle who died from an accident in 2013).  It's adjacent to a public boating access and there is also a board walk that goes out  onto the sound.

Mother's Day Weekend

The girls and I enjoyed a night out at a paint party on Friday Night.

Sunday afternoon was Girl Fun and Games at Shelly's.

Early Spring & Easter 2023

I really like this block - I don't remember the name but it was our Block of the Month for March at the Pine Tree Quilter's Meeting.  I made my four components but alas I did not win the blocks.  I am making more so I can have my version! The blocks are not hard to make but I find it hard to arrange the HST's the way I want them to look.  I have a feeling this will not be a very large quilt. I'm calling it Radient Squares.

I made this version of the Potato Chip Block Quilt.  I am trying to concentrate on "manly" colors for more of my donation quilts this year. This will be a good size for a wheel chair quilt.

Easter

We celebrated Easter Service at Edenton Street Methodist with Logan's Baptism.

The weather was beautiful and later we gathered at my house for a late dinner and family time.

New Projects

This has been occupying much of my time lately. I had decided right after Christmas - because I waited to long to get them done last year to catch up on making Christmas Stockings for the 6 new family members.

  I haven't knitted anything in a long while. And I no longer had any yarn.  I think I left the yarn and needles at the lake house.  I have also misplaced my notebook of Christmas Stocking Patterns.

So I bought some patterns from Etsy and a Book of Patterns from Amazon; started gathering up yarns and then the needles, bobbins etc.

This is my first practice project - it's looking okay so this may be stocking #1.  Guess I'd better wait until I get to the heel before I get over confident.

By the way, in May I found the Pattern Notebook.

Winter - Early 2023

 I finished sewing the Logs and Bricks quilt top that I started in June of 2022. The blocks are 10".  I made 80 blocks and then designed a little border that extended 3" each direction.  So the top is 86 by 106" which  seems like an odd size to me but it will be okay for a queen size mattress.

I couldn't get the entire top in a photo  but I tried to get the edges where I added the border.

Will have to look for fabric for the backing as I don't think I have any 6 yard pieces left.

In early 2019,  I decided to sort out all the green fabrics and give away of the ones I didn't like etc.

 I had lots of odds and ends left and decided to make a green quilt.  I found and easy pattern on the Quilter's Cache website called the Dandy Quilt.

I made a block from each fabric. Then a few more to make 56 blocks.

In January, I sewed them together and the top is 84 by 96".

i made an attempt to sort them out before I set them out on the carpet to sew together but never could get them the way I liked them.  In the end I just picked them all up sorted them into lighter and darker and randomly sewed them into rows. I actually like it better than the effect I was trying to achieve.

Now I still need to find a back for this one also. 

Janet and I in 2016

My older sister, Janet, passed away on the 18th of January.  She has been in a care home for several years following medical issues.  She had been failing some time but we were unprepared for her passing.

She was my first playmate, my hero and my room mate for the first 19 years of my life. We shared so many wonderful times together and although I will miss her, I know she has gained her angel wings and is resting peacefully now.

December 2022

 Amid Christmas preparations, cookie baking, parties etc. I found some time to start a couple of sewing projects.  

With the help of my friend C, pattern advice  and some fabric swapping etc. I started this easy tree quilt.

It's finished for now - I don't think I will add borders.

I like all the quirky fabrics, some of them are quite old.  I scrapped around through a smallish tote of older Christmas fabrics.   It 's 44 by 54".  The ease of making the blocks makes it fun to sew.

I also saw a picture of this block somewhere and thought it would be a great way to use leftover strips of 2.5" strips.  I found out that you have to be careful about orienting the sewing of the blocks all one way --- or they don't make the same pattern.  Had a few duds to sort out!

 

I have sewn the top together and it is 48 by 60". And I didi use up some strips.

It still needs to have a backing made.

We had a very cold and windy spell just before Christmas here in NC. I was worried about the water freezing  but to my surprise I got up on Christmas eve morning and Saturday to boot and found my kitchen stove had no power.  Long story short - some kind of safety switch form the generator - had a problem!  But thanks to the repair guys who spent so much time out in the freezing cold wind I had power to cook for Christmas day.  Still had to have the generator folks come out and replace a part the following week. Nothing like a little Holiday drama.

We were all well fed and happy  - and as usual Logan and fam were late to dinner!

It was way too cold for our usual outdoor pictures.

November 2022

 November 2022

Pinkie - I designed this quilt from a picture I saw in a magazine and made the top in 2002?  Finally quilted it in early November but have yet to finish the binding. It's an odd size and I guess that's why I have never really been too crazy about it. One day.............

Crafting and getting ready for our church's annual cookie walk. We will be decorating the Fellowship Hall  so I am helping prep for this by making some( about 200) paper Magnolia Blossoms from coffee filters.

Not so bad - just make a few each day.

Took a Collage Class up at Lake Gaston,  Sherry's Sewing Center, with some friends and the Goldsboro Guild.  Wish I could say I have finished my collage but at least I got started on it.  It was a fun day and the Goldsboro gals did a great job planning the day. They also and made some terrific pieces!

It was a nice place to shop too.

My sewing for the month consisted of making two of these cute Nativity sets from panels.

A bit challenging at times but my friend, Sylvia, who makes a lot of handbags gave me some good tips that were very helpful. And I finished one in time to give it to my great grandson at Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Day was sunny and mild and we had a great day.

Cousin Carter drove down from Indiana and spent the weekend.

                          Logan napped through dinner and group pictures but arrived for dessert. 

                                        

And then - Another Wedding

 October 2022

Little H Circles - Made in 2020 for Shane and Hannah

                                                    

                                                       Each little H block is 3"

                                                     

Wedding Shower at Aunt Kathy's house.

Hannah(my grand daughter), Shane(another new grandson with G Pat 

And the Mother of the Bride, the Aunties and me.

A Short Time Later - as they say.....................

 September 2022

The Quilt - Friendship Star Circles

I finished it in August 2021 and it was quilted by Carol Gates.

The bride and groom 

Molly(my grand daughter)  and Jeremy(my new grand son).

The Mother of the Bride, the Aunties and me.

They like their quilt! 

Molly is a quilter too- she has made several quilts and belongs to a group that meets at a local quilt shop.

I love her style - more modern and  she has great fabric sense.

 

And a fun trip to the beach with this little guy, who just turned 2, and his parents and grandparents.