Two Tops Finished and Tree Butter

Finished adding the borders to my Everyday Mosaic II that I started at the beginning of the pandemic. It needs a good pressing as it has been folded so long.

That's better - the colors look a lot more vivid here.

I made the back from all the blue/grey florals that were left over.  It was a little like making a quilt.

It is 102 by 102".

Ready for a trip to the my little house for quilting.  Plan on quilting this one myself.

Sewed this little Chunky Crosses top together - mostly just to get it out of the way.

It is 54 by 54".  Not sure what I will use for the backing.

Have three more "use up my scraps tops" started to sew on when I just want to sew for fun.

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Recently I saw a simple recipe for Tree Butter and I thought what in the world is that.

Nothing but a pound of lard, a jar (16 oz.) of peanut butter and a 2 pound bag of plain cornmeal.

Warm the lard and peanut butter and stir in the cornmeal. When it solidifies, mash it into the cracks of the tree bark for the birds to eat. 

We are expecting much colder weather this weekend so I made a batch and voila!

Happy Valentines Day to my fine feathered friends too!

 

Fabrics Arrive - No Excuses - New Project

Can't remember the date that I ordered these fabrics for my version of "Color My World". 

 I think this is 22 of the 27 colors they recommend on the pattern, certainly enough to start with.  I will try to get the other 5 colors locally or just use fabrics I already have.  Now I can sew the January and February portions.

I ordered these from Hancock's of Paducah and their website says to allow about 8 days for the order to be filled. I called them at 10 days and they said I was still 2 days out.  They did fill my order on Jan. 29th. I got it Feb. 5th.  Along with another fabric order from Old South Fabrics in TN. which I ordered on Jan 31st.

I have a standard sized mailbox and the mail carrier stuffed, no crammed, them both in my box.  It was difficult to get them out but it was fabric after all.

I ordered this floral  to use as a border on the  the China Mosaic top I started making at the start of the pandemic last March.  I think this is the third border fabric I have ordered for it.  But I am definitely using this one.  The good news is I can use the other pieces as part of the backing. The whites and aqua were just extras.  This is my second order from Old South Fabrics - I really like their service and they are very helpful on the phone.

This is a backing fabric that I ordered from an email ad from Whittle's  Fabrics. They have great prices on the fabrics they sell. It was a quick turnaround on that order.

So yesterday I used it along with 32 extra Friendship Stars to make a backing for the Friendship Circles quilt.  

Next I will see when I can get an appointment with Carole to have it quilted.

This is the last of the  recent fabric orders was from The Fabric Patch in Washington State ( also very helpful on the phone).   I just love these little fabrics on the top.  They will go in my little boy stash for projects for Logan. And I love grunge fabrics - thinking about making a pillow.

Here's a little donation project I have been sewing on now and then.  Made blocks in two sizes 9" and 7.5".   I love the chunky looks of these blocks  - I have 35 made.  I think I will make one more and sew it as a 54" square.  I rarely use 4" squares so I had to cut all these  when I was supposed to be decluttering. BTW the decluttering, while a very good idea, didn't work so well for me.  

We have been having so many dreary or cold days - Cinnamon Bread makes my world seem more cozy !

Made some fresh loaves today.

So good with a cup of hot tea!

 

Friendship Stars Top Finished

Last night - pretty late - I sewed the last of the border sections on 3 more blocks. 

And sewed them all together

It is 88 by 98" and too big to fit on the floor in the den.

I definitely need to do a little more pressing today.

I have a couple of fabrics that  fabric that I hope will work for the back.  Actually they are big enough. 

 I just need to feel that I like them enough.  

Since I ordered mucho fabrics for the Color My World Quilt,

I feel I've treated myself to plenty of goodies this month.  Still waiting for the second order to ship.

I made some samples of this months patterns.

Good thing I did as I put the top of house one on house two and vice versa.

This is the fabric I think I will use for the background - I would like something with a little more white - Still looking around.

Journal Covers and Decluttering

A friend suggested that I do the Declutter Challenge with her on " Just Get It Done Quilts"

Found a bunch of leftover batik blocks and a small stack of journal notebooks that I had bought the last time I made journal covers (2011 - or there about).

So I spent a couple of days and and made 6 journal covers. Gave one as a door prize at Woman's Club Meeting.

Then I found several practice quilting pieces that I had made at classes and at home over the years.

I used a couple of them on top of the washer and dryer to prevent scratching etc.  They are about 2ft. square.

And sorting  through some of my misc. art supply bins I came across the fabric paints that I hadn't used in years so.......................... why not.

 

Normally I would paint on fabric and quilt it after but what's to lose.

 

Then I set them out on the porch to dry while I went for my covid vaccine. 

Came home and trimmed  them down into journal size pieces - but wait now I'll have to buy more journals.  It is truly a vicious circle for me. Need to clean up the sewing space again -

Not getting much decluttering done but having a good time anyway.

And last year's Amaryllis has decided to awaken.

Hurrah!

Friendship Star Circles

Finished all the blocks that I had made into kits sometime back - I had twenty-one. 

They are 18' blocks so when I sew them together,  top will be 72 by 90".

I have been thinking about a border as I finished the last of the blocks.

I had in mind a border of very light stars - rather like ghost stars so I made quite a few of them as I was sewing on the blocks.  

I was thinking of the different circles of friends we have at times in our lives and how we lose touch with some for various reasons.  

But they are still with us in our memories.

However - that was so blah!

I drew up a few ideas and voila.

Much better!

I have 3 more border units to make then on to the next project.  Of course the backing and all but the hard part is done.  It should be about 88 by 98 when finished as I am only bordering three sides. 

Stay tuned for that. 

I have decided to do the Wendy Williams  - Color My World Quilt - from the Quilt Show.

I'm a little late starting and still gathering (read that as shopping for)my fabrics together.

S and I met her when we were in England and her quilt was shown at the Quilt International Show in Birmingham.  This is her Round the Garden quilt.

Finally Finished - Logan's Advent Calendar

I had been waiting patiently for this  Scandi advent (actually ordered two) panel to arrive.  Had to order it from an Etsy shop located in the UK.  I also ordered some coordinating fabric for the back from an online shop in the US and it took longer than the panels to arrive.  

Finally 

It had been so long since I have done any free motion quilting on the Bernina but I practiced a bit and all was going well that is until it wasn't.  

An odd clicking noise  - maybe a new needle will help. No a little different noise - maybe the bobbin area needs oil.  No.  Then I found it hard to turn up the needle and I didn't want to end up with it stuck down in my fabric so the next day this happened.

It's living in the dining room right now.  

Happy Christmas to me!

Actually it was rather serendipitous - I had just received a refund from a travel company for a cancelled cruise to Alaska last May - so no cruise = new machine!

So after getting used to it and learning a few of the basics I finished the Advent Calendar

I even remembered - from the sales guys instructions - how to make a little label across the bottom.

I found a website with some little Bible verses to put in the pockets for next year.

He's 3 months old on Tuesday.

Can't wait to see him again on Christmas day!

Not as much decorating as usual going on around here due to the little switch 

up in our usual Christmas Celebration Routine.  Having three smaller get togethers. 

However this $7 Poinsettia from the grocery store and the

 Red and White Amaryllis behind it have been a celebration in themselves.

 However you Celebrate - Merry Christmas!

 

Late Fall Sewing and Thanksgiving

The  door into my sewing room.

Behind the door to my sewing room.

A  friend, who had never been in my sewing room, was fascinated by all the stuff hanging there. 

And to be honest I was kind of embarrassed at the mess.  Anyway - later I looked through it and I found this.

One of the quilt tops  - hanging there!

I have absolutely no recollection of making it.

It is 81 x 90".  Maybe I thought I'd use it as a quilt back or something.

Anyway - we'll see.

Continuing on with my donation and comfort quilts.

This top is 60 by 72.

A very rainy day

lots of preparation

lots of cutters

Lots of mess to clean up!

Great way to spent a rainy way!

This is another small to that I finished.  I had made some of the blocks last year and sewed them together.

The blocks are seven inches and the top is 42 by 49"

 and ready to be quilted. 

                                                               My Thanksgiving Day Crew

It was a beautiful day and we ate out on the porch and the deck.

As we were taking pictures, my son in law, Vince, got a text from someone of pictures of their Thanksgiving celebration.  None of us recognized anyone in the pictures but we replied and sent our pictures.  We had a few laughs and they congratulated the couple holding the baby for being responsible and wearing masks. In the end - we told them we were looking forward to seeing their Christmas pictures.

Funny what a transposed number can lead to - it was fun.