As you know, I am working on the blocks for the Sew with Me 2023 by Erica Arndt. I am slowly getting caught up on this sew along. This is only block #2 and #3. I have decided to use purple and red as my main colors for these blocks.
There are now 5 patterns available. Remember…She also has YouTube versions of these blocks to help or to keep you motivated.
What ongoing projects are you working on today? I would love to hear from you!
Later,
Lorrie
I haven’t worked on my hexagon quilt since last fall when we were at the cabin. I love to do handwork while we are relaxing in front of the fire.
I need to add some border pieces to get the part I have been working on ready for more…
Once I add 16 more joining pieces…and that should take awhile…I plan on adding a piece using this pattern made from my own fabrics:
I love this pattern from Pinterest! My fabric will probably be even brighter…with a black background to make it pop even more!
Well…Time to go! Lots to do!
What hand work have you been doing lately?
Later,
Lorrie
Since the beginning of 2023, I have started to participate in several sew alongs.
Here is an update of my A Quilting Life blocks for April. My original post about this sew along can be read here.
I am also completing the blocks for the Sew with Me 2023 by Erica Arndt. I am a little behind on this one! This is only block #1. The pattern read as if only 2 colors were used. I guess I should have watched her tutorial video on YouTube. There are 4 patterns available.
Here are my blocks:
What sew alongs are you still participating in? I would love to hear from you!
Later,
Lorrie
As you know, I am not the only maker in our family. My husband completes many cross-stitch projects. He has been given many kits, floss, and fabric. At the price for a skein of floss today, he is sitting on a million dollar collection of the stuff.
He also has oodles of books and patterns, too. The book and pattern section of the library still needs to be organized.
Today’s post is about the finishing touches that I am adding to a kit that DH completed a short while ago.
The kit was a gift from our wonderful daugher-in-law. My son created a Southwest area in a hallway of their new house for her. Dan finished this kit to be a wall hanging in this area. Shhhhh! It is a surprise!
Here is the finished stitching.
I am adding 2 borders. The first one is very thin to give the viewer’s eye a rest. The second border is to contiue the Southwest theme.
The backing fabric is more Southwest fabric.
I used the pillowcase method instead of a traditional binding to finish the edge. The edge is topstitched to hold the layers steady.
I am adding 3 possible hanging mechanisms to the top…
Voila! C’est fini!
What project are you finishing today? Hope to hear from you soon! I love to hear about your projects…
Later,
Lorrie
Last week we decided to take a short trip away. Now that we are home I can tell you all about it.
Our first stop was in Williamsburg, Virginia for a night. The flowers and trees were blooming in all there splendid glory.
Next we traveled to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. The weather was perfect.
We drove to Sunset Beach, North Carolina. It seems to be a nice little tourist town.
Our next stop was Ocean City, Maryland. We visited with my sister’s family for Easter…then we headed home to West Virginia. The sunset ended our last day of travel.
When we walked around our yard the next morning, we discovered that the bleeding heart plants were in full bloom.
Hope you have enjoyed my photos from our trip! Where are you planning on traveling to in the near future? I would love to hear from you!
Later,
Lorrie
I rarely buy kits, but while we were visiting our son in Colorado my husband picked this one up at Holly’s Quilt Cabin. It is a simple design. The fabric is the “star” of the show.
Here it is…ready to put on the quilt frame:
My husband loved the wildlife fabric. It matches several of the decorative elements at the cabin.
I had several fabric finds and leftover pieces to use for a backing. It is pieced and ready, too.
The central piece of fabric has cabins with moose, fishing equipment, etc. The bark looking fabric was another find. I bought both of those fabrics at yard sales for about $1 a yard…new yardage at bargain basement prices.
I bought the small woods motif fabric somewhere in our travels…maybe that same year…maybe not. I have been saving it for this project.
The rest of the fabric was leftover from the kit.
Here are some more spring pictures:
I hope you are finding projects to work on and beautiful flowers to admire. Happy spring!
Later,
Lorrie
I told you a couple of weeks ago that I would share my participation progress in some sew alongs. To find this block of the month, google “Quilting Life 2023” or click here. This block of the month is run by Sherri McConnell.
Blocks for this year are available in 12 inch and 6 inch. So far, the pattern is on one page (for those of us who like a paper pattern to look at). Video tutorials are also available on YouTube.
The pattern is available on the first Monday of every month. Please check the website for availability after the fact.
I am making both size blocks.
I am using as much scrap fabric as possible, especially since I organized!
I also have a few spring pictures to share:
Now on a sad note…I am tired of deleting spam for pharmaceuticals, porn, and whatever is being sold or talked about in Russian etc., so I am turning off active comments. Please e-mail me directly.
I love to hear from you!
To wrap it up this week, I hope you are having fun making…maybe participating in sew alongs. Hope you weather is making spring flowers appear! What are you working on/ seeing in nature this week?
Later,
Lorrie
I finally got the sashings and cornerstones on the blocks to finish the top for a quilt. I used a lovely gray batik. It does make the bright colors of the scrappy blocks pop.
…and there is more!
While I was cleaning and organizing my sewing room, I found a box of scraps. This box was given to me by a substitute teacher that frequented the building I taught in. I have had these scraps for a while…since sometime before March 2020 (when Covid lockdowns began).
All of these scraps are around 2 inches…some are a little smaller. They are perfect to trim to 1 1/2 inch squares or triangles to make 1 1/2 inch half square triangles.
I now have enough little pieces to string piece bonus blocks between all of my other projects! 😁
Have you unearthed any projects recently? I would love to hear from you!
Later,
Lorrie
I am participating in several quilt alongs this year. I will share some pictures and information for all of them here over the next few weeks and months. I am using a notebook and calendar to keep track of my progress in each one.
This week marks the beginning of the Bountiful Quilt Along for 2023. Fabric suggestions and a coloring page can be found here. New blocks are posted on the first Friday of every month from March until August. This Quilt Along is posted to collect charitable donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Fat Quarter Shop posts the patterns. There is also a YouTube tutorial available. At the end of the sew along, there is a quilt auction of donated Bountiful Quilts…made by Pat Sloan, Corey Yoder of Coriander Quilts, etc. A cross-stitch pattern is also available on the The Fat Quarter Shop site, but I am not interested.
The first block pattern can be downloaded here. This pattern makes two 24.5″ square blocks. It does take a while to assemble the many parts and pieces (98 pieces to be exact). They are large pieces that assemble easily. The directions are well written.
I watched 2 episodes of Midsomer Murders on Prime as I sewed up my blocks. I am using up scrap or fabric that I have on hand for this quilt. I did find a very interesting basket weave fabric. The first pink border looks like a color right out of the 1980’s…it might be…I bought it at a yardsale mixed in with some other scrap fabric. The star in the center of the basket also looks like it crawled on of the 80’s.
Here is a picture of my block(s):
The center basket star is cute:
This makes a very cute quilt. Won’t you join in the fun?
Later,
Lorrie
This week I have been organizing my stash of fabric. I have been collecting for 30+ years…just waiting until I could retire and play! Mwahahaha! The time for leisure is here!
Here are my before pictures:
Here are areas that I improved:
What did I find when I took a good, deep dive into things that I have stashed away?
Well…5 queen size quilt tops that were out of sight, out of mind, plus a table runner, a wall hanging that is pinned together but needs assembly, and 2 sets of blocks that have been kitted up for assembly.
Looks like I am going to be busy for a little while! I will not be bored, now that I am “retired”…and working harder than ever!
What have you been working on recently? Have you found any hidden treasure?
Later,
Lorrie
