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!
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:
Ready to quilt…
My husband loved the wildlife fabric. It matches several of the decorative elements at the cabin.
Wildlife close up
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:
First dandelion in the yard.Pansies…Pansies…and more pansies…planted in yard sale pots.
I hope you are finding projects to work on and beautiful flowers to admire. Happy spring!
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.
Progress so far…
I am using as much scrap fabric as possible, especially since I organized!
I also have a few spring pictures to share:
Forsythia in neighboring yardVolunteer white peach blossoms…growing in the compost
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?
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.
Finished top
…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).
Scrap box…medium clear box
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.
Accuquilt dies to trim scrapsLots of pieces…more to come4 1/2 inch star
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!
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.
My notebook is getting full!
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):
First block 🥰
The center basket star is cute:
Star on basket
This makes a very cute quilt. Won’t you join in the fun?
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:
Fabric is in pilesI moved a bunch of containers of fabric and projects to the dining room to sort and straighten.Notice the middle pile is 3 totes high.
Here are areas that I improved:
The dress form is looking over the room.
What did I find when I took a good, deep dive into things that I have stashed away?
Labeled and organized binsMore organized binsMy childhood dresser now has organized fabric.Schematic 24 organized drawers!Quilts and more quilts….
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?
Recently, my sister sent me a family quilt to repair. Restore really isn’t the correct word. It can not be brought back to its original form with the pieces that are left.
It was most likely made by our great grandmother, Mettie Marie Cole McCullough. She lived most of her life in the rural farming village of Pine Glen, Pennsylvania. She was a farmer’s wife and mother of 10. Her quilts were utilitarian…the original weighted quilts.
This quilt was at my grandmother’s house.
utilitarian weighted quilt
This quilt is constructed from anything and everything that was at hand. It has wool patchwork. Straight seams were not important in construction. Warmth was the goal. Sashings are tan denim or duck, wool, and flannel. It is tied with green yarn. The batting is a badly deteriorated wool blanket. The backing looks like piece goods. It was seamed together in the middle of the back. The dark blue backing fabric is severely dry rotted. The binding is a rolled around portion of the backing. There is no label of any kind.
Back and batting
I need to do more documentation as I work on this quilt. I do have wool and denim fabrics in appropriate colors available. Some of the patches are in poor condition…falling apart at the seams or other holes.
Complete block
This quilt should be an interesting project. I think I will try to have it refashioned into a useable quilt as a Christmas present for my sister this year.
Have you ever tackled a project like this? Please share your projects and your thoughts on mine.
I started the blocks from the Sampler Spree block in September 2022. I finished all but 1 block on January 4, 2023. (That unmade block needed templates…uh, no…never.) Here is the final tracking sheet:
Tracking sheet helped move this project forward.
Here are the final blocks:
And the last few:
I love that little star!
I am planning to use the layout in the book to assemble the top. I am going to sort the blocks a little differently though.
Recently I started watching Pat Sloan on her YouTube channel every morning. It is a nice relaxing way to start my day. I participated in the Snapdragon quilt along. Well, I made the blocks anyway. They are currently on my design wall.
Snapdragon quilt blocks
Finishing the top is a job for next week…or maybe a little later in the month.
What do you have on your design wall? What project are you working on next?
