Yep! That's right! I've been off work for the last five days and it has been a wonderful time of stitching, cooking, and reading. If this is what retirement is like, sign me up!
I started out by whipping up the 7th row of the Bee in My Bonnet Row Along - leaves flying in the breeze - next to the last row on the right in the picture below of all seven rows together. They are not sewn together yet - just laid out together. The next clue comes out a week from Wednesday. I can't believe I am still staying caught up with this one. I adore these 30s fabrics and can't wait to see the finished product...this quilt is for me!!!
Next, I stitched up the December Stash Bee blocks for Jackie. I'm so glad she posted her block early. Now I am caught up on Stash Bee until January! These blocks are called Arkansas Crossroads and went together very quickly. I bet they will make a pretty scrappy little quilt. She asked for no repeats on the fabrics. I see that some of those pinks look identical, but I promise you 'They are not!'
After catching up on these two 'commitments', I decided to have some fun and got out the Quick Curve Ruler I had ordered from Sew Kind of Wonderful a few weeks ago. Jenny Pedigo and her sister, Helen Robinson, are hosting a quilt along with the Quick Curve Ruler. They are taking traditional quilt blocks and putting a curve to them. They started a few weeks ago, so I had some catching up to do.
Jenny started with the Churn Dash block first. Isn't that neat? I am doing these blocks with 'dotty' fabrics with a solid background. And surprisingly enough, it wasn't that hard to do. The curve is not tight, so it goes together pretty easily. Jenny has some videos on her blog to show you exactly how to do the cutting and sewing.
Next, Helen did the Sawtooth Star block. It was a little harder than the first one, but it went together pretty quickly. Minimal ripping and resewing...
After that, Jenny did the Rail Fence. Now this one was hard! I ripped it out a dozen or more times and never seemed to get it quite right. I remembered from Jenny's videos that she said she uses a lot of steam. I do not use steam - I have a dry iron - so I got the Ellen's Best Press out and pressed it into submission. It works for me!
I hope I get better at these over time. The next block will come out on December 8th. Can't wait...I wonder what it will be...
Of course, Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street Mystery started on Friday morning. I haven't decided how big a quilt I want to make so I only made half of the units required for Step 1. The next clue will come out next Friday. I hope I can keep up with this one. So far I am liking it....my other colors are orange, pink, and green....
I had planned to work on the borders on my Civil War quilt. I had figured out what I wanted to do for the borders back in September. Yesterday, I couldn't really remember what I had planned. But luckily enough, I had written it down and was actually able to find it. Serendipitous? I do believe so! I made a sample with some scrap fabrics and think I know what I am doing. It will be a dogtooth border - I saw it on a blog but I can't find the site right now....but I knew the dogtooth border would be absolutely perfect for this quilt. I had hoped to get this done for Christmas but that isn't looking likely right now...Oh well....Now to cut the fabrics I plan to use and start putting them together.
In addition to all of the stitching, I did cook the ham and turkey dinner with many of the trimmings. There are only three of us so we have leftovers...yum! Plus cherry pie, blackberry pie, oatmeal cookies...sugar, sugar, and more sugar!!!!
Take care and have a great week!
Bri
So happy to be back to sewing!! I got the last two rows of the Bee in My Bonnet Row Along finished just in time for the next clue to come out on Wednesday. Just love these little cocoa mugs. Lori had us make the flying geese with a 'no waste method' that was pretty cool. I had never seen it before - had always sewn the square to the corner then whacked it off. Either making a tiny HST or tossing the fabric. Hated the waste but didn't know a better way....now I do!
I also got my November Stash Bee blocks completed. Laura asked us to make a self-portrait of ourselves and a pet. Not sure this looks much like me - I do have curly hair, but I forgot the glasses. This was applique which I keep wanting to learn to do but haven't taken the time to do so. I did these raw edge applique. My darling little Singer, Eve, only goes straight - no zig zagging for her...
Other than sewing, I've been on a bit of a baking binge. So thrilled it is finally cool enough to turn on the oven. Made sugar cookies yesterday and peanut butter cookies and brownies today. Getting geared up for turkey and dressing, etc. Got out my only Thanksgiving decorations and sat them on my sewing table. It wasn't until I took the picture that I realized I have Easter eggs still sitting on my table. Not much of a holiday decorator...oh well...I love my little turkey guy! He looks a little put out with me...haha!
Last night I chose my fabrics for Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street Mystery and the About.com New Year's Day Mystery - unless I change my mind about them before then. I won't show pictures yet - just in case.
Now to make some binding for the leaves quilt. Hopefully there will be pictures of that quilt before too long. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
~Bri
Yay! I am sewing again...after almost four weeks of little to no activity, I am finally feeling myself again and have gotten some sewing done. I got my October Stash Bee bookshelf blocks finished and mailed off at practically the last minute...
I also made a couple of blocks for a quilt that the Oklahoma City Modern Quilt Guild is going to raffle off for Hurricane Sandy relief. Can't wait to see the finished quilt.
That's not all! I got Row 4 of the Bee in My Bonnet Row Along finished. I am so excited. I still have one more row - flying geese - to catch up on before the next clue comes out on Wednesday.
Now with all of that resting I've done the last few weeks, you would think I would be keeping out of trouble, but NO. I rested with my IPad in my lap and found all kinds of new projects I want to do.
Jenny at Sew Kind of Wonderful put her Quick Curve Ruler on sale so we could all participate in a Quilt Along that she and her sister are hosting. I ordered the ruler and got it, but I haven't actually tried to use it yet. In October, Jenny posted a Churn Dash block using the Quick Curve Ruler. In November, her sister Helen is going to post a Sawtooth Star block using the ruler. (I think they plan to take turns posting new blocks on the 8th and 22nd of each month.) I really want to try these and hope to find the time soon. I've never even sewn a curve yet, so this could get interesting...
Bonnie Hunter posted fabric selection instructions for her Easy Street Mystery that will start the day after Thanksgiving. I've never done a Bonnie mystery but am thinking I will try this one. She says it will be less complicated than the last couple - which had what appeared to be thousands of pieces!
Janet Wickell on the About.com quilt forum announced her New Year's Day mystery. It's going to start on New Year's Eve...more on that later.
So much to do and so little time. I must not get sick again! Otherwise, I have no idea how I'll get any of this done - much less some of the things I had hoped to get done for Christmas...
Have a good week!
~Bri
