Schnibble Progress, Bluework and a Quilt History Block

I made a bunch of flying geese for my Schnibbles pattern. Once I got the hang of their plan I was really liking it...you start out with a large square and put two smaller squares on it sew, cut and add another small square to each cut and come out with four geese for each large square I believe (I did this last week and already forgot!) then I took them to my sister's house to trim since I was hanging out there Saturday and most of them were good, but I have a good handful that look awful! I caught the fabric in the top of the triangle and so you can see the back of part of it or something...some I just ripped and pulled out the bad piece no big deal, but some of them need a bit more help....so later on I will be having a flying geese clinic in my sewing room to fix the injuries! I am not sure if I was messing up when I started before I had the hang of it, or randomly here and there, but I think I prefer my Eleanor Burns rulers and doing it her way!

This is the September quilt history block (ya, I know you haven't seen August's yet...I had some difficulties with it--don't ask it has been a hell of a month and I bought a second kit to redo it, will detail that when I get it done) This block is in last month's Fon's and Porter Love of Quilting I believe in Roy's article. We reproduced one of the samples he had in the magazine since it is from our time period. This one was a little hard for me on the last two strips...sigh, it has been a month.

Did get some bluework done at my sister's too...this one I dragged around so long there is stuff on the block...I washed it by hand and now it looks worse, will take some time to soak it later.

This one is a little happier than the last bluework picture. I have one to go and I am caught up to what I have been given!

Went to the quilt store and out to lunch with my sewing and online quilting friends B.J. and June. We had fun chatting since we hadn't all been together in months! Time just gets away from us. Should be about three weeks til we all meet again when another online friend comes to visit (Nancy I met her last year!) and we all plan to have lunch and all that again. They helped renew my soul today with hugs, talking about quilting, sewing, machines, fabric, etc.--all the stuff that seems to bore my other friends!

Christmas Lights Mystery Progress, Cutting some Schnibbles and a Painted Bench

It has been a truly crazy end of summer and start of fall for me. I got a call on the day after Labor Day that my dad had become unresponsive. I had spoken to him the day before and it was hard to understand him and I felt something had changed. To top that off the phone service where he was in Wisconsin (for cells) is awful and we got disconnected. I called back and talked ot Margie (his gf of 30 years) and she said he was really tired, etc. I was worried but after talking to my uncle (who had just been there for several days) heard Dad was doing okay and so my sister and I bought tickets for the two weekends out. The next day I got the call from one of Dad's good friends that we needed to come ASAP...so frantically we packed, switched tickets, arranged things with work and managed to get on a plane. We arrived about midnight their time and my wonderful daughter Hannah picked us up and drove us two and a half hours to little Trego.
My father suddenly opened his eyes as we arrived and seemed to understand we were there. He died with all four of us surrounding him (in about an hour) and telling him he would soon be free from his pain. It was really hard to let him go, but I do believe he is in a better place and can golf, hunt, eat, and drink again. We planned the service and it really meant a lot to all of us that about 300 people turned up to pay their last respects. All of that side of the family came, a few members from my mom's side (despite the divorce 35 years ago) and even my ex in-laws came which touched me too. Two of my three children were able to be there...my sister's son is in Japan with the Navy so he wasn't there and my oldest son Coleman was unable to come too. Both boys called that morning and their hearts were with us.
My sister and I were never so glad to come home last Sunday and have been on the phone everyday since...we are missing our Dad and grieving his short life (59 years) but he did enjoy each day and had a few years after his initial diagnosis with throat cancer....

On to a happier topic, I NEEDED to sew today and so I finally put the twelve stars together for the second clue in Bonnie Hunter's Christmas Lights (that for some reason I thought was Holiday Lights all this time) and also laid out the parts to get some idea of what the other block looks like.

It is a bit messy but you get the idea...

I also got the first Schnibbles pattern ready to go. Here is Glace all cut up.

Cut up the fabric for my Arizona Quilt History Block which I need to get to also.
Saturday we drove up to Prescott and stayed overnight with my mom. She had just finished painting the bench that we gave her for her bday. It looks great and matches her decor.

My sister, brother, his gf and son all came up for the day Saturday and it was nice to be together and mom really enjoyed it. I am so happy I was able to sew....my zen is back to normal!

Schnibbles Winter White Purchase and Simple Gifts Baby Quilt

This past weekend we drove up to Prescott to help my mom and (step)Dad move back into their house. On the way up we stopped at one of my favorite quilt shops which is near my sister's house in New River and I bought the Winter White Schnibbles pattern and the Glace fabric to make it. I didn't go exactly with what the pattern had as far as fabrics, but pretty close since I thought it was pretty. Can't wait to get started on this one!

I also picked out several fabrics to make a baby shower gift for my friend Janelle and her husband Joel's first baby. They know it is a girl and the shower is next weekend so this afternoon I started working on FunQuilts' "Simple Gifts" quilt designed by Weeks Ringle. The pattern is free online at her Craft Nectar blog. It went together in a snap!

You may have to do a close up to see the little ducks in some of this fabric...VERY CUTE! So I have a few days to get it tied and ready to go! I have some leftover fabric that will likely get put into another similar quilt for another baby girl. I like doing simple things in twos!

I also worked on a little something for my pay it forward gal. It feels so good to be back sewing a bit since I went back to work I haven't had much time or energy for sewing...I have however been reading lots of good books which is another passion of mine!