A Lori Holt Finish and Showing off the Granddaughters!

Barb did a great job quilting my Lori Holt quilt with I love you hands and hearts.  I love that pattern so much!  I made a matching binding and got it on a few days ago.
Here is Indie (standing so good!) on her quilt.  She loves it.

Here is she laughing on it.  My daughter can get the best pictures of these kids.

And here she is sitting.  Sweet girl!

 And her older sister had her first dance recital in June.  She did great!

                                

All Moved in Gardening, Birding, and Sewing!

We planted two rosebushes because I hated leaving the ones we planted three years ago at our rental.  Looking forward to seeing these grow.  There are already lots of annuals planted around the house which suits us fine as I do not love gardening (love looking at it, but not putting in the work and energy to get there).  You can also see that we sprayed Hazel's mosaics and put them out.  I need to have her make some for this year (we did them on Mother's Day previously but with moving we did not get there this year!).

I sewed up a mini/med size pillow case for another pillow for Hazel to use while napping here.

We also bought a few cheap bird feeders (disposable) just to see if the many birds in the area would stop at our window.  This is just above the rose bushes.  We have lots of goldfinches stopping in and some house sparrows too.  I have not seen others at the feeder yet, but I downloaded the Merlin app and have discovered by recording their songs that we have House Finches, Red-Wing Blackbirds, Northern Cardinals, European Starlings, House Sparrows, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and American Robins in the area.  Hazel and I are enjoying learning about the birds!

 I finally got a picture of the border on this Lori Holt quilt.  This is the one Hannah wants for her soon to come daughter.  I need to get it out to the longarmer!

A Whole Lot of News!

For some reason I do not think this Kathleen Tracy sampler ever made it to the blog after I quilted it with a baptist fan and bound it.  Love how it turned out.

Managed to do the next block in A Quilting life's BOM before the move.

                                    

Made some of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks before and some after the move in orange.

We bid on SIX houses before finally getting our forever home!  After we closed we spent a few weeks making treks over and putting things away and each weekend we painted.  The library/office room is painted "swiss coffee" which looks pretty white, but I like it.  The bedroom is painted a very light sea blue and I love it.  

Hazel and I planted seeds and our radishes are already coming up!

We hung my metal quilts on our garage after it was painted professionally.  We hired people to replace the floor in the living room and in the hall/library office.  We also hired someone to put in a fence.  That happened a few days after we moved in and the dogs, us and Hazel are loving it!

Yesterday I finished up the quilt on the left below.  I put in sashings and cornerstones because I thought the original one I made with my Lori Holt blocks was a bit too busy.  Hannah picked the sashings and cornerstones one and today I added a red with some color for the border and need to get a picture of that.  Baby girl number two should love it.  I need to decide on another quilt or two to make for her as well.  Considering Eye Spy a Four Patch and Princess Crown both from Quiltville.  

 

I had parathyroid surgery about six weeks ago and I think it actually helped me some.  I am feeling slightly less fatigued which is amazing.  It could not have come at a better time with moving.  I am hoping it lasts and continues to improve!  Any fatigue relief is welcome!

Finishes, So Many Finishes!

Becky sent me this awesome snowman wall hanging for Christmas.  I love it!  

I had my Ocrevous infusion mid February.  Took Babel to read but was hit super hard by the Benadryl so I had to start it over that night.  Five stars, I really liked it!

I continued to do a row a week on my Sparkling New Year mystery quilt.

I got the first border on it.  It is a little wavy even though I did my usual measuring method.

Today I got the final border on it and I am happy with it!

I spent all day yesterday in bed...have been super extra fatigued lately but today I thought I would try to get in several finishes.  I sewed the backing for my Tea Party quilt which I am sending out to Andi to quilt.  I did a quick iron of the top too.

It took me a minute to realize when I stay stitch my string pieced borders it is MUCH easier if I do it from the top (like picture) instead of with the wrong side up where I have to fight the many seams.  Sometimes I surprise myself by how slow I am to catch on to stuff like this!

This Grassy Creek started out as Barb's.  She did not want to do the string piecing so she sent it on to me.  I have been working on it on and off ever since.  I accidently cut the string pieced borders at the wrong angle so I went with it and it looks fine.  

It is too big to actually get a full picture of.  I was so happy to finally get these final borders on!  Another one checked off my list!

The UFO for February is my Lori Holt quilt.  My daughter is pregnant with baby girl #2 so I plan on giving this quilt to her before August when the baby comes.  I laid this all out but am thinking it is too busy as it is.  I may redo the alternate blocks so it is cleaner.  What do you think?  Obviously not getting that done in February, but I did finish the quilts above (Grassy Creek was on the UFO list and hasn't been picked yet) but soon.

Barb also sent me all her Emerald Jubilee blocks since she did not like the final layout.  I am not sure if I will finish it as I did my Ruby Jubilee or if I will make several quilts with the blocks or what.  Barb said she enjoyed making the blocks but did not feel like she wanted to finish it.

This Amythyst Jubilee is Becky's.  She also copied Bonnie's layout for the most part and it turned out amazing.  We all had so much fun sewing these this year.

 

Ruby Jubilee and Lori Holt Block Progress

Finished up Ruby Jubilee part three I think it was.  Barb's is looking great in green.

Becky's is looking great in purple too!

The UFO # for this month brought up my Lori Holt blocks...I finally came up with a plan to make these blocks to put between those.  I will be making two quilt tops, but no rush.  Hoping to get these blocks made this month.  I started out by using four patches and cut up squares that were already waiting for a use.  If I am not happy with them I may switch them all up for the more modern fabrics.  Not sure yet.

These are all the books I read in April.  I do listen to some or go back and forth or do both at the same time.  Lots of reading happening since I spend a lot of time in bed or with my feet up.  Thankful I can read and it does not seem to tire me the way almost everything else does!

 

Progress...Slow and Steady!

I really have not sewn much the past two weeks.  Before that I got all the blocks and half blocks ready for Winter Blues in Green.  I then realized I had a TON of sashing to cut and cornerstones.  Wind out of sails  I just did not feel like cutting all that!  There is so much cutting and subcutting in this one!  I am loving my new ruler for doing it but still.  I also am pretty sure that I want to do a yellow version of this and then combine the two colors for TWO Packer quilts instead of doing one green one.  So plenty more sewing and cutting to happen, but I put it away for a break.

I also quilted up the Kathleen Tracy Mystery Quilt.  Pretty happy with how it turned out.

I got out the Modern Maples quilt kit Kathy bought me several years ago.  I was thinking that would make a nice fall project.  I love the fabric and the pattern but for some reason just did not feel like getting going on it.  I admired it all, and put it all away again.  Not even sure I will make this one....may just mix the fabric in and use it elsewhere.  Where is the quilting mojo?

Still getting the Once Upon a Book Club boxes.  This one was a good read and I liked some of the gifts, but I have been reselling them and not keeping any of it...helps me justify the cost of it!  I read the book in one day.

 A few days ago I did finally cut and then the next day sew something!  I made these Tending the Garden blocks which were a bit of a challenge.  I really struggled with the flowers.  Sewed the wrong colors not once but twice!  One yellow part on each was not as big as the others, etc.  Oh well, like in nature, each flower is different.  I also accidently made the blue part of the can too large but decided it looked fine so I left it.  

Fruits and Veges

Really love how my corn and tomatoes 2 block came out.  Cold watermelon is cute too.  

I had a partially cut Simple Gifts quilt and decided to just cut a few more strips and sew up.  Nothing super cute but now I have an empty bin.  

I was planning on doing GE Designs Hey June QAL today but my mom (who just got into Eau Claire for the summer last Saturday) is really sick in critical care.  She has cancer and diabetes and heart issues, but she apparently got a UTI which turned septic before she went in.  She had a mild heart attack the first night there.  Hopefully she is strong enough to recover from this but a lousy start to her visit.  She has not met Hazel yet, so hoping that will happen next weekend when they travel home for the 4th of July.  Not sure it can happen if she is still in the hospital then, so crossing fingers she recovers well and is out.  Anyway, Kathy is working mandatory overtime this morning so I decided to keep busy sewing and such and then when she is done we have a few things we have to do and then we will head out of town.  It is a four hour drive home so we will go today, spend the night with my best friend, see Mom and Dad and head home tomorrow.  Not what we would plan for our first trip but I have not seen mom in a year and with her health it is worth the hassle.  

 

Farm Girl Vintage is Growing!

Read the latest Once Upon a Book Club box and put it up for sale when I was done.  I have enjoyed all but one of the books I have read in the past year.  Thinking I may cancel after my birthday as it is not cheap, but I wind up selling almost all of them so basically it costs me postage for the fun each month.  

I started working on more towels since I need new ones (and I gave away all the ones I made last year) and they make great gifts.  I had to reacquaint myself with the buttonholer I bought which took only a few minutes with the help of a youtube video.  I sewed all the tops on to the towels (forgot to put batting in the top before I sewed, going with it) and now all that is left is to sew the buttons on.  Great thing to do in front of the TV this week. 

I also laid out one set of the Lori Holt blocks for fun.  Pretty happy with these and enjoying making most of them!

I then picked out an easy block to make (to help me recover from the tractor!).  This is the Mixing it Up block.  I also found an "All Things Lori Holt" facebook group and joined that.  Love seeing all the projects there.  My blocks are from Farm Girl Vintage 1 and 2 with the puppy from the Christmas book.  I need to buy Spelling Bee too!  Rather addicting, and I love that I am using my modern fabrics which do not see enough love now that my Tula Pink quilt is done.

 

Daddy's Tractor Challenge!

I ordered this turquoise grunge fabric to use on my Pine Tree Rainbow Scrap Challenge sashing.  I do not have enough of the other and am happy to say that this matches pretty good considering I picked it online.

I have slowed down on the Farm Girl Vintage blocks since I was busy paper piecing on Wild and Goosey.  Now that that is cleaned up, I decided to make a pair of Daddy's Tractor blocks.  I cut things over two days and messed up all over the place.  I actually cut the background out of the tractor green!  It took way too long to sew this due to all my errors and my pause to make pins with letters on them to put with each cut set.  In the beginning I used post it notes, then I just put them in order on the board...this one has A to Z in cutting and it was a hot mess.

I made the pins and that helped SO much.  They will get much use!

My triangle dyslexia also came out and my steering wheel was jacked up.  I almost left it, but after all I had been through with these blocks...well what is a bit more cutting and sewing?  I tried to fix and fudge it first and eventually went with starting that part again.  Much faster.

If you look carefully, the steering wheel on the left is short and the tractor on the right is missing a background.  They also both need a button on the smaller tire.  The Daddy's Tractor challenge is over!  I think I will eventually make a large one of these if I wind up with a grandson, hopefully it will go better for me!

I wish I would have made pins (or bought them) at the start of these blocks!  Live and learn!