Still goin at it

So maybe I haven't been goin at it with the gusto I'd like but I am still doing some sewing. After an icy night it was nice outside this afternoon so Mark and I had to wonder around the neighborhood for a few hours.
This morning was quilting at church. So not in the mood to sew. But we did organize a bit, planning backs for tops, cutting batting  and destashing some of the excess that was not appropriate for our use. Mark always has a real pretty rag collection.

Last night I put together some blocks into a small sampler. I'd made about half the blocks when I demonstrated in classes the others were donated orphans. The smaller blocks were supposed to be 8 1/2" but measured barely 8". That simply means  to add even wider frames to bring them up to 12 1/2". Mary Kay will finish it with a lavender border and binding.


I have 1 block left on a spring themed wallhanging. It's a paper pieced block of 3 birdhouses! There's also bunnys hopping on it. Yes it is cute and I don't do cute easily. Taking out one bunny and adding 2 birds from the same designer. Yes I will paper piece the birdhouses. And the applique is just cut and paste. After all it will only be on the wall briefly for a few years.  It's early, I'll go now and see if I can paperpiece.

Back at it

Back at it and it feels so good. Though my tore rotator cuff  isn't completely healed it is much better so I can work at my quilting again.  I missed it and it feels good. Though I've been dabbling I've spent a longer days lately and have something to show for it. You might remember this was in progress about a year ago. I'm not really keen on the 1930's reproduction prints in the quilt so I can imagine doing the design again in fun wild prints and passing this one on to whoever makes me an offer to purchase. (hint hint)

It's obviously a variation of this one I called Snow Day in my book Save the Scraps.  I admit I love the pattern and you know how much I love all the variations on all the patterns. I really like the addition of the square on point in the middle of the block. 

The block is also great to alternate with other blocks like I did with the square-in-a-square block  last year.  I made this to use up some stash. I'll donate this once it's quilted.




I thought it was time I put up a few quilts on the bare walls at Studio 3, so I hung this little tree quilt. Yes, I'm still teaching there. I never thought I'd be teaching this again. Both the Thursday and Friday gals are working on their own tree quilt now. My version is perhaps 32" They all wanted lap quilts so we are making our blocks a bit bigger. We gathered our Christmas prints and swapped a little and some of the ladies added a little new. I'm making it again with them and again I am trying to use up some old stash. Where it goes will depend on how it turns out. That's always the way with my quilts though. The little trees finish 6". I've cut my trees and now wish I thought  sooner to make 6" stars to substitute for the trees. maybe I'll just have to do it again with stars.
Now that I am back at it again I hope to finish up lots more of the tops I've started. A few weeks ago I counted almost 25 I'd started.  I expect by the end of the month I'll be able to use the longarm again and get back to some real quilting. Now that's opposed to piecing not hand-quilting. It's been a long time since I heard anybody declare that machine quilting is not real quilting. With any luck I will have more to post here over the next few months.