It's a Jungle Blog Hop - My Day

 

This months challenge is - Animals, plants, trees...what's in your jungle?  

My Jungle starts with this quilt top that I put together a couple of months ago.  The only problem is that I'm stalled on what I want to do for borders on the top and right sides   I've plenty of leopard prints left, and of course lots of COC's to use.....Just can't decide what I want.   Only thing I do know is that I want an asymmetrical layout to the quilt, so will only do a 6" border.

The blocks were some from a long ago fav fabric sway where I sent out leopard and tiger prints.   The panel was bought about 10 yrs later.

I really had to work to finish up this quilt top after 2 eye surgeries in the space of 3 weeks and what has turned out to be almost 2 weeks of face-down or on my right side.   With only 15 minutes up out of every hour it's hard to get much done other than making necessary trips when I actually rememebered to get up.   However, once  I started feeling better I did realize that even 10-15 minutes sewing time would make progress.   Thankfully I only needed to finish 3 blocks for the bottom border, then attach both top and bottom borders....phew!

Details - 

8 pieced blocks from the same fav fabric swap the ones above came from.  Scraps used to make the remaining blocks.  Panel used was bought at the same time as the leopard (about 2 yrs ago).

Fabrics leftover from the 2 quilts so far.   Some of teh stack on the right will be used as the remaining border for the first top.   Then, may piece bindings or make another quilt with the remaining ones....who knows 

Gratitudes:

1. For good retina specialists thru the last month, 2 surgeries, and what has seemed to be unending downtime.   Here's hoping I don't fall into the 5% that need a 3rd surgery to get the repair to finally last.

2. For insurance paying for the surgeries (even if they are balking at the cost of a prescription eye drop)

Scrap-Happy April 2022

 I thought I hadn't done a lot of sewing/quilting this month until I started looking back at the photos I'd taken.  As it turns out I had done more than I thought.  

First up was this cover for the arm on a wheelchair that has a joy stick on it.  My friend wanted something that would help protect it from spills, so I made one side with clear vinyl.  The leopard print is scraps from a piece of stretch twill and the vinyl was a remnant. Velcro was from the stash.

A set of 16 bowl cozies was finished up and shipped out.  All fabrics were from scraps and remnants.  Batting in them were from left over pieces from prior projects.

First up this month were a set of three cozies made from the left over fabric from a prior order. 

Then a wee bit of actual quilting work for myself - I made a set of 6 swap blocks for a swap with a theme of cups.   The fabric I used for the cup was a larger scrap that I'd had for years without getting anything made from it.  The background WOW fabric was taken from a remnant in the stash.  

And this picture shows the cup blocks I received back from the swap laid out on my design wall in my new place.  The center block with the coffee pot and vase is an older UFO block I made 7+ years ago when doing some pattern testing for a designer in Europe.   I still need to make two more cup blocks to finish the planned layout for the quilt.  More WOW scraps will be used to sash the blocks into the proper size and orientation.   I hope to show that progress next month....maybe....lol.

Made a pincushion for a friend who likes lighthouses using a crystal candleholder.  This is how it looked last night after I thought the glue had set.  Fabric was out of my CQ scraps and is a pretty blue with metallic gold accents.

And this morning when I got up....lol.   The glue is set now, but needless to say I need glue that sets much faster so this won't happen again.  I still plan to send it to my friend because it is still usable, even if a little funky looking.....lol.

And the second pincushion for another friend.   Fabric was a 5" square piece of batik that I'd set aside for CQ work many yrs ago.   

Check out what everyone else has been doing this month.

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid,

Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan, Moira, Sandra, 

Chris, Alys, Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Jule, Gwen,

Bekki, Sunny, Kjerstin, SueL, Vera, Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Bear, Carol, Preeti, Edith, Debbierose and Viv

Gratitudes:
1.  I'm moved into the new-to-me place and slowly getting settled in.

2.  The contract job is going well and has been extended out to 6 months from 3.  

UFO Weekend - Part 1

Made the final block needed for the layout I had in mind for these house blocks (bottom center) and got them laid out this morning.

The blocks finish at 8" wide by 10" tall.   Without the border I have in mind the quilt will be 45" by 60".   The border that is in my mind for this will bring it to basically 50" by about 80" if I leave all rows on the front like this. 

Gratitudes:

1. Now that the townhouse has sold, God already knows what the next 6 months hold for me as I figure out where to live next

2. Having fun blocks already made in the stash to work with.

UFO stitching

I'm in a group that purposely takes time out each month to work on making progress on our UFO's.   The first one for 2018 is Thursday through Saturday this week.  Those of us that can participate will sew at least 8 hrs on a UFO of our choice.

For this month I've pulled out a couple of sets of UFO blocks from years past.   These were done with two different online groups.  Pics are horrible for lighting and color this morning in my sewing room, but you can get the idea.

The first set of blocks were from a swap where the "winners" sent out a focus fabric and everyone else made a block and sent it back.  I sent out a bright fuchsia batik that has touches of pink, gold and blue in it.   I also sent the light pink batik used as the background I believe because it seems to be in most of the blocks.

I'm going to make one more block so that I have 16 of them, and then border all blocks with either a dk grey or a black so that I can trim them all to the same size.  Border and/or binding for the quilt will be the same fuchsia batik.

The second set of blocks that I pulled out are these batik / black Kona snowball blocks.  Each person in the swap made sets of 3 9" finished blocks of each type.  I've got about 8-10 sets worth of blocks.

This one should be an easy one to put together.    I plan to border it with a narrow border of black Kona and then a wider batik border.

Since I don't plans for the finished quilts from these, I'll get them to the top stage and then put them with the other finished tops that I have.

Gratitudes:
1. The winter storm/cold front didn't dump any snow or ice on the area where I live

2. Fabric for the table runner being published arrived this week from Hoffman.

Final F2F Blocks Complete - Don't look Claire!

First thing to be completed after returning from QuiltCon were the final two F2F blocks for Claire.   The colors to be used in these were a bright blue, orange and lime green, with white for the background.

These blocks are the final ones for the swap.   Here's hoping that the colors I chose are what she wanted.  =)

Gratitudes:
1. The fun of having been a part of this swap over the last 9 months.

2. Spring weather!

January Swap Blocks - Esther don't look if you want a surprise!

Finished off my January swap blocks.   These will be mailed off this week to their new home with Esther.

Gratitudes:
1. Seeing friends at church this morning

2. My stash because it lets me do a lot of sewing whenever I want to.  =)

completed swap block

Finished up the swap block that I'll be swapping, and the one I'm keeping.   Good thing I was planning on keeping the second one 'cause I definitely didn't manage to follow the pattern on mine....sigh............  And yes I do tend to do my own thing, but I really did mean to follow the pattern.....sigh......guess the tendency to quilt to the beat of my own drummer was just too strong....lol.

Baby shower for my coworker was tonite.   And the bibs that I made went over well.  =)

Gratitudes:

1. 2 more weeks till fall break!!!!!

2. Cough seems to be getting a little better.

Favorite Fabric blocks

Last year I participated in a Favorite Fabric Block swap with 8 other people from one of the online quilt lists that I've been a part of since 1997.   (Hard to believe it's been that many years!)

My plan for the finished quilt was that it would go to American Hero Quilts when finished.   The fav fabric that I sent out is the red floral print that is in each block.  I asked that everyone use a COC or cream for the background and then add a coordinate to it.  

In order to make it big enough I'm setting the blocks on point, and am making a total of 4 extra blocks.   I plan on sashing the blocks and making cornerstones from the scraps of the red print that was sent back with completed blocks.  I'll dig out a COC from my stash for the setting triangles.   I may "fancy" up the setting triangles by putting in a red square in the inside corner of them.   Final border will be more of the red print, with possibly a navy inner border.

Am still debating on what color to make the sashing.   Had thought of using a COC there so that the blocks would 'float' in the quilt.   But if I do that then would I want the red cornerstones?    Or do I use something like a gold or a lighter shade of blue for the sashing?  So I still have decisions to make on it.   But I'm getting closer to getting this one together and being ready to send off.

Gratitudes:
1. Warmer weather is coming this week or next!
2. School is going to longer days to make up part of the days that we've missed due to weather so that we don't have to teach into June.

Making progress on UFO's

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have oodles of blocks that I've gotten through the various swaps that I've been in. One of my goals for this year has been to work on getting these blocks into quilt tops. Some of the tops I'm keeping for when I need a gift and will eventually be finished off. Some of them are being sent to groups that I support and others will actually quilt the tops that I finish.

Yesterday I finished putting together a top with a set of heart blocks from one of the many swaps that I've been in and 4 flower blocks in the same colors from a second swap that I'd been in several yrs after the heart block swap. Sashing and border fabric came from my stash. I've kept the remaining border fabric with the top for use as binding when I do get around to quilting this quilt.

Now onto my next project......swap blocks for a swap that is due in June.....

Gratitudes:
1. Things are progressing for the alternative teaching certification program/fellowship and my move to IN.

2. That I know I can rest in complete faith and trust in God, knowing that He will supply all of my needs for the first yr in IN - no matter how bleak things look at the moment.

The Angels are Done, The Angels are Done....

.....And with that allusion to Paul Revere's ride, I am happy to say that I was able to finish using up the remainder of the angel swap blocks that I had. Pictures are below. I'm going to keep one of the quilt tops as a headstart on the next time I need a gift for a baby girl, but the rest will be going to Sunshine Quilts.

Gratitudes:
1. For a mortgage company that is willing to work with me, even though they are aggressive in pursuing foreclosure.
2. For a God who has a plan for my life and is not surprised by anything that happens.