Design Wall Monday

The sewing mojo has returned home! 

On Ringo Lake is a finished quilt top!

Even that one sashing block has been turned the right direction.

I'm waiting on the backing to arrive this week and the basting will begin.

After ORL, I grabbed the board the had these cute 6" calendar blocks layed out on it.

These were our Christmas Club exchange blocks for 2017.

I knew all last year how I was going to sash them!

This will hang in the bus at the beach when it's completed.

Then I started sewing Oklahoma Backroads blocks into a top.

I've been making these blocks as leader/enders for a while.

The pattern is at Quiltville in the free patterns tab.

Sorry for the horrible picture.

It needs a good pressing and then the sashing will go on.

Lots of tv time with the Olympics and then yesterday was the Daytona 500.

We have really missed watching NASCAR the past couple years.

I sat down thinking I could get the last row finished on The On The Road Quilt

(found at MDQuilts)

but I was wrong.

I had one yellow/orange rosette stitched wrong so unsewing and resewing had to happen

before anything else.

I have the final 4 finishing rosettes and 1 little edge section left.

Today? Maybe~

Snow and ice and freezing temps are here again.

Spring tried to show herself around here.

Daffodils are up with buds ready to open, trees are starting to grow their buds,

then WHAM!! Winter tells us who is still boss.

These days are perfect sew days. 

See what's happening in Blogland at

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Slow Stitching Sunday

 I haven't done a Slow Stitching post in quite a while. Believe me, there has been some SLOW stitching happening around here.

Case in point is my On The Road Quilt that only happens on the couch.  I am so close to having it complete. The final half hexi row of yellow/orange rosettes are prepared. The final blue hexi and the surrounding neutrals are ready. The side fill in pieces are ready.

I started this August of 2016 and have worked on in off and on since.
I am so excited to have his one so close to complete. I've got a plan in my head for the borders and the quilting. The backing fabric will be here this week. It is #4 on my UFO list for the year. When that number is called, I'm hoping to have it marked off the list already.

NASCAR Daytona 500 is today. I predict I will be sitting on the couch with this in my lap stitching and stitching until the final stitch is in.

Of course sometimes I predict wrong but I have have high hopes.

I can't wait to pull out the rest of the papers!

Check all the Slow Sunday Stitching posts at Kathy's Quilts.

So many fabulous projects! 

Design Wall Monday

On Ringo Lake is becoming a quilt top.

Slowly but surely!

3 long center rows are sewn together.

The 4th row blocks are stacked and ready to assemble.

Eating the elephant one bite at a time.

The Olympics have taken over my TV.

Now I wish I had a TV in my sewing room.

I am soooo very close to working the bottom row of my On The Road Quilt.

I'm only 2 rosettes away from finishing  the last blue row

but I got stalled when I needed more piece neutral hexies.

So I grabbed my neutral scrap bucket and went to work.

I'm not sure how many I have but I'm thinking more than enough.

You know how that works, right!!

Last night I basted all the remaining hexies.

I hope, I might need to make a few more grays and a couple of lavenders 

 but they are easy, 

just cut fabric and baste to the paper.

I'm ready to finish this top!

Bring on the Monday evening Olympics.

Check all the fabulous design walls at 

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Design Wall Monday.

Design Wall Monday

When my mind is full, 

my hands need to be busy.

I tried sewing at the machine but that was a fail.

I can work on my Pieced Hexies,

stop when I need to just think.

There's something very comforting about pulling the needle through fabric.

This is the start of the final blue row. 

I might need to make a few more neutral and gray hexies

but the major parts are ready to sew.

(I just noticed that my purple by the blue is the wrong purple!) 

(Easy fix!!)

As I was working on it last night, 

all of the sudden it was very heavy.

Time to pull out more of the papers. 

Only the hexies that are not surrounded by other hexies

need to have the papers left in them.

When all the pieces are stitched,

I will work on a border to make it a straight edge. 

I plan a solid neutral border (solid as in tone on tone)

and then the blue fabric used in the center of the blue rosettes will be the outer border.

I am so close

and so excited!

Check out the other great design walls today at

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Almost Mid Month UFO Progress Report

Normally, at the first of the year, I'm all gung ho on my UFO project.

This month it is Strings and Stars.

The only thing I have done is measure it and decided not to add a border. 

I'm going to use it at the beach for a sit outside cover up.

I ordered a baptist fan stencil and it came the other day.

I need to decide how to mark it so the marks stay on while quilting 

but come off when I'm finished.

I'll probably just mark one row at a time. 

How will that work with my pin basting?

I don't know.

 I'm not a spray baster,

I might have to convert and become one.

I have been working on my #4 UFO in the evenings while watching TV 

This is the zip bag of parts and pieces.

I decided today it was time to lay it on the bed and decided exactly what I need to do to finish it.

I knew I needed more full rosettes to get it to the size I want.

So here's my chicken scratch list on top of my box of more parts, pieces and papers.

For a minute I thought I might call the blue row my last and finish filling in the top with half yellow/orange rosettes.

Then I told myself to not wimp out and finish it like I originally wanted.

This is an awesome design my Mickey Depre of Pieced Hexies fame.

This is her free On The Road Project for 2016-1017.

I started mine August 2016.

I'm hoping to have it ready to quilt when #4 is called for Judy L's UFO Challenge.

Design Wall Monday

It's time to make some decisions on the On The Road Project.

Like exactly how big I'm going to make it. 

What am I going to do for the sides and the corners.

How many more blue pieced hexie do I need.

How many yellows.

I love how it's looking! 

Sometimes this is all I want to work on.

I went on a hunt for a complete picture of this quilt and didn't find any.

I did find a few of this in progress and labeled them.

And I found pictures of the mini sister quilt called Trees Left Standing and labeled those also.

That will be quilted next.

The pattern is from Bonnie Hunter's Adventures with Leaders and Enders.

If you don't own this book, you should order your own autographed copy.  😉

Leaders and Enders has changed my quilting life!

Anyhow, the basting will begin today!

I'm pretty excited that I have the binding ready, 

the thread is picked out,

I even know the quilt design I'm going to try.

Quiltathon Day 4 begins now!

See what others are working on at Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.

Quiltathon Day 3

I feel like I've had a pretty productive day.

I hemmed my shirt and top stitched the neck of another.

I decided to not cut out shirts but to work on something quilty today.

I pulled out an assortment of greens to make the back for the Crabapple top.

One of our retreat classes in May is for Bonnie's Garden Party.

Since I'm already working on one, I decided to make this one a different colorway.

Green.

So I cut a strip from each of my green fabrics before prepping them to become a back.

The pieces were all sewn together and the back is made.

When it was time for lunch, Ernie turned on the TV.

Netflix has a new series called Marvel Iron Fist.

Yes, I got sucked in on this rainy afternoon.

Time to work on some hexies for On The Road Quilt.

These partials are for the top. 

It's early enough in the day that I might get one or 2 attached before I'm done for the day.

Tomorrow is basting day.

I swear!

Since the next Quiltathon is next week, 

Check out Judy L's sidebar for the quiltathon schedule.

March Quiltathon-Day 1

Today starts Patchwork Times March Quiltathon.

Oh I had grand plans to quilt!

But I needed to clean a bit in the sewing room.

I needed to piece more hexies for my On The Road Project.

Here are 11 different groups of 4 units for the top and bottom row of my quilt.

I have 6 sets trimmed and pinned to the papers ready to baste.

I need to find a good basting movie. 

My plans for tomorrow are kind of up in the air.

I'd love to piece some batting together and pin baste my Crabapple UFO.

That was my plan for the quiltathons this year,

reduce the amount of tops on Mt. ToBeQuilted.

Slow and steady!

I took a little walk this afternoon.

Our East-side neighbors have lots of ducks.

They have decided they like the West-side neighbor's and our driveways.

They hang out here and there all day long and then waddle themselves back home.

I sure hope they don't get run over.

They are pretty fun to watch.

No, I do not want ducks.

Design Wall Monday

We spent a few days at the beach so I took along some Mischief Quilt block parts.

I have 4 more to add to the ones below.

These are the blocks I had finished before the weekend. 

Except that one on the bottom left and now it's finished.

I sewed a bit on my beach sewing project.

Quiltville's Wild and Goosey.

I added 5 more little blocks.

I have a long ways to go.

10 big blocks done already.

Slow and steady, taking a few more scrap pieces each time we go.

During the week, I worked on my On The Road Project.

The blue row is complete,

including the gray and neutrals.

Yellow and orange, here I come!

I think I'll work on the top row yellow/orange 

and the sides

before doing another blue section.

It's as wide as I want it at the widest point.

I plan to use it on a twin sized bed.

I'll try to remember to get a picture for next week.

Now I need to go catch up with Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday. 

Design Wall Monday

There's not much to talk about his week. I sewed another t shirt and have another partially sewn and another cut out and waiting. I forgot to take any pictures. I love that they don't take long to sew. Simple front, back and 2 sleeves. Easy peasy and they fit and don't shrink up to show off my tummy.

 I don't know what happened but I decided to clean my sewing room. EEEKKK! That room was a scary place and now it's even scarier. But I'm making good progress.

Really I do know what happened, I read a Facebook post where a woman was given all of a friend's stash. It was an OhMyGoodness moment for me. I needed to get my stuff in order.

In the evenings there has been hexi work. Lots of basting. I've added a few more sections to my On The Road Quilt. I'll lay it out when the row is complete for a picture. I discovered I need to make lots more neutral blocks. 

The t shirts have to be finished first. That's a good project for this rainy, rainy day. I'll put in an hour or so more time cleaning, because I have a few piles to sort through still. Then I'll sew and sew and sew... (that picture is an old whoopsie, haven't done that it a while so I better pay attention.)

See what others are working on at Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.

Quiltathon Day 3

It's Patchwork Times Quiltathon Day 3!!!  My mind is screaming day 3? Already! I'm kind of holding my breath this morning as the wind is howling and we are expecting snow and freezing rain today. Please powers that be, leave the electricity on. Does that sound selfish???  If the power goes out, I'll just move my chair to the window and stitch hexies....until then, I'm going in the sewing room and turn on the machine and the book and cuddle under Tumalo Trail as I'm quilting.

9 am...so far the power has stayed on. I have a couple loads of laundry going and Ernie went out to breakfast with his buddies so I quilted. I've made great progress.  One bobbin done. Time for my breakfast, another cuppa coffee, fill the crockpot with soup makings and fold that load of clothes before I go back to it.

3 pm...I'm done for the day. All of the cross hatching is finished down the center of the blocks, the 1"sashing has been quilted with a simple straight line down the middle. Now I am working on the piano key border.  A good start on side 2 but my shoulders and hands are achy and I by back is done. So ibuprofen has been taken, time to settle in on the couch and cuddle with my little dog before I have to fix dinner.

What a great day of quilting. The snow has started and the wind is still blowing and the power stayed on. Yes, it was a great day!

Slow Stitching Sunday

I am having so much fun creating the rosettes for my On The Road Quilt.

It has actually seen more action from my couch than from the road.

I added a couple more sections to the 1st row.

One more section was added since this photo.

I now have the plan in my head on what makes up the smaller sections.

These big sections are kind of cumbersome to work with. 

Again, I learn the hard way.

It's lots of fun to spin the hexies around to find the design I want to use.

I love using my little design board (link to Lori Holt's tutorial) to keep my layout the way I want it.

In the Pieced Hexi books, Mickey Depre has shown lots of variations for each design.

I am having so much fun making her On The Road Quilt-

find all the info on her website.

See fabulous Slow Stitching projects at Kathy's Quilts:Slow Stitching Sunday.

Slow Stitching Sunday

Holy Guacamole! It's been a long time since I've done a Slow Stitching Sunday post. Since August! It's not because I haven't been stitching, it's mostly because I haven't been in a blogging mood. Isn't that strange.

I have been busy making piece hexies for my On The Road Quilt. I work on this almost every day. Either basting a hexi, making the pieced blocks or connecting the hexies into a rosette.  Last night got the best of me and I HAD to sew some rosettes together!

I learned that I am making my pieces too big. I need to section off the gray and cream units and not do the whole great big blue pieces.  Then I can do them in smaller row. I'll go ahead and finish connecting the big ones I have stitched up-I think there are 7 of them now. Then I'll work smaller and smarter.  Again, I've learned a lesson the hard way!

Another lesson is to stitch right sides together. LOL  I had only taken a few stitches before I spotted this big whoopsie!  I am so good at laughing at myself!

Today I am going to take some more slow stitches while I enjoy a girlie movie. I went through Netflix yesterday and found a few I'd like to watch or listen to while I stitch. 

See some fabulous stitching at Kathy's Quilts: Slow Sunday Stitching. 

Design Wall Monday

We interrupt sewing every day for tuna canning.

Thursday and Saturday was spent canning.

All. Day. Long.

There was no sewing.

There were very few thoughts of sewing on those days.

Except for a little Piece Hexi prep work.

Our family has their year supply of tuna.

The good tuna.

2 tables this size covered in jars of fresh from the ocean tuna.

I'm glad is done!

On the days canning or running around didn't happen, 

I worked on the Swoon Lucy Backpack.

I'm working hard on the fussy cutting.

Some of the gals do this with perfection.

I strive.

I followed the cutting instructions for this.

Maybe with different prints the contrast would work

but for the size of this print, it didn't

My client would not have been happy at all.

So out came the seam ripper and the reverse tweezers and a little tv watching.

It wouldn't be fun without spending time with Mr. Ripper.

Check out other design walls at Patchwork Times.

Hello September

Well, hello September.

You snuck right up on me.

That's OK, I like you.

Our 44th Anniversary is this month.

Fall is almost here-seems like it today as it's chilly and rainy out.

Perfect for sewing because

it's National Sewing Month!!!

The month in which I strive to sew every day.

Even if I have to hop out of bed and sew a couple things together.

Yes, I have done that.

My husband swears I'm nuts!!

Yesterday I prepared and sewed a few strips together.

Today I sewed all I had prepared and see that cute tumbler on the bottom,

that's my leader/ender that I'd love to finish this month.

I'm preparing more kits for the On The Road Quilt from MD Quilts.

That's what I've decided to call it because it will be on the road with me.

I'll tell you all about that when it's set in stone.

My M&Ms are ready for a quick snack.

Funny thing about these little candies,

usually a couple are enough for me.

This may or may not last all month, 

depending on who knows I have them.

My goals for the month:

• sew every day
• kit up more On The Road pieces
• finish tumbler leader/ender top
• baste one quilt top
• make backpack for customer

It's time to get this party started.

Will you be celebrating National Sewing Month with me?

Design Wall Monday

It feels great to be spending a little time in the sewing room again.

My sister had a birthday last week.

I surprised her with a new wallet.

As soon as I saw the Betty Boop fabric,

I knew what I was going to use it for.

She loves Betty Boop!

It was so darn hot last week.

I barely moved off the couch from about noon on.

Our house stays pretty cool until the late afternoon but not this week.

Those little window air conditioner units worked overtime.

That worked out good for me.

I got 2 blue rosettes almost completed.

Along with several more orange and yellows.

I'm deciding whether or not to use variations on these rosettes 

or keep them all the same design.

I only did 2 different so it won't be a big deal to redo them.

I started some Garlic Knot blocks using my 2 1/2" batik strips for a block swap.  

I always forget that not everyone measures the same so this block will go into my personal pile.

.

I cut fabrics for a 1 1/2" strip swap.

They are all bundled up and ready to go.

I can't wait to check other projects at Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.

Slow Stitching on Sunday-All Week Long

I am having so much fun with this new project from MD Quilts!

Mickey calls it her On The Road Project,

I am still thinking of a name for mine.

On The Couch???

Beat The Heat???

I would not have made this much progress on this if it hadn't been so stinking HOT this week.

Or would I?

Because there is really nothing like a new project to light the fire!!

My real plan is to get this second blue rosette design complete so I have a guide.

I forgot the purple hexies that go on the top and bottom.

Before I give it the final sew, I have to lay it all out again to double check

 that everything is in it's proper place.

Then I want to get busy with the kitting of the individual designs again.

See what others are Slow Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

Design Wall Monday

Yesterday I wrote about my lack of control. 

Today I show you more proof. 

The plan was to work on more kits.

Then I talked to daughter Crystal.

She was going to run in to town.

Her oldest-he's 10-is like his Gramma and not a fan of going to town.

Anyone that wants can stay at Gramma's.

We'll just hang out, eat ice cream and watch movies.

And stitch hexies.

So we did.

After they went home, I went back in and worked on more kits.

The pile on the right needs to be pressed

and then I'll add 2 sides stacks to each kit.

I need to make more kits today while it's cooler.

Tomorrow it starts a week worth of hot, Hot, HOT!

This is Mickey Depre's 2016-17 OTR project.

I need to think of a new name for mine since

 I'm doing most of this on my couch.

Check out other design walls at Patchwork Times.