All Rolled Up Into One Post

I've neglected the blog lately so this will be everything missed over the last week. You know, the I Like Thursday post, Friday Night with Friends post, Rainbow Scrap Challenge post, and, believe it or not, I have an April quilt finish! To tell you the truth, I had this post written up and ready to proofread (yes, I do that!) and then I hit something wrong (obviously!) because it deleted the entire thing. So let's get started and try this again.

I Like Thursday #113: I like my cardinals and one morning we had ska-zillions in the yard under the bird feeder and in the grass. Several flew away while I ran for the camera but you can get an idea.

My BFF Vickie was traveling from Nebraska back to Tennessee. St. Louis is just about the halfway point so she and her husband stopped over for the night with us. In Nebraska, she adopted her cousin's daughter's dog, Daisy. Daisy is a 3-yr-old teacup yorkie and weighs all of 2# 4oz. Gracie adored her and wanted to play with her so badly! But Daisy was exhausted from traveling all day so all she wanted to do was sleep. I was happy she liked me and nestled in to watch Survivor with Vickie & me!

You can scratch my belly if you'd like!

A trip past Mom's house earlier in the week found her redbud starting to bloom. Beautiful against the blue sky!

I'm enjoying this book, "I'll Push You" by Patrick Gray and Justin Skeesuck. It was recommended by my blogger friend Diann @ Little Penguin Quilts. I'm a bit over 100 pages in and finding it so refreshing, inspiring, and a wonderful true story.

GoodReads talks about it HERE

I like linking up with my global blogging friends on Friday Night with Friends. I began with my EPP project, a Lucy Boston block. I'm using mostly Frankie fabrics by Basic Grey for Moda. Here's where I started -- check the bottom left corner.

Here's the finished block. It still needs to be appliqued to the frame but I'm considering it done for now.

I switched over to some cross-stitching that I'd started. The top motif and the start of a motif just to the left of the top one is what I managed while watching "Blue Bloods".

I'll be switching over to a SAL from Melisa @ Pinker 'n' Punkin Quilting. She's got an small Spring piece that she's hosting that will fit in an 8x10 frame. Sweet! You can read about it HERE and join in if you like!

Angela @ SoScrappy has picked the color purple for the month of April as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I sure hope I get around to sewing up some purple pineapples but the rest of this month is VERY BUSY. In the meantime I spied these purple flowers!

At the Bike Trail

My Neighbor's Tree

As you already know, I took the long-arm certification class at my LQS. Last Thursday I scheduled time to try out a quilt of my own. Well, let me tell you that I needed quite a bit of assistance but Lani said I did great and was learning quickly. I think she was just being nice! Haha!

I decided I'd take a small 36x40 baby quilt. I needed something that would be relatively quick because I had to be back to get Mom to P/T. The quilt was Harmony and it was a QAL with Gudrun Erla in 2020. It took me a little over 2 hours to quilt up. I learned that the thread at my LQS doesn't like the starching that I do when piecing. The thread just kept shredding. I learned how to fix the messed-up spots and also to let Lani know that I need a size 18 needle if the next quilt is cardboard stiff! hahaha!

All in all, I had fun and will be scheduling another long-arm session. I really like quilting pantographs and I still enjoy free-motion quilting on my domestic sewing machine. I'll probably try out FMQ on a long-arm, but right now I want to master pantos!

A Peek at Quilted Harmony with
Yummy Loops & Hearts Pantograph
(No Binding Yet)

I Won Playing "Binding Chicken"

Harmony by GEDesigns
36"x40"

Sparkling

All the Quilty Goodness

At the end of the month I'll be sharing this finish with Gail @ Quilting Gail for my Projects Half Done and also with Carole @ From My Carolina Home for the Stashbuster Challenge.

That catches you up with me. Hope you're having a productive week!

March Wrap-Up!

Rainbow Scrap Challenge was pretty much a bust this month. I'm sure Angela, our leader and role model, will understand. She always reminds us that this is our hobby and there is no pressure. She merely serves as our coordinator. I just didn't want any green pineapples, even though they are more realistic than my pink ones! Haha!

However, I did finish "Good Luck", a design by Kathy Schmitz. There's plenty of green there!

So what kind of progress was made this month? I actually do have a finish!! If you remember, I rescued a stamped cross-stitch baby quilt years ago. I think it was called Noah's Ark. The lion in the upper left corner had been about 90% finished and the rest was not. Whoever started it had bought all the DMC that was listed on the back -- tons of skeins!

I worked on this for about 18 months off and on. I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed working on it. With the top done, it was time to get it quilted & bound.

Noah's Ark
Stamped Cross-Stitch

A Peek at the Back

I love the blue gingham I used for the binding. I think it adds a sweet touch. Now for a look at some of the quilting which was done on my domestic sewing machine.

Zebra & Kitty
(I outlined all the animals
and added a few extra lines of detail)

Ark & Sun
(I love how the roof looks shingled
and I tried my hand at paisley for the cloud
below the sun)

Quilted Borders

All in all, I think it turned out pretty cute. It needs a washing and then will be donated probably to Linus Quilts through my guild.

So that was good. Anything else, Sue? Actually yes ...

Awesome Land is now a Top!

Completed a Pair of Socks

EPP Sampler has Progressed

Uptown March Block Completed

Not a bad month after all. There were a few start-ups that will need to be finished up in April -- a couple of Chubby Charmer Totes, Oh My Strippy Stars, and I'll continue working on Quadrille BOM as well. That's enough on my plate for April, especially considering I'll be doing quite a bit of traveling the 2nd half of the month.

Thanks goes to Carole @ From My Carolina Home for the Strippy Stars and Quadrille projects. Thanks also goes to Angela @ SoScappy for keeping us on track with Rainbow Scrap Challenge, and thanks goes to Gail @ Quilting Gail for helping us focus on our UFOs through the Projects Half Done (PHD). I'll be linking up and sharing at all three!

Don't be a fool -- it's April Fools Day! Have a great weekend!