FNwF & RSC Red

Our Rainbow Scrap Challenge leader Angela has chosen RED for September's color of the month in honor of the little red schoolhouses. After all, it is September when children traditionally go back to or are already in school. Unfortunately 2020 has presented a few problems with that this year. Enough of that. Thanks to Angela, there are lots of digging into our red scraps, creating pretty projects, and sharing at So Scrappy. Let's play!

I only managed to complete one red Awesome Land block. Of course there is one in progress because I was using it as a leader & ender for something else.

All you friends that love red, black, and white together will be exceptionally pleased with the Awesome Land blocks this month.

Speaking of leaders & enders, I've now got a half dozen Easy Peasy blocks. This is the Bonnie Hunter L&E project for this year which started July 1. Let's see how far I get come June 30. Anyway, I'm doing mine all in oranges & blues but I do spy a little red here and there.

Mostly what I've been working on is a little of this. It was a project I started a while ago (last year?) and really want to finish this year. These blocks are webbed with only the rows needing to be sewn together now. Too bad this is an unofficial UFO ... didn't make my official UFO CHallenge list or my 2020 PHD Challenge list. Rats! Working on it anyway! Can you tell it's for Halloween?

Last night was also Friday Night with Friends hosted by Cheryll at Gone Stitchin'. My handwork project has been these clam shells lately. It's for another challenge and there'll be more about it when I finish it and show it off (hopefully). Last night we went from this .....

To this!

The Kentucky Derby is being run this afternoon. Usually it's run in the spring but due to the pandemic it's been delayed. Mom came down yesterday (Friday) instead of today to catch our community band practicing (playing) in our local park. It was so nice to sit outside and listen to the band. They played oldies all the way to a song from La La Land and it was so enjoyable! We'll enjoy watching the Kentucky Derby together today.

Whatever your plans, make today count!

Movin' It Forward Monday

In spite of having company, I've still managed to move a couple of projects forward. My embroidery is a no-brainer -- it can be done while watching TV, sitting outside enjoying a glass of wine, or whenever. My circus stitchery went from this ....

to this!

I also got my LQS UFO project done for this 2-month period. I didn't take many pictures of my kitty embroidery but last seen it looked like this.

It is now quilted with an easy grid through the stitching, in-the-ditch at the seams and around the clam shells, and echo stitched once around the clams. The clam shells were made from a new template I got because I loved making Uncle Sam's Clams!

It is also bound in a beautiful green that I wish I had oodles more, kind of a poison green with a striped pattern. The back looks like this.

There you see the hanging sleeve and the label in the corner. That's all I have left -- finish the label and show it off tomorrow at OSew Personal Quilt Shop.

This past weekend my son and his family traveled from Maryland to a wedding in Richmond VA. Here's a sweet picture of my grandbaby ready for the wedding. And, yes ladies, he has arrived - per his onesie!

And here he is signing "I love you!"

Linking up with Em at Movin' It Forward.

Movin' It Forward Monday

I'm participating in a UFO Challenge at my LQS. It is being run in the typical manner where we've located UnFinished Objects (quilts) that we would really, really like to finish. Then the store picks a number and we have two months to finish up the project associated with that number and bring it to show & share. We have our next meeting on the 24th of this month so it's time to get moving on it! After all, the quilt show is all over except the clean-up. (As Publicity Chair, I have to collect all the yard signs and car magnets; then clean them up and return them to the storage unit. It will all be over soon!)

Here's a picture of the progress I had made up to this past week. When the UFO was selected, all I had done was the embroidery.

Very early this morning, I was at this point.

Time to get the quilting bug! I'll try to get this finished up and ready to hang this week.

Linking up with Em at Movin' It Forward Monday.

Linking Up with FNSI

The rain continues to come down and, besides tomorrow, shows no signs of ending for the next several days. I changed out my header picture to bring a happy note ... Spring Is Springing! Can't really say that it has actually sprung yet but I'm sure all this rain will help things along. Here's the full picture of my Tulips. I finished it yesterday (Friday) morning. Can't wait to quilt and hang it -- so cheerful!

Yesterday I hurried through my chores so I could have a good report for FNSI, which stands for Friday Night Sew-In. I'll be linking up with my friends HERE. You should take a peek and see what all we've been doing. So much talent everywhere!

Here's my current progress on my projects. First, I got the  binding sewn onto my Clam Shells wall hanging. I rinsed it out to get my markings out and it's laying out to dry. Hopefully the shadowing will go away once it's dry and will look like it did before I wet it down. Otherwise I'm going to wish that I had faced the clams with a white fabric. UGH! I also noticed that the red clam in the middle of the 2nd-from-the-top row bled into the clam to the left below it. Hmmmm ... Looks like there will  be another rinse with a Color Catcher!

The other thing I wanted to mention about the Clam Shell binding: I listened to the way Edyta Sitar does her wall hanging binding on The Quilt Show. Do you know her? She's a designer for Moda fabrics and is an incredibly talented lady. Anyway WOW! Do my corners ever lie flat!! Think that will be my go-to method in future. Love to learn new tricks.

As always I continue to work on my Mosaics. This is currently in my lap, the final hexie border being appliqued down. YIPPEE!

This morning I had my monthly Applique Group to attend. So much inspiration. One of the gals enlarged her 4" blocks to 8" and then reverse appliqued them. I never think to enlarge OR shrink down the original blocks. I can usually manage to think outside the box when it comes to color but size? I have to remember that size truly does matter! *wink*

When I got home, I made up this Mediterranean Yogurt Cake. It smells delicious and has two mandarin oranges zested into the batter. All I need to do now is to brush a honey glaze on the top. It should taste good after the marinated flank steak, risotto, and wilted spinach dinner I've planned.

Don't forget to check out what everyone else did at FNSI and have a great rest of your weekend. I'll be busy sewing down that last hexie row in my usual spot in the den!

I'm a Loser ... What else can I say?

Man, I'm a loser ... what else can I say? Plenty! It's been since the middle of September that I posted last. It's not like I've been loafing around or anything. Just haven't blogged in a while. So let's catch up starting with the APQ 2017 UFO Challenge.

September's UFO was #7 -- Blueberry Buckle. For the life of me, I can't remember what this one looks like so I couldn't even look for it. It was a Mystery Quilt-a-Long from Rosemary's Quilt Shop but I never found it that month. September was a bust.

My October 2017 UFO Challenge #3 was Life of Plenty. I really, really, REALLY want to hand quilt this one but I don't know where it is. What I do know is that it is finished and just needs to be layered and quilted. But first, I must find it. This one will definitely be on my list for 2018.

Of course I had to see what November project is up for the UFO Challenge ... #9, Kitties for Sarah. This is another one that I really, really, REALLY have been wanting to finish up. I believe I only have the quilting left to do. And another plus -- I think I even know where this one is! When I find it (this weekend, I hope), I'll be sure to take a picture to post. Who knows? I may even get it layered up!!!

That takes care of my UFO Challenges, next up are my Irene Blanck projects. I'm happy to say that I believe my Clam Shells top is complete. I was planning on a narrow border of the dark brown and following it up with a light-ish wider border for a little applique but it feels done to me right now. I might change my mind, trim down the brown, and have at it later. It needs to percolate, I think.

As for the Mosaics project, I am just about finished with all the applique in the center. Whew! That was a lot and did I mention a bit bulky? This center is like 50" square and difficult to work with while turning curves and such. Many times I wished my hands were larger to hold all that wadded up fabric! Anyway, I'm liking this project and already have numerous hexie circles ready for a border unit.

Note the flowers in the middle unit on the right are not 100% done yet. Working on them as well as the mirror-image on the left. Yay! Progress!

I've been working on a couple of quilt-a-longs with a blogger that goes by From My Carolina Home. While following along with Scrap Dance Two-Step, I tried very hard to keep up followed by catch up. I just need to finish up now. I was all in to sewing the queen-sized version and have it quilted with a pantograph pattern so it could grace my guest room bed. While visiting my son & daughter-in-law this past August, Amanda asked me to make a quilt for their bed. I immediately thought of this quilt because it's done in fall colors and my son LOVES Fall! I need to get going so it can be quilted in time for Christmas .... maybe?

From My Carolina Home also had a quilt-a-long titled Autumn Jubilee 2017 and I decided a throw size would be perfect for me! I don't have a fall quilt for my couch and again I thought I'd sew this up in no time! I sure do dream big. In the meantime we took a vacation so once again I'm playing catch up. So glad I already had my 120 HSTs sewn up from a weekend retreat. Just trying to find time to sew up the blocks.

Well, poop! Just noticed in this picture that the star on the left is WRONG!  Thankfully I noticed it now rather than when the whole quilt was pieced! Correction to be made soon! Haha!

As for knitting, I'm trying to complete my Senior Year 1st Semester through Loopy Academy. We were to knit three projects using 250 yds or more of yarn: 1. Entrelac Pattern; 2. Asymmetric Pattern; and 3. Reading Pattern from a Chart. I picked out three sock patterns to fulfill these requirements. Here are my Entrelac Socks:

The sock on the left has been blocked while the one on the right has not. What a difference! You can find the pattern details HERE! Once the 2nd sock is blocked I'll be able to submit this pair for credit.

I'm currently working on Wasabi Socks to fulfill the asymmetric project. I've had this pattern dog-earred in an Interweave Knits Magazine for a long time. It's in the Spring 2010 Issue ... a long time ago! I'm working the instep now on the first sock and then I'll finish the foot and on to sock #2.

So obviously I'm not the slacker you may have thought I was ... just slacking on my blog!

Have a fantastic day!

FNSI Rocks!

Have I mentioned recently how much I love FNSI? Wendy at Sugarlane Designs hosts this wonderful sew-along every month. It is so much fun to catch up with my international friends each month to see what they're working on. So many beautiful projects. So much inspiration! Thank you, Wendy, for this wonderful opportunity!

So what did I work on this month? My Clam Shells by Irene Blanck! Here's my picture today.

See that red shell with the cute little sheep on it, 5th row, 2nd from the right? That's where I started my FNSI. Those shells needed to be appliqued down and I went straight to it. Since you sew from right to left, I finished that row and then the entire  next row above! So happy with the progress! Actually so happy that I finished all the way to the top on Saturday!

Next step: Figure out what to do with the borders. I'm thinking about putting a touch of applique on the borders. What do you think? I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out what to use for the  borders themselves, but I'll figure it out ... eventually!

Also recently finished were my Anthology Socks by Very Busy Monkey over on Ravelry. They turned out beautifully. The yarn is Pagewood Farms and the color is Fabulous Fall. I'm ready for some cooler weather so I can wear these fabulous socks!

One other little thing I managed. Here's the before picture of my cutting table. UGH!

Here's the after:

Look! You can see the mat again! I put all the fabrics away by color and have discovered I need three more bins. One for purple, one for pink, and one for black.I also discovered that I shouldn't ever, ever, EVER have to buy neutrals again! That bin is on "overload"! Anyway, I sure do hate putting away all my "FUN" but it's a necessary evil to allow the inspiration to come through! Haha!

That's what's new here. Now to go raid the stash and figure out borders for my Clam Shells!

Plenty of Quilting Opportunities!!

My activity during June is not one that pleases me. I feel like I didn't get that much accomplished. Part of it was due to the fact that my mother came home on the 19th. She arrived with my brother and two of his kids. I was busy cleaning before their arrival, cooking while they were here, and hanging with them when I could. I was also getting ready to leave with all of them on June 24, heading for my sister's house in Denver, CO. My beautiful niece once again had a softball tournament out there June 26 - July 2. That's her on the right hanging out of the dugout to watch the game. Isn't her smile gorgeous?

Our other mission in Denver was to drop my brother's oldest (his son) off at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He was to report there on June 29 at 8:50 am. My brother was having a hard time saying good-bye to his one & only son. My nephew is also the first to leave the nest and the nest is located in North Carolina ... a long way from Colorado!

We had fun climbing around the Rocky Mountains and making our annual trip to the place my parents want to be let loose together for a final time. Dad passed away 7 years ago but Mom is still going strong!

As for quilting, the APQ 2017 UFO Challenge was project #1 - Atlanta Mystery Quilt. Let me tell you, it was certainly a mystery to me. I couldn't remember what this one looked like. Here it is ...

I've got it pinned to the design wall now. I'm trying to figure out how to quilt it. The pattern is pretty cool. It's only 50" x 50". I think I'll do something a little masculine-ish and put it away in my Grandma Hope Chest. One day I may have a grandson that would look adorable snuggled up in it!

I did make progress on my Mosaic quilt.

Before

Now

While I don't have any progress to show on my Clam Shells, I did decide on how big I want to make it and figured out how many more I need to make. I also had to decide on how many of each colors I was short. I'm still planning on keeping the patriotic theme going and will probably have a narrow inner border with a wide outer border. I'm thinking about some applique design out there. We will see ...

This month looks to be VERY productive. At least there seems to be an overwhelming amount of opportunities! I will be taking Gyleen Fitzgerald's class on Wednesday next week through my guild. Then my best friend arrives Thursday evening and off to retreat we go for a 4-day weekend. The following weekend is a 3-day retreat with another group of friends. Surely I'll get a lot accomplished!!

Quilt Show Month!

My local guild (Hearts 'n' Hands, O'Fallon IL) is having their biannual quilt show. We have over 270 quilts entered! That is mind-blowing!!! If you are in the area the weekend of June 10-11, come on out! I am sure you will be impressed. If you miss it this year, you'll have to wait until 2019!

My progress for the quilt show is really good ... for me! I'm entering three quilts. Two are totally done and the third only needs its label attached! Might be a good project for today actually.

I wish I could show you an updated picture of my clam shells. They are in the same PHYSICAL state as before. However, I have since formulated my plan and need to prepare the remaining fabrics and get that project going. I think Irene Blanck is amazing with this technique. I love how the Australian quilters are so focused on handwork. Anyway, stay tuned on this project because I do plan on getting back to it soon!

Speaking of Irene, I've been appliqueing away on the Mosaics pattern. I would love to tell you that I'm almost done with the center medallion but not yet. However, I'm making progress and will be excited to take it to Denver later this month to show my sister. She was present when I picked out my background fabric and then, after I'd flown home, I asked her & my mother to go back to the store and pick out 1/4 yard pieces of the Jinny Beyer fabrics I had earlier eyeballed. The only direction I gave her was 3 blues, 3 reds, 3 purples, and 3 golds ... or something like that. Anyway, my sister is rather particular when she picks out her fabrics and can't believe I'm just "winging it" with their random fabrics! I keep reminding her that it's a scrappy project and it'll be just fine! Hahaha!

As for the APQ 2017 UFO Challenge, May was a complete bust. I noticed Project #10 is up next for June, which cracked me up since June 10 is my daughter's birthday. That should be inspiration, right? Anyway I see that my #10 is Hugs & Kisses, designed by Gundrun Erla. I used Kansas Troubles fabrics and the top is assembled. Once again I need to get the quilting done! No excuses since I'm pretty sure that even borders are in place. I'll have to double-check that though.

Unfortunately I have some rather bummer news ... Remember I was busy with a Mystery Knit-a-Long? Well, after working really hard to catch up with the clues, I discovered that I had been knitting on 2-sizes-too-large needles! UGH!!!! That certainly explains the huge piece I have going plus the loose weave! Jeezy, Peezy! I started the 2nd triangle with the correct size and it is certainly considerable smaller with just the first few rows. I will be frogging my first piece and not worrying about catching up. There is just no way and I'd rather enjoy my knitting instead of working at break-neck speed.

I also took a tatting class from our renowned tatting guild member. With all the knitting I had been doing, my fingers were pretty much locked up and not working that shuttle too good. However, I've been practicing when I could and watching YouTube videos and I must admit it seems to be getting easier. I never did learn how to connect my picots and I'm hoping that lesson will be coming up on YouTube soon. Next tatting class is June 15th!

Yesterday the roofers arrived. We were hit with hail back at the beginning of March and repairs are underway. I have a simple project I'd like to start (and finish?) today to drown out the banging of the new roof. I've been enjoying the French Open Tennis so I've also got my label and clam shells on tap for handwork!

Happy stitching to all and don't forget to come to our Quilt Show June 10-11!

FNSI? Totally blew that this month!

Wow! Totally blew off FNSI this month! I signed up (I was so excited because I was actually the 2nd person to do so!) then totally forgot. LOSER! But I have been very busy! On a happy note, here's my first picture of the year of a hummingbird getting some much needed refreshment after his long journey!

I managed to finish my 2nd pair of socks this year. I need to get another pair on the needles. If I'm to get 6 pairs done this year, the next finish should be completed by the of June to stay on track. This was really cool yarn I found a loooong time ago online. It starts out looking like the first picture (kind of swatchy), then mine turned into socks that look like the 2nd picture. I've got several more swatchy things in different colors, so no excuse for no more socks!

I also started a very relaxed Ravelry knit-a-long. We are knitting the Rhapsody Shawl by Mary Ann Lammers. It started May 1 and goes through July 31st. Mary Ann describes it as a front porch-sitting project. It's the perfect piece for me to knit while watching Gilmore Girls. My daughter got me addicted to it and I just finished up Season 5. I started watching it while Sarah visited over Christmas vacation. Only 2 more seasons to go and then the recap episode.

Anyway back to the KAL, We all bought Mary Ann's pattern, a skein of multi yarn, and 2 skeins of a contrasting solid. Here's a picture of my yarns and another of my progress so far. Count those colorful stripes -- yup! 12 down & 8 to go, then next pattern to knit follows.

Now hold on because I'm not done. I started another knit-a-long on Ravelry with Joji but this one is a mystery. Got my 5 colors of yarn into balls and started it yesterday. This one she described as a large wrap and it is looking like a shawl so far to me. But don't count on it since I'm only knitting Step One currently and Step Two has already been published. I'll catch up but it'll take a more time. This project promises to be a little fiddly with knit-the-back-loops, purl-the-back-loops, and probably more such things when I get to that point! Here's my progress so far using the first 2 colors with #3 (the multi) coming up next.

That's 14 completed rows so far. Only 62 more rows until Step 2! Go, girl, go!

And just when you thought I was through, there's one more knit-a-long that I'm seriously so far behind that it shouldn't be considered a knit-a-long with me. It's a freebie from Rowan yarns and Kaffe Fassett is the designer. I made these blocks while taking my mother to her 65th High School reunion last month but when I got home, I discovered they were way too big. What did I do? I went and bought more yarn and will start working on this project again with smaller needles. Will probably work on these blocks in the car on my way to Colorado next month (I might start sooner but I surely have enough to keep me busy until then!). My niece has another softball tournament really close to my sister's house in Denver during the last week of June and my nephew, who got an appointment to the USAF Academy, has to report to Colorado Springs during the week of the tournament! It's all perfect timing so there will be a van-full of us heading west!

On the quilting front, I am working the Spring International Quilt Market which is being held in St. Louis this year. It's quite the experience and I plan on getting there early today so I can browse some of the booths. I worked set-up day but it was utter chaos in there! Hahahaha!

I was also fortunate enough to take another class from Irene Blanck. She is FABULOUS! If you ever get the chance, you should also take a class from her. She lives in Australia but she's originally from Africa but her genetic roots are Indian! How's that for a melting pot??? Anyway she taught us a very innovative way to make clam shells. Here's my progress so far:

This project is calling my name 24/7 but I have resisted. Well, I did cut a few more fabrics out but that was all. I can't wait to sit down with this one and whip it out!

Have a peaceful Sunday while I go see what all the excitement is all about at Quilt Market this afternoon!