(My number 6 of my first quarter goals)
I just took my last stitch on my Buggy Barn Baskets quilt. I've been working on this steadily in the evenings while sharing the TV with my darling husband. (DH)
I hand quilted it in the ditch and then used the big quilt stitch as an accent throughout the top. I think this wonky pattern lends itself to this primitive type of stitching.
It was backed in flannel so it is so cuddly and warm. This makes it fairly heavy too but because it only measures at 60" x 63", it is not too bad.
All finished and I used up 7 yards of stash to complete. Off to a good start for this new year.
A little diversion I've been taking is working on my Tilda doll. The stuffing of this doll was a challenge to me as I did not want it to be lumpy. So what did I do? I stuffed it with woodshavings from my husband's workshop. Argh! Now she looks like she has cellulite! I'll have to do better on my next one...Yes! There will be another. I am so charmed by these dolls and their accessories.
She's not nearly finished. The most enjoyable part of creating dolls, I think, is to see how they develop as they are created. They kind of take on different personalities, don't you think?
Another little project I've been working on is making a pincushion using a Fenton glass cup and a teddy bear that was given to me years ago by my teenage daughter.
Both of these have been sitting on my shelf together above my sewing table so I thought a "marriage" would be good. And since you can never have too many pincushions, this was the likely result.
Now they are sitting nicely next to my old Kenmore on another shelf nearby.
Happy New Year! I hope this finds you excited about a fresh start to this new year with lots of inspiration. Listed below are my goals for this new quarter. March will be here soon and I am committed to making most/all of these to completion! Here goes...
1.) I have already begun my new year participating in Mary Mayhem's New Year's Mystery. You really cannot go wrong with her projects. Very fun and very do-able. This year's mystery was called "Zigs and Zags". A contemporary design and my intention was to use up leftover stash from my "En Provence" project. I have this top nearly finished as of this writing but hope to get the walking foot on the spare machine and finish it completely.
2.) Scrappy Snowballs Quilt Along - I found this site by accident and felt it was a great opportunity to use up some of the many 5" charm squares I have sitting in the drawer. The goal here is to make 16 squares per week. Ah, no...I have not met that goal but will surely try to accomplish at least a top by the end of this quarter.
3.) Vintage Stitches Blocks - leftover blocks from the original quilt. I have experimented with various settings. I have found a few large pieces to use up so this top can be done. I love these blocks...I just don't care for the colors anymore. They are so dark. Any suggestions for bleaching them out?
Top Finished Here!
4.) On Ringo Lake - another Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt. I had a collection of Moda's Serenade fabrics that I decided to use for this quilt. They are so lovely and this quilt has become a joy to work on. I am really behind in this project as she began clues on Black Friday 2017. I would cut a few pieces for each unit and work on them to get an example made but did not do the hard work of making 200+ of each! I was so delighted to see the big reveal and can't wait to get this one done now that Christmas sewing is completed and out of the way.
5.) Japanese Friendship Stars - after teaching a workshop in Ishinomaki Japan, I had each participant sign a friendship star block. These need to have sashing and cornerstones added to complete a small wallhanging. A perfect and cherished reminder of the people we met and worked with. What a wonderful trip that was and such a wonderful culture!
Finished Here!
6.) Buggy Barn Baskets - I've been chipping away at this in the evenings. It is so nice and warm to sit under and quilt. I backed it in flannel so it will be a designated winter quilt and definitely one of my favorites.
Finished Here!
7.) Umbrellas - Leah Day Class project. Practice, practice, practice they say. Once my machine is set up, this can be finished with a few days of marathon sewing. I would so much like to get comfortable with this skill. Like they say - "It's not a quilt until it is quilted."
Finished Here!
That is a hefty list. Can I complete them all? I sure will be trying as this is the time of year of few interruptions. Springtime marks a busy time outdoors when time is split up with sewing time.
I will be linking up on She Can Quilt blog site. You can visit her too for more lists from driven folks. Have fun, happy stitches, and happy new year!
