WIP Wednesday 5.20.19

I'm stuck in a little funk lately.  I know I'm not eating the right foods.  I miss my regular planning period (or lunch) 50 minutes of exercise I used to get when I worked.  Yes, I have been working a lot in the garden, but it's not the same.  I'm trying to not be a Debbie Downer (sorry to all the Debbies out there...) but this is how I feel today.  Today my focus is to be more positive about what IS.

Here's what little happened this week:

I only stitched a little on my Linen & Threads SAL.  BUT it's a lot more than I have stitched for weeks.



I completed the quilt top for the SSSSQ (a Kevin the Quilter design.)  I also pulled a bag of "big pieces" of green fabrics to make a pieced back.  I'm still stitching from my huge stash of scraps.



All but two rows are planted in my garden.  The rain has come.  Hopefully I'll have cute seedlings popping up to post next week.  Just like everything else, even plants are so cute when they are little!



We've been riding the go kart a lot.  My husband fixed my old Moto4 (I bought it used in 1995).



I didn't add anything new to the list yet even though a few things dropped off.  I don't purchase a lot of patterns, but Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts had an awesome 50 percent off sale and I bought a raccoon and two fox patterns (since those are quite popular at our house.)  We shall see what I do with those.

Check out her Etsy Shop SEW FRESH QUILTS.  These cute block patterns were only $2.50!  Click on the "on sale" button to see what fun you could sew.  I think one of these may be a new RSC project.  We shall see...

• 

  Raccoon Quilt BLOCK Pattern, PDF, Instant Download, modern patchwork, animal, cute, forest, woodland

  $2.50 $5.00 $5.00(50% off)
  
• 

  Fox #1 Quilt BLOCK Pattern, PDF, Instant Download, 8 inch and 16 inch blocks, modern patchwork, fox, animal, cute, forest, woodland

  $2.50 $5.00 $5.00(50% off)
• 
  

I currently have 66 on-going projects.   

Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn

1.  Cheddar Jack cat pattern from Mama Spark's World 

2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)

3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt

4.  Picadilly Circle

5.  ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)

6.  Go Four It! -- Scrappy 4-patches started as leader/ender June 2017

7.  Patriotic Folk Animals (from Americana Quilts Book) -- hand work-- found the book 8/8/19!

8.  Parallelogram Strings -- 2019 String Along at Humble Quilts, started 1.31.19
9.   Leah Day Building Blocks QA
10.  Jelly Roll Rug
11.  Classic Meets Modern BOM
12.  Mod Mod QA (turning this one into a baby quilt) (from block Lotto, mostly circles w/lines)

13.  Owl's Well That Ends Well (RSC19 project started 1.26.19)

14.  Kevin the Quilter's Sapphire Stars Mystery (started Summer 2017) 

15.  Temperature QA (2019 block-a-day according to high and low temps--changed to table topper.)

16.  Kite Girl (RSC14)

17.  Amish Country BOM (from Lynn, Johnna's mom)

18.  Cabins at the Lake (from Fons & Porter Magazine) (only one house block complete.)

19.   2.5" Scraps from Dani making "cracker" blocks

20.  Sand Castles -- Bonnie Hunter string quilt started January, 2019 -- an RSC project

21.  Little Houses (3.5" blocks)

22.  Pumpkins & the Beanstalk (a second quilt.)

23.  Set of note cards and envelopes

24.  Simply Summer Sensational QA with Kevin the Quilter 2.5" blocks (started 6.27.19)

25.  Slabs with White Rectangle (RSC14 started -- need blocks each month)

26.  Bonnie Hunter Box Kite class from March, 2017 (Will make baby quilt.)

27.  Kevin the Quilter 2019 Mystery Quilt -- SSSSQ, 1.5" squares

28.  2015 Orange, pink, grey kite blocks (from Accuquilt die, RSC17)

29.  Maroon Sampler Quilt

30.  Gypsy Wife QA (started again with Angie at Gnome Angel, August 2017) (2019 QA)

31.  Kathleen Tracy’s 2019 Mystery Quilt -- Facebook QA started in March, 2019. 

32.  2016 Plus Blocks (from left over pieces of Soul Searching blocks)

33.  RSC16 Folk Art Birds

34.  Waffle Blocks (August 2019) RSC19

35.  Kevin the Quilter 2019 Mystery Quilt -- SSSSQ, 2.5 " squares

36.  Gingerbread Men pattern by Edyta Sitar started November, 2019

37.  Linen & Threads Mystery SAL, Started 1/1/20 for my sew-to-go bag.

38.  Dresser Scarf (my grandma's printed WIP from the 70's) 1/1/20 for my sew-to-go bag.

39.  Veggie Patch (from Katie Mae Quilts)

40.  Unity Quilt Along with Bonnie Hunter,  (started 4/1/2020.)

Blocks Still Need to be Made

1.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt

2.  Scrap Crystals (working on blue pieces for RSC15)

3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

4.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt

5.  Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt (my seams don't match Julianne's seams...)

Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and/or some sashing)
1.  Block Swap Adventure Orange/Yellow Sampler (2011-2012)
2.  Cruise blocks won from Libby
3.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly (blocks won from Block Lotto, February, 2013)

7.  Fortune Teller (RSC14 started)--It's not long enough...needs 4 more blocks

8.  Sonja's Windows string quilt 

9.   Block Swap Adventure (2013) Churn Dash Blocks 

10.  Tula Pink's City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks (New QA starting 5/7/17 Gnome Angel)

11.  Flower Baskets (blue and white with some applique) Block Lotto win 10/1/18

12.  Pre-printed cross stitch pillow sham (May, 2018 sew-to-go bag)

13.  Bonnie Hunter Garden Party (started 3.18.17.)

14.   Cathy's CRAZY BY DESIGN.  It's the Dot Dot Dash Bag. (new to the list April, 2018)

Quilts back needs to be made (tops are done) 

1. Card Trick (pink and blue) HUGE charity quilt for local quilt guild
2. Hunter green large (bubbly -- will be a challenge to longarm) charity quilt for the local guild
3. Bubble Gum pink and navy charity quilt for local quilt guild
4. Good Fortune -- A Bonnie Hunter Quiltville Mystery started Thanksgiving weekend, 2018
5.  Soul Searching -- Julianne sent it to me 8/29/19!!!

Ready to longarm

1.  O - H - I - O quilt 2.5" blocks
2.  Wings of Spring -- Block Lotto win 3.31.19

I'm linking up with Susan at Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers.

What's Happening Lately?

Here's some of the pics from my camera roll of what has been happening this week:

The chickens are laying eggs like crazy (knock on wood).  These are the eggs I get each morning when I let the chickens out for the day.  I collect a few later in the day also for a total of about 15 a day.  Neighbors and friends call me and I set eggs out on the porch for them to safely pick up.  I also deliver them free to as a surprise to friends at random.

I made it to a local store and purchased only one flat of veggies this year.  The plants were small, but the variety was awesome and I got all the plants I wanted this year.

I started moving perennials into the chicken yard this year.  There are yucca, lilies, day lilies, hostas, ornamental grass, iris plants, and a few other things.  We shall see if they get ate.  This was all I could move until the big rain came.  I'll move more items when it isn't as wet.  The upside down milk crates are where extra garden seeds were planted.  The chickens and ducks will LOVE eating the green plants when it is time.  So far they haven't been rooting in the real garden!  Woohoo!

Here's a picture of the "real" garden.  None of the seeded items planted last week have popped up yet.  Hopefully next week at this time we shall see some progress.  I still have two rows I can plant yet.  I'm not sure if I will plant corn or not. 

My husband got my old Moto4 (the blue one) running.  I bought it used in 1994.  I can't keep up with our little speed demon.  He sure is having a lot of fun.  Mud doesn't seem to be an issue anymore.  Noise isn't a problem anymore either.  Not much sewing has been happening, but many happy memories are being made.

Slow Sunday Stitching

It's not a lot, but I did find time to stitch on my Linen and Threads Mystery Stitch Along.  I'm still working on the clue for the April.  I'm glad I picked it up again this week.

I don't think I posted to this group my finish of my Short & Sweet quilt (pattern by Kim Diehl).  

I longarm quilted it with an allover stipple.  I put the binding on by hand.  I need to hang it in the bedroom because the fabrics are left over from this project:



LOL... of course I wasn't going to let you go without a MASK photo.  We have to have fun with everything, right?

I'm linking up at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.

RSC20 -- More Green -- A Completed SSSSQ Top

This week 260 green squares bit the dust by finding their way into this SSSSQ quilt with Kevin the Quilter.  I have two sides of green to go along the sides and this quilt is a top!  Stay tuned next week.

I couldn't help myself.  I was on a roll.  I just kept going with the green.  Two more rows down the sides and it's a completed top.  More green scraps bite the dust.

This quilt has grown on me.  Now I like it alot!  It's just the right snuggle on the couch size.

I also finished up and put away the blue scraps (the April color of the month for RSC).  I used some orphan blocks and added them to this vintage sheet to make a quilt back for my Wings of Spring quilt (a Block Lotto win).  Now I can add it to the to-be-quilted bin.  Woohoo!  It's hanging crooked...

I think I'm on to something here.  I really like working on the projects I already have in the works for the RSC.  It's a two-for-one deal with me.  I'm linking up with Angela at SoScrappy for the RSC20.

I'm also linking up with Oh Scrap! @ Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework!

2020 Garden -- Thus Far

I spent yesterday and this morning working in the yard and garden.  It felt so good to get out and get some sun.  I planted more seeds this morning because RAIN is on the way.  I'm feeling all of my being 54 today for sure.  This post is a little picture heavy.  But my 54 year old brain needs to remember what is where.  With modern technology I can just pull my phone out of my pocket, look at my blog post, and know where I need to be careful when rototilling and weeding.

Gold Rush Squash -- I bought this packet of seeds at my favorite Amish greenhouse in Mt. Eaton, Ohio about three years ago.  There were at least 30 seeds in the pack.  I don't know why I got that many back then.

Next is a hill of regular zucchini.  I got this seed packet in Amish country three years ago.

Next in this row are space master cucumbers.  I think I got these seeds last season.  I ordered seeds in March on eBay when we couldn't go to stores.  They still aren't here.  Grrr.  Must be on the slow boat.

These are gorgeous purple bean plants from one of my quilt customers.  When dropping off a quilt last summer I was admiring the purple plant.  She gave me a whole envelope of seeds.  It's something pretty--not to eat.  Look, I'm starting to color code the pics so I can see them when I'm on my phone in the garden.  LOL.

This package was labeled summer squash.  Looked like zucchini to me.  I have no idea how old or where these seeds came from.

This row is watermelon seeds that I got yesterday during the lunch distribution at the high school where I sub.  I don't typically plant watermelon, but I didn't want the seeds to go to waste.  My SIL and BFF and I are the only ones that like watermelon.  I haven't had much success with it in the past because I guess groundhogs like melons right before it's time to pick them.  Ducks LOVE watermelon!  We haven't been going to get the free lunches until now.  Owen loved it.

Spaghetti Squash seeds from who knows when and where...  Glad I'm doing this blog post.  I only planted these seeds at 7 this morning and I already forgot what was there!

Jack-o-lanterns -- 2 hills -- Seed packets were from 1994.  I'm not sure how this will go with the seeds being so old.  If they don't come up I will plant something else in this spot.  No biggie.

Big Max pumpkins -- seeds purchased on eBay this year

Sunflowers (Mammoth, blonde, and Evening Sun)  I need to remember that I planted them across the row so that they would make a pretty backdrop photo for the pumpkin patch.  The seed packets were about two or three years old.

Some of the leftover seeds I planted in the chicken yard.  The milk crates over them help the plants get a start.  After a while I'll take off the crate and let the chickens eat the plant.  These are extra zucchini plants.

These are extra birdhouse gourd and mustard seeds.  I got a free "surprise" pack of mustard seeds when I got the eBay pumpkin seeds.  Whee...  Oh well.  They will be good for the chickens.

WIP Wednesday 5.13.2020

Well, it's been two months since I last worked (as a substitute teacher.)  I have been quite productive at home.  My stitching by hand has stalled but other projects have marched forward.  I do want to pause to thank those that are so kind to leave comments.  I have formed some very sweet friendships with several people that I call friends that I have never met.  Our quilting/blogging community has so many fascinating individuals.  I am always happy to see an e-mail from someone that I truly care about.  Happy mail is the best!

Here's some of the things that happened this week:

I made a quilt back using a few blue orphan blocks to finish playing purposely with blue scraps for April for the RSC20.

Just to refresh your memory, this is the Wings of Spring quilt top that will be on the front of the above quilt back.  It was a Block Lotto win.  See how much better the other clothesline was?  All these trees (and the hill for that matter) are now gone due to earth work my husband has been doing.



I finished quilting this quilt for a friend.  I learned a new trick on how to use my Circle Lord giant template board called Baptist fan.  The fans lined up great this time!  After all these years (about 5) who knew these little divots to line up the board were there?  Geez.



Our young Picasso had to do a mixed media project for art this week (remote learning).  I left him use anything we could clean up.  He was way more in to it than I thought he was and he was busy three hours the first day and about 90 minutes the second day.  After we took the photos to send to his art teacher I immediately had my husband hang it on the big wall space on the landing on the steps to his room.  I LOVE it.

I figured mixed media meant sharpie, pencil, and crayon on a piece of typing paper.  Wow... his had cardboard, paint (that he left dry for a day) cut and twisted aluminum foil, tape, stickers, stamps, Sharpie... And who knows what the "TYM" means..  I still LOVE it.  He called it "Creepy Eyes with a Beard".  (It's on the table and Owen is standing on a chair--he's not that tall--YET.)

This is what it looked like the first day...  I love his smile and enthusiasm.   Oh, and if you can't tell by my blog WE ARE SUPER PROUD OF THIS GUY!

I made progress using green 2.5" squares on my SSSSQ (Kevin the Quilter QA).  I also added the next round of pink blocks and leader/enders while working on my Unity quilt (Bonnie Hunter QA).

Speaking of my Unity Quilt (Bonnie Hunter QA), I'm still loving all these soft-looking neutrals.

I only made one block of Clue 7 thus far.  This round the neutral pastels will come out to play in the corners.

My helper has made great progress in his sorting project.  The first pic shows the "new to me" table that was FREE.  The treadmill has been moved to another room so that we can actually use it.  There are more shelves!  Progress!

I'm not sure if this link works or not.  I haven't investigated how to embed a YouTube video into a post yet.  But if you want to see how sweet and well-trained my chickens and ducks are when it's time to go in for the night, watch this:
https://youtu.be/ENnQ8M5flIk

I currently have 66 on-going projects.    One dropped off this week (the customer quilt).

Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn

1.  Cheddar Jack cat pattern from Mama Spark's World 

2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)

3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt

4.  Picadilly Circle

5.  ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)

6.  Go Four It! -- Scrappy 4-patches started as leader/ender June 2017

7.  Patriotic Folk Animals (from Americana Quilts Book) -- hand work-- found the book 8/8/19!

8.  Parallelogram Strings -- 2019 String Along at Humble Quilts, started 1.31.19
9.   Leah Day Building Blocks QA
10.  Jelly Roll Rug
11.  Classic Meets Modern BOM
12.  Mod Mod QA (turning this one into a baby quilt) (from block Lotto, mostly circles w/lines)

13.  Owl's Well That Ends Well (RSC19 project started 1.26.19)

14.  Kevin the Quilter's Sapphire Stars Mystery (started Summer 2017) 

15.  Temperature QA (2019 block-a-day according to high and low temps--changed to table topper.)

16.  Kite Girl (RSC14)

17.  Amish Country BOM (from Lynn, Johnna's mom)

18.  Cabins at the Lake (from Fons & Porter Magazine) (only one house block complete.)

19.   2.5" Scraps from Dani making "cracker" blocks

20.  Sand Castles -- Bonnie Hunter string quilt started January, 2019 -- an RSC project

21.  Little Houses (3.5" blocks)

22.  Pumpkins & the Beanstalk (a second quilt.)

23.  Set of note cards and envelopes

24.  Simply Summer Sensational QA with Kevin the Quilter 2.5" blocks (started 6.27.19)

25.  Slabs with White Rectangle (RSC14 started -- need blocks each month)

26.  Bonnie Hunter Box Kite class from March, 2017 (Will make baby quilt.)

27.  Kevin the Quilter 2019 Mystery Quilt -- SSSSQ, 1.5" squares

28.  2015 Orange, pink, grey kite blocks (from Accuquilt die, RSC17)

29.  Maroon Sampler Quilt

30.  Gypsy Wife QA (started again with Angie at Gnome Angel, August 2017) (2019 QA)

31.  Kathleen Tracy’s 2019 Mystery Quilt -- Facebook QA started in March, 2019. 

32.  2016 Plus Blocks (from left over pieces of Soul Searching blocks)

33.  RSC16 Folk Art Birds

34.  Waffle Blocks (August 2019) RSC19

35.  Kevin the Quilter 2019 Mystery Quilt -- SSSSQ, 2.5 " squares

36.  Gingerbread Men pattern by Edyta Sitar started November, 2019

37.  Linen & Threads Mystery SAL, Started 1/1/20 for my sew-to-go bag.

38.  Dresser Scarf (my grandma's printed WIP from the 70's) 1/1/20 for my sew-to-go bag.

39.  Veggie Patch (from Katie Mae Quilts)

40.  Unity Quilt Along with Bonnie Hunter,  (started 4/1/2020.)

Blocks Still Need to be Made

1.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt

2.  Scrap Crystals (working on blue pieces for RSC15)

3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

4.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt

5.  Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt (my seams don't match Julianne's seams...)

Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and/or some sashing)
1.  Block Swap Adventure Orange/Yellow Sampler (2011-2012)
2.  Cruise blocks won from Libby
3.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly (blocks won from Block Lotto, February, 2013)

7.  Fortune Teller (RSC14 started)--It's not long enough...needs 4 more blocks

8.  Sonja's Windows string quilt 

9.   Block Swap Adventure (2013) Churn Dash Blocks 

10.  Tula Pink's City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks (New QA starting 5/7/17 Gnome Angel)

11.  Flower Baskets (blue and white with some applique) Block Lotto win 10/1/18

12.  Pre-printed cross stitch pillow sham (May, 2018 sew-to-go bag)

13.  Bonnie Hunter Garden Party (started 3.18.17.)

14.   Cathy's CRAZY BY DESIGN.  It's the Dot Dot Dash Bag. (new to the list April, 2018)

Quilts back needs to be made (tops are done) 

1. Card Trick (pink and blue) HUGE charity quilt for local quilt guild
2. Hunter green large (bubbly -- will be a challenge to longarm) charity quilt for the local guild
3. Bubble Gum pink and navy charity quilt for local quilt guild
4. Good Fortune -- A Bonnie Hunter Quiltville Mystery started Thanksgiving weekend, 2018
5.  Soul Searching -- Julianne sent it to me 8/29/19!!!

Ready to longarm

1.  O - H - I - O quilt 2.5" blocks
2.  Wings of Spring -- Block Lotto win 3.31.19

I'm linking up with Susan at Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers.