Slow Spurts

I have been taking a little break from being at the machine for long periods of time.  I do set a timer so I am sure to get up and move around, but after the quilting marathon I just needed to slow down.  Clearing out, rearranging, house work, time with the furkids was mixed with some little spurts of stitching.

I pulled another tote from the stack by the machine and this was in there.  My these were started a long time ago; ribbon blocks with flip corners.  I think I just fell out of love with this because I really had to force myself to finish up these blocks.

This is one of Howard Marcus 'Collection for a Cause' lines - MillBrook.  42 ribbon blocks and 84 hour glass blocks (not trimmed) from the corner snips.  I think I will take these to my next guild meeting and see if someone would like to finish these into a quilt.

Most nights I could be still putting the pedal to the metal, but I have used that time instead to work on my cross stitch piece.  Just a little more backstitching and this one is ready for a wash, blocking, and then framing.

My guild is doing a BOM using various blocks that are to help you improve your skills.  The patterns are charted for 4", 6", 8", 10", and 12" sizes with just cutting instructions so you really have to know your unit/block making to put some of these together.  A few of us hunt the internet for tutorials and instruction to assist some of the others as well as we make them ahead of time to catch errors and suggest tips to help making these.

My SIL gave me a few blue FQs as a thank you for doing a quilt for her and I have a huge tote of blues.  This is the year of blue & white quilts, so it made sense to go with it.

My guild had a program last meeting on a couple of new techniques - Trapunto and Candlewicking.    Kathy did a lot of work prepping for this and had a sample/kit for each member.  I have my little bird stuffed and his echo stitching corded, now I need to add the candlewicking.  

I'm playing with a few ladies in a 'stone soup' project spearheaded by Dawn at SewYouQuilt2.  We are sharing 'ingredients' with the other members for them to make what ever project that inspires them from the packages received.  Some ask for specific blocks, or color, or orphan blocks, etc...  I said " send me your uglies"!    These are a few things I have gotten so far and waiting on a couple packages before I decide where this is going. 

Today will be a slow day with some housework, need to grocery shop (and I don't want to go out in the cold), and get those last few backstitches done on the cross stitch.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Carolina Hurrican Quilt Project

Carole of From My Carolina Home has update information for this tremondous project for so many in need.  Whether you just can do blocks, or you have quilt tops she lists quilters who will finish, or you can send completed quilts to a variety of places collecting for distribution.

As an added incentive, Sarah of Confessions of a Fabric Addict, will be adding this as one of the Hands2Help charities.  If you have never heard of H2H, you can read about it on the tab on Sarah's blog.  The H2H19 will be starting soon. 

So add this to your quilt planners, share with your guild(s), and share with your media communities.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Scrappy Wednesday

With all of the body stress from the quilting marathons, today will be a good relaxing bit of stitching on those many Broken Dishes blocks I need.  I am gleening thru my CW totes to use up the smallest pieces of scraps first.  yes, they would go lickity-split cut from yardage - but where is the fun in that?

And after seeing so many starting to revisit an old friend - cross stitch - I just had to pull my supplies out, found a nice little pattern out of the many books I have, and just enjoy another leasurely thread art.

I'm sure somewhere in the week I will get the urge to get marathon quilting again, but for now I am slowing down.  It is to be cold and wet, so the crockpot will go on to marinate the house with wonderful aromas as I work a little at the machine and little with needle in hand.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon  

Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2019

With the few red scraps pulled from the yellow Monster's tummy, I managed to get 10 Chandelier Bead blocks done set with the light braces.

Then the blocks set with the black braces.  With these, I am using up my skinny strips of w/w for the smaller beads.  What a different look!

I started a new project that required 38 Red Cross blocks.  Even my Civil War stash is lacking reds, but I squeezed just the amount I needed from the scraps in that tote.

I felt good about starting something new because I finished up another quilt - my second finish for the year.   The finish is for the Black & White Hop and the new is for the  Dust Off A Book Hop.

Linking up with RSC19  and   Oh, Scrap

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon