February Progress

February was a cold month and we are all looking forward to a bit of warmer weather.  My focus has been on finishing projects this year and my goal for this month was my Sweet Life quilt.  I am happy to say that my quilt top is complete and the back is pieced together.

The fabric line used in this quilt is Modern Roses by Stephanie Ryan.  It is good  finish another project from my list.  I will send it out to be quilted as soon as I can.

Sherry 

February Goal

Here it is, the end of the first week of February and I have not posted anything.  I am not getting into the swing of things as quickly as I had hoped.  I will admit that I was not feeling well for several days so not much was accomplished here.  I have started working on this month's goal, number 7 on my list for the APQ UFO Challenge.    Making a list like this really helps me to keep focused on finishes.

  

I have completed six of the sixteen blocks for this quilt but may have to make a few changes once I complete the next ten.  I used the back side of some of the fabrics in the first blocks I made.  I am not sure that I like the look so may have to make changes.  This is a fun pattern from Camille Roskelley's Simply Retro book. I plan to link up with One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts.  I enjoy visiting a few of the others linking to see what they are up to.

Some Goals Met and Projects Complete

We make plans to complete projects and we are often surprised by how the month goes.  I did not even work on my "Oh Deer" project but was able to complete the binding on three quilts.

Three's Company Quilt bound and labeled, ready to give to a friend.  The binding is scrappy using leftover pieces of the jelly roll the quilt was made of.

The blocks for this quilt were made with scraps from the quilt at the end of this post.  These blocks were from Amy Gibson's "Sugar Block Club 2014".  I put them together using the quilt as you go method and leftover fabric from other projects.  It is a smaller quilt, but I do like the way it went together.

This last quilt was the Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery Quilt 2013.  This is one from my early days of quilting and I think I will keep it here with me, at least for a while.  I am going to link my finishes with the January One Monthly Goal Link Up at Elm Street Quilts.  Motivation is a great help to me.   

January Goals

As I have chosen the word peace for a focus this year.  Therefore, I do not want to set lofty goals that will be a distraction.  Getting organized and accomplishing goals can add to peace in my life but these things can also make me anxious.  I have decided to try to keep it pretty simple and checking things off a list always helps me to see progress.  I have made a list using the   American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge print out.  

Number 12 is the project to complete in January, so this is what I will be working on.

I am also participating in One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts and adding another goal to my list.  The two quilts below are back from the quilter and in need of binding.  My goal will be to get the binding added to these quilts.  I will share more about each quilt when the binding is complete, then I can take a good picture of them.

Starting small and working away at old projects and starting a few new is my plan for this year.  Maybe we will get the chance later this year to travel a bit in the USA.  That had been our plan when we retired in mid 2019 but things don't always go the way we think they should.  We are still blessed!

Experience God's Peace in 2022

It is almost the end of another year; this will be my first blog post for 2021.  I think I had plans to do much more but that did not happen.  It has been a difficult year for many and most of us have navigated through many things we have never before experienced.  I have been thinking that writing more in this blog will help me to remember (I seem to need help with that) and share the blessings in 2022.  

Last May I fell on my left shoulder and broke my humerus bone.  It was a break that required surgery and I now have a metal bar and a few screws to help hold it together.  That was my first bone broken, unless I count the broken nose I experienced as a teenager.  This experience has had much more of an impact.  I spent 6 months going to rehab appointments and because I am left-handed my sewing and needlework came to a standstill.   My husband who had just completed rehab for a torn rotator cuff did everything around the house for quite a long time.  We are somewhat back to normal now. I am sewing again and now that the Christmas gifts are given and out of my room, I enjoy this space.  Pat has been on a new treatment for Multiple Myeloma for several months and is responding as expected.  We are blessed. 

I memorized a bible verse back before our first child was born and it has been my life verse for many years, not always in the forefront of my mind.    Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:  because he trusteth in thee.  Verse 4 continues to say "Trust ye in the Lord forever:  for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:   Perfect peace can only come from God and since my mind is not always stayed on Him, I am not experiencing that peace as often as I could. 

I have two last quilts to complete in 2021 I will share in this post.  They are quilted and ready for binding. 

This was a block of the month called "Three's Company" by Patchwork Posse 

This quilt is my version of the 2013 Designer Mystery Block of the Month by Fat Quarter Shop.

I will take full pictures when the binding is complete.

The Flower Garden Quilt

I don't think I know where to start writing here on my blog.  It has been a long time and a very eventful few months.  I have been trying to focus on completing some projects that have been here waiting for me to finish.  The one I am going to share today was begun in 2002.  I thought long and hard about making the effort but settled on finishing.

There is a story behind this quilt.  For many years I worked in outreach service for the local library system.  I delivered library service to people in their homes once a month and that is where I met Joan.  She was disabled but continued to make beautiful needlework and quilts.  I always enjoyed my monthly visit bringing the latest quilting books and magazines and books on tape for her to listen to while sewing.  She encouraged me to give quilting a try and suggested this Block of the Month from Newport Quilt called "The Flower Garden Quilt."  Looking at the mailers I can see that I received the first of my blocks in January of 2002.  I started off great and completed about 4 blocks.  This April, 2020 I decided that it was time to finish.  Some of the blocks were difficult for me but I kept at it and tried not to worry about perfection, that was not going to happen with this quilt.

This is a look at what our hallway looked like while I was in the middle of this process.

The little butterflies block proved to be one of the more difficult blocks.  Many pieces of these blocks were cut from templates I made with freezer paper. 

I do love the finished quilt and am ready to move on to a new/old project.  This quilt is quite large and I don't think I have backing fabric.  I would love to get this sent out to be quilted.  I can't wait to go to a fabric shop and just browse.  Happy sewing!

November Goal - JOY

If you are like me many of you are thinking, "where did the month of November go?"and "Christmas is going to be here before we know it!"  It has been a busy month here in my sewing room.  I did complete my JOY banner.  I can't remember when it was begun and it was a snap to complete so I am able to check another project off my list.

I also want to share one of the quilts completed this month.

 Village Quilt is complete and has gone home with our daughter in law, Lyndie.

It has been good working on projects and completing them.  I also have been working on some secret sewing for Christmas gifts.  I will take pictures and share them before passing them on to Pat to do the wrapping, he has graciously taken on that job these past few years.  

We have much to be thankful for.  We spent Thanksgiving here at home with one of our daughters and one of our sons and their families.  Because of Pat's health we made the decision not to travel to Atlanta to spend Thanksgiving with our son and his family.  We know it was the right decision but missed them and the traditions we have made there.   It is also the first year without my sweet sister Becky who went home to be the Lord in early December, last year.  Life is ever changing and so full of daily blessings, we just have to keep our eyes and hearts open to them.

Happy Creating!

I will be linking to One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts and 

2019 UFO & WIP Challenge at The Crafty Quilter.