QUILT DIARY: April 2021

Today I received a bouquet of my favorite yellow flowers without a name on the card with awesome words: Thanks are the highest form of thought and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. The gift brought me much joy but left me wondering who I had helped enough to send flowers on a random Thursday. Of course, those gifts are the most appreciated because they are unexpected.

I finally found out from my grandson Shaun that his mom sent them to say thank you for all the support over the past few months with getting Shaun from point A to point B while she is taking grad classes. Shaun picked out my favorite flower: Sunflowers. Can I just say my heart feels very full. It takes a village to raise a child and I feel blessed to be part of the village.

It’s so hard to believe that another four weeks have flown by since we last visited my quilt and sewing projects. When I first sat down, I didn’t feel like I had really accomplished much since last month. But as I typed in the headings and looked at last time’s blog, I feel much better. Being retired (or semi-retired) is starting to payoff dividends. I have got to spend an hour or two most days working on this or that project. Not always, but often enough to help get me caught up on some of my Monthly Blocks of the Months. So let me show you!

Sparkle and Shine Mystery Quilt by Cotton Cuts Update

I had not started assembling these clues at all for the Spring 2021 Mystery Quilt, so I am thrilled to have finished up Clue 3B, 3A, & 2B yesterday and clues 1A, 1B, and 2A earlier this week and last week.

The colorway is called Garnet which is Floragraphix V by Jason Yenter for in the Beginning Fabrics. This quilt will be blue, purples, and greens. Lovely right? This is the first time I actually wrote down the fabric collection.

Are You Game? Mystery Quilt by Cotton Cuts Update

So I got all the clues finished up for the Team Labyrinth colorway. Tomorrow (April 30th) is the big reveal on how this will be assembled. I am excited thinking I will be having my favorite block (Churn Dash) in this quilt

Clue 9 is laid out and ready to sew for Team Azul. I will get to show you next time. While I never intended to do a large and small of the Fall 2020 Mystery Quilt, it has been eye opening the difference between the two.

Name of the Rose Mystery Quilt by Cotton Cuts Update

After a misdirection in the assembly, I was able to finish up the center of this quilt. Now that I am only one clue behind, I am ready to assemble the top and bottom of this quilt. This will be my first mystery quilt assembled once it is done. I do have borders and backing for this quilt already.

Monthly Color Challenge 2021 by Patterns by Jen Update

I did not finish March in time to link up with Patterns by Jen but I have finished in time to link up April. For the 2020 Challenge I used light and dark of each color (all Alison Glass fabrics). This year I went with white background with one of her sunprints that match colorwise the color of the month. I love it!

Placemats, Tablerunners, Napkins, & Potholders

With the focus on getting my monthly stuff all caught up, I have not finished anything in this category. While writing up the Quarter two finishalong goals, I did decide to pull out an older table runner I made a couple of years ago but never finished.

I still need to baste and quilt my March Green mini charm table runner and my Lori Holt Good Morning Mug table runner. My sister Cheryl has asked if she could have this table runner as it matches her RV decor. This was all the leftover fabrics from her quilt I made for her 50th birthday so I suppose I can let her have it…. Maybe LOL!

Speaking of Cheryl, she also asked for new grey potholders for her kitchen. I have hem and hawed over this for a while now, but finally pulled the trigger and pulled fabrics and a design. I have decided to make an 8 pointed two tone gray star using English paper piecing then I will need to applique it to the background. You may see progress of this project with EPP Diary and/or APPLIQUE Diary as well since this will be multi skilled. With that thought in mind, here is an update on my Hexagon potholders that I appliqued and quilted last weekend. They just need to be bound now.

I used four layers of flannel for this set to see how I like that. Most times I use two layers of flannel and one layer of batting. I am still trying to find that perfect combo so that you don’t burn yourself. It may be a neverending search. All I know is that the “heat resistant” batting doesn’t work so I quit wasting my time and money.

APQ Resolution Update

This month’s quilt is the Over & Under Quilt which has all the stitch in the ditch quilting done already from last year’s APQ Resolution. I haven’t picked it up at all this month. In my Quilter’s Planner is the question: Am I done? Do I want to FMQ more?

My original plan was to quilt the dark areas but then how do you travel between areas. Realistically, I should be quilting the links but then you have centers that are isolated. Sigh! While April will be done tomorrow, I really do need to finish this quilt next. I will take some time to decided if my stitch in the ditch is enough quilting. If it is, then bind it (binding already cut) Otherwise jump into this and finish it!

EQ8 and BlockBase +

With retirement has come a renewed interest in using my EQ8. I have started working through some of their blog posts on how to use things. While doing this, they came out with an updated BlockBase+ . I went ahead and purchased it. I have the original but never actually used it.

In all honesty, sometimes I get frustrated with the fact the EQ8 and BB+ don’t give you real cutting instructions and you have to do it block by block which seems like such a waste to me. But on one of the forums, a lady was telling us how to use AccuQuilt dies to cut the shapes. Another lady explained how you could say you wanted 12 of a block and you would get instructions for that. Then I realized that I was boxing myself in with one dimensional thinking.

Once, I opened my mind up to the possiblities, I realized I have at my fingertips the ability to turn patterns into EPP templates for paper and fabric, or FPP, or how to use my dies that I have. I am learning how to search for blocks in both programs.

I am enjoying learning. I have been trying to make sure I spend at least one day per week working with the program to familiarize myself with this technological tool.

Wrap Up

I think I mentioned that I am investigating getting a Gammil Long Arm. I have my budget and now I just have to decided what features I am going to get. I found a home for my sitdown Tiara and that makes me happy that it will going to someone who will use it. She has been a good machine.

Now I need to figure out how I sell or give away my Cornet so I have room for the Gammil. Until I do this, I really can’t make the purchase. Anyone have suggestions of where to place to offer he up for sale? I am not even looking to make money, I just need the space.

Well I hope you enjoyed this month’s edition of the Quilting Diary. Next week will be EPP again. Lots of hockey recently so some great progress. We are going out of town for hockey in Salt Lake City so even more EPP time on its way and maybe some cross stitch too.

Thanks for stopping by!

Peggy