My boss has been in town this week (and next) as well as getting a visitor Monday night who will be staying indefinitely. His name is Jannes and he is from Germany. He was supposed to get his Canadian Visa by now and because of COVID-19 that hasn’t happened. He is hoping to be in Canada within the next two weeks. So we shall see. With so much going on, I have barely touched my project list this week.
On to updating you on all things quilty!
English Paper Piecing
Lost and Found Quilt by Paper Pieces
I was able to finish block 9 for May as well as being halfway with block 10 for May. I also have cut June blocks 11 & 12. Here is my Block 9:
Other projects
I have been so focused on getting caught up on the Lost and Found project that I have not worked on Ruby’s Garden (other than glue basting future blocks) or my Farmer’s Wife 1920 blocks. After I finish block 10, I feel I can start back on these two projects as well as my future May mug rugs and potholders. I call these May because they are using most of the same fabrics as my May table runner.
Applique Projects
A-door-naments
Santa still needs to be embroidered and my Strawberries need to be machine appliqued. No change with either of these. Meanwhile I fused my July Stars as well a prepped it for applique this week. Here are progress pictures of all three:
Blooming Series
This week I pieced the background for both June (Daisies) and July (Stars). I also fused and prepped Daisies for machine applique. I really want to get Stars done as it is so much easier to machine applique projects that have similar thread colors. Here is Daisies:
Challenges Update
365 Quilt Block Challenge with Kathryn Kerr
I have been working really hard on this challenge, yet I fell behind as of yesterday. One block took me 4 hours to sew. The average block is 60-90 minutes which is a huge chunk of my sewing time each day. I only have one block left pre-cut so this weekend I will need to cut a bunch more blocks so I can work on them. I am still working on the 6 inch finished light blocks right now. I am so looking forward to going back to 3 inch finished blocks. Here are the blocks I finished this week:
Pat Sloan’s May Rainbows Quilt A Long
I hope to finish assembling the center of the top today. I received happy mail just an hour ago with the fabric that I got for borders and backing.
Pat Sloan’s June Free Motion Quilting Challenge
I have been hit or miss with my paper doodling and hands on fmq 10 minutes a day but yet I have made some progress. I finished quilting my May placemats which makes me super happy! I now just have to bind them. The Navy one is my favorite.
I plan to finish up my hexagon charity quilt which has been on my to do list for over two years. I used a burgundy thread (which I do not like now) with a meandering leaf pattern, but this is a good way to just finish it.
I also plan to use this time to quilt this month’s APQ Resolution quilt – Over and Under. I am basting it today as I found the backing and I already added borders etc. This week I spent some time figuring out during my doodling sessions on how I will quilt this quilt. I really need to use two different thread colors. First step will be stitch in the ditch to stabilize the top as I do not like the new basting spray I am forced to use (505) because it fades after 24-48 hours. I can no longer get shipped to California my favorite spray – Sullivan’s Basting Spray.
Cross Stitch
I think I mentioned that I have started cross stitching again after many years. The past couple of weeks my fabric and thread have started arriving for future projects. Once I am working on several projects at a time, I have decided that this section will become a separate Diary. I received from Bobby G designs a kit with a cute Winter Camper design. From Fat Quarter Shop, I finally received everything I need to start Bloomtopia but am still waiting on thread for the Home Mystery Project from May. I received all the supplies for my Prim Series Monthly Stitch Along by Lori Holt. First pattern comes out in July. I signed up for the Mystery Mistletoe July Project today. I have the series monthly club for Vintage trucks designed by the Stitching Housewives on their way to me for the three months I missed as well as the Quarterly stitch along, both from Fat Quarter Shop.
I am currently just stitching the Butterfly Dream by Dimensions and I am almost done with all the cross stitches. I have one flower left to do, then I will need to embroider the enhancements which are just back stitch and French knots. Then I will have to decide how to finish it. I have been watching a lot of You Tube to get ideas on finishing and whose blogs I need to follow on how to do some of this. Obviously, I could border it with fabric and make it a wall hanging if I want or include it in some other kind of quilting project. Many ideas to choose from. Here is a progress picture of this project:
Wrap Up
Under my needle today is basting my APQ resolution quilt, fmq on my Charity quilt, and cutting lots of different 365 and bom blocks. Tomorrow I will be hiking so not a lot of quilting will happen.
Cat Update: Toulouse and Shaun went back to Shaun’s Mom’s house. As a family, we decided it was time to go back to our old schedule now that school is out for Shaun. No more Toulouse (Shaun’s cat) here is the result. He was such a great cat that I will miss him.
Meanwhile Cali (my calico cat) and I continue our meditation every day with the Calm app. She so loves the time because it is our time.
The kittens are growing like little weeds. They have finished their medicine and have a vet visit next week. Jannes is enjoying playing and holding the kittens all day. They are so friendly and playful. They have ventured upstairs and have had a couple of run ins with Cali. Now that Toulouse is gone, Cali has come downstairs. She only stays if the kittens are in bed for the night, otherwise she just goes back upstairs. I hope they become friends soon.
Everyone stay safe and keep stitching!
Peggy Stockwell