Hi Everyone! This don’t have much this week. I have been very busy working on my homework for my online course with Bonnie Christine – Immersion 2024 for Surface Pattern Design.
I will be linking up with Carol @ Quilt Schmilt for To Do Tuesday this week. Check out her website and the linkup. Some great projects are shared.
Between the course and traveling, I have not spent very much time in my sewing studio. Let’s take a look.
What Got Done this Past 2 Weeks
I believe I mentioned last time we spoke that I was having a hard time with all this green. It has been hard to make myself work on these projects even though I planned it. The potholders is my little quilty project for March.
After pawing through my green fabric bin and green scraps, I just wasn’t excited. This week I decided to make a trip to my local quilt shop to see what greens I could possibly get to help me out. I also decided that I wanted to have my placemats be Spring not Shamrocks so….. I swear I had a fat quarter stack of Kaffee prints but darn if I could find it. Oh darn! A trip to the quilt store….
I petted my way through all the Kaffe Fassett fabric wall at my LQS. Originally I thought I would get another green, but I couldn’t do it. I kept being drawn in by this mostly yellow print with greens and pink. It just spoke to me. The bonus is that is definitely Spring! Even though I had not brought all my little squares with me, I knew I had cut alot of colors to help me with my green phobia. LOL! Can you imagine how pleased I was when I realized it was perfect?
On top of that I picked up a half dozen more green fat quarters. I was always going to add a border around the shamrock for my potholders (otherwise they would have been too small). When I realized, I had inadvertently picked up the perfect green that helped all of my scrappy green squares pull together, I was super happy.
For my potholders, I like to use flannel and batting. I tried using the “heat” resistant kind recommended by the industry, but it never protects my hands from the heat. I swear it intensifies the heat. My grandma Ruby used multiple layers of flannel (from clothes she picked up from yard sales) and all of us grandkids are STILL using the potholders she gifted us over the years before she passed. They are the best potholders ever. Only reason I throw a piece of batting in mine is to use up the odd leftover batting and to use less flannel. I sandwich my flannel around the batting. Well Sunday, I was going to finish up my potholders when I realized that I didn’t have any more white flannel. I put other colors under but they showed through the white.
Oh my! Another trip to the fabric store was in order. This time I headed to Joann’s where I was hoping they would be having a flannel sale. I lucked out the flannel was 50% off and I picked up $20 (which translated to 5 yds) worth. Hundreds of kitchen accessories will come out of that. Perfect right? I ended up picking up another tube turner as well. I know I have one, but it has been misplaced and I had decided to try something different for my potholder loops.
Action List for the Week of March 26th
I haven’t shared a picture of my little girl – California Girl (or Cali for short). She missed me while I was gone so lots of cuddles with me have been happening for the past week.
Good Friday will be a Quilting Zoom Day (Sew Day). I have many projects sitting out on my table ready to be worked on. I am hoping to finish the potholders as well as my Gnome wallhanging. I also have out my March Quilt project – Zuma Charm Quilt. Here is the latest action list:
- Fuse House block for On Wander Lane: Bunny Knoll
- December Gnome Is Where The Heart Is – applique with red
- Finish Queen of Diamonds block 2-2 (EPP)
- Assemble placemat tops
- Layer and quilt Shamrock potholders
- Assemble Zuma Charm blocks into a top center
- Find backing and binding for the 2019 100 blocks 100 days quilt
- Pull out and replace missing pieces for Farmers Wife block 45
- Add borders to Patriotic Table Runner
- Take color drawing and actually put fabrics in EQ8 for Petit 4 (Venti 12) Quilt
- Start assembling HST for Sweet Childhood Memories side borders
- Cut & Sew Scrappiness is Happiness next block (only 7 left)
- Schedule long arm maintenance
- Organize pink, purple, & gray threads
- Continue working on 2023 March Block of the Day as leaders/enders project
- Layer and quilt rainbow angles into placemats
- Trim down and layer Big Sur Coastal landscape
- Make flower units from Hummingbird class
- Christmas Year in Words – applique red areas
- Blooming Pointsettas – applique red areas
- Continue working on #100days100blocks2023. My goal is finish through block 80
- Continue working on #365blockchallenge. My goal is to cut 8/30 & 8/31
Afterthoughts
I got very distracted by these lovely watercolor fabrics. The shelf below is the first picture of this blog. That green you see ended up going home with me. I was defintely in my happy place walking around the quilt store. They had some new 108 fabrics as well. I ended up picking up 3 yards of two of them for future backings. But I still didn’t find the backing I needed for my Alison Glass Christmas quilt. I may end up having to piece that backing or maybe go with a high quality muslin. I just can’t seem to find what I want. Reason I haven’t pieced the back so far is because I am using that same collection in another Christmas quilt. #sigh #quilterproblems
I wish I had more to share this week. Next week will be better since Friday will be a sew day. Good luck everyone and have a great day!!!
Peggy Stockwell in San Jose, CA