Flimsies & Applique

 April is speeding along. The first of the month was cold and snowy; now we're enjoying sunshine, warmer temperatures and green grass. 

The spring Jane Stickle quilt retreat has come and gone. It's always wonderful to see the many out of state friends and I've met new friends this spring too. There are so many beautiful projects; it's hard not to start new ones. People have joined in on-line BOM's. There are the 365 Day blocks, Pat Sloan's Splendid Sampler, the 1857 quilt from Sentimental Stitches, Circa 2016 from the Temecula Quilt Co. and many, many more. I checked these out after I arrived back home, but common sense prevailed and I haven't started any of them, not at the beginning of my busy season. I'll just keep on working at my 'old' projects.

So what did I work on at retreat? The first project was this Houses wall kit designed by Rachel's of Greenfield. The directions were very well written and the quilt sewed together easily. Now I need to get her hand-quilted and hanging on the wall. She finishes at 20" by 20".

People keep having babies so I keep making crib quilts. I pieced 2 dotted pinwheel crib quilts using the Pineapple Press pattern What Goes Around Comes Around. They both measure 40" by 46" and I plan to quilt them on my sewing machine, I just need to find the time. The pinwheels are not pieced, the dotted fabric is folded diagonally and then sewn to the yellow background square. The pinwheel is 3D and left open. Many people asked me if I was going to quilt them closed when I quilted the quilt and I said no, I like them the way they are. Maybe there is some obvious problem that they saw that I'm not seeing. Of course it will get caught on stuff if the child drags it around but I never allowed my children to drag around their quilts. 

I did hand applique too. I appliqued several Sweet Surrender blocks at the retreat and then finished the rest when I was home. 

I have completed all of the 18 applique blocks required for the original quilt which finishes at 69" by 65". 

I don't want a wall quilt so I will applique more blocks and make a full size quilt. I drafted a rough diagram of what my finished quilt will be and I need at least 12 more blocks (I think it is 12, I'm too lazy to go check). I'll get them prepped and work on them this spring. After the additional blocks are appliqued, I'll put the project away until winter.

I didn't accomplish as many sewing projects as I often do, but the weather was so lovely, who could stay inside and sew all the time?

After I came home I made a list of quilting projects to work on this spring/summer. Some of them are fairly simple such as sewing bindings. Some are more involved. Here are a few of what I'll be working on.

Until more Sweet Surrender blocks are prepped, I'm working on block 7 of the Pastor's Attic Quilt.

Working on two applique projects has worked well for me. I normally have only one hand project going at a time.

At last fall's retreat I had pieced the blocks for a Summer Lake Log Cabin quilt from Judy Martin's Log Cabin Quilt Book. The fabrics are from a kit I bought years ago at Lolly's Fabrics in Shipshewana. It is time to get this quilt top sewn together.

The very center (snail) blocks have been sewn together. The rest of the center section is ready to be pieced together. The blocks and border have also been pieced.

Progress is being made on hand quilting the Fussy-cut Star wall hanging. Since I've rolled the last time, I can see the last side border slowly making her way to the top.

As you can see, there will be plenty happening around here. I'll fit it in here and there in between my outside work. I enjoy being outside after a long, dreary, sunless winter.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm linking to: Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, 
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