I'm still adding leaves to the 25th block for my Pastor's Attic Quilt. This block is a repeat of another corner block. The vase is the same fabric but I'm using different fabrics for the flowers and stems.
In the original pattern, there are 3 baskets on point in the corners. The 4th corner had this block, which is a nice block, but why have 3 baskets and then the 4th corner not a basket?
There was an applique block that I simply did not like so I replaced it with this block which was supposed to go in the 4th corner and the basket block will reside in that corner. I mean, my quilt, my way.
The flowers were originally supposed to have embroidery in the centers, but part way through the process, I started using circles. I like the fabric circles better so there are 5 blocks to remove the french knots and replace with circles. I'm afraid the knots would cause wear & tear under the circles.
My goal for the month of February is to finish the applique on the 25th block and to replace the french knots with circles. This doesn't sound like a very challenging goal, but there are five blocks (including the one shown above) that need a total of 26 circles. And, in February, I am going to be gone a week to Arizona, where the sun shines every single day!
Now for the critique - I know I said I would give a review on the Ott light/magnifier in a month. I don't need to wait a month. I love it! Now remember, I wanted/needed the magnifying glass. There is a circle of LED lights on the bottom of the magnifying glass that shine right on my applique. I turn on those lights, and I didn't use the separate Ott light while appliqueing. The lights on the magnifying glass are enough light.
Using the magnifying glass did take some time to get used to. There is a depth perception challenge, but I've adapted. Threading needles is so easy, the eye is huge.
If you are experiencing eye strain or blurry vision after needlework, then the Ott light/magnifying glass is for you.
I bought the light on a stand. They also had a table top light/magnifying glass which cost less than the stand. I do not know if the table top version comes with the clamp.
I like having the light clamped to the end table. The body swivels on the clamp so I can adjust the angle of the light and magnifying glass. I move the glass up and down, I'm not sure how secure it would be if the light were just sitting on top the end table, I would be afraid I would pull it off. Besides, I don't have room for it on the table, I have too much stuff on there.
There is also a clip to hold paper directions or something. I haven't used that at all.
Linking to - One Monthly Goal, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt, Fiber Tuesday, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts, WIP's With Friend's, My Quilt Infatuation, Finished Or Not Friday, Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, WIP's Be Gone
My One Monthly Goal for November is a crib quilt for the new grandchild arriving in December.
This tractor pattern is perfect if the baby is a boy.
The pattern is available from Counted Quilts. They have a large variety of quilt designs.
The fabrics are cut and ready to be sewn. The pieces are labeled so I can keep everything straight.
My goal is to not only have the quilt flimsy pieced but quilted also.
This will be quite a a challenge but I think I can do it.
The quilting has happened for the Grandmother's Flower Garden crib quilt. I'm pretty proud of my quilting, the best I've done so far. She bound and finished! She is not a designated quilt so she'll stay here until a need arises.
I think the flowers look like they are floating on the quilt.
And a look at the back. Of course I used some of mom's stash, what little girl doesn't love lavender?
I used a larger Baptiste Fan on the sides. Why? I don't know, I just did. I doubt any baby will care about it.
She has finished at 36" by 41". I normally like to make crib quilts larger than this but it was time for her to be finished.
Not very much applique has happened here lately. I cut the tip of my left thumb and it is very sore. I need to keep a band-aid on it and it causes problems appliqueing. I spent my evenings quilting the crib quilt.
Linking to - One Monthly Goal, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, Finished or Not Friday, Free Motion Mavericks, Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Show Off Saturday
I love my grands but I am ready to return home after a week away. Boy, it sure felt good to sleep in my own bed. Now onto quilty things.
I met my One Monthly Goal for October which was to sew another row for the Nearly Insane Quilt. I showed you 3 blocks before I left for Pennsylvania. Here are the last four blocks in the row.
I'm sewing the rows together as I go. I like to see the progress, it is slow progress, but progress none the less.
I can attach one more row then the partial flimsy will be too wide for the display wall.
I actually had two monthly goals. The second goal was to finish a block for the Pastor's Album Quilt. I posted about completing that goal on the October 9th post.
Not all the projects on my list of 12 are BIG projects. This week I've crossed 2 projects off the list of 12.
The first project are these little baskets. I had started appliqueing these blocks, completing two of them, before I left. I finished the other two Sunday evening.
I turned them in at the guild meeting Monday evening.
Every year our guild makes and donates a quilt to the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale.
These blocks are for the 2018 Relief Sale quilt.
The pattern is Victoria's Garden from Blended Quilts by Marcia Makosky and Sharon Evans Yenter.
The quilt committee has put their own spin on the pattern.
I think she is going to be a lovely quilt, different than most of the quilts in the auction.
These blocks are maybe 6 1/2" now but will be trimmed smaller. I don't know the final size.
The background fabric is the same for all the applique blocks. There is an alternate pieced block between each basket block.
Some of the alternate blocks were turned in Monday evening also, this quilt is going to be so cute.
This block is my favorite of the four I appliqued. The soft green batik leaves add a touch of color.
I decided to take kits for the same block. Once I've made a block, the others work up fast.
The second project is this basket block. Every year each members of my guild make a quilt block for the past president. The past president selects the pattern and size of the block.
Marie came up with this scrappy pieced basket block. I'll let her trim it. I know it looks like a spot on the fabric at the bottom of the basket. There is no spot, the camera just added it to irritate me.
These two projects were on the pile of small projects to be made last summer. Neither one took very long but that pile was pretty big!
I've started working started working on block 11, Floral Vase Arrangement from the Pastor's Album Quilt for my evening handwork. I think this block is going to take longer than a week to complete. Two flower buds and the vase have an underlay for the reverse applique. A new technique to learn.
Linking to - One Monthly Goal, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, A Quilting Reader's Garden, Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Show Off Saturday
Block 13 of the Pastor's Attic Quilt has been completed. It is called Ruched Floral Wreath, but my red flowers are not ruched. I'm planning on hand quilting this quilt. I was afraid ruching would present a problem so my flowers are just appliqued. The red flowers and the forget-me-nots are backbasted.
The centers of the flowers were supposed to have embroidered french knots but I decided to fussy-cut black circles and use them. Now I'm think they are kind of creepy looking, like eyes staring at me.
I did add the french knots to the center of the forget-me-nots.
The two Row By Row wallhangings are finished. The quilting was done on my domestic machine before I ironed on the horse and buggy. I don't do much machine applique, but I did these. The pattern is the 2014 Row By Row from Yoder Dept. Store in Shipshewana, Indiana. Another Christmas present and a spare.
And two more Christmas presents are completed! Since I made the cute Sweetpea Pods for the granddaughters, I was afraid the boys would be upset they didn't get bags too.
I found a good tutorial on the Missouri Star Quilt Co. for The Zipper Pouch. They sewed up really fast; less than two hours! The zippers are different colors so the brothers can tell the bags apart.
In the middle of October, I will be traveling to visit the Pennsylvania grands. I'm planning to take their Christmas presents along. These bags were the last project on the list.
Now I can start in on my quilting projects. I made a list of all the projects I would like to work on this season. There were 12 projects on that list!
I haven't pieced any blocks for Nearly Insane since March so that is what I'm going to start with.
For my one monthly goal, I want to sew the 5 whole blocks and the 2 half blocks for the next row of Nearly Insane. That may not sound like much of a goal, but since I'm going to be gone a full week, I had better set smaller goals this month.
I also want to applique one more block of the Pastor's Attic Quilt then I need to switch to another applique project for a short while.
I'm linking up to - One Monthly Goal, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt, Quilt Story, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Show Off Saturday
