Welsh Beauty

I made time for hand quilting Welsh Beauty before leaving for retreat, this quilt will never be finished if I don't keep quilting on it.

Here are pictures of the swath I quilted across the quilt from left to right.

Michelle from Pennsylvania Piecemaker had a post about Welsh whole cloth quilts recently. I thought it was an interesting post and I followed the links she provided. I think you will enjoy reading the information also.

Here is a link to my first post about Welsh Beauty. This post contains information about Welsh Beauty.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Monday Making, Handmade Monday, Design Wall Monday

Flower Patch SAL Center Completed!

I've been participating in Denise's Flower Patch SAL mystery since last September and the center is completed. 

The fabrics in the top photo are more true to color. 

Now I'm waiting on border instructions which will be published May 4. I'm assuming the border will contain flying geese since that is Denise's favorite block. It will be the perfect finish for this quilt.

I didn't know if I was going to participate in this mystery when I made the first block, I just wanted to see how the fabrics I had pulled would look together.

My daughter loved the block and asked me to make this quilt for her so that's the plan!

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Oh Scrap

Slow Sunday Unsewing

I'm very embarrassed, I wrote last weeks Sunday post in a hurry on Saturday and didn't even think about Sunday being Easter! I hope you all blessed Resurrection Sunday whether you celebrated with friends, family or by yourself.

Earlier this week I posted about the Blue Ridge Beauty quilt I'm working on. The individual blocks had been pieced and the display floor arranging was ready to begin.

I started with the 2 first blocks, 2 of the center blocks. I had planned to work my way out towards the outside edge.

They don't line up, something is wrong!

I had the instructions right beside my sewing machine as I sewed these blocks together, I checked the book several times. Yes, they were laying correctly, NOT!

Today for Slow Stitching Sunday, I'm removing the stitching for the bottom HST block then turning it to it's correct position and pinning it in place so I won't make the same mistake twice. There are several hundred blocks in this quilt, I think I'll be slow unstitching for several days.

Oh well, I have several movies to watch to entertain me while I correct my mistake. Even after all these years of making quilts, I can still find ways to make silly mistakes. 

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday,  Oh Scrap, Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Handmade Monday, Design Wall Monday

Blue Ridge Beauty

The Blue Ridge Beauty blocks have been trimmed and sewn together. They need to be pressed then arranged on the display floor.

I always think it so interesting when I chain stitch blocks how they come from the sewing machine . . .

slide over the edge of the sewing cabinet . . .

then arrange themselves so gracefully in a circle pile on the floor!

I've shown this before and people ask me how I do this! I don't do anything but sew, they arrange themselves.

Blue Ridge Beauty is a Bonnie Hunter pattern from her book Adventures With Leaders & Enders! Blue Ridge Beauty is #4 on my list of challenges for 2022.

Linking to Put Your Foot Down, Needle & Thread Thursday, Peacock Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts

Flower Patch Sew Along, Blocks 14 & 15

Blocks 14 and 15 of the Flower Patch Sew along mystery have been pieced. We're getting so close to the finish of this sew along!

Block 14 is another of the flower blocks, I used the same variation for this block as I did for block 11.

Block 15 is a lovely cardinal, a repeat of other blocks.

And a photo of all the blocks pieced currently pieced. The top 3 rows are sewn together, the 4th row is waiting for the next block. I have rearranged the blocks that are repeats so that they wouldn't be next to a same fabric.

Block 16 is published today, I wish Denise was releasing the border also. I'm ready to finish this flimsy and get it quilted!

I'm going to a quilt retreat next week, the border would be a good project to work on. I assume the border will be a flying geese border since Denise loves flying geese!

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Flower Patch SAL Mystery, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down, Stitch Sew & Show,  Needle & Thread Thursday 

Desert Botanical Garden

This is my last post about my trip to Arizona. My favorite thing about Phoenix was all the sunshine.

Spring is coming slowly to northern Indiana this year. The grass has greened up but it's not growing. The crocus were blooming when I returned home and the daffodils have started blooming. And, sometimes, the sun actually shines! I really needed this trip to get some warmth and sunshine to make it through the end of winter.

One day we visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Tempe. It was interesting to see the changes from when I was there in December. I only have 5 pictures to show you but they're interesting, at least to me they were.

The cactus and other plants were blooming! I don't know their names but I enjoyed the flowers. Look at those sharp thorns!

The Chihuly glass sculptures were still on display. You can see some of them in the pictures.

The garden has a butterfly display in March. We were able to see a variety of butterflies. The main butterfly we saw were the zebra butterflies and they do look zebras!

There were several other varieties also but I didn't get pictures of those, sorry.

Didn't it look sunny and warm in all the above pictures? Here is what it looked like yesterday morning at dawn here in Indiana.

And then at 10 am.

Linking to To Do Tuesday

Another Dishcloth

I've been rather unproductive since I've been home from Phoenix. I've spent time at the sewing machine but handwork has been pushed back.

I did complete another dishcloth this week. Most of it was knitted in the back seat of my brother's car while my Indiana siblings and I drove to Ohio to visit our sister.

Yes, I did miss the alternate row in my knitting. This is a dishcloth, going to be used to wash dishes. I don't frog dishcloths.

Here is the pattern I use for knitted dish cloths.  

Seed Stitch Dish Cloth - With a size #6 circular needle cast on 40 stitches. Row 1 & 2 – knit. Row 3 & 4 – Knit 2 *K1 P1 repeat from * across to last 2 stitches k2. Repeat rows 1 – 4 for pattern until measures 9” (same as bottom edge), ending with Rows 1 & 2. Bind off. I don't remember where I found this pattern. I use a #4 circular needle. I like my dishcloths knitted more tightly.

Hopefully next week I'll have applique or quilting to show you.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Show & Tell Monday, Design Wall Monday