Where has the month gone...

Time has really gotten away from me and I haven't done much but seemed busy nonetheless.  Spring has arrived with lots of wind here, and a couple of nights below freezing, shortly after the peach tree blossomed.

The blossoms seem to have survived, and maybe we'll have a crop of peaches after all.  Last year we got six whole peaches!  Our little apple tree also has blossoms which have yet to open--and we wonder what type of apple it might have.  We've never gotten any fruit from it.

I put this top together from a little pre-cut kit someone gave me at the retreat.  I'm hoping it gets me in the mood to be productive again.  I just noticed the colors seem to mirror the picture of the blossoming tree in the photo above!  I've spent most of my time cleaning up and rearranging in the sewing room. 

Our irises are getting ready to bloom.  So glad we moved them to the protected, east side of the house when we built the sun room.  Even with regular watering they used to get really beat up in the hellacious spring winds we get here. 

 

Quilt delivery

I finished a couple more quilts to make a total of a dozen quilts to take to Dr. Kaufman.  They do make a colorful pile!

This is one I put together myself from donated blocks.  

And this is another one of Yetta's.  I still have a few more tops to quilt that I brought home from the retreat in Phoenix.

Taking a bit of a break from quilting to help older daughter move into a new (to them) home.  

National Quilting Day

I've been celebrating appropriately.  I got binding on a quilt this morning and got my last two finishes washed.

I had just the right backing for this lovely oriental quilt from Yetta.  

Patty E. (we had five Pats at retreat this year) put together this wonderful snowman quilt while at retreat.  

I had the last piece of this snowflake flannel, and I bordered it with another flannel print which features tiny skiers.  

I did a freehand linear design with some swirls--trying to make it look like blowing snow!  I have a great snowflake panto, but I just couldn't quilt over the appliqued snowmen!

I got one more quilt loaded and quilted, and I'm ready to go on one more.  Thanks to all my friends for all their wonderful tops!

  

Freehand work

I generally do pantos.  I love the variety and the ease of just following a design.  The hardest part for me of doing freehand work is deciding on what to do where.  


I took a couple of classes at Craftsy with Angela Walters, and also listened to her lecture at Quiltcon which was available free on Craftsy.  I really needed to practice.

This quilt that Carolyn gave me at retreat was the perfect venue.  It was small enough that I wasn't overwhelmed with doing freehand work.  (I quickly get overwhelmed with larger quilts and filling all that space.)

 I'm satisfied with how it turned out.  I still need practice, practice, practice to get more comfortable with it.  

This quilt I made myself with "crumb" blocks.  I realized (too late) that my sashings kind of got lost with the busy blocks, but it's done.  

I used a plain backing and contrasting thread on the back with a great frog pantograph from Dave Hudson.  They were easy to see before washing the quilt...but you can still pick them out!  

 

Some finishes

I have been steadily finishing the quilts that I got while at the retreat in Phoenix.  Most of them were finished tops and just need quilting and binding, my favorite parts.

This one, I added more novelty rows and strips to make it a little longer.  Thanks Ethel.  It's a great length now for a teenager.

Dee makes wonderful "I Spy" quilts, and she gave me two tops.  Her work is exceptional and I used a flannel sheet with Cars characters for backing.

I oriented the quilts sideways on the sheet, and was able to get them both on a single sheet.  I'm sure the kids--and I think both of these would work for boys--won't mind!  Thanks so much Dee!

These all finished in between a myriad of dental appointments.  Ugh!  Fortunately I have a wonderful new dentist, and she is very skilled and has gone a long way to reverse my previous bad experiences as a kid.  Let's hope these repairs last the rest of my life! 
 

Snow and a pair of socks finally!

It snowed all afternoon yesterday.  We sure needed the moisture, but without sunshine, our sunroom didn't get so warm, and we had to actually heat the house during the day. 

 

It was beautiful today when the sun was shining, but I was too lazy to dress for it and shovel a path to the sewing room.

Instead I finished the pair of socks that have been on my needles for some time.  I think I intended them for Pat for Christmas or a birthday, and maybe now they'll be a retirement present.  

Of course they may be too big for her slender feet, and then she'll have to wait for another pair!  I'll see what machine washing in warm water will do to them.  It is a cotton/hemp blend fiber.  

5X7 again!

These really aren't works of art, but exercises--playing and working at art.  They don't deserve titles, and I already have a hard enough time naming quilts.  They usually just get the basic info on the label. 

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I did a little more handwork again, and it's still enjoyable in short bursts.  

Speaking of naming quilts, I still haven't labeled my finished batik squares.  I took it for show and tell to Phoenix and my longarm meeting before that, where they got a few good pictures.

 

I love the texture of this quilting.  The center is Mayan Glyphs by Judy Lyon. I've wanted to do this panto ever since I first saw it.  It really wasn't as daunting as it appears.    

 Actually the palm trees also by Judy Lyon was tougher, and of course I learned a lot of tips at the longarm meeting that I could have used before this quilt.  I'm thinking of calling it Mayans Meet Batiks!  I'm keeping this one.  Thanks Pat for the inspirational batik squares.

A couple of finishes from the pile...

I got two of the tops I brought home done.  This one a flannel top, which should keep some child warm.  

This next one was pre-pieced yardage.  It made a nice soft little pink quilt which I backed with pink flannels.  

Two down, about a dozen still left.  

5X7

I'm continuing with 5X7s, but not very well at doing them weekly.  The magic of picking post dates on blogger allows me the illusion that I'm doing one a week.  

Oh well life gets in the way.  I'm having to stretch a bit to come up with stuff to do with my findings.  I did a little hand stitching on this one.  It was rather enjoyable, though I know my hands don't tolerate a lot of it.   

I'm trying to also get going on the mountain of tops I brought home from Phoenix.  It's been a long while since I delivered quilts to Dr. Kaufman, and I'm sure the need hasn't lessened any.  

Good thing I don't live closer...

I always think of Phoenix as a Goodwill shopping mecca!  There are lots of stores, and every other Saturday everything is 50% off in order to deal with their unending supply!

Well, I have now found THE store for fabric shopping...SAS Fabrics Superstore.  Between the store in Tucson, which was not as nice as the one I went to Phoenix, and the Phoenix store, I came home with a lot of fabric, nearly 40 yards for an average of $3.98/yd.  A few yards of fabric from the Tucson store were priced at $9.99/yd., which raised the average.  Most of what I bought at the Phoenix store was $2.99/yd.  It really is a super store!

I cannot pass up a bargain.  My stash needs rearranging to accommodate the new acquisitions.  Lots of yummy fabric.

I found this awesome, hand-dyed rayon ribbon at the Goodwill store.  I just have no idea what to use it for besides embellishments.      

I have three skeins, so surely enough to make something with it.