Another One Done

Another one done!  Moving right along with getting these sampler blocks completed!  One left to go.

Another Block

Another block is now completed for my CrisCross Puzzle sampler quilt.  I have 2 more blocks to finish and I can start to assemble the top.  

Not Much Sewing

Not much sewing has been happening the last few weeks.  I had been cutting out a quilt and I used so many of my 2 inch strips that they all fit in one drawer again.  YEA!  Plus I was able to use a number of my 5 inch squares.  Another YEA!

I have also be doing a bit of reorganizing.  I bought 3 of the three drawer plastic bins and I have all my 2.5 inch strips sorted by neutrals, lights, mediums, darks and in those drawers.  It's so nice not to have random tubs with strips sitting around.  I've also started sorting my strings, I hope to have those into one tub.  But I think it may take some sewing of string blocks to get it to that point.  Right now I have 2 tubs and a couple of small bags.

I do need to spend some time working on my It's A "Wild" Life BOM.  I have 2 months worth that I need to get caught up with. So that's what is on my list for this weekend.  That and spending some time in the garden. Spring is finally here!  

So Quick

Time passes by so quick!  I've been cutting and cutting and I am almost done with this project!  I have the dark bricks:

And the light bricks:

Just need to finish the red squares and this quilt will be ready to sew!!

Lucky Retreat

Last Friday I left for a Lucky Retreat on Friday the 13th.  I felt lucky to be getting away, but wow, I felt really lucky to get to the Retreat.

I left after work and drove through some really wild weather.  This happened about 15 minutes before I was at this location on the Interstate.  The wind was terrible and I got hailed on.  

Photo by Deb Bieker

The rest of the evening was fine.  However, on Saturday we got snow.  Lucky we didn't have to drive anywhere.  I didn't take any pictures, but it was perfect weather for sewing!  I finished my "homework" for my curvy log cabin class so I felt really lucky about that!

We all had a wonderful time and felt really Lucky to spend time together.

Cutting Bricks

I've been cutting bricks out of fabric.  These bricks are 5 inches long and I had been using my 2 inch strips but it felt like it was taking soooo long.  

So I turned to my big bin of 5 inch squares and it's feels like it's going so much faster.  Plus I'm getting a big variety of fabrics which I love.  When I make scrap quilts, the more the merrier!

I layer 5 of the 5 inch squares and cut the strips.  I do 2 cuts and I have 10 bricks.  I pin the 10 bricks and stack them in piles of 10.  So far I have 600 dark bricks cut.  I need over 1,000.  I'm excited to be using those charm squares.

A Bonnie Hunter Fan

I have to say, I'm such a Bonnie Hunter fan.  Yesterday I was rereading a blog post by Bonnie.  This one, about the thread she uses for stitching her hexies.  So I got to wondering what thread does she use for hand quilting.  And I asked on that blog post.  

She got back to me right away with the information!!  Wow!  Such a busy woman, traveling here and there, sewing like mad, antiquing, being a wife and mom...the list could go on forever, got back to me!  In case you were wanting to know, she uses Gutterman hand quilting thread.

I'm in fan shock!

Startitis

Oh my, startitis!  It has me again.  I decided to kit up another project I want to do.  So have been cutting retangles that are 2 by 5 inches.  I've used up a ton of strips and I have about 300 cut.  I need over a 1,000.  It's going to take some time.

Tonight I will take a break from cutting and get back to my "Wild" blocks.  I am going to get those done this month!

My Friend At Work

My friend at work, Deb, has chickens and she gives me fresh eggs regularly.  I love those eggs.  They are so delicious!  

Well Deb's birthday was the end of March and the hen quilt I have been working on was for her.  It's finished and gifted, but I have to show you how she hung the quilt.  It's so cool!

She found a couple of yard sticks at a local antique shop.  One of the sticks was from a Feed Store and her husband made this hanger for her.  She said she found the idea on Pinterest.  How cool is that?  Love how it looks.

Here's a picture of the back of the quilt. Susan Winget fabric from 1993!  It was perfect with all the chickens.  I only had 1/2 a yard of it so I added some chambray looking fabric to the top and bottom.  She was so excited to get this quilt.  Almost as excited as I am to get the fresh eggs.

Gathering

I've been gathering up the fabrics I need for my "Bubbles" quilt.  As I was gathering, I've also been sorting my 2.5 inch strips into a 3 drawer plastic chest.  They are divided by lights, mediums, and darks.  I have a ton of cut strips so it was nice to get them organized in this way.  (One April goal accomplished!  Reorganization in my sewing room.)

These are the first round of the "Bubbles" block.  Each one is a different fabric.  I made them the night of class.

Picture taken by Jean at Jean's Quilting Page.

I now have all the strips needed to finish the blocks.  Each block has one small square, a strip of white and one of a color stashed in a baggie.  Ready to go!

April Goals

So, I thought April Goals should be simple so here they are:

Finish last month's It's a "Wild" Life blocks

Make this month's It's a "Wild" Life blocks

Finish Sampler blocks

Do some reorganization in my sewing room

Simple.  Right?

However, I signed up to take a class at my local quilt shop called "Bubbles".  

This is the sample at the quilt shop, made by Jean at Jean's Quilting Page.

It's a log cabin quilt using the Curvy Log Cabin Trim Tool.  

It makes trimming up the blocks so easy!  I have "Homework" for the class.  Finish up 80 center squares by May 1st.  It won't be bad, I just need to pull the strips I'm going to use and make about 4 blocks a day.  Sounds easy right?

But, it does make keeping April Goals simple not so simple.

Report of the March Goals

Report of the March Goals, not sure how to judge this one for sure, but I'm feeling good about what was accomplished.  So 3 out of 5 isn't bad, right?

I finished Ashley's quilt, the hen quilt, Polo top, and 1 of the sampler blocks.  I also made the background for the "Wild" blocks.  

This is the one block I finished for the sampler class.  

Progress...