A NEW PROJECT AND UNSEWING

I found the Yuletide Forest pattern in McCall's Quilting Magazine, November/December 2017 issue, and saved it.  The main problem with it is that all the trees are paper pieced and I really don't like PP. However, I really liked the table runner, so decided to make it for our coffee table.

Here it is on my design wall, not sewn together and the paper is still on the trees.  The second tree on the right has to be fixed as I accidentally cut off the seam allowance.

This is a close-up.  There are 2 of each red fabric for the 4-patches.  For the trees, I used a variety of green fabrics.

This is the offending tree block.

This morning I decided I needed to sew some velcro onto Abby's unicorn pillow to get it finished for her birthday and the first strip that I sewed on had black thread on the bottom (which is actually the outside of the pillow), so that won't do.  Another need for the much used seam ripper

My craft show last weekend was quite successful and there is another one tomorrow.  Is it really the middle of November already???  I better check out my inventory of Christmas gifts that I have purchased this year and see what else I need to get.  Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?  

NEW FO REPORT AND 3 DJ BLOCKS DONE

I have a picture on my side bar for the NEWFO CHALLENGE THAT Catpatches started for this year.  It's kind of fun, because you don't have to finish anything - just start them and report what you have started on the last day of the month.  Last month I forgot to do it, so this month I'm reporting 2 New FOs.

First, is February's New FO:

As most of you know, I started the Dear Jane quilt last month and after Saturday's meeting, I got more inspired to get some made.  Also, I needed a break from quilting a large quilt.

I decided not to do them in order, but I'm not just picking out the easy ones to work on first, either.    Didn't need to paper piece!  This is a super easy one but I made a hard one too.

B-13

 This next one was super easy as well and I reverse appliquéd the circles while watching "Midwife" on PBS last night.  This is one of the color change ones as well.

B-1

This last one is a difficult paper pieced one.  I picked out some fabric that I thought would be pretty and didn't have much of the off-white, but luckily, had enough.  I had to unsew a few seams as well as add a piece for seam allowance where I had cut it too short, but on the whole, it came out pretty nice.
Notice that it is made at 5" unfinished and will be 4 1/2" when put into the quilt.  That's a lot of tiny pieces!!!  I hope after doing a lot more PP blocks I will get more comfortable doing it.  I've done it before, but never really enjoyed it - except for seeing how nice the blocks turn out.

This shows the side pieces already PPed and the middle section, which is only 3" square, with lots of tiny pieces.

A-9
(See where I added a piece on the left side of the middle bottom section)

March's New FO:

This is a Quilt A Long from Randy at Barrister's Block.   It's a scrappy Bulls Eye quilt with raw edges.   Very fun and easy to do!

I just happened to have this ruler "WonderArc" which I bought at a quilt show several years ago.  I have used it, but not a lot, so this gives me an excuse to use it.

You fold the fabric two times and position it in the middle.

Cut close right at the 3" line for a 3" circle (duh!) and on the other side of the space for a 3 1/2" circle.  It works really neat.

If you go over to Randy's blog, you will need to scroll down past some retreat posts to get to her Bulls Eye quilt posts.  She is giving us time to work on it.  (I haven't really been working on it very much due to deadlines, however).

Have a good week and enjoy the spring weather!  And the flowers!

THIS AND THAT

I got up early on Saturday morning to go to some garage sales. I didn't have to set the alarm, because I usually wake up at 5:30 or earlier anyway. When I saw this old rocking chair, I thought they would want quite a bit for it, so I was shocked when they said $2.00!!! It didn't take me long to decide to get it (1/2 a second).

I have been wanting something nice on my front porch and they also had this rocking chair for $2.00, so I grabbed it as well. The red milk can was at another house for $2.00. I had a very good day at garage sales!
This wire egg basket looked interesting and was only $1.00.
These butterfly blocks were made by my grandmother, probably in the 1940's or 50's. I guess she only made these two. Maybe someday I will make more so I can have a butterfly quilt .
Besides working on hand piecing my tumbler block rows together, I have been paper piecing these stars for a project that I don't want to tell about yet. I'm not very fond of paper piecing and I seem to have to unsew a lot when I do it.
Another week starting. Hope it's a good one!

Midlothian Quilt Show

It's 5:00 AM and I can't sleep any more, so I decided to get up and enter another post.  Yesterday, I went to a quilt show with a friend of mine.  Our birthdays are both in July and we always go to lunch, exchange gifts and go to this quilt show.  She is not a quilter, but enjoys going and seeing the beautiful quilts.  I usually get a gift certificate from a quilt shop from her, which makes me happy!

The first quilt is the raffle quilt from my guild - Cedar Hill Quilters Guild.  
We will raffle this quilt off in October.  We picked this quilt because it could appeal to both men and women.  Our guild president, Suzie Harris, also owner of Just Stitchin' quilt shop quilted it and did a magnificent job!  Lots of people worked on the piecing.  I even pieced a little of the paper pieced border!

I couldn't get the pictures in the right positions, but the Christmas quilt is really popular this year.  I know a blogger who is making one and I have seen it in a few shops.

This next one was my favorite from the show and it was stitched and quilted by a man!  He did a beautiful job.  It is based on ME designs and was at least a queen size or larger.

I had to put in this Texas theme quilt!

One of the reasons I couldn't sleep is that I kept thinking about all the projects I need to get done in the next month.  I'm making two Heartfelt Table Runners by Thimbleberries for wedding gifts.  One of the weddings was yesterday, but the other one is in September.  Then, we are going to Oregon to visit DS#1 and family for two weeks and they just moved into a house built in 1885.  There will be a housewarming party for them while we are there and I want to make a wall hanging for that.  My GS (12) wants a quilt for his bed (which my DIL found in a resale or antique shop).  GS likes all things old, so a quilt out of reproductions fabrics is what I am planning.  I bought some fabric yesterday and plan to put a few blocks together to take with me for his approval.

I went to 2 quilt shops yesterday looking for fabric for my GS and my DS#3 & DIL's quilt that I have been planning for a few months.  I haven't gotten too far on that one - it will be a double nine patch also in reproduction fabrics.  The best store for that in the area is Common Threads in Waxahachie, TX.  I was going to take some pictures there, but you can see pictures if you visit their web site yourself.  It is in a very interesting, old town.

My husband just shakes his head when I tell him about the projects I have planned.  I think I'm getting too many projects going.