Ta-Daaaa!

Here they are, my Barrister's Sow-Along blocks! On the last day of December 2012, I was finally feeling well enough to tackle some blocks--I was behind by a dozen. A couple of them were cut out and I sewed them up promptly, then set to work choosing fabrics and cutting and sewing one or two at a time.

This shows a closer view of the 2 blocks I had made in November and the 10 I made New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

For some time I had been playing with the layout at the top of this post in my mind, so I had collected a few of the same shirt so that I could do all of the setting squares in the same fabric. When I reached the point of having these 12 blocks finished I had two blocks left to make, so I took a break from sewing to count up how many blocks I would need for the layout. Surprise--I already had enough. There were a few too many, in fact. A couple of times I made mistakes in my blocks and didn't notice until they were finished. I would keep the "mistake block" if it still looked good, and make a correct one, too. So I had   three more than I needed. I set aside the three that were my least favorite as far as fabric choices go and called it good. I was almost giddy to think I was all caught up without really catching up! : )

Today I cut the setting squares. I can't decide if I want to make the setting triangles from the same fabric (I have one more shirt in that red/blue plaid), or if I want to introduce another color there. Haven't decided on borders yet, either.

This has been a fun Sow-Along, thanks to Randy at Barrister's Block. A lot of work on her part--very appreciated by those of us who have been "Sowing" along!

But that is not all I have been up to. Remember the batik mini I made from scraps Sandi had sent my way? Well, now it has a little brother (sister?--who knows). Thanks to Vic for her comment that inspired the names for these quilts--Moody Blues I & II. I plan to bind this one in the black used in the squares. It will finish at 12 1/2" square.

I also got my feathered star all assembled, except for the center circle applique. Haven't found the right fabric. My next step is to tea dye a blue to see if it will tone down to the correct shade I want. I am naming this quilt "Aunt Jo's Star", in memory of Aunt JoAnn, who died the week before Christmas. I had been at her home the previous week seeking help on a question I had about the assembly of this quilt. We had taken the class together, along with her daughter, but Aunt Jo was the only one of us who had successfully assembled her whole top. There are two final borders on the pattern (this is about 40" square), but I am not putting them on yet. Our instructor had expanded her top to make a full bed quilt, and I can't decide if I want to do that or not, so I will shelve it for now.

Yesterday Kris (of Lavender Quilts) and I had lunch to celebrate her birthday the previous week (wish you could have come, Denise. We had such fun). Kris gifted me with a mini charm pack of a new French General collection. I knew immediately what I wanted to do with it, but I tried to set it aside and make it wait its turn. However, it would not be silenced. It took over my sewing machine last night and this evening while the news was on I added the borders. This pattern is from quiltsbycherie. She posted this as a New Year's project--little hourglasses. I loved that idea and had to make one.

Remember my little pineapple ornaments that finish at just under 2 inches? Well, I gave them all away and now my little tree only has the one ornament Grace sent me. I had given one of these ornaments to my Mom and she jokingly asked if I would make her a dozen more. Without telling her, I planned to do just that for next Christmas. Mom gives me the scraps from her quilts, and has been doing so for over 10 years. She only makes one quilt a year, so that isn't an extreme amount of scraps. I have made some lap quilts and minis from the scraps, but still have pieces from all of the quilts. So I thought, why not make little pineapples to commemorate each of the quilts for which she has given me scraps? There will be about a dozen of them, but I am rushing to finish them. I don't think I could keep this secret until next Christmas, so I am planning to give them to her on her birthday, February 2nd. Five of the pineapples in this photo will be made into ornaments for Mom, with a few more to come. Good thing she doesn't read my blog!

Another long, rambling post. I'll save the other stuff (yes, there was more stuff) for another time. I'll leave you with some frosty photos. Our high for the day was about 6 degrees F. Tonight, when I was coming home from a women's dinner and program at church it was 6 degrees below zero! We are supposed to reach 13 below tonight. You know it is a cold day when the icicles have frost on them!

Keep warm!

Janet O.