A Churn Dash Theme

My monthly mini is something you may have seen before. It was Pam Buda's Circa 1880 Club's Small Quilt for August, in 2019.  I had the top finished in September of that year, and it has been waiting ever since to get quilted and bound.

When I finished the top I posted this about it, "I really messed with the value placement on this quilt, making some of the churn dash blocks sink into the background, while others stand out. A few of the bits of fabric had to be pieced in order to be large enough to cut out the piece I needed. Three of the sashings were pieced. I wanted it to appear to have been made from a scrap basket, where choices were limited. I also slipped a little churn dash block into the center. I had fun playing with this one."

This gives you a little better look at the quilting. It is mostly ditch stitching (as usual), with a rope pattern in the outer border.

You can click to enlarge for a better look.

And here is a glamour shot just for the fun of it. I'm linking with Wendy, The Constant Quilter, for the list of other Monthly Mini-acs. Check out what the others have done.

In keeping with the Churn Dash theme, for Chooky's Churn Dash SAL, I have all the blocks made, and sashing, cornerstones, and setting triangles cut. It is all up on the design wall, awaiting assembly.

Technically, this should have been a finished top by now, but it just didn't happen. However, during a Zoom with Chooky a week ago, she admitted hers wouldn't be finished either. I don't feel so bad now, and I will shoot for the end of November to have this a flimsy. I love the scrappy goodness of this quilt. The blocks were cut from scrap baskets, using 4 different neutrals as the backgrounds. Only the sashing and setting triangles were cut from actual yardage. I have enjoyed making this!

I haven't been active on the blog this month, but I did join in with Chooky's Zoom last week--three different times. Just popped in and out when I could, and saw a different group each time. But I only remembered to take a photo once.

What an encouraging, supportive, funny and talented bunch of quilters from around the world! I appreciated the help in selecting the setting triangles and cornerstones for my Churn Dash quilt. If you are a blogger and want to join in, follow Chooky's blog (link included above) and you will see when she has a Zoom meeting of the Chookshed Stitchers scheduled. Then you will be able to request an invite. Rumor has it there may be another one soon.

I am trying to be really good and obey the sign I put on my sewing room door. It reads: NO NEW STARTS! I have so many UFOs and WIPs, so I will still have a regular monthly mini, and plenty of other projects to fill my time. But it is so hard not to join SALs from favorite bloggers and designers. 

November is one of my favorite months--the month of Thanksgiving. I am very blessed, and I count the friends I have made through this blog as one of the many blessings I treasure.

Until next time, 

Be grateful and be kind!

Janet O.

A sunset after a snowfall on October 26th.

October monthly mini and small quilt

Meet my monthly mini for October. I combined SITD machine quilting and hand stitching, but it was almost impossible to make the stitching show up in the photos.
 

My little quilt (made from leftover strips from the Indigo Challenge issued by Sandy back in  March of this year) finishes at 6" x 4 3/4". It is an itty-bitty thing, as you can see from the photo on the right where it fits in my hand.
I am linking this with Wendy over at The Constant Quilter blog.

My other finish (well, just the top) is the October small quilt from the Circa 1880 club. It will finish at about 20" square, and I will probably bind it with the same subtle black print that I used for the inner border.

Most all of the setting fabrics I used are from Pam's brand new line of fabric, New Circa Essentials. Only the outer border is from one of her other fabric lines. I deviated from the pattern by putting the uneven 9-patch blocks in the outer corners. I also switched up the value placement a few times. None of that should come as a surprise to long-time followers. When have I ever been able to follow a pattern to the letter? Okay, there are those few times I have been a pattern tester, and I do behave myself in situations such as those.

Still very busy with Mom's care, but she has greatly  improved since having "bone cement" injected into her two sacral fractures. Her pain level is much more manageable and she has started physical therapy to regain some of the strength and balance she has lost during this month of sitting around waiting for them to figure out what was wrong and what could be done about it.
Thanks to all who have checked in, and included her in your thoughts and prayers.

Until next time,
Janet O.