A Quick Update

I know I don't usually post more than once a week, and it hasn't been a week since my last post, so I am getting ahead of myself. But I wanted to share the progress on the little flimsy pile.

A complete finish on this little quilt from Pam Buda's Orphans and Scraps SAL  back in 2013.

The quilting on these three is completed and the binding just needs to be stitched down by hand.

I did feather the basket quilt after all. Before I started the quilting I marked the outer boundary so the feathers didn't end up under the binding. Then I marked the curved spines for the feathers in the setting triangles. You can faintly see the white lines to the right.

I was pretty happy with the way the feathers turned out. I haven't stitched feathers for a while, so I was a bit hesitant to get started.

 For those who like to view things from the back, here is a view for you. : )

The log cabin quilt was fun, after I got the ditch stitching completed. I ditch stitched along every edge where the two contrasting color bands meet. Then I stitched a rope design in the light color and  a cable pattern in the dark colored logs.

Below is a view from the back.

I have seven more little quilts hanging in my sewing room, waiting next in line to be quilted.
That's all for now. Can you believe it? : )
Until next time, Janet O.

Little bits of progress.

I had hoped to have my Barrister's SAL flimsy finished by now, but it isn't quite there. After sewing on the two originally planned borders, it didn't appear finished to me. So after a couple of trips to the thrift store I found the two burgundy shirts that make the final border. I haven't had a chance to attach that outer border yet, but I am liking what I see.

I did get the outer border sewn on the Pam Buda Orphans and Scraps mini. Purple may not have been everyone's choice, but I liked it best of the 8-10 fabrics I auditioned, and I was tired of trying to find the perfect fabric. So this will do. It will be bound in black. Finished size will be 16" square.

Recently my mailbox yielded this fun surprise from Denise. I was so excited and spent much time perusing them when I should have been doing something else. I have already copied out dozens of pages for the mini foundation patterns. Can you believe all of the paper piecing this girl has been doing lately? Prior to making Julie's Poor Li'l Punky pincushion last fall I was sure I would never paper piece again. But once I had made that cute little thing I was hooked. I still don't love doing it, but I love the results! I can't wait to try some of the teeny patterns I found. Thanks, Denise!

I am way behind on this little SAL, but I finally got my first row of blocks cut for the Temecula SAL currently in the works. They should sew up quickly--if someone else was doing them. : )

And I am trying to keep my promise to myself to practice feathers this year. Just a little time spent yesterday doodling feathers. I am getting more comfortable with the form of the feather. I am determined to get comfortable enough to be able to include them on a quilt wherever I would like.



This lovely pile of wooly fabric is the product of my first attempt at felting wool. With a little encouragement and help from my friend, Gayle, I cut up my thrift store finds and went to work. I am excited to get some of my current projects finished (who am I kidding?) and choose one of Lisa Bongean's patterns to work on.
Thanks for all of your suggestions, Gayle. It worked! Imagine that! : )

Just wanted to show you something that caught my eye the other morning. Those frosty trees in my header have been looking like that every morning for weeks, but a few mornings ago I noticed some black specks in the trees near the end of the row. Could it be? I zoomed in as close as my little "point & shoot" would allow.

Sure enough, there were birds perched among the frosted branches. I guess I'm not the only one who doesn't have a second home in a warmer climate. : )

Stay warm,
Janet O.

Random Objects

When Pam posted the finish for her little Orphans and Scraps SAL I loved the tiny table runner she had made. But the more I thought about it the more I realized I didn't have the perfect place for one of those, like she does. So I ruminated on it a while and came up with this.

Remember that these blocks are only 4" finished. The little sashing 9-patches finish at 1 1/2". I'm still trying to decide if I want to put a colored border all around it. I am leaning that way, but I can't decide on a color.

My Mom's birthday is Groundhog Day, so I was working frantically this past week to finish up the little pineapple ornaments for her. I hung the dozen ornaments on the little tree I had left out in my sewing room, draped it with a cloth and took it to my parents' home. I had Mom close her eyes while I uncovered the tree. She loved them.
As she got closer and looked at each ornament she realized they were made of fabric scraps from her quilts. Then she was thrilled. It was a fun surprise.


As I had been gathering the leftover parts of Mom's quilts that she has given me over the years so that I could make the pineapples, I came across a little baggie of small 9-patch blocks she'd had leftover from a quilt. I cut some setting squares and used them as my leader/enders while I made up a couple more Easy Street blocks. This is what I came up with using those little 9-patch blocks. I haven't sewn the borders on yet, but I am happy with it. Most of the blocks, except the three in the middle, were dark blue or brown and I wanted to brighten it up a little. The only three blocks with color went down the center and a narrow red print border helped balance it out. Brown Moda Essential Dots finish it off. Would you bind it in red?

I had been using Easy Street as my leader/ enders while I sewed this week and my goal was to finish two more blocks, but I don't use leader/enders with paper piecing, so while working on the pineapples, I didn't get very far on those two blocks. That is why I had to just focus on finishing the two blocks, using something else as my leader/enders in the process. Here are all 4 of my E.S. blocks. I still have a long way to go on this one!

The green is much more dominant than I anticipated. I may go heavy on the blue in the borders--if I ever get that far. I should make up some setting triangles and see how it all plays out with the colors. That will have to wait. I've got some catching up to do on my BOM, and I'd really like to get to the Temecula SAL. Not to mention my REAL projects. : )
Until next time,
Janet O.

Such cute little things...

... I just couldn't resist them! I was introduced to Pam Buda's Pocket Patchwork Orphans and Scraps Sew-Along on Gayle's blog. These little 4 1/2" blocks just grabbed me. I had to  sew every spare minute on Monday to make them. Pam hasn't posted the setting yet.  Aren't they sweet? The method for creating the on point 4-patch blocks is genius!

Then there is this baker's dozen of tiny pineapples (about 2"). My Mom's birthday is Saturday and you may recall that I am surprising her with these pineapples made into little tree ornaments (which I have yet to finish, obviously). Each one is made from some of the scraps she has given me as she has finished one of her quilts the past 10 years or so. I can't wait to see her face when she opens them.

Finally, in the cute and little department, is my version of Lori's Abundance doll quilt.

As all of this is coming together, I am also still plugging along on sewing the Barristers SAL blocks together and using Easy Street as leader/enders. There are so many projects on blogs that are calling to me. I need to focus and stop listening to those voices. : )

What voices are distracting you?
Janet O.

Just wanted to share this shot of the sun burning through 

the hazy sky near the corkscrew willow in our yard recently.