this and that on a Sunday

 For all of you who think I get "so much done"  I slowed down a lot in the last two weeks time.  Actually stopped would probably be a more apt description.

The sum total of my output for that time frame has been as follows----

• Binding cut, seamed, pressed and applied to a 60 x 90 ish QOV for the veterans home.  See THIS  post

• Binding pressed for February----see the same post

• 2-55 x 72 ish batts pieced from batting scraps.  See THIS post

• a minute amount of embroidery on my basket block.

• Those 4- 3 inch finished courthouse steps blocks you see on the design wall.  That was yesterday's project.   Wish I had made the center a darker color but it is too late now!  Not much of stashbuster with those itty bitty strips, LOL.

The flying geese and pine tree block you see on the design wall are some sections that I managed to get done a long time back.  Unfortunately the geese will no longer work in the spot I made them for and will be re-done---possibly today.  Possibly not as I want to try a suggestion I had received about quilting my redwork Santa quilt.  OR I may use the machine to anchor down the February hearts in some manner so I can pin it Tuesday, seeing as I have the right machine out for that. 

If you wanted to count all the time I spent designing on the Christmas quilt plus printing and re-organizing the notebook for the patterns and printouts, then yeah, maybe I did get a little bit more done.  My view is that I spent a whole lot of time thinking about sewing and planning to sew but  not much actual sewing,  hands on time.

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My pal Norma were talking this weekend and as we often do, start sharing websites we have seen.   We can and do lead each other astray----and do it often!  But I love bouncing ideas off of her.  When you are slumpy and not really motivated, it helps get that creativity going again.

Turns out The Quilt Patch shop that she had visited in Moose Jaw, SK will be coming to her area to do a trunk show soon.  She loved the shop in person and they had some patterns she had not seen in other places.  She linked me to their kit page.  I asked her which one appealed to her most.   She replied Happy Trails with the strip pieced sections but added applique interest---the flower stems are made from rick rack for a whimsical touch. She is right---it is CUTE!

Norma felt that they were probably going to focus on promoting their new book Urban Country Quilts which had been released by Martingale Press this past fall.  I commented on the cover quilt called Market Fresh wondering whether it was made in the manner similar to a circle quilt I had started as a donation quilt way back in 2001 or so.  Possibly but maybe not as she said they were doing a workshop on it and the melons were appliqued in some manner.  What I was describing sounded like something she had done called "bread and butter plate"  as you actually used a plate for the template--about 7 inches in diameter.  

HMMMMM  Sounds similar to me what I have tucked in the project box.  I told her I would pull out so she could see it.  I don't know if mine really has a name for this technique.  Mine is the Orange Peel set versus a Rob Peter to Pay Paul, two color deal.  I did use a Quilter's Rule International Sew and Fold Circled Patchwork template set to cut the 8 inch circles.  There are three sizes nested for 4, 6, and 8 inch circles which I cut from a bunch of birthday fabric exchange squares.  This was all destined to one day be a WTIL donation quilt that would not need any batting.  Easy to get it this far, LOL.  The circles are all faced by fabric, a small slit made and the pieces turned.    I counted up what was in the box----You see 2 rows of 4 that are not joined, 14 circles are turned and 38 need to be turned plus a few more cut white squares and a few odd fats that I must have planned to include.  Will I ever finish it?   I don't know but turning those circles would be an easy, front of the TV project.    Having said that, there are 8 other project boxes stacked up in there that I would more likely to do first, including a masculine looking Hopscotch quilt designed by one of my fav designers Terry Atkinson.

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RE:   hand quilting on my redwork Santa.  Caron from Celebrate Hand Quilting and MIquilts had commented on one of my recent blog posts.  Since she hand quilts, beautifully I might add, I posed a question about how one might address quilting on a redwork quilt.   I am cross hatching it but do I go straight on thru, like I marked it initially?  Or is it best to go around the design elements?  I may not be the only one wondering about this!  Caron posted it to her group HERE and you may be interested in the replies.  Still no clear cut answer----always two sides to any question, right?  I feel I am on the right track and decide as I work on the blocks.  Is the Santa poufing up too much with the absence of anchoring stitches?   I can certainly go back and quilt around some of the larger design elements.  The beauty of hand quilting means you can go back and add more!  Thanks, Caron!

And one last picture-------look at what is up in our yard!  Ironically, I had just commented on Facebook to a pal in Maine about crocuses and spring coming soon.  DJ came in soon after and told me to get my camera--the yellow ones are up.  Nearby I think I saw the starts of the daffodil stems coming up as well.   It seems too early for this.  Mid February maybe but not late January.   I know winter is not done yet.   PSSST tell that to that weird budding out camellia bush----frost is going to get you!

 Now that I have this post completed do I sew or hunt for my missing set of car keys?????   Have a good day in whatever you have chosen to do and thanks for stopping by.