Time for some slow stitches!

My last post made me feel better about my progress.  So this Sunday, my Viking is going to get  the day off and I plan to spend some time hand piecing my TATW.   I made a lot of progress on my 16 patches yesterday.   I have 90 blocks completed out of the my goal of 144.

 TATW has been a bit neglected. It deserves some attention! Since we are getting more rain today, I thought it would be a good day to sit and enjoy some slow stitching.  I will be linking up with Kathy's blog to see what others are slow stitching.   I am really excited to get row 21 complete as row 22 will add a green polka dot fabric.   Hopefully the polka dots will cheer up this dreary day.  As you can see in the picture below of the street in front of my house I almost could pretend I lived in Venice where the streets are water!

Catching up!

Yes I am still here, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.  It seems like it though. May was just a very busy month for me.  As the weather changed I needed to get the yard back into shape and the garden planted. Then we headed to Missouri for my nephew's wedding.  But now, I am back home and trying to catch up with my sewing.  I have made some progress on my summer goals and have completed my Cogwheel and Log Cabin quilt tops.  They are now safely hung in the sewing closet waiting to be quilted.

I also made a bit of progress on my Tribute to GW quilt.  The appliqued eagle block was completed and one of the two quotes I want to include was embroidered.  Currently I am adding the embroidery to the Mt Vernon block.

This week my focus has been on my basket of 1.5 inch squares that I have been cutting and sewing into pairs for over a year.  I really wasn't making much progress but feel I have plenty to turn into a quilt.  So I have been stitching four patches which will be sewn into 16 patches to go into my quilt.

I am really enjoying piecing these little squares together.  It's a good thing since there will be over 2000 in this quilt!

Happy Mother's Day!

Summer goals!

Living as far south as I do, I have no desire to sit under a quilt during the summer months.  So for the most part I work on machine piecing or applique during those long hot summer days.  This summer I decided instead of starting a new applique project I would concentrate on getting more scraps pieced into tops.  I have been making scrap quilts from scraps and stash since the summer of 2011.

Then I made a quilt for my sister's 60th birthday! 

Amish Ice Cream Social was next!

Then a quilt to honor my brother in law's military service.

As I cut scraps for these quilts, I cut smaller scraps into 1.5 inch squares and started sewing them together into twosies then foursies. Not sure where this one is heading yet. But, it will be fun putting all these into a quilt, so many memories in all the bits of fabric.

Last summer I paper foundation pieced my Go With The Flow blocks. This one is just waiting for me to find the right background fabric.

A few weeks ago I took my grocery bag full of plaids and homespuns and started cutting 1.5 inch strips to make log cabins.  This week I finished up the blocks I needed. I have decided on the layout and need to start making my borders so that I have everything I need to make this one a top.

Looks like I have plenty to do this summer to get all of these projects to the point that they are ready for quilting.  You would think, that having all these tops to quilt would overwhelm me. But, once I get the top made the stress is over. I really enjoy the hand quilting process and since I quilt for pleasure there are no deadlines to meet.  No stress, just time with needle and thread and pure enjoyment.