Slow Stitching

I feel I made good progress this week. Another hand pieced block was completed for the sew a long.  It seems like the sew along just got started and here we are on block 6. There are only three more weeks and all of the nine blocks will be completed.

I laid all my blocks out on the solid gray background I intend on using and am very pleased at how it's helping the colors pop.

Every evening I stitch a few more hst's for a future quilt.  I try and limit myself to stitching around 20 each evening.  I don't want to stress my hands and want to be able to do this kind of stitching in the future.  It's amazing how quickly they are adding up 220 on my last count.  I like keeping track of how many I have made so when it comes time to figuring out my layout I will know where I stand.

I am linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday so I can be inspired with all the other slow stitchers and their projects. 

Slow Piecing!

I can't believe another week has passed. Sometimes I wonder where the time goes.  Reflecting back over the week I do realize I got quite a few things done.  I first tackled my king size medallion quilt. It needed a border, fabric was ordered, and this week I was able to cut the border and get it sewn on.  This will be added to the line up of quilts that need to be quilted.

I also pulled out my version of the trailing vines quilt. It took me a while to applique the five strips But I think it took me longer to decide on what color I wanted to use as the alternate fabric.  Pink was used in the original quilt made by Susan Mc Cord.  I thought I would use a green as it's my favorite but after lots and lots and lots of shopping I decided it needed to be pink.  Then there was lots and lots of more shopping to find a shade of pink that would work for the quilt and my taste.  My version of the quilt will be a strippy quilt. So, I cut the alternate strips this week.  Hopefully it will turn into a top next week and join the others waiting to be quilted. I have always loved finishing quilts more than starting them. Although, these are not finished getting them to this point is like reaching the summit of a mountain, it's down hill from here. The quilting is thrilling and my favorite part of making a quilt.

Each eveing this week I have spent a bit of time hand piecing my HST's.  I have over 100 completed so far.  I kitted up my box with 100 more to take with me on vacation the second week in March. Since we are driving, I will have time to stitch here and there. Today I will linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday and visiting other bloggers to see their slow stitching progress as I hand piece a few more HST's. 

A new beginning!

Although finishing a quilt is exciting and sometimes daunting as you have to let go, it does mean there is time for dreaming and new beginnings.  That is just what happened at my house this week.  I was inspiried by a couple of bloggers Quilting in the Past II and Frameless Mind. They inspired each other to make a quilt of half square triangles.  I was looking for something to use up some scraps and something I could stitch in the evenings.  Of course, if you follow my blog you know I like old quilts and their quilts gave me that sense.  So, it wasn't long and I started cutting out my pieces.  I have so enjoyed the Hand Pieced Quilt Along that I decided yes.  I am going to hand piece this one. So after cutting my pieces I mark my seam lines and start stitching.

I have come to the point in my quilting journey that it's not so much about a new pattern that inspires me but the time I give myself each day to sit and stitch.  I have found over the last couple of years I throughly enjoy hand piecing.  It was my dream years ago to make a quilt totally by hand, now that I know I can, and I enjoy it, it's the path I have chosen. This was my progress this week! I am looking forward to stitching and dreaming about how I will set my HST's.