Summer Stitching

This time of year with the wonderful weather we are having really plays havoc with my stitching time.  This morning my husband who has been home after shoulder surgery needed to get out of the house so we decided to head up to the state park and enjoy the scenery. Mr Max came along so that he too could enjoy the park.  It was nice to enjoy the fresh air and the views.

 But, it really doesn't get me any closer to finishing my Mt Vernon block that has been haunting me lately.  I decided my Tribute to George deserved a block that honored Mt Vernon.  Have you ever visited Mr Vernon, I throughly enjoyed our visit a few years ago.

So this afternoon, I am working on a couple of shrubs on each side of the front door and some stepping stones that are the front walk.  Then the weeping cherry  trees need some pink spring blossoms to bring it alive. That shouldn't be too hard to accomplish. For motivation, I will be heading over to Kathy's blog and join the rest of the stitchers for Slow Stitching Sunday.

Row 24

Not sure what has happened to the month of June.  I guess I have been too busy to sit and relax. So, that is what I am planning for the rest of the afternoon.  Adding some navy scraps left over from Scrappy Happy to my TATW.  It has been a while since I have taken any slow stitches, sure do miss them.

Scrappy Happy is a top!

I finally got all my parts sewn together.  Not completely finished but it is a top that can go in the waiting to be quilted area of the quilting closet.  I really am glad I took the time to cut all those small pieces of scraps into 1.5 inch squares and love that I found a use for the navy vintage background fabric that came from my mom's stash.  I usually name my quilts and this one hasn't been easy to name. So I am settling for Scrappy Happy!

Parts

I finished up all of the 16 patches needed for my quilt. They are so pretty all stacked up in piles of ten so I could keep count as I made them.  So Tuesday I started cutting the background fabric.  I need a lot of setting triangles so I decided the easiest way to cut them was to start with a square and cut diagonally from corner to corner.  I started with an extra half inch and will need to trim my rows down before sewing together, but I think it will really make things a whole lot easier overall.

I love all the color in this quilt!  I am using some vintage fabric I found at my mom's house. I think it is perfect to showcase the bits of scraps I sewed together into the sixteen patches. I am already thinking about how it will be quilted.  Never to early to think about that! But first it needs to become a top!

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.