Comfort & Joy

Block 2 of Comfort & Joy is done except for button eyes for the snowman, which will come after quilting.  I love this quilt.  It is so warm, inviting and fun.  I can hardly wait for the next block set!

The embroidery for Mr. Bluebird is done for February, and I hope to get the block constructed and ready for embellishment to day.

Sara Ashley and Dillon had their Winter Middle School Dance last weekend.  It is hard for me to believe how they are growing up!!!

We are anticipating an ice storm here in Georgia.  So far we are good with minimal ice on some trees and power intact.  We pray this continues.  Our children all live in other parts of the county and they have been without power for several hours.  Hopefully this is only temporary.  We are staying put here.....we have food, flashlights, lots of quilts and our doggies.  We are set :-)

GRATITUDES:

A warm house.

Watching Buddyboo get braver each day.

Talking to my friends worldwide with the mere tap of fingers.

Take care,

Jennie

Country Threads BOM 2014

Recently I was gifted with a lovely set of blocks from last year's Country Threads BOM by quilting friend Debi.  This year I thought that it would be fun to participate.  Lots of wonderful, scrappy blocks; free patterns; great stash busters.  In this particular BOM you make two blocks each month.  They are the same block, but in different sizes and with different scrappy fabrics of your choice.  At first I had intended to be totally scrappy, but in the end I went with planned scrappy.  I have been wanting to make a brown and red quilt for awhile, so this quilt offered the perfect opportunity.......and it is scrappy and all from stash.

January BOM; sizes 20" & 10":

February's blocks; 12" & 6":

The background fabrics range from lights to golds.  Most of the fabrics are from my reproduction fabrics stash.  They were both fun and challenging to construct.

GRATITUDES:

Living close enough to be able to spend time with our children and grandchildren.

Doggie snores.

Lip balm.

Take care,

Jennie

Quilt Doodle's 2014 BOM

I always say that I AM NOT going to do more than one Block of the Month a year.  This year started with good intentions.  I would make Comfort & Joy with Debi.  She is a great enabler.....um, encourager :-)) and I would surely be able to finish it.  Then I saw the CQ Journal BOM and it just called my name.  And then Quilt Doodle and Country Threads were offering free BOMs, what better way to use up stash with free patterns.  Need I say more????

At the beginning of February I had done nary a stitch on the Quilt Doodle blocks.  And they are so darned cute, so I had to get busy, I just couldn't pass them by.

January's Row of Snowmen......with no eyes.  Buttons to be added after quilting.

 Close up of fabrics.

 And February's Cozy Cabin.

So, now I am up to date on two (I will show you the other one tomorrow) of the five BOMs I have committed to.  Where is my brain?  And all of those UFOs##*!!  Oh, my.

GRATITUDES:

Optimism.

Sunshine.

A tidy sewing room after a whirlwind weekend of stitching.

Take care,

Jennie

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2014

I have always had a passion for Crazy Quilting and many years ago I pursued it avidly.  Somehow, though, I had moved on to other things and left those projects behind.  At the first of the year I saw a CQ challenge, the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2014 (see the button on my sidebar), and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to get back into the swing of CQing.........with little thought as to what that project might be.  I knew that it needed to be something that would hold my attention for a year.  And I have always wanted to make a CQ using quilting cottons with washable embellishments (my friend, Sandy, was the inspiration for this).  But, somehow, I just couldn't narrow it down.  So, I busied myself with other projects and let the deadline for January slip up on me.  I finally came up with this.....

Embroidered bluebirds (one of my favorite things, as you can see on my Pinterest folder Mr. Bluebird on My Shoulder) will be my theme.

Using these fabrics that I had stashed away for another project that no longer interests me......

Resulting in my January block.

It took longer to stitch the block than I had remembered, but I enjoyed it.  Maybe I was just out of practice.  And I had to dig deep into an upstairs closet to find the embellishments I wanted to use.  My requirement is that the whole thing will be washable, so I am going for simpler embellishments and buttons.

GRATITUDES:

A new vacuum cleaner that actually picks up the Buddyboo hair.

Sweet doggie bellyrubs.

The fresh smell of a clean house.

Take care,

Jennie

Nines & Vines, 2014 Progress

Way back in this post of January 2013 (several posts down this page) I talked about giving Nines & Vines, a project from a 2004 AP&Q Magazine, another chance.  At that time I did get all of the blocks pieced......period, end of story.  So this January I drug it back out, still liked it, and got busy.  Blocks assembled, borders added, backing and binding done and ready to go to be quilted.  Woohoo.  Not a finish yet, but on the way.

I am a little disappointed in what I have completed for January....really, I had hoped to get more done (meaning to finished stage).

Here is a summary:

1.  Binding for Holiday Inn (UFO finished)

2.  Binding for Amish Stars (UFO finished)

3.  By Thy Hands January Mat (finished)

4.  Nines & Vines to flimsy stage with backing and binding made

5.  CQP2014 Block completed

6.  Comfort & Joy BOM January completed

7.  Pattern Play Baby Quilt to flimsy stage with backing and binding made

8.  Churn Dash top to flimsy stage with backing and binding made

9. 60 Leaders & Enders 9 patch blocks (see below)

I had planned to machine quilt the baby quilt by now.  And since Heartstrings and QOV didn't meet this month, I failed to make any charity blocks.  I have two quilts at the quilters and three ready to go, which will end up being finishes at some point this year, no hurry.

I am participating in Pat Sloan's (see sidebar) and Country Threads UFO finishing challenges. Last month at Country Threads, it was number 10, which was my Amish Stars binding and it is done.  This month it was number 1.....which was Nines & Vines to flimsy stage.....but since I have already gotten that done, I am going to add trimming up half of my scrap bin Bonnie Hunter style.  Here is where it stands as of today despite my considerable efforts over the past month or so.

Another reason I am feeling a little discouraged is because I actually counted my quilting UFOs.  Good golly, Miss Molly!!!!  I am not saying how many, but it is a lot.  And that does not include any other craft UFOs, nor does it include PIGs or kits.  So, I think I should close down the computer for now and get busy!!!  I really plan to make a dent in these, even though I know I can't finish them all (and may not want to, but I will decide that as I go).

GRATITUDES:

Projects to work on.

Goals.

Time.

Take care,

Jennie

Winter in the South

I know that everyone has read about the Southern snow storm......all two inches of it, which successfully shut down the city of Atlanta.  Well, we live in the country, have a four wheel drive truck and Gator, are retired and don't have to go anywhere we don't want to as a rule.  All of that being said, we thoroughly enjoyed our snow since the last one was three or more years ago.  We stayed home, played with the dogs, I stitched and we just took it easy.  Today the temperature was 70 degrees and I sat on the back porch.  Such is winter in the South.

In keeping with the snow, here is one of my finishes for January.  It is By Thy Hands January BOM by Buttermilk Basin.  Pretty cute and pretty appropriate.  It is a nice combination of piecing and wool appliqué.  By the way, I did this wool appliqué by machine and I was good with the way it turned out.

Here are three of the grands playing in the snow.  A rare treat for them!

Macy, Sara Ashley and Jackson

(above and below)

And around the house.

GRATITUDES:

The beautiful, but blessedly rare Southern snow storm.

Quiet time at home.

Warm clothes.

Take care,

Jennie