Design Wall Monday

So I haven't posted in quite a while. Things have been pretty crazy here, but I sew when I can. Today I am waiting on my next row for the row quilt. I hope it's something that is easy to pull some fabrics in that I've already used.

 I've been a little discombobulated about the quilting. I was recovering from that stomach virus when our sweet little poodle got very sick. Be careful what you put on your lawn! She was throwing up blood from Scott's Weed and Feed that we put out. It didn't say anything about being harmful to dogs, but she was throwing up blood. On their site is says to water it in and wait until it dries before dogs get on it. There was nothing on the bag. She was a sick little girl, but she's ok now.

 Then my husband had a pain in his side that wouldn't go away, and after a long ER visit, it was diagnosed as gall bladder. So hurt on Tuesday. Final diagnosis on Wednesday. Surgery on Thursday. We don't waste any time around here. He is recovering nicely. This is the 3rd May in a row he's had surgery. In fact, this one was one year to the day since his last one. I'm starting to dread May!

I've not been able to get down to the sewing room, so I grabbed some handwork.  I'm quilting this wedding quilt.  It is pretty small, so I thought it wouldn't be a problem.  Ha.  Once I get going I enjoy it, but hate having to move the hoop all around to find a comfortable position to quilt.  I am going to be very proud of this when I am done.  I am trying to get it finished by November, their anniversary.  Did I mention this was wedding quilt signed by family?  Well, it's their 10th anniversary.

There are some empty snowballs around the outside.  I've been thinking about a motif for those, but I am still quilting around the edges.  Any ideas?

This shows how long I've put this off.  Peyton is a Sophomore in high school.  I am so bad.

I'm using this hoop and the quarter inch tape.  I tried not using tape, but my judgement itsn't very good!  This just makes it easier to mindlessly quilt.

I finished all the pink bunnies for my little Bunny Hill quilt.  I took them to the hospital with me and it made the time go faster.

In other news, we are actually having a spring here in Tennessee.  My  hummingbirds have migrated on, though, and I hope a new batch shows up soon!

Comfort and Joy (and Trees!)

I love working on my Comfort and Joy quilt. It is so much fun for me. I'm pretty sure my machine applique is bad, but I am still having a great time. In fact, I'm a month ahead!! I hope to start June block very soon, maybe today! I just love picking out the fabrics!

And in case anyone is doing the row quilt, here are my 3 trees from yesterday. I had a horrible time at first since I printed the pp pattern way too big. No wonder things wouldn't fit! Five more to go! I'm really enjoying this quilt!

Here's the whole thing.  My cardinals aren't the pattern that was put up by the designer.  I couldn't do the paper piecing.  It was just too hard for this beginner.  This row's trees are much easier for someone learning.  I just did the best I could by finding a cardinal on the web, doing my own branches, and embroidering pine needles.  I tried to stay in the spirit of the design, but with my own twist.

                                  .

Well, I've been a little out of the loop. We've been running around and had to cuddle some grandbabies in Charlotte this weekend. I thought about going to Mary Jo's, but I really didn't need anything, and I'd just add to the stash. I'd like to see the store now that they've changed some things.

I finished my row for the row quilt just this morning.  They don't show up very well, but I embroidered some pine needles for a little more interest.  I'm ok with it, but feel a little bad about not being able to paper piece.

The next row to the quit is paper piecing, too, but I think I might be able to handle just the triangle tops of trees.  And it will be a good start for me.  I've been down in my sewing room hunting for greens and putting together some scraps for trees.

I am ahead in my Comfort and Joy, but still need to do something about the angel hair.  I don't like it so far.  I'm going to start the gingerbread basket later.

This is my major cuddler, Ruby.  She just happens to be the one who is getting the Curly Top quilt from Ewe's Quilting.  I hope that Carole is doing ok from her chemo as the April block has not been posted.  Does anyone know how she is doing?  I haven't had time to check out the Monday design wall posts, but hope to do so today.  It's one of my favorite things to do on the net.

Happy quilting to all!  I'd love to hear from you!

Paper Piecing Melt Down!

I am finally feeling a little better about my quilt row. This is the row quilt that I'm doing with Patchwork Posse, and I've really enjoyed the quilt. Last week was hexies, and after a little stress, I managed it. It was the printing on the card stock that had me the most worried. Technology related! And, I ended up ironing the print out on the card stock to get the hexie patterns.

 Anyway, I tried and tried to get the pp row done. And I was just hopeless. So, even though I really, really want to learn to paper piece, it's going to have to wait. I looked and found these two appliqued cardinals. I really love them, and there is some embroidery if I get my act together and decide to do it. It has pine needles embroidered, and I really like it. I think I may even put an appliqued birdhouse in the middle somewhere. A very easy birdhouse!!  Or maybe I'll just do pine branches.  But at least I am on the move again and not just stressing.

I'm trying to stay with the feel of the quilt, but just couldn't do the row below.

I've not had a chance to look at many of the design walls posted on Judy's site. For some reason I had lots of energy today and cleaned a lot instead of looking. But I'm off to do that now! I love to see what you all are doing!

EDIT!  I think I didn't make it clear about the cardinals I ended up doing.  They are appliqued and free on the web courtesy of Wee Folk Art.  I'm sorry if I assumed you could read my mind and would know that is what I did!  My bad!

Design Wall Monday

This has been a weird couple of weeks. You didn't see any designs from me last week because it was also stomach virus Monday, and it was a rough one. The older I get, the longer it takes to get back to normal after something like that.

 Anyway, I was also traumatized by the English paper piecing snowflakes that we did on the row quilt. I need to learn to do them since I have a whole darn quilt waiting for me to do, but it was still hard. And I was preparing for our Easter blow-out and then recovering from the virus, so I didn't have much time. I didn't finish my row until Sunday afternoon.  I hope next week is a little easier.

Then I finished the first row of the pinkwork bunny quilt and I have more finished to work on.  I need to do more of the patchwork, but I'm also machine appliquing.

EDIT:  Oh no!!! This week is paper piecing!!! I've never done that in my life.  

Well, I'm off to look for some paper piecing tutorials.  I joined this to expand my horizons, so I'm expanding.  Good grief!!!!

Good News!

I always have so many! I am glad 4 out of my 7 grandkids were here for a fun Easter lunch and egg hunts.  Fun was had!

I am happy that the birds have finally found the feeders and we have found a way to keep them from hitting the windows but can still watch them.

But, most of all, I am glad that I am over the horrible stomach virus I got Sunday night that just about killed me!!!  OMG.  That's all I'll say about that.  The older I get, the longer it takes to recover my strength, so I am happy that I finally felt like doing a little handwork yesterday.  I got my hexies ready to sew for my row quilt.

Hope you have lots of blessings in your life.

My Gracie!

This week is spring break here, and my Gracie and her family came for a slumber party. Even though they live here in town, they come spend the night sometimes and we visit and have a big breakfast in the morning. After her parents and little sister left, Grace and I made bunnies. She was a little hesitant at first, but that pride of making something really kicked in and it didn't take long.

She'd say things like, "It's really great to be able to make your own stuffed animals!"  and many other cute comments.  I told her I thought she was a natural, and she said, "That's cause I've been watching you so much."  I kept her when she was a baby, and she would point to my machine and say "Play dat, Onnie"  and she would take my blocks and put them on the floor.  She'd move them around and stand back and look just like I did.  She also loved to go fabric shopping and had to feel every one I did.

We agonized over fabric and buttons for eyes which almost made me impatient until I realized I do the same thing.  I helped her make the pink one, and we were about halfway through when she wanted to make one for her sister.  She totally did the white one on her own.  I just sewed on the button and sewed the bottom shut.

We got the bunny pattern from a collection on Patchwork Posse.  We are now looking for a cat softie pattern as she has decided we need to make her cousin and best friend Riley (here, too!) a cat.

I am so blessed!  (Oh, she chose her blanket for the photo shoot.  We don't really have much leopard around here!)