Birds of a feather

When I saw this song bird fabric I just knew I wanted to use it to make an apron.  Loving the soft colors in this and had a hard time deciding which coordinated print to use with it. The plaid ended up being a good choice because it blends in nicely instead of standing out. And these little heart shaped buttons actually feel like tree bark.  

My girls

I love my smart and beautiful girls! It has been really great having them and their families so close all of these years. But life changes, and the younger daughter's family has just moved 300 miles west to the Black Hills.  We will just have to plan ahead when we want to see them, instead of spur of the moment visits. 

Design Wall Monday

My Sunday evening sewing included finishing the final 4 Heartstrings blocks for this set.  I laid them out this morning on the family room floor so that I can rearrange these into rows without similar strings meeting up.  The top will then be mailed off to a Heartstrings volunteer to quilt or tie, and then donate to a worthwhile location.

My 2015 set of Heartstrings blocks are going to be black and white, with either pink or bright center strings.  I'm leaning right now to using several different bright colors for those centers, or go with just pink scrappy centers.  Either one will be fun.

I'm linking up to Judy's Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

November in the rear view mirror

I really got a lot of things done in November, but quite a few of the things I finished were not even on my goal list.  That's OK - it's just a bonus!

• 3 light blue pig tail blocks for RSC14 - DONE
• month 3 tasks for Saturday Sampler - DONE
• bind a UFO quilt (Wishin' For Spring) - DONE
• Round 1 border for our guild Round Robin quilt - DONE
• 2 self-binding baby blankets for gifts
• 5 traveling stars blocks
• 3 Heartstrings blocks - DONE
• hand quilt another 1/4 of the cats quilt

However, my biggest accomplishments this month were spur-of-the-moment tasks and things I was asked to make as gifts.  And these have given me the most satisfaction.

• Worked on my section of a group project
• Apron with a coffee theme (gift for daughter's friend)
• 12 traveling pillows with pockets for books (6 were for co-workers by request/ 4 as gifts for my own grandchildren/2 left to gift elsewhere)
• 2 UFO finishes of 10 year old Thimbleberries projects YIPPEE!!!
• Strip n Twist project finished from a guild class in April 

Basket wallhanging is done

One more UFO to check off the list.  This Thimbleberry design was made in August 2004, and then the flimsy just hung in my sewing room closet - until this month. It's now quilted beautifully, thanks to the ladies at The Pin Cushion, and it's bound.  This will hang in a guest bedroom so that it's the first thing you see when you walk in the door.

Busy hands

I was organizing a closet shelf earlier this fall and found my box of counted cross stitch supplies.  And I found myself doing the little star with year in it - because that pattern was in the box.  Fast forward to last night - and I added the folded fabric and it's about 6" across.  So now I have the beginning of . . . something.  Maybe it will become a Christmas tree ornament.

Not as old as I thought . . .

The 2 Thimbleberries UFOs that I'm finally finishing aren't as old as I originally thought they were.  In the baggy with the binding for the 2nd one was this little slip of paper: August 2004.  So they've only been marinating for 10 years, not the 15 I was guessing. Makes me feel slightly better.