Missing my mojo

After 2 weeks of focusing on anything and everything except sewing, I finally got back into the groove this morning. Random sewing took place and it was so enjoyable.  Our Sew Vintage group was challenged on Saturday to make the 6" flower block from Lori Holt’s book Spelling Bee.  We each pulled a strip of fabric from a shopping bag to use for the petals.  Mine was a peach print and I easily found things in my scrap bins to use for the rest of the block. It needs a better pressing and maybe restitching where the stem meets the petals. I see it isn’t centered on the stem.



Then I pulled out one of the May projects for the UFO Challenge, and put in the final pocket zipper. Once that was in, I could add the sides to this Sew Together bag.  The final pieces are the top zipper and straps that need to be added.  Those are ready to attach, but will have to wait for another day.
  


And last but not least, I sewed the finding onto a small wall hanging.  This is my pink pineapple wallhanging, and I’m hoping to have the hand work done on the binding before bedtime tonight.


I’ve linked up to: http://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com.  Check it out to see what other quilters have on their design walls this Monday.

Adding some color

Those who know me, know that I am NOT a gardener. I kept a small veggie garden when my kids were still around, and have always had a few flowers. But I don't have a green thumb like my parents did, and I really don't enjoy digging in the dirt.  That said - I do really enjoy seeing colorful flowers all summer. 

 

 

So a mix of purchased pots of flowers, and planting a few into existing pots is my solution.  I bought this container with a mix of deep red petunias and a plant that smells like lemon and is supposed to repel mosquitoes. A purple flower is poking out of the middle too.  For now it's on the steps of my front porch, greeting any visitors.  And next to the front door I planted red geraniums - my favorite - with something spikey and something that will "trail".  I should have kept the little plastic labels so I could actually identify some of these plants.

 

 

 

 

 And the pot below is a "living salad bowl" - with a mix of lettuce and other salad greens. I got this over the weekend at our local Menards garden center.  Very clever idea.  We'll see how long I manage to keep it alive.  I plan to cut some lettuce for supper tonight.

 

 

Sitting in the middle of my deck table is a small clay container of succulents.  I've tried flowers in that container in past years, but it seems like they dry out too fast. So, I bought some succulents yesterday and planted them.  I like the look and hope they thrive.

 

 

I bought a mix of flowers and Prince Tut grasses for this container and added a solar light.  My deck faces south so it gets quite warm. But it also has a deep overhang close to the house. So the next 2 pots of flowers will sit closer to the overhang where they get morning sun, but are in the shade during the heat of the day.  That seems to have worked in previous years.

 

Simple purple and white petunias, and a millet stalk went into the big pot I usually used for tomatoes.  No tomatoes this year for me. I'll just buy them at the farm stands.  A set of solar lights hanging off the side of the pot will mingle with the sweet potato vine as it grows.  Nothing fancy here like some of my neighbors have, but it's a little color to brighten my little corner of the world.

 

A new guild project

 

Our guild had a sewing day on Saturday morning before our meeting. This Quilt of Valor top is the result, and we accomplished it in less than 3 hours.  The blocks were already made, but we added a narrow border on a few to make them all 12.5" square.

 

 

Ruby and Pam sewed like crazy, while Carmen pressed. I cut sashing and cornerstones, and the block borders.  We had enough Garlic Knot blocks to finish another QOV, and start one more. Carmen pressed a lot of Garlic Knot blocks too.  But with such a small group working we just focused on the other quilt.  It's graduation season - and youth baseball season - so we had a lot of people with bigger family priorities last weekend. We'll do another sewing day and finish up the other quilts too.

 

Family treasures

One of my favorite pieces of furniture is this old oak rocker that belonged to my paternal grandmother.  She was only 4’ 9", and my grandfather took off the rockers, cut the legs down, and then put the rockers back on so it was more comfortable for her.  I’m only 5’ 2", and this rocker fits me perfectly.  It’s very plain, but the wood is so pretty and it’s really comfortable.

I’m looking forward to acquiring another family treasure soon - my mother’s treadle sewing machine. My cousin’s wife tracked it down for me, offered to buy it, and the sewing machine is now sitting in their garage waiting for me to pick it up. So a road trip to Minnesota needs to happen soon.  I don’t know what kind of shape it’s in, but it will be fun to have it back no matter what.

Pink Ritzy Crackers

 

The 12 pink Ritzy Cracker blocks can be checked off my May goal list as complete.  I already had 6 pink ones made before, so these are just added to the stack. I could definitely see doing a single color quilt of these blocks. And they would make some wonderful Quilt of Valor blocks in reds and blues.

 

 

If I have counted correctly, I have 97 blocks made. I want enough made for the family reunion at the end of June.  I think that it needs some orange, more red, a few more black, and more multi-color blocks. So I'll be deviating from the RSC18 monthly color choices to get these done in time. My plan is to have them stacked by color and let people choose a block to sign. 

 

And ironically the reunion is the same weekend as our bi-annual guild quilt show. So I'll be feeling a bit frantic for a few days until both are over.  My husband is in charge of the reunion, and I'm on the quilt show committee.  Luckily both events are taking place here in town.

More goals for May

Besides finishing the UFO items, I have set a few other goals for the month of May.  Most of these are just keeping up with or moving along WIPs (Works in Progress), but I want to start a new project too.  Maybe the Farm Girl Vintage blocks will have to be my "new" project since all I have is blocks. Guess I will just have to see how the month goes. 

Pink/rose was selected as the May color for RSC18 (Rainbow Scrap Challenge).  So there is a lot of pink in my goals for the month.

3 RSC Sampler blocks in pink

2 Saturday Sampler blocks  

12 Ritzy Cracker blocks (pink)

finish top of Christmas jelly roll quilt

bind Pink Pineapples

prep the sewing room wall hanging for quilting

make a plan for large Farm Girl Vintage blocks

This morning I dug through the stash and scraps for pink.  I actually thought I had more pink than I found.  But there were some good ones to choose from.  Twelve pink Ritzy Cracker blocks are under way.  I love this 30s reproduction fabric with the black Scottie dogs.


The center sections of all 12 blocks are sewn, and ready to add the triangles.  And I'm kind of hoping that I get some more sewing time after work this afternoon.  They are all laying on my sewing table waiting for me.

My first goal for May

The new APQ UFO Challenge number drawn for May is #6.  There are 3 items on my list for that number, and one of them is already done.  But that still leaves me with 2 small UFOs to finish plus finishing up the April UFOs.  So here is my first goal for the month - finishing a bag.

There is a red Sew Together bag sitting around in parts and pieces. I used it as a class sample when I taught a couple of classes on this bag, but I just never finished it.  And if I were to be honest, there is also another sample bag in pieces from the same classes.  At least the red one has been started and shouldn't take long to finish. 



The outside cover is lightly quilted.  Two of the 3 inside pockets are done.  The third pocket needs its lining and zipper, and then the sides, handles, and top zipper need to be added.  This one is mostly French General fabrics and has a more elegant look than the other one that is started. 

The second bag has a cover made of selvages - and that is all that is done. In this case I haven't decided yet on any fabrics for the inside pockets or the sides, and I haven't chosen zippers.  I think it needs to be bright colors for the handles, ends and inside of this bag.  And maybe different color zippers on each pocket just for a fun surprise inside. 


There are 3 more sets of zippers, so I could keep making bags.  But I doubt that will happen any time soon.  Tan, dark brown, and grey all seem too tame and boring for the selvage bag, so these may just go back into the drawer for future bags. There is a grey "fish" fat quarter that I recently received as a gift. It would be perfect with the grey zippers - some day.