Fell Off the Wagon

 It was bound to happen.

I had stuck to my guns until I saw Laundry Basket Quilts' pattern,

Alaska Magic.

I told myself,

 "It is template pieced. I will be learning a new technique.

And the color palette is what I want to redo my bedroom in."

So...I now own the pattern, templates and fabric for the quilt. 

I will wait until 2023 though to start it.

In the meantime,

I continue to make progress on my 2022 goals.

I changed my mind about my red & white quilt,

but it is officially finished.

I have another WIP that is red with green applique on it already,

so I kept this one just red and white. 

My Honey Bee collage is about ready to be quilted 

and I have prepped the center of my Sunrise Scraps quilt for appliqueing.

So even if I fell off the wagon,

I am still making progress. 

Progress and Painting

 It is so gratifying to finish things! 

If the Hat Fits by 1894 Cottonwood House has been gifted.

I had fun 'Spargoing' it. 

This McKenna Ryan quilt will be gifted to my son on his birthday.

It has been years in the making.

And then it took awhile to get up the courage to quilt it.

Why him?...he has a nice cabin in Flagstaff with lots of blank walls.

He will also get a homemade apple pie!

So here is my progress on my 2022 goals:

1. Finish HOME in time for my son's anniversary in March (border, quilt and bind)

2. Border my red and white mini quilt and add some green applique (border and design)

3. Finish Posh Penelope by Sew Kind of Wonderful for my daughter before Spring (need fabrics)

4. Finish Easter pillows for the girls 

5. Complete 'If the Hat Fits' before Halloween for my daughter

6. Continue to work on my mini-Folktails

7. Continue to work on Sunrise Scraps by Edyta Sitar

8. Start and hopefully keep current on Sue Spargo's Trade Winds BOM

9. Finish At Home in the Woods (just needs borders, then quilt and bind)

10. Finish my Laura Heine collage

Pretty proud of myself.

I have stuck to my guns and actually have finished things.

And I can report that I am up to date with my Trade Winds BOM.

It is so much work that there is not much time to be distracted by something new.

Not much progress on the other things listed,

but the red and white quilt is calling to me as a Christmas project.

This is it's current state.

I have chosen a quilt by Laurie Simpson in the book, Red & Green Quilts,

as inspiration for the border.

Perhaps posting about it here will get me going on it.

Betty and I continue to make donation quilts;

and thanks to Lori of Humble Quilts,

we now have a home for the more adult lap quilts we make.

The first box of quilts will be headed to a Veteran's Outreach Specialist

in Southern California this week. 

I continue to explore sketching and watercolor painting.

My DIL requested floral paintings for my granddaughters room.

These are the first two. 

The temperatures are starting to head in the right direction the last week...

DOWN!

We call nights in the 70's and days in the 90's FALL

here in the desert southwest. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Cheryl

 

Checking In!

I have been busy since my last post, 

but cannot report that I have accomplished any of my sewing goals.

I finished quilting both In the Woods and Posh Penelope,

but cannot take them off the list until they are bound.

My friend Betty and I finished 10 more donation quilts.

I did manage to quilt this for a friend before leaving for Colorado for the summer.

I really went crazy with the improv background motifs!

The quilting inside each heart was done with the computer.

Loved my Urban Sketching class in Santa Fe with Ian Fennelly! 

This is my favorite sketch from the week:

It certainly was an intense week for a beginner, but I learned alot.

And the weather was not in our favor...this sketch was done with snow all around us.

Best part was the time I spent with my sister.

Oh yeah, and the food!!

Then off on our Grand Cruise with Viking.

Despite all the hoops we had to jump through due to CoVid,

it was a great trip full of ABC days...

another beautiful church or castle.

 My favorite day was the scenic cruising through the Rhine River portion of the trip.

And I sketched...

We spent 2 days in Bruges, Belgium at the end of the cruise.

What a magical city and the chocolate was to die for.

Now we are settled into life at the cabin where the weather has been amazing!

I continue to work on Sue Spargo's Trade Winds and 

If the Hat Fits.

Hope you are enjoying your summer and thanks for stopping by!

Let it Be!

Funny how a blog post keeps me focused on my goals.

There are no finishes,

but there is certainly progress.

Posh Penelope is pieced!

I loved piecing the individual blocks;

but boy, oh, boy,

putting the blocks together was a challenge!

I like to think of myself as a precision piecer.

Well, that just did not happen with this project.

Not a one of those points on the flower petals lines up and most are chopped off.

I don't know if letting go makes me happy or disappointed in myself.

I decided to just let it be!

Hoping a good quilting job will disguise the imperfections.

I finished two more blocks of If the Hat Fits.

Thoroughly enjoyed my Sue Spargo retreat in Tucson.

I had SO much fun, that I signed up to take the same class again

at Madeline Island at the end of July.

The plan is to finish what I started.

Three meals a day, no responsibilities and stitching with like-minded friends...

what could be more enjoyable.

I also helped my granddaughter make a quilt for her teacher who is expecting her first child.

What a joy it was to share my passion with her.

At Home in the Woods is on my frame.

This will take awhile as I am stitching over every edge of the appliqued shapes.

I am using a microquilter thread that disappears nicely.

I have managed to keep current with my Trade Winds BOM, 

but will be unable to show my progress due to Sue's rules.

All I can share is that is stinking cute!

We are headed to Colorado for a week in March 

and then I will join my sister in Santa Fe to take an urban sketching class...something new for me. 

Sis is already a wonderful watercolorist.

We will see if I can catch on to it.

 I am so happy I have my stitching in this sad and unpredictable world.

It calms my anxious mind!

Getting outside and hiking helps too.

A Little Waffling!

Did not take too long to lose my resolve. 

A quick wall hanging per the request of my daughter.

I love how she displays the quilt I made her last year. 

Even though I waffled for just a moment,

I have made progress.

1. Finish HOME in time for my son's anniversary!

Washed and ready to gift.

I used a wool batt and it is so soft and cuddly.

The first 2 blocks of 'If the Hat Fits' are done.

And a few more animals have been added to my mini-Folktales.

I love the texture on the crocodile and the flowers on the Baobob tree.

This is our Kenya camp where the giraffe stood outside our tent.

Next month I should have completed the last block of Posh Penelope.

The fabrics are purchased and all but one block has been constructed.

If I keep up this pace, I could conceivably complete my list by the end of the year.

However, I will be going to Tucson for a Sue Spargo retreat to do her Indigo vases class

and my first 3 blocks of my Trade Winds BOM are on their way.

Both of these projects will take quite a bit of time to do.

I have gotten hooked on Wordle like many others.

At least it is one word a day, 

so I cannot play it all day.

Thank goodness, because I love playing it.

 

 

Binge Binding and 2022 goals

Nothing new on the piecing front,

but boy, oh boy, have I gotten lots of binding done.

Getting my longarm meant I could get all my WIPs quilted.

However, they all just went in a pile because binding is my least favorite part of the process.

It took lots of will power, but all I did was bind last month and I got 5 done.

I have 1 left...

 My Garden by Heart to Hand

I decided to finish it as an abbreviated version

 since all it was doing was gathering dust in my closet. 

For 2022,

instead of resolving to lose weight,

I decided a list of quilt projects I would like to start or finish might be more realistic;

and let's face it,

a whole lot more fun.

1. Finish HOME in time for my son's anniversary in March (border, quilt and bind)

2. Border my red and white mini quilt and add some green applique (border and design)

3. Finish Posh Penelope by Sew Kind of Wonderful for my daughter before Spring (need fabrics)

4. Finish Easter pillows for the girls 

5. Complete 'If the Hat Fits' before Halloween for my daughter

6. Continue to work on my mini-Folktails

7. Continue to work on Sunrise Scraps by Edyta Sitar

8. Start and hopefully keep current on Sue Spargo's Trade Winds BOM

9. Finish At Home in the Woods (just needs borders, then quilt and bind)

10. Finish my Laura Heine collage

10. If any energy and time left, return to Yoko Saito quilt or finish Fresh Cut or Squash Squad!

Whew, 

that seems like a large laundry list with only two new starts.

Want to place wagers on whether I complete my list

and more importantly,

don't add to it with something new!!

Quiltcon is in Phoenix in February where temptation awaits.

Hope everyone had joyful holiday season.

Now on to 2022.

P.S. About resolutions...I did resolve to exercise more each day and cut out sweets

 in hopes of losing weight...good luck with that...LOL!

This, That and Thanksgiving Wishes

Happy to report that my nephew and his wife loved the quilt!

And I spent a lovely 4 days enjoying a long overdue visit with my sister and a trip to the ocean.

Halloween is a big deal in our family.

My son lives on Phantom Way and every year goes all out with the decorations.

And everyone dresses up.

I was Jane Goodall...lol!

Cannot help but share pics of my grandkids.

Wanda Joy and I have been busy as usual:

 A Christmas gift for my son's family 

quilted with an E2E design called Swirly Snowflakes.

I custom quilted this for my friend, Deb.

When I saw she was piecing it,

I requested to quilt it for her so I could practice my open space design work.

The center I copied from Linda Hrcka of the Quilted Pineapple,

but the borders were my own design.

Next week, I will be taking an online class from Angela Walters on feathers.

Even though the strength in my hand has not returned,

I have attempted to do some hand stitching.

Progress on my mini Folk Tails.

I love the Baobob tree! 

It is from Sue Spargo's new book, 

Forest for the Trees.

This is all I want to work on now! 

It is so fun to remember our trip as I design my piece.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

May your dressing be tasty.

May your turkey be plump.

May your potatoes and gravy 

have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious

and your pies take the prize.

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

stay off your thighs!

But most of all,

may your home be filled with the warmth of loved ones.

Yes, I googled Thanksgiving wishes.

And I still have not been able to pass the torch...

I will be doing the cooking.