Sue

With limited sewing time this week, I focused on finishing our quilt group project. We meet weekly, in person or via FaceTime, & each sew the same quilt in our own color palettes. One member loves samplers, so we often do a sampler quilt where we are sewing 2 or 3 different blocks each week. We worked together on the sashings between the four-patched blocks, then started on the larger double sashing between the blocks. This week we met in person for lunch & a gift exchange, so last week at our final 2024 meeting we decided to finish our rows on our own. That became my only sewing this week & since it’s my least favorite part of quilting, I’m really glad it’s over & maybe I can get in some peaceful soul-filling sewing tucked in between Christmas activities.

This is Two-Step from Lissa Alexander’s book “Scrap School” & I got it all webbed & sewn into a flimsy this week. It’s been busy so that’s been all the sewing that’s happened, but it’s an RSC finish for this year, so I’m happy.

After many starts & stops, I have a finish! Finished the hand-sewn binding this week on Bonnie Hunter’s Cherry Crunch. Mine is smaller than hers, so I have orphan string blocks that need to be made into a donation baby quilt. I love that red piano keys border & all the fun LV prints. It’s totally scrappy, for sure, & all from the stash. Now I’m sewing binding on her Indigo Sky Mystery quilt in the evenings.

I got the binding sewed on this quilt just in time for the Festival of Trees in Salt Lake City this week. It’s part of our auction grouping for my brother-in-law, an Air Force pilot killed in the line of duty in 1995. This is the 25th year we’ve had something for auction at the Festival. It used to be a large tree, but as my mother-in-law aged, it got too hard. Since 2016, I make a quilt & Paul’s widow & daughter pick the theme & get books & toys to go with the quilt. This year we had 11 bids & it went for $750, so we were pleased. All the money raised goes for charity care at Primary Children’s Medical Center.

The big project this week was the gifts for Monday’s quilt group luncheon. I had to pivot after the broken hand as it became obvious I wouldn’t get the wool ornaments done, so I fell back on an old standard that I could actually make in my present condition, which is these Amy Smart tree ornaments. She has a free tutorial. They are quick & easy, plus cute. Win!

Squee! I finally started a bucket list quilt this week. It’s a hand-applique orange peel that I’ve wanted to do forever. I decided 2024 was the year & watched tutorials, decided on my method, & bought some background fabric to match another blue I already owned. I prepped the first blocks to start sewing the weekend I fell & broke my hand. But I took them to quilt group on Monday & was able to sew the first three while I was there & this is going to be my weekly project as we chat while doing handwork. The petals are all going to be low-volumes I have on hand. I’m loving these! In case you’re wondering, my technique is a combo of Amy Smart & Jill Finley.

I’m just slowly fussing around with these Ocean Waves blocks as another L&E project. I’ve finished four, but the first was my test block & I don’t know where I put it in my studio. (eye roll) I’m sure I’ll find it, but it will go in that empty spot to complete the bigger pattern. This is an attempt to use up all the little cut off triangles I’ve been saving for forever.

I’m still just sewing slow & steady with the healing fractured hand, but I pulled out RSC2024 project #5 to see where I was on blocks. I still had the four red blocks I missed early on, so made these Lori Holt wonky FPP hearts. I counted & laid it out on my design wall & found that if I made a blue & purple set, I would have enough for the size I’m planning.

I made those & still have a few pieces left from the layer cakes for another project. It’s all on my wall now, so I can start the webbing.

The other big win was my first tote bag! I wanted a little larger (small) tote for church than the one I have been using & haven’t found one, so I decided I could make my own. I’ve been looking at online free patterns & tutorials, & settled on this one. It made a bag 8x10x4, which is perfect for what I wanted & used fabric from my stash, so it was free! Hee, hee! I love that word FQ I got a long time ago & have only used a little bit for some bookmarks & it’s never worked for anything else, so it is perfect for this. The straps are leftover backing trimmings.

All sewing came to a screeching halt this week. I fell Saturday while out walking. Got my toe caught on an uneven sidewalk, fell, & got multiple bumps & bruises. After a jillion X-rays of various body parts & warnings to watch for weird things in case I hit my head harder than they thought, I left with multiple fractures in my left hand & a splint.

Consult with my hand specialist Thursday AM says no surgery needed & I left with this custom-made splint for 4-6 weeks. There’s a bit of a question about my scaphoid in my wrist so more X-rays on the 21st should clear that up. In the meantime, it’s too painful to move my newly freed fingers much, even though they want me to, so when more of the swelling & bruising goes down, maybe I can send something through my sewing machine. Typing with two hands will take longer.

Enjoy your sew days, all!