It’s been months since I posted here. I’ve been getting used to our new home, doing more physical therapy, having more tests, finding more things for the doctors to treat. So I’ve just been sewing what I wanted & not worrying about pushing myself. One thing I have been doing is keeping up with the charity block drives by Cynthia Brunz. These Offset Log Cabins are the drive for Dec 2023-Feb 2024 so I got them done at the beginning of January & made more greens than blue & purple, since January is green!
Covered in Love announced they were also doing a Jan-March block drive after a hiatus, so I made two for them. These Elizabeth Hartman blocks were fun but took quite a long time & I was anxious to get started on some of my own stuff, so stopped after 2. Also they are large.
Part of what I did the last of 2023 was to finish up some unfinished RSC2022 projects, but there are still some languishing so I pulled them out to analyze what needs to be done to finish up. I need purple & orange blocks for those two quilts, so when those months come up, I’ll work hard on getting those extra blocks done & hopefully finishing up Catching Rainbows & Sliding Scale.
This year’s new projects include these wonky Lori Holt paper pieced hearts. I’ve been hoarding this Tula Pink low volume layer cake that I got on an MSQC Daily Deal a long time ago because I love the fabric. So I’ve been waiting for the “perfect” project to use it on, but have decided it will be darling for this & since I want to use up what I have, what am I waiting for? The colored fabric is another Daily Deal I’ve been holding on to, so these layer cakes are being used. While technically not scraps, they are stash, so I’m going for it. Also, these are super cute!
My other new projects are scrap projects using 2.5″ squares. I’m making Two-Step from Lissa Alexander’s book “Scrap School”; some split 9-patches; & some rail fence blocks I saw on instagram a long time ago. These may drift into next year if I need more blocks to make whole quilts.
In non-RSC sewing, I finished “Jamestown Landing” from “String Fling” by Bonnie Hunter. It’s definitely a scrap quilt & will go to the quilter sometime. It’s in the queue. My son & daughter-in-law gave me the book for my birthday in July so I couldn’t resist starting on it then & it took a while to make all the blocks, because Bonnie=lots of piecing.
I finished “Christmas Joy” mid-January. It’s made from all the leftovers from the tree skirts I made both my boys as wedding presents in 2019. I’ve had that bag of strips hanging around waiting for a pattern I liked, & when I saw Fast Track by A Bright Corner in my patterns, I realized it was perfect. So I power-sewed in early December, got it quilted, & bound after the Christmas rush. Since I finished another Christmas quilt for me in time for this Christmas, I’ll have two new quilts to toss around Christmas 2024!
I gave my DIL all the fabric for a Hocus Pocus quilt by The Pattern Basket because she loves mine. When I saw this version by Jessica Dayon using the Shades of Autumn fabric, I ran right out & bought everything I needed for the quilt. She got it in September & I’m just now starting on it. But all these cut pieces have now become pumpkins with leaves & stems.
And finally, the Bonnie Hunter winter mystery: Indigo Way. I’ve always wanted to do one of her mysteries & every year I save the clues, but have yet to make one. This year I decided to just do it. I cut out the first clue & have been L&E sewing them. I finally got them all trimmed & pressed this week, so part one is done. I’ve cut & started L&E sewing part two, so maybe this will be done by the summer. Ha ha!
My goodness, you may not have posted for a while, but you have plenty to show for your sewing time!
Hope the PT is helping you, and so glad to know that you have been doing so much sewing! I love the paper-pieced hearts! They’re really cute. Jamestown Landing is beautiful – that does look like lots of piecing took place!
Welcome back to BlogLand, Sue! You certainly have been busy while you were away. Fantastic projects on the go, a lovely quilt top, AND a fun Christmas quilt finish, too!!