Little house sew along

 

I was able to get the next block completed! I love the little block in this one. So fun to make.

Linking up with The Little House Sew Along over at Melva loves scraps.

Sunday slow stitching.

 I've been plugging away at these Hexagon QAYG blocks to add to the existing quilt. I was thinking 4 rows but might just do 3 as these will become the third row to be added. It is a little blue heavy, but will work overall in the scrappy quilt. I purchased some pinks yesterday at a quilt show and prepped 4 of those to stitch this week. I'll be working the rest into sets of four and then will stitch them together into a column. These are all hand stitched. I've been enjoying stitching these on the back screened in porch in my new comfy chairs while listening to audio books. I finished a CJ Box book Back of Beyond this week. Thank you for the recommendation of the author (Jenny I think?) I'm waiting on my Libby app to have a copy of the next audio book available... but I might just get it off Audible. It was that good!

I've been adding to the bottom grassy part of the cross stitch this week. I'll probably work on the last part in the quilt and then go back to the grassy area this week. Linking up with Kathy and the other Slow Sunday Stitchers.

I was able to attend a local quilt show on Saturday. Lots of pretty quilts, although almost all were long arm quilted. I did see some variety with machine embroidery, cross stitch worked into quilts - I forgot to get a photo of that one, but it was really neat with various Halloween themed stitcheries. Lots of 1st time showing a quilt awards were noted with a pretty red ribbon on their quilt, at their Ruby anniversary of the guild. I took a few photos and made sure to get the quilter information on the quilt tag.

I loved this one. Lots of hand work went into this one.

A Kim Diehl quilt. Which reminds me I have a kit of her pattern to do!

This one made me smile! Actually, one of the awards to vote on.

There were two of these quilts. I saw this one and went WOW! Two friends bought the kits and worked on them together. I like how this one finished. Although the use of colorful buttons was a neat addition in the below quilt.

A little retail therapy. I felt it was only fair to support those vendors. I think I got something from all but 3 of them. I was low on pinks so was trying to add there. There is a new cross stitch shop opening across town (45 minutes away or so from me) next month. I'll have to go check it out. I might check out the guild and see if I 'fit in' there or not. Now that I don't need to shuttle kids and they are pretty independent, I can get back to doing a few things for me!

Pink Chickens for the RSC

I made a couple of pink chickens this week. I had made 2 pink ones a couple of years ago and decided to add a couple to the collection. I have 4 purple and blue ones so will work away at adding other colors of chickens to the mix this year. Linking up with the RSC on Saturday morning.

I had some yellow hexagons prepped and got them stitched up and quilted this week. I need to make a set of 4 pink ones to stitch this month.

I saw another Little House block was released on Thursday, so I grabbed some pretty purples and made the 6 inch block. I will be adding some log cabin strips to surround it this weekend for that sew along over at Melva Loves Scraps. 

I saw there is a local quilt show on Saturday, so I plan on heading to see that and oooh and awww over quilts, vendors booths and raffles! The boy is having a long day and enjoying Grad Bash at Universal on Friday evening with lots of other high school seniors around Florida. He should get back to school around 4AM... and has the car there so can get himself home. The girl was home with an ear ache and all stuffed up and slept until after 10. She will be helping her Dad build some cat walks in the house this weekend so the cats can venture into the living room and kitchen area up high in the recessed walls. We will see if they venture out. They do not mix well with the dog..... they run and he chases.

Good news, we put my FIL's house on the market last month and it is under contract for a 30 day closing! Fingers crossed all goes smoothly with the buyer.

 

Bear paw

 

Aidan went with the traditional layout for the Bear Paw quilt I am making him. I will be setting it in a diagonal setting since I showed him one I had done as a baby quilt that way and he liked it. So, decisions made and lots of sewing to go! The Graduation quilt - so far. Each block will finish at 14 inches. I have not calculated how many I need yet.

Slow Sunday Stitching

 So far, the day has started off nice and slowly. I got to sleep in, which was nice since we got home from a dinner and visit with Grandma close to 11 last night. It was a nice dinner out and then some CLR games at the dining room table and chatting. Good family times. 

I took this photo on Saturday when I was out gathering eggs. That reminds me, I need to let them roam today since I forgot to let them out yesterday. They have been out in the back yard roaming most of the week as we got some rain... and that means good bugs on the ground to gobble up! 4 eggs - not bad for 3 chickens we got in September 2000 and the other 2 I think we got a few years ago. Looking at the colors - Either Poppy or Eggnog did not lay as they both provide green eggs.

Aidan got me this set of puzzles by Thomas Kinkade for Christmas and I picked up this puzzle board that swivels and has 4 side pull out drawers at Aldi this year. I realized after laying out the pieces, that the plastic is to go over the puzzle while you are not working on it... I'll do it correctly on the next puzzle. I started with getting the pieces turned over and out and started the edges. Aidan has done the majority of the puzzle, but I do add a few here and there as I walk by. 

I've been stitching on the back porch a little this week and got these into sets of four. I dug into the bag and have some more prepped and ready to stitch. I need to add some pink and red to the mix on the next prep round. These will make row three that I want to add to my existing QAYG hexagon quilt that is asking to be made a little bigger. I have 2 columns done and plan 2 more. 

This is the existing quilt at 88x66. 

Lots of progress has been made on the cross stitch this week.

Last Sundays for a reference. I'm going to work on the bottom grassy area before I finish off the last quilt block area, then move onto the first page of the pattern which is to the left of this.

Linking up with the Slow Sunday Stitchers. Hope you all enjoy a little relaxing stitching today. 

Rsc houses

 These are the last two pink houses for the month. Notice the dinosaur peeking out the window? 

We won't mention that I sewed the house top on wrong... three times before it came out correctly. I might have left them after the first try for lunch.... then managed to sew them wrong again two more times before I got it right. Thankfully it is a 6 inch block so the seams that kept being pulled out were not too big. 

I've been enjoying the low humidity in Florida and cooler temps for April (unusual) and stitching out on the back porch in my new chairs in the afternoon for a bit after work. The dog is not happy with me. Seems he can't fit in the chair with me and is not happy with that fact. I tried putting his quilt onto the other rocking chair and patted the chair for him to jump up. He disliked his quilt being outside the living room and tried to pull it off the chair to put it back where it belongs! I thought it was funny. My dog does not like a change in his routine... and it was sit in the recliner with Mom while she cross stitches time! 

Linking up with the RSC on a peaceful Saturday. 

Bear paw and a concert

 

It was All County band last night with a guest conductor from FSU.  Got a smile. With 3 practices and all day yesterday,  they played some amazing and challenging music. It sounded great.

There are four identical blocks in each pile.  I added the light blue yesterday and have another blue in process.  I think I have a few more somewhere so I guess I need to go searching and organize the sewing area this weekend.