OMG for April....

It was close but I finally got all these churn dash blocks stitched into a quilt top despite the 'help' holding down the rows for me by Mr. Peanut Cat. 

My goal was to get these blocks stitched up into a top. The stretch goal was to get it completed but that did not happen. I am quite happy that this made it to a top stage this month. One more collection of blocks sewn up into a quilt top. We won't discuss how many other block collections are waiting!

 

I'll be linking up with the OMG finish for April.

Blueberry season in Florida....

There is about another week of blueberry picking near where I live in north central Florida. I headed to the field after dropping the kids to school today and picked a little over 4 pounds this time.... in about 30-35 minutes. They have a big field and the berries are big and taste great. I think I had Farthing, Chickadee, Prima Donna and Emeralds this time. I put the majority of them on half sheet pans and popped them in the freezer. I'll get a couple quart bags of berries from each pan for the freezer stock. 

I really need to schedule a time and take the kids... unfortunately it is around 90 degrees after school. Might need to have them get out of bed early Saturday to go. It was getting toasty by 9:40 when I was leaving to head home. Must be time to head into the sewing room! 

I have 2 hexagons in blue in the tin to be stitched and that lines up with 2 days left in the month! These are the ones I stitched up this week.

I also prepped step 3 of Harmony to 'remake' my last attempt that did not come out the right size with the templates.... so I decided to make them the rotary cut way. I think they called these 'fancy' HST's.  I cut out and am stitching the HST's and then I'll cut and add on the extra half square triangle to one end. Here is step 1+2 along with the process of step 3. I am making the throw - so there will be 4 blocks. I am way behind on this one as they are on the last steps of putting all the parts together at this point.

Time to go work on my April OMG that is still not to a top stage. Hopefully it will be by the end of the day. Dinner is in the crockpot - French Dip sandwiches. I pulled a chuck roast from the freezer Tuesday and remembered to pop it in the crock pot this morning before taking the kids to school. Last night.... I pulled some ribs from the freezer (Greg made them last month) and made a potato salad for dinner. See - I do pull from the freezer for meals occasionally! Next week I'll pull a seal a meal bag of Carnitas for Cubans for a dinner one night.

A splurge?

 There was a sale last week (I think). I've been watching them over at Accuquilt.com since I purchased mine last fall. It is SO amazing at cutting perfect curved pieces for quilting. After nearly 30 years quilting I finally ventured into curves and I have to say - I really love hand stitching them! I picked up the flowering snowball one  and have made blocks for a little quilt of that using some FQ's I've had waiting patiently for over 13 years.

Karen started cutting some pretty fabrics into drunkard path parts.... oh my. That is on my 'someday' list but I did not want to have to make templates and cut them all out. Then I saw a Buy 1 get 1 70% off sale pop up! Hmmm.... apple core was another one I wanted to try. They are both dies that were available. While in there..... I might have said, hmmm Winding ways is a neat pattern and I've been wanting to try one since I saw Ellen make hers and from reading the Winding Way's books by Jennifer Chiaverini. That landed in the cart and then there was a clamshell (it is curved....) but I really have no desire to make one of them so I went looking for another die that would use the same size mat's I had or was ordering and was around the same price. Crossed Canoe! This one keeps coming back onto my someday list and I think it would make a great RSC quilt next year so the clamshell was removed and that one was added =).

I did tell myself I have to finish my OMG for April before I can play with them though! I also need to cut out my light and bright blue flowering snowball parts for the RSC kit I am adding to each month and make my garden path block with my 8 inch cube HST die. I think that is enough motivation for me to get my OMG finished by Friday so I can play!

Another finish! 16 patches

 I finished the binding on the 16 patch baby quilt on Sunday. This one is 32x40 and will be donated to charity with the stars and nines. This one is similar to the last one but no stars!  The chickens would not pose so I put some treats down for them for a photo op. Poppy was missing from the photo but this has the 4 Sexlink (Rhode Island Red/White cross), 3 Plymouth Rocks and 1 Easter Egger - Rosie.

I had my first in person girl scout meeting last night at my house. It had been over a year since we have seen them all in person! They sure do change a lot in a year. We met outside on the side lawn and they all visited the chickens in the back yard.  Now I can relax a bit until next Monday...and make phone calls and schedule the Roller Skating and Painting with a Twist that was put on hold last year. I'm not ready for the camping yet.... maybe this fall.

RSC last Saturday in light and bright blue.

Lets check the white board and see how I am faring this month. 3 check marks out of 6. I guess I still have some sewing to do!

The daily hexagons so far this month. 21 of them completed but I think I do have the rest all prepped and in their container. I might have neglected them for a couple of days in order to get the hand quilting and binding completed on the table runner. Plenty of time to get them all done before next Friday!

The Table Scrap Challenge was completed this week and is in this post.

The scrappy squares added 2 blocks this month. They will be added to the pink and yellow. I seem to have not done the dark green last month after having a size issue with the first one I made. I'll go back and add green eventually - probably in the next green month.

Erin's butterfly got sewn together on the machine for the fans and then I hand stitched the middle of the wing. I basted the 1/4 inch seam down all around so they will be ready to applique onto a background.... sometime. Again - seems this one is missing green. 

The other 2 things on the list are the Garden Path block - using the scrappy hst's and the Full Stop block which is an asterisk this month. Maybe I can work a little on one of them Friday night, otherwise they will get worked on this weekend and shown next week on May 1. 

I have 2 bindings to hand stitch down on these rainbow blocks from last year. The stars and nines and the 16 patch blocks. 

****Edited with a finish last night! Lily the chicken approves.

This one has a dark green leaf binding stitched to the top and waiting to be hand stitched down.

Linking up on Saturday with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and Sunday with the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

 

Table Scraps Challenge for April

 It was touch and go but I finished the binding on the table scraps challenge late last night, just in time for Joy's linkup!

I started out the month with these extra basket blocks and a few strips of the background fabric.

They got sewed into this.

I decided to hand quilt it. Someone remind me maybe to just machine quilt it next time! I was a little worried about finishing it in time but some dedicated time got it done.

I did have help along the way with marking some of the sewing lines and supervision by the cats.

For a finish!

Linking up with the Table Scrap Challenge and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge where April was light and bright blues.

Tuesday Update

 I got my second Pfizer shot yesterday morning. Nice and easy. No arm pain or any side effects with this one either. I guess I have good genes - thanks Mom and Dad!

I am trying to make progress on the Table scrap in blue and have a feeling it will be down to the wire. We will see if it is actually completed this weekend or not..... I'm still shooting for end of the month which gives me another week! A decision on the open spaces was made and I marked one last night and then someone wanted to do it for me..... so I let her! I got one of them quilted and she wanted to spritz out the blue marker. Got a little heavy handed with the water so I was done for the night while it dried. A little progress though... 

Emily was being supervised by Peanut to make sure she marked them correctly! Doesn't he look all comfy in my recliner?