January - 17 UFO's in 2017 monthly link up!

Well, the month started off great with a finish first thing! I finished the quilting and binding on my RSC 2016 quilt to start off the year right.

Next I tackled the Quilters Scrapbook quilt - it needed pressing, a backing and batting. It did get quilted on the machine this month (yup, it sat a while in the sewing room after the pinning process). The binding fabric was found and made and machine stitched to one side. It still needs to be hand stitched to the back... which will probably happen tonight.

I also moved along my 1857 Album blocks. I had let these slide last fall but got quite a few prepped this month and hand stitched down. I do need to add purple peels to the corners but I am very happy with the progress on this. I started this quilt last January and SentimentalStitches.com is releasing a few blocks each month until June 2017. Still behind but... great progress was made.

Not too shabby for the first month of this challenge! Check out how everyone else did by clicking here.

I'll have to figure out what to work on next... I know the 1857 blocks will continue, I'd like to get a top in the queue quilted and maybe put some blocks together to make another quilt top? Plenty of choices on either of those tasks. Come back next month to see how I do!

Design floor Monday....

 I finished the last 2 blocks in the Thangles series yesterday and picked out the flying geese one and reversed the colors. I squeaked out enough of the cream fabric to make all the sashing needed for the quilt. I do believe I had about 3 inches in bits left after I was done cutting and piecing those things!
 I hope to finish sewing them together into a top tomorrow. Monday afternoon is prep for girl scouts (cause I never think to so it on Sunday!).

Slow Sunday Stitching.... Quilters Scrapbook almost finished!

There will be binding later today!

I finished the machine quilting on my quilters scrapbook quilt this morning. This quilt was designed by Joanne at Canuckquilter.com. The pattern can be found for purchase through her website.

Then.... came the ut oh moment. You have all been there..... especially with quilt tops that have been done for a while. I checked the blue section of the fabric area. Nope - none of that dark blue from connecting threads there. Hmmmm.... maybe I was smart and put it in the drawer with the top? Emptying out the drawer where I kept it.... yup - I am a block collector! Cats, civil war diary blocks, churn dash blocks, midget blocks, blue blocks, green and brown blocks, VQF quilt top blocks, then the tops (I can fit a LOT into one drawer!) - a churn dash, century quilt, bear paw baby, mystery baby from last year and fabrics for a blue and brown top I started with some of the blocks finished.

And ta da.... some of the fabric I needed. A quick calculation... and I think if I use 2.25 strips for the binding I have just enough! Woo Hoo!

So after trimming the quilt, cutting and making the binding and pressing it in half, then using the walking foot to attach it to the front of the quilt...... it WILL be time to hand stitch the binding!

While I am slow stitching today, I will be thinking of a good blogging friend who lost her life to cancer this month. I found out this morning and will be missing my good friend Kathy (Nana to 4 T's), who blogged at Empty nest but full heart. She always had a kind word and we had some wonderful e-mail conversations over the years. She was a wonderful quilter who hand quilted some gorgeous quilts and did link up to this link party in the past. If you could say a prayer for her family she left behind - a husband, daughter and four grands that she doted on.

Linking up with Kathy's Quilts where you will see lots of hand work happening all over the world.

Saturday... means the RSC Challenge link up!

I did get some time to play with purple this week. I had plans to border my little diamonds with purple friendship stars.... but I really didn't like how they looked together. So.... I think I'll just make 6 inch friendship stars this year as well in all the colors! I have 12 made in purple.
 

That little diamond block..... well I did find a basket (or two) of half square triangles..... maybe I'll make some 12 inch blocks with them in colors of the challenge and have a very unique quilt in December?... we will see what color comes up for February and how inspired I get!

I added a couple of my 1857 album blocks from sentimentatlstitches.com this week and since I am doing that quilt in purple and greens..... I'm adding a picture. The basket and crest block with a few of the border blocks.

I added a couple of 16 patch blocks..... because they are so versatile! 

In the past I have made three quilts from these types of blocks. Two stars and one Goodnight Irene that I call my cube quilt.

The Cube Quilt.

I still have not made the little squares of color...maybe they will get made this weekend!

Head on over to the RSC Linkup and enjoy the purple show. 

Last night was my pampered chef cooking club. We made crispy zucchini fries, Hearty Tuscan Soup and a decadent desert of Cappuccino Mousse Triffle. I will be making the fries this week... and maybe the soup. They were both so yummy. 

Mid week check in....

I'm calling this one done! A basket from the 1857 album block collection. The grapes are huge but they fill up the space. Today... we have the AC guy coming for the first cleaning of the year this morning.  The kids have a half day of school. Once Emily finishes her homework... she and I are heading to Orlando and The Crayola Experience for a few hours this afternoon. Aidan has had a bit of an attitude with us so he is not going this time. He and Dad get to stay home.

Slow Sunday....

I started the day making some banana chip muffins (recipe is on the recipe tab!) for breakfast. Aidan requested mini muffins for breakfast this morning. They were just tested and he said they were Amazing... then quickly changed it to 'terrible, I'll have to eat all of them!'. Three more very ripe bananas will be made into bread later this morning.

The kids are headed to Grandma's for the day. That should allow me to clean up the house a bit (well, it will last until they get home!). I plan to do a little machine quilting on my Quilters Scrapbook and then..... settle in this afternoon with some slow stitching on my 1857 Appliqué blocks. I really hope to get the basket block finished off today. I have some circles prepped somewhere for the grapes to add to the basket.

We took a walk with the kids last night while they rode their scooters. Yes, Aidan will have his helmet on in the future. We need to head out sooner than 6.... it was pretty dark when we got home around 6:40.

Linking up with Kathy at Slow Sunday Stitching today. Head on over and see what great projects are being worked today.

RSC Saturday...

 Good thing I was able to sew a bit on Sunday... that is the only machine sewing I got all week. But... the spring blossoms got made and I found these little blocks in purple that I sewed together. They are about 12 inches now.... I think they will be surrounded by some purple friendship stars.... maybe some sewing time will happen later today to make that happen? First up is bowling for Emily and scouts for Aidan.

I did get some appliqué done this week in purples and green on my 1857 album blocks.  There were about 4 of the border  blocks done too... but I'm too lazy to go take a picture of them!

Linking up with Angela over at the RSC Challenge. What purple scraps will you be playing with today?