March Down wind NewFO

Well today is only the 12th. I live in Florida and the ides of March are in full swing. Got soaked to my skin yesterday on way to doctor. On the way home the sun was out and the temperature hit in the 70's. This morning freezing and windy!!! Trees are bending over like a very bad ballet. So what does this mean....I feel  physically battered, so I am  spending more time in the sewing room. My sanctuary, my sanity. Even if I just touch my fabric, it is medicinal and calming.

I joined the Doll Quilt Swap. My partner is Pat. I was excited to start on her quilt. I went through my parts department and found the perfect blocks to put together and make her quilt. Only took two weekends of sewing. I hope she likes it as much as I do. My husband loved it and was a little sad that I was not keeping it for myself.  I think it is more fun to give things away that you make with love.

Since I am having problems with arm, my hand quilting really has deteriorated over the years. So I do everything I can get away with by machine. A while back I bought a box of those black binder clips in multiple sizes  at Walmart. They were $8.00 for 200 pc. I used those to hold the binding in place while I machine sewed it down. Worked like a dream! No gluing or hand sewing. Woot!

 

I received my quilt from Pat, my partner in the Doll Quilt Swap. Love my quilt!

 

What a beauty.  Spring has sprung!

She also gifted me a eyeglass case and lanyard.

Thanks Pat!

 

Still working on Bento Blocks for my daughters quilt. They now measure 20 inches each! I altered the pattern for this quilt several times instead of doing the Rip-rip two step! As with many of my quilts, I get derailed on occasion. I have to make two alike quilts and the amount of un-sewing was overwhelming. It was improvise time. They look good this way too. Because the blocks keep growing in size I will probably have enough for a matching baby quilt or lap quilt. I can even use them on the back of the quilt. I purchased 100% cotton batting. There will be some shrinking but I love that look on a homemade quilts.

 

Amber's Blocks

 

 

Flimsy

 

My bed is queen size and she has a king. She wants two separate quilts. Each quilts is going to measure 80 x 100 inches. I will not be putting a border on it because they are so big. Hers will have teal binding and his will have red binding. I was going to finish hers first but I figure I may as well do both tops and whatever I have left over, I will use on the backs of the quilts. I have my son-laws blocks all made but not web together as yet. (Note: cards on wall are to teach my grandson the month and what day of the week it is. The other wall has sight words on it. He is 4 years old and reads over 200 words. He loves to be tested on his words! )


Also made a silly thing to hang a Nook in the back seat of my car for granddaughter. Since she is in a toddler seat it faces backwards and she gets fussy. There is a loop in the backseat to secure a car seat when it faces forward. I made this to go there. Her daddy beat me to the bunch and actually put a Velcro strip on the back of his Kindle and weaved the other piece through the loop. His was higher so she couldn't kick it.  He won! LOL

I also cut out another 100 spools for my Spooling around leaders and enders challenge from Bonnie Hunter. I have about 260 sew already as leaders and ends. That was a challenge 2 years ago. Hey, it still counts. I think she is doing Lozenges leaders and enders chalenge now.

 

I found a pile of not so attractive 2 1/2 in squares and am sewing them into 4 patches. Building my parts department for future quilts. Since following Bonnie  and watching her Quilt Cam I think differently when it comes to my scraps. I have made quite a few quilts recently and barely touched my stash. I may use these for Maverick Stars or her latest Wonky wishes but with the tiny 4 patch in the middle. I do have a bunch or 1 1/2 inch squares as well. Which I guess is really Maverick stars. LOL

I purchase a bunch of little bins at the Dollar tree to make it easier for me to trim the little bits that are left over into squares. Bins were 2 for a dollar. How can you go wrong.  Anything small goes in barrel dog biscuit container  for crumbs and I have sorted Zip lock bags for strip piecing  by color. If I hate the fabric I just cut it up. If its still ugly I cut it smaller. LOL!!
No regrets because I am using it up.

BTW -The Dora the Explorer fabric in the background is really a crib sheet I made yesterday that is waiting for me to put the elastic in. This Crib Sheet tutorial was great.

Happy Quilting

Aileen in Florida

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